“What are you doing!”

Ever since the kiss at her parents’ house, he had pressed his lips to hers at every opportunity. Eunha had even given him a secret nickname—the kissing ghost. She never told him, but it fit.

He kissed her whenever their eyes met, but she hadn’t expected him to do it here of all places.

“Ha… why? Am I not allowed?”

He rubbed his cheek against her shoulder, heat rising in his eyes.

“You kept sneaking glances, so I thought you wanted a kiss.”

“That’s not— mmph.”

Her neck flushed red the moment she realized he had caught her secretly looking at him. Like a ripened fruit turning sweet and warm, her skin reddened, only for a damp tongue to slowly trace across it.

“Tae-yang! What if your mother comes out!”

She tried to sound firm, watching nervously toward the hallway, but her voice was small.

“So what? She’ll just think we get along well.”

His shameless confidence made her speechless.

“Still, no. Wait until we’re home…”

“I want you now.”

Even though she said no, he buried his lips against her neck, scattering soft kisses everywhere.

“Should we stay the night? My mother gets lonely.”

“…All of a sudden?”

Because Eunha had been feeling guilty and sad about his mother’s loneliness, the suggestion secretly warmed her.

“I don’t think I can make it home.”

Eunha’s eyes shook wildly. So his mother was only an excuse—there was another reason entirely.

“When did that…”

Her face flushed all the way to her ears as she bit her lip.

“Ha… your face is about to explode.”

‘Can a man’s voice really sound this sinful?’

His sigh made her heart jolt hard. She tried pulling her hand away, but he only held her tighter. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

“…Mom!”

From far away, Hyesung’s voice echoed.

The moment Tae-yang loosened his hold, Eunha quickly pulled her hand back.

“Mom! Grandma said all of these are mine! She said they’re presents!”

Rubbing the spot on her neck where he had licked her, Eunha hurried toward Hyesung. His little hands were full of shopping bags.

His grandmother must have prepared his Christmas gifts early.

Seeing her approach, Eunha smiled warmly toward the woman who followed behind.

“Thank you, Mother.”

Just imagining how she must have chosen each gift, thinking of how happy Hyesung would be, made Eunha’s chest warm.

“Hyesung, should we stay over tonight?”

Tae-yang asked the boy.

“Really? We’re really staying?”

He looked at Eunha as if asking for permission. When she smiled and nodded, he bounced with joy — and his grandmother looked even happier.

“Grandma, Grandma! Read with me!”

He pulled out one of the books she had given him and begged to read it right away.

“Hyesung, we need to sleep early if we’re going to the pool tomorrow. You can read it tomorrow.”

“But…”

The book he held was about animals, the topic he was most obsessed with these days.

“Then how about going to the pool a bit later? Not at dawn, maybe in the afternoon?”

His grandmother gently suggested, taking Hyesung’s side. She was asking if they could just let him stay up a little later this once.

“All right. Just for today, Hyesung.”

“Yay! Grandma, I’m sleeping with you tonight!”

He threw his arms around her neck, and Eunha’s mouth fell open at the sight.

“Of course! I would love that. I wanted to sleep with you too. Let’s read and fall asleep together, okay?”

“Okay!”

‘…How… did this happen?’

Eunha had planned to sleep with Hyesung herself. Being alone with Tae-yang felt far too dangerous. Remembering what had happened at her parents’ house, her cheeks burned.

But seeing how happy his mother was, Eunha couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Grandma, I want to eat the cake I made. I want to show it to Mister!”

Eager to show off the cake he had made himself, Hyesung tugged excitedly at Eunha’s sleeve. He looked at his grandmother for approval, and she nodded with a smile.

She respected Eunha’s authority as a parent. If Eunha had said no, his grandmother would have stepped back without complaint.

A strawberry cake was placed on the coffee table. Its shape was imperfect and uneven, but to Eunha, it was more beautiful than anything from a patisserie.

“Make a wish before you blow out the candle!”

He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and pulled a serious face as though he were praying. Perhaps it was the same wish he had made when he put the star on the tree earlier.

With Christmas approaching, she had been worrying about what to buy him. He had everything he needed, and she hadn’t been able to choose a gift for him.

Hyesung blew out the candle, puckered his lips and looked at her with a big grin. She would have to ask him later what he had wished for.

“Mister, is it good? I made this cake!”

It seemed even a firefly had entered his eyes, they sparkled with pure anticipation.

“Yeah. I’ve never had a cake this good.”

Tears prickled behind her eyes.

She had imagined moments like this once — birthdays where everyone gathered, sang together, and Hyesung blew out candles.

Eunha blinked rapidly.

He had once said he didn’t like cake. But he didn’t leave even a crumb, eating his whole slice with obvious enjoyment.

So… he doesn’t dislike Hyesung anymore. She didn’t know why he’d changed, but his heart clearly had.

Hyesung rubbed his eyes sleepily.

“Hyesung, let’s go. We’re heading in first.”

His grandmother said as she took him toward the master bedroom.

“We should go too.”

“…Go ahead. I’ll clean this up and— kya!”

He lifted her into his arms without warning, making her let out a short scream. She clamped her mouth shut instantly, afraid his mother might hear.

Terrified of falling, she instinctively wrapped her arms tight around his neck.

“Put me down! What are you doing!”

“The housekeeper will clean this tomorrow.”

Ignoring her demand, he strode off with firm steps. When he placed his foot on the stairs and began heading up to the second floor, she couldn’t stop him. If he let go, she’d fall — so all she could do was hold onto him even tighter.

He carried her into a room on the second floor.

Eunha’s back touched the soft mattress.

Lowering his arm beside her face, he stared into her eyes as he slowly leaned down.

“…You’ll catch my cold.”

She turned her head slightly, but he bit the side of her neck as if giving punishment.

“It hurts!”

“Hurts? That tiny thing hurts?”

She rubbed her neck hard with her hand, and he frowned as though he were the one in pain.

“Do you know how much I hurt? You couldn’t even imagine.”

Eunha held her breath. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his steady gaze, so she rolled her eyes away.

“Ow! I said it hurts!”

He lifted her shirt and bit down on her stomach, making her flinch.

“And I told you I’m hurting more.”

He pressed deliberately, and their bodies closed together without a gap.

He tapped his fingers against his own lips.

Was he asking for a kiss?

After hesitating, Eunha lifted her head and placed a quick peck on his lips. She saw his eyes deepen in real time.

“Be a little more generous.”

So it wasn’t a peck he wanted… it was a kiss.

“You’ll catch my cold…”

“I don’t care.”

Gathering her courage, Eunha cupped his cheek and pressed her lips hard against his. She parted his lips slightly and slid her tongue in, trying to imitate what he had done to her before.

“A little more…”

She thought that would be enough but he wasn’t satisfied.

“I want to do more than kiss you.”

He bit the inside of her wrist, lifting the corner of his lips as something warm stirred inside her. When she flinched at the pain, he soothed the spot with soft licks.

Their tongues tangled again—an adult’s kiss, nothing like the clumsy attempt she’d made earlier. Eunha lost herself in it for a long time until she opened her eyes, startled—because he had finally pulled away.

“Do I taste good?”

His eyes asked the question before his mouth did. And they warned her clearly.

Tonight was going to be a very long night.