CHAPTER 76

“New York is this way!”

Minhee pointed to the city’s name on the large glass windows of the observation deck atop Namsan Tower. The panoramic night view of Seoul stretched out below them.

Taejun and Minhee spent their last full day in Korea alone together. They decided beforehand that Rose would stay with he maternal grandparents until they returned to New York. The last leg of the day was a cable car ride up Namsan Mountain.

“Where is our hotel located? I could see the tower well from the hotel window…”

Hearing Minhee’s mumbled words, Taejun pointed somewhere to the right of the observation deck without looking up.

“There.”

“…Are you sure? You didn’t just randomly point at anything because you didn’t know?”

Minhee narrowed her eyes at him skeptically, but Taejun chuckled and grasped her chin with one hand. As her cheeks puffed out from the pressure, he flashed a long, wide smile, revealing his pearly white teeth.

With his eyes narrowing and dimples deepening, Taejun lowered his head slightly, his handsome face creasing with laughter. When he pressed his lips to hers, lingering for a long kiss, Minhee’s legs went limp.

“Ah…”

“I’m sure.”

It was unclear whether he was serious or teasing, but it was clear that Taejun was completely unconcerned about the curious stares of those around them.

“Now let’s go.”

“…Where are we going?”

“To have dinner.”

“Are we going back to the hotel already? Can’t we stay a little longer?”

Taejun checked his watch.

“Fifteen minutes should be fine. The place I booked is nearby.”

Minhee nodded casually, although she was secretly surprised. She had vaguely assumed they would have dinner at the hotel.

Before heading to Busan, they had hurriedly explored various places in Seoul. Lunch was usually grabbed on the go with street food, and dinner was ordered through room service at the hotel. But today felt different.

‘It feels like I’m on a real date with Taejun!’

Inside the tower’s observation deck, there were an unusually high number of couples on dates.  The darkening sky provided a discreet hiding place for lovers, and watching the beautiful sparkling lights from a high place was as romantic a date as they came.

“Haa……. This is so nice. It’s so pretty!”

Their last night in Korea. It felt like a dream to be with Taejun, looking down at the beautiful Seoul night view from the top of Namsan. She couldn’t help but giggle with fullness.

And having dinner just the two of them at a restaurant was a first. Thinking about it, their relationship felt more like that of lovers, not just ‘s*x partners’.

Taejun and Minhee were guided to a private booth in the restaurant located halfway up Namsan.

“Wow! This place is really fancy! How did you know about it and make a reservation?”

“…My brother and sister-in-law came here before.”

On the night they had visited the amusement park, after taking a shower and coming out in a white robe, Minhee had stood by her bedroom window and pointed toward Namsan.

‘I’d love to go up there. I heard the night view from the observation deck is beautiful, but I didn’t get to go last time.’

Taejun walked up behind her and tugged at the straps of her robe to loosen them, turning her around. Her bare face and rosy lips were irresistibly tempting. He had pulled her into his arms, kissing her hungrily.

Then he turned towards the bed, and the pointed tower on the mountain peak caught his eye. Suddenly, he remembered a conversation he had with his brother and sister-in-law during a previous dinner.

‘That “place” must be somewhere down below that tower.’

His brother and sister-in-law had gotten married in New York and went on their honeymoon to Korea. At that time, they had dinner at a restaurant recommended by his sister-in-law’s friend. The experience had left a significant impression on them, so much so that even after returning to New York, they often reminisced about their memories at that restaurant.

But that had been long before Rose was born. Seeing how much Seoul had changed since he left, Taejun had wondered if that restaurant his brother and sister-in-law had visited over a decade ago would even still be there.

Yet, surprisingly, the restaurant stood unchanged in the same spot, still overlooking the N Seoul Tower scenery, just as it had for over 40 years, like the countless couples who had passed through its doors.

‘Was booking this restaurant really this difficult? I should give Luca a hefty bonus.’

Taejun had begrudgingly put his name on the waitlist of a fully booked restaurant, dreading having to wait, wishing for his personal assistant who was probably lounging somewhere in the Bahamas. Luckily, the day before they came up from Busan to Seoul, he received a message saying a table had become available.

Seeing Minhee’s wide eyes sparkling with a big smile, a warm sense of satisfaction spread from the base of Taejun’s spine. Taejun, who hates waiting, had briefly questioned whether he should even be on the waiting list for such a place.

But the look on Minhee’s face as she looked up at him now……. was enough to convince him.

A restaurant staff member brought a bouquet to their booth. Apparently, such a service was included in Taejun’s reservation. Minhee gasped in genuine surprise, covering her mouth with both hands. Slowly reaching out to take the bouquet, Minhee’s eyes moistened with emotion. Taejun’s heart fluttered along with hers. It might sound cheesy, but her eyes sparkled like transparent gems embedded in them.

‘Damn it. Why are you so beautiful?’

That’s why, lately, he found it so hard to take his hands off her. In the moments he briefly stepped away, other men had approached her, making him even more reluctant to leave her side. Her beauty was obvious – any man with eyes could see it.

It had happened at the amusement park, at Haeundae Beach, and even at the university bookstore. Those men had all stammered apologies and backed off with their tails between their legs the moment Taejun glared at them behind Minhee.

But every time it occurred, Taejun felt a strange emotion he had never experienced before. An unpleasant, simmering feeling would settle in the pit of his stomach, his nape burning as his heart chilled. Yet that sensation would vanish in an instant as soon as Minhee turned around and greeted him with her bright smile

When she took off her thin spring coat, she was wearing a dress that swayed like the one she wore on the day they first had s*x. spine heats up and his heart grows cold. 

Her peachy, downy cheeks flushed from the wine. The urge to lick and sink his teeth into that lush flesh, to crush her and extract her sweet juices, was overwhelming. He wanted to pin her down right there and pound into her relentlessly until she cried.

Taejun was relieved that today, the only person to witness this tempting sight was the server bringing their food.

Wearing a dark-colored shirt, Taejun seemed to blend into the dark ceiling lights and background. The flickering candlelight cast shadows that accentuated his pronounced eyebrows and sharp nose. Minhee was stumbling over her words, desperately trying to distract herself from the way her heart was racing just from making eye contact with him.

“……So, I tried on the refrigerator pants your cousin bought me, you know, the ones from the traditional market by the harbor.”

“Mmm.”

“They really are refreshing. Can’t exactly wear them to school, though.”

“Aww.”

“So I got one for Miho and one for the weekend nanny, eh……? What’s wrong, Taejun, the lights are out…… ugh!”

As soon as all the lights in the restaurant went out except for one small candle on their table, Taejun reached out with his long arm and pulled Minhee’s neck toward him. Then, he openly kissed her, as if he didn’t care who saw.

Their saliva mingled as his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth, sucking on her lower lip before flattening his tongue to lick up sensually. His lips then trailed up her cheek to her ear.

Minhee gripped the napkin tightly, helplessly moaning.

“Mmm…”

Then, the lights came back on. And his lips parted with a wet sound.

‘Already? Too bad… I wanted to kiss you more.’

Feeling the change in lighting that could be felt even with closed eyes, Minhee reluctantly opened them.

Taejun was halfway out of his seat, bent over the table. The fingers gripping the nape of her neck slid away, sending chills down her spine. His voice rumbled low in her ear.

“Eat slowly.”

With a smirk, Taejun sat back down, looking like a terribly sexy devil about to swallow someone’s soul. His perfectly shaped lips were glistening with saliva, his dark, deep eyes half-lidded languidly as he watched her.

Minhee’s breath caught in her throat. She looked down at her half-eaten main dish. She swallowed hard, her appetite far gone.

“I’m full.”

“Eat more, we have plenty of time.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Do you want me to get dessert?”

“….”

Minhee bent her index finger, gesturing for Taejun to come closer. With one eyebrow raised, Taejun smirked and leaned forward. Minhee leaned over the table, whispering something in his ear.

Taejun visibly stiffened, then turned to look down at her with narrowed eyes. Minhee smiled like a satisfied cat and sat back down. Before she knew it, Taejun was pulling her wrist.

“Uh…… eh?”

She fumbled with her bouquet and coat as she was led out by him without even ordering dessert.