Part 34

When she got home, she couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. 

She had been fiddling with her phone for two hours straight.

It had already been two weeks since she had parted ways with him at the hotel that day.

“You’re pathetic, Yoon Seowoo.”

It was probably time to just move on.

It was pathetic of her that she was trying so hard to ignore the signals he was sending her.

She hadn’t expected much to begin with. Their reunion was a mess, and since then, Jiwook hadn’t mentioned anything about it.

He was just someone she occasionally contacted and met up with to indulge in physical intimacy.

“So, I guess it’s over.”

But I still can’t let go of my lingering feelings alone…

She sighed deeply and turned her phone over.

Yet, she still harbored some hope that he might contact her today. It was a futile hope, but it was true.

Her articles about winning awards were pouring in, and her name was constantly trending on the portal site apps.

“…”

I should give up, I should give up. 

She kept repeating to herself, yet she couldn’t shake off the feeling of disappointment.

Eventually, she realized that this was going to keep her up all night. She thought maybe a glass of wine would help her sleep.

After tossing and turning in bed, Seowoo got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Holding a bottle of wine, she noticed the high-proof whiskey nearby.

“I never thought I’d end up drinking this.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

It was the whiskey her co-star had given her as a gift not too long ago. She wasn’t much of a drinker, so she didn’t expect to have a reason to drink it.

She put ice cubes in a glass and poured it full of whiskey. She walked out into the living room with it and sat down in front of the window.

“Ah, it’s strong.”

As she took a sip, a burning sensation traveled down her throat.

Seowoo frowned.

Now that she thought about it, the only thing she’d eaten before going to the awards ceremony were the three pieces of kimbap she’d eaten at the dress shop, which Jung-ah had forced into her mouth and she had struggled to swallow them.

She’d been so nervous that she hadn’t been able to keep anything down, so she’d been on an empty stomach the whole time.

“…”

Don’t hope for anything.

She hadn’t really expected that the end of her long-time unrequited love would come to this. But the more she thought about it, the more disappointed she felt.

Seowoo, who had been staring out the window in silence, emptied the whiskey in one gulp.

“Ugh, I need to sleep soon.”

With a little relief, her mind began to wander. Seowoo got up from her seat, still holding the glass.

Ding-dong.

At that moment, the doorbell rang unexpectedly, causing Seowoo to startle and widen her eyes.

“…”

It was late at night. She felt anxious because fans sometimes waited in front of her house.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang again, making Seowoo’s lips stiffen. She quickly ran into her room and grabbed her cell phone, knowing that if it was someone strange, she would have to call the police.

But the screen was flashing. Seowoo’s actions froze as she looked at the caller ID.

The ringing phone stopped abruptly.

“Ah…”

Ding-dong.

And then, a text message arrived.

[Open the door.]

Faced with the concise message, Seowoo’s eyes widened even more.

So the person ringing the bell right now was…….

Seowoo hurriedly ran to the door and opened it.

Click.

“…”

Standing right in front of the door was Jiwook. Seowoo stared at him blankly, taken aback by his sudden appearance.

As he stepped inside, Jiwook closed the front door behind him. Then, he leaned in closer to her, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Have you been drinking?”

“…….”

As soon as their eyes met, Jiwook took the glass from her hand. Seowoo reached out in surprise, but Jiwook held it up higher.

“Alone?”

“Yes. I… couldn’t sleep.”

Without saying anything else, Jiwook suddenly wrapped a large bouquet of flowers around her arms. Seowoo, caught off guard, parted her lips slightly in surprise.

Was this a dream, him suddenly appearing like this…?

Blinking in confusion, Seowoo stood there dazed, as Jiwook furrowed his brows and loosened his tie.

“I saw the news.”

“…”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Not congratulations, but ‘you’ve been through a lot.’ 

How typical of Kwon Jiwook.

Even back in college, his way of speaking wasn’t particularly affectionate. So, each blunt word he uttered left her both excited and disappointed.

“I was on a business trip.”

“A business trip?”

“Yeah. But you didn’t even contact me once.”

Stubborn as ever.

He clicked his tongue, wearing a displeased expression.

“…You were waiting for my call?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh.”

Seowoo’s breath caught in her throat at his immediate affirmative response.

“Then you should’ve called first.”

Seowoo retorted awkwardly.

Am I drunk? 

Words she wouldn’t normally say were coming out of her mouth impulsively. 

Was there a rule that said I had to be the one to call first?

Her head swam slightly from hastily downing a glass of whiskey on an empty stomach.

“You misunderstood. You ran away first, and then vented to someone?”

“What… What are you talking about?”

“Who was it?”

He brought up that day’s incident. As the memory resurfaced, she felt a lump forming in her throat. Seowoo bit her lip, staring at him intently.

“I didn’t mean it in that way.”

“…”

“It was just a suggestion because there was a good opportunity.”

Jiwook calmly explained. It was the first time she had seen him like this. The bitterness she had been carrying melted away in an instant.

You’re so easy, Yoon Seowoo.

Just with a single sentence…

Seowoo looked at the bouquet with tears pooling in her eyes.

The bouquet was so large that she could barely hold it in her arms.

“How did you know where I live?”

She hadn’t mentioned anything to him, not even her address.

All he had was her cell phone number.

“You’re quick to ask, aren’t you?”

His tone was gruff, filled with roughness. 

Why were each of his words so unkind?

As Seowoo looked at him with eyes full of resentment, Jiwook raised an eyebrow subtly.

“I… missed you.”

“…”

Suddenly, Jiwook’s face showed bewilderment at the unexpected confession.

It was evident that she was drunk.

Normally, she was someone who couldn’t say a word about what she felt inside. However, it was perplexing how words were coming out of her mouth so unexpectedly.

“I thought I’d never see you again…”

Watching silently, Jiwook tilted his head and pressed his lips firmly against hers. The strong scent of alcohol mingled with her fragrance tickled his nose.

He sucked on her red lips and slid his tongue between them.

“……!”

As he kissed her deeply, Seowoo’s body instinctively leaned back, but Jiwook pulled her waist closer. As if making up for lost time, Jiwook greedily explored her lips.

When he pushed aside the obstructing bouquet of flowers between them, Seowoo pushed against his shoulder.

“Why… the flowers will get crushed.”

“Is that really important right now?”

“My flowers…”

When Seowoo tried to pick them up again, Jiwook overlapped their lips once more. Then, making sure her back didn’t hit the wall, he wrapped his arms around her back and pushed her against the wall.

“Mm!”

Without giving her a moment to catch her breath, Jiwook rained kisses down on her. Though it had only been two weeks, it felt so familiar, like it was only yesterday. Seowoo clung to him, lifting her heels. As she tilted her head, he kissed her more deeply.

“Mmm.”

There was a strange sensation from his tongue darting around her mouth. His tongue naturally roamed inside her mouth. A smile spreads across her face at the familiar scent of his breath.

She had missed him so much, but hiding those feelings had been so difficult. However, seeing him wanting her, she couldn’t help but keep laughing as if to say ‘How things have come this way.’. Call her pathetic, but she doesn’t care.

“Ah!”

He took her lips in his mouth and rolled them around for a long time before scooping her up in his arms.

He carried her straight into the living room and laid her down on the couch.

“Haa, haa.”

“How much did you drink?”

Jiwook asked, genuinely curious at the stronger-than-expected scent of alcohol. The whiskey glass that had been in her hand was still in his. Finally placing it on the nearby table, he took off his jacket.

“Just, one glass. Full.”

After removing his jacket, Jiwook stepped closer and took her small hand in his.

Then he took her hand to the front of his pants, to the buckle.

“Take them off, yourself.”

“…….”

Seowoo’s face flushed red at his commanding tone. Her embarrassed expression was so cute that mischievous thoughts kept popping up.

“Me? I should…?”

“Yeah. You.”

While Seowoo was visibly flustered, Jiwook remained extremely composed. He traced her lips with his thumb.

“Why? You were so good at taking off Han Joo-hyuk’s clothes, can’t you do mine?”

Now, what…?

Seowoo’s eyes widened at his words. The playfulness on Jiwook’s face had drained away to the point where it felt like a lie. Seowoo fiddled with his buckle, her lips pursed.

“Did you… see it?”

He simply nodded without saying a word.

“Ah…”

Of all things…

Seowoo felt a sense of defeat on her face. The bed scene she appeared in had unexpectedly been rated 19+ due to its explicit content. 

Considering how busy he was, she doubted he had the time to watch it, but she still hoped he hadn’t seen it. 

No, actually, in the back of her mind, she wanted him to see it and be a little jealous.

There was a conflicting mix of emotions inside her – wanting him to have seen it, yet also hoping he hadn’t. 

But now, knowing he had seen it, and seeing him speak about it in front of her, she felt a strange mix of emotions.

“So, take it off. Just like you did with that bastard.”

Continued in Volume 2.