NT - 4

Winter passed by like a fleeting sigh, gone in the blink of an eye. It had slipped away so quickly, almost as if it had never been there at all. More precisely, this feeling began after the college entrance exam, the Suneung, ended. During her first attempt as an examinee, Hae-soo’s mother had passed away just the week before the exam, leaving her unable to focus or perform well. That memory lingered hazily in Hae-soo’s mind, like something smudged with a handprint. Perhaps that was why this year felt like her first real Suneung.

No, it wasn’t even “this year” anymore.

- How did your part-time job interview go?

“Yeah, it went alright.”

It was last year already.

Another year had somehow slipped by unnoticed. It felt like just yesterday that she had walked down this very road carrying the shopping bag Seo Hae-seung had given her the day before the Suneung. Yet, nearly three months had already passed.

After the Suneung ended, Hae-soo spent a lot of time with Seo Hae-seung. But during those times together, she couldn’t shake off an overwhelming sense of unease. Hae-soo glanced briefly at the dark night scenery and swallowed back a rising sigh.

The main reason she had regained some semblance of freedom was because the person who had always disrupted it had disappeared. And who else could that person be but Lee Ho-beom? After causing some mysterious commotion, Lee Ho-beom had left home and hadn’t shown up in front of her for a long time.

At first, Hae-soo thought, ‘He’ll probably show up again out of the blue,’ but as weeks turned into months, her thoughts began to sink into a strange uneasiness. She knew better than anyone that their relationship couldn’t end so ambiguously. 

She owed him a debt. For that reason alone, it didn’t make sense that Lee Ho-beom would cut off all contact just because he was upset. Something must have happened. Come to think of it, hadn’t his sudden appearances become less frequent even before his last visit, when he mentioned being busy?

Her restless heart wandered endlessly between the freedom his absence brought and the ominous threat that this freedom might not last. Even though Lee Ho-beom had disappeared, her debt to him hadn’t vanished. What if another thug came looking for her instead…?

- Why are you working a part-time job anyway?

Seo Hae-seung grumbled over the phone. He often expressed dissatisfaction whenever Hae-soo mentioned finding a part-time job. Of course, his complaints fell on deaf ears.

“I’m doing it because I need to.”

- I gave you a card, didn’t I?

Whenever he said things like this, Seo Hae-seung made Hae-soo feel exasperated. Did he really think she wouldn’t try to find work because of that card?

“That’s your money, not mine.”

- I’m hurt.

“…”

- Since I’m hurt, will you let me come to your graduation ceremony tomorrow?

“Why are we suddenly talking about this?”

Hae-soo shot back tersely, flustered. Seo Hae-seung, perhaps having intended this from the start, quickly softened his tone, whispering:

- I really want to come to your graduation ceremony.

Now that the Suneung was over, only one thing remained: graduation. The moment to finally take off the school uniform and step into society. For Hae-soo, who had delayed this moment by a year, it had finally arrived.

Telling Seo Hae-seung the date of her graduation ceremony had been a mistake. Ever since then, he had begged her at least once a day to let him attend. And today was no different.

Seo Hae-seung certainly had a way of drawing attention. Whether objectively or subjectively, his striking good looks were undeniable, and walking around with him inevitably drew curious glances. Imagining her quiet graduation ceremony turning into a spectacle because of him already exhausted her.

She wished everything would just pass without any trouble.

But perhaps it was because it was late at night, or maybe because the day was fast approaching—it seemed her emotions were getting the better of her. With a small laugh, Hae-soo relented.

“Alright, fine.”

“Really?”

“But don’t buy any flowers, okay?”

Hae-soo could already picture Seo Hae-seung’s face, his lips stretched into a wide grin. She tilted her head up to look at the sky. A puff of white breath escaped her lips, spreading hazily in the cold air. Straightening her neck, she resumed walking briskly. The only thing that brought some life to this dim neighborhood was the sound of Seo Hae-seung’s voice tickling her ears.

As Hae-soo walked, focusing on his voice, her steps suddenly froze as if nailed to the ground. Right in front of her shabby home—where she had lived for nearly a year now—was a black sedan parked by the curb.

“Hae-soong, I’ll call you back later.”

She quickly ended the call just as the driver’s side door opened.

Hae-soo stared blankly at Lee Ho-beom, whom she hadn’t seen in months, as though she were looking at him in a dream. Though he was bundled up in thicker clothes due to the biting cold, he still exuded that same achromatic aura. Leaning both arms on the car door, he stared intently at her.

And then, he said:

“Hi.”

Nothing about him had changed.

Hae-soo swallowed hard to steady herself and approached him.

“It’s been a while.”

He merely brushed his disheveled hair back with his fingers, saying nothing. For some reason, her tongue felt stiff, weighed down by conflicting emotions. Memories of him storming off in anger months ago and her own hesitations about whether to call him flickered through her mind like fragmented images.

Those thoughts shattered completely when Lee Ho-beom suddenly pulled her close by the waist.

“Did you miss me?”

Sometimes, Lee Ho-beom would blurt out questions that made her wonder if he was being serious. This one left her so dumbfounded that she couldn’t react at all. As he turned his head to kiss her, Hae-soo, remembering they were outside, pushed against his chest and quickly turned away to unlock the gate and step inside. From behind, she could feel him smirking.

Could just a few months really make things this awkward?

At least, it seemed that only Hae-soo felt this way. Lee Ho-beom leaned casually against the wall, humming to himself as he surveyed the interior with an air of nonchalance. Hae-soo absentmindedly glanced at the round burn marks on the floor, remnants of where he had stubbed out cigarettes.

“Hey, come here.”

While Hae-soo was tidying up the messy house, Lee Ho-beom called out to her. Even his arrogant summoning tone hadn’t changed.

Hesitantly, she approached him. He pulled her closer when she tried to sit at a distance, pressing her tightly against him. Still unsatisfied despite the proximity, he eventually hoisted her onto his lap. Her legs spread slightly, creating an intimate posture that resembled something far more suggestive.

Just as Hae-soo tensed, trying to pull her legs together, her phone buzzed loudly on the table. It was a call from Seo Hae-seung. Before she could react, Lee Ho-beom grabbed her chin and forced her gaze back to him.

“Smile for me.”

“...What?”

“I said, smile.”

With one hand kneading her hip, he casually demanded it of her. Flustered, Hae-soo blinked rapidly, unsure how to respond. Just then, the call disconnected momentarily before ringing again. Her gaze instinctively shifted toward the phone. Seeing her attention drift, Lee Ho-beom’s brow furrowed faintly in irritation. He picked up the phone from the table and flung it somewhere across the room. The loud crash echoed through the space, making Hae-soo’s shoulders tense into a defensive hunch. Her startled eyes immediately snapped back to him.

“Why…”

“I told you to smile.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“You smiled just fine earlier.”

“...”

“When you were on the phone, you smiled easily enough. Why do you act so distant and aloof with me?”

Once again, that familiar, prickly sensation welled up within her, bubbling like boiling water from deep inside.

Hae-soo reluctantly pushed against his shoulder, which she had been forced to grasp due to his posture. Fear of his unexpectedly violent temper was present, but today, her bewilderment and embarrassment took precedence.

“I’m uncomfortable.”

It struck her that this was the first time since meeting Lee Ho-beom that she had so honestly expressed her feelings.

“Doing this… I’m uncomfortable.”

Lee Ho-beom’s gaze was fixed on her lips, unyielding. It was a sharp, chilling look that grated on her nerves. Hae-soo swallowed hard and barely managed to utter the rest of her words.

“We only have sex. That’s all you can expect from me.”

“……”

“I don’t know why you keep wanting more than that.”

Their transaction with money was solely for her body. There was no room for Hae-soo’s emotions or feelings in it. Yet, Lee Ho-beom occasionally tried to delve into her heart and manipulate her emotions as he pleased. This caused an unbearable discomfort, making it impossible for her to tolerate any longer.

Only after spitting out the words she held inside did Hae-soo truly see him, and she flinched.

Lee Ho-beom’s expression was coldly hardened, unlike his usual smooth or even cynically smiling face. Before fear could fully grip her at this unchanging, predictable pattern, Lee Ho-beom shoved Hae-soo to the floor. With a gasp of “Ah!” she raised her head to find Lee Ho-beom staring down at her with eyes as cold as if they were packed with ice.

“What are you doing?”

“Yes…?”

“I said, why aren’t you undressing?”

“……”

“Take off your clothes. I’ll fuck you raw, just like you said, until you’re satisfied.”

His tone was playful, but the icy aura surrounding him made it clear that he was not joking in the slightest. His raw, violent emotions sharpened the air around them. Hae-soo, terrified by it, could only hold her breath and remain motionless. Lee Ho-beom let out a dry, mocking laugh.

He stretched out his leg and lifted the hem of Hae-soo’s skirt as if about to flip it over.

“Spread your skirt, because I’m going to fuck you like a bitch until you’re worn out.”

________________________________________

“Ah! S-save, ugh, s-sav, huff… ugh…!”

The massive phallus thrusting into her mouth showed no mercy. Hae-soo winced, her eyes squeezed shut, feeling the stinging pain as if the corners of her mouth were tearing. Each time, fingers invaded her vagina with excruciating timing, causing her back to tremble violently. Being positioned upside down on top of him, there was no way to escape the piercing pleasure.

And there was no room to let her guard down.

“Ugh…!”

Between gasps, his slightly curved cock, thick at the base, violently stabbed and penetrated her mouth. The fishy smell of the glans aggressively invaded her narrow space, causing nausea. Every time she instinctively tried to push the shaft out with her tongue, her vulva, positioned near his face, was ruthlessly violated.

“Eung, hee, uh, no, ugh, aah…!”

“Not going to suck properly?”

Lee Ho-beom spoke coldly, unlike before, and slipped two fingers, slick with moisture, between Hae-soo’s parted labia. As he relentlessly pried them open and probed inside, her loosened entrance squirted out viscous fluids with wet smacks. Lee Ho-beom nonchalantly licked away the vaginal fluid that splashed onto his face, continuing to probe the sensitive spots that made her feel pleasure.

“Eueung, huh, haaah!”

Their positions, faces buried in each other’s lower bodies, were intensely lascivious. From a distance, it was as if two snakes in heat were intertwined, a scene of blatant eroticism.

The breath caught in her throat, tightening her lungs with aching pressure. Hae-soo barely managed to swallow just the tip of the throbbing shaft in her mouth and pursed her lips. She pressed her tongue against the throbbing head, gently rubbing it, then enveloped it entirely and repeatedly sucked and pulled. Each time, the shaft, too large for her small hand to fully grasp, pulsed vigorously, as if eager to penetrate deeper.

“You still suck cock terribly.”

Lee Ho-beom, seemingly unimpressed with her clumsy and awkward fellatio, licked her vulva, which he had been pleasuring intensely just moments before, and then straightened up. Hae-soo, who had been straddling him, swayed unsteadily before her waist was grabbed and she was dragged along.

She was forced into a quadrupedal position, like a four-legged animal. As she barely managed to regain her spinning senses, his stiffly erect cock parted her soaked vulva and pushed its way in, inch by agonizing inch. It penetrated delicately only up to the head, and then rammed in brutally from then on, leaving Hae-soo no choice but to let out a sharp cry of pain and pleasure.

“Aah…!” “Relax, you bitch. Before I tear you apart down there.” “Hng, hff, aah…!” Unlike usual, when he would at least try to match her pace, today there was no room for any leniency from him. It was evident even in his curt tone. Hae-soo’s protest, uttered in a surge of emotion, returned to her as punishment.

Lee Ho-beom knelt up and grasped Hae-soo’s voluptuous, spread buttocks. How could even this part be so damn pale and soft? As he kneaded them, he felt like he could peel off the flesh and devour it. He put strength into thrusting his cock deeper inside and slapped one buttock hard. Slap! The sound of friction echoed, and her full, rounded rear jiggled. From the beginning today, he increased the speed ruthlessly, and the sound of skin sticking and then peeling away rang out loudly.

“Aah!” “Look at you squirting water…” Lee Ho-beom sucked on his cock as it momentarily withdrew, and then laughed as if it were a spectacle, looking at her pussy that was leaking water in between. He traced the buttock he had just slapped with his palm, then struck it diagonally again. Even the sensation of the skin clinging to his hand stimulated his lust to a tingling degree. Slap, hff! Slap, hng…! The raucous sounds of friction and Hae-soo’s moans mingled and merged.

“An Hae-soo, do you remember when we first did it?” “Hng, ah, aah…!” “You spread your legs wide open, telling me to fuck you as much as I wanted, but then you threw a fit, chuckle, telling me to stop, to pull out… huh? Saying my cock was too big and scary.” “Eung, d-deep, ah! Deep… st-stop…!” “And now you’re swallowing it down greedily. Huh? What’s our Hae-soo going to do? Can you even live without eating this now?” Lee Ho-beom’s large hand tightly gripped Hae-soo’s lower abdomen. Gasp, she involuntarily sucked in a breath. With the force pushing up from below with his palm, it felt as if the cock, full inside her, was being recklessly rubbed against her inner walls. The stimulation was too intense. This level of fullness was an overly strong stimulus for Hae-soo, who was currently losing her senses. She wrapped her arms around Lee Ho-beom’s tattooed forearm, where the snake was coiled, and sobbed.

“Eung, no, get it out, ahng, ah…!” “No, my ass. You’re moaning because you like it.” Her breasts, hanging heavily downwards, were seized as if to crush them. Squeezing the massive flesh that bulged out between his fingers and gently twisting her erect nipples, Hae-soo gasped, unable to even breathe.

His other hand, which had been busy pressing down on somewhere in her lower abdomen, slipped down and rubbed against her labia. The touch that had been digging and prying at her flesh reached none other than her clitoris. The most vulnerable and sensitive part of a woman. As the epicenter of pleasure, even a light graze of his hand sent shivers down her spine, stiffening her back and causing her limbs to tremble.

Lee Ho-beom widened Hae-soo’s legs, which were instinctively closing, and roughly stroked her reddened clitoris, then thrust upwards inside her. He pushed her relentlessly, not even giving her the usual brief moment to catch her breath.

“Ah! Hak, euk, ah, st-stop! St-stop, ah…!” Her vision flickered. Her sight blurred into a mess. It was as if someone was clutching her brain in their fist and kneading it. To that extent, pleasure that constricted her pituitary gland oppressed her limbs. With the thrill that felt like her head would shatter, Hae-soo’s lower abdomen contracted violently.

Her body instinctively thrashed against the pleasure that she perceived as pain. Lee Ho-beom pressed his chest against her back, suppressing her from escaping. Despite her desperate resistance, he relentlessly ravaged her pussy. Each time he deeply rotated his hips, a stream of vaginal fluid, like urine, gushed down Hae-soo’s thighs, which were barely holding her up.

“Shit, our Hae-soo is pissing herself?” “Eung, uh, pl-please, ah, please… hff, euuh…!” “Hey, the floor is covered in your pussy juice.” She felt like she was losing her mind.

In her frenzy to claw at the floor, her fingernail tips were eventually ground down, and blood welled up. The pupils of her unfocused eyes wandered aimlessly in the air. Her upper body, which had barely been upright, buckled and her body slumped.

Lee Ho-beom wrapped his arms around her pelvis and lightly rolled her onto her back. She was limp like water-soaked cotton, but her knees were seized and her legs were lifted high. She felt her loosely relaxed pussy being stretched tautly open again. The lingering heat rampaged through her nerves and blood vessels. Lee Ho-beom wrapped her slender calves around his waist and filled her narrow inner walls completely with his cock.

He lightly kissed Hae-soo, who was half-dazed and barely able to moan. “So, don’t make me lose my temper.” “Hff… euh…” “Why do you provoke me if you’re going to be this out of it?”

Lee Ho-beom had often mentioned in a way that he was going easy on her, and today, Hae-soo finally realized it. She hadn’t known that even this was an act of adjusting his intensity.

As he gently probed inside her with his half-withdrawn cock, he lifted his upper body. Lee Ho-beom, having casually tossed aside the shirt he was still wearing, began to properly position himself. His large hand crept down to her groin. The labia, swollen and tender, softly enveloping his veiny cock, were parted by his fingers on either side. The reddish, moist vaginal walls were fully exposed. He pushed his cock a little deeper into her opened entrance.

“Ah, hng…!” Hae-soo’s back arched off the floor in a curve. In that state, he lightly rubbed her clitoris, and she twisted her body, unable to even gasp. Lee Ho-beom’s eyes, gazing at her erotic figure, shone with fierce intensity.

His hips began to smoothly draw circles again. Each time he thrust in with his waist, his taut muscles rippled from his shoulders to his latissimus dorsi, all covered in black tattoos, demonstrating just how much effort he was putting into this sex. As if proving it, Hae-soo was too out of her mind to do anything but cry. When Lee Ho-beom hugged her waist and licked her cheek, Hae-soo weakly shook her head, expressing her rejection.

It was then. A strange sound scratched at her ears. Creak. A sound she had heard somewhere before. It was the sound of opening a door that was so rusty that even a key wouldn’t turn it smoothly. In Hae-soo’s eyes, sunken into the abyss, crack, a fissure appeared.

The front door, had she closed it? No, more than that, the house door…

Following her listless thoughts, her head lolled to the side. Following the slow movement of her gaze, which groped along the floor and finally reached the doorway, the sight of the door, which had been closed, gradually opening was etched into her retina in detail.

“…Hae, Haeseung…”

Why is he, here…?

Hae-soo discovered Seo Haeseung standing in front of the overturned door and froze solid. Thump, the pounding of her heart echoed as if it had pierced through her ribs and fallen. The feeling of seeing someone who shouldn’t be there was so dizzying and shocking. Apart from the dizziness, as if she had been struck in the back of the head with something hard, she even clung to a vague hope that this was not real, just a dream.

But… “…Hng…!” The intrusion of the massive cock, piercing deeply from below, made her realize that it was by no means a hollow dream. So, it was real that Haeseung was standing there, and that she was lying naked, legs spread, pinned down by Lee Ho-beom… Hae-soo’s faintly frozen heart began to shatter into ugly fragments.

“G-get away…” The end of her words trembled, as if someone was grabbing her tongue and twisting it. Her hands, which had been listlessly limp or busy scratching at the floor, hurriedly crawled up and pushed against Lee Ho-beom’s broad, solid chest as if in rejection.

“Get away, get away!” Lee Ho-beom, realizing that Hae-soo’s gaze was directed elsewhere, not at him, slowly turned his head to follow her line of sight. He, who had been completely unbridled and lost in the throes of passion, finally recognized the unexpected intruder who had suddenly appeared like snow in midsummer. Lee Ho-beom’s eyebrows twitched languidly. Lowering his face again, he looked at Hae-soo, who had turned deathly pale as if she had seen hell, and twisted his lips into a ferocious grin.

“Get away, pull out, pull out… quickly, ah!” Grasping Hae-soo’s waist, who was in a state of utter panic and unable to even speak properly, he plunged his half-withdrawn cock back in, thwack—! Slamming the thick shaft into her gaping pussy, he seized Hae-soo’s chin.

“Who is it, huh, friend?” “Euk, ah, n-no, no, don’t…!” Lee Ho-beom pressed down even harder on Hae-soo’s thighs, which she was trying to close, and thrust his cock in and out in rapid, shallow motions. She was already completely exhausted from the intense orgasm that had washed over her like a flood, so there was no way she had any strength left to escape his grasp. Moreover, regrettably, her body was still overly sensitive. Even a light brush against her inner thigh made her back tingle. So, it was no wonder that slick vaginal fluids burst out in all directions every time he hammered into her softened pussy like driving nails.

“Ah, no, no… hng, eung, euuh…!” “No, my ass, bitch.” As if rebuking her for telling such an obvious lie, he squeezed her heavy breasts in one hand and twisted her nipples, adding a thrilling stimulation. The sound of the man’s dark, swollen testicles slapping against her wide-open perineum sent shivers down her spine.

“Why, is that your boyfriend?” “Euk, hff… aah…!” Unable to bear looking at the doorway, Hae-soo turned her head to the opposite side. Lee Ho-beom burrowed into her, who was curling up into a ball like a frightened small animal, and raised his long, sharp eyes. At least he seemed to recognize that something had disrupted the heated atmosphere, as a bitter sneer settled on Lee Ho-beom’s lips as he stared at the young face that stood there, rooted to the spot like a stone statue.

“Does he not know that you and I do this every night?”

As he forcefully crammed his stiff cock into her wet crotch, the words he spat out were close to a cynical sneer. As if to flaunt the fact that no matter what their relationship was, it was he who was holding An Hae-soo in his arms now. Whether it was from shock or not, the narrow vaginal walls, as he thrust upwards, clung to his shaft, making the sensation of tightness even stickier. Unintentionally, the cock, planted deep inside her, throbbed and swelled a little more.

“Hae-soo-ya, my cock is going to burst. Stop tightening so much…” “Hff…” “Are you turned on because you’re showing your boyfriend how you fuck with me?”

Deliberate lewd talk, as if meant for someone else to hear. Hae-soo barely managed to lift her half-focused eyes. The crude ceiling light filled her vision with scattered rays. Lee Ho-beom’s figure was blurry, but his wickedly curled lips were somewhat clearly visible.

Lee Ho-beom was now blatantly displaying the sex he was having with her, with the suddenly appeared Seo Haeseung standing like a screen in the background. At his malicious and vile intention, her breath caught in her throat and she lost her words. But a moment later, her lips parted in horror. Hae-soo shook her head, her face pale, at the position he was forcing her into, clutching her knees together to make her genitals more exposed to the doorway.

“N-no, no… don’t, don’t, pull out…!” She desperately resisted, but now was not the time for him to listen to her pleas. Lee Ho-beom raised his upper body a little higher and resumed his violent pounding.

“Ah, ah! Eung, euk, euuh… no, haaah!” With her white buttocks lifted off the floor, her genitals were raised as well, and the secretions created by the frantic collision of their groins flowed down Hae-soo’s belly in streams. That lewd and obscene scene was being revealed to Seo Haeseung’s eyes without any filter.

Her ample breasts, hidden under her neat clothes, shook so violently that her nipples seemed about to fall off, and the vaginal fluids leaking from her ripe hole left a damp trail down her belly. Above all, the scene of his thick, weighty cock panting in and out of Hae-soo’s dark pubic hair was exposed without anything to obscure it.

“Hng, gulp, ah, ah…!” Hae-soo’s eyes momentarily convulsed at the cock that was flexibly pounding into her soaked passage, causing her to gasp. It was because Seo Haeseung, who had been motionless like a stone statue until now, had taken a step towards her. That movement, as if about to cross the threshold that marked a certain boundary, darkened Hae-soo’s mind.

“Don’t come closer!” A scream, tinged with feverish heat, burst out sharply. At that desperate cry that felt almost pathetic, Seo Haeseung’s footsteps immediately halted. Hae-soo couldn’t bring herself to lift her gaze from his legs, which had stopped moving.

She was scared. She couldn’t grasp what kind of eyes Seo Haeseung was looking at her with. What if he felt disgusted, if he felt horrified? Then the hope she had desperately tried to find, even by spreading her legs to Lee Ho-beom, would be shattered into pieces and eventually fall to the ground, worthless.

“Go… go away, please.” Hae-soo gave up on facing reality and raised both hands to cover her eyes, intending to shut out her vision directly.

“Euk, go, Hae, ah…! Go, go away, Haeseung…” “……” “Hff, I’m, it’s okay, euk… okay… ah, aah…!” Even the breaths she was desperately gulping down felt like poison. The air, laced with sharp ice, felt as if it was painfully blocking Hae-soo’s breath.

Everything was the worst. Even the climax of some third-rate movie wouldn’t be this pathetic and sordid. Seo Haeseung’s sudden appearance, the fact that her shameful secret, which she had desperately tried to hide, had been revealed in an instant, and even the fact that Lee Ho-beom didn’t stop having sex amidst this horror.

The world of her ego, barely erected with broken and cracked pillars, was being horribly distorted. As if to show that An Hae-soo of those days, whom Seo Haeseung, who knew her past, would clearly remember, was in fact just a flashy outer shell, her current shabby and miserable self was being pathetically exposed.

Like realizing that the apple that looked pristine on the outside was rotten and withered inside. That realization messed up her steadfastly enduring insides, and tears burst out before she could stop them. Her palms became damp as if a downpour was falling on her face.

Lee Ho-beom frowned, watching Hae-soo, who was covering her face and trembling, as if she wanted to deny reality somehow. He glanced at the young man in the doorway, who, as if following her instructions, had stopped in his tracks and remained motionless. Ha, he was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even laugh.

With a sharply sculpted face, he wrapped his arms around Hae-soo’s waist, arched like a bow, and lightly lifted her up. He sat her slender naked body on his thighs and stared at the doorway with icy eyes.

“Are you deaf…? I said get lost.” “……”

“Can’t you see An Hae-soo is loving this, fucking with me so much she’s about to die?”

As if to show off, Lee Ho-beom grabbed Hae-soo’s hair to the side and slowly traced the smooth line of her neck and spine. The touch that rummaged through her pale skin was so leisurely, as if flaunting his余裕, and possessiveness and monopolistic desire stuck to him like glue, blatantly expressed. Passing her slender pelvis, he tightly grasped her buttocks, which were at least somewhat fleshy, and made Hae-soo’s body heave. Deliberately aiming to graze the spots she felt, he thrust down, and sharp, dizzying cries of pain and pleasure burst from Hae-soo’s mouth in succession.

In the moment Lee Ho-beom slowly closed and then opened his eyelids, two changes were captured. His hand, clenched tightly enough for veins to bulge, and a back that quietly turned away.

The unwelcome guest disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared, without any greeting. Even after his figure disappeared, Lee Ho-beom stared at the empty space as if his form still lingered, then glanced down at his chest where Hae-soo lay. As soon as he confirmed her fragile face, still weeping silently, his insides twisted in disgust, as if someone was wrenching his intestines.

“Ah…!” Bang! The hand that had violently grabbed her hair slammed Hae-soo against the wall. The force of her head hitting hard against the wall made her nape throb. Dazed by the headache and bewilderment, it was only for a moment before she glared at Lee Ho-beom, who had brought his face right up to hers, with all her might. Seeing the raw, murderous intent seething in his eyes, Lee Ho-beom grinned.

“Hey, am I raping you right now?” “Hff…” “Huh? Am I forcing myself on you when you don’t want it?” “Eu, st-stop… ah.” “When it’s time to just have sex, you spread your legs willingly, but now you’re crying and making a fuss.” “Hff, euk…!” “I was being nice, saying you’re pretty, but you’re making me feel like shit…”

Lee Ho-beom was beyond redemption. Even in this situation where she had fallen so deep into the abyss, he was still aroused, tearing at Hae-soo’s heart with his words while still thrusting his cock in and out between her legs. He hooked his arms under Hae-soo’s spread calves and rhythmically swayed his hips.

“Open your mouth.” He muttered coldly, not caring whether Hae-soo glared at him as if she wanted to tear him apart, and forcibly pried open her tightly closed lips and shoved his tongue in. Even as Hae-soo felt the sensation of the flesh in her mouth being sucked, everything felt distant and muffled, as if she had fallen into a vacuum.

A desperate hope that this was still a dream sprouted in one corner of her heart. But Lee Ho-beom’s breath, hot with lust, the front door that was not fully closed, and the musty, clinging sensation of their skin pressed together, trampled on the hope that had sprouted like a seedling. The despair, constantly reminding her that it was better not to have hope in the first place, was devouring Hae-soo from head to toe.

The sex that had started late at night finally ended around dawn. Lee Ho-beom would pull back as if to finish, but as soon as he saw Hae-soo’s face, struggling to swallow her sobs, he would attack again. Her whole body had turned into a sensitive erogenous zone, and she was so limp that she couldn’t even properly gather herself after the sex ended. The space between her spread legs was smeared with thick semen, making it sticky and viscous. Her waist was numb, and the area where something like a club had relentlessly moved back and forth still felt as if it was stretched open in a cylindrical shape.

Lee Ho-beom’s black shirt was draped over her naked body, lying panting on her side. Unlike Hae-soo, who was prostrate on the floor, Lee Ho-beom, despite having exerted himself all night, sat leaning against the wall with a refreshed look, lighting a cigarette. Perhaps because of the acrid smell, he slightly opened the window and took a deep breath, his cheeks hollowing out. The tip of the cigarette sizzled with a fiery ember.

Lee Ho-beom, exhaling a harsh breath, caressed Hae-soo’s eyes, which were red and raw from crying so much. Even though she had cried all night, her eyes were still swollen and tearful, as if moisture still lingered inside her body. Her unfocused eyes clearly did not reflect the reality of being with him.

Lee Ho-beom bent down and lightly sucked and released her lips with a smack. “An Hae-soo.” “……” “I’m a bit out of my mind busy right now.”

Suddenly, a chill swept over her. Hae-soo slowly blinked and huddled her disheveled body even tighter. But even so, the cold that dug into her bones did not easily dissipate.

“If you go around wagging your ass lightly in the meantime, you’re dead, for real.” “……” “From the moment you got involved with me, you were destined not to live a normal life. You know that well, don’t you?” Each of his words constantly brought back the disgusting moment. It was as if he was forcibly waking up her dazed mind and slamming her back into the reality of facing Seo Haeseung.

Seo Haeseung, ah, Haeseung… Her mind kept shattering and breaking down before it could even right itself. She wanted to make a fuss to relieve this frustration, but she was too exhausted to do so, and could only lie limp.

“So, when I say it nicely, clean it up. If you don’t want to see something really nasty.” What could be the nasty thing he was referring to? Could it be more horrific than the three-way confrontation a few hours ago? It didn’t seem likely. For Hae-soo, that scene, which pierced through her imagination and stubbornly became reality, was the most cruel and miserable. The worst situation she had faced without any preparation. It seemed like nothing worse than that could exist in Hae-soo’s world now...

Hundreds of denials and questions were seething in her chest, but her lips were as still as if they had lost their will.

Lee Ho-beom felt complex emotions as he looked at Hae-soo, who showed no reaction, treating him as if he were invisible. If he could elicit even a little reaction, he would have lashed out with violent irritability, but the current An Hae-soo was truly dry and lifeless, as if only her body was here and her soul had completely left.

Sometimes he felt like Hae-soo was like brittle sand. The more he tried to grasp her as much as he wanted, ironically, she slipped through his fingers. However, it didn’t occur to him to change his approach. Lee Ho-beom was the kind of man who would tighten his grip even more to hold onto whatever remained. From the start, he only knew how to control in that suffocating way.

He pulled the shirt up a little more and brought his lips to the neckline revealed between her thin hair. He pressed his lips to the area where her pulse was most vividly throbbing and took a deep breath. A body scent that was more familiar and cozy than the pervasive smell of cigarettes filled his lungs.

“I’ll come pick you up as soon as I sort things out…” “……” “Let’s live together, then.” It was a word she was afraid to ask more about.

Hae-soo felt an overwhelming burden from this as well, and chose to evade it, closing her eyes tightly. Tears that had been damply clinging on eventually flowed down her cheeks, still not dried. Her body, exhausted all night, quickly plunged her into sleep.

She woke up as if she had fainted, when the sound of her cell phone alarm pierced her ears steadily.

When she barely opened her eyes, which were narrowed as if swollen, Hae-soo was alone as always. Lee Ho-beom’s shirt, which had covered her body, had been replaced with a blanket, and the windows and front door, which had been ajar, were tightly closed. Her fingernails, which had been ground down from scratching the floor in the throes of passion, had also been given simple first aid.

Hae-soo tried to raise her upper body, but reflexively groaned as every joint in her body throbbed as if she had been beaten. As if she had no intention of getting up, she lay sprawled on the floor and only stretched out her hand. She tapped her cell phone, which was ringing loudly, haphazardly, and the alarm sound that had been swirling around the house stopped abruptly. Only after silence settled did her restless heart calm down a little.

Hae-soo, covering herself with the blanket up to her head, pulled her cell phone inside.

[Graduation Ceremony] A marker announcing the D-day was flashing on the screen. Hae-soo’s pupils were palely dyed by the pale light emanating from the screen. She stared at it with a corpse-like complexion, then slowly pushed back the blanket and raised her body. Moving her limbs, which creaked constantly, with all her might, Hae-soo washed up and belatedly discovered something placed on the low desk. Without even thinking of drying her hair, which was dripping water, she approached it and picked it up.

It was a black card. Opposite to the white card she had received from Seo Haeseung, it was obvious that this one was left by Lee Ho-beom. The hellish words she had heard before falling asleep came to mind. Water droplets clinging to Hae-soo’s hair dripped onto the card. She shoved the card deep into the bookshelf and turned away as if she hadn’t seen anything.

After roughly drying her hair, she put on her school uniform for the last time. Unlike the emotion that this was the last day for this, her touch was dry and indifferent.

When she opened the door, cloudy breath naturally seeped out. Hae-soo, stepping out of the front door, flinched when she found something dumped under the utility pole next to the gate. A bouquet filled with fully bloomed flowers and a cake were abandoned in the corner. It wasn’t difficult to guess who had thrown them away so harshly.

Hae-soo knelt down with difficulty. ‘Don’t buy flowers instead.’ The condition she had set in a text message. Seo Haeseung, who had a subtly old-fashioned and conventional side, would have wanted to give her flowers no matter what. Saying that anniversaries required appropriate celebrations. So, did he come to find her? Hae-soo’s fingers carefully touched the petals that had fallen to the dirty floor. In her slowly turning vision, she saw a chocolate cake, crushed and ruined by falling over. It was Hae-soo’s favorite cake.

She rested her forehead on her knees. Her stomach churned again. She wanted to believe it was a dream, but evidence that it wasn’t a dream kept popping up everywhere.

Somehow, it felt like it would be a very lonely and desolate graduation ceremony.

The graduation ceremony came to an end in a way that felt disappointingly anticlimactic, as if the moment she had waited for over a year was nothing more than a fleeting formality. Hae-soo stood holding her square-shaped diploma amidst clusters of parents and friends chatting animatedly, feeling like an outsider in the scene. The clicking sounds of cameras snapping photos came at a pace that matched the blinking of her eyes.

“Hey, it’s snowing.”

Someone passed by Hae-soo, who was standing idly, and spoke cheerfully. Following the sound of their lively voice, Hae-soo’s gaze caught sight of round snowflakes fluttering down gently from the sky. She stretched her hand forward. Like a swarm of silver butterflies, the snowflakes landed on her palm, cold and delicate. The chill made her fingertips curl instinctively.

Snow falling in February wasn’t particularly strange given the fierce cold they were experiencing.

Hae-soo pulled back her outstretched hand and fiddled with the scarf around her neck. It was the same one Seo Hae-seung had bought her the day before the Suneung. Having known her for so long, he was well aware of how vulnerable she was to the winter cold.

Her fingers, now stiff and red from the cold, slowly unraveled the scarf. As she thought about the contempt and disdain from Seo Hae-seung that she had tried so hard to ignore, she found herself unable to bear wearing it any longer.

Her exposed nape quickly absorbed the biting cold. The freezing air seemed to numb her mind completely. Yet, despite the cold, she didn’t feel like putting the scarf back on. Holding her diploma in one hand and draping the scarf over her arm, Hae-soo began walking toward the school gate.

Though her steps moved forward steadily, it felt as though she were wandering aimlessly without a compass. Like the strange harmony of the bright sun and swirling snowflakes, Hae-soo couldn’t quite grasp where she was or what she was doing.

And then—

“...Uh…”

The scarf slipped from her hand. Thinking it had fallen to the ground, Hae-soo turned around quickly, nearly biting her tongue in surprise.

“Where are you going?”

Brown hair dusted with gently falling snowflakes swayed softly. Hae-soo thought this might all be a dream, leaving her unable to react.

But as if to confirm his reality, Seo Hae-seung took the scarf from her and tied it around her neck with the same familiar ease as always. Her previously icy-cold nape, which had been invaded by the chill like clinging insects, immediately warmed up.

“Why the gloomy face?”

“...”

“You should smile. You finally graduated.”

No matter how much she wanted to speak, the words caught in her throat like broken fragments, refusing to come out. The face of Seo Hae-seung, whom she hadn’t dared to look at last night out of cowardice, was now right in front of her. But contrary to her fears, his expression wasn’t terrible at all.

A warm smile with cozy dimples, eyes filled with warmth like the scarf wrapped around her neck—Seo Hae-seung looked exactly as he always had. And yet, somehow, it felt unreal to Hae-soo, leaving her stunned.

“Oh, I…”

“…”

“I mean… I…”

Even though she wanted to act composed in front of him, she couldn’t manage to appear calm. The memories of last night had shattered into painful fragments for both her and Seo Hae-seung. No matter how hard she tried to stay composed, those jagged shards of memory kept rising painfully in her throat. Her lips parted with difficulty, but when words finally came out, they were fragmented and disjointed.

As Seo Hae-seung listened quietly to her halting stutter, he slowly exhaled and placed something in her hand.

“Congratulations on your graduation, An Hae-soo.”

“…”

“At least today, can we go eat together?”

Instead of the wilted rose under the lamppost, a bouquet of white peonies filled her field of vision.

Who would have thought such a simple gesture could make her burst into tears? It was as if she were receiving congratulations for the first time in her life. Embarrassed by her reaction, Seo Hae-seung patted her shoulder and muttered, “Why are you crying?” His unreserved actions brought her even greater comfort. There was no hesitation in the way he touched her.

The bouquet Hae-soo held gradually became soaked with her tears and the falling snowflakes.

It didn’t take long for her to stop crying and get into Seo Hae-seung’s car. In the side mirror, the image of the school grew smaller and smaller. By noon—or rather, since last night—her already fragile mental state left her half-dazed as she stared blankly at the receding view.

“Oh, the gift…”

Seo Hae-seung sighed softly while rummaging through the backseat during a red light. Hae-soo, who had been absentmindedly touching the flower petals in her lap, looked at him curiously.

“I had something for you, but I must’ve forgotten it in the chaos.”

“A gift?”

“Can we stop by the hotel for a moment?”

Hae-soo wanted to tell him that such things weren’t necessary, but after everything that had happened yesterday, she found it hard to refuse him, especially since he had come to take care of her despite acting as if nothing was wrong. In the end, she reluctantly nodded. Seo Hae-seung skillfully turned the steering wheel and said:

“That flower you’re holding—do you know what it symbolizes?”

“What is it?”

“A new beginning.”

“…”

“They say it’s often used for graduation ceremonies.”

Hae-soo fiddled with the layered peony petals, their calm hues soothing to the touch, and thanked him once again. Truthfully, at that moment, she wasn’t focused on deciphering the meaning behind the flower’s symbolism. Instead, she felt immense relief that the conversation with Seo Hae-seung wasn’t becoming awkward or strained.

Arriving at the hotel didn’t take long. Since she’d been there a few times before, the way up to the room didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable. While Seo Hae-seung searched for something, Hae-soo sat quietly on the sofa. The room, warmed to a cozy temperature even without anyone in it, wasn’t cold at all, so she unwrapped the scarf tightly wound around her neck.

“I mean, you really didn’t have to get me a gift…” 

Hae-soo mumbled belatedly, words she hadn’t managed to say in the car. She suddenly remembered the card he had given her, which she had intended to return today during the graduation ceremony. As she rummaged through her bag to find the card, she sensed movement behind her.

Just as he approached, she held out the card to him.

“And this.”

Seo Hae-seung, holding a small gift box, looked at her quizzically.

“Why are you returning it?”

“Huh? Oh, I just… don’t need it anymore.”

“You don’t need it? Really?”

The light in his eyes sharpened abruptly, piercing into her like a blade. His sharp gaze made her flinch. Seo Hae-seung grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer as he leaned his upper body toward her.

“Were you still fine without it, even after what happened yesterday?”

From the moment he appeared at the graduation ceremony, Seo Hae-seung had been quiet—until now, when he unexpectedly brought up the nightmare from the previous day. Hae-soo froze like a stone, unable to move, only staring at him. His gaze slowly roamed over her stiffened face while his fingers rubbed the inside of her wrist, where her hand clutched the card. It felt as though he were urging her to confess under the guise of gentle persuasion.

“Who was that person yesterday?”

“…”

“Can’t you tell me?”

Hae-soo wet her dry lips with her tongue. The tension she had barely managed to suppress surged back up violently, shaking her to the core. With her gaze and hands both trapped by him, evasion was impossible. After exposing herself so shamefully the day before, any further avoidance would only make things worse.

“My dad… left behind a lot of debt.”

“Mm.”

“But it’s more than I can handle…”

The memory of that night came rushing back vividly, as if she were reliving the moment Lee Ho-beom had made his proposition. If she had known she’d end up confessing everything to Seo Hae-seung like this, she would’ve rather died than agreed to it. Yet here she was, stuck ruminating on the uselessness of hindsight.

“So you slept with that guy?”

“…It was part of the deal to avoid being sold off to a club.”

“…”

“He said if I slept with him, he’d reduce the debt…”

Though it was a contract she had knowingly accepted, Hae-soo couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of injustice—as though she were the victim of an unfair trade. Deep down, she knew it was because she recognized how degrading her choice had been. Each sigh Seo Hae-seung exhaled inflated that pitiful emotion within her even further.

“How dirty.”

“…”

“I feel... so dirty.”

Her already non-existent pride only seemed to guide her toward more self-destructive thoughts. In truth, Seo Hae-seung hadn’t said a word, yet she spiraled into exaggerated and masochistic reasoning all on her own.

And it made sense—she had tried so hard to hide the truth, only for it to be exposed without her consent. Whether it was one man or dozens, in the eyes of others, it would always look like she had slept with men in exchange for debt relief. No matter how she tried to explain it, the fact that she had sold her body remained unchanged. And for someone like Seo Hae-seung, who knew her past, this was a humiliation she had desperately wanted to keep hidden.

“You’re not dirty.”

Seo Hae-seung turned Hae-soo’s body to face him squarely. He opened the velvet-ribbon-wrapped box he had been holding. Moments later, Hae-soo flinched as she felt something cold touch the nape of her neck.

“Hae-soo, did I ever tell you?”

“…”

“Your neck is really beautiful. It’s slender, and your skin is so fair.”

She felt what seemed to be a necklace being fastened around her neck. Seo Hae-seung’s slick fingers traced along her neckline. The movement was slow and deliberate, almost as if he were admiring her, sending an inexplicable chill down her spine.

“There’s a mark here.”

His finger paused at a spot on her skin—somewhere on the back of her neck that she couldn’t see. From behind, she heard him click his tongue in disapproval. Just as the sound sent an eerie shiver down her spine, she winced as his fingernails began to dig slightly into the area he had been rubbing. Even as she leaned forward to escape, Seo Hae-seung’s hands persistently followed.

“Hae-seung, it hurts!”

“…”

“It hurts, I said…!”

“This is because of the filth.”

“What?”

“The filth isn’t you—it’s that bastard who clung to you…”

It was strange—his tone, which had been monotonous just moments ago, suddenly shifted into something sinister and murky, as though he were speaking to someone else entirely. His voice was laced with irritation and exasperation, heavy and unrelenting.

Startled by his sudden grip on her chin and the forceful press of his lips against hers, Hae-soo recoiled in shock. But Seo Hae-seung showed no sign of hesitation as he swiftly vaulted over the back of the sofa, pinning her down beneath him.

“S-Seo Hae-seung, what are you… mmph!”

The shadow looming over her body, the realization that it was Seo Hae-seung invading her mouth and sucking on her tongue—everything sent an indescribable wave of revulsion through her. She had never once imagined such behavior from him, and her mind went completely blank.

Hae-soo pushed against his shoulders and chest haphazardly. But the Seo Hae-seung who usually smiled warmly and backed off when asked now seemed possessed, relentlessly pressing closer to her. The faint soap scent she often associated with him now smelled overwhelmingly sharp, almost suffocating compared to the cigarette smoke she was used to.

“How many times did you do it with that guy?”

“No, stop…!”

“Ten times? Twenty?”

“Ahh, Hae-seung, please…!”

Seo Hae-seung’s hand slipped under her school uniform skirt, probing further.

“Did you do it every night?”

When their eyes met briefly, Hae-soo gasped, swallowing a breath as if her throat were being squeezed tight.

“You told me not to come near you, but with that guy… every night? Every single night, clinging to him like that?”

The warmth that had once filled Seo Hae-seung’s irises was gone, replaced by a venomous madness. Though his eyes still held the same warm hue, they now appeared clouded and impenetrable, like the depths of a pitch-black cave.

Terrified, Hae-soo trembled, her lips quivering as she shook her head vehemently.

“N-no, that’s not true.”

“No, it’s not true…”

“No, Hae-seung, stop this… please!”

“Do you know why I just left yesterday, Hae-soo?”

Seo Hae-seung pressed his large palm firmly against Hae-soo’s throat.  

“Was it because you begged me while crying?”  

The cold fear of her neck snapping if she resisted froze Hae-soo in place, and before she realized it, her head was resting against the armrest of the sofa as he guided her. Seo Hae-seung caressed her elegantly protruding neckline like a deer’s, murmuring in a low, chilling tone:  

“No.”  

“...”  

“I felt like I might kill that bastard if I stayed any longer…”  

His knuckles brushed her pale, terrified cheek with the same tenderness one might use to stroke a pet.  

“I can’t afford to cause any more trouble. You know that, Hae-soo.”  

His hand slowly, deliberately moved downward, cupping her breast with an unfamiliar touch that sent shivers of dread coursing through her body. She didn’t understand why he was doing this so suddenly—but at least she knew what he intended now. There was no way she couldn’t.  

The overwhelming sense of danger wiped her rationality clean for a moment, leaving only instinct. Hae-soo slapped her palm hard across Seo Hae-seung’s cheek.  

A sharp friction sound accompanied the slight loosening of his grip on her. Taking advantage of the opening, Hae-soo scrambled to free herself, frantically moving her limbs to crawl out from under him. Without looking back, she bolted toward the door, running over the plush carpeted floor. She had no idea where she was going—escaping the suffocating terror gripping her nape was all that mattered, urgent and primal.  

Just as she hastily rounded a corner—  

“Ah!”  

She collided forcefully with someone coming from the opposite direction. The solid chest she crashed into felt like a wall, and the rebound sent her tumbling backward onto the ground.  

Dazed, Hae-soo lifted her head, only to find herself staring up at an impossibly tall man whose face remained obscured by the dramatic backlighting of the hallway chandelier. Despite the shadow, his piercing gaze seemed unnervingly sharp.  

“Hae-soo.”  

For a brief moment, she froze at the familiar voice piercing her eardrums—it was Seo Hae-seung. Snapping out of her stupor, Hae-soo tried to scramble away using her trembling hands to push off the carpet. But before she could, Seo Hae-seung swiftly pulled her waist close, trapping her once again.  

“Huh?”  

Having successfully locked her in his embrace, Seo Hae-seung belatedly noticed the figure standing in front of them.  

“Hyung.”  

At the mention of “hyung” (older brother), Hae-soo’s frantic search for an escape route involuntarily shifted toward the man. As Seo Hae-seung hoisted her upright, the man’s features became clearer. His face stirred a strange sense of déjà vu.  

He wore a neatly tailored three-piece suit, complete with a perfectly straight tie and vest. His hair was slicked back flawlessly with pomade, and his refined yet sharp facial features were accentuated by deep-set eyes—a richer, darker shade of brown than Seo Hae-seung’s, exuding precision and intensity.  

The towering man stood rigid, his expression hardened as though enduring some great inconvenience. From behind him, a secretary hurried forward, offering a handkerchief. With deliberate motions, the man dusted off his chest—precisely where Hae-soo had collided—as though ridding himself of germs.  

“Seo Hae-seung.”  

The name carried unmistakable disapproval, dripping with irritation.  

“There’s an important buyer meeting today. Don’t cause trouble and stay quiet.”  

It was then that Hae-soo finally recognized the familiarity she’d felt. It was the man she’d seen alongside Seo Hae-seung during the company anniversary event—the eldest son of Sungjo Group, Seo Mu-won, director and Seo Hae-seung’s older brother.  

And… and…  

Just as realization dawned about who he truly was, Seo Hae-seung pulled Hae-soo even closer to his side.

“Hae-soo, did you hear that?”  

“...”  

“You need to behave yourself today.”  

The voice brushing against her ear clung to her like sticky black mucus. It felt as though the Seo Hae-seung she once knew had split into two entirely different people. All she could feel from the man now gripping her was unease and fear.  

Hae-soo exhaled an irregular breath as she stared at Seo Mu-won. The warning he had casually tossed out—”Don’t cause trouble”—landed in her mind like a heavy stone. At the very least, it seemed that Seo Mu-won was fully aware of what his blood relative intended to do with her.  

Her gaze, trembling with desperation, layered itself with increasing urgency. In this situation, the only person she could possibly turn to for help was the man standing right in front of her.  

But… facing those icy, disdainful eyes, her courage flickered and dimmed like a dying ember. She feared that if she reached out to him, he would dismiss her plea as something trivial and unworthy of his attention. His cold, arrogant demeanor only reinforced this belief. The memory of how he had meticulously brushed away the spot where she’d collided with him using a handkerchief added weight to her dread.  

“Let’s go.”  

Before Hae-soo could even attempt anything, Seo Hae-seung pulled her backward. Seo Mu-won, still standing there, stared at Hae-soo for a moment before turning his back on her. His slow, indifferent departure felt like despair served on a platter—a visual taste of hopelessness.