MS Ch 3 part 1

The sweltering nights had finally begun.

The heat that had caused her to merely toss and turn at night before was now aggressively pressing down on her entire body. The humidity was so high that it felt like she was trapped underwater, struggling to breathe. The discomfort had reached its peak.

As expected, the old woman living on the first floor fainted two days ago due to the extreme heat. This was a common occurrence in the villa. Everyone was used to it and dealt with it accordingly, and they would all get through it one way or another.

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Buzz. Buzz.

Once it was daytime, the cicadas would start crying out in full swing. They cried so sorrowfully that it would pierce people’s ears and chip away at their sanity.

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At dawn, exhausted from the heat, Euncho walked her mom to the bus stop and went back to the apartment to wash up. She then sat in front of the sputtering fan and dried her hair. She raked her fingers through her wet hair. As her hair fluttered down from her fingers, her heart grew restless.

The image of Heejin’s thin, fine hair stretched out across the linoleum floor flickered in her mind.

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After Euncho returned home that day, she hadn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep for several days.

Although the shock wasn’t too intense, it was still dark. Little by little, it seemed to crawl up from her feet and eat away at her. Slowly, as if she were walking through a swamp. The discomfort was below the surface but still clearly encroached upon her nerves. Even though she was no longer in that time and place, it was as if her arms and feet were bound to that memory. Her chest felt heavy.

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She was lost in thought for a long time. By the time she returned to her senses, her hair was already completely dry. She could feel the sweat starting to pool on the back of her neck, so Euncho took a hair tie and pulled it up into a ponytail. She checked to make sure she had tied it properly in the mirror. Suddenly, she recalled Ki Taeju. More specifically, the black scales of his tattoo.

She’d only met him not that long ago, but he was always on her mind.

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Feeling that this was very strange, Euncho shook her head from side to side. She would have to find something to take her mind off things today. She would probably sweat a lot, but if she stayed still, her head would grow heavy with thoughts. This bad habit was a result of having lived a simple life until now. She could only make herself feel awkward and uncomfortable.

After straightening out the messy apartment, Euncho walked to the sink. Clink, clink. She began to wash the dishes one by one at the kitchen sink.

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The dish used for the fried anchovies seasoned with red bean paste gave her a particularly hard time. The sticky seasoning was stuck to the dish and would not come off. If she let it soak in hot water, it would have done the trick, but in this hot weather, it would be very uncomfortable.

Even though it wasn’t anything critical, she continued to wrestle with it.

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Boom, boom.

She saw a curled finger. She now knew who it was just by looking at the finger. Euncho looked up.

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As expected, it was Ki Taeju. He was so tall that if he stood up straight, he wouldn’t be able to peer through the window, so he was currently bending down as he looked at her. As if asking her to open the window, the man knocked again.

She wondered if he’d come, and he truly had.

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Euncho looked at the man with dull eyes before looking back down again. As she continued washing the dishes, Ki Taeju scoffed. Even though her eyes were cast down and the window was closed, she could still feel that he had scoffed. It proved that all of her senses were focused on him.

Ignoring this, Euncho silently washed the dishes. After scrubbing off the traces of food, she rinsed it in cold water and let it out to dry. Clink, clink. After washing them clean, Euncho piled them up in the basket over the sink.

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Unable to extinguish her burning curiosity, Euncho lifted her head. She saw that Ki Taeju was still looking at her. Euncho’s hands froze inside the red rubber gloves. The large man’s suffocating, dark eyes stared at her. She felt as if he could read all the thoughts she tried to hide in her heart, and it made her uncomfortable.

Euncho bit her lips.

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A week. A week had passed since Ki Taeju had last come to visit her.

As she recalled the state of confusion she was in for the past week, her insides burned as if they were on fire. With rage and sorrow caught in her throat, Euncho took off the rubber gloves and threw them down.

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She left him standing there and walked further inside the apartment.

She made her way to an old wardrobe, the bark peeling due to age. She thrust her hand inside and lifted the thin board at the bottom. She pushed her finger into the small crack it formed and pulled out a thin pouch. From a young age, Euncho had stored anything precious or important inside this pouch.

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After confirming that Ki Taeju was still standing in his spot, Euncho slid her small feet into her black slippers. Creak, the rough sound of the opening door reflected the twisted feelings inside her heart.

Ki Taeju straightened up at the window and turned to look at Euncho. Even though he had turned her heart upside-down with that bizarre act, he now appeared in front of her, completely at peace. A fire blazed inside her chest.

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“You called Heejin-unnie a whore, right?”

Even though she knew the bank notes inside her hand would crumple, her hand kept clenching in anger. Even though the sadness was difficult to bear, she didn’t know where it was coming from or what was causing it.

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“Do you think you have a right to say that?”

“……”

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“From what I can tell, you seem more like a whore.”

The scene that had played in her head over and over again during the past week grew more intense now that the man responsible was standing right in front of her. Watching him vent his sexual frustrations out on Heejin as he thought of her, as he desired her, was truly…

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Euncho hadn’t used any of the bank notes that Ki Taeju had given her and safely stored them away instead. Now, she threw them back at him.

A crumpled ball of notes hit Ki Taeju on the cheek while the rest of them fluttered to the floor. It was a weak throw that didn’t even make a sound when it made contact, but Ki Taeju’s face hardened as if he had been slapped across the face.

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He slowly looked down at the notes scattered across the floor. Then he slowly stroked his cheek with his hand. His movements were calm, but because of the strange tension between them, Euncho could feel the small shift in the air.

“You fucking… This is what I get for indulging you?”

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The low voice caused Euncho’s heart to shrink. She instinctively flinched in fear. Today, she was supposed to stand in front of him with her head held high, but it was quite difficult.

Ki Taeju glared at Euncho as if she were his enemy. Then he let out a deep sigh as if he had a headache. Today, he hadn’t styled his hair with wax. He swept it back angrily.

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“Alright. I’m fucking sorry such a dirty whore dared to come visit you.”

Ki Taeju moved his foot.

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He crushed the wad of notes that had hit his cheek under his shoe. Watching this, Euncho couldn’t help but feel like she was the wad of notes underneath his foot.

“Keep the money.”

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“……”

“What am I supposed to do with a kid’s well-earned money?”

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With that, Ki Taeju turned around and exited the corridor. Tap, tap. The sound of his footsteps rang in the air and pierced Euncho’s heart. Euncho didn’t move until Ki Taeju disappeared from her sight.

The scattered notes on the floor rustled in the summer breeze.

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No. Was it a summer breeze? Or were they her strained breaths…

* * *

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There was no doubt.

It was the scent of roses.

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The scent of roses she had noticed that day was stronger today. Euncho was ladling some cold cucumber soup into her bowl when she noticed the fragrance coming from her mother as she sat across the table. She looked her over. Her mother noticed her questioning gaze and gave her an odd look back.

“What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?”

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“Mom. Are you coming home late today, too?”

“Probably. Why?”

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Now that she thought about it, her mother had been working overtime a lot more often lately.

“Why are you working overtime overnight so much lately? You never did it this often before.”

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Her mother must not have been expecting this question because she froze in the middle of scooping some rice onto her spoon and then slowly put it down. Euncho immediately recognized the awkward expression flashing across her face.

It was a vague shift in her expression that Euncho may not have noticed if she hadn’t recognized the smell of her perfume beforehand. Either way, Euncho could see it clearly with her own eyes now. And since she had already brought this up, she decided to ask the question directly.

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“And are you wearing perfume?”

“……”

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“You never used to wear perfume before, right?”

Surprised by the sudden interrogation, her mother dropped the spoon altogether. Euncho also put down her spoon and looked at her mother.

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Her mother drew in a deep breath. Then she stretched out her hand and placed it on top of Euncho’s.

“Euncho.”

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“……”

“The two of us have worked hard as we lived together.”

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What was she going to say? Why was she talking like this?

Euncho suddenly felt nervous and chewed on her lips. Her mother flashed her a smile of relief, and Euncho’s mind went blank.

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“The debt is almost completely paid now.”

When she heard this, Euncho’s mouth slightly opened.

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“I’ve almost paid it off. If Mom works just a little harder, it will disappear completely. Truly.”

Euncho’s mouth parted in shock, and her eyes widened. Her mother understood Euncho’s shock very well, and she nodded.

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“It’s been difficult for me until now because of how much I’ve had to work. And you’ve endured it all since you were young, unable to buy all the things you’ve wanted to eat and have. Now it’s time for us to live a normal life like everyone else.”

“Really?”

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“Yes, of course.”

It felt strange.

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The debt had been a burden that followed them around ever since Euncho had learned to talk. Although she wasn’t responsible for it, it was always there behind her back, clinging on.

Because it had been such a big part of her life for so long, she never felt like their poor, insufficient life was anything to complain about. She merely grew up thinking it was normal, so she never had the luxury of yearning or hoping for a more fulfilling life.

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“That’s why I’m working so hard lately. I want to pay it off as soon as I can. Because I know that there isn’t much left.”

“Mom…”

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This was completely unexpected and left her in total shock. Euncho’s head was full of questions.

Euncho knew better than anyone how much her mother worked without rest. Therefore, she understood how the debt was almost paid off, but… What did it have to do with wearing perfume? Did she buy some perfume for herself to celebrate almost paying off the debt?

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The questions began to fill her head like water droplets. Her mother recognized this with one look and tightened her grasp on Euncho’s hand.

“So, Euncho. Truth is…”

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* * *

‘Truth is, I’ve been seeing someone with positive feelings lately.’

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‘He’s different from Dad. He’s really a completely different person.’

‘He’s warm and kind… I also couldn’t open up my heart to him at first. But he tried really hard. He tried so hard that his sincerity reached me, and I couldn’t help but waver.’

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‘So we started seeing each other more seriously recently.’

‘And he’s been wanting to properly meet my Euncho for a while. So we were wondering when it would be a good time…’

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‘I understand that this is all very confusing for you, Euncho. You’ve lived with me, just the two of us, without Dad for so long.’

‘Would it be okay if the three of us spend some time together when the time is right? Not right now. I’m not trying to burden you with this, so just think about it, Euncho. If you say no, I won’t see him anymore. To me, my daughter is the most precious thing in the world.’

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Her mother spoke for a long time as she gauged Euncho’s reaction. Her words echoed in Euncho’s ears.

Mom has a boyfriend… She never thought this was possible. Mom’s boyfriend. Those two words didn’t seem to go together, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

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If she really thought about it, it was quite funny. There was no reason for her mother to be alone forever. Because the memories of her biological father had been so miserable, she had subconsciously leaned toward that way of thinking.

Now that she had heard what her mother had to say, she didn’t think it was so odd for her mother to work day and night to pay off the debt. She wanted to form a family with this person she was seeing.

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If there truly came a day when the three of them became a family, her mother didn’t want to create any conflicts due to this debt. She wanted to make a fresh start as cleanly and as simply as possible.

Looking at it this way, she could not disagree with her mother.

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Just like how her mother was respectful of her, Euncho also respected her mother. And as someone in the middle of this kind of situation, she could see how worried her mother must have been.

She didn’t hate the thought of it. Having a new father.

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Rather, considering the future, this was a wise decision. Euncho was still a minor, but once she grew older and lived her own life, her mother would be left alone. It would be much more reassuring to have someone by her side than to be alone and isolated for the rest of her life.

But what was this empty feeling that remained inside her heart?

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It was a subtle emptiness. The most confusing thing was not knowing the cause of it.

In front of her mother, she pretended not to feel this way. She gave her an appropriate reaction and thankfully managed to send her off to work. Afterward, she went about her daily routine as usual. She did the housework, rolled around in the heat, watched TV…

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Then she received a call from her mother. She told Euncho that there was a lot of work today, so she would have to spend the night working overtime and come back in the morning.

After hanging up, Euncho’s mood sank even more, and she ended up going to the rooftop.

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There wasn’t any particular reason for it. It was just because she started thinking of cigarettes. She wasn’t even a smoker. She had only smoked when she had borrowed the cigarette from Ki Taeju, but she suddenly recalled the bitter and potent taste. She felt like she needed something strong to shake off this chaotic feeling.

By the time she felt a desire to smoke a cigarette again, she found herself leaving the apartment, and because of this, she remembered Ki Taeju. When she realized this, she was already on the rooftop.

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“Haa…”

Leaning her arms against the railing, Euncho looked up at the sky. She felt even more suffocated today, and judging from the dark clouds, it seemed like it was going to rain soon. This could all have been because of the dark clouds gathering in the sky.

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She leaned against the railing, completely drained.

“……”

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The roar of a car engine tickled her ears. She hoped it wasn’t the case, but her hopes were shattered as she watched the expensive car enter the villa. There was only one person Euncho knew who would drive that kind of car in this neighborhood. Her lips twisted into a pout.

As expected, Ki Taeju got out of the driver’s seat.

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That’s right. You have a reason to come to this villa apart from me. Because you need to see Heejin-unnie. Euncho watched the man who had glared at her with icy cold eyes from far away.

Suddenly, Euncho was surprised to see Heejin-unnie getting out of the passenger seat. She had only seen Ki Taeju arrive at the villa to go to Heejin’s apartment, so seeing this felt quite strange.

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Was that all? Euncho felt loneliness creep up her spine once again.

Heejin looked at the villa as if she were planning on going home. When Ki Taeju called to her, she turned around and approached him. The two of them stood and talked for a moment. Suddenly, Euncho felt sad. Seeing the two of them standing together like this, Euncho felt that they looked very compatible.

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The scene that unfolded right after made her think this even more.

Kim Taeju rummaged through his pockets, pulled out a cigarette, and put it between his lips. Heejin saw this and naturally pulled out a lighter to light the cigarette for him. Ki Taeju leaned slightly towards Heejin, and the two of them looked close. The small fire flickered between them. All of these things brought a chill to Euncho’s eyes.

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Even though her heart was racing, her insides felt cold and dry. As if to let her know this wasn’t an appropriate reaction in the summer, her heart sank to the floor.

Euncho quickly returned to her senses and bent down. They must have finished talking because Heejin turned away from Ki Taeju.

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‘She’s saying goodbye…’

Something Euncho saw bothered her.

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Before she turned away from Ki Taeju, Heejin bowed to him. Almost as if they had an awkward and distant relationship.

That was strange. Even if they weren’t dating, they were having an affair. Shouldn’t there be some sort of affection or interest between them? However, Heejin’s behavior just now was extremely distant. No, it would be more accurate to say it was businesslike.

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That could be the case. However, this thought gave rise to more doubts. Euncho, who had been hiding with her back to the railing, straightened her legs and slowly got up.

She looked down again and saw Ki Taeju standing alone.

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His eyes were focused on the alleyway lined with streetlights. A part of her wanted him to look her way, but seeing him act so indifferently made her feel otherwise.

After a while, he walked around the car and made his way to the driver’s seat.

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So he was leaving like this today.

Euncho thought as Ki Taeju opened the car door. Her heart felt a bit bitter as if she were disappointed.

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At the same time, as he moved to get in the car, the man suddenly froze. He stayed this way for a moment as if he had turned into a statue. He got back out of the car and slammed the door shut. Then he looked up at the rooftop, which he had not paid any attention to until now.

Without any doubt as to where she was, he looked straight at her as if he’d known she was there all along. Their eyes met.

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Ki Taeju’s face did not look any different. He had the same expression he had when Euncho had thrown the money at him. He glared up at Euncho before walking into the villa with long strides. Bound by his cold eyes, Euncho didn’t know what to do. Before she could hurry back to her apartment, the door to the rooftop opened with a bang.

“What is it that you want me to do?”

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“……”

“Am I supposed to fuck a girl who isn’t fully grown yet just because I’m feeling horny? Huh?”

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As if all the words he had suppressed inside were bursting out, Ki Taeju lost his temper. Euncho couldn’t believe it. Because she was in such disbelief, she felt the anger bubbling up inside of her.

“You’re the one who started it all!”

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Why did you call my name?

Why did you give me your business card?

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Why did you visit my home?

You were the one who crossed the line first. Like Ki Taeju said, he was the whore who had dirtied her innocence. For him, it may have been a prank he pulled to satisfy his misplaced curiosity. But whatever his intentions were, for Euncho, it was a rollercoaster of emotions.

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“If you didn’t want things to turn out this way, you should have ignored me.”

“……”

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“And the kiss… You shouldn’t have kissed me.”

As Euncho burst into tears, Ki Taeju laughed angrily.

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“You’re right.”

“……”

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“I couldn’t help myself.”

When he agreed so easily, Euncho’s fists clenched.

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“Am I… annoying?”

“……”

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“Then go.”

“……”

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“If you leave right now, I won’t bother you anymore.”

She wouldn’t watch him from afar like this anymore. If they ever met again in passing, she wouldn’t acknowledge him. She was going to cut him off and treat him like a stranger.

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Her meaning must have reached him because Ki Taeju closed his mouth. The jaws of silence swallowed them whole. Both of them looked at each other with their mouths shut. Had it always been this difficult?

As if floundering under the heavy tension, Ki Taeju’s hands slowly moved.

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His fingers still held the lit cigarette.

He stood woodenly still as he finished smoking the cigarette. He continued to stare at Euncho and did not leave the rooftop. He merely endured every single second, every minute, of this ambiguous situation.

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However, Euncho easily recognized that he was struggling with the conflict in his mind.

The atmosphere that Ki Taeju created slowly crawled up her ankles. The density of the air was too sticky to have come from the summer weather or monsoon season.

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Ki Taeju only looked at Euncho as he smoked his cigarette. Once it was burned to a stub, he threw it on the ground and crushed it underneath his foot. After he was done, he turned his back on her.

Euncho gazed at his back which was clad in a black shirt. She felt a sorrow she had never felt before.

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That’s right. Ki Taeju is…

Her throat choked up. She tried to swallow, but her throat remained dry. The anxiety in her heart transformed into hot bubbles and continued to multiply. Her eyes burned. Her heart felt even more bitter than the cigarette, and she suppressed these turbulent feelings as best as she could. But this was too much for her to handle…

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Unable to continue watching Ki Taeju’s back as he walked away, Euncho turned around.

She planned on burying her head into her knees until he walked down, got into his car, and left the villa.

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But that plan was suddenly ruined by a force that grabbed her wrist and whisked her around.

Before her eyes could open, something covered her lips. Something hot and warm blocked her breaths. Euncho stepped back from the force that continued to draw her forward. When her ankles hit the railing, large hands grabbed her hips and lifted her up. Her small, slender body was now sitting on the rooftop railings.

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Like that day, Ki Taeju held her chin as he pushed his tongue deep inside her mouth. His slimy tongue filled her mouth, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. No, it actually felt really good. As his tongue rubbed against hers, his fingers tensed as they held her chin.

“Do you want to sleep with a dirty whore that much?”

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Ki Taeju pulled away and asked after they shared their mouths for a long time, after he had sucked all the breath out of her. His self-deprecating question led to an untimely laugh. Even though he didn’t seem like it, he was someone who held a grudge. Euncho came to this conclusion because of the way he called himself a whore. It must have been bothering him all this time.

“My mom is working overtime tonight.”

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“……”

“Until morning… no one will be home.”

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Today… Today of all days, she did not want to be alone. What she needed right now was the heat Ki Taeju had given her before.