Chapter 8.5

Golden sunlight streamed through the softly swaying cream-colored curtains. The light pierced through her heavy eyelids, causing Moonkyeong to stir under the covers.  

Had she been dreaming a sweet dream? For some reason, she didn’t want to wake up just yet and burrowed deeper into the blanket.  

Ah.  

The soft, warm sensation of another person’s bare skin against hers quickly interrupted her sleep.  

When she turned her body, still groggy, her face brushed against a firm chest blocking her view.  

As Moonkyeong opened her eyes, his arm wrapped around her waist.  

“You’re awake?”  

Seojun’s voice wasn’t groggy, as though he had been awake for a while.  

Suddenly, the events of the previous night came rushing back.  

After their first encounter, which had been like rolling in the mud, there had been two more rounds. 

Once he started, he didn’t seem to know when to stop, and she remembered crying out several more times past dawn because of him.  

Usually, Seo Moonkyeong, who rarely got drunk even after drinking due to her constant state of tension, had completely lost her reason.  

If only she could forget everything. But the memories of last night remained vivid and clear in her mind.  

She didn’t want to recall how pitifully she had acted toward him.  

Even the memory of struggling to unbutton his shirt remained as a lingering image.  

Underneath him, Moonkyeong let out a shallow, shaky breath.  

“I didn’t… do anything I’ll regret, did I?”  

“You regret things every time, don’t you?”  

“……”  

“I’m joking. Stay in bed a little longer.”  

“No, I’m wide awake now.”  

“Just five more minutes.”  

The mischievous hand around her waist slid up her spine, tracing it gently, until it reached the top of her head.  

He softly played with her hair several times, making her feel as though she was indispensable to him.  

Suddenly, his words from the night before, when he had called everything about her beautiful, floated through her mind like clouds.  

What should I do? At this rate, he might even hear the irregular pounding of my heart.  

Her face, buried in his chest, felt like it was about to burst like a ripe persimmon.  

Resolutely, Moonkyeong rejected his suggestion.  

“I’m getting up.”  

As she tried to rise, Seojun gently pressed her back down.  

As a result, her chest was squished against his skin.  

Their stomachs touched, and their legs intertwined.  

Since neither was wearing anything, she had to feel everything about his condition.  

Seojun’s arousal brushed against her thigh.  

He slowly stroked her cheek. 

“Unless you want to go again, hold on for five minutes.”  

His warning wasn’t directed at her. It was clearly meant for himself, as though he was trying to calm the heat rising within him.  

Moonkyeong tried to suppress her laughter but couldn’t hold it back, eventually shaking with laughter under the blanket.  

She decided to wait until he calmed down. She didn’t want to create another mess this early in the morning.  

When she thought enough time had passed, Moonkyeong left the bedroom and headed for the bathroom.  

Even while drying her hair, she couldn’t help but laugh at how he still hadn’t gotten out of bed.  

“I’ll step out for a bit, so take your time showering.”  

While Seojun was in the shower, Moonkyeong hurried down to the hotel lobby and approached the concierge desk.  

She knew there were Korean staff members stationed at the hotel and went straight to one of them.  

“Hello, may I ask for your help?”  

“Of course. How can I assist you?”  

“Well, I was wondering if I could get some emergency contraception.”  

“Ah. One moment, please.”  

The staff member exchanged a few words with another employee before returning to Moonkyeong.  

“In Vietnam, you can easily purchase it at a pharmacy without a prescription, unlike in Korea. Do you speak Vietnamese?”  

“No.”  

“In that case, I’ll write you a note. You can show this at the pharmacy. Is it the morning-after pill you need?”  

“Yes.”  

Since their flight was at 9 p.m., she hoped to take it before then.  

Would it be too much to suggest going out again after yesterday’s outing?  

As she bit her lip and turned to head back to the hotel room, she spotted Seojun, now neatly dressed, waving at her from the lobby.  

The two sat down for breakfast together.  

Even as they ate, Moonkyeong’s thoughts were a bit tangled.  

He likely wanted contraception as well, but the idea of openly telling him she was taking the pill made her uncomfortable.  

If he decided to rest at the hotel until their flight, she planned to excuse herself by saying she wanted to visit a shopping center and go out alone.  

Though her body ached and she knew she needed rest, Moonkyeong wanted to savor this moment of leisure a little longer.  

Seojun, who usually paired his breakfast with strong coffee, only drank water today.  

Moonkyeong cautiously asked, 

“You’re not drinking coffee?”  

“I’ll have some outside.”  

“Outside?”  

“Shall we get going if you’re done eating?”  

Basking in the bright sunlight, the two walked side by side. As he had said, they found a small café instead of staying at the hotel, where they sat across from each other and drank coffee.  

The tangy yet nutty aroma of the beans instantly cleared Moonkyeong’s hangover.  

It reminded her of the coffee she used to drink in the early mornings back in Moscow.  

As old memories surfaced, she looked at Seojun.  

She had never imagined their paths would cross like this.  

To be honest, when she left Russia, she thought she’d never see him again.  

For the first time, Moonkyeong opened up to Seojun about her time in Germany.  

“When I was in Germany, I thought about you sometimes.”  

As he rested his chin on his hand and sipped his coffee, Seojun’s gaze swept over her deep eyes.  

“And?”  

“I imagined going to that café every Wednesday.”  

“Did you miss me? Me or my body?”  

Moonkyeong placed her cooling teacup back on the table.  

The warmth that had heated her hands hadn’t cooled at all.  

“Both.”  

Her honesty made Seojun laugh softly.  

“Straightforward, aren’t you?”  

“And you?”  

“……”  

“Did you ever miss me?”  

He met her eyes.  

“Not once.”  

“Not even once?”  

“Never.”  

His dry response made Moonkyeong nod slowly.  

As the sun began to set, while he stepped away briefly to take a phone call, Moonkyeong visited a pharmacy to purchase emergency contraception. When she showed the note written by the hotel staff, the pharmacist handed it to her without difficulty.  

Moonkyeong swallowed the pill inside the pharmacy. From a distance, she saw him finishing his call and returning.  

As she hurriedly rushed out of the pharmacy without checking her surroundings, she tried to run toward Seojun, who was standing on the opposite side.  

A motorcycle zoomed past her, narrowly missing her. Had the timing been just a little earlier, it could have led to a serious accident. It was a stroke of luck.  

Moonkyeong froze in place, her right arm slightly grazed. Seojun, who had witnessed the scene, quickly ran over to her.  

He inspected her arm from different angles.  

“Are you alright?”  

“Yes, I’m fine.”  

Seeing his eyes filled with worry, as if he were looking at a child left near water, Moonkyeong subtly bit her lip.  

“It just grazed me a little. I was startled, but I’m not hurt.”  

“Seo Moonkyeong.”  

“Yes?”  

“Stay close to me. Don’t wander around alone.”  

“…Alright.”  

He truly was skilled at making people’s hearts waver. She thought to herself that she shouldn’t get swept up, but following him around didn’t seem like such a bad idea.  

Wherever Seojun went, Moonkyeong stuck close behind him or walked beside him, keeping less distance than usual.  

She clung to him like glue, so much so that Seojun didn’t need to check whether she was following or falling behind.  

This relationship could never be one of equals. As the weaker party, she had no choice but to adapt to him completely.  

After navigating through a complex path, the two stopped by a bookstore to browse some books and then had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant.  

When they stepped outside, the blazing sun had begun to set, and a cool breeze blew from somewhere.  

As Seojun glanced at his wristwatch, Moonkyeong asked, 

“We should head back now, right?”  

“We have about an hour to spare. Want to take a walk?”  

The two strolled leisurely around the lake.  

In the late afternoon, the area around the lake was bustling with families and couples out for a walk. The lively atmosphere didn’t bother Moonkyeong one bit.  

The laughter of children giggling, a young man kneeling to take a picture for his girlfriend, and an elderly couple who looked like the sweetest pair in the world.  

It was peaceful.  

“Isn’t it strange? From a distance, everyone looks happy.”  

“Do they?”  

“Yes. Don’t they look that way to you?”  

“They do to me, too.”  

At that moment, a little girl in a pink dress ran between them as they walked side by side.  

Startled by the sudden appearance of the child, the two stepped apart for a moment. The girl’s parents, chasing after her, bowed their heads apologetically.  

Both Seojun and Moonkyeong waved their hands, signaling that it was fine.  

The little girl, now farther away, was innocently blowing soap bubbles.  

The lively bubbles, as vibrant as her curly hair, floated toward Moonkyeong, carried by the breeze.  

Watching the child, Moonkyeong’s lips curled into a soft smile.  

Seeing her smile, Seojun also smiled. He recalled the question she had asked him earlier at the café.  

There was no need to miss her. After all, he had gone to see her every Wednesday.  

He wiggled his finger at her, who was still smiling.  

“Yes?”  

“Stand over there.”  

“Why?”  

When he suddenly said he wanted to take her picture, Moonkyeong looked confused and stood in place. Seojun raised his phone’s camera.  

“Aren’t you going to smile?”  

“Oh.”  

“One, two, three.”  

Finally, Moonkyeong smiled sweetly and lovingly. Seojun captured the moment on camera.  

The sunlight streaming gently through the trees, the light breeze playing with her long hair.  

The floating soap bubbles and Seo Moonkyeong, more beautiful than anything else in the world.  

Well, it seems like this moment will be something to miss.  

Because today, with you in it, is heaven for me. The thought of having to drag you back into hell again is as unbearable as ever.  

That’s why I think I’ll miss this. I think I’ll long to see your radiant smile over and over again.  

He pressed the camera button once more. Warm, golden sunlight poured over her head.