Do Not Feed Recklessly - Chapter 4. Part 5

“Do you kiss every girl who confesses to you?” she asked, feeling both incredulous and irritated.

“That’s not true, but…”

Ethan started, but Jia found it hard to believe he hadn’t kissed anyone with that face of his.

“Anyway, it’s not ‘equal footing’!” she snapped, feeling the heat radiating from their bodies.

The small room felt stifling, almost suffocating with the tension and warmth that surrounded them. Her cheeks flushed and she could no longer hold Ethan’s gaze.

“So, are you upset about it?” Ethan pressed, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“Yeah.” she admitted, feeling vulnerable and frustrated.

“Why? I mean, I’m not that bad, right?”

His blatant arrogance only deepened Jia’s disbelief, prompting her to let out a hollow laugh and click her tongue in annoyance.

“OK, just let me go.”

Despite her plea, Ethan shook his head firmly and, instead, pressed in closer, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

“You crazy idiot.”

“What’s so surprising about this?” he replied with a smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.

“Seriously? You think this is okay?” Jia shot back, her irritation bubbling over.

Ethan’s smirk widened.

“What? Just having a little fun, right?”

“Fun? This isn’t fun for me!”

Jia protested, pushing against his chest again, but he remained unmoved, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Come on, Jia. You can’t tell me you’re not enjoying this at all,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes, her heart racing despite herself.

“I’m really not.” she insisted, but deep down, she knew she was lying.

“You know we’re just friends, right?”

Ethan said, looking down at her with a mix of challenge and amus*ment.

Jia blinked in disbelief, caught off guard. Before she could react, he casually pulled off his sweatshirt and tossed it aside.

The sound of the fabric hitting the floor echoed around the small room and Jia suddenly found herself face to face with his muscular torso, full of toned muscles and defined abs. The sight made her gasp, her breath catching in her throat.

As Ethan loomed over her, she instinctively reached for the discarded sweatshirt, trying to grab it from the floor.

It was a futile effort; she knew she couldn’t get past him if he didn’t move. But the urge to regain some control of the situation forced her to try.

“Why the hell are you taking off your clothes?” Jia exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.

“Why? You already know.” Ethan replied with a smug grin.

“I don’t know! I really don’t! Are you out of your mind?” she snapped, her frustration boiling over.

As he casually unbuttoned his pants, a distinct outline became visible, and Jia’s eyes widened in shock. Unable to handle it, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sight.

“Please, just put your clothes back on!” Jia pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice.

“I don’t want to.” he replied simply, his tone playful and defiant.

“Right now, you’re just making a mistake because you’re drunk.” Jia insisted, desperately trying to regain control of the situation.

“As I said earlier, a few sips of that watery soju aren’t enough to get me drunk.” Ethan teased, a playful tone lacing his words.

Jia squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, covering her face with her hands, hoping to block him out. But then, as if to provoke her further, Ethan slipped his hand under her shirt, resting it on her waist.

Feeling the unexpected touch, Jia froze, her body tensing in shock.

“H-hey! You—are you seriously not going to move your hand?”

“I thought we were closer than this…”

Ethan murmured, his voice low and almost conspiratorial, making her heart race even more.

She felt a large hand slide up her smooth waist. Slowly, the hands moved up her bare skin, groping for the bra hooks that held her tightly behind her back. Realizing what he was doing, Gia reached out and grabbed Ethan’s forearm.

“Stop it, you idiot! Don’t do this!” she shouted, trying to hide her panic, but Ethan showed no signs of backing down. He just raised an eyebrow playfully and chuckled as usual.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why are you acting like this? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Jia didn’t know where to look amidst the flesh-colored surroundings. Her wide eyes darted around, lost and confused. But Ethan, seemingly unfazed by her discomfort, continued calmly with his questions.

“Why did I do this? You are out of nowhere.” 

“Well, I… I said I was sorry…” 

“I felt like the sky was falling.” 

Jia thought to herself that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but feeling guilty, she kept quiet.

“I thought maybe you’d gone on a trip or something when I suddenly couldn’t find you.” Ethan continued, his tone more serious now.

“…” 

“And then I started to wonder if you were sick or had an accident. Do you have any idea how much I worried?”

Jia looked up at Ethan and read his expression. The seriousness on his face didn’t look like a joke; he seemed genuinely concerned.

‘No, that’s a bit much, even for him…’

Jia thought, a random notion creeping in despite the serious atmosphere. But she swallowed her thoughts and nodded along, pretending to agree with him.

“So, I couldn’t help but ask your parents. And what did they say? That you got a job in Korea and just left overnight?”

“I’m sorry…” Jia replied.

“Is this what you meant by something good for both of us?”

Ethan’s voice was thick with emotion, and Jia felt a knot tighten in her stomach.

“At what point am I supposed to enjoy this situation?” he added, his frustration clear.

His expression grew more intense as he studied her, leaving Jia speechless. As silence fell between them, she suddenly felt the strap of her bra loosen with a soft snap. The fabric, once secure, now hung uncomfortably loose against her skin.

“E-Ethan… wait a second!” Jia stammered, flustered.

“I get it, okay? I’m sorry. I know I messed up. But what does that have to do with this right now?”

At her question, Ethan paused and locked eyes with her. There was a moment of silence. Then he spoke slowly.

“You still don’t get it?”

“What do you mean? What am I not getting?” Jia asked, confusion etched on her face.