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“Hmm…”
A cool breeze softly settled on her cheek. She had dozed off and was now waking up. Unlike the sweltering heat outside, the living room sofa was pleasantly cool. Hae-soo shifted her body slightly.
“Huh?”
A blanket that hadn’t been there before had slipped off her shoulders. Grabbing it before it could completely slide to the floor, Hae-soo turned her gaze toward the TV. Come to think of it, the loud noise that had been piercing her eardrums earlier had quieted down.
The movie she had been watching had changed.
The screen now showed the beginning of a famous romance film, where the male and female leads were having their fateful first encounter in a library. Hae-soo let out a small chuckle. Shaking her head at the coincidence, she stopped the softly playing background music on the screen and sat up.
As the blanket fully slid off, her belly was revealed—round and swollen like a small mound.
“Ah, my back…”
Lately, even lying still made her lower back ache. It was proof that the baby growing inside her was getting bigger. Out of habit, Hae-soo mentally counted the days. The news had been warning of heat waves for days now, signaling the peak of a relentless summer.
She had found out about this little being back in winter, around the time her semester had ended.
It had already been half a year since she got pregnant.
“Aren’t you cold?”
She spoke to the unborn child, knowing it couldn’t respond, while gently rubbing her belly. The air conditioner’s wind felt too chilly against her skin, so she grabbed the remote and adjusted the temperature. As the room filled with a milder coolness, she got up and headed to look for whoever had arrived home—only to stop when she noticed something on the dining table.
A large box.
Curious, she opened it, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“What is all this?”
Fresh strawberries, strawberry macarons, strawberry cake, strawberry snacks… The box was overflowing with strawberry-themed treats, like something straight out of a strawberry factory. A beat later, she recalled the phone conversation she’d had earlier in the day.
“Is there anything you’re craving?”
“Hmm… strawberries?”
She had only said it because a strawberry commercial happened to be playing on TV at that moment… yet now, seeing the plump, red fruit before her, her appetite kicked in. As if hypnotized, she reached out, peeled off the plastic wrap, and grabbed a handful of strawberries. She rinsed them quickly under running water and popped one into her mouth. The tart, juicy flavor instantly refreshed her drowsy mind.
“…Oh.”
By the time she came to her senses, half the box was already gone.
It always happened like this. Each time, she felt like she was turning into a glutton. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t control herself. The doctor had reassured her that it was completely natural, that the baby was absorbing the nutrients, so she shouldn’t worry. Even so, it was only natural to feel a sense of unfamiliarity with how much she had changed.
After rinsing her hands, she left the kitchen—only to hear the doorbell ring. Silently, she headed toward the sound.
Inside the dressing room, a heap of large, dark-colored clothes lay in disarray.
Her phone was vibrating inside the pocket of a pair of pants. Retrieving it, she made her way into the en suite bathroom connected to the dressing room. Carefully, she pushed the door open and peeked inside.
The first thing that hit her was the warm, humid steam.
Through the misty air, Lee Ho-beom stood in the bathtub, leaning his arms on the edge.
Since he was half-submerged, the dark tattoos on his body and the defined lines of his muscles and bones stood out vividly. Hearing the phone ring, he turned his head.
“You have a call.”
Lee Ho-beom casually perched on the edge of the tub and gestured for her to come closer. Stepping cautiously across the damp bathroom floor, Hae-soo approached him. She had intended to simply hand over the phone and leave, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Finding herself face-to-face with his bare body, she instinctively averted her gaze. It wasn’t just his body in general—what stood out, in particular, was the heavy, unguarded presence of his manhood resting on his thigh, making her feel oddly flustered.
Ironically, shouldn’t he be the embarrassed one? Yet, contrary to her thoughts, he seemed completely unfazed by his own nudity—if anything, he carried himself with confidence.
As he held the phone to his ear, listening without speaking, he glanced at her and smirked playfully.
“Ah, come on.”
A sudden splash of water hit her chin, making her frown. He had flicked water from the tub at her. She shook her head in disapproval, signaling for him to stop. Just as she was about to step back, he pulled her into his arms faster than she could react.
“Hang up.”
It wasn’t clear whether he had properly finished the call, but after saying that, he tossed the phone toward the open doorway and turned his full attention to her. Their eyes met, and his hands naturally moved to peel off the loose maternity loungewear she was wearing.
“Why are you undressing me?”
“Aren’t you here to bathe with me?”
“What? No, I came because of the phone call.”
“Really? Then while you’re here, let’s bathe together.”
“I already showered earlier.”
“Then shower again.”
He was impossible.
Before she could verbally protest, there was a loud splash.
Coughing lightly, Hae-soo looked down to see that her clothes were now completely drenched. She glared at him, but he remained unfazed, swiftly pulling her maternity dress over her head and guiding her into the tub. The bathtub was large enough to comfortably fit both of them, and as they settled in, the warm water sloshed around them.
With her belly now visibly round, she could no longer straddle him while facing him. Instead, her back pressed against his firm chest, a position she had grown accustomed to.
“Can you stop watching that creepy stuff?”
His voice, thick with the warmth of the humid air, carried a lazy tone as he idly played with her damp hair.
“But it’s fun… It’s summer, so it feels refreshing.”
“You think watching people’s brains getting smashed and guts spilling out is refreshing?”
Lee Ho-beom, genuinely exasperated, flicked his fingers on the water’s surface, splashing it around. It was unexpectedly playful. When Hae-soo grabbed his hand tightly to stop him, he naturally interlocked their fingers.
As he had mentioned, Hae-soo had recently become deeply engrossed in zombie movies. She wasn’t particularly a movie enthusiast before. It all started when a friend she had gotten to know through tutoring, Su-bin, recommended a movie to her.
Especially after becoming pregnant, living almost confined at home under Ho-beom’s overprotectiveness, she had nothing else to do, which made her dive even deeper into movies. Watching movies was a hobby that required no physical strain, making it perfect for a pregnant woman. Of course, Ho-beom seemed quite dissatisfied with her preferred genre...
But the horror movies she stumbled upon were perfect for this humid summer. She preferred zombie movies with refreshing action over eerie ghost stories.
“You’re doing prenatal education in such a strange way.”
“Quiet movies are just boring.”
“Our Hae-soo is being rough in such odd places...”
As he lazily rubbed their interlocked hands, he naturally used his other hand to grab the soft flesh under her chest. The sensation of the soft flesh clinging to his fingerprints was tantalizing. Perhaps because of the earlier splashing, her nipples were wet and glistening. His fingers gently pressed the mound of her breast, softly scratching the pale apricot-colored nipple.
“Hmm...”
A subtle ripple spread across the calm water as her body leaned against his chest. Ho-beom, using both hands, massaged her breasts as if kneading them.
“Have your breasts swollen already?”
They seem bigger, don’t they?
He murmured mischievously, moving his hands somewhat lewdly. In the process, he naturally rubbed the areola and pinched the nipple, pulling and twisting it.
“It hurts...!”
Hae-soo, whose plump nipples were being teased, whimpered and shook her head.
Since becoming pregnant, Hae-soo had been particularly sensitive about her breasts being touched, perhaps because her milk glands were swelling in preparation for breastfeeding.
“You’re so sensitive.”
Ho-beom, resting his chin on her shoulder, reluctantly removed his fingers from her breasts. His hands slid down to her belly, which had a gentle curve. His large hands spread like a net, covering her belly. He stayed still, as if he could feel the baby’s life inside.
“Don’t touch my belly.”
“Why?”
“...”
“It’s not like I’m touching your pussy, why are you being so fussy?”
He slowly traced around her navel with his fingers, as if wanting to feel the baby’s movements.
“Or are you throwing a tantrum because you want me to touch you?”
“No...!”
Despite her denial, he moved her lower body, slightly spreading her legs. His hands, which had been caressing her waist, naturally slid down to her buttocks. He grabbed the curly pubic hair submerged in the water, rubbing it between his fingers, then spread the thick labia. The sensation felt slightly cooler than usual, perhaps because they were in the water-filled bathtub.
“Hmm...”
Two fingers began to play with her clitoris. Hae-soo rubbed her forehead against his neck, letting out faint moans. Ho-beom, while supporting her lower belly, delved into her moist vulva. When Hae-soo instinctively tried to close her legs, he used his knees to stop her. As if punishing her for trying to escape, he focused on her clitoris, pressing it with his nails.
“Ah, hmm, yes...”
Her slender body trembled slightly in the water. The heat spreading from where he was touching made her lower belly contract tightly.
Feeling restless, she unconsciously moved her hips, repeatedly tightening and loosening the folds of her hole. Ho-beom adjusted his position slightly and began to rub her more vigorously. The sound of water splashing was unusually loud. Hae-soo grabbed his arm and let out sharper moans.
“Is it okay for a mommy to enjoy having her pussy touched this much?”
“You’re the one... hmm... touching me...”
“Me? Are you calling me ‘oppa’ now?”
Hae-soo, her face slightly flushed, tilted her head and glared at him. Ho-beom smiled at her fierce expression and gently bit her nose. Their lips naturally met through the soft steam.
Ho-beom sucked on Hae-soo’s timidly extended tongue as if it were a sweet candy, spreading her soft thighs apart, then chuckled. When she looked at him curiously, he stuck out his tongue and slowly licked his lips.
“You ate strawberries, didn’t you?”
The taste of the strawberries she had greedily eaten before coming to the bathroom must have lingered in their kiss. When Hae-soo nodded, he said, “Open your mouth wider,” and pushed his tongue deeper.
Hae-soo, who had been absentmindedly stroking his chin, suddenly realized the massive presence that had been pressing against her groin and flinched.
“Ah, here?”
“I won’t put it in. Relax.”
He coaxed her gently, sucking on her tongue while flexibly moving his hips in the water.
His penis, as thick as a child’s chubby arm, slowly moved between her thighs. Hae-soo, swallowing the saliva he passed to her, unconsciously clenched her thighs together. Since their lower bodies were closely pressed, Ho-beom couldn’t possibly not notice, and he murmured in a husky voice.
“Don’t tense up...”
“Umm...”
“Please don’t tease me when I’m trying to hold back.”
Hae-soo, with her drooping eyelids, glanced up at him subtly.
“Are you having a hard time...?”
Even though he was the one who had drained her of her saliva and breath, she asked softly, as if a mouse were considering a cat’s feelings. Ho-beom, stealing the saliva pooled under Hae-soo’s tongue, whispered:
“If you know, why don’t you touch it a little?”
As Hae-soo turned her head slightly, Ho-beom followed, pressing his lips firmly against her cheek, as if lamenting the interrupted kiss. Hae-soo saw something like the body of a thick snake nestled firmly between her thighs, rubbing against her groin. As she tentatively reached down and stroked the bulging glans, it wriggled vigorously, as if it were an independent entity.
“Spread the glans and poke it.”
Once she granted his wish, his demands became more insistent. When Hae-soo blinked in surprise, he reached out and placed his hand over hers, moving it in a way that was more his will than hers.
Ho-beom used Hae-soo’s two fingers to spread the reddish, glistening foreskin of the glans wide open. As he did, the hidden center protruded, revealing a faint groove. Hae-soo, as if entranced, pressed it with her fingernail. A warm, sticky fluid oozed out, clinging to her fingertips.
“Ah, damn.”
“Does it hurt...?”
“No. Keep going.”
He nibbled on Hae-soo’s smooth earlobe, urging her on. She flinched at the sensitive reaction, but upon closer inspection, his features seemed more relaxed than usual. It was clear he was enjoying himself.
Hae-soo pressed her finger firmly into the gap between the spread glans. The vein running beneath the glans throbbed visibly. Both he and his member seemed equally unable to resist.
There was a strange pleasure in seeing something so phallic-like succumb so helplessly to her touch. Hae-soo smeared the fluid oozing out onto her fingers and focused on rubbing the hole.
Ho-beom’s thrusting against her thighs grew increasingly lewd and crude. In response, Hae-soo’s body began to sway lightly. As she pressed her nail against the glans’ opening, she used her other hand to caress his swollen, dark scrotum. She remembered how he sometimes grabbed his shaft during moments of passion, exposing that area and asking her to lick it. Hearing this, the man behind her growled softly.
“You bitch, why are you touching my balls?”
“You like it here, don’t you...?”
“Yeah. I love it, so keep rubbing.”
The sensation of giving him a blowjob while sitting between his legs was different from just using her hands to stimulate him. In this position, she could see his face in real-time.
Hae-soo cupped his testicles, which felt like they were made of a different texture than hers, and looked at him.
Ho-beom, with his eyes locked on hers, rubbed his shaft against her palm. The way he stared at her with those relaxed eyes was oddly arousing, especially with his hair and face damp, enhancing his sensual aura.
Hae-soo pulled back the foreskin of the glans, exposing the opening, and teased it with her fingertips. The waves of pleasure distorting Ho-beom’s handsome features were unmistakable.
“I can’t hold back anymore.”
“Ah...!”
Ho-beom suddenly grabbed Hae-soo’s thighs and spread them wide. With her back against him, her groin was fully exposed to the ceiling. Ho-beom rubbed his thick shaft against her moist entrance, moving it up and down roughly. The water in the tub splashed noisily, spilling over the edge.
“Ahh...!”
Occasionally, the angle of his thrusts brought the thick tip of his shaft close to her entrance, stretching her labia. Each time, Hae-soo let out a thin, high-pitched moan and shuddered. Ho-beom, groaning heavily near her ear, thrust wildly, lost in ecstasy.
His firm pelvis slammed against her buttocks, creating sounds as if they were truly having sex. Hae-soo, too, writhed her hips, intoxicated by the endless stimulation. The heat in the bathroom had long since become unbearable.
Finally, Ho-beom increased his speed to the maximum and slapped her buttock with a loud smack.
“Ahhh...!”
“Ha...”
Ho-beom grabbed the base of his still-throbbing shaft and shook it up and down rapidly. The final thrusts sent streams of semen spurting out, splashing onto Hae-soo’s body and into the tub.
Hae-soo blinked her dazed eyes, feeling something sticky splatter under her chin. Ho-beom, still catching his breath, held her close and adjusted her position. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her, covered in his semen.
“I came so much.”
“Ugh... it’s all over me.”
“Hold on. I’ll clean you up.”
He grabbed a towel nearby and carefully wiped her face. Some of it, he scooped up with his fingers and pushed into her mouth.
When Hae-soo shook her head at the fishy taste, he kissed her, using his tongue to reclaim his semen before spitting it onto the floor. Sometimes, men do such abnormal things. Of course, by now, she was so used to his antics that it didn’t even faze her.
“Did you come? If not, let me suck you off now.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m going to get out.”
Lee Ho-beom held the showerhead and quickly rinsed Hae-soo’s body. Before his wandering hands could once again stir up desire, Hae-soo quickly grabbed a towel and hurried out of the bathroom. Just before she could fully escape, he caught her and sucked on her lower lip until it tingled, but she considered it a relatively smooth exit.
Drying off the dripping water with a fluffy towel, Hae-soo went to the dressing room to put on her clothes. As she was about to head to the living room, she noticed his discarded clothes still lying in front of the bathroom like shed skin.
She bent down to gather the clothes to take them to the laundry room, but she froze the next moment.
‘What is this…?’
Her eyes blinked rapidly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Despite her disbelief, the thing she had accidentally discovered didn’t disappear or fade away. Hae-soo flipped the collar of the shirt completely.
There it was.
A bright red lipstick stain was imprinted on it.
Every nerve in her body went cold. Even though she had just stepped out of the steamy bathroom, an indescribable chill ran down her spine. She stood frozen in place, unable to move for a while, before slowly burying her nose in the collar. It wasn’t even a deep inhale. Just a normal breath was enough for the strong scent of perfume to flood her nostrils.
A heavy rose scent. Artificial and overpowering.
‘If it was just a passing brush…’
No.
Even if it was just a brush, would a lipstick mark end up in this position? And for the perfume to be this strong…
Hae-soo lowered the shirt in her hand and stared at the bathroom door. The sound of running water continued. Strangely, she couldn’t muster the courage to go in and ask. The ground beneath her feet felt oddly soft. No, it was more like her heart was pounding unpleasantly.
---
Since that day, Hae-soo found herself growing increasingly tense whenever the time for Lee Ho-beom’s return home approached. Of course, she didn’t let it show in front of him.
Whenever he came back from outside, he would always head straight to the bathroom without fail. Hae-soo would perk up her ears, waiting for the sound of the bathroom door closing, then quietly make her way over to inspect the clothes he had taken off.
There were no more bright red lipstick stains like before. Nor was there any trace of strong perfume. The only scent she could detect was the deep, familiar fragrance of Lee Ho-beom’s natural body scent.
And yet, her mind, stirred like ripples on the surface of a pond where a pebble had been thrown, refused to settle easily.
There’s nothing this time.
Then what was that last time?
The more she checked, day after day, the less reassured she felt. Instead, endless doubts and thoughts continued to swirl in her mind.
Could it be that he had realized she’d seen the mark last time and was now being more careful to cover his tracks?
Come to think of it, what exactly does he do when he’s out?
Even though his business was technically a corporation, no one knew better than Hae-soo that at his core, Lee Ho-beom was a rough gangster. Wasn’t he the one who had first mentioned brothels when they met? Brothels... Could it be that he frequents such places?
No way.
But... how could she be so sure?
Given his ties to the underworld, he certainly had plenty of reasons to visit those places, whether for business or otherwise.
“You’re staring holes into me.”
“......”
“What? Say something.”
It was during dinner after he had come home early for once. Caught up in her deep thoughts, Hae-soo must have been staring at him too intently without realizing it. She quickly shook her head and picked up her spoon. The traditional Korean meal he had brought home was from a restaurant she had been enjoying lately. She scooped up a spoonful of the soft, white-and-yellow steamed egg custard.
“Does it not taste good?”
“No, it’s...”
Her response lacked energy, causing Lee Ho-beom to frown in displeasure. He pulled her onto his lap and asked again.
“If you don’t like it, just say so. I’ll get something else.”
As if he really would call his subordinate, Shin Cheolwoo, to fetch a new meal, he pulled out his phone. Startled, Hae-soo grabbed his arm.
“No, it’s really delicious.”
“Then why are you pecking at it like a sick chick?”
Because of you.
The words clung to the tip of her tongue, thick and sticky, but she forced them back down. Lee Ho-beom studied her troubled expression for a moment, then calmly picked up his chopsticks.
A piece of grilled short rib patty was brought right in front of her.
To prove that it wasn’t the food that was the issue, Hae-soo obediently opened her mouth and bit into it. Even though her mind was in turmoil, the food was so delicious that it left her feeling strangely conflicted.
“Unbelievable.”
Seeing her accept the food so easily after all that, Lee Ho-beom let out a laugh of disbelief. The faint satisfaction tugging at the corners of his lips was undeniable.
“You’re not a baby, you know.”
Despite his teasing, his fingers continued to move. Next came braised lotus root and stir-fried octopus. Hae-soo, feeling as if she were being spoiled like a child, picked up her own chopsticks and resumed eating at a slow pace.
“Well, actually, you are a baby.”
Lee Ho-beom’s hand gently stroked her rounded belly. His touch was slow and delicate, as if savoring the moment.
“I’m going to the hospital tomorrow.”
Hae-soo said as she took a sip of cold dongchimi broth.
“Which hospital?”
“My dad’s hospital.”
Lee Ho-beom’s gaze sharpened slightly.
She had already suspected it, but she had been completely certain since the day she’d dodged his men and gone to see the winter sea after finding out she was pregnant.
Lee Ho-beom was always afraid she would try to run away.
It was evident in the way he reacted every time she mentioned her father’s hospital—his face would cloud with suspicion.
Even knowing that, Hae-soo continued to bring it up.
She wasn’t sure why.
Maybe because seeing his wariness gave her a sense of confirmation about something deep inside her.
Especially now, when she had been plagued by thoughts of whether or not there was another woman in his life. It was ridiculous, and yet, at the same time, not entirely impossible.
“Call me when you leave. I’ll pick you up.”
He always spoke in that same, tight voice, as if swallowing down emotions he refused to let surface.
Nodding, Hae-soo bit into a deep-fried shrimp coated in tartar sauce. The creamy sauce kept the dish from feeling too greasy, allowing her to savor each bite. She stole a glance at Lee Ho-beom.
“Hey...”
The solution to her endless doubts was simple.
She just had to ask.
And yet... she hesitated.
She had no idea what kind of reaction he would show.
She didn’t even know why she was hesitating.
And because she didn’t know, she couldn’t bring herself to act.
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
Lee Ho-beom pinched Hae-soo’s nose lightly, as if finding her remark ridiculous.
In the end, it was a repetition—her thoughts trapped in a restless cycle, unable to break free from the same looping track.
The next day.
Hae-soo left the house early and headed to the hospital where her father was admitted. Lately, his health had noticeably improved, and he was awake for longer periods. Today was no exception, allowing them to have a pleasant conversation.
“Are you doing okay? Then again, carrying a child… there’s no way that’s easy.”
Despite his condition improving somewhat, his hands were still thin, veins starkly visible as he gently caressed her cheek with concern. Hae-soo nodded with a smile.
“I’m fine. I’m really doing well. You can tell just by looking at my face, can’t you?”
Whenever she said that, her father would drop the subject without further questioning. If even he, as her parent, didn’t find it suspicious, then perhaps her face truly bore no sign of distress. Ironically, by hiding in Lee Ho-beom’s shadow, the shadows on her own face had disappeared.
“...Are you really okay?”
It was a vague question, but Hae-soo understood immediately.
As she peeled an apple in place of the caregiver, who had stepped out for some fresh air, she nodded.
When her father had first regained some awareness, Hae-soo had cried endlessly. Later, when he became lucid enough to comprehend a summarized version of what had happened, he had held her hands and wept for a long time.
Of course, she hadn’t told him everything.
He already carried the heavy burden of guilt for failing to support their family. Facing his darkened expression, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to reveal the full extent of the misfortune and suffering she had endured.
In the end, what she had told him was simple—Lee Ho-beom had helped her immensely. Thanks to him, she was alive and well, attending university without issue, and even her father, who had been in a dire state, was saved because of him.
His question—”Are you okay?”—carried many unspoken meanings.
The lingering guilt he felt toward his daughter, no matter how much he tried to push it aside. The gratitude he held for Lee Ho-beom, despite never having met him. And the inevitable distrust that came from being a father.
The reason for that single thread of doubt tangled within his gratitude was obvious—her pregnancy.
After all, what father would be pleased to hear that his daughter was carrying the child of a gangster? He must have been suppressing his true feelings out of gratitude for the man who had saved both of their lives.
Lee Ho-beom had supported every aspect of her father’s recovery, yet he had never once set foot in the hospital. It was as if he deemed it enough that Hae-soo was the only one making visits. She could guess why.
“I’m eating plenty of good food, sleeping as much as I want, and just taking things easy,” she said, gently holding her father’s hand, trying to ease his concerns. But since he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, no amount of reassurance seemed to put him at ease.
“...I should thank him in person sometime…”
“I’ll talk to him about it.”
Her father occasionally expressed a desire to meet Lee Ho-beom. Hae-soo was curious—was it more out of gratitude for a benefactor, or resentment toward the man who had gotten his daughter pregnant without his permission?
As they spoke, a nurse entered the room. It seemed her father had been given a sedative, as he slowly drifted into sleep. After making sure his blanket was tucked in properly, Hae-soo got up and left the room.
Being part of Daeyoung Holdings, the hospital was a large institution, bustling with people even on a weekday. She walked through the crowd, sidestepping others as she became lost in thought.
Should she ask Lee Ho-beom to visit her father with her?
Though she always responded with “I’ll ask him,” she had never actually brought it up to him.
First, she didn’t want to bother him any further when he had already done so much. And second… when she thought about their history, she couldn’t help but hesitate.
After all, it was because of her father’s debt that her suffering began and her entanglement with Lee Ho-beom was set into motion.
Maybe he avoided coming here because he, too, felt uncomfortable about it.
‘Still… I guess I really do look happy.’
She absentmindedly touched her cheek with her fingertips.
If even a parent, who could see through most things, was reassured by her appearance, then perhaps the security of being under Lee Ho-beom’s shadow was indeed stable.
Reflecting on her father’s worries, a thought suddenly struck her.
‘...Ah.’
A realization dawned on her in an unexpected moment.
For days, she had been feeling unsettled, but now she understood why.
The way her father worried over her, the way he viewed her as a helpless child in need of protection—it wasn’t so different from how she had been acting toward Lee Ho-beom these past few days.
Whenever he came home, she would anxiously watch him, checking his collar in a rush.
It was a kind of anxiety.
She had been obsessing over whether he might have another woman.
And she wasn’t used to feeling anxious in this relationship.
Why?
The answer was obvious, even without deep contemplation.
Somewhere deep inside her, she carried an unshakable certainty—an inexplicable conviction that Lee Ho-beom’s love for her would never change.
By the time she had fully come to face his love, it had already been so overwhelming, so raw and intense, that it had left her with countless wounds.
And even now, it remained the same.
The love of a man who had dragged her out of the ocean, ready to kill for her if she so desired, was not something that would fade easily.
And yet, that conviction was slowly being swallowed whole by the creeping fog of anxiety.
How could she be so sure?
There was hardly an emotion as fluid and variable as love.
“Oh.”
Lost in thought, Hae-soo was startled awake by a voice dropping down onto the crown of her head. Only then did she realize the firm chest blocking her path. If she had kept walking absentmindedly, she would have crashed into it.
Her head quickly tilted upward.
“Where have I…”
“……”
“Seen you a lot before.”
The sight of a plain black shirt, devoid of any stripes or patterns, inevitably reminded her of Lee Ho-beom. A man who exuded a similar aura. A low voice that sounded strangely familiar. The man, tilting his chin slightly as he looked down at her, had a face she recognized.
They realized each other’s identity at the same time.
“Oh.”
“……”
“You’re… Ho-beom’s baby, right?”
The man was none other than Kang Mook-hyun.
Lee Ho-beom’s superior and colleague. Hae-soo’s eyes widened at the unexpected encounter in the hospital. Dressed in black from head to toe despite the summer heat, he gazed at her with his slightly downcast eyes before curling the corners of his lips.
“I heard you’re pregnant… Wow.”
While Hae-soo hesitated to respond, Kang Mook-hyun ran a hand over his forehead. His gaze slid past her, briefly sweeping over the bright green sky framed by the windows.
“Anyway, isn’t it hot?”
“…What?”
“Want to go get something cold to drink?”
The man casually fanned the collar of his shirt.
Hae-soo’s eyes were drawn to that movement.
Had she followed him too readily?
Scooping up a small spoonful of ice cream, Hae-soo inwardly sighed. The beige-colored ice cream had a smooth, creamy taste that melted on her tongue. It was far more refined than the ones sold in stores.
With the spoon still in her mouth, she snuck a glance at the man sitting across from her.
Someone who looked more suited for a shady establishment than a hotel café was running a hand through his hair. In front of him sat a glass with droplets of condensation forming on the surface. He must have really been hot because, as soon as his iced Americano arrived, he drank nearly half of it in one go.
At that moment, Kang Mook-hyun turned his head and met her gaze.
His eyes carried a different kind of pressure than Lee Ho-beom’s, and she instinctively averted her gaze. Her eyes naturally landed on the hotel lounge café, bathed in the golden afternoon sunlight.
“What?”
“…Huh?”
“You keep looking around. Is this place fascinating to you?”
Kang Mook-hyun idly stirred the ice in his glass with his straw, causing the cubes to clink noisily against the sides.
He had placed the order as soon as they sat down, leaving Hae-soo with no time to say a word. But now that she thought about it, it seemed like he had deliberately ordered ice cream instead of coffee for her, considering that she was pregnant. If that was true, it was an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture.
“It’s not that it’s fascinating… It’s just unexpected.”
Perhaps catching the underlying meaning in her words, Kang Mook-hyun let out a soft, empty laugh.
“What, did you think I was going to drag you off to some club just for a drink?”
She couldn’t exactly say no. Not after being practically dragged here in the first place.
“If I did that, Ho-beom would probably stab me.”
“……”
“So.”
As if shifting the topic, he smoothly changed course.
“Why did you follow me?”
Hae-soo, who had just taken a big spoonful of the upscale-tasting ice cream, froze. Her dumbfounded expression was clearly visible to Kang Mook-hyun. Setting down her spoon, she replied with a hint of disbelief.
“You were the one who invited me to come along.”
“But weren’t you a little too obedient? From what I heard from Ho-beom, you’re not the type to just go along with anything.”
Did all men of this sort have an uncanny animal instinct? His intuition was eerily sharp.
When Kang Mook-hyun had coaxed her to go get something cold and casually fanned his shirt collar, an odd association had popped into Hae-soo’s mind—the lipstick stain she had once spotted on Lee Ho-beom’s clothes.
She couldn’t exactly ask his subordinates about it, but now, Kang Mook-hyun had appeared before her as if on cue. Naturally, she couldn’t help but wonder if she might be able to extract some useful information from him.
Her emotions were still all over the place. She felt frustrated with how deeply she was getting involved in matters concerning Lee Ho-beom, yet at the same time, she didn’t want to let go of an opportunity that had come right to her doorstep just because of some petty pride.
Especially now, when Kang Mook-hyun had just brought up that word—her mind wavered even more precariously.
“Does he also go to those kinds of... places? Those establishments...?”
The mere act of asking this question made her feel pathetically foolish, making her want to hide somewhere for a moment. It was the kind of thing that stemmed from her lingering anxieties about Lee Ho-beom. Her tongue felt like it was twisting uncontrollably.
She had struggled to get the words out, but Kang Mook-hyun didn’t respond right away. Not knowing what that silence meant, Hae-soo had no choice but to wait.
Having spent the last few days agonizing over this issue, the silence didn’t feel reassuring at all. Could it be that he was hesitating to answer because she was pregnant?
Or was it because of some sense of loyalty to Lee Ho-beom? If that was the case, then what a cheap sense of loyalty that was, she thought, sharpening her inner blade with every passing second. Fueled by the churning of her emotions, her thoughts flared up in all directions like stray sparks.
“Who knows...”
Kang Mook-hyun finally spoke after what felt like an eternity. Considering how much Hae-soo’s emotions had surged and crashed in the meantime, the response was frustratingly anticlimactic. With her sharp gaze fixed on him, she watched as he casually crossed his legs.
“No matter how much hierarchy exists, no one’s going around keeping tabs on where their subordinates swing their dicks.”
“...”
“Still, it’s kinda funny that you’re even suspecting him of this.”
As if mulling over something, he muttered to himself in a low voice before letting out a chuckle. The way he spoke, it was as if he found it absurd that Hae-soo would even entertain such doubts. Everything about him, from his words to his actions, had a way of remaining elusive. His large, calloused hands traced slow circles around his coffee cup.
“Do you know why Ho-beom ended up working with me?”
Instead of giving her the answer she wanted, he suddenly changed the subject. Since it didn’t seem entirely unrelated, Hae-soo shook her head. Kang Mook-hyun curled his lips into a languid smirk.
“Because I used you.”
“...”
“I told him to abandon his half-brother and come to my side.”
Hae-soo’s fingertips twitched slightly. She stared at him, wondering if she had just heard him correctly.
Kang Mook-hyun spoke far too nonchalantly about having used someone as leverage for blackmail.
“What do you mean by that...?”
Even as he revealed a side of Lee Ho-beom she had never known, his demeanor remained completely detached. It was as if he were talking about some trivial matter that had nothing to do with her.
But for Hae-soo, it was anything but trivial.
With each layer of the story he unfolded, the more turbulence she felt inside. The threats made against her in the past, the decision Lee Ho-beom had made to protect her, and everything that followed—it was all starting to piece together in her mind.
A long-buried memory, once buried beneath the sands of time, now resurfaced of its own accord.
“No, I can’t let go. I already turned my back on the people I called family just to hold onto you...”
“...”
“So, fuck... You’re the only thing I have left now.”
No way.
Could it be that... that was what he had meant back then?
Now that she finally understood the full story, Hae-soo found herself at a loss for words.
Thinking back, it wasn’t hard to imagine how overwhelming it must have been for him—being forced into that choice, yet still finding time to come see her in between.
“To be honest, even when I pushed him like that, I wasn’t completely sure it would work. That bastard—just from what I’d heard about him, I figured he was too damn smart to fall for something so simple.”
Kang Mook-hyun rapped his knuckles lightly against the glass table.
“But bingo!”
“...”
“He fell for it completely.”
Hae-soo fixed him with a gaze full of quiet disapproval. His casual attitude toward such a weighty matter didn’t sit well with her. He toyed idly with the straw in his coffee, folding and unfolding it between his fingers as he chuckled.
“So, why not trust in that undying devotion of his for once?”
“...”
“Otherwise, what does that make the love he sacrificed his so-called family for?”
Her mind was too tangled to respond. Her gaze dropped, settling on the edge of the table.
Leaning back in his chair, Kang Mook-hyun’s eyes drifted past her shoulder. His expression shifted slightly as if he had just spotted someone.
“Well, that was faster than I expected.”
At his sudden remark, Hae-soo turned her head in the direction he was looking.
By then, Lee Ho-beom had already entered the café and was approaching their table.
“Uh...”
There was an inexplicable coldness in his expression.
Taken aback, Hae-soo stumbled to her feet. Without a word, Lee Ho-beom reached for her wrist and pulled her away from the table.
“Contact me later.”
And with that, as if he couldn’t stand being there another second, he wrapped his arm around Hae-soo’s shoulders and immediately turned to leave. Before that, he only gave Kang Mukhyeon a short farewell.
Just as they passed by, Kang Mukhyeon’s secretary approached the table. Kang Mukhyeon tilted his glass, letting half-melted ice slip into his mouth before biting down on it with a crunch.
“You called him?”
“I already had someone tailing the woman.”
The secretary, standing politely behind him, responded in a deferential tone. Kang Mukhyeon licked the coffee-flavored ice with the tip of his tongue and nodded.
“Well, I figured as much.”
“……”
“Is he, like, paranoid or something? Seriously, he’s overreacting—even when she’s carrying his kid.”
Tapping his temple lightly with a long finger, Kang Mukhyeon spoke in an easygoing manner. His tone suggested that to him, a baby was nothing more than a shackle.
“But damn, he must be really pissed. Even started speaking formally.”
He’s going to be a pain in the ass for a while.
Kang Mukhyeon smirked at his own thoughts.
Meanwhile—
Hae-soo, who had been abruptly dragged out of the café, now found herself sitting in his car, already buckled in. Normally, Shin Cheolwoo drove for him, but seeing that he wasn’t here, it was clear that after receiving the call, he had driven over himself.
Without a word, Ihobeom started the car.
A sidelong glance showed that his cold demeanor hadn’t faded. His chiseled features were taut, as if he was barely holding back from making his anger known.
At first, she felt restless, but the longer the silence stretched, the more hurt she became.
“I don’t get why you’re so mad. What exactly is so upsetting—?”
Ihobeom abruptly turned his head, his voice sharp with irritation.
“You don’t know why I’m mad?”
His voice was laced with bitterness, and Hae-soo’s own tone grew defensive.
“Yeah. He’s someone you work with, isn’t he?”
“Before that, he’s just another bastard with a dick.”
“……”
“You really still don’t get me, do you?”
He pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Then, without warning, his hand shot out, tangling roughly into her hair. Before she could react, he crushed his lips against hers in a desperate, forceful kiss.
“Mmph!”
It was nearly violent—the way he stole her breath and swallowed her completely. He sucked on her lips hard enough to make a wet sound before pressing his forehead against hers, growling lowly.
“That bastard could do this to you too, you know.”
“What—? You trust him enough to go into business together, don’t you?”
“Business is one thing. But when it comes to men and women, that’s another story.”
“……”
“I don’t think Kang Mukhyeon dragged you there against your will. That means you followed him on your own. And that—” He exhaled, his gaze fierce and unsteady. “That is what’s driving me insane. Do you seriously not understand that?”
His dark pupils trembled before her. Despite their deep black color, despite the usual steadiness they held, right now, they quivered with raw vulnerability.
Hae-soo could see it. Within that unease lay his mistrust—toward her, toward Kang Mukhyeon. Her head felt like it was burning from the inside.
All this time, she had kept it bottled up, but now, like a dam breaking, her frustration surged to the surface.
I—I only went to see him because I was desperate.
Does he have any idea how much it took for me to—?
“Let go, let go of me!”
When he tried to force another kiss on her, she shoved at his chest with all her strength, hitting him in the process. The car shook slightly from the impact. Then, without hesitation, she slapped him across the face.
Smack!
Despite the sharp sound, Ihobeom simply smirked, gripping her chin and plunging his tongue into her mouth once more.
Furious, Hae-soo clawed at his skin, her nails raking deep red lines across his tan complexion. Only then did he finally pull away. A bright, raw scratch marred his cheek.
The moment he let go, she grabbed the door handle. But it was locked.
“Let me out.”
Frantically, she rattled the handle. Of course, she could unlock it manually, but she was too overwhelmed to think straight.
“You’re not getting out.”
“Let me out! I want to get out, I’m leaving!”
“An Hae-soo!”
“Don’t yell at me!”
She whirled on him, pushing away the hand that tried to pull her back from the door. Tears she hadn’t even realized were there spilled down her face in hot, furious streaks.
“Why did you follow that person? It’s because of you!”
“……”
“It’s because of you, hmph, because of you.”
It was a mess. Her emotions were tangled like a knotted thread, impossible to define as just one thing. There was hatred and anxiety toward Lee Ho-beom, who had returned with a woman’s lipstick stain on his shirt collar. There were the fragments of truth she had heard from Kang Mook-hyun about the past. And then there was Ho-beom’s attitude, which was now pushing her away.
“Because you came back with a woman’s lipstick on your clothes…”
Unable to sort through it all, Hae-soo finally let everything spill out. She couldn’t distinguish what to hold onto and what to express.
This was a first for her.
It felt like every hole in her body was clumsily spewing out emotions. Somewhere deep in her heart, it burned fiercely, as if she had come down with a terrible fever.
“Because you came back with the smell of perfume on you…”
Ho-beom, who was hearing this fragment of her true feelings, was utterly dumbfounded. What is she saying to me right now? He couldn’t quite grasp it.
Finally regaining his composure, he looked at Hae-soo. Her large eyes were soaked with tears. She glared at him while tears streamed down her face, looking as if she wanted to tear him apart. Her expression was downright murderous.
But when he thought about what she had just said, his heart ached so much that she looked unbearably adorable.
“Fuck… my head hurts.”
For a while, he couldn’t collect his thoughts. He rubbed his temples with the hand that wasn’t wearing a watch.
“I don’t even know what I just heard.”
“……”
“So, you… were jealous?”
“……”
“Are you saying you were jealous right now?”
Hae-soo huffed and said nothing. But her expression was answer enough. Ho-beom felt a surge of emotion somewhere in his heart and pulled her close.
“Stop it.”
As he held her resisting body and forced a kiss on her, Hae-soo turned her head away, sniffling.
I’m going crazy, damn it.
Ho-beom couldn’t suppress the shiver rising from the pit of his stomach. He laid her down on the passenger seat and kissed her passionately, as if he wanted to crush her. He forgot that he had to be careful not to overstimulate Hae-soo, who was pregnant, and lasciviously explored every corner of her mouth. When he teasingly brushed against the soft palate she was particularly sensitive to, Hae-soo gasped and let out a weak moan.
It was a kiss as chaotic and messy as their tangled emotions. When they finally pulled apart, Hae-soo’s lips were swollen, and Ho-beom’s lips were smudged with her lipstick.
He quickly shifted gears and drove the car.
After driving for a while, they stopped not at the apartment where they were staying but at a hotel.
Slamming the driver’s door shut, the man walked around the hood and opened the passenger door. Ho-beom gently pulled Hae-soo out, despite her attempts to push him away, and coaxed her into the hotel.
It seemed this place was also part of Daeyoung’s affiliates, as they didn’t stop at the front desk and went straight to the VIP elevator.
For some reason, Hae-soo couldn’t stop rubbing her tearful eyes with the back of her hand. Ho-beom, who had been anxiously watching the elevator panel, saw this and grabbed her hand to stop her. In her now-clear vision, his pupils were blazing like wildfire across a dry field.
Just then, the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
Ho-beom pulled her inside and immediately kissed her again. This time, Hae-soo didn’t resist. She panted, opening her mouth as he demanded, and clumsily tried to wrap her tongue around his.
Ho-beom’s hand gripped Hae-soo’s butt, repeatedly spreading and releasing the cleft hidden under her clothes. They were so absorbed in pulling at each other’s tongues and exploring every corner of their mouths that they didn’t notice the elevator had stopped moving.
Ho-beom bit Hae-soo’s upper lip, eliciting a muffled moan, and pressed the button for a higher floor. As the elevator hummed and ascended, they continued their electrifying kiss without interruption.
“Hmph.”
Hae-soo, who had been struggling to keep up with the man’s relentless tongue, leaned against the wall as her waist tingled. Ho-beom, noticing they were almost at their floor, swiftly lifted her into his arms.
“Hold onto my neck.”
Following his instruction, Ho-beom planted light kisses on Hae-soo’s nose and the corners of her mouth as they stepped out of the elevator. His black shoes lightly treaded the plush carpet as they reached the end of the hallway.
Pulling out a card he must have prepared earlier, Ho-beom swiped it and entered the room.
The presidential suite, more grandiose than a standard suite, was impeccable from the view through the large windows to the interior decor. But Hae-soo didn’t have time to take it all in before she was led straight to the bedroom.
“Today, I really can’t hold back.”
The man carefully laid Hae-soo down on the pristine white sheets and tore off his shirt, popping the buttons in his haste. He must have been in such a rush that he hadn’t even bothered with a tie or vest today.
He didn’t even take the time to fully remove his pants, just loosened the waistband and pulled out his erection. Bending down, he slid his hand under Hae-soo’s skirt.
“Tell me if it hurts. If I act like I can’t hear you, you can slap me.”
With that ominous warning, the man stripped off Hae-soo’s maternity clothes and the underwear beneath.
The cool air from the air conditioner filled the room, and as her bare skin was exposed, a faint shiver ran through her. Hae-soo’s legs trembled, her thighs parting weakly, and as Lee Ho-beom buried his nose between her folds without hesitation, her body shuddered violently.
“Hmm, ah….”
He sucked on her entrance as if possessed. His thick tongue moved broadly, licking from her perineum up to the swollen bud of her clitoris. The tickling sensation along her spine made Hae-soo lower her hand. However, her swollen belly made it difficult to grab his hair.
Helpless, she gripped the sheets tightly, her eyelids fluttering as she squirmed.
Since they had started living together, she had been fingered or brought to climax at least once a day, so her sensitive area showed no surprise at the sudden stimulation. The entrance clenched and unclenched, releasing a stream of wetness.
Lee Ho-beom wrapped his tongue around her engorged clit, shaking it gently, and slid a finger deep inside her. The flowing wetness was swallowed without hesitation, and as he lightly stirred her inner walls, Hae-soo let out a short moan, her upper body twisting.
He confirmed how wet she was and immediately sat up. Finding a comfortable position wasn’t easy due to her swollen belly. Ho-beom laid her on her side, aligning his throbbing erection with her entrance, teasing it gently.
The already soaked flesh, just from the friction, began to gush out sticky fluids. Ho-beom used it as lubricant, spreading it over his length, and pressed the head in with his thumb.
The trembling, wet folds gradually expanded as the thick penis began to take control of her insides.
“Ah, uh….”
“Why are you so tight…? It’s driving me crazy. Did your hole get smaller because of the baby?”
Hae-soo flailed her hand, hitting him repeatedly. Realizing she was telling him not to say such things, Ho-beom laughed throatily. Her panting grew heavier, and his laughter annoyed her enough to lift her face from the sheets.
Ho-beom bent his upper body, planting playful kisses on her pretty, glaring eyes.
“Ha, uh…!”
As he pressed his upper body against hers, the thick penis, already halfway in, slid all the way inside. The sensation of being so full sent a shiver through both of them. Hae-soo exhaled unevenly, grabbing Ho-beom’s hair.
“Ugh, you jerk, Ho-beom.”
She tugged at his black hair as if throwing a tantrum, and he followed her pull, his eyes darkening as he watched her pussy swallowing his cock. The excess fluids had already started to foam.
“Yeah, go ahead, pull my hair out. Damn, even this turns me on.”
Ho-beom let her pull his hair as he slowly rocked his hips back and forth. The position on their sides made her entire buttocks collide with his lower body, the wetness making everything slick. He grabbed one of her ankles, placing it over his shoulder, and used his hips to thrust deeply. Hae-soo’s pale breasts shook wildly.
“Hmm, don’t, ah…! Don’t swear!”
Ho-beom laughed savagely, the scar near his mouth stretching.
“Why? Worried the baby will hear?”
He pushed into her soft flesh, sighing as his lust-filled gaze landed on her swaying, swollen nipples. They used to be soft, but now they stood erect even without touch, their color slightly darker.
“Playing the mom card now….”
“Ah, uh, ah, ahh…!”
“Your pussy’s all swollen, and you can’t even talk back. Gonna scold me like a wife, huh?”
Teasing her lovingly, Ho-beom found a perk in this position.
The angle of her legs, not fully spread, made her sticky labia cling to his shaft, creating a lewd visual that unexpectedly pushed him closer to the edge.
Of course, the sight of her bouncing breasts and the presence of the baby growing inside her slender body also added to the overwhelming sensation. There was nothing about Hae-soo that didn’t drive him wild.
At times like this, Ho-beom felt utterly ensnared. Not that he minded. In fact, he loved it so much it was almost ridiculous.
“Hoo, usually you’d loosen up by now….”
“Uh-huh….”
“Is it because of the baby? You’re still so tight.”
“Ah, ah… slowly… ah…!”
“Alright, should I go harder?”
The man responded cheekily, straightening his back and skillfully rolling his hips. Each thrust made their connection more intense, and the narrow slit of her entrance leaked fluids like a broken dam.
Considering her pregnancy, he avoided being too rough, opting for the slow, savoring pace she loved. Hae-soo couldn’t hold back, her fluids gushing out. Ho-beom rubbed her swollen clit gently, thrusting deeply.
“We’re making a mess here.”
Hae-soo, who had been weakly struggling while gripping the sheets, looked down at his words. Though the reference was vague, her body’s reaction showed she understood exactly what he meant. Unfortunately, her swollen belly blocked her view of where they were connected. But sometimes, touch alone was enough to paint the picture. Hae-soo imagined the lewd sight of their soaked genitals and swallowed hard.
“Whose fluids are these? Mine or yours?”
“I don’t know… uh….”
Ho-beom decided to check properly, spreading her labia with his fingers. Hae-soo let out a weak scream, kicking his arm, but he didn’t budge, continuing to thrust while openly observing her.
When the firm pillar of flesh pushed in, the coral-colored inner walls trembled in response. And when he pulled out the cock that had been buried deep inside, the flesh clung reluctantly before snapping back into place. During this, thin streams of arousal fluid trickled out.
“Is this your squirt?”
“Hng, uh….”
“You cry so pitifully every time my dick tries to slip out, begging me not to leave. How can I not fuck you when you’re this desperate?”
Honestly, even she could feel it so vividly that she couldn’t say anything. It had been a while since they had sex this intense, and perhaps because the dam of pent-up emotions had burst, every sexual stimulus felt more raw and primal.
Hae-soo hesitantly reached out and touched his chest. Ho-beom paused his thrusting for a moment, watching her hand. She dragged her nails lightly across his chest, as if pleading for something.
At that moment, Ho-beom’s lips twisted sharply.
He quickly climbed onto the bed and positioned himself behind Hae-soo. Grabbing one of her legs to keep it from falling, he began thrusting with a force unlike before.
“Ah, ah, uh, ahh…!”
The sensation of being pierced deep in her lower abdomen made Hae-soo grip the sheets as if she might tear them. The thick scent of sex filled the air. Ho-beom nibbled on her earlobe and jaw while ruthlessly pounding her. He thrust so hard that his cock slipped out a few times, but each time, he shoved it back in without hesitation.
Every time he hit the spot near her cervix, Hae-soo’s body twisted violently. The sheets beneath them were a mess. The sticky fluid dripped onto the sheets as he continued his relentless thrusting.
“Ah…! It hurts, it hurts! It hurts…!”
In the midst of the raw, unrestrained fucking, Hae-soo suddenly grabbed his arm, feeling a sharp twist somewhere inside her. Ho-beom, who had been thrusting like a wild stallion, finally came to his senses and stopped.
He sat up and quickly checked on her.
“Where does it hurt?”
“Uh, ugh….”
“Where does it hurt?”
His voice, tangled with concern, was filled with a tenderness Hae-soo had never heard before. Ho-beom pressed his lips to her cheek and placed his hand on her stomach, as if to check for himself.
“Ah, no. I think I just got startled….”
“Who… the baby?”
“Yes, yes.”
For a moment, Ho-beom felt his heart drop to the floor before it settled back into place. He buried his face in her hair, taking a deep breath.
Hae-soo turned her body toward the man behind her. He stared at her beautiful face, then pressed his lips to hers, sucking on her tongue. As he resumed his thrusting, Hae-soo turned her head back and let out shallow moans, her hips moving slightly in sync.
Perhaps still shaken by her sudden cry of pain, Ho-beom’s movements became cautious. The earlier intense thrusting that had sent sparks flying now felt distant, and her mouth went dry.
“It’s okay….”
“What?”
Hae-soo rubbed his arm with her fingertips and whispered in a tiny voice.
“It’s okay, so go faster. Like before.”
“…….”
“If it hurts, uh, I’ll tell you…!”
Then, she pressed her hips against his, grinding against him. Ho-beom’s mind went blank at the sight of her seductive movements.
He let out a faint laugh, and Hae-soo flinched at the sound. Before she could turn to look at him, Ho-beom grabbed her arm and pulled her on top of him.
“Ah…!”
Hae-soo’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden change in position. She was now lying on her back, her head resting on Ho-beom’s chest. The unexpected position left her flustered, followed by a wave of shame. This position meant he was bearing her full weight.
“Let, let me down… it’s heavy…!”
“Heavy, my ass.”
Ho-beom grabbed the back of her knees and began thrusting upward. The new angle made Hae-soo scream and nearly pass out. It felt different from before, hitting a spot inside her that sent shivers down her spine. Her body went limp, and her eyes glazed over.
“You said I needed to gain weight, right?”
“Ah, uh, hng, haah!”
“You’re so skinny, how are you going to give birth?”
Dismissing her concerns, Ho-beom continued to thrust into her from below. Hae-soo’s head fell back against his shoulder. He licked her earlobe and stared at the ceiling with sharp eyes.
“This should have been our bedroom.”
“Uh, ah, ahh… ah!”
“Then we could’ve seen everything in the mirror.”
“Hng, uh, uh, haah… deep, ah… ahh…!”
He clicked his tongue in regret. If this had been their bedroom, they would’ve been able to see everything clearly in the mirror.
Especially in this position, her exposed chest and the helplessness of her hole being relentlessly impaled against the pillar would have been fully revealed. Though not visible now, the countless times they had intertwined allowed her to vividly picture the scene in her mind, as if looking into a mirror.
“Ah, ah…! Hng, ugh…!”
Lee Ho-beom held Hae-soo steady to ensure she wouldn’t fall, wielding his weapon-like member with force. His cock, resembling a club, relentlessly plunged into the gap between her spread thighs, splitting her flesh and thrusting deep inside before pulling out again.
The raw friction caused moisture to occasionally splatter, and Hae-soo’s cheeks trembled uncontrollably. The repeated collisions between her buttocks and his pelvis were already drenched in fluid. The sticky wetness made the sounds of their coupling even more obscene.
“Well, it’s obvious even without looking. You’re probably sucking it in like a madwoman.”
“Ah, ngh!”
Thrust, thrust, thrust!
He began to pump his hips faster.
The sensation of his ridged shaft scraping against every inch of her vaginal walls forced Hae-soo to let out high, sharp moans, unable to close her mouth. Despite not being directly stimulated, her nipples stiffened and tingled madly. Every nerve in her body was on edge.
The sticky, relentless thrusting of his penis gradually built up until, with a final, forceful push, he buried himself to the hilt, balls-deep inside her.
“Hng…!”
The inner walls, pushed and stretched to their limit, convulsed frantically. After several thrusts to heighten the tension, he slammed into her one last time, and the tension that had built up to the top of Hae-soo’s head finally released. Her body melted under the overwhelming pleasure that pierced her brain.
Feeling the tight, clinging contractions of her inner walls around his swollen member, Lee Ho-beom turned Hae-soo’s head toward him.
The kiss was long. With their lips still locked, he skillfully shifted their positions.
“Hoo.”
While fondling his dark, swollen testicles like a toy ball, he endlessly spilled his sticky seed inside her.
Though her features were slack with exhaustion, the look in her eyes as she stared at their connected bodies was embarrassingly vulgar. Even though she was already his woman, there was a perverse desire to impregnate her endlessly.
As the climax subsided and his white fluid sloshed inside her, Lee Ho-beom shifted his hips and resumed thrusting. Suddenly, as she looked up at his face, there was no trace of fatigue. Instead, it seemed as if something he had been holding back had finally burst forth, his gleaming eyes revealing a flicker of carnal desire.
Hae-soo guessed that today’s sex would also be a long journey and swallowed hard.
---
No matter how much Lee Ho-beom held back, the difference in physical strength and build between them was undeniable, making it inevitably burdensome for Hae-soo. The proof lay in the muscle aches she felt all over her body the moment she woke up after briefly dozing off.
Lying sideways on the bed without even using a pillow, Hae-soo blinked drowsily. Yet, the soreness didn’t feel entirely unpleasant—perhaps because it reassured her that the issue she had been deeply preoccupied with for days was nothing more than her own needless worry.
Wrapped snugly in the rustling blanket, she lazily rolled around on the bed. Bright light seeped in through the windows on all sides. When she had clung to him and tangled their bodies together, the world had already sunk into darkness. That meant not just a few hours, but an entire day had passed.
Every now and then, a sensation spread deep inside her belly, like tiny bubbles popping one after another.
“Mm, okay,” she murmured.
Each time, she stroked her covered stomach soothingly, letting out soft, comforting sounds. She rubbed her palm around her navel and then tilted her head—only then noticing the man standing on the terrace, smoking a cigarette.
Lee Ho-beom was wearing only pants, his upper body bare.
Yet, with his entire torso nearly covered in inky-black tattoos, it was hard to even catch a glimpse of his bare skin, making it seem as if he were clothed despite being shirtless.
He loosely bit the burning cigarette between his lips, gazing idly into the air. His expression looked as lazy and indolent as hers, rolling around in bed. It was a look he only wore when he was thoroughly satisfied with sex.
Their eyes met.
Leaning against the railing, Ho-beom lazily locked eyes with her. His sharply defined jaw twitched slightly, and the scars vivid on his hollowed-out cheek became more pronounced as he exhaled a breath thick with smoke, clouding the air around him.
After indulging in his cigarette for a long while, he finally stubbed out the last remnants in an ashtray. Even then, he remained by the railing, making no move to come inside.
Given the relentless summer heat, the air outside, untouched by air conditioning, would be suffocatingly hot. Yet, stubborn as ever, he stood there in defiance. And Hae-soo knew why.
Ever since learning about her pregnancy, he had made a conscious effort to keep her away from cigarette smoke. This habit was something he had developed only after she became pregnant.
As he waited for the smoke to dissipate, he never once looked away. Neither did she.
Their eye contact was intense. Despite the distance between them and the transparent glass barrier separating them, Hae-soo felt as though they were sharing a deep, lingering kiss.
“Shit, it’s like a damn steam room out there.”
After almost thirty minutes outside, he finally came in, his skin glistening with beads of sweat. His slow steps carried him not to the bed, but straight to the bathroom. Soon after, the sound of water cascading from the showerhead filled the room.
While he washed up, Hae-soo remained wrapped in the blanket, her pale foot peeking out as she idly wiggled her toes.
Eventually, Ho-beom emerged, his wet black hair dripping as he approached the bedside. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he slipped his fingers through the strands of her shoulder-length hair, letting them tangle like vines between his long fingers. Despite his rugged appearance, his touch was unexpectedly gentle.
Hae-soo remained still, enjoying the sensation of him stroking her hair.
“You look like a damn caterpillar.”
He chuckled, watching her all wrapped up in the blanket.
Tilting her head on his broad thigh, she looked up at him. Her gaze traced the dark tattoos covering his body before landing on the scar running along the corner of his lips.
‘Did you see his body? All those tattoos?’
‘He got them all while he was boxing. It’s part of that scene’s culture. Every time you win, big or small, you get inked.’
A voice from her memory played in her head.
It was the voice of someone who might have known him better than she did—Kang Mukhyun.
‘Judging by your face, you didn’t know? Before getting into this world, Lee Ho-beom was on a semi-pro boxing team.’
‘The management above his team included my half-brother, and that bastard was obsessed with combat sports. He held illegal betting tournaments regularly—both for profit and for his own amusement.’
‘Anyone with some skill in that world had to participate, no exceptions. Lee Ho-beom was one of them.’
‘You think that was a good thing? Getting beat up every day, knowing you could die any time? That scar on his lip? He got that back then.’
‘Then, by luck, my half-brother took a liking to him and acknowledged his talent, recruiting him into the organization. Basically, he was scouted. Before that, he wasn’t treated like a person in the semi-pro world. More like… a fighting dog. Yeah, that’s about right. He was treated like a fucking dog in those rings. It wasn’t until he came under Kang Sanjo that he started living like a human being.’
‘And Ho-beom turned his back on all that. Because he didn’t want you to be in danger.’
It felt strangely unsettling, as if she had just glimpsed the hidden side of the moon—something she was never meant to see.
She wanted to ask him something, but the words wouldn’t come easily. Asking if he regretted it felt wrong, and offering comfort over something long past seemed misplaced.
After some thought, Hae-soo decided to say nothing. If he didn’t bring it up himself, it was probably something he’d rather leave unspoken. Now that the atmosphere between them had finally softened, she didn’t want to ruin it.
She quietly lowered her gaze.
For a moment, she simply enjoyed the cool air. Then, suddenly, she felt thirsty and fumbled to sit up. The blanket was wrapped so tightly around her that no matter how much she flailed her arms, it wouldn’t loosen. After struggling for a while, Ho-beom scooped her up and lightly set her on his lap.
“What now?”
Despite the affectionate gesture, his tone was characteristically curt.
By now, she was used to his personality, so she simply stated her request without fuss.
“I’m thirsty.”
He reached for the water bottle on the bedside table and handed it to her.
As she gulped down half the bottle, he absentmindedly ran his hand over her stomach, now hidden beneath the blankets.
When she finished drinking, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand and glanced around.
Ho-beom tapped her cheek with his finger, wordlessly signaling that if she needed anything, she should just ask him.
“My shirt. Where is it?”
“Shirt?”
He pointed somewhere with a puzzled expression. It was a small chair set up next to the bed. The shirt he had worn was draped over it.
There was no need to bother getting up to check. The collar of the shirt was completely flipped inside out. Since it was a crisp white color, there was no need to scrutinize it to look for lipstick marks. Just like the previous days, there were none of those inappropriate traces.
Even so, for some reason, her heart clenched tightly.
Hae-soo placed both hands on his shoulders and rubbed her nose against his pronounced Adam’s apple and nape.
“You still seduce me even after getting marked up like that...”
Lee Ho-beom chuckled, stroking the back of Hae-soo’s head as if to say she could sniff all she wanted. His touch was filled with ease. Hae-soo thought, maybe he already knew why she was acting like this.
As she lifted her head with that suspicion, Lee Ho-beom spoke right on cue.
“I remembered something while I was smoking.”
“...?”
“There was a time when my shirt got dirty, so before coming home, I borrowed one from Woo Hyun-oh...”
Lee Ho-beom paused there and took the water bottle Hae-soo had set down, lightly wetting his throat. For some reason, Hae-soo felt antsy, so she slapped his chest, urging him to continue. He pressed his lips together briefly, his dark brows twitching.
“That bastard is quite the club rat, you know.”
A club rat?
So, that lipstick mark from before—it wasn’t Lee Ho-beom’s doing?
Lee Ho-beom, noticing the skepticism in Hae-soo’s narrowed gaze, swept the back of his hand up her cheek.
That day, there had been a lot of blood at the scene he had visited. Normally, he wore black shirts on such days, but that day, plans had changed abruptly, leaving him unprepared.
He disliked getting blood on his hands, and ever since Hae-soo got pregnant, he had been even more particular about keeping himself clean. Coming home in a blood-soaked shirt was out of the question.
“Hey, give me your shirt.”
“Huh? Hyung?”
“Let’s swap.”
Given his broad frame, buying a new shirt on the spot wasn’t an easy option. Woo Hyun-oh, who had a similar build and happened to be right there, had a clean shirt, making him a convenient choice. The lipstick stain and traces of perfume Hae-soo had found were just unfortunate accidents from that exchange.
His explanation made sense. After all, Hae-soo had only discovered the lipstick mark on that one particular day.
Still, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling... because her recent encounter with Kang Mook-hyun had stirred up a memory she had forgotten.
“Who was that woman...?”
“Who?”
Despite the sudden interrogation, Lee Ho-beom only smiled, amused.
“The one on the boat with you before.”
“The boat? What boat?”
Lee Ho-beom, who had been nibbling on Hae-soo’s cheek, tilted his head as if he couldn’t recall. For Hae-soo as well, it wasn’t the clearest memory. It had been a long time ago, and she would rather forget certain people from back then.
Still, there was one vivid fragment that refused to fade.
A seductive, provocative red dress. Pale arms wrapped around Lee Ho-beom’s. Lipstick red as blood. A woman leaning close, whispering something secretively in his ear...
“The cruise party… There was a woman linking arms with you.”
Now that she had said that much, Lee Ho-beom finally seemed to catch on.
“Oh, you mean Madam Jang?”
“Madam?”
“Yeah, she’s a business partner. That day, Kang Mook-hyun set me up with her since I didn’t bring a date.”
“But you two were stuck together, whispering to each other...”
“She does that with any guy who has a dick. That’s literally her job.”
Unlike Hae-soo, who had been losing her mind over this all day, Lee Ho-beom responded to each point calmly, as if it were nothing. Seeing him so composed made her tension suddenly melt away.
Only then did Hae-soo realize something else.
She had always thought of love as something fluid and unpredictable, something that could change direction at any time.
But with Lee Ho-beom… she had hoped it would be different.
That it wouldn’t waver.
As soon as she faced her own feelings, something welled up from the pit of her stomach. Hae-soo looked like she was about to burst into tears as she smacked his chest.
“Don’t meet other women.”
Even as she said it herself, the words felt unbelievable.
“Don’t make me misunderstand.”
Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined that a day would come when she would say something like this to Lee Ho-beom. Not even the slightest bit.
And yet, as the tight tension that had kept her heart curled up in anxiety slowly unraveled, she couldn’t stop the tears from welling up.
Lee Ho-beom didn’t say anything in response—he only gazed at Hae-soo quietly. Just moments ago, he had been answering her questions so easily, so why was he acting like this now? His silence, still and dense like rising fog, only fueled her unease.
Through her tear-streaked vision, Hae-soo fixed her eyes on him and gave his chest another light thump.
“You understand, right?”
She tightened her jaw slightly, but the response she wanted still didn’t come.
“Why aren’t you answering…? Answer me already.”
“……”
“Answer me, Lee Ho-beom…!”
Even as she grabbed his shoulders and shook him, even as she clenched her fists and pounded against his chest, he remained frozen in place. He only stared at her quietly, his eyes dark as ripe berries, watching her tearful face.
And for some reason, that felt unbearably cruel.
Like a parched traveler desperately digging for water in a dried-up riverbed, she kept urging him. In the end, she even tilted her head and pressed her lips against his, murmuring, “Hmm?” as if demanding an answer that way. A needy, desperate sound echoed softly between their lips.
“Ah…!”
It was only a moment later that Lee Ho-beom finally reacted.
Hae-soo’s eyes widened in shock as she was suddenly pushed back. Thankfully, they were on the bed, so even a rough fall wouldn’t hurt. But the blankets wrapped around her tangled and twisted, nearly ripping apart, making her tongue momentarily freeze in place.
“Who exactly are you trying to kill right now…?”
His voice, sharp as grinding teeth, fell down from above. When he grabbed her by the ankle, spreading her legs apart, Hae-soo let out a startled gasp. She could feel something large and solid press against her skin, rubbing against her with undeniable intent.
Lee Ho-beom seemed as if he were about to lose all reason and thrust into her right then and there. But when he caught sight of Hae-soo’s tear-streaked face, drenched in raw emotion, he clicked his tongue in frustration.
“I get it, so stop crying already. Shit, look at your swollen eyes.”
His large hands moved gently over her cheeks and the corners of her eyes, wiping away her tears without hurting her. His touch was clumsy yet warm, like someone awkwardly soothing a crying child.
“You’ve been whining over nonsense since yesterday.”
Nonsense.
That exasperated remark struck Hae-soo with a sharp clarity, more than any certainty she had tried to grasp herself. The trembling of her pupils settled slightly, regaining focus. Even as she hiccupped faintly, the lingering aftershocks of her emotions still present, she cast him a playful yet accusing glare.
Then, stretching out both arms, she said, “Hug me.”
“…Seriously.”
Lee Ho-beom let out an incredulous sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. But despite his reaction, he immediately leaned down toward her. Though his voice carried a hint of reprimand, his actions told a different story. He willingly surrendered himself to her embrace, his broad frame folding into her slender arms.
“Say it again.”
“……”
“Hmm? Tell me again not to see other women.”
Hae-soo, now pressed close against him, whispered something softly into his ear—her voice so small, it was like a secret meant only for him. But whatever she said, it must have come through loud and clear. Almost at the same moment, a deep, hearty laugh burst from Lee Ho-beom.
His laughter, rich and warm, sent a low vibration through Hae-soo’s chest like a rolling tide. And like an echoing ripple, that sound wrapped around them, resonating gently in the quiet afternoon of a late summer that was slowly coming to an end.
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