CHAPTER 34

“…”

Seeing the confused look on her face, Taejun, as if proposing a business deal, added in a calm, low-toned voice.

“Minhee, it won’t be a disadvantage for you.”

Cold sweat ran down Minhee’s spine as the hairs on her body stood on end.

‘No matter how I look at it, it seems like a crazy idea…’

As Taejun spoke with conviction in his utterly rational tone and manners, Minhee found herself nodding in agreement.

‘But not this one. I can’t handle this guy.’

Usually, her crushes were from a safe distance, she would gaze at them like idols on a screen. They had never gotten this close. Besides…

“Taejun, do you see me as a woman?” 

Taejun, with a disdainful expression, furrowed his eyebrows slightly, as if questioning what she was saying.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Minhee sighed deeply.

“There’s no point in practicing, Taejun, you thought I was a high school student when you first saw me, so how can I seduce someone who’s never even seen me as a woman in the first place?”

Leaning back against the backrest again, Taejun leisurely swept his gaze over Minhee as if licking her with his tongue. Then he lowered her eyes halfway and hid his gaze. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was, looking like a small animal sensing danger.

As she squirmed restlessly on his thigh, she looked so sweet he wanted to chew and suck and swallow her whole in one bite.

“…I see you as a woman.”

Before answering, Minhee’s face darkened as she misunderstood the brief silence.

“You don’t have to say nice things just to please me. This, this is just too sudden…”

In everything else, Minhee was a sensitive and empathetic woman. But, the trauma from her past seemed to have laid layer upon layer of veils over her eyes. Otherwise, she couldn’t have failed to notice the blatantly flirtatious gaze of a man directed at her.

‘What would your face look like if I locked you in my arms right here and now and told you that I wanted to bury myself inside of you, several times?’

He smirked, one corner of his mouth tugging up.

“I would never say nice things just to please you. Do I look like someone who would blurt out words just to please others?”

A moment of silence ensued. Minhee stared at Taejun, who was looking at her with a somewhat serious expression. Her alcohol-fueled head swam with questions she couldn’t get out of her mouth.

‘Do I really feel like a woman to this man? Does that even make sense? Why would he do this to me? Does he feel sorry for me after hearing my story and want to help me?

The most frightening and curious question of all was this.

“So, during this… practice, could there be, like, physical contact between you and me, Taejun?”

“If it’s necessary for effective practice. It’s up to you to set the boundaries of how much physical contact is allowed, depending on the situation. I’ll let you know in advance that in my case, physical contact is allowed without restriction. Regardless of where, how, or how often.”

“…!”

Minhee’s eyes and mouth opened at the same time as if she had just heard that everyone around the world would be walking n*ked tomorrow.

“The duration of the practice will be the same as the duration of your employment contract, and if you find someone else during that time, or if either of us wants to stop practicing, we can do so at any time.”

Minhee didn’t hear the rest of the conversation.

‘No restrictions on physical contact? Does that mean, Baek Taejun can have s*x with me??’

Minhee asked with disbelief, shock, and disbelief written all over her face.

“Can you please explain to me in detail what you mean by no restrictions on physical contact? Surely—”

“Hugging, kissing, caressing, and even trying out any s*x techniques you might be interested in. It means there are no restrictions on where, how, or how much contact is allowed, as much as you desire.”

He rattled off examples without hesitation. Minhee felt giddy and squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Baek Taejun and me? I can try all those things with the most sexy adult man I’ve ever met?’

Her mind raced like crazy.

‘He’s thirty-two, so he must be experienced, right? There must be a lot to learn. If I practice hard, could I become a sexier and more charming woman?’

‘He’s a man who doesn’t even bother to look at any woman, not even a former beauty queen even if she seduces by standing n*ked right in front of him, so the level of difficulty is probably the highest, right? But if I can seduce him, I’ll be able to seduce any man in the world!’

‘No, I don’t even want to become that kind of femme fatale. I just want to get away from this damn complex and trauma.’

Minhee bit her lip.

‘I’m going to work up the courage to try…Right now, it’s just a one-sided crush, but if we get closer physically, maybe our hearts get a little closer too’

Even with such hope, Minhee couldn’t imagine the next step after the physical and emotional closeness. 

The inertia of repeated unrequited love had prevented her from looking that far ahead and seeing anything.

Minhee swallowed hard. There were a few things she needed to get straight. When she lifted her face with a determined expression, the corner of Taejun’s mouth twitched as he stared at her with a strange look in his eyes.

“Well… but do I need to pay for this? I can’t afford to pay you a hefty fee, Taejun.”

His lips parted slightly at the unexpected question, and a loud laugh echoed through the spacious study room. It was the first time she had seen him laugh like this. Minhee watched in awe as he laughed heartily.

The moon, half obscured by the clouds, cast a cool and serene light through the windows surrounding the study room. The subtle, icy light painted Taejun’s face with both light and shadows. His dark eyes reflected the moonlight for a fleeting moment between gently folded lids. His neatly contoured lips revealed his teeth, and a faint dimple showed as well.

The sharp bridge of his nose cast a deep shadow on the other side of his face, and the scar that ran from his forehead to his eyebrows also blended into the darkness. It was a breathtakingly attractive face. Minhee’s heart shook like an earthquake.

“You don’t need to worry about compensation.”

He replied with a faint smile lingering on his face.

Why on earth would a man who seemed to be able to seduce anyone he wanted with a wave of his hand or a glance of his eye volunteer to be her ‘practice partner’? She couldn’t figure out why he would want to help her, even if it meant risking s*xual contact.

“…… I don’t understand. Even if I think about it, it seems too excessive to accept as a gesture of gratitude. I don’t know if I can just accept it.”

There was a moment of stifling silence. Clouds blocked out the moonlight, casting a dull shadow over Taejun’s face again.

Taejun’s explorative gaze roamed Minhee’s face. At her waist, his fingers brushed against her bare skin, pulling her closer.

The heat that began where his fingers touched traveled up her spine, coloring the nape of her neck and making her ears tingle. His voice lowered even further, vibrating electrifyingly against her eardrums.

“I’m just a regular guy with s*xual needs, too, and I don’t want to be bothered with all the tedious emotions that come with serious relationships just to satisfy those desires.”

Minhee’s body stiffened as she realized what he was saying.

“But I understand if it’s hard to comprehend. It might sound selfish. But you need someone to practice with right now, and I think our needs are compatible.”

‘Ah, now I get it. Taejun just needs a s*x partner without any strings attached, and he thinks our needs match.’

Minhee didn’t know if her heart was racing with disappointment or anticipation, or why she felt so ambivalent.

‘Let’s think in a positive way, look on the bright side. Regardless of what happens, it’s not like I’m losing out anyway. Baek Taejun, I can practice with that guy the way I want, and how could that be a disadvantage!’

“I understand what you’re saying. You want a friends-with-benefits relationship, right?”

Taejun paused. Friends.

The changes that had occurred since Minhee had come to his house flashed through Taejun’s mind. He was a little surprised to realize how much he really appreciated her, and he thought about the uncharacteristic effort he’d put in to lead her down the rabbit hole.

‘Have I ever exposed myself so much to someone else?’

There was the straightforward term ‘s*x partner,’ but Taejun felt it might be appropriate to call Minhee a friend. He shrugged his shoulders indifferently towards her and casually added,

“Uhm. If you want to call it that.”

Min-hee, who had been pondering something, demanded in a low voice.

“Then, promise me one thing.”

“……?”

“If we’re going to do this, don’t pretend like you’re doing me a favor because of Rose, or because you’re grateful or for any other reason. Just be straightforward about it.”

Taejun smirked and nodded in agreement.

“Sure.”

“Um… Then, it’s better if we’re careful around Rose. It might be awkward if rumors spread at school, so we should be cautious.”

“Okay.”

“So, do you want us to write a contract?”

This time, Taejun raised one eyebrow in surprise.

“Sure. We’ll draw up a contract based on our conversation today and sign it tomorrow afternoon. The contract will take effect immediately—”

“No!! How about we start, um, next Monday?”

“……Do you really need to put it off like that?”

“I need time to prepare, and I also have to study.”

It was strange how earnestly Rose’s teacher was asking. Taejun was curious about what kind of preparation and studying she had in mind.

“Alright, let’s do that then. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Don’t get your hopes up! I’ll do my best, but…”