MHD - 49

Chapter 49: Misconception (1)

For once, Jae-hyuk had arrived before her.

“Want a drink?”

Jae-hyuk asked as he refilled his empty glass.

“No.”

Hee-soo sat across from Jae-hyuk, eyeing the wine glass in his hand. In front of him, there was another empty glass. Without waiting for her response, Jae-hyuk filled it and slid it toward her.

Hee-soo glanced at the glass pushed toward her, then looked back at Jae-hyuk.

“…An article came out today.”

“You already know about it. Why bring it up now, as if it’s something new?”

With an indifferent expression, Jae-hyuk took a sip of his wine. Hee-soo swallowed a sigh and continued.

“Let’s stop this.”

Jae-hyuk said nothing, only downing more wine. When he set the now-empty glass down and remained silent, Hee-soo pressed on.

“Even if we try to justify it by saying it’s just part of moving on, others will see this relationship as inappropriate. Before anyone else notices…”

Clunk.

Jae-hyuk abruptly placed his glass on the table, cutting her off. Hee-soo fell silent, staring at him. Jae-hyuk met her gaze with equal intensity.

Their eyes locked in the air between them.

A strange tension filled the room. For what felt like an eternity, they silently stared into each other’s eyes.

It had been a long time since Hee-soo had looked so deeply into Jae-hyuk’s eyes. Despite her declaration of separation, his gaze remained unwavering, betraying no hint of disturbance.

As she gazed into his still eyes, cracks began to form in Hee-soo’s resolve.

Somehow, it hurt.

She realized the source of her pain was likely tied to the news article she’d read earlier, and she inwardly chided herself for being childish.

She hadn’t brought up breaking up to test the waters. So why did she feel like a lover throwing a tantrum, begging for reassurance?

Hee-soo was the first to break eye contact, lowering her gaze.

Unable to hold Jae-hyuk’s stare any longer, she absentmindedly picked up the wine glass in front of her and took a sip. The deep red wine carried a strong oak aroma but left a bitter aftertaste.

“Are you serious?”

Jae-hyuk loosened his tie with one hand and tilted his chin toward her, asking.

“Of course I’m serious.”

Her answer came with a solemn expression. Jae-hyuk simply replied, “Alright,” and stood up.

“But ending things isn’t something you get to decide.”

Circling the table slowly, Jae-hyuk approached Hee-soo and leaned down until his face was level with hers. His voice was low and chilling.

“You owe me your best until I say it’s over. After selling your affection for a few coins and making me look like a fool for ten years, the least you can do is show some decency.”

One of Jae-hyuk’s hands rested on the back of the sofa while the other pressed against its armrest, effectively trapping Hee-soo between them.

As Jae-hyuk moved his face closer, almost brushing her lips, Hee-soo instinctively leaned back, bracing herself against the sofa with both hands.

But Jae-hyuk closed the distance again, pressing forward as she retreated.

“Seo Hee-soo.”

His low voice sent a cold shiver through the air. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, refusing to let her escape.

“…When I look at you, I feel like I’m going insane.”

Jae-hyuk clenched his teeth tightly, visibly struggling to contain his rising emotions. His narrowed eyes trembled faintly.

“Because it feels like all you ever do is lie to me.”

At those words, Hee-soo couldn’t meet his gaze and dropped her eyes. But Jae-hyuk wouldn’t allow it—he cupped the back of her head with one hand, forcing her to face him.

“Why does that feeling keep coming back?”

“…”

There was nowhere left to run. Trapped under his intense gaze, Hee-soo felt crushed. Her lips went dry.

Unconsciously, she drew in a deep breath.

The enclosed space seemed devoid of airflow, saturated instead with Jae-hyuk’s rich cologne—a heavy woody scent laced with a refreshing undertone.

Sight, sound, smell—one by one, her senses were overtaken by him.

As her five senses were gradually claimed, Hee-soo found herself helplessly drawn into his orbit. Fighting to snap herself out of it, she glared at him and replied coldly.

“It’s all in your head.”

A mocking smile tugged at Jae-hyuk’s lips.

“In my head, you say?”

Repeating her words with a faintly sarcastic tone, Jae-hyuk leaned in further. His large hand rose to rest on Hee-soo’s neck, gripping her slender throat firmly within his grasp.

Jae-hyuk’s gaze, which had been sweeping Hee-soo’s chin with his thumb, slid up towards her lips and then slowly rose further. His dark pupils moved languidly, meticulously scanning every inch of Hee-soo’s face.

From her lips, to her nose, and finally to her eyes.

His sharply raised eyes deepened, emitting a dark intensity. The feeling of being pierced through made her breath stop.

“Right. I must be delusional. Is hatred really all that’s left between us? Am I just holding onto futile hope?”

His low voice was tinged with self-mockery and disdain.

“To the woman who sold me out.”

Yes, I’m the woman who sold you out.

Hee-soo, who had been quietly listening to Jae-hyuk, suddenly felt a laugh bubbling up.

If what Jae-hyuk had felt for her was true love, this wouldn’t have happened.

What was the basis of his unshakable belief in something that never even existed? Perhaps Jae-hyuk, bound by his own nature, had no choice but to believe it.

The love he felt wronged by seemed so trivial now.

Her eyes welled up, but she paid it no mind. Hee-soo looked straight into Jae-hyuk’s eyes and spoke.

“Why are you trying to attach so much meaning to a one-night stand? It’s pointless.”

Her provocatively thrown words were also directed at herself. Hee-soo decided to perfectly play the role she had been thrust into on this stage.

“See, I knew it.”

As if he had expected it, Jae-hyuk also let out a small laugh.

“So don’t you go attaching unnecessary meaning either. I decide the beginning and the end.”

Words like “let’s stop” aren’t for you to say, Jae-hyuk added, as if warning her.

“I was worried you might start liking me again.”

When Hee-soo retorted without backing down, Jae-hyuk’s eyebrows twitched. Beneath his deeply furrowed brow, his turbulent eyes flashed.

“Like that would ever happen. I’m not a fool to fall for it twice.”

His grip tightened around her neck. Hee-soo, her throat caught, let out a soft moan.

“No matter what kind of night we spend together, my contempt for you won’t change.”

Each word he spat out pierced deep into Hee-soo’s chest. Despite her heart feeling as though it were being torn apart, her face remained perfectly composed.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

As soon as Hee-soo finished speaking, Jae-hyuk’s lips sealed hers.

Their entangled steps led to their clothes falling to the floor.

In the midst of their passionate movements, their bodies grew hot and feverish. Their hands, gripping each other, eagerly explored the other’s body.

They bit and sucked at each other’s foreheads, cheeks, lips, and napes. Hot breaths escaped between their fierce kisses. Their faces burned, and their fumbling hands grew impatient.

Their breaths mingled, and as Jae-hyuk’s lips trailed through her fallen hair, they bit down on her nape.

Their bodies collided against various parts of the hotel room. Jae-hyuk’s large frame pressed Hee-soo against the wall, devouring everything about her.

“Haah.”

Unable to withstand Jae-hyuk’s rough advance, Hee-soo’s body gradually gave way. Her groping hand caught on something, which then fell to the floor with a loud clatter, but neither of them paid it any attention.

Their hot breaths mixed, and their heated skin rubbed against each other. Jae-hyuk’s hand, gripping Hee-soo’s waist, tightened with force.

Their legs tangled as they stumbled, but neither Jae-hyuk nor Hee-soo let go. Like beasts, they clung to each other, groping and pulling each other towards the bedroom.

After a few steps, Hee-soo’s heel hit the bed. As soon as she felt the bed frame against her calf, Jae-hyuk pushed her down. With a thud, her body sank into the bedding, and Jae-hyuk’s shadow loomed over her.

Trapped beneath his overwhelming shadow, Hee-soo looked up at Jae-hyuk, who was gazing down at her with fierce eyes. The man’s eyes, filled with desire, glowed darkly. Hee-soo eventually turned her head, avoiding his gaze.

Jae-hyuk looked down at her, then let out a small laugh, a hint of bitterness in his expression, before stripping off the rest of his clothes.

His broad chest led down to perfectly sculpted abs, carved as if by a knife. His erect manhood, thick with veins, pressed against his lower abdomen, nearly touching his navel.

Like a beast devouring its prey, Jae-hyuk buried his face into the nape of Hee-soo’s neck. His unrestrained hand grabbed her ample breast and began kneading it fiercely.

He lightly pressed her hardened nipple with his thumb before pinching it between his fingers. The stiffened nipple stood out prominently against his grip.

Jae-hyuk took the nipple into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue before gently crushing it.

“Ah!”

As the hardened bud rolled around in his mouth, a tingling sensation spread from her chest. A shiver ran from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, and Jae-hyuk’s hand, which had been gripping her breast, slid down to her waist and further, slipping into her soaked groin.

Jae-hyuk inserted a finger, rubbing the wet flesh inside.