IMFOBO | CH 71 | You Look Better Without Clothes

All throughout the early morning, Tae-san found himself patting Eun-cho’s shoulders again and again as she burrowed into his arms like a lost little puppy.

She looked like a soaked stray, desperate for warmth.

Tsk.

Despite his clicking tongue, he had no intention of pushing her away.

In fact, the more she clung to him, the tighter he held her small shoulders.

“You want me to show you sincerity?”

Maybe this was what Gi-wang had meant, once upon a time.

Ambiguity—always the hardest thing.

He couldn’t yet believe that the same woman who hadn’t flinched at his blatant advances was now opening her heart to something as simple as an embrace.

Even though the car hadn’t been moving fast—since it was in a parking lot—the image of Eun-cho standing frozen as it approached, blank and unflinching, wouldn’t leave his mind.

Her face had looked completely hollow, like someone cornered with nowhere to run. All he saw in her expression was the echo of unbearable loss.

It didn’t feel right to even ask, “Are you okay?”

What had made her so lonely, so devastated?

He’d always had violent fantasies of making her cry beneath him. But when she actually did cry, it didn’t feel satisfying. If anything, it left a bitter aftertaste.

He couldn’t even begin to understand these contradictory emotions.

Ambiguous. Truly, there wasn’t a single thing that felt clear.

“Hoo…”

Tae-san exhaled lightly, eyes on Eun-cho squirming in his arms.

It felt like his patience was snapping thread by thread.

He was barely managing to contain his flaring nerves when—

“…Is she really asleep?”

The thought crossed his mind with increasing suspicion.

Especially after he felt her press down between his thighs with her own, as if to provoke him.

Tae-san sucked in a short breath and silently chanted a sutra.

He wasn’t even a Buddhist, but he repeated whatever fragments of scripture he’d picked up over the years, trying to quell the rising heat in his body.

Despite her plea to make her forget everything, to overwhelm her until she couldn’t think, Tae-san moved with an endlessly gentle touch, rendering her request meaningless.

“Wake up, Lee Eun-cho.”

“Mmm…”

If this was an act, she deserved an award.

Eun-cho pressed her soft cheek against his chest and snuggled closer.

He was holding back with every ounce of self-control he had… and still, she—

Then Eun-cho winced at the faint light seeping through the blinds.

Carefully unwrapping her arm from around him, Tae-san slipped out of bed.

He approached the window and adjusted the blinds before stepping out.

Even after showering and making himself a cup of coffee, Eun-cho didn’t stir.

She wasn’t dead, at least—not with that steady breathing.

Tae-san checked the time with a glance and began preparing a simple breakfast.

Just as he placed a dish on the induction stove, he heard a faint voice from behind.

“Mr. Tae-san?”

Eun-cho peeked out from under the white sheets, her body still wrapped snugly.

Her hair was damp—she must have showered.

Why is she always so cute in the morning? Was she born this way?

“Did you… Put away my clothes?”

“You’re seriously thinking of wearing those again?”

The ones scattered like bread crumbs all over the place last night while they tore each other apart?

He had gathered the pieces like Hansel and Gretel cleaning up a trail and tossed them into the laundry room.

“Then… Can I maybe wear something of yours? My bag is still in the car.”

Her voice was a whisper, overly polite—no doubt because she was naked under that sheet.

“We’ve already seen everything there is to see. Why so shy now?”

“This is different.”

“Not really.”

Tae-san lowered the stove’s heat and strode toward her.

As the distance closed, she widened her eyes like a startled rabbit.

Wrapped tight in the sheet, Eun-cho flailed as he scooped her up.

“The dressing room layout changed.”

“Couldn’t you just say that normally?”

“You’re the one tempting me like that with nothing on.”

Eun-cho clutched the sheet even tighter and looked up at him.

With each step Tae-san took, her hair swayed, and he could smell his own shampoo in it—blended with her natural scent, it teased under his chin.

Strangely intoxicating.

“Here.”

Tae-san pushed open the door to the dressing room.

As he set her down on the showcase, Eun-cho looked around, wide-eyed.

Her expression—wrapped like a snowy burrito—was a mix of awe and exasperation.

Wasn’t this what sincerity looked like?

Spending money on someone you care about—what could be more honest?

He’d never moved her belongings into his house, but it wasn’t hard to fill an empty wardrobe for her.

He’d stocked it entirely with items that suited her taste—clothes, shoes, and bags. All she had to do was pick something and wear it.

“What is all this? Are you living with some other woman?”

“Is that your type of fantasy?”

What he thought was a sigh of disbelief turned out to be actual horror.

Her furrowed expression didn’t relax.

Tae-san stepped closer, placing a palm on the glass of the showcase.

Their eyes locked at close range, tension brimming.

“No need to overthink it. It’s all yours.”

“You always do this—everything your way…”

Click.

He slid open a drawer as if to silence her.

Out fluttered a collection of delicate lingerie, like butterfly wings.

Eun-cho couldn’t take her eyes off the drawer stuffed full of them.

“What… is all this?”

“Pick whichever you like.”

Tae-san stepped out of the room, and from behind came a breath of disbelief.

Truthfully, the lingerie was all to his taste.

He hadn’t considered Eun-cho’s plain, conservative style one bit—just loaded the drawers with bold, impractical pieces.

Thinking of her in those barely-there scraps made his thighs tense out of habit.

Crazy bastard.

“Ah.”

Tae-san opened the door again and looked in.

Eun-cho had lifted a pair of panties like they were some cursed relic, her face contorted with disgust.

“You look better without them.”

“Pervert.”

“You said you wanted to be treated like a baby.”

Which, technically, she hadn’t.

But the way she clung, starved for affection, had said as much in every gesture.

“Did I? And what kind of baby wears this kind of lingerie?”

“That’s why I said you’re better off not wearing any. I could even put a bell on your neck.”

“Your taste is trash.”

Seeing her tremble at his teasing, he figured she must be feeling better.

Good.

Eun-cho looked much more at home reacting sharply than wallowing in sorrow.

Why had no one ever stood on this beautiful woman’s side?

She was too precious just to look at.

What even is ‘taking someone’s side’?

He’d spent his whole life doing things his own way. But maybe—just maybe—it wouldn’t be so bad to side with someone once in a while.

Tae-san thought back to how precarious she’d looked the day before.

“Yesterday was too dangerous…”

He pressed his lips together and returned to the kitchen.

He set out soybean sprout soup and a few side dishes. The warmth filled the space.

For once, the food his mother had insisted on stocking, despite it always being left uneaten, finally felt like a blessing.

“You coming out?”

Eventually, Eun-cho emerged from the dressing room, looking sheepish.

She had quite the knack—choosing the most modest outfit possible.

Very her.

Still, her steps across the living room were oddly awkward.

“Uncomfortable?”

“Of course it is. You only buy stuff you like.”

It must’ve been the panties—useless at functioning as underwear.

Her pale face looked like she’d seen a ghost.

The way she glared with her lips tightly pressed together made him want to bite her cheek.

“Eat. You must be hungry.”

“…Did you make this yourself?”

As if.

But the rare sparkle in Eun-cho’s eyes made Tae-san smile.

He hadn’t said he did. He just smiled.

Whether she believed it or not, that was up to her.

“Tastes good.”

She’d looked horrified at the dressing room stocked with luxury, but now she was glowing over a single spoonful of soup.

Tae-san really couldn’t figure her out.

This “simple sincerity” Gi-wang talked about… Maybe this was it.

But never mind all that.

Her freshly washed face was adorable.

Tae-san leaned across the table and kissed her softly.

Eun-cho blinked in surprise, then smiled sweetly.

“…What was that?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Isn’t this normal?”

It was their first weekend together as a couple. Wasn’t it expected to not leave the bed at all?

And since she wasn’t shaken by his teasing, she must be okay.

Maybe she’d finally stopped resisting for the sake of it.

So had he.

Spending an ordinary day like this—it wasn’t so bad.

“You went through all the trouble of getting dressed—why bother, when I’m just going to take it off again later?”

Tae-san chuckled. Eun-cho smiled too.

But even as she smiled, the lingering shadow on her face hadn’t completely lifted.

Noticing this, Tae-san hesitated.

“…About yesterday in the parking lot—”

Bzzzz—

A phone vibrated, cutting him off, and wouldn’t stop.

Eun-cho raised her hand and reached for her phone.

“Hello?”

—This is Juseong Hospital. We’ve been trying to reach you. Kang Sun-young has gone missing.

At the sudden news, Eun-cho froze completely.

Like someone turned to ice in an instant.