Gyeom stopped the car just as it was about to enter the alley. His eyes watching the road ahead turned cold.

“Isn’t that Secretary Ahn?”

“What? Oh, yes. I think you’re right.”

“So she’s determined to do this.”

Hyunseo tilted her head, unable to understand Gyeom’s low murmur. Gyeom gently stroked the back of her hand and spoke in a serious voice.

“Let’s go to my place. Seeing that she’s planted someone here, I can’t leave you alone.”

Gyeom offered what wasn’t quite an apology, saying he couldn’t carry out his plan to simply drop her off and obediently return. Hyunseo wasn’t upset at all. She was simply glad she didn’t have to part with him.

When she nodded obediently in agreement, his lips curved. His expression, which had been watching Hyunseo with a satisfied smile, hardened again when they arrived in front of his house. He spat out his words like he was chewing them.

“Secretary Gu, you can clock out now.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

“Do Hyunseo, stay here. Come out when I signal you.”

Gyeom got out of the car with a firm expression. Immediately, Director Seong Sujeong hurriedly emerged from a black sedan parked some distance ahead. Her expression was extremely anxious, like she’d been waiting the whole time.

“Gyeom! Sunwoo Gyeom! You really!”

Gyeom watched Sujeong approaching rapidly with an emotionless gaze. He willingly moved somewhat closer, worried his excited mother’s voice might reach inside the car, and Sujeong poured out harsh words at him frantically.

“You terrible boy! You absolute scoundrel! How could you do this to me!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Do you even know you should be sorry? If you know, why disappear for days? Why couldn’t I reach you at all!”

“I told you I had something important. So I asked you not to contact me.”

“Are you really not going to come to your senses?”

“I am in my senses. That’s why I’m doing this. Because I realized what’s most important to me.”

“What are you going on about? You crazy…!”

Sujeong’s curse was cut off abruptly. It was because Gyeom turned his head mercilessly toward the back.

He already didn’t care about her shouting at the top of her lungs. Sujeong was on the verge of clutching the back of her neck and collapsing at the sight of Gyeom staring intently only at Hyunseo running toward them from the car.

“I told you not to come out.”

“Director, I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t. You don’t need to.”

Gyeom didn’t even let Hyunseo bow her head to Sujeong. 

He stopped her, saying there was no need to apologize, then wrapped his arm around Hyunseo’s shoulders and buried her head against his chest. Like he was telling her not to look forward at all.

“Ha…”

Sujeong was so dumbfounded she was completely speechless. Her insides were clearly boiling and anger was surging up, but somehow she couldn’t utter a single word.

Because it was the first time.

Because she truly hadn’t expected Gyeom to go this far with her.

Because the eyes glaring daggers at her were so different from before when he’d been such a good son.

Because it didn’t seem like simple rebelliousness. Because it seemed to be telling her to please give up. So.

“This isn’t rebellion, and it’s not revenge. I’m sincere. I already feel this way.”

The forceful voice shattered even her last hope. Sujeong’s lips parted and trembled.

“I won’t expect your approval, so just don’t interfere. Don’t try any tricks either. If you touch even a single hair on this woman’s head, I won’t let it go.”

“You, Gyeom, you, how could you…”

“If you still think it won’t work, tell me. I’m ready to throw away everything I have.”

Gyeom bowed his head toward Sujeong, who was visibly trembling. After a simple greeting, Sujeong couldn’t even think to stop her son as he walked away. The figures that had already disappeared seemed exactly like a dream.

It was truly a terrible nightmare.

The loss of emotion she was experiencing for the first time in her life was so overwhelming that Sujeong finally collapsed. In the quiet residential alley, the sound of deep sighs echoed again and again.

“Go wash up first.”

“Executive Director.”

“Wash up and get some sleep. Your eyes are red.”

As soon as they entered the house, Gyeom sent Hyunseo into the bathroom inside the bedroom. Hyunseo grabbed hold of him as he was about to turn and leave.

“Why, want to shower together?”

“…Why did you do that?”

“Why did you do that, Do Hyunseo? Why did you come out of the car to see something you didn’t need to see?”

He must be talking about the confrontation with Sujeong. Watching Gyeom say he was incredibly annoyed that his plan to prevent her from meeting Sujeong’s contemptuous gaze even for a moment had fallen through, Hyunseo furrowed her brow.

“You were too harsh.”

“I wasn’t harsh. I only stated facts.”

“She was worried because she couldn’t reach you. Did you really have to say you’d throw everything away?”

“Because I was scared.”

“What…?”

“That she might go to Do Hyunseo without my knowledge. That she might pressure you to break up. She’s more than capable of that.”

Gyeom, who said he’d deliberately spoken more strongly because he was afraid of that, barely curled up the corners of his mouth. Hyunseo, who was about to retort ‘even so,’ closed her lips again. The eyes she met were full of sincerity.

He was telling her to trust him. To look only at him, that it was okay. That it was allowed. As much as she wanted.

“Honestly, I want to put it in right now.”

“…”

“I’ll hold back. You must be very tired.”

Gyeom, whose expression had been full of regret, reluctantly turned around. Hyunseo stared at the firmly closed bathroom door for a long while. 

Then she remembered the front of Gyeom’s pants, which had been bulging significantly, and hurriedly shook her head.

She showered quickly. Her tired body quickly became drowsy under the warm water. Gyeom, who’d washed up as well, personally dried Hyunseo’s hair and led her to the bed. 

Sleep poured over her the moment she was trapped in his embrace.

“Are you awake?”

Hyunseo opened her eyes only when it was late at night. Gyeom, who’d been awake already, asked in a gentle voice.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t need to sleep more?”

“What about you, Executive Director…?”

“Me? Well.”

Watching him shrug his shoulders like it was nothing, Hyunseo took a sharp breath.

Since their bodies were touching, she couldn’t help but notice. 

‘When did it get this hard?’ 

Hyunseo made every effort to draw her attention away from Gyeom’s firm lower body. She just couldn’t do anything about her deeply flushed face.

“Are you hot?”

“…A little.”

“Bear with it. I don’t want to let you go.”

Hyunseo held her breath again because Gyeom hugged her even tighter. Actually, the problem was that it didn’t stop at just hugging. 

His p*nis, erected so large it seemed ready to burst through his clothes, rubbed against her lower abdomen like he was grinding it.

She soon realized. 

‘This is quite intentional.’ 

Even knowing this, Hyunseo, who’d just been hesitating, suddenly slipped her hand down. She was confused. 

‘Was I trying to make him stop, or was it the opposite?’

“Did you just touch mine?”

“…Yes.”

“Can I touch yours too, Do Hyunseo?”

Hyunseo didn’t answer. Even though she wasn’t exactly refusing, Gyeom couldn’t rashly reach out his hand.

“More.”

“…”

“Grab it tighter. You can do that.”

When she gripped harder, Gyeom’s breathing became rough. The front of his thin pajama pants quickly became wet.

Even though he hadn’t ej*culated, Hyunseo couldn’t blame him for getting quite damp. The situation between her legs wasn’t much different. His lips touching her forehead gently were hot. 

Arousal surged intensely.

“Should we not?”

Even though he’d only rubbed a few times, Gyeom, unable to endure any longer, quickly climbed on top of Hyunseo.

His p*nis, swollen like it would burst, kept poking her stomach. Hyunseo soon barely moved her lips.

“You’re struggling.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“…But you said it hurts if you’re hard and don’t do it.”

“If you don’t want to, we won’t. Even though I feel like I’m dying to do it, I won’t. If Do Hyunseo doesn’t want to.”

His cracked voice was full of sticky breath. Just hearing that lewd voice made her lower abdomen tighten.

Hyunseo carefully swallowed her dry saliva.

Whenever she had s*x with Gyeom, she always ended up crying. Because it felt good. Because it felt too intensely good. She cried after that too, without fail. 

Because she felt lonely. Because she felt even more alone than when she was by herself. It was natural. Because she’d been hungry for his heart. Yet she’d thought she could never dare to receive it.

“Executive Director.”

“Yeah, tell me.”

“I won’t be any help to you at all.”

Hyunseo spoke. That realistically, this wouldn’t be a beneficial relationship. Was he okay with that?

“You’re already helping me more than enough.”

“Everyone will criticize you.”

“Why should I care about that? It’s fine, so forget about everything else and just look at me. That’s all I need.”

“Marriage might be difficult.”

Hyunseo took Gyeom’s hand. Then she carefully brought it between her legs. Confirming the secret flesh soaked through, Gyeom hurriedly threw off his clothes. His prepared tip rubbed against her entrance.

The way he invaded was more desperate than ever. He thrust deep inside in one go with tremendous force, and trapped in the narrow inner walls, he let out a low moan. His pitch-black eyes desperately sought her.

“Do Hyunseo.”

“Yesss…”

“Then will you keep seeing me from now on?”

Gyeom thrust his hips up. The hotly tightening inner flesh made him curse.

Hyunseo hurriedly clung to his neck. He lightly sucked on her panting red lips, then thrust his p*nis in somewhat roughly. 

She barely managed to make a sound after squeezing her eyes shut and opening them.

“I’ll see you, but…”

“We might break up?”

“Marriage would be… difficult…”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, probably, ngh, hnngh…”

Gyeom dug even deeper. He didn’t like Hyunseo’s answer, but he didn’t press her. Just feeling her tighten and clench around him as soon as he entered was overwhelming. It felt so good he was going crazy.

He also didn’t want to burden her unnecessarily.

If he said they absolutely had to get married, this overly kind woman would obviously get scared on her own. She might even run away. 

If he cornered her saying ‘I’m already crazy about you,’ ‘I’ll never let you go for life,’ ‘don’t even dream of breaking up,’ she might hide in fear.

Just thinking about it was terrible. It couldn’t happen. He didn’t want to create a situation where he’d let her go helplessly like last time ever again. 

So what choice did he have? 

He had no choice but to make her unable to live without him. Whether through her body or her heart.

“Do Hyunseo.”

“Yes…?”

“Right now I only see Do Hyunseo. Is it the same for you?”

“Ngh, of course…”

“You’re doing well. Keep looking only at me from now on too. Got it…?”

Hyunseo nodded. His dark eyes were so desperate she couldn’t help but nod.

Gyeom, who smiled faintly, devoured her lips. Wet tongue and sweet breath surged in hotly. As his hip movements gradually quickened, she hugged his neck even more tightly. 

Her nose tingled with overwhelming emotion.