CHAPTER 58

It was said to be a miracle that he survived. Due to the injury, Taejun has been hospitalized for six months. When his brother, who had come after receiving the news, scolded the bedridden Taejun through tears, saying it was time to stop the hardship and live close by, no more of this disappearing act. After completing rehabilitation and being discharged, Taejun put a period on his 8-year military service.

“And at 26, I came to New York where my brother lives.”

Thanks to his sister-in-law, who was a citizen, his brother had easily resolved any status issues, and he had established himself as a lawyer in New York.

While in the military, Taejun had taken up analyzing stock market patterns and investing as a hobby, like solving mental puzzles. The military paychecks he had diligently saved up over the years had grown into an investment portfolio worth just over $2 million by the time of his discharge.

Dealing with numbers temporarily erased the unpleasant memories in his mind. Therefore, it was quite a suitable hobby.

His academic background in mathematics and computer engineering, along with various finance certifications, and his special forces credentials, had adorned his résumé impressively.

Above all, Taejun’s experience as a special forces veteran was welcomed everywhere. Even the notoriously exclusive Wall Street finance industry opened its doors to him. Taejun chose venture capital, as it seemed the least boring option.

“Not long after I came to New York, Rose was born, and my brother and sister-in-law seemed happy. My brother insisted we have dinner together once a month. Somehow, time flew by after that… They were on their way to celebrate their second pregnancy when they had the accident.”

Taejun continued, his voice deeply solemn.

“My brother… was a good person. To me, he was the only—”

Taejun couldn’t finish his sentence and gulped down the lump that had stuck in his throat.

‘Because of my brother.’

Taejun couldn’t bring himself to die even though he wanted to, fearing his brother’s grief. His brother was his father and his mother. Such a brother left him, leaving behind Rose, whom he loved more than himself.

“I, uh… I think I’ve answered the question you asked, Minhee.”

Taejun’s voice trailed off and stopped. He felt something crawling on his chin. As he grazed his chin with the back of his hand, he felt moisture. He looked bewilderedly at the moisture that had emerged on his hand.

“Hmph.”

Minhee sucked in a sobbing breath. His life had been so tragic that it was hard to believe. Tears fell from the eyes of the man who hadn’t cried once since he was 13.

It was such an alien sensation to shed tears of sadness that he didn’t even realize he was crying.

Minhee’s heart was torn to shreds by the jagged, rough blade that was this man’s life. He had endured pain without even knowing it was pain, lived without being able to shed a single tear.

She wanted to embrace both the 13-year-old Taejun and the 32-year-old Taejun. To tell him it was too much suffering for one person to bear, to comfort him and tell him he had been through so much, how hard it must have been to be alone…

Impulsively, Minhee reached out, her hands cupping Taejun’s face. Her thumbs gently wiped away the tears on his cheeks.

The moment Minhee’s hand touched his face, Taejun felt like he had been punched in the chest. His chest felt tight, and he couldn’t breathe, as if his throat was closing up.

‘Was I… crying?’

Holding Taejun’s face, Minhee moved closer. Something moist lightly touched his forehead. Taejun exhaled the breath he had been holding. The warmth lingered a moment on his cool forehead before falling away, and he opened the eyes he had closed.

Minhee stared at him, tears welling in her eyes, so close they could feel each other’s breath. Her eyelashes fluttered like a fan, and droplets of water trickled down her cheeks from her large eyes.

‘Tonight……. I don’t know why I’m showing this small, young woman a dissected chunk of my memory. Even the stinking pile of ash that I’ve been avoiding myself.’

Taejun admitted he was greedy for the first human warmth he’d felt in decades. He didn’t want to lose that warmth, so he dug out all the memories, even the ones he’d frozen in their tortured state.

The happy memories he missed, the painful ones that tormented him. The fragmented memories of his childhood that he had haphazardly tossed away, he now, at 32, looked upon with an adult perspective.

And then he realized.

‘A proper ending.’

Taejun’s rough breaths echoed loudly in the quiet living room, like someone drowning in water. As he sobbed and bowed his head, their foreheads touched. With each sobbing breath, Minhee tilted her head up slightly.

Her tear-soaked, soft cheek brushed against Taejun’s nose tip. Gently, her lips pressed against his in a tender kiss. As her lips parted, a faintly salty taste seeped into his mouth.

It was the kind of kiss he’d never experienced before. In place of the malfunctioning Taejun, Minhee grieved and ached with genuine emotion.

Then, with a forlorn expression as if she were the only one left in the world, she shared her warmth with him in the most primal way.

Minhee’s kiss settled on his wounds, like a tongue licking deep wounds, stinging painfully yet soothingly, like disinfectant.

“Haa….”

Taejun, exhaling a deep breath, quickly pulled her receding nape closer. Taejun’s nose bridge tilted sideways, rubbing against her cheek. With a small sigh, Minhee’s lips parted.

Like a person discovering an oasis in the desert, Taejun delved into her lips. The kiss, bittersweet and urgent, intertwined their desperate breaths.

The painful wounds, so sensitive that they would scream with the slightest touch, melted like snow under the scorching heat of the passionate kiss. The rigid lips of the man, seemingly devoid of any softness, gently melded between Minhee’s soft lips like whipped cream, then parted with a moist sound.

In an instant, the heat surged like wildfire. As Minhee, feeling dazed, exhaled the breath she had been holding, Taejun covered her lips again. His smooth tongue invaded her mouth, licking and teasing every corner, like a hungry person searching for food. Minhee’s hand, which had been wandering aimlessly, grabbed onto Taejun’s robe.

“Mmm…”

As Taejun’s invading tongue grazed the roof of her mouth, Minhee groaned deep in her throat. Breathing heavily, the two gazed at each other in the darkness.

Taejun pulled Minhee’s arms around his waist, forcing her to spread her legs and sit on his thighs. Her heart pounded as if it would burst through her chest, and her entire body throbbed.

With a firm grip, Taejun swiftly changed their positions. Buried beneath him on the plush sofa, Minhee’s eyes first caught sight of the sky outside the window.

The blackened sky was slowly clearing the clouds, revealing a crisp, full moon with no imperfections. The smooth, pristine moonlight gently caressed the side of Taejun’s face as he stared down at himself.

His black eyes stared intensely at Minhee. More than words, there was a profound gaze exchanged between them. Both Taejun and Minhee knew what this meant: they were crossing a line together. That this was no longer ‘practice’.

Without any excuse, their instincts took over and they lunged at each other with their whole bodies, rushing without even the leisure to properly undress. It was a passionate and intense lovemaking, so hot and fierce that their bodies were drenched in sweat in an instant.

“Haaahhh!”

“Ugh…”

Minhee arched her back, clawing at Taejun’s shoulders as he stiffened above her. It was a fast, sharp cl*max. Taejun’s brow furrowed, a rough, muffled groan escaping his lips.

A searing ecstasy that resonated through their skulls simultaneously washed over them. Minhee’s inner walls convulsed, ruthlessly milking the p*nis buried deep inside her. Taejun clutched her tightly, burying his face in her rounded shoulders. Minhee wrapped her arms around his neck, trembling.

Minhee’s tank top was pushed up to her chest, and her shorts were rolled up and caught around one knee. Taejun’s robe had slipped down, the sleeves still on his arms, with angry red scratch marks visible on his back.

As Taejun slowly raised his upper body, Minhee’s ravaged neck and chest were revealed. Without even pulling out of Minhee, Taejun picked her up and carried her to her feet.

“Ahh! Taejun, what are you- nnh!”

He supported Minhee’s hips with both hands and walked out of the living room without hesitation. Minhee clung to Taejun’s neck, desperate to keep from falling, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Each step he took stabbed her deep inside in places she’d never been touched before. Minhee moaned, her legs trembling as he continued to slide down her body. Her inner walls tightened frantically as she clung to him with all her might.

“Hnng! Ta-Taejun, put me down- mmngh!”

Taejun growled deeply in her ear, holding her firmly. He slammed his c*ck inside her, not wanting to leave Minhee’s body for a moment, and dutifully increased his size again. A thick stream of fl*id oozed from where they joined, dripping onto the floor.

“Huh…Let’s go to my room.”

He breathed into her ear, whispering in a raspy, hoarse voice.

That night, Minhee hardly noticed the details of Taejun’s room. Only a few scattered memories remained.

The spacious room was quite chilly. The bed seemed endlessly large. And until she passed out, Taejun had burrowed inside her,  like there was no tomorrow, desperately and urgently.