CHAPTER 7
As soon as Hye-joo’s guard dropped from being completely out of breath, Muhyuk didn’t miss the opportunity and slipped his tongue through the parted gap between her lips.
“……K-Kang Sun-woo.”
Hye-joo exhaled a heated breath and pushed against Muhyuk’s shoulder.
The force in her hand was far too weak to be considered a firm rejection.
“The choice is yours.”
But even if she said she didn’t want him, he felt like being a little persistent.
Muhyuk gave a quiet, amused laugh as he gazed at Hye-joo for a moment, and she lowered her eyelids slightly.
Muhyuk gently stroked her cheek and said,
“So, I’m saying we should keep things private outside the company. Private.”
It meant becoming involved with each other privately.
Even though she knew he ultimately meant they would only sleep together, what people commonly called having a sexual partner, why was she trembling like this?
She clearly knew he wasn’t asking her to date him, so why didn’t the proposal sound unpleasant?
It was strange that she couldn’t bring herself to approach him recklessly, yet couldn’t simply push him away either.
‘I should say no. Why do I keep getting swept up in this?’
Hye-joo was usually known for being decisive, and whenever something happened, she was the type to immediately set things straight without losing her composure.
But even though she knew the alcohol was the problem right now, Hye-joo kept wanting to take Muhyuk’s hand.
‘What’s the big deal about spending one night together on impulse? I wanted to handle it calmly and maturely, but…….’
Her heart had gone back and forth between hot and cold dozens of times.
In the end, unable to figure out what she really wanted, Hye-joo once again found herself being swept along by Muhyuk’s pace.
“Should we? Keep it private.”
Muhyuk’s pleasant, low voice tickled Hye-joo’s ear.
I don’t know anymore.
Why am I acting like this?
—
Before she knew it, Hye-joo had arrived in front of her villa with Muhyuk.
“…….”
Muhyuk didn’t hurry her.
He simply stood there and watched her quietly, as though he intended to respect whatever choice she made.
Perhaps Hye-joo understood that look, because she nervously fidgeted with her fingertips.
The lingering intoxication seemed to be telling her to throw her arms around Muhyuk at any moment.
The thin thread of reason she had been clinging to was about to snap.
‘What is this? This is really going to cause trouble…….’
Afraid that the resolve she had made would crumble, she barely managed to steady herself and turned away.
That was when it happened.
Smack.
Muhyuk moved closer, lightly kissed Hye-joo on the lips, and pulled away.
“……What was that?”
“Good night.”
Sleep well without me.
Muhyuk smiled as he finished the thought.
Hye-joo gently brushed her lips with her fingers before asking,
“I thought you were going to say I didn’t keep my promise.”
“You seem to have misunderstood because I keep coming onto you now that we’ve met again.”
“I’m not the kind of guy who pesters a woman just because she won’t sleep with me.”
His answer was playful, but Hye-joo could sense that Muhyuk was trying to keep the atmosphere from becoming too heavy.
Hye-joo let out a small laugh and slowly lifted her head.
‘Oppa, I want to do it right now, Hye-joo.’
‘I don’t feel very well right now.’
Suddenly, Hye-joo remembered Kang Young-moo, whom she had dated for four years before they broke up.
She even remembered how Kang Young-moo had pulled her clothes down while she was suffering from body aches and a stomachache, sweating cold from a bad cold, telling her it was okay and that nothing would happen.
“Go inside. Sleep well.”
Even though he had suggested that they become involved privately, Muhyuk said goodbye in such a matter-of-fact tone that he seemed genuinely unbothered by leaving.
‘What…… is going on?’
‘As you can see.’
‘…….’
‘You’re such a good woman that I think I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I let you go. Honestly, because you’re always the one giving everything, I don’t even see you as a woman anymore.’
‘……Have I ever…… have I ever been loved?’
‘Probably?’
Hye-joo once again remembered the day she broke up with Kang Young-moo.
Even someone she had believed she had loved for so long could treat her that way, so why was this man, whom she had merely spent one night with, acting like this toward her?
‘I don’t know. Right now, I just think I want to be with this man.’
She didn’t understand his intentions or even her own desire, which felt stronger than it should have.
But Hye-joo decided to follow her instincts and reached out toward Muhyuk.
She met his gaze as he quietly looked down at her, then wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.
He showed no sign of surprise and simply watched Hye-joo move closer.
Hye-joo rose onto her toes to kiss Muhyuk, and he lowered his gaze toward her and pulled her firmly against him by the waist.
“If you do this, I won’t be able to let you go.”
“Then stay with me tonight…….”
Kang Young-moo’s lingering image kept floating through her mind.
After saying that, Hye-joo looked straight at Muhyuk.
Muhyuk gave a quiet laugh and whispered into Hye-joo’s ear.
“Close your eyes.”
“……Huh?”
“Because I’m going to kiss you.”
At his words, Hye-joo carefully closed her trembling eyes.
Muhyuk’s soft lips touched hers.
Their breaths grew ragged as warm heat passed between them.
‘Sweet and warm…….’
At last, the lingering image of Kang Young-moo that had been clouding her mind disappeared without a trace.
At this moment, Hye-joo was focused only on Muhyuk.
“…….”
Feeling her heavy heart grow considerably lighter, Hye-joo wrapped her arms tightly around Muhyuk’s waist.
Then, without realizing it, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
“Let’s go inside first.”
She had been so captivated by his kiss that she had completely forgotten they were standing right at the entrance to her villa.
Hye-joo took Muhyuk’s hand and led him inside the villa.
Whenever her drunken steps wobbled, Muhyuk supported her waist from behind.
‘I knew it, but he really is good at kissing.’
Hye-joo stood in front of her door and finally managed to unlock the keypad after several mistakes.
As soon as the door opened, Hye-joo once again wrapped her arms around Muhyuk’s neck.
Hye-joo led Muhyuk toward her bedroom.
Even as they stumbled against each other, their knees bumped, their thighs brushed, and their teeth occasionally knocked together, his hands honestly did nothing more than hold Hye-joo around the waist.
‘Huh? Why isn’t he doing anything?’
Hye-joo had expected Muhyuk to climb on top of her the moment she lay down on the bed, but instead, he lay down beside her.
Feeling awkward, Hye-joo lifted herself slightly from the bed and asked Muhyuk,
“……Why aren’t you touching me tonight?”
Instead of answering, he quietly looked up at Hye-joo, sat up, and lightly kissed her cheek.
Even in response to Hye-joo’s puzzled question, Muhyuk wore the same enigmatic expression as always and gently stroked her cheek.
“Just because I said we should stay together doesn’t necessarily mean we have to sleep together.”
“……What?”
“You look like you’re about to cry.”
At his words, Hye-joo tilted her head toward the ceiling and blinked rapidly.
“Let’s just stay together tonight.”
“……Why are you doing this to me? You said we should sleep together. Then we should just sleep together. Why are you acting like this?”
“I just feel like doing this for a while.”
It was the same languid expression and languid voice he had had when they first met.
His words and actions seemed to suggest that he wanted nothing and was bound by nothing.
Hye-joo bit down hard on her lower lip.
She wanted to hide the tears that were rising from the alcohol and what felt like nothing more than a cruel trick of her hormones.
She had thought she would never be loved again.
She had thought she would never be able to love again.
Her four-year relationship had left Hye-joo that way.
A relationship that had ended without ever being properly brought to a close had left Hye-joo feeling sorrowful and miserable.
She still hadn’t properly let go of the love that had made her believe she would never love anyone again, and yet here she was, reunited with a man she had spent one night with, lying on her own bed with him.
It was absurd.
“Ha…….”
As Hye-joo moved as though she intended to get up completely, Muhyuk gently caught her shoulder.
He turned her toward him and pulled her tightly into his arms.
“Let’s just do this.”
“…….”
“Not just sleep together.”
“…….”
“Let’s sleep together, and on days like this, I’ll hold you too.”
“…….”
“I have days like this too. So on those days, hold me too.”
“I really don’t have anyone who holds me.”
So on days like that, hold me too.
Muhyuk’s voice sounded strangely sad.
“Should we keep doing this?”
Muhyuk held Hye-joo’s shoulders in his arms and looked into her eyes.
His bright smile was dazzlingly handsome.
“I’ll hold you all night tonight.”
As tenderly as though they were lovers, Muhyuk pulled Hye-joo into his arms once again.
Hye-joo cautiously placed her hand around Muhyuk’s waist.
