FL 2

When she stood there blankly, unable to give any answer, the man let out a small curse under his breath, seemingly frustrated, and pushed the serving cart in himself.

He plopped down on the sofa and naturally opened a bottle of champagne, pouring it out. Bubbles were fizzing up from the two champagne glasses on the table.

Even then, she remained frozen in place from the confusion. He frowned and picked up the centerpiece from the cart, tossing it onto the table with a thud.

“How long are you planning to just stand there? What else do you expect me to do?”

The moment she heard his smooth, native pronunciation followed by an announcer-like accent with clear enunciation, her tension eased a little. Though his tone and expression remained as unfriendly as ever.

As if used to such strange situations, he leaned back against the sofa and casually put his feet up on the table.

“…Ah. This is more than enough. Thank you.”

Hyewon blinked rapidly, then took a seat some distance away from him. As she sipped the champagne he had poured, she tried to assess what kind of situation she had found herself in.

When she thought, “So this guy is what they mean by top-tier service?”, it somehow made sense. But to offer such a service that wasn’t even requested just because he got a generous tip—it was upsetting, and she kept her mouth tightly shut in discomfort.

“Um, so… I…”

She was going to say that she didn’t need any of those so-called “amazing” services he might have in mind. He sighed faintly, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and glanced at his wristwatch. Maybe time was money for him—he seemed a little impatient.

“If you have a preferred way, just say so. I’ll go along with most things.”

They were clearly speaking the same language, yet she couldn’t understand what this conversation was supposed to be about. What did he even mean by preferred way? Faced with his absurdly brazen expression, Hyewon was simply at a loss.

She silently kept sipping her drink until the champagne he had poured earlier was completely gone. He casually picked up the bottle again and refilled her glass, glancing up at her from under his lashes.

Their eyes met. Startled, she flinched, and the glass in her hand trembled slightly, causing a bit of champagne to spill onto her hand. He reached out, picked up a napkin, and nonchalantly wiped the back of her hand. It felt like a kind of consideration that was second nature to him.

“…W-well, maybe we should just… talk a little?”

He let out a short laugh, mocking her like he’d just heard something absurd.

“Ah… Is that what you need to feel satisfied? Fine, let’s do that.”

Her lips parted slightly, and she cautiously asked a question.

“…Do you eat while you work?”

She was used to listening to others but rarely said more than necessary herself, so everyday conversation didn’t come naturally.

“Why? Are you planning to feed me?”

“That much is no problem at all.”

Hyewon stood and took two dome-covered dishes from the cart, placing them on the table. She even opened the lids herself and pushed one toward him, setting out the cutlery for him.

“You’re such a funny woman.”

“…Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Is this some kind of new negotiation technique?”

“A steak’s a bit too grand to be called a negotiation technique.”

He swore harshly out of habit. As she cut into the perfectly grilled piece of meat, she considered just handing him some money and sending him off. After all, the only reason he endured these frustrating situations was for the money.

Ironically, in this unfamiliar place, she felt both a sense of closeness and pity simply because the man facing her—whom she knew nothing about—was a handsome East Asian.

Of course, it was a completely useless emotion. What was the point of feeling close to someone she’d never see again? And pity, toward someone wearing a Brioni tuxedo that probably cost more than her monthly salary? It was absurd.

Even so, it was clear that selling his body was a tiresome job for him. Beneath his lowered eyelids, she’d glimpsed dark irises swirling with disgust and fatigue. It was a deduction born of experience—being in a profession where she often interacted with many people.

“You’re doing this… all for money, right?”

“…Maybe?”

He furrowed his brow, as if the question was incomprehensible, then gave a cold smile and murmured,

“Depends on how you treat me. That’ll determine how much I walk away with.”

Hyewon assumed he was referring to the tip he might receive after everything was over. She nodded as if that made sense.

“Once I finish this wine, you can leave. I’ll give you what you want. More than enough.”

He narrowed his eyes, as if suspicious. Avoiding his sharp gaze, she sipped at the wine she had poured too generously earlier when she was alone.

With nothing left to say to each other, the spacious room was filled with silence. Under the heavy quiet, his piercing side-glance felt suffocating, so she picked up the remote on the table and turned on the TV. The trivial background noise made her feel like she could breathe again.

She flipped through channels until she landed on an old movie she had once started but never finished. There were no subtitles, so she had to pay close attention, but it was enough to kill some time. It was a romance film that weaved back and forth between the past and present.

She sensed his gaze shifting toward the screen. He let out a few amused chuckles as he kept sipping champagne, then the sound of him chewing pieces of steak followed.

Hyewon, feeling a laugh bubbling up for some reason, brought her wine glass to her lips to hide her smile. Then she dipped a strawberry in whipped cream and ate it as a snack.

He quickly emptied his plate, loosely crossed his arms, and sank deeper into the sofa. When he changed positions and crossed his long legs, the tip of his shoe nearly brushed against her shin, which was sitting upright.

The ticklish sensation against her bare skin made Hyewon shift her position, widening the distance between them.

The movie had passed its halfway point, and the tender love story between the characters was unfolding. Her eyes started to sting, so she blinked rapidly to stop herself from tearing up before she had to reach for a tissue. She half-expected to hear him scoff at this point, but when it remained silent, she turned her head slightly to look.

He had his eyes closed. She assumed it was because he couldn’t stand the cheesy movie or maybe was just trying to get through a boring moment.

Hyewon thought maybe that was for the best and diligently finished off the rest of her wine. She tilted her head back and drained the last drop, then set the glass down with an audible clink to signal that everything was over.

The man still didn’t move. Curious, she leaned in slightly to get a closer look—and realized he was sound asleep, his breathing slow and steady. Even when she waved a hand in front of his face, his posture didn’t change.

Since he had his eyes closed anyway, Hyewon took the opportunity to calmly admire his face—it looked like the masterpiece of a great artist.

“With that face, he could probably become rich without ever doing this kind of work…”

Hyewon seriously pondered it, then came to a different conclusion.

“Or maybe, even if he feels disgusted by it all… he might actually enjoy having sex with different people.”

She wouldn’t have sex with him, and thus wouldn’t owe him money either, so she felt unnecessarily guilty. Why did he have to come to her of all people?

 

She considered waking him but figured he must be exhausted, so she decided to wait until he stirred. Planning to finish the movie from earlier, she relaxed the tense posture she’d held since his arrival and leaned back into the sofa.

 

Perhaps it was the champagne from the wedding, plus the champagne and wine he’d given her—too much alcohol—because her eyes grew heavy. Thinking of sending him off and sleeping, she sat up straight again. The screen flickered in and out of view. She shook her head, trying to fend off sleep.

 

She was certain she’d shaken off the drowsiness, but when she opened her eyes, the movie had ended, and another was playing.

 

Even more shocking, Yoon Hyewon’s head rested on the man’s shoulder. She could simply lift her head casually, but her face flushed for no reason.

 

Having acted so high and mighty with this man, the fact that she’d slept on his shoulder humiliated her.

 

Hyewon clenched the hand resting on her knee and slowly lifted her tilted head. Worried she might’ve drooled—meaning she’d owe him for cleaning his pricey tuxedo—she fumbled at her lips. Thankfully, no drool had escaped to spark a mortifying scene.

 

Wetting her dry lips, she cautiously turned to look beside her. He still had his eyes closed. A sigh of relief escaped her. Then a wet *smack, smack* startled her.

 

On the TV, a man and woman tangled in a kiss, tumbling onto a bed. An adult film—both actors fully nude—continued with passionate kissing and caresses. The lewd sounds and sex scenes made her unnecessarily embarrassed.

 

When Hyewon absently turned her head, he was staring right at her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet her heart raced. Flinching and pulling back in surprise, he leaned in just as much, closing the gap.

 

“Did you spike the food?”

 

His voice whispered in her ear, chillingly sinister. She shook her head quickly, shoulders hunching.

 

“…Then? You think it’s normal for my penis to react like this out of nowhere?”

 

He guided her hand to his erect cock, forcing her to touch it. Hyewon couldn’t tear her eyes from his as she felt the horrific texture. It was hard like a club, and as her hand made contact, something twitched inside his pants.

 

She tried to jerk her hand away in a panic, but he pressed it down harder, forcing it closer.

 

“P-please, let go…”

 

Half in a panic, Hyewon gasped for breath. He leaned in, wrapped his hand around her nape, and kissed her.

 

“Hnngh!”

 

Her squirming body was swiftly pinned beneath him as he climbed atop her.