MO - 5

As evening approached, people slowly started to gather at the wine bar, and before long, the once-quiet place was completely full.

How much time had passed since Seo-eun and Do-hyun, skipping dinner, started drinking? Slightly buzzed, Seo-eun stared blankly at the completely empty wine bottle. It was their second bottle since they had arrived. It wasn’t enough to make her black out, but Do-hyun, whose face was beet-red as he alternated between sobbing and complaining, was now slumped over the snack plate, groaning.

“Do-hyun, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But, teacher, don’t you think this is wrong?”

Do-hyun lifted his head from the plate, his eyes welling up with huge, glistening tears.

“How, how could she do that? Huh? Teacher, do you understand? How could she, me, huh? I was so good to Se-ah. Wasn’t I, teacher?”

Seo-eun folded her arms, silently listening to Do-hyun’s story while chewing on a salty pretzel. For two hours, he had been repeating the same story like a recorded voice memo.

Do-hyun had called her right after lunch. His voice was thick like waterlogged cotton as he said, “Teacher, that drink you promised to buy me, could you buy it today?” Then he held the phone and started to bawl.

Because Do-hyun had never cried like that before, Seo-eun closed her shop early and met him at a nearby wine bar. But less than 30 minutes into their drinking session, Do-hyun started complaining that his chest was on fire and chugged wine straight from the bottle, transforming into a monster.

“Teacher. I did everything for my Se-ah. There was nothing I didn’t do for her. I bought her everything she wanted, did everything she asked for. I even got her name tattooed right here, see?”

Do-hyun fumbled with his shirt buttons, revealing a beautifully designed initial tattoo with a heart near his left chest.

“Why did you do that?”

“Isn’t that what love is? When you’re in love, you want to give the world to them. Don’t you feel that way, teacher?”

“No. I don’t.”

At her dry response, Do-hyun pouted and booed with a tearful expression.

“Are all women like that? Are they all so fickle and selfish, and do they always make a person... a fool?”

It’s because your love is still as soft as a new sprout. Instead of answering, Seo-eun brought the wine glass to her lips.

He had been dumped by his first girlfriend, who he’d met in college. Seo-eun understood how heartbreaking the first breakup would be. Seeing Do-hyun so sad, as if he had lost the world, filled her with mixed emotions.

“It’s true. It feels like I’ve been shot. Like there’s a hole in my chest.”

“You haven’t even done your military service yet.”

The sight of him, who had never even held a gun, crying like a person who had lost their country, was pitiful, cute, and a bit sad.

“It will all be okay with time.”

“Did you all get together and agree on that? Why does everyone only say that?”

“That’s just how love is.”

Seo-eun shook her head and patted Do-hyun on the shoulder as he slumped down like a pudding.

“Do-hyun. Let’s get up now. If you drink any more, I won’t be able to get you home.”

“Don’t send me home. Let’s stay together tonight.”

“Are you asking to die?”

Seeing Do-hyun rambling incoherently, not even knowing what he was saying, Seo-eun let out a quiet sigh. It was already 9:30. This was usually the time she would close her shop. Seo-eun checked her watch, gathered Do-hyun’s bag, and hurried him along.

“Get up. I’ll put you in a taxi and send you home. You can sleep there.”

“Wait, teacher. Just one more drink. No, one more bottle. Just one more bottle. Please?”

Just then, Do-hyun’s phone rang.

Mommy Dearest

Seo-eun helped the stumbling Do-hyun stand up and answered the call for him.

“Hello, Mrs. Jung. It’s Seo-eun. Yes, it’s been a while.”

After promising Do-hyun’s mother that she would get him home safely, Seo-eun hung up.

“Teacher, do you know what love is?”

“No.”

“Then if you ever find out what it is, you have to call me. Okay?”

“Hey, just try to walk straight.”

Helping a drunk adult male walk was a surreal experience. Seo-eun was practically being dragged along by Do-hyun, who was draped over her, as she ushered him out and stuffed him into a taxi she had called beforehand.

“Driver, please take him to Daechi-dong River Palace.”

“Teacher, call me! Teaaacher! I love you!”

After sending off Do-hyun, who was causing a scene until the very end, Seo-eun felt her energy drain away. Her back was soaked in cold sweat. She let out a deep sigh and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

She had met Do-hyun when she was a university student, earning money by tutoring after she had quit ballet and majored in business. He was the son of Jung Ran, a woman who was like a sister to Hee-sook, who had introduced them. That connection led to Do-hyun becoming her junior at the same school, and their relationship continued to this day.

“It’s just a breakup, for crying out loud.”

Seeing Do-hyun mournfully drowning himself in alcohol as if he had lost his country, she thought he was still very young.

“Haah.”

The sweat had completely sobered her up. Seo-eun stood there for a moment, her back to the cool breeze wrapping around her neck.

“So, what do you think of me?”

I was reflecting on what I was like back then, so why did Ryu Tae-han suddenly come to mind?

“Then why don’t you try measuring me?”

The confident face and voice that had said that so provocatively flashed vividly in her mind. It was ridiculous.

“Are you drunk, Joo Seo-eun?”

Ever since their impulsive drinking session, this memory kept popping up at random. When she was washing her face, arranging flowers, or taking a moment to have a cup of coffee, the flirtatious words Ryu Tae-han had said would unexpectedly surface, making her feel awkward.

“No. No.”

Seo-eun shook her head. He was someone who made her fall into a daze whenever she thought of him, but she had never once reached a conclusion about the question he had posed. And besides, he hadn’t contacted her. Just then, her phone rang.

Senior Manager Ryu Tae-han

When the name, saved plainly, appeared on her phone screen, Seo-eun flinched.

A tiger, or what?

Seo-eun stared at the name on the screen for a moment, lost in thought.

It was the first time he had contacted her since they had a drink together on Joo-young’s wedding day.

That day, after they had finished the last bottle of alcohol and left the restaurant, it was raining outside. Seo-eun stepped out first and was staring at the raindrops falling from the eaves, lost in thought.

Their conversation had flowed smoothly for the two hours of their meal, and the atmosphere wasn’t bad. In fact, there were many moments where it was so awkward she felt like she had to chug her drink. She was pleasantly tipsy, and her heart felt a little more relaxed. But Ryu Tae-han’s final words, telling her he wouldn’t back down, remained so clear in her mind that they jolted her sober.

“Because I like you.”

“I’m telling you, I can’t back down now.”

She felt a fiery heat inside. His unwavering gaze was so intense. The hasty assumption that he might be casual with relationships faded, and only useless thoughts floated through her cluttered mind. Seo-eun let out a long breath. The breath that escaped her lips was full of heat.

Plink, plink. The sound of rain falling was mixed with the crunch of gravel underfoot.

“I’ll take you home.”

Tae-han, who had finished paying the bill, quickly approached her.

“I can just take a taxi.”

“I don’t want to send you off like that.”

He stuffed his wallet into his pocket and looked down at Seo-eun, who was politely greeting him. She was wearing a light apricot-colored dress, holding a full bouquet in one hand. Her face, flushed with heat, was staring at him, her expression visibly hardening. For a moment their gazes met, and her clear eyes, trying to act composed, wavered. Her bright red cheeks trembled... and that, for some reason, seemed to touch a soft spot in Tae-han.

She had been so nervous the entire ride home in his car. As she got out, Tae-han handed her an umbrella.

“Take this.”

“It’s a short walk to my place; I can just run.”

“I’m afraid you might fall and scrape your knee.”

As if I’d show such an ugly sight, she scoffed to herself, but took the umbrella. She had kept the umbrella neatly at the shop for a week, planning to return it when he came back.

“When should I return the umbrella?”

• I’ll come get it myself. I have work today, so I’ll contact you.

And he hadn’t contacted her for several days.

Seo-eun stared blankly at her phone screen for a moment before answering the call.

“Hello.”

• It’s Ryu Tae-han.

A pleasant voice rumbled softly from beyond the receiver.

• I’m in front of your shop now, but the door is closed, so I’m calling.

“Excuse me?”

• You said to come get the umbrella, so I came. Should I come back another time?

At his polite question, Seo-eun let out a quiet, sigh-like laugh.

“I just stepped out for a moment. I’ll be right there.”

________________________________________

He had been so cooped up at the office for a week that he didn’t even know how the days were passing. The department had changed, and he was focusing on securing the duty-free business rights as the person in charge. With the submission deadline for the bid approaching, everyone in the department was on edge, working nonstop until the very end.

Normally, he would have taken a break in the evening, bought a bouquet of flowers from Seo-eun’s shop around 7 p.m., and then returned to work, but with the deadline so close, he couldn’t spare a moment. Until yesterday, he had worked for three straight days, only changing his clothes.

He had been subsisting on things like sandwiches, so he had been truly swamped until today, when the final work was completed. After pouring all his energy into it, he left the office, and his feet instinctively took him to Seo-eun’s shop.

He left the office around 8:30 p.m., and since she usually closed the shop after 9 p.m., he thought he might be able to see her face for a moment. However, when he arrived, Seo-eun’s shop was already closed.

He stared blankly at the dark ‘Seven O’Clock’ shop, unable to hide his feelings of disappointment, and a laugh escaped him.

Am I out of my mind?

The fact that the first place he went after working so hard was here, and that he couldn’t bring himself to leave the front of the shop without its owner, was so unlike him that he had to laugh.

It was almost 10 p.m. She was a woman who was almost always on time with her schedule, so she was probably home resting. He tried to suppress the thought that he shouldn’t disturb her sweet, precious rest after a long day, but he ended up calling her anyway.

It was a desire. A desire to see her, no matter what excuse he had to make.

Just then, a taxi entered the street and gently rolled to a stop in front of ‘Seven O’Clock’. Seo-eun stepped out and quickly fumbled for her keys when she saw Tae-han.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would come today.”

“Don’t you usually stay open until 9 p.m.?”

“I usually close a bit earlier on Wednesdays.”

Seo-eun quickly opened the shop door, went inside, and came out with the umbrella.

“Here. Thank you for letting me use it that day. I kept it here in case you came to get it...”

“I was busy.”

“I see.”

Her smiling face, as if she understood, didn’t seem to be curious about his circumstances. That, for some reason, made him feel a little hurt. Tae-han looked at Seo-eun for a moment. He noticed her cheeks were particularly flushed today. He also thought he could smell a faint scent of alcohol.

He slowly lowered his head and inhaled near her cheek, and the air mixed with the scent of alcohol filled his lungs.

“Did you have a drink?”

“Oh, I had a prior engagement.”

“Did I interrupt something?”

“No. I was just finishing up and was about to head home.”

At the word “finishing up,” he raised a questioning eyebrow. His gaze was sharp, even in the darkness.

“You look like you had a few.”

“Not much. Just a little wine. A friend of mine came to see me.”

Seo-eun, who had been detailing the situation with a somewhat tired look and without much thought, quickly closed her mouth with an “oh, right” expression.

“I guess he had something upsetting happen.”

His direct gaze swept over Seo-eun from top to bottom, assessing her. From her bloodshot eyes to her flushed cheeks, from her swollen red lips to the faintly warm skin on her neck, then back up.

Seo-eun touched her neck and shook her head.

“Why do you think I would be upset?”

“You’re right.”

His concerned gaze became a little deeper than before. His dark, black eyes. His gaze was always so serious, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. When she looked into his eyes, she would always feel a sense of tension. He must be looking at me like that because he doesn’t know me, she thought, and she felt her body stiffen. She tried her best to force a smile.

“I also drink when I’m happy.”

No, I drink to be happy. She hoped that no matter how things started, they would end up better.

He slowly nodded, as if that was enough of an answer.

“Shall we walk a bit?”

The humid air of a summer night enveloped them. The sky was overcast. There had been a forecast for rain early the next morning. As she walked, looking up at the reddish sky that seemed ready to pour at any moment, Seo-eun suddenly found this moment of walking in silence awkward and unbearable.

Her chest tightened in the suffocating silence, making her nervous. This was the first time she had felt this much tension since their last drinking session. Is this how it feels when an uninvited guest takes over your peaceful daily life?

Tae-han, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease.

“You look very uncomfortable.”

“Of course I’m uncomfortable.”

Seo-eun retorted grumpily, only half-turning her head.

“I’m telling you, I can’t back down now.”

And yet he hadn’t contacted her for days, using the excuse that he was busy. Of course, she hadn’t been anxiously waiting for his call. But she had borrowed his umbrella, and when she called to return it, he said he would come but never called back, so she had just been a little worried about how long she should keep it for him.

“Ugh, it’s so humid.”

“I know. It’s going to rain.”

As soon as he finished speaking, plop, a raindrop fell from the sky. But their footsteps didn’t stop. Another plop landed on the back of her hand. Then a plop on her cheek.

“It feels like it’s about to pour. Should we stop here?”

Instead of answering, Tae-han opened the large umbrella he was holding. With a cheerful pop, the huge umbrella opened above his head.

“Let’s walk a little longer.”

His face, smooth and unbothered by the weather under the large umbrella, was placid.

Seo-eun looked at him in the umbrella for a moment. It was a huge umbrella to begin with. When she had used it alone, there was so much extra space. But when Tae-han stepped inside, the huge space was filled with no room to spare. She had known he was tall, but she thought to herself, Ryu Tae-han is really big.

While she was lost in that thought, Tae-han gave a slight tilt of his head as if asking, What are you doing?

“Come in.”

At his low voice, Seo-eun awkwardly moved closer.

Come in.

For some reason, those two words made her heart flutter again. Seo-eun carefully nestled under the umbrella, standing side-by-side with Tae-han. The already-filled space felt impossibly cramped with Seo-eun’s intrusion.

“I’ll hold the umbrella.”

“Just focus on walking. You can lean on me if you get tired.”

He raised the umbrella a little higher than her hand, which had reached for the handle, and smirked.

And so they began to walk.

Slowly, one step, then two. As they walked through the rain, their arms kept brushing against each other. Each time his arm grazed her exposed forearm, her heart thumped wildly and erratically.

Plip-plop.

Clomp-clomp.

His steps were a half-beat slower than Seo-eun’s shorter ones, as if he were following her.

“Have you done the math yet?”

At his unexpected question, Seo-eun’s steps faltered. She turned her head to look at his eyes, which were still unreadable. The only thought in her mind was how firm they were. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but they were the eyes of a person with a firm conviction.

Looking into his eyes, Seo-eun swallowed the confusion, burden, and curiosity she’d felt during the days he hadn’t contacted her. How long had they known each other for her to be so curious about his time when she couldn’t see him? She threw a question mark at herself, but no answer came, and time just idled by. Now, seeing Ryu Tae-han suddenly appear like this, she felt a strange twist in her heart.

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“Why someone like you is doing this to me.”

No matter how much she thought about it, she could only conclude that he had a simple interest in her, nothing more. And honestly, her pride was a little hurt.

“I can’t figure it out, no matter how hard I try.”

“You probably won’t. Because it’s not a matter of logic, but of emotion.”

Despite talking about something her mind couldn’t grasp, Tae-han’s expression was perfectly rational.

As their gazes met, a strange feeling fluttered inside her. Her heels felt a bit ticklish. A taut tension hung between their probing glances. Seo-eun quickly averted her head, feeling a sense of danger that if she tilted it any more, she might be pulled into him within the confines of the umbrella.

She could feel him laughing soundlessly above her head. He was probably smiling with a neat curve of his lips. Lacking the courage to turn her head and check, Seo-eun just held her breath and walked straight ahead.

The streets, slick with rain, were serene.

The glistening path was filled with the scent of rain-soaked roses. The fresh scent blossomed in every place the wind blew through, and she somehow felt her worries lift. Plip-plop, plip-plop, the scattering sound of footsteps made her feel a little excited. It wasn’t just the lingering effects of the alcohol.

The cool breeze that gently blew in and swirled like a whirlpool inside the umbrella was refreshing.

“Actually, the first time I went to Seven O’Clock was because I couldn’t forget the scent I smelled that day.”

“That day?” she asked, looking up. He matched his pace to hers as if he were dancing a waltz.

“I mean, the anniversary event.”

The mention of that mortifying day made Seo-eun frown and look uncomfortable.

“Before we met at the event. You walked past me, Ms. Joo Seo-eun. The scent I smelled then was very impressive. So I was curious. It only made sense after I found out you were a florist.”

“That was just my perfume...”

At her simple answer, his gaze cut down to her. The mere touch of his eyes made her cheeks tingle.

“What perfume was it?”

“It’s called ‘Voulez-vous coucher avec moi’.”

‘Do you want to sleep with me?’

She had just laughed it off when Seung-won gave her the perfume, but now, saying the name out loud, she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She had never considered the meaning before, and she was surprised at how suggestive the name was. Seo-eun’s cheeks flushed hot.

Perhaps it was because his gaze, which clearly knew the meaning, was so intense. Any excuse about simply liking the scent would sound desperate. Thinking she had said something unnecessary, Seo-eun wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

“But that was just a spark that ignited my curiosity about you, Ms. Joo Seo-eun.”

When it rains, all scents in the world become stronger. And so did Ryu Tae-han’s scent. Seo-eun was barely suppressing her pounding heart, when he spoke in a voice like the wind.

“Can I hold your hand?”

Then, he immediately grabbed her hand. Her hand, which had been dangling in the air, was enveloped in his large warmth.

“I didn’t say yes.”

“But I already grabbed it.”

He gave her a lopsided smile, his eyes meeting hers as if to say there was nothing she could do about it.

“What if we run into someone I know? My shop is right here.”

“I hope we do.”

A cool smile spread across his lips as he squeezed and shook her hand.

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

Her heart was pounding. She wondered if her blood flow was just faster because of the lingering alcohol. But the sensation of his fingers intertwining with hers was too vivid for that. Her mind felt completely blank, and her vision was blurry with a bright light.

Dizziness. It had been so long since she had felt this way. As she tried to subtly pull her hand away, feigning ignorance of her fluttering heart, she felt the strength in Tae-han’s hand as he hooked his fingers around hers, refusing to let go of the small gap.

“Oh, I...”

Her hand wouldn’t come out. Seo-eun looked at Tae-han in a fluster. His downward gaze was like a vow not to let go. Instead, he pushed his fingers between hers, clasping their hands together. Their body heat touched in a hotter, more intimate way.

Her heart fluttered. As much as his body warmth that held her, his eyes were burning hot.

Her heart was shaken. By the sound of their footsteps blending together so casually.

The sound of two sets of footsteps blending together was as sensual as the blending of two different scents.

Can I really let myself like him like this?

“Don’t think about it too much.”

It’s already complicated enough as it is. Seo-eun raised her eyes with a half-resigned expression, and he, meticulously examining every detail of her flustered face, said,

“It’s not that easy.”

“It means you’re a careful person. Your face is always in thought. That’s why I’ve always thought, Ms. Joo Seo-eun, right here...”

Tae-han tapped her forehead with the back of the hand that was holding hers.

“Would it sound too perverted if I said I’ve wanted to touch that spot?”

“Yes, a little.”

Tae-han’s faint laughter followed Seo-eun’s embarrassed chuckle.

“Oh, so that’s considered perverted.”

His laughter, like the sound of the wind, tickled her ears.

“No. You’re very respectful, Tae-han.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Beneath the playful look in his eyes was something she couldn’t decipher. After hearing those strangely provocative words in his pleasant voice, her whole body felt hot. A voice like a burning flame. The soft, sticky sensation spreading in their joined hands. Her body heat mingled with his warmth. She imagined being drenched in all of those things, her body burning.

If he knew what thoughts were in her head, there were things they couldn’t handle, and they floated between them, disrupting the air. Although she wondered if being alone under an umbrella could really be this tense and heart-pounding, Seo-eun found herself wishing the rain would continue forever.

“Your hands are so small, Ms. Joo Seo-eun.”

“Yours are just big.”

“And your feet are so small. Is it even possible to walk on them?”

“My foot size is 230mm! That’s not small.”

“I wear 300mm.”

Looking down at her shoes, which were dwarfed by his, he marveled, as if he found it cute.

“You’re just excessively big, Ryu Tae-han.”

“Yes, I am.”

A strange confidence shone in his eyes as he didn’t deny it. His firm face, his firm gaze. His solid physique, which was wrapped in a high-quality suit, couldn’t be hidden, as if it were there to support the strange confidence and affirmation of his excessive size.

From the large forearm holding the umbrella to the vest buttons that were stretched taut over his chest, they moved with his every step, creating and erasing wrinkles with his movements. The thigh of his long leg that extended below the jacket was truly masculine.

How much does he have to work out to have such a solid body? Seo-eun, who had been staring blankly at his pronounced physique, snapped out of it at his low voice.

“What do you think? Do I look like it?”

She lifted her dazed gaze, and he was looking at her, just as she had been looking at him a moment ago, with a gaze that hadn’t finished its exploration. Meeting his eyes, Seo-eun’s face immediately flushed red. She buried her head in embarrassment.

“No. No, that’s not what I meant...”

“What’s not what you meant?”

His low, teasing voice was subtly persistent.

“It’s nothing.”

As Seo-eun flustered in confusion and denial, he laughed leisurely. The sound of his laughter scattering above her head made her heart feel like it was about to burst. The moment she tried to pull her sweaty hand away, the grip on her hand tightened.

“Imagine a lot, and think a lot. And then let me know.”

His low voice, like a graceful curve, whispered to Seo-eun’s ear, which was at the end of his line of sight.

“That your calculation was wrong.”

________________________________________

On the way home, the rain intensified. I wonder if Do-hyun got home safely. Seo-eun wondered about Do-hyun, who had been repeatedly apologizing and thanking her while alternating between his girlfriend’s name and her name until the very end, and she surrendered herself to the passing time.

As she rested her head on the headrest and took shallow breaths, the sweet smell of alcohol faintly filled the car. The breath escaping her lips was hot.

The car driving through Seoul was quiet. The large sedan, which had more than enough space for Tae-han and Seo-eun in the back, suddenly started to feel cramped, but that was only after Tae-han’s shoulder crossed the boundary.

How did it become so natural for her to be sitting next to him in the back seat? This was her second time getting a ride, and she was staring at the back of the driver’s head, who was solely focused on the road.

“Are you okay?”

Breaking the silence, his gentle voice reached her, subtly swaying her reason.

“Yes.”

“You keep breathing in quick, short breaths.”

You look uncomfortable. His low voice reached her ear. His gaze felt hot on her cheek. She could feel how he was looking at her even without meeting his eyes.

Do you even know how uncomfortable you’re making me feel? She bit her tongue and slowly shook her head. She wasn’t one to get car sick, but perhaps because of the alcohol, she felt a little nauseous. But it wasn’t to the point of throwing up or fainting. A raw, hot sensation swirled chaotically inside her.

The slightest movement from either of them subtly made the air tense. With every small shift, things she hadn’t been conscious of began to enter her awareness. Every slight movement, even a simple breath, was done with caution. When her gaze moved to the rearview mirror, her eyes met with the reflection of his, which was staring at her.

His face was full of raw desire. His black eyes were as clear and deep as they always were. Like a trap that was impossible to escape once you fell in, her pulse quickened and thumped loudly, even in her ears, as she met his persistent gaze.

Boom, boom.

Her heart was pounding like a drum inside her body. Seo-eun averted her gaze belatedly, but the pounding didn’t subside easily.

If a man like Ryu Tae-han looked at you with such clear emotions, would anyone be able to remain unshaken? Thinking that this was truly dangerous, she tried her best not to lose her grip on her reason. Just then, Tae-han opened the refrigerator behind the armrest.

“Drink this.”

“You carry something like this with you.”

The hangover remedy she didn’t necessarily need, he deliberately wiped the spot where her lips would touch with a handkerchief before opening the lid and handing it to her.

“Drink it slowly. Drinking it all at once might make you feel nauseous.”

The kindness of this man, whose thoughtful consideration came so naturally, was almost cruel.

Seo-eun held the can with both hands and gulped down the drink. The cold hangover remedy went down her throat, and her nausea subsided.

“Get some sleep while we drive. I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

His kind voice echoed in her ears. There was no way she could sleep in this atmosphere. But Seo-eun intentionally closed her eyes, hoping that the tension might subside just a little.

“Thank you for taking me home.”

Arriving in front of her house, Seo-eun bowed politely. Perhaps because her sudden display of manners was unfamiliar to him, he smiled meaningfully. He had even walked her to the front door with the umbrella.

“Please be careful.”

Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, Seo-eun was about to turn away when he stopped her.

“Ms. Joo Seo-eun.”

At the hot touch on her wrist, Seo-eun, who was about to slip out from under the umbrella, looked up at him in surprise. A moment of silence passed. Within the steady gaze, their breaths rose and fell, a mix of tension and life. As if he had something to say, something he wanted to convey, yet had made up his mind to hold back, but in the end, couldn’t suppress his feelings. His lingering gaze stuck to her, reluctant to let her go.

At that moment, the hand that had been gripping Seo-eun’s wrist instantly moved to cup her cheek. He then lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Between her surprised, parted lips, his soft lips pushed in. His tongue, which carefully opened her lips and burrowed inside, was hot. In the midst of his movements, a sticky, slow-paced kiss that gave her no time to refuse, Seo-eun forgot her embarrassment.

It was hot, sweet, and soft.

The tip of his tongue, which smoothly dove in and gently swam, was surprisingly tender. He held her bottom lip, deeply sucking on it, then breathed out deeply, intertwining his tongue with hers. She felt completely disarmed by his momentum.

I think I’m going to lose my mind.

Even as her breath broke, he held her cheek more desperately with his large hand and continued to kiss her. He prodded her teeth to part her mouth, expertly burrowed in, and scraped the roof of her mouth before pulling back. He kissed her so intently, so lovingly, his large body pressing and trapping her, that she couldn’t answer him or push him away.

Her eyes blurred dreamily in the intense kiss. Her small body, clinging to him and breathing in short gasps, swayed. Only then did Tae-han suck on her bottom lip a couple more times before letting her go.

“...Haah.”

Her rough breaths finally scattered helplessly. Her surprised, pounding heart felt like it was about to burst. A rush of heat surged through her body. Tae-han, who was just as breathless, didn’t pull away from Seo-eun. Seo-eun lifted her trembling gaze to look up at him. His nose and lips, which had been pressed against hers, were just as red.

“...Please don’t do this. So... casually...”

He looked at her with a gaze that had grown even deeper, breathing in short, quick gasps.

“Are you wavering?”

“...Yes.”

And that was why her heart felt like it was about to explode.

In the chaotic and excited atmosphere, he gently stroked Seo-eun’s lips, which couldn’t say a word.

“Then hurry up and fall for me.”

His lingering, beautiful smile was breathtaking.

Seo-eun felt the premonition that her calculations might be wrong.