CHAPTER 13

*

“Sigh….”

He sighed instead. Seungbin shook his head and looked back at Yeonseo.

“Yeonseo, I have to work, so I have to go. Let’s meet tomorrow when I come to Seoul. Don’t forget to call me.”

Yeonseo averted her gaze and didn’t reply.  As Seungbin left, silence filled the air.

Yeonseo stood up from the bench and bowed her head.

“Today’s incident was entirely my fault. There’s no excuse. I apologize.”

Regardless, at the moment, Taeheon was Mrs. Kang’s guardian, so Yeonseo also owed him an apology.

“I’ll stay here, so you can go home for today.”

“Are you saying you will be spending the night at the hospital?”

“Yes, who knows if someone else might come and cause trouble again. I need to watch over grandma myself.”

Yeonseo felt a bitter sadness in her heart as she realized that anyone could harm Mrs. Kang anytime.

“If that’s the case, and if you’re okay with it, I’ll stay here too.”

“I thought you were scared of me and avoiding me.”

“….”

Yeonseo’s ears turned red when Taeheon pointed out to that he knew that she was avoiding him.

“I’m not.”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s leave it at that.”

Taeheon replied curtly and headed towards the elevator with his secretary who had been waiting for him.

Yeonseo was relieved that Taeheon didn’t ask further about ‘what happened’. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and felt her lips tremble as she pressed them together.

*

It was 11 p.m. It had been some time since Mrs. Kang had fallen asleep. Her steady breathing showed she was at peace, but Yeonseo couldn’t fully relax still, so she didn’t leave her bedside.

But she knew she should start getting some rest. She would need to replenish her stamina to wake up early in the morning so she would have the strength to care for Mrs. Kang. Caregivers needed to be physically strong.

Yeonseo looked at the guardian bed behind the partition. Since there was only one guardian bed, she had to sleep on the sofa. When she had suggested a moment ago that Taeheon should use the bed, he grabbed some of his clothes and went into the bathroom as if understanding her intentions.

She wondered if she’d made a mistake. It wouldn’t make sense for her to impose herself without considering that Mrs. Kang had a grandchildren to look after her. In any case, taking care of Mrs. Kang was Yeonseo’s responsibility and she wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving the hospital to worry about her.

Yeonseo glanced towards the bathroom, where she could hear the water running, and shook her head. Despite knowing that Mrs. Kang was present, the thought of sleeping in the same space as Taeheon made her uncomfortable.

After what happened yesterday, it was even harder to look at his face. Staying up all night might be less exhausting than dealing with Taeheon. Interacting with him was a constant state of tension and draining of energy.

Yeonseo remembered the vending machine and stood up. Drinking a refreshing beverage might make her feel better.

As she headed towards the door of the hospital room, Yeonseo bumped into Taeheon coming out of the bathroom. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t realize the water had stopped running.

“Ah.”

With only a towel around his waist, he was practically n*ked. His thick upper body seemed to be blocking her path. Her head jerked in surprise, feeling flustered. Taeheon also seemed taken aback, narrowing his eyes as if he hadn’t expected to run into Yeonseo.

“Where are you going?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Yeonseo quickly turned her head, attempting to pass by him.

“Where are you going at this hour? Phone call?”

“No, I was just going to the vending machine…”

“Yeonseo, your lips.”

“What?”

“I kindly warned you not to get involved with Seungbin. Wasn’t it such a gentlemanly way?”

Yeonsoo stopped in her tracks and gazed towards the door, obscured by darkness. The dimly lit hospital room felt suffocating, like a noose.

But she couldn’t move a single step. Yeonsoo couldn’t bring herself to look at Taeheon as she spoke.

“It’s not my intention to get involved with him, it’s just that Mr. Seungbin suddenly came to me.”

“What a lame excuse.”

“Mrs. Kang collapsed, and I just came to the hospital with him. I don’t why I explain myself like this to you. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why are you treating me like this?”

Her frustration made her raise her voice slightly. It was unfair for her to be misunderstood because of Seungbin. It wasn’t because she liked him that they were entangled in a messy situation.

After going through a distressing experience with Seungbin, she rushed to the hospital without having a chance to calm her heart. She hadn’t washed away her sadness and discomfort yet, but Taeheon seemed to be implying that she was giving Seungbin some leeway and questioning her responsibility.

“You busted your lip and that’s all there is to it.”

Yeonseo blinked, swallowing and then speaking into the darkness.

“If you’re so confident, come here and show your face.”

In private matters, he should have no rights to give her orders. And there was no reason to obey his words, yet oddly enough, Yeonseo couldn’t help but not follow them either.

Yeonseo was bound by the money Taeheon offered and so, she had to do as he said.  Every time she realized this, she felt so ashamed of herself.

Seeing Yeonsoo still frozen in place, Taeheon moved first. She flinched at the subtle sound he made.

“Is it really so hard for you to listen to me? If you mistake my patience for tolerance, it won’t end well for you.”

Another threat. Yeonseo opened her lowered eyes and slowly turned around. Taeheon smelled strongly of body wash.

Water dripped down his wet hair, tracing a path along his sharp jawline and upper torso. Yeonseo’s gaze lost its focus and wavered.

“I don’t want to make a fuss that will wake Mrs. Kang up.”

“You’re thinking of causing a fuss?”

“That’s not what I mean, Mr. Taeheon.”

“Just behave yourself, that’s what you need to do.”

“I want us to stop arguing.”

“That depends on what you decide.”

Taeheon grabbed Yeonseo’s wrist and pulled her into the dimly lit restroom, the steam still lingering in the air.

“Ugh, it hurts….”

Yeonseo whimpered as Taeheon raised his hand that was holding hers. He looked at her bruised wrist for a moment before his gaze darkened deeply.

“After leaving marks on you, you’re still getting cozy with someone else.”

What’s he talking about?

“If you like fooling around carelessly, then say so. I can fulfill your desires.”

“I don’t like fooling around.”

“I wonder if that jerk is even more trashy than I thought, or if you really approached him first.”

It was a fierce gaze, as if he were a wild beast ready to pounce, pushing Yeonseo into a corner with his harsh reprimands. The nape of her neck felt tensed as she held herself upright, facing Taeheon.

Was it because she couldn’t get over being disappointed by Seungbin that she couldn’t regain her composure and seemed to be clinging to him again without realizing?

Yeonseo could sense the level of judgment that Taeheon had towards her. He was probably looking down on her, putting her on the same level as Seungbin.

Taeheon, who judged Yeonseo’s worth on his own terms, was someone accustomed to making judgments about others. On the other hand, Yeonsoo had no evidence to refute the value he had given her.

Yeonsoo couldn’t help but acknowledge the difference between her and Taeheon, and it made her very frustrated. She answered with a frown on her face.

“Yes, it was enjoyable.”

She raised her eyes again, meeting that deep, piercing gaze.

“If you’re asking if I enjoyed it, then yes. I enjoyed it.”

Why did I respond so strongly? Did I want to give a retort that matched Taeheon’s rudeness?

She knew she should stop, but she couldn’t control herself.

“Is that your answer?”

 “I said I enjoyed it. I found it even more thrilling because I thought you would dislike it.”

“Being arrogant can be cute, but only to a certain extent.”

“I don’t care about rumors of two cousins fighting over a girl. It has nothing to do with me.”

“Don’t cross the line, Han Yeonsoo.”

“Then don’t make excessive assumptions, Mr. Taeheon. I’m only concerned about Mrs. Kang’s well-being… hmph!”

In a split second, Taeheon’s lips touched Yeonseo’s bruised hand. He pressed his lips against her wrist and looked at her with intense eyes. Yeonsoo tried to twist her wrist to pull it away, but it was futile attempt.

“It’s getting annoying.”

He mumbled as he pulled his lips away. A shiver ran down Yeonseo’s spine. The well-defined drops of water on his sculpted chest and the dampness in the air, coupled with the deep timbre of his voice, created an eerie atmosphere.

The suffocating atmosphere seemed to suck her in somewhere, clouding Yeonseo’s judgment. Even standing there felt increasingly difficult.

“It seems like my lesson wasn’t strong enough, so let’s see if you’ll learn well this time.”

“Let go….”

“After learning, go to that jerk Woo Seungbin and tell him whose belongings he tried to touch.”

Before she could even fully close her trembling eyelids, Taeheon abruptly slammed her against the wall. Damp tiles brushed against Yeonseo’s back.

“Ugh!”

His hot breath covered her lips. Heat rushed through her like rushing lava.

Gently grasping the nape of her tense neck, he lifted her chin. His tongue slipped through the gap between her slightly parted lips.  It was hot and wet.

The feeling of someone’s flesh, filling her mouth, was overwhelming. The solid texture of his tongue filled her senses. She should have felt uncomfortable, but she was swept away without any sense of resistance. The deep and intense exchange felt even more distant than Taeheon’s dark pupils.

Sticky moans erupted like seeds. Taeheon caught Yeonsoo’s tongue as she tried to pull away and sucked on it deeply. Amidst the mix of painful ache and tantalizing pleasure, Yeonsoo let out a moan, and in response, Taeheon swept his tongue across the roof of her mouth, even reaching the base of her tongue.

Not knowing how to catch her breath, she pleaded by tapping on his bare chest, asking for a moment to breathe. Responding to her plea, Taeheon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

“Hmph…!”

Changing the angle, their lips met again. The breath she had taken in briefly between their kisses quickly turned hazy.

“Ahhh, ah…”

Incoherent moans collided with Taeheon and scattered. When Yeonseo reached her limit, he bit her lips.

She gasped for breath and looked up at him with watery eyes. She should have resisted, but she didn’t have the strength to do so. All she could do, like a fool, was lean her body against him and gasped for breath, feeling her heart pounding rapidly.

“Perhaps you’ve learned something now.”

“What if I… hah, don’t want this?”

The corner of Taeheon’s lips lifted slightly. Yeonseo wonders if he’s angry.

Whatever it was, Yeonseo’s chest tightened. She felt like she was not in her right mind, taking pleasure in stirring the emotions of this arrogant man.

But he was bad. He was rude and disrespectful. So, it’s okay for me to act this way too, right?

She can show him that she have pride too.

“I’m not going to be anybody’s woman. Don’t look down on me.”

“If you want to stay by grandmother’s side, then you need to be clear about your path. Or did you suddenly want to switch to Seungbin’s path? If you cling to Seungbin, will you help protect grandma?”

Yeonseo glared at him, still breathing heavily. Taeheon and Seungbin were clearly in some kind of power struggle, and Yeonseo felt like she was being sacrificed in the midst of it all. She wanted to rebel against the unfairness.

But she was too powerless. She had no choice but to follow Taeheon, and she felt pathetic for not having any say in the matter.

“I make the choices. It’s not up to you to do as you please.”

“You have a way with people.”