SELA - 48

“Let’s go home now. I want to shower.”

“You’re in a hurry. Let’s rest a bit more.”

“Say that after you take your hand off my butt.”

“Caught me.”

With an indifferent, emotionless face, Ji-hyuk’s hand was busy fiddling with Sa-hee’s lower area. Sa-hee, exhausted both physically and mentally, simply slumped onto Ji-hyuk.

Inside his warm embrace, his heart signaled that a steady beat was alive. Sa-hee, liking the throbbing feeling, closed her eyes and pressed her ear against him.

“Let’s rest for just ten minutes.”

“You can sleep if you’re tired. I’ll wake you up.”

“Okay.”

No matter how tired she was, could she be more tired than him, who had ejaculated three times? Sa-hee, suppressing a small smile, rubbed her cheek against Ji-hyuk’s chest and nestled into his arms. The refreshing and clean scent of his perfume, mixed with his body odor, spread subtly.

Ji-hyuk stroked Sa-hee’s stray hairs, which were still damp with sweat, and looked up at the night sky. Sa-hee had been quiet for a long time, with her regular breathing indicating she had fallen asleep in his arms.

‘1. The period is two months. Once the period ends, they must never hold onto each other or cause each other trouble.’

It was ridiculous. How could he give up when he liked her more every minute and every second? Ji-hyuk dared to think that Sa-hee felt the same way. Otherwise, her gaze towards him, her clinging gestures, couldn’t be so full of love and desire.

Ji-hyuk intertwined his fingers with Sa-hee’s sleeping hand and gently bit her fingers. A faint bite mark appeared. For some reason, Ji-hyuk liked it, and he sucked on Sa-hee’s wrist as well. A red mark quickly surfaced.

“Crazy bastard.”

Ji-hyuk couldn’t help but laugh self-deprecatingly at the sudden heavy feeling in his lower body. It was absurd that he could get aroused just by leaving bite marks and sucking on her skin. After making someone like this, what did he mean by two months later?

Ji-hyuk looked down at the sleeping Sa-hee, who knew nothing, and hugged her tightly. Sa-hee squirmed as if she was suffocating. But Ji-hyuk didn’t let go. No, he couldn’t let go.

A brightly shining half-moon entered Ji-hyuk’s view. He listened to Sa-hee’s breathing and stared at it for a long time, noticing the unusually large empty space.

________________________________________

They were happy days.

Yes, they were incredibly happy days.

Eating, sleeping, showering, and living – it was surprising how enjoyable such ordinary daily routines could be. Every day Sa-hee spent with Ji-hyuk felt like she was floating on clouds.

No incidents occurred. Not even a hint of misfortune. As time went on, seeds of greed subtly tried to take root. Could she stay, just once? Could she stay by his side?

“Let’s all have lunch together today.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

When Ji-hyuk said that, Sa-hee, Driver Song, and Jin-ha replied. The three were returning to the company after finishing an external meeting. The meeting had taken longer than expected, and lunch time was approaching, so Ji-hyuk seemed to have made that decision.

“Is there any menu you’d like, Director?”

At Sa-hee’s question, sitting next to him, Ji-hyuk turned to her. His eyes were gently curved, a warm gaze.

“No, there isn’t.”

He answered briefly and tapped the knot of his tie with his fingers. It meant he wanted her to loosen it because it was stuffy.

“Ah, just a moment.”

Immediately understanding his intention, Sa-hee put down the tablet she was looking at and turned towards him. Then, she reached out and loosened the knot of his tie. With her quick movements, the tie was quickly untied and disappeared, and Ji-hyuk unbuttoned a couple of buttons. He looked much more relaxed as he swept his hair back.

“Anything is fine. Make a reservation wherever is convenient.”

“Then we’ll have Korean food. Director, Korean food is okay, right? Driver Song, Korean food is okay with you?”

With their approval, Sa-hee quickly searched for nearby restaurants and looked at the information. Price wasn’t a big deal, but the waiting time, atmosphere, and the availability of private rooms were important. Ji-hyuk watched Sa-hee, who was diligently searching for information, biting her lower lip, with a smiling expression. Anything she did was good.

“I made a reservation for 40 minutes from now. Driver Song, please go to Cheongdam-dong.”

“Cheongdam-dong? Understood.”

As lunch time approached, the roads gradually became congested. Fortunately, it seemed they could arrive within the reservation time, but Sa-hee checked the time repeatedly, just in case. Ji-hyuk grabbed Sa-hee’s wrist and pulled her towards him, stopping her.

“Stop looking. It’s not like the traffic will clear if you keep looking.”

“Ah. Okay.”

Jin-ha didn’t know they were dating yet. But he was grabbing her hand so openly in front of him.

Sa-hee twisted her wrist and pulled it away, smiling awkwardly. For some reason, Ji-hyuk also smiled, raising the corners of his lips. It made her uneasy. Normally, he would have glared at her with sharp eyes, telling her to stop the skinship.

“Driver Song.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Did you know Secretary Yoon had a boyfriend?”

“Huh? No, I didn’t. She had a boyfriend?”

Avoiding Jin-ha’s eyes, who was turning the steering wheel while repeating “She had a boyfriend,” Sa-hee poked Ji-hyuk’s side. Why are you doing this, suddenly?

“And he’s a very impressive person?”

“Oh. I’m curious who it is.”

“He’s famous. Driver Song probably knows him, too.”

“I know him? How amazing and famous is he?”

“There is such a person.”

Ji-hyuk said it so brazenly, without batting an eye. Sa-hee, restless, poked his knee, slapped his hand, and glared at him, warning him.

“You’re curious, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am curious. But...”

“But what?”

“It would be rude to ask.”

“It’s not rude.”

“Huh?”

“It’s me.”

The car swayed very slightly. Only then did Ji-hyuk raise an eyebrow.

“Drive properly, will you?”

“Director!”

“So, you two are really dating? Is it true, Secretary Yoon?”

Jin-ha’s eyes, as big as marbles in the rearview mirror, were visible. He was trying to watch the road ahead and observe the two people in the back seat, so even four eyes wouldn’t have been enough.

“Ah, well... yes. That’s how it happened.”

She didn’t intend to tell everyone, but she didn’t want to lie either. Sa-hee sighed deeply and glared at Ji-hyuk. Ji-hyuk swept his hair back and smiled broadly.

“This is just between you and Driver Song...”

“Yes. I’ll keep it a secret. I’ll take it to my grave.”

“You don’t have to go that far. Everyone will know soon, so don’t overdo it.”

At Ji-hyuk’s words, Sa-hee finally exploded. She hit Ji-hyuk, telling him to stop. Director getting hit by someone? It was such an unusual sight that Jin-ha’s eyes almost popped out.

“What do you mean everyone will know soon?”

“Just what I said.”

“Are you saying you’re going to tell everyone?”

Ji-hyuk shrugged, looking at Sa-hee.

“If you dare do that, I won’t let you get away with it.”

“I like Secretary Yoon when she’s throwing a tantrum. Especially at night.”

“Director!”

“What?”

“Never mind. I won’t say anything.”

“You’re cute when you act like that.”

After that, the two continued to bicker for a while. Jin-ha occasionally joined the argument, but mostly he just drove quietly, minding his own business.

“We’ll arrive in five minutes.”

Jin-ha’s voice echoed through the now quiet car. Sa-hee replied, “Okay,” and Ji-hyuk crossed his legs and looked out the window.

The car silently sped forward.

“Secretary Yoon.”

“...”

“Are you really not going to talk to me?”

“...”

“Then I’ll have to make you scream tonight in bed.”

“...”

“Director!”

“You’re talking now.”

Ji-hyuk said whatever he wanted, regardless of Jin-ha’s presence. It was no use even if Sa-hee was embarrassed. It was when Sa-hee glared at Ji-hyuk, not really angry, and Ji-hyuk looked down at her, finding her cute.

“Huh? Oh, why is that car like that? Oh?”

Jin-ha shouted, and the car shook violently. Looking ahead, a car that had crossed the median was speeding towards them with a loud roar.

After that, everything happened in an instant. The car that was far away quickly came closer, and with a loud metallic crash, a heavy weight pressed down on their bodies. Their vision spun rapidly. The sound of breaking glass pierced their ears horribly. Ji-hyuk hugged Sa-hee in his arms amidst the chaos.

Then, with another loud crash, the spinning vision stopped. The badly mangled car stopped in the middle of the road, and smoke rose from somewhere. A terrible smell of burnt tires spread around the scene.

How much time had passed?

The surroundings began to buzz with the sounds of people.