OTC Chapter 21

The black stitches sealing the wound on Lee Jaeheon’s palm snapped one by one. It must have stung quite a bit, but Jaeheon didn’t even flinch. A mere piercing pain like this couldn’t hold his interest. What was far more stimulating was the image of her face from the previous dawn, kneeling in the bathroom, clutching his thigh.

Jaeheon slowly rubbed the corner of his mouth with his other hand. Heat gathered in his previously calm eyes. Just recalling last night was enough to make his body ache with desire.

Is this what they call being horny?

He’d held his penis in her small, hot mouth, and moved his hips with as much restraint as possible. 

Her actions were so clumsy….

Even with the slightest movement, the tip of his penis would prod against her throat. Each time, her mouth would tighten as she fought back the urge to gag. Her tiny tongue lapped at the veins, and then, having apparently seen it somewhere before, she rubbed his urethra with her tongue.

Fuck, why did she have to learn something like that….

He almost grabbed Jung Eunkyo by the hair and shoved himself inside her mouth like a madman.

It was just lust. At best, it was a pleasure created by a surge of dopamine. But it was different from watching porn or mindlessly jerking off in a fit of arousal. Never before had the object of his desire been so clear.

He was craving Jung Eunkyo. He was aroused by her, and only yearned for her. 

He was thrilled by the sight of tears welling up in her pretty eyes, her face flushing red as she gasped for breath. That sight snapped his reason, and he laid Jung Eunkyo down in the bathtub and once again sucked her down below like a dog.

“Hngh, stooop. Stop it…!”

“Then stop cumming. If you’re like this now, imagine how much you’ll leak when I’m inside. Hmm?”

“Haah, stop!”

He poked and prodded her twitching little hole with his fingers and tongue, and swallowed as if slurping down melting ice cream. If he hadn’t accidentally turned on the cold water in the midst of his frenzied excitement, he might have ended up hurting her.

Jaeheon sighed and ran a hand down his face.

“It’s all done. I’ll apply some ointment to finish up, so be careful today.”

The doctor’s words pulled him from the boiling mire of his lust. Seeing the faces of the doctor and nurse in turn, his excitement thankfully subsided in an instant, and the smell of disinfectant brought him back to his senses.

“Thank you.”

He twisted his wrist lightly and left the treatment room. Jung Eunkyo, who had been sitting in the waiting area reading a pamphlet, looked up from the front of the hospital.

Seeing him, she rose from her seat and approached. The way she looked was so different from last night that another chilling shiver ran down his spine.

This disparity is driving me crazy.

During the day, she puts on this proper face, as if she’s never even heard of lust, and then at night, she trembles beneath him, reaching climax. Hw want to see that sight again and again, for a long, long time.

“What did they say? Will it heal alright?” She naturally took his bandaged hand and examined the wound. “It looks like it’ll scar….”

Her murmuring voice sparked a hunger in him. A wicked desire disguised as appetite.

“They said it’ll be fine. Aren’t you hungry? I’ll treat you as thanks for coming to the hospital with me.”

“I should be buying you food. You’re a student, and I’m a working adult.”

Is she treating me like a child again? 

Jaeheon was dumbfounded.

“I may be a student, but I’m a rather well-paid artist. Let me buy you food today.”

That’s right, Lee Jaeheon is a writer.

Eunkyo remembered the unique rabbit paperweight he had made for her before and readily conceded. She wasn’t an expert in art, but she could tell that Lee Jaeheon was quite skilled.

“Still, I got a ride…. I had to go to the bookstore anyway.”

The two of them, exhausted, had woken up almost at noon. Her plan to send Lee Jaeheon away before the cafe opened had gone up in smoke, and Kim Haeda had caught them.

Seeing the two of them come downstairs together, Kim Haeda’s face turned as red as a volcano as he suppressed his anger.

Barely suppressing his fury, Kim Haeda finally managed to spit out, “You contact him and reject him yourself. And you, tenant, come see me.”

She had vaguely explained it away as them passing out drunk, but there was no way Kim Haeda would believe that. Even though he wasn’t her father, Kim Haeda insisted on acting as her guardian.

Lee Jaeheon, who had gone into the cafe for a moment, returned with an expression no different from usual. When she asked him what they had talked about, he said he’d gotten the usual lecture.

That “usual lecture” was probably fueled by Kim Haeda’s guilt towards her, or perhaps it was part of his sense of responsibility as a friend.

“Shall we have some meat? You felt pretty light yesterday. wouldn’t mind if you gained some weight.”

“I’m naturally like this. That’s why I sometimes envy women with more curves.”

“Why? I like your body, sunbae.”

Their eyes met at precisely the wrong moment. Eunkyo quickly turned her head away before he could continue. She felt that anything he said would sound suggestive.

“Let’s get some meat.”

Lee Jaeheon chuckled, seemingly amused by her reaction, and ushered her into his car. The place he chose was a rather famous, upscale restaurant nearby. He seemed to be a regular, exchanging greetings with the staff, and the owner himself came out and patted Jaeheon on the shoulder, welcoming him warmly, almost like a son.

She realized it again today. Lee Jaeheon was a man loved wherever he went.

After their extravagant meal of unfamiliar dishes, they took a short walk. She felt like the food would come back up otherwise, so they walked side-by-side to a large bookstore about a kilometer away.

It felt strange. It had been ages since she had enjoyed such a leisurely stroll on a weekday afternoon…. It was like a date, but not quite. A time both exciting and calming.

After walking across the unshaded sidewalk and down into the underground bookstore, they both burst out laughing simultaneously under the blast of air conditioning.

“Air conditioning is the best, isn’t it?”

“You’re right.”

After cooling their faces and scalps, they parted ways without hesitation. He headed to the art books section, and she sought out the humanities section.

Picking up a new release by a new author and some reference books she needed for her lectures, she spotted a book on the bottom shelf. It was her own book, published a few years ago, which had been quite popular.

Seeing the book barely clinging to the edge of the shelves, pushed aside from the bestsellers, it felt as if it was telling her that everything has its time.

Even a bird that soars with brilliant wings must eventually fold them and rest.

She crouched down in front of the shelf and pulled out her book for the first time in a while. \

The title was <Huh>.

It was a fairly daring title. People who saw the title written only in Hangul would ask if it used the Hanja character for “emptiness” (虛), but it didn’t. It was an onomatopoeia.

It was a slightly thrilling mystery novel about an exasperated sigh, “Huh,” and now it seems like a work with a wit that seems cheesy and outdated.

Thus, the cover design she’d chosen was swirled with a color that resembled a wave, a lake, or a swamp.

“Are you going to buy that?”

Lee Jaeheon’s voice came from above. Looking up, she saw him grinning as he bent down and took the book from her hand.

“If you’re not going to buy it, can I?”

“What? No, why would you…. I’ll give you one. I have a few copies at home.”

“No. I need to buy it myself if I want to give an honest review. I can’t criticize something you gave me.”

“Don’t criticize it. I’ll be hurt.”

“Hmm….”

He examined the wrapped cover and back of the book, then placed it on top of a thick graphic art book.

“How could I dare hurt you? Don’t worry. I can’t stand seeing you like that.”

Smiling brightly, he took the books she’d chosen as well and walked towards the counter. Eunkyo stood there blankly for a moment before hurrying after him.

“I’ll pay for mine!”

But Lee Jaeheon had already presented his card, and hers was ruthlessly rejected.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

“Hey, wow…. It really is Kim Haeda.”

Lee Dohyun handed over his card and ordered an iced Americano. Haeda’s eyes widened behind the counter, and his throat tightened.

Fuck.

“It’s been a while, hyung… You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

Swallowing the curse, Haeda took the card, processed the payment for the coffee, and tore off the receipt.

“Do you need a receipt?”

“No. Nice place. Stylish interior. Kim Haeda, successful business owner, huh?”

“I need to make my way in the world, too.”

Haeda observed Lee Dohyun’s subtly domineering yet gentle demeanor. He put his card back in his wallet and calmly took a seat.

He crossed his long legs and took out his phone, looking like any other customer, but this was Lee Dohyun.

Jung Eunkyo’s ex, and a world-class asshole.

“I’ll bring the coffee over.”

“Sure. Do you know him? He has an unusual atmosphere.”

“You should stop observing people so much. Don’t you know social media is a waste of time?”

“Hey, boss, your social media following is five times bigger than mine.”

“Shut up. Just… mind your own business.”

Haeda took the coffee Seontae had made and headed towards the window where Lee Dohyun was sitting. The sunlight streaming in reflected off his chocolate-brown hair.

Sitting across from Lee Dohyun, Haeda handed him the coffee and asked, “Why are you here? Did you need something?”

“Don’t be so cold. I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m not happy to see you at all, hyung.”

Dohyun smiled at the unconcealed hostility. He lightly stirred the ice in his drink with a straw and then looked up, his attractive eyes narrowing.

“Does Eunkyo live here?”

As expected, straight to the point.

“No.”

“Then, does she work here?”

“Haah, fuck…. What are you trying to do, showing up after three years?”

His voice rose as his emotions boiled over.

“Haeda.”

Lee Dohyun’s lips curved into a smile as he softly called his name. His characteristically gentle presence pressed down on Haeda heavily.

“There’s no way you’d leave our Eunkyo’s side. You think I don’t know you? And now there’s Lee Jaeheon too. Why did Jaeheon get a studio here?”

This bastard, he hasn’t changed one bit.

Haeda hated that chilling, unreadable gentleness.

“Ask your brother about that. I needed a tenant, and Lee Jaeheon needed a studio. I would’ve rented it out even if it wasn’t Lee Jaeheon.”

“Ah, so Jaeheon planned it.”

“I don’t know what nonsense you’re talking about, hyung…. By the way, how’s your kid? Is he growing up well? He’s about three years old now, right? No, wait, was he two?”

At Kim Haeda’s subtle taunt, Dohyun’s hand, holding the straw, tightened. He blinked slowly and raised his head, and Haeda felt a shiver down his spine, as if facing a predator preparing to strike.

“That… was all a lie. Haah, I wonder who. Just who… which son of a bitch told such a lie? Because, Haeda,” Dohyun leaned forward, smiling brightly and wrinkling his nose.

“I don’t remember having sex with that woman that day. You know that best, since you saw it with your own eyes, yet you fabricated my memories. Well…. Thanks to that, I learned a life lesson, and I unintentionally hurt Eunkyo, which bothered me…. Who knows? Maybe those bastards who fabricated my memories are still by Eunkyo’s side.”