IT - 4

4. First Kiss

“I don’t have any illusions about love or people. I prefer casual, diverse relationships without any constraints. It’s fun and comfortable to date different men.”

She was clearly drunk, judging by how easily she made up things that weren’t true.

“Your taste is impure.”

Ji-soo’s lips trembled at the fabricated lie she’d told to hide her feelings for Tae-ha. She immediately regretted her words. She clearly wasn’t talented at deception.

Ji-soo reached for the makgeolli pitcher. Tae-ha placed his hand over her small, white hand as she grasped the handle.

“You drank a whole pitcher by yourself. Are you going to be alright?”

What did “alright” even mean? Ji-soo wondered to herself. Her life hadn’t had much “alright” in it. She just wanted it to be.

“Well, I think I’ll be alright if the Managing Director takes me home.”

It was a spur-of-the-moment request to prove that she could have a good time, and Tae-ha readily nodded. It seemed like today was a special day, since everything she said was coming true.

When Tae-ha glanced towards the kitchen, the restaurant owner brought over a fresh pitcher.

Ji-soo did most of the talking, while Tae-ha listened quietly, diligently refilling her drinks and snacks so she wouldn’t run out. Even to her trivial chatter, Tae-ha listened with a serious expression.

Due to the alcohol, Ji-soo’s words became increasingly slurred, but strangely, her consciousness remained sharp. Even as it approached 10 p.m., the rain continued to patter outside, the wet sounds still audible.

She glared at Tae-ha with hazy eyes. To summarize, she was drinking with Tae-ha late at night. Just the two of them, sitting side by side.

In this situation, even someone without ulterior motives would start to develop them. He was devastatingly handsome and mesmerizing enough to scatter even a clear mind. Moreover, the woman, emboldened by her drunkenness, was barely suppressing her bubbling courage.

Ji-soo propped her chin up, struggling to maintain her swaying body, and gazed at Tae-ha.

“There aren’t many people in the restaurant tonight, are there? That’s strange, it’s usually crowded in the evening.”

“I rented it out for the evening because I wanted to be alone with you.”

“Ah,” Ji-soo agreed with a giggle, then looked at him again and smiled.

“It’s nice to be rich. So convenient.”

“It just means you can spend more time on what you want to focus on. There’s nothing inconvenient about it.”

Ji-soo shifted the direction of her crossed legs. Her right knee touched Tae-ha’s thigh. The raw desire transmitted through the fabric made Ji-soo’s body tense.

“I lied to you earlier.”

Tae-ha, who had been glancing at his watch, turned his attention to Ji-soo.

“Actually, I still feel that way. It’s ongoing.”

Even though she was drunk to the point of struggling to stand, Ji-soo partially obscured her true feelings, unaware that the perceptive Tae-ha had already seen through her.

“I know.”

“Huh? Know what?”

Tae-ha stood up first and wrapped his arm around Ji-soo’s waist, lifting her to her feet.

The wet, clinging movements grew intense. The two of them, pressed together without a gap, almost looked like a single body. The air in Tae-ha’s space, which had initially seemed pleasant and spacious, became thick with hot humidity.

“Mmm.”

A heated moan escaped, though neither knew whose lips had initiated it.

Whether it was because of the continuing rain or the unrestrained tangle of tongues and the fiercely pressing heat, Ji-soo surrendered everything to him, falling into a pleasure she had never experienced before.

Every time Tae-ha sucked and pulled, a dizzying sweetness spread through her body. Her consciousness became clearer, as if she were arguing that she wasn’t acting impulsively because of the alcohol.

There are moments in life with no clear beginning or end. This moment was one of those for Ji-soo.

“Hnn.”

Just when it seemed he was about to release her red lips, a small sigh escaped, and he bit down on the soft flesh below. The sweet scent that permeated his mouth as he nipped at her tender lips was like a magical temptation, bewitching a person living a normal, rational life, shaking the cruel one-sided love of a dangerous beast.

Tae-ha was certain that Ji-soo was the source of the fragrance that had driven him crazy. Even though he had known for a long time, he pulled and sucked relentlessly, as if stubbornly trying to prove it here and now. He felt like he could absorb everything about Ji-soo this way.

“Haa, uhn.”

Her slender arms, which had been fidgeting, groped frantically. Their bodies, damp from their shared heat, were slippery and cold. Ji-soo, startled by the chill, pushed against his firm shoulder, which loomed over her like a rock, knowing it wouldn’t budge.

“Just a little, slower.”

“If that were possible, I wouldn’t be pouncing on a drunk woman like a madman.”

Was he saying he was crazy about her? She didn’t dislike it.

Tae-ha, who was moving quickly and persistently, didn’t allow Ji-soo any time to collect herself. If Ji-soo’s movements faltered even slightly as she tried to figure out what was happening, he would roughly graze her delicate membranes.

“Ah.”

Her slender shoulders, which had been partially propped up, fell back completely.

Looking down at her panting, fragile breaths, Tae-ha removed her baggy, old coat, which had always bothered him, as if it were a sack.

Even to Tae-ha, who was indifferent to trends and fashion, Ji-soo’s loose coat looked unfashionable and ill-fitting. It was probably because she was so thin that she had to buy the smallest size.

Thump, thump. His hurried hands were closer to tearing than unbuttoning. The sound of a single faux pearl button rolling across the floor could be heard.

As Tae-ha slid off her blouse, Ji-soo barely managed to buy herself a moment to think. She had been so calm until now—so why was she suddenly doing something so intimate with Tae-ha? Her thoughts rewound to just moments ago.

As they left the restaurant, Ji-soo had stumbled slightly, twisting her ankle. It wasn’t serious—no sprain, no fall, no blood—but Tae-ha’s expression darkened as he roughly grabbed her hand. She didn’t want to let go of the hand he had extended first. She was too drunk to push him away, and truthfully, she didn’t want to.

“It’s still early enough for buses and subways to be running, so I’ll cross the street and head home. Thank you for dinner.”

She knew full well that he would insist on taking her home, but she teased him anyway, deliberately testing his patience. As expected, Tae-ha glared down at her with smoldering eyes, his grip tightening around her hand. His face was a mix of irritation and reproach.

“Get in. I even skipped drinking tonight to personally escort a drunkard like you home.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re fine? Let me take care of that ‘fine’ for you.”

Just looking at his cold, hardened face made her feel as if her jaw were trembling uncontrollably. Ji-soo’s wide, round eyes flickered nervously as she gauged his mood.

“Are you mad at me?”

Ji-soo gripped Tae-ha’s wrist with her other hand as he led her toward the car. He turned his face downward, pretending not to understand her question.

“Hoo.”

Overstuffed from dinner, Ji-soo sighed softly and glanced down at her feet. What was the problem? Today, wanting to look good for Tae-ha, she had impulsively bought an expensive pair of designer heels for the first time in her life—brand new, no discount—and worn them here.

Expensive things truly lived up to their price. Even in the dimly lit alley under the drizzling rain, the shoes gleamed brilliantly.

The most expensive item she currently wore, the heels accentuated her slender ankles and smooth calves. Though her small feet and high stiletto heels looked delicate, almost as if they might snap at any moment.

“Why do you wear such high heels? Do you have two ankles so it doesn’t matter if one breaks?”

Ji-soo giggled at his strange jab. In response, his handsome forehead furrowed even more deeply.

“This isn’t working. I’d rather you file a harassment complaint against me with HR than see you trip and hurt yourself.”

As Ji-soo tilted her head, trying to process his words, her field of vision suddenly shifted upward. Tae-ha scooped her up into his arms. Perhaps this was one of alcohol’s surprising benefits. Docilely leaning into him, Ji-soo wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

It felt wonderful. Every nerve from her head to her toes tingled with the electrifying stimulation that Cha Tae-ha provided.

The refreshing scent emanating from his body tickled her nose. Whether it was the fragrance or her drunken euphoria, she couldn’t tell.

Tae-ha opened the passenger door and carefully guided her head and shoulders inside before gently pushing her in. Before fastening her seatbelt, he grabbed her ankle and swiftly removed her shoes, as if ready to toss them out into the rain.

“Hey, don’t throw those away! They’re expensive! Designer shoes!”

If not for Ji-soo’s plea, he might have actually hurled them. Instead, he flung the shoes into the backseat with a disgruntled expression.

“I spent a fortune on them because I wanted to look good for someone.”

Tae-ha, who had been staring at the sparkling shoes in the backseat, turned his gaze to Ji-soo. With a sultry smile playing on her lips, he circled the car and slid into the driver’s seat.

“So today, am I standing in for that guy?”

Technically, it was Tae-ha who had pushed aside prior engagements to summon her here, but he was far too consumed by emotion to acknowledge such logic. Ji-soo’s constant, cheerful smiles since earlier had tightened their grip on his throat, suffocating him with an intensity that left his mind blank.

“I already told you—I’ve got plenty of men.”

Though Tae-ha’s icy glare sent chills down her spine, she found herself oddly amused by his sharp reactions every time she spoke. She was surprised by her own mischievous streak.

As Ji-soo released her lips, which she had been nervously biting, and lifted her head, Tae-ha’s massive frame swiftly leaned over into the passenger seat. With agile precision, he pinned her wriggling legs between his thighs.

“Does that list of men include a boss who gets drunk and kisses you in his car?”

Ji-soo bit down hard on her crimson lips, trying to hide the tremble of nervousness. Avoiding his gaze, she forced herself to look away, but soon his large hand caught her chin.

“Answer me.”