TIOAWN Chapter 18

The person who was at a loss for words due to her statement was Moo-geon. With one hand on his hip, he tilted his head as if in disbelief but didn’t add anything further.  

 

As Ha-yoon, who had been cautiously observing him as though waiting for a response, slowly stood up, her bare legs appeared beneath the hem of her black dress shirt.  

 

The manhood, which had been lying still as though content with the lack of movement, quietly stirred to life, causing Moo-geon to let out a self-deprecating sigh.  

 

“…Why is that happening…”  

 

It had definitely seemed to have subsided.  

 

Ha-yoon’s gaze landed on Moo-geon’s manhood. As it tentatively raised its head, it suddenly stood upright with fervor.  

 

Shit. Moo-geon cursed inwardly and was about to turn away when Ha-yoon spoke.  

 

“I want to eat that cherry… Should we do it again?”  

 

Sometimes, there were days when she absolutely craved cherries. On those days, Ha-yoon would tightly hold the last remaining cherry in her hand and ask Myung-sik.  

 

Would drawing a lot let me keep eating these? Can I eat more if I keep drawing?  

 

Whenever she asked so earnestly, Myung-sik would stroke the back of her head and urge her to draw two, three paintings in a row.  

 

So, if she wanted to eat cherries, it was only natural to pay the price.  

 

Even if the person standing in front of her wasn’t Seo Myung-sik but Cha Moo-geon.  

 

At her small inquiry, his manhood pulsed as if to assert its presence.  

 

Ha-yoon blinked while looking at Moo-geon’s manhood.  

 

She had been thinking of asking if she could eat two cherries since she had already proven her worth twice.  

 

Would doing it one more time let her eat even more?  

 

Despite sensing Moo-geon’s intimidating energy, Ha-yoon ultimately voiced her thought aloud.  

 

“If we do it one more time, can I eat a lot of cherries?”  

 

“Fuck.”  

 

What the hell is in Seo Ha-yoon’s head?  

 

It wasn’t playful enough to scold her, nor was it serious enough to dismiss the way her gaze wavered while staring at his manhood.  

 

Startled by Moo-geon’s sudden profanity, Ha-yoon flinched. Her eyelashes quivered along with her shoulders.  

 

“Should I not eat them?”  

 

At her cautious question, Moo-geon exhaled sharply and carelessly fastened his pants’ buckle. Then, he walked straight to the refrigerator, pulled out a bowl of cherries, and held it in his hand.  

 

Bang. When Moo-geon slammed the refrigerator door shut, Ha-yoon, who had been approaching, halted in her tracks.  

 

She was clearly scared. Even though she seemed terrified without needing to say a word. Why did it always feel like he was the one being reigned? Moo-geon couldn’t make sense of it.  

 

She was the one who should be running away, yet it was always him fleeing in the end.  

 

How ridiculous. How could he get Seo Ha-yoon to panic and run away? To beg him to let her go?  

 

Even though he knew he’d be dissatisfied if she did try to run, Moo-geon thought he’d almost prefer it if Ha-yoon resisted.  

 

“Do you really want to eat them?”  

 

Looking down at the bright red cherries, Moo-geon picked one up and crooked his index finger at Ha-yoon.  

 

“Yes.”  

 

Ha-yoon answered obediently. Her clear pupils were filled with nothing but cherries. Moo-geon curled one side of his lips into a crooked grin and placed the cherry into her mouth.  

 

As Ha-yoon promptly accepted it, the man, as if anticipating this, pinched the cherry stem between his thumb and forefinger.  

 

As Ha-yoon’s gaze, which had been fixed on the cherry, lifted to meet his, Moo-geon tightened his grip and pulled.  

 

Snap. The stem came off effortlessly.  

 

Why is he suddenly acting kind? Ha-yoon wondered at his sudden change of behavior. Before she could bite into the cherry, Moo-geon’s red tongue chased after it, snatching it away.  

 

Instead, the cherry stem was left in Ha-yoon’s mouth.  

 

“If you want to eat it, prove it.”  

 

Prove what? Ha-yoon’s eyes widened in confusion. Seeing this, Moo-geon effortlessly lifted her onto the dining table and leaned forward.  

 

As Ha-yoon’s upper body leaned back, Moo-geon’s followed suit, tilting forward.  

 

The left corner of his lips curled upward.  

 

The way her gaze sparkled as if she were coveting the cherry he had stolen was mesmerizing.  

 

It felt like devouring the night swallowing a star, like he wanted to consume her whole in one bite.  

 

His gaze was relentless, hoping her innocent eyes would mist over and her eyelids would tremble with agitation.  

 

“Can you tie a knot with this stem?”  

 

As he brushed past her lips, Moo-geon leaned closer to her ear and murmured.  

 

“You’re good with your tongue, aren’t you?”  

 

The softly sarcastic tone circled and lingered around Ha-yoon’s ears.  

 

Is this something he likes too?  

 

How am I supposed to tie this? Choosing action over questions, Ha-yoon rounded her tongue, unraveled it, and swirled the stem in her mouth, holding it between her molars as her tongue twisted.  

 

She neither gave up nor hesitated. Even as she groaned and struggled, she persisted, knowing those dark pupils were watching her every move.  

 

“Don’t stop. Keep going until you succeed, Seo Ha-yoon.”  

 

His gentle urging was almost coercive, as if determined to see her fail and give up. To make her surrender. Moo-geon stayed close, unmoving.  

 

By now, Ha-yoon’s tongue felt numb. Was eating one cherry supposed to be this exhausting?  

 

Even her eyes, which hadn’t reddened when she bit down on him, were heating up, not from physical exertion but from the frustration welling inside her.  

 

“Is it hard?”  

 

Ha-yoon hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod. If this was what proving worth meant, then she had none. No matter how much effort she put in, the cherry stem kept slipping away, escaping her grasp over and over.  

 

Ha-yoon’s gaze unconsciously fell toward Moo-geon’s lower body.  

 

That one is probably easier.

 

Moo-geon, watching her expression, leaned his upper body forward, pressing against Ha-yoon’s chest. With the cherry still in his mouth, he passed it to her lips, suddenly thrusting his tongue forward.  

 

The cherry burst in the collision of their lips. The sweet and tangy flavor spread through her mouth, filling it with saliva.  

 

It became impossible to tell whether she was chewing on the cherry or Moo-geon’s tongue, as his tongue moved with such urgency.  

 

When the cherry stem began sliding toward the back of her throat, he pulled it back, pinning it beneath her frenulum. They chewed the cherry together, but then he started to tease the stem, swirling his tongue to make her flinch.  

 

“…The pit.”  

 

Ha-yoon shook her head, pushing against Moo-geon’s upper body with both hands. The thought crossed her mind that she might accidentally swallow the pit if this continued.  

 

Unconcerned, Moo-geon intertwined his tongue with hers, flicking the cherry stem back and forth before extracting the pit into his mouth and swallowing it.  

 

“You need to push harder,” he whispered softly into her ear, catching Ha-yoon’s startled gaze as she rustled nervously.  

 

What was he expecting? What reaction did he want from her? Even Moo-geon himself couldn’t quite understand.  

 

If he had pushed just a bit further, would she have cried? If he didn’t like the sight of her swallowing down her tears, what kind of feeling was this?  

 

He wanted to see Seo Ha-yoon completely at his mercy.  

 

A cruel desire surged within him, a craving to bite and devour her, one finger, one toe at a time.  

 

Had he ever enjoyed tormenting someone this much?  

 

As if determined to tie things up in a neat bow, he bit down on her tongue again and again, pulling and pushing it, their tongues intertwining tightly over the cherry stem. Ha-yoon’s breaths grew hotter, and Moo-geon’s hips tightened firmly.  

 

Run, Seo Ha-yoon.

 

Say you can’t do this.

 

As though all of this had been a joke, Moo-geon pressed his palm against the back of Ha-yoon’s head, pulling her toward him and greedily sucking her tongue.  

 

The force of his suction was so intense it felt as though her tongue might actually be pulled out. Ha-yoon’s face flushed, her heart raced, and her neck tilted back as her blinking eyes lost focus.  

 

It felt a little frightening. No, perhaps it felt very frightening. But then again, he wasn’t hitting her or shouting at her, so was he really hurting her directly?  

 

Her judgment blurred like fog, and a faint will to survive began to emerge.  

 

She tilted her head further to catch her breath and moved her tongue more actively to quench the overwhelming thirst. Unable to find her balance, she wrapped both legs around Moo-geon’s waist and clung desperately, draping her arms around his neck.  

 

When Ha-yoon tightened her grip and pulled Moo-geon’s face toward her, he suddenly pulled away with a sharp motion.  

 

Ha-yoon couldn’t understand what she had done wrong and could only pant in confusion. Meanwhile, Moo-geon turned away without hesitation.  

 

“Stop wasting your time and just eat the cherries.”  

 

Is this what happens when boiling lava cools?  

 

The stark difference in temperature made Ha-yoon shudder unconsciously. Her gaze shifted from the cherries stuffed into her cheek to Moo-geon, who had turned his back on her.  

 

I must have done something wrong. Then why tell me to eat the cherries?

 

Ha-yoon placed a hand over her stiffly beating heart, rubbing it slowly in circles.  

 

Come to think of it, I didn’t take my meds.

 

Is that why my heartbeat feels so irregular today?

 

Watching Moo-geon’s retreating figure with his back still turned, Ha-yoon neither ate the cherries nor called out to him.