DD Ch 14

Someone who could rudely call at this hour of dawn.

It must be him.

* * *

When stepping outside, the call had already gone to a missed call. Without even having time to consider calling back, the phone started vibrating again.

Looking at the eleven-digit number displayed on the screen, Sahee swallowed dryly. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the call button.

“Hello.”

─ Where are you?

Even after leaving over ten missed calls, he didn’t ask why the call wasn’t answered sooner. He simply demanded to know where Sahee was.

Sahee sat on one of the waiting chairs set up for customers outside the store and parted his lips.

“…A bar.”

The heat from the alcohol made his insides feel warm. Sahee took a deep breath and exhaled while glancing around the street. The quiet street was warmed only by the light spilling out from a few stores. The sight of discarded flyers drifting aimlessly added an eerie feeling.

From afar, a drunkard’s shouting could be heard. Sahee exhaled a warm breath once more.

─ Have you drunk a lot?

“A little.”

─ Are you drunk?

“…No.”

─ The way you’re speaking, you’re drunk.

“You talk like that too…”

The man laughed lowly on the other end of the call. For some reason, it made the base of Sahee’s throat feel hot.

─ I can’t leave you there like this. Where are you? I’ll come to get you.

The low voice was gentle. It was the kind of softness he sometimes used when treating her kindly, as if soothing a child—it was pleasant to hear.

But when Sahee thought of Jung Taeon, the CEO, only his fierce and arrogant eyes came to mind. The mocking smile he wore when looking down at others flashed in her memory, making it hard to find comfort in his occasional smirks.

“I can get back on my own.”

Fine, so where are you?

“By myself…”

─ Do you want me to go crazy and scour the streets of Gangnam?

“You wouldn’t do that.”

─ Want to try me?

“…”

─ Just tell me nicely. Where are you?

With her head hung low, Sahee finally confessed the name of the bar. Even with her head spinning, she remembered her friends constantly going on about Jung Taeon, and a sense of urgency filled her.

“Call me when you’re here. I’ll come out myself, so don’t come inside.”

─ Do you know how many calls it took for you to answer this one, Yeon Sahee?

“…I’ll make sure to answer.”

Taeon didn’t reply. Feeling nervous, Sahee opened her mouth again.

“I promise…”

─ Alright. Yeon Sahee, make sure you answer.

He emphasized the word “make sure,” as if teasing her. The odd sensation stuck in her throat like a thorn. Thankfully, over the phone, he wouldn’t see her anxious expression.

“…How long will it take you to get here?”

─ Who knows.

“…”

─ Why don’t you wait and see?

At that moment, as Sahee slowly blinked her eyes, the call abruptly ended. Holding the now-silent phone, Sahee stayed still for a long time.

It was obvious that he was aware she didn’t want him to show up in person. She quickly decided that she should go back in, gather her things, and head out.

Thinking about the annex, which was said to have its lights on until dawn, made Sahee wonder if his schedule was still unfinished. But an ominous feeling arose—he didn’t seem far away. Even if he wasn’t, it felt better to go out and wait.

Everyone else was drunk, so with a quick goodbye, the timing would align just right. Sahee fumbled to stand, bracing against the wall. But the moment she turned to return to her seat, her steps froze.

Standing on the terrace, Yu Jeong was staring down at her with piercing eyes.

* * *

Everything in life has two sides. There are moments when it’s reassuring that old friends remain unchanged, and moments when their unchanging nature drives you mad.

In that fleeting moment when her eyes met Yu Jeong’s, Sahee recalled her conversation with Jung Taeon, the CEO. It hadn’t seemed all that affectionate, yet Yu Jeong appeared to have figured it all out.

Before Sahee could even call out, “Jo Yu Jeong,” he turned his body. Then, as if making a grand declaration, he burst inside and shouted like fireworks exploding.

“Yeon Sahee is dating!”

Her face turned crimson. She sobered up instantly. Hastily, she tried to deny it, but Yu Jeong had already dashed into the bar.

Alcohol can turn people into animals or children. Like kindergarteners chasing after something exciting, her friends emerged, leaving Sahee helplessly dragged along.

“How could you lie about not having a man, huh?”

Somehow, Sahee ended up in the center of the table. Even friends from other tables dragged their chairs over, their eyes sparkling. The instigator and propagator, Yu Jeong, pounded his chest, his flushed face radiating pride.

“Where did you meet him?”

“…”

“How old is he?”

“…”

“No, forget that. Is he good-looking?”

Yu Jeong exchanged glances with the others, smirking. When Sahee frowned and tried to avoid their gazes, they started banging their fists on the table.

“Yeon Sahee!”

“It’s not like that.”

“What do you mean, ‘not like that,’ huh? If it’s not, why is he coming to pick you up?”

Sahee gripped the phone on her lap tightly.

The thought that he might call at any moment made her anxious. She wanted to wrap things up quickly and leave, but judging by the atmosphere, her friends weren’t going to let her go easily.

“Oh, he’s coming to pick you up?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“So you were sneaking out, huh?”

“I caught her in the act.”

“Good job, good job.”

Sahee knew. At this age, dating wasn’t anything extraordinary. It was only because she acted like it was a big deal that her friends found it so amusing.

If he were really her boyfriend or someone she had good feelings for, she might have introduced him as her friends suggested.

But he wasn’t. This relationship wasn’t that.

Staring down at her still-silent phone, Sahee bit the inside of her lip.

“I’m seriously curious. At least tell us a little about what kind of guy he is.”

All eyes turned to her. Feeling flustered, she rolled her eyes around but kept her lips firmly sealed. Then, the bell attached to the shop door jingled.

The phone hadn’t rung, but her heart sank in an instant.

“What the—weren’t you all passed out? Why are you all up now?”

Thankfully, it was Juhwan. Come to think of it, Juhwan hadn’t been at the table. At some point, he must have left and returned, holding a convenience store bag filled with ice cream.

“Kim Juhwan! Get over here and sit down!”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Yeon Sahee is dating!”

“What?”

Juhwan froze for a moment, then turned to look at Sahee.

“Dating?”

“We’re interrogating her right now. Earlier, this girl went outside to take a call, so I followed her, worried, and bam, caught her red-handed.”

“Jwan, is that ice cream?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“Let’s eat first, then continue.”

“Yeon Sahee’s boyfriend is coming to pick her up soon.”

As the conversation poured out, Sahee rubbed her forehead. Everyone shrieked with delight, laughing and chattering, while she let out a deep sigh. Her insides felt like they were burning.

“It’s really not like that. He’s not my boyfriend.”

Finally, Sahee squeezed out an explanation. Her friends, who had started unwrapping the ice creams Juhwan brought, chuckled softly.

“If he’s not your boyfriend, is he your crush?”

“Ooooh.”

Yu Jeong smirked as he peeled off the wrapper from a cone ice cream.

At that moment, the vibration in her hand was nothing short of a tragedy. Hoping against hope it wasn’t him, she glanced down and saw the unmistakable number of Jung Taeon, the CEO.

Should she answer it? Should she pick up and tell him to go ahead without her? Her friends, noticing the incoming call, widened their eyes, even flaring their nostrils in excitement.

“It’s him! He called!”

Yu Jeong exclaimed, ice cream smudged at the corners of his mouth. Sahee tightly gripped the phone, which was still ringing.

Once, twice, three times… she silently counted the vibrations, but then Yu Jeong suddenly stood up.

“Is that his car?”

“Where, where?”

“In front of the shop!”

The call disconnected. Sahee turned along with her friends to look. Beyond the terrace stood a dark car with tinted windows. It was the same car she’d arrived in earlier. He had come all the way to the shop.

“Damn, that car is insane.”

“Hmm. Wait, no, it’s leaving.”

With trembling eyes, Sahee followed the car as it moved forward. Simultaneously, her phone started vibrating again.

“Wait, no! It’s stopping!”

By now, her friends had gathered like a mob of meerkats, craning their necks toward the terrace.

Sahee, straightening her posture, glanced down at the missed call notification. Just as she thought about texting him to go ahead to the hotel, the phone vibrated again. She bit her lip, her gaze uneasy.

By the time three calls had gone unanswered, the clear sound of the shop’s bell echoed like a lightning strike. The lively chatter around her abruptly died as everyone turned toward the entrance.

“I… I’ll head out.”

Sahee hastily grabbed her bag. She tried to stand, using the table for support, but a hand firmly pressed down on her shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Pushed back into her seat, Sahee clenched her eyes shut. The atmosphere was ice-cold. Even through their drunken haze, her friends seemed to recognize him. Without even looking, she could sense their startled reactions.

It was as if Taeon was relishing the attention, standing calmly behind her.

As Sahee, her head lowered in confusion, sat frozen, Taeon gently brushed the back of her head. With his other hand, he reached for a clean shot glass on the table. The sound of alcohol pouring into the glass rang out loudly in the heavy silence.

“Nice to meet you all.”

However, the man clearly knew that everyone here already recognized him.

“I’m Jung Taeon.”

It was a performance, as if he was responding to the crowd’s expectations. Taeon raised the filled shot glass and downed it in one go.

His brief introduction seemed to be the signal. Her friends erupted in shouts, their eyes sparkling like kindergarteners meeting Santa Claus for the first time. Excited exclamations burst out from all around.

He, however, remained utterly composed, as if such situations were second nature. The more flustered Sahee became, the more amused he appeared.

In the seat across from her, he downed four bottles of soju without even a hint of redness in his face.

After about an hour, Sahee’s friends finally surrendered, collapsing onto the table. Even Juhwan, who had held out the longest, seemed utterly defeated. Only then did Sahee feel a sense of relief.

Sitting next to him, pretending as though they were in a real relationship, was utterly uncomfortable. For two people who only saw each other as a one-night stand, this was an absurd lie.

Sahee glanced back briefly at Taeon, who was sitting on the terrace smoking a cigarette.

“……”

The man sat with his legs crossed in a relaxed posture, his head turned toward the street. Thin cigarette smoke rose silently above him. Though they were in the same space, it felt as if he existed in another world entirely. Before losing herself in pointless sentiment, she turned her gaze away.

Secretary Kim and the other assistants were helping move her friends one by one.

“Secretary.”

Sahee cautiously approached and met Secretary Kim’s eyes. He was in the middle of trying to rouse one of her friends, who was practically slumped over the table, but he looked up at her.

“Oh, yes. You’re free to leave now. We’ll make sure your friends are safely taken to the hotel. I’ll let the CEO know, so don’t worry.”

“…Thank you. I’ll leave them in your care.”

“It’s no problem. Please head home. See you tomorrow.”

Secretary Kim smiled kindly and nodded his head. Even after bowing back in return, she hesitated to leave.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Is he okay?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

His round eyes showed genuine confusion. Sahee hesitated for a moment before glancing toward the terrace.

“He drank a lot.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. This isn’t much for him. He’ll be fine.”

How was that possible? Four bottles of soju, and that wasn’t much? She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much he usually drank.

As she fiddled with the strap of her bag, about to turn away, her eyes met his. Taeon was watching her, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray on the terrace table.

He stood up.

Like a fish caught on a hook, Sahee found herself rising as well. Though he was the one approaching, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being dragged along.

Before she realized it, he was right in front of her. The sharp scent of his cigarette, carried by the cold air, made her instinctively flinch.

“Shall we go?”

Taeon gently grasped the hand that was tightly clutching her bag strap, pulling her along.

* * *

The early morning streets were cold.

The occasional gust of chilly wind brushed past them, reminding her of how surreal it was to be walking hand in hand with him through the heart of Seoul at this hour.

She looked at him a few times, using excuses like glancing at the neon lights of a still-loud bar or at a drunk person retching on the side of the road. But even her sidelong glances didn’t escape his notice. He lowered his gaze each time.

“It’s strange.”

“……”

“I thought you’d start scolding me the moment we stepped outside.”

Taeon adjusted his grip on her hand and slowed his pace. The sudden change made her steps falter, and when she instinctively tightened her hold, he held on even more firmly.

“I thought…”

She tried to sound composed, but her voice caught. She quickly looked straight ahead, avoiding his gaze.

“You taught me to end things at the right time, didn’t you? I was planning to do just that.”

“Next, you’ll tell me we’re dating.”

“…I wouldn’t say it’s impossible.”

At that, he let out a laugh of disbelief. When she turned to look at him again, one side of his face was slightly creased, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

Something in her words must have struck a nerve because his eyes glinted with an unfamiliar intensity. His grip on her hand, entwined with his, grew momentarily rough.

The early morning breeze was still cold, but their tightly clasped hands felt hot. What should’ve been a 10-minute walk for him alone stretched into 20 minutes as they walked together. Every time Jung Taeon tightened his grip on her hand, as if counting down moments of restraint, her breath hitched slightly in her throat.

Before long, the hotel loomed ahead, its lights bright against the night. It was the night she had promised him.

* * *

The man, who hadn’t said a word in the elevator, lunged at Sahee the moment the hotel room door opened. He pinned her against the wall, his lips pressing down on hers before she could even react.

“Wait, wait a moment.”

Their lips were firmly locked, and his gaze was unrelenting. Even as Sahee clenched her fists and desperately pushed against Taeon’s chest, it was useless. She twisted her body and curled up, but he pressed forward with determination.

“Let’s… let’s do this inside. Please, after you wash…”

As she turned her head with all her strength to reject the kiss, he straightened his upper body with an annoyed expression. The gap that briefly formed between them allowed his rough breathing to escape.

Sahee looked up at Taeon with trembling eyes.

“…Are you drunk?”

“Not at all.”

“…”

“If I were drunk, you’d already be lying down.”

He let out a sharp laugh, stepping closer as he reached out. Lowering his head, he undid the buttons of Sahee’s tightly fastened shirt one by one, leaving small kisses on her cheeks. Sahee squirmed, unable to withstand the ticklish sensation, her body flinching instinctively.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I won’t go too far.” He chuckled softly, trailing his lips down her neckline. Her mind went blank.

Then, just as he bared his teeth lightly against the tender skin of her nape—

“Ah…”

The strength in Sahee’s right leg, which barely supported her, gave out, and she slid down the wall, collapsing into a heap.

Sahee sat on the floor, gasping for breath. She couldn’t do anything but try to steady herself. Clicking his tongue, Taeon knelt on one knee in front of her.

“This is just…”

Taeon grabbed one of Sahee’s ankles, then the other, and casually slipped off her sneakers. The clean white shoes tumbled to the side.

Feeling exposed, as though her vulnerability had been laid bare once again, Sahee’s voice escaped, laced with frustration.

“That’s why I said we should go inside.”

“I probably said we should lie down, too.”

The look in his eyes, shamelessly serious, seemed to suggest that neither of them had any right to be standing. It left her speechless.

“Hold on.”

With a smirk, Taeon leaned toward her. Ignoring him, Sahee twisted her body and tried to push herself up with her arms.

The moment she did, he grabbed one of her arms and effortlessly lifted her. She was so startled that she couldn’t even scream. Looking at him with frightened eyes, Taeon carried her across the hotel room, as if giving her a choice had never been an option.

* * *

“Take a shower.”

After placing Sahee in the bathroom attached to the bedroom, Taeon began removing his suit piece by piece, letting out a faint laugh.

Even as he stripped down to his toned, muscular body and stepped into the shower, quiet chuckles escaped him. The image of six pairs of eyes watching him still lingered in his mind, sharpening his gaze momentarily.

Six. There were six.

The number of male colleagues among Sahee’s peers.

And six again.

The number of those men who harbored feelings for Sahee.

Some of the female colleagues hadn’t been able to make it, but all six of the male ones had shown up together. Their reason for gathering wasn’t hard to figure out.

He’d seen it all: six men awkwardly trying to read the room while orbiting around Sahee. When Taeon appeared, they plastered on friendly smiles, offering him drinks, but their eyes burned with anger.

One of them, in particular, had recently broken up with a long-term girlfriend. Supposedly in the throes of heartbreak, his fleeting look of defeat had been intense. The moment Taeon’s fingers lightly brushed against Sahee’s cheek, causing her to blush in embarrassment, it was obvious.

He’d come to size up just one person, only to find an entire group quietly competing for her affections.

Whether it had been a near-brawl or an alliance formed out of mutual rejection by Sahee, the peace treaty among the six men—however long it had lasted—shattered before his eyes. It was quite the sight.

“Damn it.”

Taeon muttered a low curse as he donned a bathrobe. He lightly shook his damp hair dry and stepped out of the bathroom. The hotel suite was silent.

Taeon crossed the long living room. As he got closer, he could hear Sahee’s breaths becoming rhythmic and shallow. Taeon leaned against the bedroom door and watched the woman curled up on her side for a while.

The thought of sharing a bed tonight made the trembling eyes of the six cripples seem laughable in contrast to the peace of this night.

Maybe he should have fed them and sent them away. If he had, he might have been able to indulge in the terrible fantasy of spending the whole night entwined with Sahee. What a pity.

Taeon straightened his body from where he had been leaning. Even as he lay down behind her, the woman did not move. When he stretched out his arm to wrap around her waist, her small body came along helplessly.

By now, she should at least pretend to be awake, but the woman desperately pretending to be asleep amused Taeon, and he chuckled.

“Sahee,” Taeon called her in a low voice. The woman’s body suddenly stiffened in panic. Soon, she turned around with a terrible look in her eyes.

Taeon did not miss the opportunity to bury his face in Sahee’s neck. Savoring the same fresh scent that emanated from him, he whispered softly, “Should we do it from behind?”

Sahee, with her eyes tightly shut, let out a faint moan. Without hesitation, Taeon slipped his hand inside her nightgown. In one swift motion, he pulled down her underwear to her knees.

“Wait, just a moment…” Sahee felt her legs being spread while she kept her head down. He was slowly rubbing his erect penis against her buttocks. The round cleft between her buttocks gradually became wet. Sahee felt her legs spreading as she let out a whimpering sound.

The penis, which had been rubbing between her thighs, brushed against her trembling entrance several times. The veins on the surface of the penis had already rubbed against her clitoris several times, making her wet.

“You’re so wet.”

“Uh-huh…”

“Did you get wet while sleeping?” His voice was playful, knowing full well she was only pretending to sleep.

He sucked on her earlobe, and the tip of his penis pushed into her entrance. Burying his head in her shoulder, he exhaled hot breaths as he thrust half of his thick shaft into her, splitting her body open.

Her legs trembled as if they had been waiting for this moment. From the moment he lay on top of her, the fluid that had been flowing made her inner walls soft and clenching around his penis.

“Ah, ah…”

Taeon bit into her neck as he pushed his penis all the way in. Even though she should have been used to it by now, every time she took his penis, it felt like her body was being split apart. Taeon pushed his penis deep into her, spreading her wide open and soaked with her fluids.

“No, no, ugh…”

“Sahee…”

The sudden short climax surprised not only her but also Taeon. Just as he was about to thrust deeply into the spot that felt good for her, Sahee reached her climax just from him calling her name, clenching around his penis. Taeon let out a hollow laugh.

“What felt so good?”

“Uh, ugh…”

“Hmm?”

Taeon lifted one of her legs high and spread her wide. Simultaneously, he mercilessly thrust his thick penis into her soft, wet insides from behind. He relentlessly drove his hips forward. Sahee screamed wetly and shook uncontrollably.

“No, uh, ah, ah, ah!”

She was being penetrated. Entwined and crushed under the man’s body. The tender flesh inside her, soaked and dripping, flashed white before her eyes as the penis pushed in.

Haah…

In the moment the hot breath hit her ear, followed by a shiver, Sahee should have sensed what the night would bring.

It was a long night.

* * *

The midday sunlight tapped on Sahee’s closed eyes.

As she grimaced and finally regained consciousness, pain set in. Her legs, exhausted from the night’s activities, ached. Sahee tightly shut her eyes and lay on her side.

She curled up and listened to her surroundings. There was no sign of anyone else in the bed where they had slept together. Only distant voices could be heard.

Perhaps it was fortunate that he did not wake up with her. If she had opened her eyes leaning on his arm, it might have been even more terrible.

Sahee felt a sense of relief and recalled the constant whispers in her ear from the night before.

Sahee.

Despite his forceful intrusion, his call was gentle. Her body, unbeknownst to her, responded to her name, which she must have heard thousands of times in her life, and she reached climax, filled with him.

The man let out a hollow laugh, amused, and continued to call her name throughout.

Even as he mercilessly thrust deep inside her, even as he lay on top of her like a dog, even as he arrogantly commanded her to move, even as he licked the tears from her eyes, he never stopped his teasing.

Sahee tried to clear her thoughts. The sun was already high in the sky. She thought she should wash up and go buy snacks for the people at the theater. As she started to get up,

“Sahee.”

Taeon suddenly appeared at the door.

Sahee, who was about to get out of bed, jumped in surprise and turned to look at Taeon. She instinctively pulled the blanket up to her neck and backed away.

“Are you awake?”

Taeon, dressed in a suit, came closer and sat beside Sahee. The bed shook violently, causing Sahee’s seat to tremble.

Despite a night of such activities, the man looked fresh. This fact made Sahee feel a bit resentful.

“Yes, I was about to wash up.”

Sahee gestured with her eyes, hinting that he should leave.

As always, he didn’t seem to care. He grabbed her hand, which was clutching the blanket, and pulled her closer. The touch of his hand on hers felt strangely intense.

Feeling suspicious, Sahee forcefully pulled her hand away from his.

“I need to go out for a bit.”

“Where to?”

“…To buy something delicious.”

Feeling like it was a lame excuse, she avoided his gaze, but Taeon chuckled and nodded readily.

“It’s quite a distance from the theater to Seoul. I’ll have someone buy it for you. You can rest at the hotel. I have a schedule anyway, so I won’t leave until around 4 PM. You can sleep until then.”

“No, there’s no need for that. I can go. I’m already awake.”

“Is that so?”

“…Yes. Don’t you have to go?”

Taeon raised an eyebrow at her blunt hint. She wanted to get up and leave, but she couldn’t because she wasn’t wearing anything under the blanket.

“Can you wash up by yourself?”

“…”

“I think I have time to wash you before I go.”

Taeon looked at the clock on the bedside table.

Confused, Sahee wondered who was washing whom. Taeon leisurely reached out his hand. His large hand gently stroked her shoulder, exposed due to the slipped blanket.

“Sahee.”

“Please… stop calling me that.”

“Why?”

“It’s weird.”

His hand trailed down her rounded shoulder. Sahee shrank back, pulling her upper body away. As her back hit the headboard with a thud, the blanket slipped down her torso.

She hurriedly tried to grab the blanket, but he stopped her. His hands were on top of her arms, which were clutching the blanket. His cold fingers slowly rubbed against her, sending shivers of pleasure.

“You seemed to like it during sex. Just hearing your name made you…”

“Ah…”

“Cry.”

Taeon smiled, his eyes crinkling.

Sahee’s eyelashes fluttered. Her lower abdomen was on fire. As his touch intensified, her toes curled under the blanket.

There were many excuses. He still had time, and to wash up, she needed to get dirty first.

He knew how to make her messy, and Sahee didn’t mind it.

* * *

They had sex once in bed and once more in the bathroom. As she watched her face in the wide mirror while he thrust into her, she gave up on her resolve to go out and buy food.

Even though half of her strength was leaning on him, her legs still felt weak. She couldn’t take a single step and collapsed like a newborn fawn. Unable to make it back to the bed, she ended up in Taeon’s arms.

Sahee, sitting against the headboard, rubbed her thighs firmly. Suddenly, she heard Taeon’s footsteps approaching and looked up.

Sahee watched the bedroom entrance warily as Taeon walked in confidently. He was holding her clothes, which had been sent for laundry the day before, wrapped in plastic.

“I’ll put these in the closet for you to wear.”

“…Yes.”

He opened the closet and hung up Sahee’s clothes. Meanwhile, Taeon had also changed his suit. They had both dirtied each other, so to speak.

Taeon came closer and sat at Sahee’s feet.

“There’s a famous bakery nearby, so I had them prepare something. Is that okay?”

Taeon slipped his hand under the blanket and grabbed Sahee’s ankle. She flinched, but he paid no mind and firmly massaged her leg.

“Yes, that’s fine, but… Ow, it hurts…”

Sahee grimaced in pain and closed her eyes tightly. The touch stopped. As the pain subsided, Sahee opened her eyes and looked up.

She caught a glimpse of him holding a square, blue jewelry box.

Sahee instinctively tried to pull her leg away, but Taeon was quicker. He grabbed her ankle and held it firmly. From the jewelry box, he took out an anklet.

“I chose this, so I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

“You don’t have to give me this. Please take it back.”

Sahee tried to pull her leg away, but Taeon held her ankle even tighter and fastened the anklet around it.

“It’s a gift, so if you don’t like it, just throw it away.”

“…”

“Why are you so good at that?”

Taeon lifted her leg and placed it to the side. He stood up, lightly brushed her cheek with his fingertips, and left the room.

Sahee, who had been watching Taeon’s back, looked down with trembling eyes. The anklet, with five diamond droplets connected, sparkled on her ankle.

* * *

It was almost 4 PM.

Sahee, now dressed, sat on the bed holding a pair of socks. She bent down to put a sock on her right foot, then lifted her left foot onto the bed.

The anklet Taeon had fastened around her ankle still sparkled. Below it, the scar remained as ugly as ever.

Why an anklet, of all things?

She already wanted to hide her steps, especially around him. Every limp would make it sparkle, as if advertising her presence…

“…”

She hated feeling this way about a gift. It wasn’t just because it was a gift from Jung Taeon, the CEO, but because her own inferiority complex was getting in the way.

Sahee ran her fingertips over the rough scar.

She had always hidden the scar with long socks. Even she tried not to look at the deep shadow because it was so horrible. Remembering the man who had kissed this scar made her heart ache, as if it were a fresh wound. She found herself pitying herself and staring at it.

After a moment of hesitation, Sahee put down one sock and removed the anklet. She placed the anklet back in the jewelry box on the bed and finished putting on her socks.

She lowered her legs.

Seeing both feet neatly covered in white socks, she finally felt at ease.

* * *

“I’ll take the carrier down.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem. I’ll be waiting, so you two take your time coming down.”

Secretary Kim smiled brightly as he took Sahee’s carrier and left. Sahee, sitting on a nearby bench, slipped her feet into her sneakers one by one.

Taeon, standing beside her, briefly glanced at Sahee’s ankle but said nothing more. He silently extended his hand.

“Let’s go.”

Sahee looked at Taeon’s hand for a moment. Hesitating, she reached out and took his hand.

Suddenly, she felt Taeon’s gaze shift. The sleeve of her cardigan rode up, revealing her wrist, and his gaze lingered there.

Her neck flushed. The anklet he had given her, now worn on her wrist instead of her ankle, sparkled conspicuously.

“Wearing an anklet over socks is… a bit strange,” Sahee explained, gripping his hand tightly as she stood up. She glanced at him sideways, but their eyes met directly. Embarrassed by her unnecessary comment, her face turned bright red.

“L-Let’s go,” Sahee stammered, trying to walk ahead of him, but he grabbed her waist. Her body trembled as if in a spasm, and he lowered his gaze, whispering above her lips.

“You know how to be cute, Sahee.”

Her breath caught, and her eyes closed.

It was a deep kiss.