IMFOBO | CH 55 | The Purpose of a Bathroom

Tae-san roughly pressed a towel against his dripping hair to dry it.

While reviewing reports he’d already uploaded on his tablet, all his senses were focused on the bathroom across the room.

At first, he simply thought that women take a long time to shower.

But after the water sounds stopped and considerable time passed, he began to wonder about Eun-cho’s well-being.

‘Why isn’t she coming out?’

Tae-san’s eyebrows rose in a steep slope.

It reminded him of the past days when they faced off on either side of the flimsy door at the old house.

‘Surely she hasn’t made the bathroom into a bunker base.’

Then suddenly, a flash of insight crossed his mind.

Did she fall asleep in the tub? Or collapse?

Needless anxiety welled up, and he jumped up from the sofa.

Eun-cho had pushed herself far too hard last night, especially considering she hadn’t gotten any sleep.

What if she was mindlessly taking a hot shower after having gone for a run?

Tae-san approached the bathroom and knocked on the door.

He was feeling increasingly anxious because of Eun-cho’s lack of response.

He was even considering breaking down the door if necessary.

“Is something wrong?”

“Ah, I’m about to come out.”

Finally, a faint voice was heard from inside.

“But Tae-san, could you go somewhere else for a moment? Like the guest room or the study?” 

“What?”

What new ploy was this?

His curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

“Why?”

“There’s only a large towel here. I’ll dash out quickly, so please move away from the door.”

Aha. So she was essentially half-naked?

What an audacious confession.

This was nothing short of a declaration asking to be devoured.

Taesan couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling up inside him.

Where was her thoroughness when she locked the door handle earlier?

How could his wife be so careless?

She’s just too cute; I can’t handle it.

This kind of bold surprise was always welcome.

Enough to completely erase the faint irritation he’d felt all morning.

Meanwhile, Eun-cho, who had trapped herself in the bathroom, was growing increasingly anxious.

She could imagine the expression of the man standing outside the door without seeing it.

He was probably grinning playfully, just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

Eun-cho frowned and gnawed on her thumb knuckle.

It was a habit that emerged when she was extremely nervous.

Her heart began pounding like crazy.

For a split second, she actually worried he might tear the locked door off its hinges again.

Ridiculous, really.

Eun-cho gathered her wits and hurriedly covered herself with the large bath towel.

She secured the towel tightly, but…

It was inadequate, far too inadequate.

For a man aggressive enough to casually tear down doors, how difficult would it be to remove a mere towel?

If she ran to the bedroom as quickly as possible, she might have a chance.

“Just step aside for a moment, please? I’ll dash out.”

“Wait, I’ll bring you clothes.”

Eun-cho was already staring at the water-soaked floor.

Changing here would feel even more uncomfortable.

She perked up her ears to check what was happening outside.

He might’ve just said that and could be lying in wait right outside the door—for all she knew.

‘Huh? Did he really leave?’

It was eerily quiet outside the bathroom, as if the space had been cleared.

Euncho carefully turned the doorknob, repeatedly checking that Taesan’s presence had truly disappeared.

It might still be a trap, but this was her only chance.

She had to move with lightning speed.

Before that man changed his mind.

Peeking out, she saw the back of the man who had turned towards the dressing room.

He didn’t seem to know that she had clothes to change into inside the bedroom.

Since the bedroom and the dressing room were conveniently in opposite directions, she could make a run for it now, and her plan would succeed.

How could she possibly believe his offer to bring her clothes willingly?

She’d sooner believe a cat confessing its dislike for fish.

“Hey! Lee Eun-cho!”

Tae-san, seeing Eun-cho step out of the bathroom, was startled and rushed towards her like an arrow.

The cool air from outside and the humid steam from inside the bathroom mingled, casting deep shadows.

“W-what is it! W-who said you could come in?!”

Tae-san pushed Eun-cho, who had tried to run past him, back into the bathroom.

The problem was that she was now trapped alone with Tae-san in the steamy bathroom.

Eun-cho widened her eyes and tightly clutched the towel so it wouldn’t slip.

Just then, a sound came from outside.

“Room service.”

“……!”

Ah. Only then did she understand.

This man had a temperament that would absolutely not allow anyone else to see Lee Eun-cho in her disheveled state.

He must have tried to cut off any such possibility from the start.

“Then why did you come out? I told you not to.”

“You could have at least told me room service was coming!”

“How was I supposed to know you’d come bursting out like a wild colt? And half-naked at that.”

Tae-san looked down at Eun-cho with a reproachful gaze.

Even then, his playful expression remained.

“Unbelievable, you—!”

“Shh. There’s someone outside.”

The faint sound of tableware being placed on a table could be heard.

No one could create such an awkward situation like Ryu Tae-san.

‘Maybe I should have just listened in the first place.’

To be standing with this man again in such a suggestive state.

Through the loosely tied bathrobe, she caught a glimpse of the firm body she had seen dozens of times the night before.

Both of them were dressed in a way that wouldn’t be surprising if a fire ignited between them again at any moment.

“Then at least bring me my clothes.”

Eun-cho bit her lip tightly, trying her best to avoid looking at Tae-san’s chest.

Even so, Ryu Tae-san was far from satisfied.

“Call me ‘oppa’.”

That damn ‘oppa’.

Why was he so fixated on being called ‘oppa’?

“You call that ten-won guy ‘oppa’ just fine.”

“Who’s the ten-won guy?”

Tae-san chuckled.

Strangely, the word ‘oppa’ didn’t come out easily when addressing Ryu Tae-san.

Why did it roll off her tongue so easily when talking to Gu-won?

Rather than ‘oppa’, maybe something more like…

“Darling?”

“……You sly thing.”

The gamble paid off.

He let out a low breath, as if it were a completely unexpected word.

His gaze deepened, and the playfulness vanished from the man’s face as he took a step closer to Eun-cho.

Now she definitely knew that expression.

That was the face he made right before a kiss.

“W-we need to hurry. We have to go to Cheongnim-ri. The elders will be waiting.”

“Yeah, we should hurry.”

The man, his lips stretched languidly, grabbed Eun-cho’s hand and pulled her close.

The bathroom floor was slippery, and Eun-cho momentarily lost her balance, almost falling into Tae-san’s embrace.

Her nose brushed dizzily against his firm chest, and the familiar scent permeated the depths of her lungs.

Thump, thump.

Again, without any sense of timing, her heart began to pound wildly.

“……Don’t tell me again?”

“I held back for quite a while, you know.”

Just how long had he been holding back for him to be acting this crazy, like a runaway colt?

He was a man who had always been far from a life of abstinence.

Yet, ever since he became entangled with her, he hadn’t kept another woman by his side, as if he had no interest whatsoever in such fleeting pleasures.

“……No. It’s too much.”

“It’s fine.”

Tae-san suddenly slipped his fingers through Eun-cho’s damp hair.

A flush of heat spread from the spot where his hand brushed lightly against the curve of her ear.

The way he gently pulled her face toward him—subtle, yet bold—sent a shiver down her spine.

“I told you—I don’t have a thing for cheating.”

“I’d rather you did.”

“If it’s not you, then who else am I supposed to take it out on?”

Eun-cho’s face looked as if she was about to cry.

Even last night, she had succumbed to that kind of coaxing and surrendered herself to him countless times.

The sensations that were initially unfamiliar and painful had somehow transformed into ecstasy and pleasure.

All she could do was endure the pleasure that crashed over her like a tidal wave.

“There’s someone outside! Please, get a grip, Ryu Tae-san!”

“They’ll just think we’re a passionate newlywed couple.”

It was a reasonable excuse, but it had no effect on Tae-san.

Tae-san grabbed Eun-cho’s waist and lowered his lips to hers.

Tae-san kissed her relentlessly, as if he would never let go again.

He pulled her nape, deeply entwined his tongue with hers, and drank in her saliva.

The strange yet intense sensation made her head feel blank.

“Hngh……!!”

Even as she braced her toes firmly, a suggestive moan escaped her lips every time.

She felt like she would go crazy with worry that the hotel staff outside might hear.

And yet, her body faithfully heated up.

Ryu Tae-san had relentlessly made it so.

To the point she couldn’t come to her senses.

What if she ended up giving him her heart while their bodies were intertwined like this?

Would she be able to endure the moments of being left alone later?

The countless worries and anxieties she had harbored turned to ash and vanished after the flames ignited.

Tae-san hooked his index finger on the edge of the towel.

With a slight flick, the towel fell with a pathetic lack of resistance and rolled onto the wet floor.

He pulled his lips away for a moment, met Eun-cho’s gaze, and smiled.

She hastily covered her breasts, which had swayed and slipped down, but the exposed skin she couldn’t cover undulated seductively.

“See? You look the prettiest when you’re not wearing anything.”

“Lecherous man.”

Eun-cho panted, her lips slightly parted as she struggled to catch her breath.

Tae-san lightly sat Eun-cho on the wide space of the sink counter and turned his head to lock his lips with hers.

It was a messy and chaotic kiss.