Chapter 23

“Haa… Wait, mmph…”

As soon as they opened the officetel door, Wooseok hungrily claimed Eunjae’s lips. It was just like that day. His tongue invaded her mouth, not even letting her breathe. When Eunjae clung to his back as if clawing for air, he finally pulled away for a moment, as if saving her.

“Sl-slowly…”

But only for a few seconds. Wooseok pressed her against the wall, now fiercely kissing her neck. Eunjae struggled, half lifted by his arm. Wherever his lips touched, a hot fever rose like being bitten by a sharp tentacle.

“How long do you think I’ve been holding back?”

Wooseok braced his hand against the wall and pleaded. Eunjae felt it too. Even just kissing, when their lower bodies touched, his already swollen arousal pressed so hard against her thigh that it was almost intimidating. It wasn’t some magic lamp that grew just by touching. The feeling of it growing, the flesh pressing harder, left Eunjae at a loss.

“Is it… hard for you?”

Eunjae glanced down at Wooseok’s front and asked. When she looked up, Wooseok let out a wry laugh. There really were all kinds of ways to torment someone. Frowning, he seemed to be pondering what to do with this troublemaker.

“What if it is?”

“Huh?”

“Will you do enough to satisfy me?”

“…….”

Eunjae’s face flushed hot again.

“Do… do what? Seriously… Where did you even learn to say things like that…”

Trying to escape his territory, Eunjae moved to the side, but his arm blocked her path. She glared at Wooseok. She wasn’t some trapped mouse. Feeling stubborn, she tried to twist her body to the side, but his arms blocked her on both sides.

“What are you doing?”

“Stopping you from running away.”

“Who said I was running away?”

“The one denying it right now.”

“Hey!”

She made as if to kick him, but Wooseok didn’t flinch. He used to always react when Eunjae kicked like this. She felt a chill—could it all have been an act? Even that thought made her feel guilty for how much he tried to match her moods.

“Let’s wash up. Then we’ll do it properly.”

“…What?”

Wooseok looked surprised at her unexpected answer. Eunjae seized the moment to enter the living room, grabbed her bag, and headed straight for the bathroom. She even locked the door, just in case, and after that, Wooseok’s behavior quieted down.

Eunjae sat on the edge of the bathtub and let out a sigh of relief. Since she’d said she’d wash, there was no avoiding it tonight. She checked the color of her underwear, glad she hadn’t worn mismatched ones. Realizing how silly she was being, she brushed her teeth first. She already had her own toothbrush holder at Wooseok’s place. As she took out her toothbrush, she couldn’t help but understand why Wooseok’s mother had that expression.

“What are you doing, just standing there?”

“Oh, um.”

While she was washing up, Wooseok had prepared a simple meal on the table—shrimp fried rice, which Eunjae loved. He could get by with cereal before work, but whenever Eunjae came over, he always made sure to cook for her and kept plump shrimp in the freezer.

He’d quickly made fried rice with those. In fact, while washing up, Eunjae’s stomach had growled. She’d hesitated about suggesting they order tteokbokki and chicken again, but it was as if Wooseok had read her mind and cooked for her.

Wooseok, dressed comfortably, looked like a newlywed good at kitchen chores. Nothing had changed from a month ago, but somehow he seemed different now. Just after confessing, she was already thinking about marriage—she surprised herself.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Yeah. Later, I’ll eat you well too.”

Eunjae reflexively kicked him at his shameless words.

“Ah!”

“Are you trying to get hit on purpose?”

Wooseok’s face was beaming even after being kicked. Then he stood up.

“Why?”

“I need to wash too, while you eat.”

“Oh…”

For some reason, Eunjae found it hard to meet his eyes and took a spoonful of fried rice. The fluffy rice and shrimp were a perfect match, satisfying her mouth. After watching her eat happily, Wooseok disappeared into the bathroom. When she heard the door close, Eunjae finally relaxed her tense shoulders and took a sip of water.

She thought she was hungry, but it was hard to swallow. If she finished eating, she’d have to do “that” with Wooseok. That night, thanks to alcohol, she hadn’t felt this kind of nervousness, but now, waiting for the moment sober, her insides felt like they were burning. It was only natural for her stomach to churn with tension.

“Whew…”

Deciding she couldn’t keep eating, she wrapped up the food and put it in the fridge, then headed to Wooseok’s study. It was the place she often spent time when visiting this house, a space they almost shared.

When Wooseok worked here, Eunjae would read. When she napped, Wooseok would come play guitar next to her. After playing around, when they got hungry, they’d order tteokbokki. Lying on the floor with full bellies, they’d wonder what to eat for dinner.

Remembering those simple but perfectly happy days, Eunjae smiled. Maybe all that happiness was because of one person.

Lost in memories, Eunjae sat at Wooseok’s desk. She tried sitting in his usual seat, looking across at the small sofa where she’d often been. Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked, thinking it might be her sister, but it was someone unexpected.

Gayeon texted that she’d just sent some documents to review by email. Eunjae replied simply that she’d check. While she was at the desk, she turned on Wooseok’s computer. Luckily, it wasn’t completely powered off.

Eunjae quickly checked the email and finished her task. It was just a simple review, so she was done soon. As she was about to shut down the computer, a strangely named folder on the desktop caught her eye.

Come to think of it, Wooseok always kept her from touching this computer. If she had work, he’d give her a spare laptop, almost as if he was hiding something. She remembered feeling uneasy, thinking there might be something she wasn’t supposed to know.

No matter how close you are, it’s hard to share everything. Eunjae had tried to keep her curiosity in check back then. But now, her curiosity outweighed everything.

The suspicious folder was named [LOVE]. What did it mean? The simple but meaningful word made Eunjae hover her mouse over it. Then she remembered something Gayeon once said—that men always hid secret video folders on their computers, and she always checked for them first when dating someone.

Hakyung had scolded Gayeon for prying into people’s private lives. Eunjae agreed with Hakyung, but wondered what she’d do if she were in that situation. She never imagined she’d actually face it.

Eunjae squeezed her eyes shut and clicked. Maybe she needed to know. Maybe she wanted to match Wooseok’s tastes a little. As she slowly opened her eyes, her mouth dropped open. Scrolling down, she grew more and more surprised.

Then, knock knock, someone tapped the desk, and Eunjae jerked her head up. Wooseok was right in front of her. Like someone caught at the scene of a crime, Eunjae’s eyes widened.

“Wooseok…”

“What’s this look? Did you peek at something?”

“Huh? No, I just…”

Wooseok circled the desk to check for himself what she’d been looking at. Eunjae quickly closed the folder with the mouse. Just then, Wooseok’s body pressed against her back. He covered her hand on the mouse, holding her so she couldn’t move. She really was a mouse in a trap.

“What did you close so quickly?”

If he wanted to find out, he could. He knew computers kept a record of activity. Eunjae tried to wriggle free, but Wooseok spun the chair around so she faced him.

“S-sorry.”

“So what are you sorry for?”

The look in his eyes was different than before. Fresh from his shower, he smelled of cool musk. His wet hair fell over his forehead, reminding her of the rebellious youth he used to be.

“…I just, I thought it was… some weird video or something.”

“Video?”

Wooseok let out a baffled laugh.

“You were curious about what I watch when I… do that?”

His gaze crossed the line a little. Eunjae remembered when she’d seen that look before. It was that night. She was sure it was the Wooseok she knew, but he’d seemed like a completely different person. If only she had the shamelessness to casually respond to his bold words. Instead, even just his gaze made her toes curl with a strange sensation.

“No, it’s not about preference… Not that style, I mean… Ah, forget it.”

Eunjae gave him a firm push. She expected Wooseok to be moved, but he didn’t budge at all. He was wearing only a thin t-shirt, and when her hand touched his chest, she could feel the hard muscles underneath. Wooseok glanced down at where Eunjae had hit his chest, then looked up at her again.

“Just your touch… makes me react.”

Wooseok leaned in close and whispered right in front of Eunjae’s eyes. Once again, she felt a tremor in her lower belly. She had never imagined their relationship would become so charged. They had always been friends. But now, as if all those years had been a lie, her body responded to his words and was filled with a dangerous energy.

“I don’t need videos.”

Wooseok locked his eyes on Eunjae with a lingering gaze. He raised his hand and gently touched her ear. The moment his cool hand brushed her, Eunjae flinched as if a jolt of electricity passed through her. Wooseok smiled, finding her reaction cute. Eunjae couldn’t help but stare at him, drawn in by that smile.

Wooseok gently rubbed her earlobe with his finger, then slowly lowered his head and kissed her. It was an unhurried, affectionate, and passionate kiss. As he kissed her, his hand naturally slipped under Eunjae’s t-shirt.

His touch, fresh from the shower, was cold but somehow felt warm. His hand traced up from her navel. Without even undoing her underwear, his hand slipped inside. When Eunjae, startled, arched her back, Wooseok deepened the kiss and sucked on her lips.