TATMFL - 51

“Ugh...”

A hoarse, broken voice reverberated through the room.

Her brow furrowed momentarily, and soon her unfocused pupils came into view. The surroundings were pitch black.

Her lips were dry and cracked. Through the small gap between them, shallow breaths escaped in thin streams. It was an unpleasant sensation akin to having a fever from a cold or flu. Without even looking, she knew her lips would be chapped and peeling.

Lying on her side, her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness as she scanned the familiar space. The blackout curtains, which were usually loosely drawn, were now tightly shut, not letting in even a sliver of light. Ra-on slowly blinked and then opened her eyes again.

As she wiggled her fingers, attempting to move her body, a heavy weight settled around her waist. Startled by the unexpected pressure, she flinched, and a deeply drowsy voice growled behind her, pulling her closer.

“Sleep a little longer.”

The moment she recognized the owner of that voice, Ra-on’s eyes shot wide open. As memories of the previous night flooded back, her face stiffened with discomfort.

Whipping her head around so fast it created a gust of wind, she found Do-kyung staring at her from close range. He looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept a wink. His arm, still wrapped around her waist, had relaxed, seemingly content to let her stay unless she tried to escape.

“Uh...!”

A sharp pang of pain shot through her lower back, and Ra-on groaned. Even after spending several nights with Do-kyung—and even during their first time together—she had never felt such aching soreness. Her pupils quivered with bewilderment.

Do-kyung, propped up on one arm and gazing down at her, confessed.

“I’m sorry. My rut came.”

He went on to explain how busy he’d been with various matters over the past few days, failing to calculate that his rut cycle was approaching.

The guilt carried in his apologetic tone, combined with his sullen, downturned brows, caused Ra-on to frown instead of hurling the angry words she had initially intended.

At that moment, the warmth of a hand resting on her abdomen made her instinctively recoil and push Do-kyung away.

Slap! A sharp friction sound filled the room. Their labored breathing sliced through the silence, further widening the gap between them.

...

Do-kyung silently stared at his pushed-away hand before clenching it into a fist.

Ra-on, startled, glanced at the hand she had swatted away and then muttered under her breath as she averted her gaze.

“Rut...”

Once the word left her lips, everything about Do-kyung’s strange behavior from the previous night suddenly made sense. She sneered.

It wasn’t just omegas who became reckless and depraved during their heats. Alphas in rut were no different—blind to anything but their instincts. Yet people seemed oblivious to this fact.

There was no mistaking why Do-kyung, deep in rut, had come to her. Bound to him by contract, she was the perfect, noiseless solution for him to ride out his rut.

Ra-on sat up, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Thinking that even being struck by lightning on a rainy day wouldn’t hurt this much, she met Do-kyung’s gaze head-on.

“Are you conscienceless, or just shameless?”

Still half-raised and lying on his side, Do-kyung’s lips tightened at her biting remark.

Watching him, Ra-on clenched the clothes she didn’t remember putting on.

“Hye-sung hasn’t offered any excuses or explanations for his actions, yet you’ve been diligently satisfying your desires—even on weekdays, not weekends.”

As she spoke, her own pitiful situation dawned on her anew. In every sense, she was nothing more than Han Do-kyung’s personal courtesan.

“Hmph.”

Ra-on exhaled softly and licked her lips. But despite the moisture, her lips quickly dried out again, becoming rough and cracked. She bit down hard on them, grinding them between her teeth.

Did Han Do-kyung love her?

“What a joke.”

She had heard that some people confuse lust for love. It seemed Do-kyung was one of those people.

Right. There was no way Han Do-kyung acted out of pure affection.

For a fleeting moment, her chest tightened painfully, but Ra-on ignored it, curling one corner of her mouth into a bitter smile.

Throughout all this, Do-kyung remained silent, simply watching her with quiet concern—or so it seemed. If there was worry in his eyes, it was probably just her imagination.

Leaning her gaze slightly, Ra-on looked down at the rumpled blanket, muttering in a tone laced with self-mockery and resignation.

“Well, whatever. From the start, that’s what our contract was about, wasn’t it? Whenever you want me.”

Ra-on paused briefly to catch her breath. Meanwhile, Do-kyung, who had been silent as if his lips were sealed, finally parted them.

“Ra—”

But Ra-on cut him off.

“Spreading my legs.”

After taking a deep breath, she added,

“So, even though it’s not the promised weekend, what can I do? I exist to be used when you’re desperate, when you need me. So use me.”

At that moment, Do-kyung stared at her with an expression of vague dissatisfaction.

But Ra-on, her eyes devoid of emotion, met his gaze and continued.

“As for Hye-sung’s work, yes, I understand. You’re only human, so mistakes happen. It’s regrettable, but...”

Ra-on sighed as she finished her sentence.

“But I hope you never barge in unannounced like last night again. While I’ll concede that this time, the special circumstances of your rut made it unavoidable, it’s still difficult. Being with you on weekdays is tough.”

With a truly exhausted look, Ra-on turned her head and suddenly noticed the clock hanging on the wall.

Blinking, she checked the time.

“...?”

11:00. If her memory served her right, it had been just shy of midnight when Do-kyung arrived.

There was no way the clock could have rewound.

Which meant... a whole day had passed.

Realizing this, Ra-on’s face paled instantly.

Biting her lip hard, she turned to Do-kyung with sudden urgency.

“Hye-sung. Did Hye-sung come home last night?”

Unless Hye-sung had left the house, declaring he couldn’t live there anymore, he would have returned home after finishing his work last night.

Her pupils trembled uncontrollably as they shifted from Do-kyung to the firmly closed door.

...Surely, surely he didn’t see anything.

Vivid fragments of the previous night flooded Ra-on’s mind.

She had been crying. Despite saying no, she had completely forgotten about Hye-sung, lost in the pleasure Do-kyung gave her. And worse, she had moaned loudly, clinging to Do-kyung without restraint.

It wasn’t just Do-kyung who had lost himself in rut-induced lust; she had been no better, behaving like a mindless beast.

Ra-on covered her face with trembling hands, curling her back into a tight ball.

“M-, I’m losing it, Yoo Ra-on.”

Her panicked breathing revealed the full extent of her fear.

Just then—

“Hmph.”

A weary sigh accompanied a dismissive mutter.

“Damn, that fucking Jihyung, Jihyung. Is it even possible for someone’s name to be this annoying? Right?”

Do-kyung’s irritated tone made Ra-on’s shoulders twitch involuntarily.

Slowly lowering her hands from her face, she looked up at him. His bloodshot eyes glared at her, radiating menace as if he were ready to explode.

“Why.”

“...”

“Do you wonder how Jihyung reacted when he saw us rolling around together, Ra-on?”

Do-kyung smirked, recalling how Jihyung had stood trembling pathetically at the entrance the previous night.

“What do you think he did?”

“What...?”

“When Jihyung opened the door and saw my cock buried inside you. What reaction do you think he had?”

“…!”

Looking down at her wide-eyed expression, Do-kyung stroked her chin before gripping it tightly.

“While reeking of omega pheromones and getting hard just thinking about it. What do you think that bastard did, Ra-on?”

Do-kyung scanned her face, now accustomed to the dim light. Her lips were parted slightly, trembling faintly. Her tear-filled pupils had lost all focus.

“Damn.”

Seeing Ra-on’s shattered expression, Do-kyung cursed inwardly, biting his tongue until the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

He hadn’t intended to say so much. But when Ra-on mentioned Jihyung’s name and her face reflected regret over their night together, something inside him twisted painfully. He felt furious, utterly disgusted—as if he’d been thrown into filth.

And so, no gentle words came out.

Do-kyung rubbed her chin gently, lowering his voice to a whisper only she could hear. Mockingly, he breathed into her ear,

“But do you still want to know, Ra-on?”

Ra-on’s despair-filled eyes squeezed shut tightly.