II - 19

Her chest rose and fell rapidly with excitement as he pressed his body flush against hers. 

“I only want you to look at me.” 

Unconsciously, I-ryeong held her breath. 

His sticky breath was so close it felt like she was swallowing it whole. 

“It’s not just me who’s excited, right?” 

Then, I-jun pulled her into a tight embrace without warning. 

In the presence of the esthetic staff, their heartbeats mingled. 

Thump-thump. A frenzied rhythm echoed, though it was impossible to tell whose heart it belonged to. 

“This is dangerous.” 

Once again, his breath invaded her ear. 

She felt like she might melt under the heat radiating from him. 

“Dirty thoughts won’t leave my mind.” 

The excitement laced in his breath stimulated her senses. 

“I don’t want to let you go.” 

“I-jun...” 

Finally, I-ryeong’s voice trembled with moisture—when suddenly, a cold sensation brushed against her neck. 

“I’m sorry for sending you off to the battlefield alone.” 

The necklace I-jun had prepared was studded with diamonds, making her shine even more brilliantly. 

“I-jun...” 

Surprised by the unexpected gift, I-ryeong looked up at him with wide eyes. 

I-jun felt an unbearable ache below his navel, driving him nearly mad. 

He had originally planned to give her the gift and leave quickly, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her from his arms. 

Was I always this expressive? 

Right now, he wanted nothing more than to lay her down and explore her freely. 

The softness of her chest pressing against him, the intoxicating exposure of her neckline—it all fueled an insatiable thirst within him. 

“Ha...” 

In the end, impure desires spilled out uncontrollably. His rationality had already been consumed by arousal. 

Overwhelmed by the swelling tension, I-jun’s mind went blank. 

He imagined thrusting deeply into her damp warmth, shaking her until she lost control. 

The thought of becoming a beast, biting and marking every inch of her, sent shivers down his spine. 

“You have no idea how much I’m holding back.” 

Pressing his lips firmly against her ear, he whispered hoarsely. 

“I’m going crazy wanting to undress you.” 

Then, he bit down gently on her flushed earlobe before pulling away. 

“I’ve gone mad, haven’t I?” 

His bloodshot eyes met hers, burning with desire. 

I-ryeong wasn’t oblivious to what he wanted. She was teetering on the edge of surrender herself, her body trembling with anticipation. 

She clung to him tightly, wrinkling his neatly pressed shirt in the process. 

“I-jun... I... I...” 

She wanted to tell him that she felt the same—that she too was on the verge of losing herself to desire—but she swallowed the words.

“You undress me.” 

With a heart full of longing, she gazed at him, hoping he would complete the magical spell he had cast today. 

Her entire being was consumed by thoughts of Seo I-jun. 

Sunday night. 

At the top of Korea’s tallest tower restaurant, I-ryeong sat alone. 

The view of Seoul’s dazzling night skyline from the upper floors was so extravagant it felt impossible to take in all at once. 

[“I’ll make that bastard regret ever crossing me.”] 

She replayed his text in her mind. 

This place had been specially reserved for her by I-jun. She felt both sorry and grateful for his thoughtfulness. 

“Hmm.” 

Her lips pursed slightly as she exhaled a breath tainted with nervousness. 

Still, the tension refused to ease. She grabbed the jacket she had been wearing all evening and shook it lightly. 

A faint trace of his scent wafted out, wrapping around her. She was glad she had brought it. 

Closing her eyes, I-ryeong savored the fragrance, letting herself fall into the illusion that he was there with her—when suddenly— 

“Chae I-ryeong!” 

An unpleasant voice jolted her eyes open. 

There stood Cho Dong-hwa, the “bastard” she had agreed to meet today. 

“You came?” 

“Looks like you put in some effort to meet me?” 

Dong-hwa sneered as he took his seat. 

“Isn’t that a man’s jacket? How tacky. Did you write ‘I’m getting married’ on your forehead too?” 

“Don’t run your mouth carelessly. Just stay quiet.” 

I-ryeong warned him in a low tone. 

“Did you hook a rich guy or something?” 

But Dong-hwa didn’t stop. 

She could feel his gaze sweeping over her—from the jacket, to the necklace, to the dress—like a disgusting insect crawling over her skin. His leer sent shivers down her spine. 

She thought of I-jun, who had looked at her with such tenderness just hours ago. The memory of his touch made her ache with longing. 

I-ryeong stared into the air, focusing on the ambient noise around her to steady her swirling emotions. 

Silently, she repeated a mantra: This man in front of me is worse than a bug. Less than a pebble on the roadside. Clenching her lips, she steadied her breathing. 

“Does it hurt that I’m getting married? Are you jealous of Ari?” 

Dong-hwa snickered, spewing mockery. 

“The idea that someone would marry a block of wood like you? It’s unbelievable.” 

Strangely, his crude words didn’t rattle her. Instead, she felt eerily calm. 

“Lower your voice.” 

“What? Since when do you use honorifics? Have you lost your mind?” 

Dong-hwa burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as if he’d stumbled upon the funniest joke. 

“Do you even know etiquette? Lower your tone. You’re being vulgar.” 

I-ryeong lowered her gaze and stared at him coldly.

“What, vulgar?” 

“If you keep causing a scene, I’ll call off this meeting and leave.” 

“A scene? This is ridiculous!” 

Dong-hwa half-rose from his seat, raising his hand as if ready to strike. 

“Ugh! Fine, I’ll tolerate it one more time!” 

But under the weight of the surrounding glares, he reluctantly sank back into his chair. 

Grumbling, he gulped down his water. 

I-ryeong quietly fiddled with her jacket, mentally organizing what she wanted to say. 

“What about dinner?” 

“Have you been starving until now?” 

Each word Dong-hwa spat out was sharp-edged and laced with venom. 

I-ryeong couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. She didn’t want to meet him at all, but I-jun had pushed her to come, insisting that revenge was necessary. 

“Excuse me.” 

I-ryeong called over the server and ordered wine. The thought of eating a meal with Dong-hwa, who flared up at the mere mention of food, made her nauseous. 

“Is that okay?” 

“Do you even know how to drink wine?” 

He sneered, twisting his lips into a mocking grin. 

I-ryeong gave no reaction. She didn’t want to give him any reason to pick a fight over trivial actions. 

“Let me assist with the setup.” 

“Bring one more glass. My companion will be arriving soon.” 

Dong-hwa smirked and placed a separate order. 

Confused by his words, I-ryeong furrowed her brow—when suddenly— 

“Am I the only one left out of this little reunion? I’m hurt, I-ryeong.” 

Ari appeared, draped in luxury brands, and naturally took a seat next to Dong-hwa. 

“My love, were you hurt?” 

“Of course. Calling someone else’s lover out late at night? Wouldn’t that worry you?” 

The two clasped hands and gazed at each other affectionately. 

“Am I allowed to join this gathering too?” 

Ari giggled behind her hand, deliberately drawing attention to the ring on her finger. 

“I never expected you’d get married so suddenly. Seeing your and Dong-hwa’s SNS posts shocked me.” 

“Did it now?” 

I-ryeong felt nothing toward Ari’s exaggerated reaction, which involved dramatic shoulder shrugs. 

“We posted it for people like you to see. Was there really a reason to be surprised?” 

She tilted her head slightly, feigning curiosity. 

I-jun’s insistence on posting the wedding announcement on social media had been aimed at these cockroach-like lovers. 

“Excuse me.” 

At that moment, the server placed a new glass in front of Ari and set up the wine. 

I-ryeong focused on the wine filling her glass, then raised it to her lips first, taking a small sip. 

The aroma was exquisite—sweet yet smooth, reminiscent of kissing I-jun. 

Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and ran the tip of her tongue along the inside of her cheek.

The spreading sensation wasn’t unpleasant. 

She savored the intoxicating aroma, feeling as if she could fall into his arms right then and there. 

“Ha...” 

She recalled I-jun’s breath against her skin at the esthetic center. 

Her rationality felt like it was on the verge of snapping. The faint scent wafting from his jacket made her feel as though he were right there with her. 

“Hey, Chae I-ryeong.” 

Ari called out to her in a shrill voice. 

“Why are you rushing into marriage? I came here because I’m curious about that.” 

I-ryeong slowly lifted her eyelids. 

It irritated her that such a trivial curiosity had shattered her sweet reverie. 

“You didn’t even give him anything when you were with Dong-hwa. Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?” 

Ari sharpened her tone, throwing a tantrum at I-ryeong, who paid her no mind. 

She had pressured Dong-hwa into showering her with luxury brands before coming here, but seeing I-ryeong now stirred an inexplicable sense of deprivation within her. 

She grew annoyed at how I-ryeong seemed different—more polished, more refined. 

Jealousy flared at the sight of her elegant appearance, perfectly suited for the high-end restaurant. 

The necklace, the dress, even the casually draped jacket—all looked expensive, fueling her anger. 

“Don’t tell me you called me here to ‘give it to me’ one last time before your wedding?” 

“Oh, come on.” 

I-ryeong silently stared at the two of them exchanging vulgar banter, giggling among themselves. 

Their crass behavior only confirmed how well-suited they were for each other. 

I-ryeong poured more wine into her empty glass. 

“Ari, you shouldn’t look at people like that.” 

Feeling Ari’s piercing gaze scrutinizing her every detail, I-ryeong quietly issued a warning. 

“What, what did you say?” 

“What are you so curious about that you’re looking at me like that?” 

Holding her glass, she gazed steadily at Ari before softly speaking. 

“Dong-hwa does the same thing. Looking at people like that is a really bad habit. You should break it.” 

Ari’s deliberately overdone appearance struck her as tacky. 

The sight of her logo-covered hairpins, earrings, and shirt brought an amused smile to I-ryeong’s lips. 

“What? This is real!” 

“Don’t get worked up.” 

Her soft voice continued to flow through slightly parted lips. 

“Are you crazy? Who do you think you are, acting all high-and-mighty like some chaebol’s wife? Stop pretending to be noble—it’s disgusting.” 

Dong-hwa flared up, patting Ari soothingly. 

This wasn’t why she had come here. 

I-ryeong took another sip of wine. This time, the dizzying aroma spread throughout her body. 

Her heart raced, twisting her mood in strange ways—but she didn’t entirely dislike it. 

“Ari, are you crying? Why are you crying?” 

“Look at her! She’s doing this on purpose to intimidate me. It’s infuriating.” 

Even as Ari sobbed into Dong-hwa’s arms, she meticulously scanned I-ryeong, as if appraising her worth.

I-ryeong wanted nothing more than to get up and leave the table immediately. 

Ari’s relentless, clinging gaze was so repulsive that it became unbearable to endure.