CEB - 23

23. The Ironic Temptation of Dan-jung

The moment Min-hyuk emerged from the shower, Dan-jung’s efforts vanished like bubbles. His hair, still damp and glistening, and the bare skin visible through the opening of his shower gown, were more than enough to accentuate Min-hyuk’s sexiness.

“Huh! What? Why is he so sexy?” As Dan-jung’s face flushed crimson, Min-hyuk strode toward her.

Thump, thump, thump.

The closer he got, the more Dan-jung’s heart pounded like a stormy sea. “Wh-why?” Dan-jung stammered, clenching her fists tightly on the sofa. She was about to say that if he wanted to be intimate with her, she would gladly oblige.

“Aren’t you going to shower?”

However, Min-hyuk’s words were far from what Dan-jung had imagined. “Oh, no. I should. But I don’t have any clothes to change into...” Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, Dan-jung made an excuse to hide her shameful thoughts. But it was true that she felt awkward wearing only a shower gown like Min-hyuk, and sleeping in her street clothes was uncomfortable.

“Then, I have some spare clothes. Would you like to wear those?”

Min-hyuk often worked late and used the hotel suite as his personal space. So, his closet always had extra clothes. “Ah, yes, please.” “Just a moment.” Min-hyuk went to the closet to see if there was anything Dan-jung could wear. There were several suits, dress shirts, casual clothes, and pajamas. Min-hyuk decided to wear casual clothes and handed Dan-jung pajamas to sleep comfortably. “They might be a little big.” “It’s okay.” It’s better than sleeping in a shower gown, right? Dan-jung gave a forced smile and headed to the shower.

“...”

Min-hyuk watched Dan-jung enter the shower and began changing into comfortable clothes. Just as Min-hyuk put on his top, the sound of the shower water from Dan-jung’s shower filled the room. 

Thump, thump. 

Min-hyuk’s heart suddenly started pounding, and he felt strange. Was it just because he liked Dan-jung, or was it something else to feel so intensely aroused? Min-hyuk honestly wanted to run into the shower and hold Dan-jung, who was naked, right then and there. “How pathetic.” After changing, Min-hyuk strode over and opened the window. He tried to avoid useless thoughts by enjoying the cool breeze. 

“Phew...” But he couldn’t help but sigh. In fact, Min-hyuk was not used to being so aroused.

Of course, he wasn’t someone without any sexual desire, as he had told Dan-jung. During his adolescence, Kang-hyun showed him explicit videos, and Min-hyuk would relieve himself by imagining being intimate with the women in those videos. But Min-hyuk thought of himself as pathetic and overcame his urges by exercising and studying. 

As he continued this lifestyle and grew into an adult, Min-hyuk became indifferent to women and was too busy to feel any sexual desire. And it was the same when he dated Hye-mi. Hye-mi was intelligent and sophisticated, but he felt nothing for her. Of course, it wasn’t that Hye-mi didn’t try to seduce him. 

Hye-mi initiated the first kiss after drinking. Even though they kissed, it was a mere obligation, devoid of any sexual desire. But now... he was helpless in front of Dan-jung. The way he got excited imagining holding Dan-jung alone was like a beast driven by instinct. 

Could this be what people call love? But it was just lust. Min-hyuk’s head began to throb again as he pondered. This chronic headache always appeared whenever he thought about emotions he didn’t understand. 

‘I’ll ask later.’ Min-hyuk stopped thinking about the headache-inducing problem. He didn’t want to feel unnecessary pain when he had a friend who knew him better than he knew himself.

________________________________________

After showering, Dan-jung tried on the pajamas Min-hyuk had given her. As expected, she was troubled by the overly long pants. 

“This is like a comedy.” Dan-jung tried to roll up the pants, but they kept slipping down because of the smooth silk material. Moreover, the top was too loose, revealing her underwear with the slightest movement. Still, it was better than sleeping in a shower gown... 

After much deliberation, Dan-jung decided to wear the top as a mini-dress and forgo the pants. Wearing the pants would look ridiculous, so she closed her eyes and went with her decision. 

And she also wanted to look a bit sexy for Min-hyuk. Ironically, after declaring a hundred-day no-sex period, Dan-jung wanted to seduce him. This was purely due to the insecurity Hye-mi, his ex-girlfriend, had instilled. A woman with better specs and looks than herself. 

That woman told her to break up with Min-hyuk, and she wouldn’t give up. Dan-jung was anxious, haunted by Hye-mi’s intense gaze, determined to win Min-hyuk back. Why did they break up... and why now? 

Dan-jung thought of Hye-mi and reaffirmed her resolve. She would never let go of Min-hyuk, who was sexy, handsome, intelligent, and rich. To do that, she had to seduce him.

________________________________________

“Noona, we’re here.” Arriving at his apartment, Si-woo tried to wake Hye-mi, who was asleep, but she was deeply unconscious from alcohol. 

Si-woo stared at Hye-mi for a long time, his eyes filled with a complex mix of hatred, admiration, and love. The only reason Hye-mi, usually so neat and proper, was falling apart like this was Lee Min-hyuk. That man. 

“The foolish woman hasn’t changed. But I’ve changed a lot.” Si-woo remembered the first time he met Hye-mi. He met her at Min-hyuk’s house while running an errand for his adoptive father, Seong-ho. Hye-mi, who was fragrant like a flower and dazzling like the sun, smiled brightly in front of others but had a sad face when alone. 

He knew why, even though she didn’t say it. Hye-mi’s gaze was always on Min-hyuk, but Min-hyuk never looked at her. 

[If it were me, I would love you passionately.] 

Perhaps because she had been lonely for so long, Hye-mi easily fell for Si-woo’s words, even though he was younger and insignificant. But Hye-mi kissed Si-woo first. He wouldn’t dare to kiss her first. 

Si-woo couldn’t hold back any longer, and they spent hot days exploring each other’s bodies. Then, shamelessly, Hye-mi went back to Min-hyuk. But they eventually broke up, and Hye-mi, whom he believed would return to him, went to France for study abroad without a word. 

Si-woo spent miserable days like a recluse, feeling betrayed. And his adoptive father, Seong-ho, looked down on him. But at his stepmother’s request, Seong-ho gave his stepson one last chance, and that’s how Si-woo ended up working under Min-hyuk. And there, Si-woo met Dan-jung. 

Unlike Hye-mi, she easily met and broke up with men, and then met another man. A really easy woman. At first, Si-woo liked Dan-jung because she was different from Hye-mi. He liked that she wasn’t as high-maintenance as Hye-mi, and he liked that she didn’t love just one man. 

But now, Dan-jung said she wanted to climb to the top and love only one man. And she even wanted to be Lee Min-hyuk’s woman!

“If I took it once, why can’t I take it twice?” Si-woo had hit rock bottom. Now he had nowhere else to fall, and he was sick of living at the bottom. Si-woo, burning with the desire to climb up, looked at Hye-mi sleeping beside him. She seemed like a good stepping stone to realize his ambition.

________________________________________

“Um... the pants are too long, so I can’t wear them.” Dan-jung, who came out of the shower, showed Min-hyuk the pajama pants. 

“Ah.” Min-hyuk’s eyes widened slightly when he saw Dan-jung wearing only the top. His gaze involuntarily went to Dan-jung’s smooth legs, and her soft, white skin was enough to arouse the urge to touch her. 

But after being rejected by Dan-jung earlier, Min-hyuk couldn’t bring himself to seduce her again. 

“Let’s sleep now.” Min-hyuk, suppressing his desire to touch and kiss her, hung the pants Dan-jung gave him on the sofa and headed to the bed. 

‘Huh. Does he want to sleep together in the bed?’ Dan-jung hesitated, fiddling with her fingers, and Min-hyuk, who was about to lie down, looked at her. She wasn’t used to acting on her seduction plan. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll restrain myself for a hundred days.” Min-hyuk dimmed the lights and patted the invitingly soft bed, urging her to come quickly. 

‘Ah... what should I do?’ Dan-jung was suspicious of Min-hyuk’s intense gaze, but she was too tired to resist the allure of the soft bed. Besides, she had come out in this outfit to seduce him, so she decided to just go for it. 

“Then, excuse me.” Dan-jung lifted the blanket and slipped inside. The softness of the bed was beyond her expectations. The comfort she hadn’t felt during the day, when she was busy, lulled her to sleep. After eating so much when she was exhausted, she felt like she would have no regrets if she could just sleep soundly. Min-hyuk seemed to think the same, as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep as well. 

“Good night.” 

“Dan-jung, you sleep well too.” Dan-jung murmured to herself, and Min-hyuk’s soft voice came from right beside her. Thump, thump. Dan-jung’s heart started pounding at the sound of his gentle voice. She had been the one trying to seduce him... 

The quiet suite was filled with the sound of Dan-jung’s heartbeat. Feeling embarrassed by the sound of her own heart, Dan-jung turned her head slightly to see if Min-hyuk was asleep. But Min-hyuk, who had already opened his eyes, was lying on his side, looking at her.

“Can’t you sleep?” Min-hyuk’s voice made Dan-jung’s heart pound strangely. 

“No, I think I’m nervous. Aren’t you tired, sir?” 

“I am tired. But... I think I’m nervous.” Min-hyuk kept his promise and didn’t touch or kiss Dan-jung. He just stared at her intently. 

“...” 

“...” 

Dan-jung, avoiding his intense gaze, looked up at the ceiling and lay on her back. Then, Min-hyuk, feeling regretful, broke the silence. “Isn’t this cheating?” 

“Huh?” Dan-jung turned her head to look at Min-hyuk again. “Asking me to restrain myself when you’re dressed like that.” Min-hyuk’s seductive gaze pierced Dan-jung’s heart.