MHD - 11

“Why? Are you surprised?” 

Jae-hyuk asked. His face, tinged with a bitter smile, looked quite different from the last time. 

“This is the kind of person Seo Hee-soo is—someone you can only meet like this.” 

His low voice dripped with sarcasm. 

It was natural to be angry. But even though she thought it was justified, Jae-hyuk’s face, his eyes, pierced through Hee-soo’s heart like daggers. 

This was the same Jae-hyuk who had begged before Hee-soo after being rejected countless times over the past ten years. 

But now, the face Jae-hyuk wore as he confronted Hee-soo was filled with contempt and hatred. It was an expression, a gaze, that Hee-soo had never seen directed at her before. 

“From now on, you’re going to answer my questions. You can’t run away today.” 

“…” 

“What the hell is going on? What are you hiding from me?” 

Hee-soo stared blankly at Jae-hyuk, whose agitation was growing by the second. Then, without a word, she removed her coat and let it drop to the floor with a thud. 

“...Why does it matter now?” 

Step by step, she took off her watch, placed her bag down, and slowly approached Jae-hyuk. 

“Isn’t it obvious? Don’t you have any sense of decency? Why do you always act so selfishly?” 

Standing before Jae-hyuk, who was now yelling wildly, Hee-soo unzipped the back of her dress and let it fall to the ground. 

“What the hell are you doing? Seo Hee-soo, are you mute or something?” 

Hee-soo’s actions ignited Jae-hyuk’s anger even further. Seeing her react the same way as last time, Jae-hyuk became uncontrollably agitated. 

“How have you been living your life? Do you strip every time instead of answering?” 

“…Do you really need an answer from me? Do whatever you want. You’re no different from Baek Dong-hwan.” 

“Hah.” 

Jae-hyuk panted heavily, biting down hard on the soft flesh inside his mouth. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he trembled violently. 

Whenever he stood in front of Seo Hee-soo, waves of anger and frustration surged uncontrollably within him. Seo Hee-soo was the only person who could drive Lee Jae-hyuk utterly insane. 

And yet, standing before him, Hee-soo remained emotionless. 

“What’s the point of bringing up the past now? It’s just pathetic.” 

“Pathetic? What do you think I am? Do you really see me as nothing more than pathetic?” 

“…” 

Without responding to Jae-hyuk’s words, Hee-soo slipped off the slip she was wearing. 

Thud. 

The thin silk fabric slid down her body and pooled at her feet. 

“Hell, damn it! Stop it! I said stop! Just answer me!” 

Jae-hyuk’s face flushed red as he shouted in a fit of rage. Looking into his fiery glare, Hee-soo swallowed hard. 

“…To be honest, I came here to die.” 

“What?” 

“I came here thinking I’d rather die anyway. Baek Dong-hwan said he’d be waiting for me. But…” 

With a detached gaze, Hee-soo stepped closer to Jae-hyuk. 

“It’s lucky you’re here instead. If it’s you… I don’t care what happens.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

“Hate me. Despise me. I want you to be filled with anger every time you think of me, Jae-hyuk.” 

“Why are you doing this!” 

If we could hate each other, maybe there’d finally be an end to this exhausting relationship. Every time I see how weak you become around me, my heart keeps gravitating toward you. And I hate that about myself too. 

“Resent me. Let’s hate each other.” 

Let’s just end this quickly. 

Just like last time, Hee-soo threw herself into Jae-hyuk’s arms. The moment she leapt into his embrace, Jae-hyuk reflexively held her close. But then, snapping out of it, he forcefully pushed her away. 

“Why are you doing this? Why!” 

“...Just don’t ask.” 

“Tch.” 

“No matter what, I can’t give you the answer you’re looking for.” 

“Damn it.” 

Though Jae-hyuk was at a loss, frustrated and bewildered, his gaze kept lingering on Hee-soo’s nape and translucent skin. Even as anger threatened to consume him, he found himself helplessly drawn into doing exactly what Seo Hee-soo wanted. 

‘Is it still here? Is there still some cursed emotion left inside me?’ 

How much more pain would it take to wash away his lingering attachment? How much more did Seo Hee-soo have to tear apart his heart before he could stop being swayed by her? 

Jae-hyuk’s feelings toward Hee-soo were nothing but pure ambivalence—equal parts love and hatred. 

The only difference now was that in the past, he had clung to the hope that she might return to him someday. Now, all that remained within him were the ashes of extinguished hope. 

Hanging onto her unilaterally made him feel more pathetic than anything else. 

He should’ve stopped before things got this messy. 

The unresolved remnants of unanswered emotions continued to drift aimlessly in his heart. For years, these unresolved feelings had festered, pooling like stagnant water deep in his chest. 

Unable to bear it any longer, Jae-hyuk turned around and screamed wildly. 

“Why won’t you talk! Why!” 

As Hee-soo watched Jae-hyuk unleash his full fury, her own heart sank into despair. 

I can’t handle this. Just mentioning it makes my chest ache so badly. 

So… 

Can’t you bury your anger and I bury my sorrow? Can’t we just pretend nothing ever happened? 

Standing still, Hee-soo watched as Jae-hyuk’s trembling shoulders shook violently. 

Would things have been better if we had met sooner? No, even then, I probably would’ve made the same choice. 

I never would’ve dared to dig up the things buried deep in my heart. 

Since it had come to this, Hee-soo decided to keep her true feelings hidden until the very end. 

Bringing up the past now felt unbearably pathetic. 

Instead of endlessly lamenting how pitiful I was or how miserable those years had been, it was better not to start at all. 

Like a dam barely holding back the floodwaters, once she started opening up, everything would spill out uncontrollably. If that were to happen, it would be best not to begin in the first place. 

“...This is driving me insane.” 

Jae-hyuk stared at the night view beyond the glass for a long while, grinding his teeth as he tried to calm himself down. 

“You...”

When Jae-hyuk turned back around, his face had grown cold and composed. His voice, sharp as shards of ice, pierced through Hee-soo like a dagger. 

“…The reason you can’t talk to me—is it because of your father?” 

“…” 

For a fleeting moment, Hee-soo’s eyes darted away, but Jae-hyuk didn’t miss it. With long strides, he closed the distance between them and asked again. 

“This is the last time I’m asking.” 

Hee-soo, now facing Jae-hyuk, could only tremble with her tightly shut lips. Jae-hyuk’s brow furrowed deeply as he pressed her further. 

“Fine. Go ahead and stay silent. I’ll do whatever I want too.” 

His gaze lowered, pinning her with an intense stare that made Hee-soo feel suffocated. 

“I won’t let myself be swayed by you anymore.” 

In an instant, Jae-hyuk’s face was right in front of hers. His lips crashed into hers with such force that they felt bruised. 

“Ugh…” 

A sharp gasp escaped through her clenched teeth. She twisted her face, trying to pull away, but a large hand held her firmly in place, trapping her in his embrace. 

“What kind of secret could possibly drive someone this mad?” 

“Stop…” 

“Have you ever thought that maybe I already know?” 

Hee-soo tried to resist Jae-hyuk’s advances, but he showed no signs of relenting. Her breath was completely stolen, her mouth fully claimed by him. Overwhelmed by his force, her body instinctively recoiled. 

His tongue aggressively pushed past her teeth, exploring every corner of her mouth. When it tangled with her helpless tongue, he sucked on it fiercely. It felt as though every inch of her mouth was being devoured, her soft inner flesh yielding to the tip of his tongue. Every inhale and exhale was drawn into him, leaving her breathless. 

Before she could even wipe away the saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth, Jae-hyuk grabbed her cheeks and deepened the kiss further. Pulling her tongue into his mouth, he rolled it around, mixing their breaths together. 

Unable to withstand his intensity, Hee-soo’s body staggered backward step by step. As she retreated, their bodies entangled, and soon they collapsed against the wall. With nowhere left for her to escape, Jae-hyuk finally pulled away from her lips. 

“Haa.” 

Only then did Hee-soo release the breath she had been holding. The pain in her chest felt unbearable, but after taking several deep breaths, her breathing began to steady. 

Once her ragged breathing had calmed slightly, Hee-soo wiped her now swollen lips with the back of her hand and murmured, 

“…Sometimes, some things are better left buried.” 

“It’s over. I don’t care about your opinions anymore.” 

His burning gaze seemed determined to unearth what had been buried and see it through to the end. Hee-soo knew there was nothing she could say, no look she could give, not even a performance laced with lies, that could persuade Jae-hyuk otherwise. 

“Your games with me end here. This was your last chance.” 

His low voice reverberated in her ear. 

“Let’s see how it feels to be on the receiving end.” 

With that, his heated touch returned, prying open her mouth and delving inside once more. Her lips were kissed so fiercely they felt as though they might burst. Their bodies pressed flush against each other as the intensity of the kiss grew. 

The hard outline of his arousal pressed firmly against her, pinning her body against the wall. With no room to retreat, Hee-soo had no choice but to endure Jae-hyuk’s advances. He crushed her against the wall, his lips sealing over hers again. Through the overlapping pressure of their mouths, Hee-soo exhaled hot, labored breaths. 

“I’m going insane.”

Jae-hyuk let out a groan and lifted one of Hee-soo’s thighs. In an instant, her legs were spread wide, and Jae-hyuk forcefully thrust his body forward.

Hee-soo’s body, unable to withstand the force, slammed against the wall with a thud. However, Jae-hyuk couldn’t stop his movements.

His cock swelled, as if about to tear through his pants. He rubbed his center against Hee-soo’s legs, separated by their clothing, clearly unable to control his excitement.

Hee-soo was unable to think, and simply accepted Jae-hyuk’s actions. Her lower abdomen tensed. Both of her wrists were bound by Jae-hyuk and held above her head. The rubbing sensation caused her back to arch involuntarily, bringing Jae-hyuk’s cock firmly against her legs.

Jae-hyuk moved his lips to Hee-soo’s neck, biting and sucking on the delicate skin.