SELA - 45

Sa-hee, who had stiffened for a moment, slowly moved closer to Ji-hyuk. She leaned in, bringing her ear close to him as he looked at her, as if telling her to come closer. Then, Ji-hyuk whispered quietly to Sa-hee.

“I want to lay you down right here and pound you until your hole is raw.”

“You’re crazy...!”

Sa-hee pushed Ji-hyuk’s shoulder and stepped back. Looking down at him with a face that had turned red in an instant, Ji-hyuk looked back at her with an indifferent, emotionless face.

“I’ve been in heat all night, because you weren’t there.”

Even though they were alone, Sa-hee, afraid someone might hear, covered Ji-hyuk’s mouth.

“...”

“...”

Thanks to that, they were close enough to hear each other’s breathing. Ji-hyuk’s eyes, looking up at her with his mouth covered, were so deeply turbulent that Sa-hee quickly pulled her hand away, as if she had been burned.

“You said you’d have tea and come right back, but you got drunk and didn’t even contact me. That’s too much, don’t you think?”

“Please, just... I’m sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose. I only meant to have one drink, but it turned out like that... I’ll keep my promises in the future, so please don’t do this.”

Ji-hyuk raised one eyebrow, seemingly dissatisfied with Sa-hee’s pleading tone.

“Don’t do what? I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Ji-hyuk.”

“You only call me by my name at times like this, when you always call me Director.”

“What can I do to make you feel better? Tell me, anything.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

“Don’t say things you can’t handle.”

Ji-hyuk got up from his seat and stood very close to Sa-hee. Sa-hee, taken aback, just blinked. After a moment of silence, Ji-hyuk, noticing Sa-hee’s tension, wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. It was a very short and simple kiss.

“We have to go to the meeting, Secretary Yoon.”

“Yes.”

His relaxed movement of putting on his jacket showed that his anger had subsided.

“Tie.”

“Just a moment.”

Sa-hee, answering, left the office to get the tie she had prepared and returned. Bringing two ties at once, she compared them against his chest and chose the one that looked better.

“We’ll keep the punishment for later.”

“Okay.”

Sa-hee, tying the tie for Ji-hyuk, who was bowing his head, moved her hands skillfully to make a knot. Ji-hyuk looked down at Sa-hee’s eyes, nose, and lips in turn. Only their breaths quietly passed between them.

“All done.”

“Let’s go.”

Ji-hyuk, whispering in a low voice, suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked Sa-hee’s cheek. After leaving behind only a warm sensation, Ji-hyuk took the lead as if nothing had happened.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Huh? Yes, I’m coming.”

He was back to his indifferent expression. Sa-hee, who had paused, followed him, touching her cheek, which still retained his warmth.

Bright morning light poured into the empty office where they had left, scattering across the room.

________________________________________

On a rare holiday afternoon, Ji-hyuk and Sa-hee were sitting on the living room sofa, pressing the remote control buttons, trying to decide what to watch.

“Have you seen this movie?”

“No.”

“Then let’s watch this together.”

“Okay.”

“No, let’s just watch this one.”

“Sure.”

Sa-hee glared at Ji-hyuk’s answer.

“Why are you watching like that?”

“You’ve been saying everything is fine since earlier. Are you not really interested?”

“You caught me.”

“Oh, come on. Let go of this.”

Sa-hee, who had freed herself from his arms, which were hugging her from behind, turned around to face Ji-hyuk.

“Why aren’t you interested? Don’t you want to watch a movie?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to watch a movie, it’s that I just want to look at you.”

Unlike Ji-hyuk, who spoke so brazenly with an emotionless face, Sa-hee’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“You’re so cheesy. It’s shocking.”

“You’d be even more shocked if I said all I want to do is kiss and touch you, no matter what we’re doing.”

As he said, Sa-hee’s mouth opened wider. Was Ji-hyuk always like this? Even when they were alone, he showed a playful side that wasn’t visible in front of others, but he wasn’t this shameless.

“Let’s just watch the movie.”

“Okay, put it on. Come here.”

“Wait a minute. I’ll get something to eat. How about some crackers and wine?”

“As I said, no matter what we’re doing, I want to kiss and touch...”

“Okay, I’ll get it myself.”

Sa-hee wriggled out of Ji-hyuk’s arms and hurriedly disappeared into the kitchen. Ji-hyuk, watching her back, chuckled. He still felt the pleasant scent and warmth of Sa-hee on his body.

While Sa-hee prepared the wine and crackers, Ji-hyuk waited for her, roughly pushing aside the scattered blanket and cushions.

Just then, the screen of Sa-hee’s phone on the table lit up. Ji-hyuk sank into the sofa and ignored it. But then the phone screen lit up again, and again, and again... it repeated several times.

Ji-hyuk, running his fingers through his hair, finally got up and reached out. The phone screen he picked up had a series of messages.

[Teacher] [Sa-hee Teacher] [I miss you] [When will we see each other again?] [Should I come over?]

This bastard. Who was it? Ji-hyuk, looking down at the screen expressionlessly, opened the message and replied.

[You’ll never see her again. Get lost.]

As soon as he pressed the send button, the message was sent to the other person. After confirming it, Ji-hyuk placed the phone on the table with a thud and leaned back on the sofa.

“I don’t know much about wine, so I just grabbed whatever was there.”

“Good job.”

“All the wine here is good anyway, right?”

“You know that well.”

The two of them smiled at each other as their eyes met. Sa-hee placed the tray on the table and poured wine into the glasses. Then, she sat down next to Ji-hyuk. Ji-hyuk naturally pulled Sa-hee into his arms and picked up a glass.

Ji-hyuk, swirling the glass lightly to enhance the aroma, tucked Sa-hee’s hair behind her ear, as if remembering something. Then, he brought the wine glass, which he was about to drink from, to Sa-hee’s lips. Sa-hee, who had been focused on the TV screen, flinched at the sudden touch of the glass and turned to look at him.

“Ladies first.”

The deep, low voice made her body vibrate where it touched him. After looking at Ji-hyuk for a moment, Sa-hee slowly turned her head forward again. Ji-hyuk, understanding it as an okay sign, tilted the glass. The dark red liquid seeped through her slightly parted lips. The sweet taste, combined with the fruity aroma, and the lingering bitter scent, enveloped her sense of smell and taste in an instant.

“How is it? Pass?”

“Pass.”

Ji-hyuk wiped the wine from Sa-hee’s lips with his thumb and licked it, then drank the rest in one gulp. Sa-hee, who had been quietly watching him, filled the empty glass and said a word.

“We’ll be drunk before the movie even starts.”

“Yeah. I’ll drink slowly from now on.”

“No, give it to me first.”

“Since when do you take back what you’ve given?”

“I’ll give it back when you focus on the movie.”

Sa-hee, who had taken the glass from Ji-hyuk’s hand, wrapped his arm around her waist. Then, she settled beside him and turned on the movie.

Ji-hyuk, who had been quietly watching Sa-hee’s actions, smiled, raising the corners of his lips. She was cute when he looked at her. What was the big deal about watching a movie casually?

Ji-hyuk, who had pressed the light-blocking button to draw the blackout curtains, looked at only the back of Sa-hee’s head and the side of her face in the darkened space. Her eyes, nose, cheekbones, and small ears, which were faintly visible, were all to his liking. Ji-hyuk, who had been quietly looking at them, tightened his arm around her and pulled Sa-hee closer to him. Sa-hee, who had been pulled in abruptly, looked at Ji-hyuk, bewildered.

“Focus on the movie.”

“Okay.”

“Do you really mean it?”

“Yeah, I mean it.”

Sa-hee glared at him and slapped Ji-hyuk’s hand, then turned her eyes to the screen. Ji-hyuk, regardless, moistened his lips. He thought about putting her small earlobe or the inside of her mouth in his mouth and rolling it around.

Loud music started to play, and then the opening credits rolled, and the screen darkened. Thanks to that, the living room became quite dark.

Ji-hyuk twisted Sa-hee’s hair and touched her neck and shoulders.

“Don’t.”

“...”

“I said don’t.”

“...”

“I said don’t, okay? If you keep doing that, I’ll go to the room.”

“Which room? The bedroom? I’d like that.”

“Seriously! Do you only meet me to touch me?”

“Of course, that’s one reason, but it’s not the only one. What are you saying? You’re making me feel bad.”

Sa-hee, who had been watching Ji-hyuk, who was shamelessly retorting with an indifferent face, finally slapped him several times. But his hand, which kept touching her, seemed amazing, as he didn’t budge.

“This is a movie I really wanted to see. I wanted to see it with someone I like. That’s why I’m watching it with you, but you...”

“Oh, if that’s the case, you should have said so earlier.”

Ji-hyuk took his hand away, which had been touching her, and sat up straight. His indifferent face disappeared, and he returned to his usual sharp-eyed self.

“I’m ready. I’ll watch it carefully.”

Whether he was sincere or not, Ji-hyuk stopped touching her and focused his gaze on the screen. Of course, he didn’t let go of the arm around Sa-hee.

To watch the 10 minutes of the beginning they had missed while bickering, they started the movie again from the beginning. The grand music, which had become familiar, played, and the opening credits rolled. Ji-hyuk and Sa-hee gradually became immersed in the screen in front of them.