OTC Chapter 17

Her momentarily restored reason, which had been melting away in the heat of the moment, hardened once more.

“No.”

Panicked, she tried to pull her hand free, but this time, he caught her chin, his strong fingers gripping her jaw tightly and pulling her closer. His intensely dark eyes and sharply defined eyebrows drew nearer, and then, her lips were swallowed by his.

How could he, here of all places…!

Eunkyo, shocked, pushed against his chest. But her lips, momentarily freed, were captured again, his thick tongue invading her mouth.

All the while, Lee Jaeheon’s voice echoed around her, reciting lines from a poem by a poet whose name she couldn’t recall, the words reverberating in her head.

She bit down hard on his intruding tongue and lips, accidentally catching her own lip in the process. The metallic tang of blood filled her mouth.

“Shit… you’re bleeding, sunbae.”

He finally pulled away, muttering irritably, and brushed his thumb across her lip.

“Why… are you doing this to me?”

Eunkyo gasped for breath, feeling a wave of despair wash over her.

Yes, that was the emotion consuming her now; despair.

She had reached a point where she couldn’t even bring herself to be angry at this rude, presumptuous young man. She was trapped by an overwhelming impulse she knew she wouldn’t be able to control.

He traced the blood on her lip, another curse slipping out.

“Fuck… You look at me like you want me so bad, how am I supposed to hold back?”

“Stop it, people are…”

“That’s why I told you to come outside.”

You’re crazy, Jung Eunkyo.

This time, her body moved involuntarily, pulled along by him. They strode out of the private screening room, the bright light of the screen receding behind them, up the stairs, and she pushed open the exit door.

From darkness to light.

The explosive impulse subsided, and for a brief moment, her reason returned, but it was no use.

The event staff, startled by their sudden appearance, stared at them, bewildered, then closed the door again.

Half-covering her face with her hand, she allowed herself to be dragged along by him until she stopped abruptly in front of the emergency exit door. 

“This… isn’t right. W-Wait, let’s just think about this…!”

“Did you like my voice that much? How much did you like it to look at me like that? Do you know what I was thinking when I recorded those lines?”

He pulled her towards the emergency exit, his hand gripping the back of her neck, his face inches from hers as he whispered,

“I was thinking about cumming on your face, sunbae. You were looking at me like you wanted to lick me all over, so I thought you were in love with me. Fuck, what a delusion. Don’t you think?” 

He threw open the emergency exit door, the metal crashing against the opposite wall. He pulled her inside, his face flushed, and impatiently devoured her lips once more, a kiss that felt like she was being consumed.

Before the door closed again, she thought she made eye contact with some people in the hallway. Eunkyo’s head and back arched as she stumbled backward under the force of his kiss. The double fire doors swung open, and the lights flickered on in the dark stairwell.

He cursed at the musty, humid air, pulled her down a flight of stairs, and pressed the button for a different elevator.

He unbuttoned his collar, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tugged at his earlobe, as if struggling to catch his breathe.

The veins on his forehead bulged, and his eyes were dark and sharp.

“What? Are you shocked? A younger guy losing his mind over you? No, it’s because I’m young. Fuck, it’s because I’m young. So you should just give in, sunbae.”

She wanted to ask if he was out of his mind, but no words came out. She pushed and pushed, but Lee Jaeheon wouldn’t budge.

Each time she exhaled threatened to bring tears to her eyes, her head swimming.

They rode the elevator down to B3, then walked, her being practically dragged along, to where he’d parked his car.

He practically threw her into the back seat, the door clicking shut behind them. Her vision was immediately filled with Lee Jaeheon.

“W-Wait…!”

Her chin was lifted, and their teeth clashed. A sharp pain shot through her head, and the sound of the car door slamming shut disoriented her.

He pulled her tightly against him, his mouth devouring her lips and tongue, and settled her on his lap. Her hands rested on his chest, hard as stone, and she felt his erection pressing against her inner thighs through their clothing.

Even through the layers of fabric, she gasped at the unmistakable sensation. It was far more intense than she’d imagined, the bulge beneath his clothes feeling like a weapon.

He subtly rubbed himself against her, muttering a low curse.

“Ha, I feel like I’m going to come just from kissing you. Don’t you believe me yet? Do I look sane right now? Can’t you just… give in?”

His voice was thick with desperation as he nipped at her lower lip with his teeth. He slipped his hand under her cardigan and pulled her satin camisole free from her waistband. His hand, hot, rough, and large, quickly moved up her back and unclasped her bra.

“Ah!”

He cupped her breasts, his palm filling with her flesh. A shiver of heat pooled in her stomach as he rubbed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“Hngh…!”

She gasped and clutched his shoulders. Clenching his jaw, he lifted his head and showered her chin and neck with kisses.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dog who obeys your every command, instead of someone you have to build a relationship with? Especially better if that dog is your neighbor.” 

The car seat crumpled beneath his knee, and one of her high heels slipped off, clattering to the floor. Her wallet and lipstick tumbled from her open handbag and landed in the corner.

It was a mess. In the brightly lit parking garage, with the fluorescent lights filtering in through the car windows, she was swept away by a torrent of emotions.  

“Say something. Tell me to stop, or tell me to keep going. Just don’t give me that bullshit.” 

“Ha, Lee Jaeheon.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

Her eyes, glazed with desire, looked down at him. She managed to reach out and ran her hand through his sweat-dampened hair. She briefly grazed his beautiful earlobe with her fingers, then wiped a smudge of lipstick from the corner of his mouth. His smile vanished once again.

Jaeheon looked up at her, his eyes burning with a predatory intensity, his languid demeanor gone.

“What are you doing? You’re making me crazy.”

“Ha…”

She had called his name, but her mind was blank, unable to process anything.

Her lips moved soundlessly as she tried to calm her racing heart, and then a vibration broke the silence. It was her phone, buried somewhere in the car seat.

When she didn’t answer, Jaeheon’s phone began to ring. She didn’t need to see the caller ID to know who it was.

The persistent ringing of their phones, one after the other, gradually eased the tension between them.

She felt like she had been standing in the pouring rain, drenched and disoriented. As her vision cleared, and she realized what she had almost done, a sudden wave of shame and embarrassment washed over her.

“He… he’s going to keep calling. Let’s just go back up.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to lift herself off his lap. He leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed deeply, burying his face in his hands and muttering curses under his breath.

Eunkyo knew he needed a moment. She slipped her high heel back on and reached behind her to fasten her bra. After gathering her scattered belongings from her handbag, Lee Jaeheon finally opened the car door and stepped out.

Once he was out, she smoothed down her hair and followed him.

“We’ll… talk later. I’m not going to avoid what happened today, so stop acting like a dog in heat.” 

She spoke with forced composure and was about to turn and walk away when he grabbed her arm, pinning her against the car door.

She flinched and looked up at him, her eyes wide, but this time, it was different.

Lee Jaeheon simply waited, his gaze locked on hers, as if seeking permission. Strangely, Eunkyo knew what he was waiting for.

She looked away, unable to hold his gaze, and he tilted his head, swallowing hard.

Ha…

Her heart swelled as his soft lips brushed against the cut on her lip.

It felt like their first kiss. She surrendered to the uncontrollable trembling, thinking that his earlier aggressiveness had been preferable to this tender vulnerability.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

As if regretting their missed stage greeting, Sunggeun introduced the two of them to the audience upon their return.

After enjoying some light snacks and wine with the investors, the real after-party was held at a nearby club.

Loud, pulsating music assaulted her senses. This kind of place was definitely not her style.

“I’m using my ‘daddy card’ tonight. So everyone, let loose and have fun! You deserve it after all your hard work.”

Sunggeun raised his credit card like a trophy, and the room erupted in excited cheers. As if releasing pent-up stress, they descended the stairs and onto the dance floor.

Eunkyo stood by the railing overlooking the first floor, her hands covering her ears.

Below, a sea of people, and among them, Lee Jaeheon. He stood with his hands in his pockets, surrounded by a group of people, laughing. He looked like a stranger.

Why does he live his life in such an exhausting way? 

If he had shown her only this side of himself, she wouldn’t be agonizing over him like this.

Eunkyo ran her tongue over the inside of her swollen lip, still sore from where he’d bitten it. The lingering sensation of his kiss still clung to her.

It would be a lie to say she hadn’t enjoyed their kiss.

Had she ever met a man whose gaze was as intensely focused on her as Lee Jaeheon’s? The fact that someone desired her so fiercely made her feel a thrill of vanity. It seemed a childish recklessness still lingered within her.

Just then, someone approached Jaeheon from behind as he mingled with the crowd downstairs. The woman tapped him on the shoulder, and as he turned around, she covered her mouth with both hands, a delighted expression on her face.

Did they know each other?

They exchanged a few words, and then Lee Jaeheon headed outside. The woman followed him as he looked at his phone, and then a faint ringing filled Eunkyo’s ears.

Hmm…

Would it be wrong to feel… annoyed?

Would it be considered meddlesome…?

“Hey, Jung Eunkyo. What are you doing here?”

Sunggeun approached her as she nervously chewed on her pinky fingernail. Behind him, a group of people carried a custom-made cake, candles, and ridiculous party hats. They seemed to be preparing for someone’s birthday.

“Sunbae, I’m really tired. Can I leave first?”

“Now? You just got here. And it’s Jaeheon’s birthday today. Our youngest team member found out on social media and planned a surprise party. At least stay for the fireworks. It’s the highlight.”

“Oh… it’s his birthday?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No. He didn’t say anything.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem like the type to broadcast it. He’s naturally reserved. Not flashy, hard to read.”

I think I can read him pretty well.

Eunkyo, who had been about to go home, changed her mind and decided to stay. She felt she should at least celebrate the birthday of her neighbor, whom she’d even kissed.

But even after waiting for a while, Lee Jaeheon didn’t return to the club. The youngest team member, who had planned the party, looked dejected, saying Jaeheon wasn’t answering his phone.

Eunkyo silently grabbed her handbag and went downstairs. The music on the first floor was deafeningly loud compared to the second floor. Covering her ears, she made her way across the crowded dance floor when she bumped hard into someone.

“Sorry!”

She bowed deeply in apology and headed towards the exit without even checking who it was.

As she came out from the smoke-filled stairwell and into the fresh air, she felt as if she had awakened from a dream.