Chapter 8.1 – Sweet Room

The sound of labored breathing filled the room. Moonkyeong, her body slack like stretched taffy, looked up at him with an exhausted expression.

“Please… stop… I’m begging you.”

Inside her tightening body, he writhed in pleasure and ecstasy. Her unrelenting gasps, echoing through the quiet room, drove him mad throughout the night.

Their lovemaking, which couldn’t end with just once, continued well into dawn. Even after Moonkyeong repeatedly begged him to stop, he showed no signs of relenting.

The careful restraint he had maintained all day had crumbled miserably. The peaceful altitude of his emotions had risen and fallen without pause, only to crash to the ground. Perhaps he had known from the beginning that it would come to this, and bringing her to his side had been a clear mistake.

There was no turning back now. By the time this night ended, he would be addicted to her again, and she would endlessly crave him.

But Seo Moonkyeong, this time, the one who will leave won’t be me—it’ll be you. So don’t forget that.

The one who leaves must neither love nor be unable to forget the other.

I’ll handle the loving and the remembering, so you can find your freedom.

Seojun sneered at her as she cried out in pain. At first, she had been so overwhelmed with pleasure, but now, after a little prolongation, she was struggling.

“I could do much more. Where’s the Seo Moonkyeong who used to glide and leap across the stage? Why don’t you put that body of yours to use?”

“I… I was wrong… please, stop.”

At last, as Moonkyeong broke into sobs, Seojun gently stroked her tear-streaked face. Could he really stop punishing her here? He planned to do much more.

“So hold on.”

Like a maniac driving a sports car at full speed on the highway, Seojun pressed the accelerator to its limit.

He wouldn’t let the audacious Seo Moonkyeong go until she cried several more times.

The clock hands pointed to 6 a.m. Just before the alarm could go off, Seojun turned it off.

The usually punctual Seo Moonkyeong, who had never overslept, was still sound asleep, using her palm as a pillow. Lying next to her, Seojun spent a long moment watching her.

At 6:30 a.m., it was usually time for Moonkyeong to start cooking rice.

Even as she cooked, she would tread lightly, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. But now, she was still dreaming.

He lightly ran his finger down the bridge of her nose. Though she scrunched her face in irritation, she showed no signs of waking up.

Without even having time to feel disappointed at her not picking out his tie, he hurriedly prepared for work alone.

Dressed sharply, Seojun stepped out of the dressing room and stood in front of her. A smirk played on his lips.

“You act so cocky, yet you can’t even handle two rounds.”

He planted a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving the house, but Moonkyeong remained fast asleep.

***

Moonkyeong woke up just ten minutes before 10 a.m.

They say that on days when everything feels peaceful, quiet, and sparkling, you’re bound to be late—and that proved true.

“Ah!”

Startled by the familiar ceiling and surroundings, she bolted upright.

The fact that she had passed out in his bedroom until this hour was shocking, and realizing she was completely n*ked made her even more flustered.

Before she could even process the events of the previous night, she needed to leave the house.

Her gynecology appointment was at 11 a.m., leaving no time to waste.

Nam Leehyun had a habit of scrutinizing every detail, from the earrings she wore to the stray hairs sticking out of her hairstyle and even the patterns on her scarf. To avoid falling out of favor, meticulous preparation was essential.

Emerging from the bathroom, Moonkyeong dried her hair while simultaneously selecting an outfit. She tied her still-damp hair neatly with gel to ensure not a single strand was out of place and skipped wearing earrings or accessories altogether.

It was better to hear criticism for not wearing something than to be told why her choices didn’t match. That way, she could simply wear the suggested items next time.

Sure enough, as soon as Moonkyeong arrived on time, Nam Leehyun commented on her outfit.

“That skirt is a bit short.”

“I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Why aren’t you wearing earrings? Did you oversleep?”

Moonkyeong lied without hesitation.

“No, I just couldn’t find earrings that matched. After the appointment, could you pick some out for me, Mother?”

Nam Leehyun, particularly proud of her taste in clothes, accessories, and jewelry, had sent countless necklace sets as pre-wedding gifts to prove her superior eye for fashion. She often accompanied her compliments with detailed explanations, as if to announce her impeccable taste to the world.

Though her voice rose as if annoyed, she seemed to secretly enjoy it.

“I don’t have that much free time. I’ll have Chief Secretary Goo pick out a few matching accessories and send them to Samseong-dong this afternoon.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“You’re preparing well for pregnancy, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Recalling the previous night, Moonkyeong’s cheeks turned red.

It wasn’t until she lay on the examination table that she realized something. The pain she felt below was more severe than she’d expected, and the swelling was so pronounced that the doctor noticed it immediately.

The doctor, finishing the checkup, gave her a knowing smile.

“Newlyweds always seem to enjoy themselves.”

“……”

“Everything looks good. You’re still healthy.”

“Yes.”

After leaving the hospital and enduring countless reminders from Nam Leehyun to conceive as soon as possible, she finally returned home.

***

Back at home, Moonkyeong turned on the TV. Lately, her favorite channel featured the daily life of a dog named Toto.

Toto, with over a million subscribers, was a rescue dog.

The videos documented Toto’s journey, from being abandoned on a rainy day to his current life, and they had become a source of healing for Moonkyeong.

Though she didn’t have much time to watch Toto’s videos due to her busy married life, she made sure to catch up whenever she could.

“Oh, how adorable.”

Her muttered words felt hollow as memories of the previous night suddenly resurfaced and unsettled her.

The image of herself shamelessly begging him to hold her flashed through her mind, making her feel unbearably hot.

The thought of her actions the previous night and her bold pleas to be punished left her wanting to crawl into a hole.

“You’re insane, Seo Moonkyeong!”

Why did I say that? Why did I say something so embarrassing?

Unable to endure the thought of her tearful, pleading face, Moonkyeong rolled on the floor in shame.

“Ahhh!”

She let out a loud scream, banging her forehead against the floor. After a moment, she straightened her posture and sat upright.

She wasn’t an innocent twenty-year-old, nor was this her first time, and it wasn’t as if she had slept with a stranger.

Besides, the man in question was none other than Kim Seojun, someone she had longed for.

As long as she didn’t fall in love, what did it matter? A refined relationship? She hadn’t expected that anyway.

Settling cross-legged on the sofa, she tied up her messy hair and refocused on the TV screen.

The video showed Toto left alone in a large house after his owner had gone out.

Watching him do nothing but wait by the door for his owner, without even drinking water, made her feel pity.

“At least eat something.”

Feeling a strange sense of calm, she turned off the TV. The excitement that had been simmering inside her suddenly dissipated.

There were no special plans for today. Since he had come home early last night for the first time in a while, it was clear he would be busy again soon, leaving her to eat dinner alone once more.

The areas he had touched the previous night throbbed. They ached, burned. It hurt so much that she thought she might go mad.

“How did I even endure it?”

Grumbling, Moonkyeong got up and dusted herself off. As always, the best way to clear her mind and pass the time was cleaning the house.

Even though she had scrubbed and polished every corner yesterday, she busied herself again to make the house shine.