OTC Chapter 12

Lee Jaeheon

After returning home with Lee Jaeheon, Eunkyo placed the rabbit he’d given her on top of her book while he was in the bathroom.

The object, with its cream, blue, and green colors swirling together like an abstract painting, reminiscent of waves, perfectly complemented the cover of her book. It felt as if Lee Jaeheon had read her book, the wave pattern of the cover seemingly transferred directly to the rabbit’s heart.

It made her feel strange.

A gentle laughter escaped her, and a tickling sensation spread through her chest.

As she stroked the smooth rabbit, chuckling to herself, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out, plopped down on the sofa, and checked the message.

It was from Kim Haeda. He had sent her five KakaoTalk profiles, along with a picture of premium Korean beef, and a short message.

「Take your pick.」

As if he was serious about setting her up on a blind date, each of the men Kim Haeda had sent had impeccable looks.

It was just like Kim Haeda to respond sincerely to a flippant remark. No, it was so like a friend.

But the problem was, all five men exuded the same aura as Lee Dohyun. Perhaps Kim Haeda thought Lee Dohyun was her only type.

It was true that she had struggled and wandered for a long time after breaking up with Lee Dohyun, so it was her fault for giving Kim Haeda that impression.

She had dug her own grave.

「I said choose.」

At his urging message, Eunkyo replied that she would do it later.

“Who are these men?”

The familiar scent of shampoo, along with a wave of warm, humid air, wafted over her from behind. Lee Jaeheon, dressed in a black shirt and dark pants, was drying his hair with a towel, one hand resting on the back of the sofa.

“Ah.”

He leaned closer, his hand closing around the phone in her grasp. Lee Jaeheon’s occasional, sudden air of dominance made her freeze.

“I asked who they are.”

“I was thinking of getting set up on some blind dates. Would you let go of my hand? You can be incredibly rude sometimes.”

Only then did he finally release his grip on her wrist. Rubbing the inside of her slightly reddened skin with his thumb, he put down the towel and leaned over the back of the sofa.

“Did it hurt?”

“Is that the point? Going through someone else’s phone…”

“I saw it by chance. But it’s unexpected. I thought you weren’t interested in things like dating, sunbae.”

Even in a loose-fitting shirt, Lee Jaeheon’s presence was overwhelming. And why did his shampoo, the same one she used, smell different on him?

“What’s wrong with dating? Does it always have to be serious? You can just date casually.”

He stared at her as she fiddled with her phone, a flustered look on her face, then leaned his arm against the back of the sofa with a puzzled expression.

“Isn’t that… FWB, not dating?”

For a moment, her mind went blank. A word she’d never heard before, unfamiliar even to her, a writer who supposedly knew more words than most people, lodged itself in her brain.

“What? FWB? What’s that?”

“Friends With Benefits. Isn’t that basically… fuck buddies?”

Her head throbbed, as if she’d been hit with a strong punch. Dumbfounded, Eunkyo chuckled dryly and stood up. As she walked towards the kitchen, Lee Jaeheon’s voice, languidly leaning against the back of the sofa, followed her.

“If you dress up casual encounters with the word dating, it’s a little unfair to the word ‘dating,’ don’t you think?”

“Overthinking is bad for your mental health. Lots of people do it these days. They say sexual compatibility is more important than emotional connection, and that you should sleep with someone first and then decide.”

“Are you that lonely?”

She had taken out a pot to make ramen and was filling it with water when her hand went limp.

“Am I lonely?”

Eunkyo muttered to herself, her gaze darkening.

It was a little annoying that he, the very person who had made her think about dating in the first place, was saying these things.

“I guess I am lonely.”

She placed the pot back on the induction stove and turned up the heat. The faint buzzing sound of the stove filled the silence between them.

Lee Jaeheon, staring blankly at her with an unusual intensity, stood up.

“So you seduced me into showering at your place.”

Eunkyo’s brows furrowed in annoyance as she took out two packets of ramen.

“I did?”

“You know what kind of guy I am.”

“And so?”

“Knowing that I’m different on the outside and inside, why are you being nice to me? Perhaps… did you see it that day?”

Lee Jaeheon’s voice and gaze changed. He approached and trapped her between his arms. Eunkyo, who had her back to him, stiffened, a chilling shiver running down her neck.

“Sunbae, I like you. I fell for you at first sight.”

His languid voice caressed her ear. But it was a playful, twisted voice, devoid of sincerity, a fabricated tone.

“If we had met on a blind date, we would have already slept together.”

“I wouldn’t go on a blind date with you.”

Her curt reply was laced with clear displeasure and annoyance. But Lee Jaeheon just chuckled, lowering his face closer to the nape of her neck, as if amused.

“Then should we just… do it casually?”

She gasped and pushed him away with her elbow. His face, devoid of its usual smile, drew closer, a coldness in his eyes.

“Let’s start with a kiss.”

He gripped her chin tightly, his thumb pressing against her lips. He suddenly pushed his tongue, tasting of toothpaste, into her surprised, parted lips.

Eunkyo pushed against his chest with her fist and turned her head away, but the kiss only deepened, becoming more passionate.

Her head spun. She was confused, unsure if she was dreaming or hallucinating.

His soft tongue explored her mouth, stealing her breath. He expertly traced her teeth before retreating, drawing her saliva with him.

“Ha! Lee Jaeheon! Why are you suddenly doing this…!”

He caught her hand as she tried to push him away and pulled her firmly into his embrace, gripping the back of her head.

“Shut your mouth. Unless you want to see me lose my mind.”

Her eyes squeezed shut as his lips devoured hers again. It was a ravenous kiss. The edge of the sink pressed against her back, and her heart, which had been far from steady for days, pounded wildly. She felt as if she had a high fever. Her body trembled as though struck by chills, her teeth chattering faintly.

She knew why she was reacting this way. The confusion and trembling she felt during her first kiss with Lee Dohyun, when everything was new to her, were feelings she would probably never forget until she died.

“Why are you trembling so much? You said you liked casual relationships. You said you could have sex with anyone as long as you felt the slightest attraction.”

Behind her, the pot on the induction stove boiled over dangerously, and a call from an unsaved number flashed ominously on her phone, which was on the sink.

He reached out and flipped the phone over, hiding the screen from view.

He nipped at her soft lips with his teeth again, his eyes narrowing. Seeing her clutching his shirt, her eyes squeezed shut, and his lower body hardened instantly.

Fuck.

Swallowing the curse, he finally released her lips and gripped the edge of the sink with both hands. Then, exhaling deeply, he rested his forehead against her shoulder.

“I like you, sunbae.”

Saying this, he was about to turn away and leave from the dazed Eunkyo when a wet dishcloth flew at his back.

“I saw you. Yes, I saw it! I saw you… masturbating while calling my name. That’s why I’m trying to date! Because I don’t want to fall for some younger guy who’s desperate to seduce me! So don’t treat me like this. If you… kiss me like that again… without my permission, I’ll kill you. Got it?”

Lee Jaeheon’s eyes widened at her outburst, before tilting his head and letting out a dry laugh.

He looked at her with a sideways glance, her chest heaving with anger, and then walked towards her again. As she stepped back instinctively, he reached out to turn off the induction stove, which beeped in response.

The steam rising from the pot obscured their vision momentarily. Eunkyo, who was barely breathing, bit her lip and fixed her gaze on the now inactive stove.

She didn’t understand.

Thinking she had come to understand the kind of man Lee Jaeheon was had been a complete delusion.

As he looked down at her flushed, angry face, he leaned in slowly, pressing his cheek against her ear. Then, he whispered to her hushed form,

“If you know I’m desperate to seduce you, then just give in a little. Tell me… do you prefer to take the lead? Well, if you want to, I can let you once in a while. But if not, I’ll do the honors. And if you’re feeling lonely, don’t look for someone else. Find someone closer to home.”

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

I’m hungry.

Eunkyo, sprawled on her bed, groaned and got up to open the refrigerator. But there wasn’t anything appealing to eat. Making a mental note to go grocery shopping tomorrow, she grabbed her laptop and curled up on the sofa.

「This is Professor Seo Kyungwoo. Please contact me.」

The message must have arrived while she was kissing Lee Jaeheon. Eunkyo sighed, running a hand over her face.

Was it right to define what she was feeling as excitement? She had been asking herself this repeatedly since Lee Jaeheon left. If someone asked her if she was excited by Lee Jaeheon, she would deny it.

He was an undeniably attractive man, objectively and subjectively. He had a slightly twisted side, but even that was appealing in its own way. And the biggest reason was that she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

That’s why she couldn’t think about anything else.

Eunkyo didn’t reply to the message from her former advisor, Seo Kyungwoo. She had first met Professor Seo when she was twenty, right after starting university. Seo Kyungwoo was an authoritative figure in the Creative Writing Department, with the temperament of a critic.

She had respected him.

So, at the time, some students frequented his house to learn from him. They helped him edit his work and ran errands for him. In return, Professor Seo openly favored the students who showed enthusiasm for learning.

Eunkyo, too, had frequented his house for months, learning to write and crying endlessly. She faced his harsh criticisms and scathing remarks, and experienced the humiliation of having her character trampled on. She could say now that it was a valuable experience, but at the time, all she wanted to do was run away.

「I’m planning a special lecture with a guest speaker, and I thought it would be good if you, as my former student, could participate.」

「It’s twice a week for five weeks, contact me if you’re interested.」

「I’d like to see you too.」

Professor, I’m not in the right state of mind for that right now.

Eunkyo put down her phone and leaned her head against the back of the sofa.

“I like you, sunbae.”

Lies. He just wants to sleep with me.

Her gaze fell upon the paperweight Lee Jaeheon had made for her. The rabbit with its drooping ears and bright blue heart looked just like her.