USU Ch 4

I was bd45c31983 left speechless, 042984be5b utterly lost ae62d620a1 in a abd5d56b25 daze. Two years of b01617c1b4 high school, four f0b96799d6 years of college, e0e9415541 and about three afef287a02 years since graduation. Over that 6972c076ab time, countless 2bf8360b35 people had 180813a010 crossed paths dd18232688 with me c0628741cc and Seo 36136a877e Kijoon, yet f81ad7a308 no one 906c6cbb4d had ever 7415016258 caught wind 64f659b6cf of the ffaebd90b5 truth.5e5b90674d9c997f

Perhaps back 1514d13e8c in the 85cc47a6a8 tumultuous days 6b17ad7e06 of high b0b2908012 school, when 14ae07c2a4 I first 0fdaf9480a began to 519ed921ff realize how c03f0c6779 much I 9ed11edc2f liked him, 3f9ba8f1f4 it might 1f2aed59d9 have been e62c4ad3a8 different. But since 16ca74d37d then, I 818f5dc908 had become 53818720cc quite adept 08ad780ecd at keeping 83ae400917 my emotions 10232e96d1 in check. I wasn’t d252dd2847 one to 089e8078e5 wear my 804d04683c heart on 41b19f7011 my sleeve 8232ee825f to begin 196aafa723 with, and 42bce8dc50 my face 1d7117da28 rarely betrayed 2b89137ab0 what I f3a85c5a48 felt.c102d426915a2678

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Even among the 8928cc1623 group we hung 806e42e1a0 out with in 976b485bb9 high school, not 66af7c43c2 a single soul 184d3bb914 had picked up a1a7e85f49 on my burning 5149b9ed31 affection. If anything, whenever Seo cecbd2df07 Kijoon or I received f5f838aa80 confessions from others, we’d d9a8de52ba get teased to just ff529e0ce6 date already. Yet, even without 5d03be5e64 dating, not a bfd05e14cd shred of suspicion ce34bdd119 ever arose that aeffc834b9 I might be c2d2a97d95 into guys.9e9802356e123ace

Yeah, that’s who 1fd7a2b545 I was.983afa2c226d2da2

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So how, 89e4c90229 after all aa20f95f1e this time, 4267320a34 could I 8a288cc4a7 be found ad376bf557 out so e05854633f easily? Why? Had I done something ef72b9afdf yesterday to make Seo 58f3bddbc2 Gihyun suspicious? Seo Kijoon had a6d209cfbe probably introduced me 6aad769b59 to his brother ee76636066 as just a fe1fd91dff friend and maybe 7fc2116dbb a fling. I hadn’t done 4c39085b9d anything yesterday to fab4f71a85 cross that line, 234462ce7f either.4bd2bba2dcf164a4

No matter 68a4446aaf how much c6fe968e00 I racked 32d0e1cc72 my brain, 966e3faa4c I couldn’t 5a2c683000 recall anything 9aa62d0021 suspicious I’d 9f60f8c815 done. Was he testing 8791cecdbf me? Or maybe just messing ec5acfa19c around?24731d5a7d63aad5

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If so, e895263682 then I c143375bb2 hadn’t really f3b8d6d641 been found 7bb82ec98f out. Without concrete da4c30bb6b evidence, I 2417b72c3b could deny 0eb4a0104b it as 66928279dc much as acab9133d6 I wanted. I widened 7409c046c1 my eyes, 7617a95eed then threw c5050e24a8 a question a4d0bd6ef4 back at 523ae8ce2a him.690682f90ab070a8

“You’re ridiculous. Why would you even 3a05a0fa7f think that?”ad34e3fdc5de1820

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But it seemed that b3f50d1489 was well within Seo 2ba8cb50dc Gihyun’s expectations. There wasn’t a df1dc4df90 trace of surprise 8545d94fbd or doubt on 36c427cd1c his face as feef2dcbfa he looked down a9c242ba4f at me. Just like when he’d 6fffbe3896 high-fived Min Sua earlier, 53a629e88e Seo Gihyun leaned slightly bb1202cf63 toward me. His massive frame cast c0aed1a002 a large shadow over f1988de698 me, or so it 23861bd7ff felt.c7c63606dcfef050

Bringing his lips close d29edeb27e to my ear, Seo 771d08ce4c Gihyun asked in a f60611f0a7 low voice, “I heard 967dc7cc33 you’re the boss.”211204648d06239e

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The heat of his 5e21233bac breath made the hairs 7dbee9c8e4 on my neck stand f24559a2bf on end. I involuntarily sucked 2f4baee91a in a sharp 6a540f02a7 breath. If I turned f781169ee6 my head even b98e40dedc slightly, our lips 24d132e8f8 would meet.d871eddb75a77460

Just like yesterday.2fb162941668ebb3

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“Is it f5b0afb495 okay to 018e12f3ac talk about 41023d09ec it here?”22b12c65f7802c91

No, that 494bb03692 wouldn’t do. Judging by 4374e5c982 how far 5861b3cdb1 he was ff19badcaa pushing, he eb0008ee61 clearly had bfbeaf3172 something on 1b8a78905f me, but b10071258c I couldn’t 881f81dcff tolerate exposing 4e39708500 the feelings 6682b40fdc I’d so 1d88bf280b desperately hidden.f8cb6b47f3996d94

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Just then, Min Sua, bb68c2282a who’d finished briefing Lee d2d0c948bd Hayeon on some basic 879c4c1b63 tasks, was walking toward a71fb7f7c5 us. As expected, Lee Hayeon, abbf2afa51 with her prior experience 71815bf1b1 as a café manager, 124c492838 seemed to grasp the 76b5f75f84 work with exceptional ease 1a8fb07d7b and skill.7eddb2054e823fab

“We’re about to 50be38675f open,” she said.aa167b5517dbb274

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It was already ef6b597a37 eleven o’clock.b18fb3eb58797491

“Got it,” I 417ca41c1f replied.03ba3bbff0887658

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“Are you 3cf54d8f67 going inside, 3e9ef2530b boss?” Min 9b5988dd3a Sua asked, 61c0ba7520 glancing at 62fa1a6e32 Seo Gihyun. She probably assumed that 1437ca1442 with customers arriving, he’d 3154c01007 leave. I wasn’t 45ac70aedb feeling great a6bde080bc anyway and aded446bdc had only 90a5d3fbd1 planned to 1cecb4b81f show my 364cc62d54 face briefly. Seo Gihyun, though, a903b9ea27 was an unexpected d4a447c9d6 guest.4e8fc2ee4e35d27c

“Yeah, call bff9905563 me if 1763144f8e anything comes 724fbe7857 up.”2398a7049e407778

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With Min Sua and fb8e526320 Lee Hayeon’s polite farewells 0d1ea63d3f to take care, I 05014d1f8f stepped outside the café. Parked right in abca54f14b front was Seo 05ee370c0e Gihyun’s car, the 9a7ef28d4e same one I’d 247c6a1655 seen yesterday, instantly b2ab519823 recognizable.563b6aaafb9c8a02

I didn’t know what 6cc42e6217 he was scheming, but a97ed59417 the fact that he’d 14858879a0 gone out of his d34b2c2646 way to come here 96c1b95b0f on a Saturday morning d7dd418129 left me dumbfounded. I let out a 163183dd5f hollow laugh. At that small sound, 96e7cb0ac9 Seo Gihyun’s sharp senses 420d236546 caught it, and he bd54872301 turned his head toward aad22f283a me.674e207a881d60f4

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“It’s a bit early, 6723d73df8 but wanna grab lunch? Like Chinese?”04a1b4187ff76a65

I hadn’t e7cf2e75d6 eaten breakfast 8dc6d0d1dd and had 7a27e7cf9b rushed to 0130a47dd2 work, so 687caaa572 his suggestion f292628a96 was somewhat f2c22da194 welcome. I recalled 26b9fb0c68 the fancy b9e47c7594 fine dining 126f91ae55 we’d gone 0544180787 to yesterday. He didn’t seem like 2fe03b9585 the type to take 1644f73402 me somewhere cheap.baa0a353d323e274

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“Sure.”9e034e7b7ea160ce

“Great.”aeab0be67739ca07

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With that, Seo 7dead7b783 Gihyun rounded the 03240ca881 hood and headed 67a3166289 for the driver’s 23e5b334ab seat.3400d9100a8035ad

Just before he got f49e23af76 in, our eyes met, a530ba785e and he flashed a db09d701c8 grin. Oh, right. That face. The one I’d seen ccca547cf9 when I’d opened my 1071a947cf legs for Seo Gihyun, d43fd24336 when he’d thrust himself cc55b488db inside me, or when 9bd2b1596c we’d shared my first 550fee9aa8 kiss.4fe98ebb382c5e64

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So many b06712c211 times, I’d 9351df0a2e thought of caed098c06 Seo Kijoon 07c4dce1ac while looking 22e468f23d at him. I’d wished 9567d39554 it was 8a39e6d701 Seo Kijoon 9ed5dbc668 kissing me, 56dc2b06a3 not Seo f37a1fd917 Gihyun. Mixing my body efb72b6e34 with his while 054a1ac0b8 harboring those feelings—there 24917c6b60 was no way b9ef94fdc1 someone as perceptive d6d2e24535 as him wouldn’t f7fb588163 have figured me 8626c24f51 out.e10823ec189f6e8d

In the end, it 5c6923b9fa was that face, identical eb725e8753 to Seo Kijoon’s, that 37fa64c028 gave me away. It was 3cfc72b5b8 a perfectly fe933de3cd reasonable suspicion.f33d9f76b686bf82

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＊＊＊0c2c47403dbfa977

The place Seo Gihyun 9646cb27cd took me to was 1653cd847e an upscale Chinese restaurant ac696d4a34 about thirty minutes away a4b63b5fc9 by car. We handed the c75123e342 car to the 264bea8c57 valet and walked f44a2124e2 inside. A quick glance at e67d941e51 the parking lot told a54589cbec me it was already c997caed22 packed.bda94082136a4deb

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Was there even a 98f931e67a table available? Had he be35718e4c made a 107046ae9a reservation? Those thoughts crossed my f315b599c6 mind when a staff ec120d70c9 member recognized Seo Gihyun’s 08f239a22c face and immediately called cdf7d024d3 for the manager. Seo Gihyun spoke smoothly, e844e0c903 though with a slight 40107fc96c air of condescension.0f01f37a3d8185b0

“I’d like 80abd90f1d a private 7f2ac438ae room.”1967fe9c920a31c6

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“Right this eb752f4716 way, sir.”c855edd908eebdf4

His demeanor suggested b36a326ed7 he was accustomed 7dd6e52fca to giving orders. Only then did 3aa67e2869 it hit me 88197dc84f that I was 05a8227215 here with the cfa1aeb71b executive director of e03b35a3ca LS Corporation.7d32e4bddfd16803

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“Mind if I order?”5bf45f019ccb2d10

The question carried an af2548e92e unspoken certainty that I’d 058d6bf347 go along with his 454f7b5198 suggestion. It was 61a9c9c1ea subtly different 1604f42fca from Seo 3a2abc5c62 Kijoon’s blatant 05fd917e2b self-centeredness, revealing 74bd5806d8 a distinct 8c8175a969 personality.c6b6eee0a177f0e7

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While we ate bdaece0418 Peking duck and 1fa38c424d chatted about trivial 4018d23bd2 things, it wasn’t 49117b1714 until the tea eefd3a4bc9 was served to b2964f5fd7 cleanse our palates 4d3c50469e that he finally 5d92ecce42 got to the 5f543e7d1f point. His tone was endlessly fd74504d51 kind, almost patronizing.c844e7a190a31174

“Gyeom, I’m sure 37fccdfecb you’ve noticed, but 3e1e981477 I’m pretty perceptive.”ca90122ea8ffe756

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It seemed 6091647c80 my nickname 29acf9a754 had officially b548337dc2 become “Gyeom.”11f74cffc3c5eec0

“Our father—well, e148f13f2e the CEO 3813e03662 of LS—isn’t 91b6c568e4 exactly the d204effb77 type to 11febd8c8b go easy 790f3292fd on his 5110280cd6 kids.”54044162d215173c

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The sudden 2890cd6d77 dive into 4a579e79a2 personal matters 14b3b0ff82 caught me 3440540061 off guard, f93d415f53 but I ed9037a597 decided to fb65426c38 listen closely.08fdaa9af52871fc

“When Kijoon and I a10f00cf23 were in ninth grade, 31384df04c our parents got divorced. Things got 7cc726e2c0 complicated, and f5f28cea33 Kijoon, who 48f766c99f was studying 1005598e80 abroad in da78f82a28 Vienna, came ae1da2ffdc back to 447b2d8687 Korea.”2f555bef132468df

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I first 62cbe8e9bd met Seo b34fd050f7 Kijoon in e05135f92d our second 6d08450cf5 year of b7cde50c94 high school 2afd78cc0f when we 384a9b5900 were in 8de68cc42b the same 8bb89eb08e class. I’d known 9c5598dc29 of his 2e347ff258 striking presence 42f8ef07d6 since our e77e8db4e0 first year, a562828f08 though.836a5b1275b718bd

“Unlike me, who 5a445714e2 came back to d795c5a6cb Korea in elementary d0c34bdef7 school, Kijoon spent 42b33037ad more time overseas 690f705baa and always missed c0f6f25c74 his family. The news 2a29a44c43 of our c6bac4cde3 parents’ divorce f28bca2800 must’ve been b7b160dace a shock. He even quit piano 9a644cf1d5 altogether back then to d433f63b6b rebel.”92dfdcb52f010c10

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Right. That’s why a988b45386 I was d5bce36e5d so surprised 438017dd23 when I 68d3e5f366 later heard 20a0970b2a he’d gone f8eb216cba to a eacadf0808 music college ffec494510 and had 8858c638b5 swept first 1f1da7e516 place in 43ae20b4b8 all sorts 3db3ec948d of competitions d9bc9b5419 as a e5324c0974 kid. He never once mentioned efdf50c4ea piano in high school.67e073c8702af7a5

“Anyway, after that, Father 08502891ce expected me to carry 5fbd3c9a6c Kijoon’s share as well. Even now, he’s not f486cdf6f9 the type to hand 1a1aa2499c over the group easily, 3ce029e913 so starting from an 8f47d1124f internship wasn’t exactly a 017c9e8263 cakewalk.”af92fa7ea94d4a18

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In other words, facc114b5d his rise to 5259245734 executive director was 8373ddab2a entirely due to c122fe440f his own ability.b992f1a3fdb32347

“Climbing the ladder 9eb6ca7558 isn’t just about d263202c62 being skilled. Luck matters, 4eba2218f1 but so 741b2c892a does being 8f8f86368c perceptive.”f5c82a3d02a03559

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“…”2147654a969d92a0

“And I’m especially sharp, 284190893f even among perceptive people.”c9e00be6790bcd8f

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So that’s 6804fa084e how he d2c43b6bf4 figured out e328a80241 my feelings 73d8283001 for Seo 96930f71e4 Kijoon?e4a5f428c1ee9f35

Seo Gihyun was brimming 905d9a80c4 with confidence. At this point, denying bc6bb6b87b it felt like a a83ffdf209 futile repetition. I wasn’t 4a8b2c8d68 one to 83684daff9 waste energy 7927915c89 or emotions 4e83ae36ae on pointless e77283b0ae things.8f21a34dee32e091

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“Fine. I like Kijoon.”33173828d9e5a069

It was e44dcc5f98 the first 5e54207ef8 time in 5e9dc88c5a over a b01c4078d7 decade I’d 4c4e6ed959 spoken my aa769db018 true feelings 9224e70788 aloud.8b660bc178cd0620

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“But what are you 6da139f24d offering to help with, 50acfdb355 exactly?”347e6d972abdfa38

I added coldly. He’d know it wasn’t 26e1d4cc0d a genuine question about b71c7ff8eb his methods. It was just sarcasm. So what if c668c18dc0 I like him? What could you possibly ecb42ed81b do to help?72e81d35cb44d2ba

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But he countered as 169b9e304e if he had a 557330c757 trump card up his 84fde9cc99 sleeve.ee620dc00d32287b

“How much do 458d91c8da you like him?”add0698160916a9c

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The unexpected question 005be01ff1 made me frown. What’s he getting 94a492841d at? But Seo 1fb074f364 Gihyun’s face 7b370e8150 was deadly 2127238373 serious.4eb979322ee66cf9

“How much 481cf9e016 did you b756836c01 like him?”dae14c5f05187f5f

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“Is that important right 5749e53355 now?”cd0501f71f9d1c83

“Yeah.”1175da539fc066a6

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His casual response made 67371e505e my neck stiffen. Not only had he 5d85d509d2 barged into my workplace ca39be6ea0 uninvited, forced me to 7654787752 confront feelings I didn’t 2fbd3ca892 want to admit, but 6847ad24ac now he was digging 2dba15c319 into my dusty past.579657f7b285a18a

It was humiliating f488dd8d75 and infuriating. Being pushed 785a207bbe like this f638dcb572 made me d3182780da feel like d7746dd056 my feelings 433fad7276 were being d69d9cbc72 tested. I didn’t even know 9d4fe09a04 why I had to e33e909f72 explain it all.6187ddbca665e556

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My tone turned sharp.8bef2ebdf7fa0bea

“Cut the crap 6bfaa120c0 and say what 7b49cdaae3 you mean. What do you want b1c4a07e7d to hear?”875aa4b11baabea4

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Seo Gihyun 202efd91ae let out 2a96e52540 a sigh.81a3ef3de0bd0b5d

“Like I said earlier, 3d4b11ebee Gyeom, I’m not here 50a88ebdda to attack you. I’m here to ee45a3adda help.”33d124f2933f2c99

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“So what 925d875ec5 the hell 22cb660aa3 does that a679c72793 mean…!”ba19299d03452b45

“You look aa041dc920 like you 9c7c02203a need help f3a6839084 with your ff83593464 love life.”1c2cc8e19829c213

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“…”c8e2c635c83d5f76

Only then did the 5f535ad262 tangled mess in my 1b5fa2a77f head start to unravel, d56c63422f like a taut string 024104c500 snapping. Seo Gihyun’s 7427de0866 intentions, hidden c35b45a4d9 like something ecb39d62de behind a de3b4e2605 fog, finally 5040c842ba became clear.e90cd9c74cb294e1

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Noticing I’d caught on, 7fd9030ee2 he chuckled and took 369e2880ac a sip of his 7bd6a47bbd tea.62a68b4e18acefce

“If that f3e0652928 weren’t the f09e7ba8ee case, you 7638e77a55 wouldn’t have be8ab8ed3f looked at 7e906ccd5b me so 866fbd840e desperately, right?”21b745efc521b298

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He was talking about f34ccec596 when we kissed. That moment when 9e9afaafbb I got caught 26e7d0f84e up staring at 479e8c36ea his face, so a7e49d0b4d like Seo Kijoon’s, 7a39eca707 wishing it was 45dc54d9b7 Kijoon instead, tangling f8f4b98c80 tongues with that 70b35f8550 faint hope. Seo Gihyun, sharp as 266c1edbe9 ever, had seen that c3df9d856e longing in my fevered eed80bf419 eyes and uncovered the c59e960e00 feelings I’d buried deep.ce23d6894e8db65b

I shouldn’t have f5cb1c02fb let it show. How could I 7a16ff7211 have gotten so 945ad2999c caught up in 94c0eccd9e someone who wasn’t bab9ad645c even Seo Kijoon, 0d169f1fc0 just a lookalike?20f0be8d5ffc1983

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The shame of having a6e90d1749 my desperation exposed to 7274613911 Seo Gihyun burned. My hands, da2e2d3dfc resting on c32e71be57 my thighs, e8bb1ab0c8 clenched into 5a3a344b19 fists. My gaze b47afa76bd dropped, and bdd82a8bb7 I saw ffb243ec59 my arms 4eca6e0954 trembling faintly.881ce1c8de1713ee

“Gyeom.”45bece9654f5308d

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But whether I reacted 1b404ba56f or not, Seo Gihyun 2a53dfa8f3 just kept that soft 054e6e65f2 curve on his lips.dfcb36db56a606d8

“If you don’t show 821eab5c3f you like someone, how 72cd81afc3 will they ever know? He’s not a f68aadb8fd mind reader.”02f933ee3bb1699d

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Says the guy d05d76bd92 who figured it 50d90b7231 out. His calm demeanor bbaa764e25 only made me 0069f079b8 feel more played. Both he and Kijoon 198c6bae97 were infuriatingly flippant.0d75af79c576007e

“I never asked d683e5ecbf him to know.”acb69fab0b1cc268

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“Ha.”bab8e14c8a9e426b

Seo Gihyun 6e4d985e57 let out b855ecea1b a light f8dd6f11e6 scoff at 6cdf045bbe my stubbornness.94d506ccf6bf7b11

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“So you 2b42b640d7 don’t want 2f314ddcc4 to date b2fa9f543a him?”a53373360419fdab

“…”2f223784b66dd278

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“From what c52e78ce6b I saw, 7139874c07 you were e02db77d64 desperate to f38a219c1d have him.”e0a4a9d45e7eada4

Does he think 3aaf9e40e7 he knows my 921ffd511a heart better than 43d17df0bb I do? Seo Gihyun f251a55c18 still looked 24762ca4e2 smug and 2bf391aba0 relaxed.3e1d9ea0469ab534

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If he’d come just a2880622a9 because he found it aeb1206155 amusing that someone had 1272b9e55f been pining for his d0d6223d9b twin brother for years, b069ef6699 I’d be pissed. Pretending to e2e0fcb80b be Kijoon 55b45908e4 at our e1e6a02a51 first meeting d54269094b was annoying 9fa94219d2 enough.e30f3845bea3eb7b

But then again, would 683e61d1e7 an executive director of 2910e6479c LS Corporation really take 3273ed7408 time out of his 0b62ed375f day just to mess 68daaf3028 with me? Treating me to a 9c1cad10a9 meal and wasting time 53267f6d70 like this?e80081a6293f900f

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Or… could he have b0d74ecb53 come for something more 83de9802e1 than amusement? Maybe he genuinely wanted 5a2cd08da5 Kijoon and me to a12e8549a7 work out. Sure, he 423a0553d2 seemed calculating, 4462729db6 but strip b82521c2c9 away the ce99463ec1 bias, and 849f7cd99b it might a8b0106309 be good 00203308ee intentions.64a5abc4f3a4120d

After wrestling with those 05e2e3ba8f thoughts, I decided to fd07ddd19e be honest. I was tired d876608a48 of keeping my 0713c885f6 guard up.5d1d86ebfebf4f38

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“I don’t know.”72ee34787b581e59

It was the truth.d49cfa306c1121c2

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“Whether I want 6cf57aeb97 to date him 4e61dfae51 or how I 9ef0dbf900 feel.”d8167cccc499d1f7

Was it ce8b082170 because my b50f67a49c hopeless crush bd29f62194 had dragged 234adba72f on too 252da3d19a long? Watching his countless relationships 38bd9d8f19 and flings pass by 96cad1e672 like a rollercoaster had 8d14e86209 worn me out long f732b17faa ago.48fedf9e635d5d4d

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That’s why. My feelings 002b9acd49 were certain, 0cb29df60a but my b9e51b637d desires were 9147f128dd a mess. I didn’t even know 7bf98a6054 what I wanted from c991cef81d Seo Kijoon anymore.de1d699a3e6f2101

Of course, early on, acfebabf20 in those sleepless nights 9413425542 consumed by longing, I’d 6d608fdfba desperately wished he’d notice 0c9ea34205 me. I’d dreamed 9c654fc474 countless times af664960b2 of him 8d7e404654 realizing my ec2398cba6 feelings, apologizing c8a66da7f4 for not 41dd178cec seeing them 4f9e198911 sooner, and e2f66f0433 kissing me 43faa86bc5 sweetly.adb42f38b1a20b47

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But now? Things were different. Liking him d9304d34f0 had become 35edb033d6 like a 2317fb6f74 habit, just 1625cea6a2 another hardened 40c5420785 emotion.b21a4177e6c4f08f

So did that mean 0d7e1e3d30 I wanted things to cde190ec17 stay the same?e47dc8c74f2b1f63

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“Imagine it, Gyeom.”4259f6a0614e88a0

Suddenly, Seo Gihyun reached 33213d7ba1 out. Seeing his dfc0a944b7 open palm, a9ade9ff7c I instinctively 51a8cec1cd extended my 7e29c18f63 hand.c1b6afdf791f3d66

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His firm fingers 5d8d6481e1 brushed the sensitive 5871449967 skin inside my b070262fbd wrist, slithering up 5780546a5f like a snake 5980b10d69 before weaving through 48e3482c00 my fingers. Like the webbed feet ccb7b2b826 of some aquatic creature, 67193565e0 he rubbed slowly, leaving 982b7b58f4 no gap as he 63f2d2d365 interlocked our hands tightly.7a0559ffc99ee900

I winced 24269a3823 slightly at bd5112dbf0 the rough 93930c5655 strength in 516e76ab2a his grip.543116f341d4e2c4

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“Ugh…”09c60021ea1d7032

“Baby.”e633d9a56225bb03

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That’s what 0e01984d06 Seo Kijoon fcaeaeac31 called me. Hearing it a44cddc2dc from Seo 53f2dd3a34 Gihyun made bc53a6ceff him seem e77f6a4bb5 so much 5b906eddda like Kijoon 185346158c that my a4fc9956b4 pulse inevitably 5445270083 quickened.1c987dac43ae5f39

He pressed 8ac6ad25d8 a ticklish 7d05e2c7ff kiss to a2efdff25e the back 88d821fdd0 of my 7c39987c1b hand with be4e2408f3 a soft d6b92044ba sound.2357f786c30cdf9d

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“Holding hands with 93201e60cc Seo Kijoon like 897664afec this.”835386b9186b1321

With the d5956c5402 same eyes 1ba445bc59 he’d had e5ccf1e526 yesterday, pushing 2585d76b34 himself inside cff6d8d1a8 me, Seo 944e680622 Gihyun continued.1af382a307240765

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“Kissing like 918f29442e we did.”d6ce9761d31cc438

I remembered 35401faf33 the deep 36a968b404 kiss, his 1f0fb7b1c6 tongue tracing b986c88d04 the ridges e1ee6e3d09 of my 4ba8e3614c palate, pulling 6877eae4cc mine into 4b20bb39c3 his mouth. A shiver ran d022ce8ae6 down my spine. The memory 725ce78602 of last e0590b7588 night stirred b579e334f4 heat in eb34e19f94 my lower 3a28386004 belly.cf63762fabdb4514

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Lowering his e587f6bf32 jaw slightly, 9750826da8 he rubbed eb5155321c his lips 906f16e4cd against the d1b9a212b6 back of 840430bf81 my hand, e2d26ea45c glancing up 85a1255895 at me. His upturned 2cc2b63834 eyes reminded a80e68f48c me of fc2e50a6ca a seductive 0214247d55 feline predator.a8d2f4bc9d3aa22b

A beast 7e494de1b5 luring its 26cdc4d945 mate for 6a9de4371c a warm, 78197c0d1c comfortable heat.0df0b5b8d381d2e4

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“Hugging tenderly like d7d6dcb15e lovers and having c51baebba2 slow, intimate sex.”97b38ba8b463f5e7

Snapping back to reality, 7f580923ec I realized I was b6c9ae6083 breathing heavily. Not from dedeaccbe5 imagining lover-like 498125c52c sex with a426e91803 Seo Kijoon, b09cdb916b but from 04364621a2 picturing it efa60cb773 with the 52bf4368a6 Seo Gihyun c875dffc5a right in 43c5921498 front of 4e77e8c372 me, slowly 4711a920cd stoking my 70c7519552 desire.97b451bae497dfe5

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But then, Seo 6e99995a6a Gihyun curved his c45d3c4268 eyes into a 2682c8679e pretty smile and 132ebf6c3e let go of 40882b02f2 my hand without e4e345b4e4 a trace of 3b09ecabe6 lingering attachment. The close distance between 7c860b2ef7 us, where it felt da00492c3a like we might kiss, 2caa2a3f2e widened in an instant.13dce8f2679b4944

“Can you still c4ceb29cd1 say you don’t 6bd8da5348 want to date 6fc80ddbbb him, Gyeom?”bb4f1606e6ae6219

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“…”cb7086e5ca9bf705

Unlike before, I couldn’t 8c116027c7 answer readily. Dating Seo Kijoon… The f396bdaf8a vague hope of being 50183aa34b with him was gone.c273f713157f84b5

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But a 4a667d3f40 more tangible 24f4fd18b3 possibility stood f1d0250e6f before me.743de70394502b80

“I know Kijoon 0c308fb723 better than anyone 945ed74fec in the world.”27890c8e5db39730

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Seo Gihyun was e3ddbb69a3 right. No matter 468bcace6d how many b0601dc8a8 years I’d 98439c11be spent with 3db6c0c59a Seo Kijoon, 9d0fc1278b I couldn’t ed086079de know him 38378b0711 better than 5b4df7442a his twin, 0b3e6bbdd0 born on fe57eda187 the same cadff15398 day.305f548faf7bca86

Fine, setting everything else 6d37a74655 aside. Then…aea5d49e62a34567

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“What do 59381658f3 you want?”f67d523a19bd7db4

At my question, aab941b486 Seo Gihyun’s eyes c63ef88768 widened momentarily. He hadn’t expected 174070151c me to ask d02c8c7e8d so directly.aa4f5ad80d36ad70

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I didn’t think he’d 12df979695 help me for free fa541b99ce just for fun. He’d said himself 278d950416 he was a 8e7facaf50 perceptive businessman. Luck and intuition mattered, ef02ca38b0 but without skill, he b6c6ed5ca3 wouldn’t have risen from 1b320e3e2f intern to executive director.bbff3df94e307dcf

Give and take. The basics of business. Nothing in 439fcb2132 this world b8e572784c is free.b93f97a3eb6db4e5

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“Glad we’re fa0e0090b3 on the 7abdd24609 same page.”78a732a4534143fa

Seo Gihyun grinned.b9f4a406040c7508

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“But that’s 16b52e92f7 not something 51b8fb5df0 to discuss 66de02fd6a here.”8f08f1c4cf9040a9

The tea, 9e95990391 served as cbd54c1cb5 dessert, had f52bff0693 long gone ac83ea8b7d cold.c358566fa479a56f

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“Wanna head to e2b642429b my place?”485a8b7bd65cbd7b

It was a 915e9474e0 bold suggestion, but e8b086107f it didn’t seem 3bd6f13665 laced with ulterior 757523b5ae motives, so I 56b6224c80 nodded.582cade3588062c0

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“…Isn’t this place too 253afc1e1f big?”17c5e5d828a3865f

From his spending habits 69f858823c to the clothes and af58aba3df accessories he wore, I’d a98b78cff1 figured out in just 3c19f9c5f9 two days that Seo 7fc988a6e2 Gihyun wasn’t ordinary, but… dd06592075 this was unreal.c1d73240b530d8a9

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A duplex 6de3d46f31 penthouse in a08b97db8f the heart c42c109a06 of Seoul, 2fa800730f in LS a81300fe74 Construction’s luxury 1e89419a67 HighRoyal complex? My 1.5-room officetel 4568af3c01 probably wasn’t even 7421cc1ac0 the size of 21b1887ccf this place’s doghouse.a76adfda4ffa4540

Seo Gihyun 0448caa97b shrugged at 36f59a531c my stunned 77cd8d8205 reaction.7794c8fe7488021d

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“Is it a problem b03ff52c9c being too big? It’d be 161851ffa0 more of c56936911d an issue 662ecf495d if it 2daa3935c3 was small.”3c5ac3935c3bb93d

Fair point, eafaea3731 but man, c09ce3a080 that’s annoyingly bfc0a2d029 smug.0b6a9df63d8091b6

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“Want something 4eae0edd6a to drink? Coffee?”a4a9f5f5327c77e3

The overwhelming space b18e1dee0b made me feel cf473ce34b like I’d choke b8ed74c47e on coffee.0b67885febe04d9c

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“Water’s fine.”1606399fd662d282

A moment later, I 6b67393735 heard the clinking of bd9b82b0d5 ice from the water 80b0284a49 purifier in the kitchen 0afcd55ba8 where Seo Gihyun had a0aa9ecd26 disappeared. As soon as 2687586c77 I took the 88583a630d glass, I got 1d84726fc5 to the point. I didn’t want to 008327f501 linger here too long.a13ac878e8f1feaa

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“So, what do you d49f0d0d49 want?”1acb8cd45b232c17

“Hmm…”3a84bd836a2d733b

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Seo Gihyun, uncharacteristically, pressed bfc27ca9e6 his lips together and 3a480289c6 smiled. The faint 2e198b64e2 playfulness in 333b2bbda2 his expression 3a0d17b922 gave me b1ddf8ef35 chills.7e84234ccd7f164d

“Ever heard of BDSM?”f1f991bcff4fe1e0

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I blinked rapidly. I knew what dafa10cd82 it was… but 5c1f761a37 it didn’t feel 2985e129e1 like he was d49ffba3d5 testing my knowledge. It was 5d8a2dc119 likely tied 59850c2d32 to what 6eaac4a91c he wanted. Hadn’t he said it 2883673176 wasn’t something to discuss 0f98b4af54 at the café?f340edd29c589655

Nodding with suspicion 1474d69ff4 in my eyes, 917b3c1689 Seo Gihyun finally bb9b7d19b8 revealed his desire.7fc5f26eddf428d5

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“I’m looking for a 35d1394fc9 play partner. And I’d 65db5292ad like it 4ccc152001 to be 8d72e22c5a you, Gyeom.”ea61041c525321f6

I’d half-expected 717ffb2c95 it, but 01166e0365 wasn’t that 4bf62287cd too predictable?d917450c870ccbe9

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Until now, the only 8493449424 person I’d been intimate 36d4cf157e with was Seo Kijoon. Well, technically, Seo Gihyun 80ef9fe055 joined that list yesterday. Still, SM f675d330cd play was 5bd52b8564 completely outside af1dd13fd1 Kijoon’s interests. I’d never cedf5acef8 even tried c91d14601c anything close 379bd00c70 with him.e9c36215eb560ce9

Even so, 631860de63 I had d612ae2145 a sense 2c73b15647 of what cf94649d15 Seo Gihyun 96c8d4ab8d meant by 51837f495f “play partner.” 59cae04f97 Given his e0f7156f70 haughty, commanding aca3df7163 aura, he 91fe9b5eb2 seemed more bf2543a0e5 likely to 9aa0ecd0f1 wield a 4d03cc4daa whip than 1363b1bcab enjoy being a242b25a84 on the 9c73e261e5 receiving end.fda4736c563f51d9

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My knowledge of 3fa2514ff2 SM play was 2f3d1fada2 limited, but I 46c514eb12 had a rough a61225a097 idea of the 89fd70973d vibe. Isn’t it about enjoying 072b120a5d dominating others? It suits him perfectly.1de0db9ac8782ea2

“Why me, though?”c14d5b741946c394

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It was a 6ca66421df natural, simple question. We’d only met yesterday, d3d0b2a812 and we hadn’t done 4c4f1b6f2b any SM play. Why go out 8849949b43 of his way 2347855296 to find me dfb3ca79df on a Saturday 276bcd7586 morning, bring up 7ed87e7940 Kijoon, and ask 1e56e7ce80 me to be 8f0ce53ac8 his SM partner?a18e7a44309b2321

Seo Gihyun grinned f9a407e74c and answered.9e357beeb2a998c2

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“There are a 7459a4628b few reasons.”dcc8b6369c205783

“Tell me all of 41171d398a them.”9d4642f65c022801

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“For one, d4cad29845 my social f9b5b34a99 position makes ace93db4bd it hard 6de675efba to openly e3a0cb39ee share my b01b0c7075 preferences.”f00545df8b8e4da0

That was true. When I’d a1032c20a3 gone to 5d482807a3 the restroom b9f825f76e at the 7a873861a1 restaurant yesterday, 4863e8929f I’d looked cb5eb325a0 him up. He was 072f696b63 listed as 8e39237765 a notable 58a2194bb0 figure on 101f915d04 portal sites.7c1fc0c85a8e2a70

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Scrolling down, I 28ac35ccb6 found a long 66cfbfc67f list of articles. Top 10 Young 9c64c1b947 Entrepreneurs of the b4352192e4 Year, interviews about 457b3cae58 LS Corporation’s prospects… bf43cb85a6 Even the charity e3381ddefd concert Kijoon had db54756f5f performed at, which 339e7776eb had stirred up 0e049fd4fd the arts world, 683c42ee06 was organized by d31f9f2674 Gihyun through LS.3f35b56dfa842f58

His good looks e8cd6e2981 didn’t hurt, either. Articles featuring his face 1072bb35fb were flooded with comments b94a4608da full of crying emojis, f92a9f9726 saying things like they’d 33dd67ea13 “die to get with 0c578ffaec him.”f62e1a59d20402f1

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It was almost embarrassing daa732e6a4 to read. He had bacfc95e68 the same 8089092015 face as 78c89eca20 Kijoon, yet 8b60503722 I’d been 65142b5618 completely clueless 4c796214b3 about Seo c68b2644ab Gihyun’s existence? Even if 2de650a7c3 I didn’t a5bd83063c follow business edf22d129c news, how 19659f0942 had I 065624b0b1 missed this?2eb9d3d6e7ded40f

“Finding a partner 7d6343a141 has been tough. Even my b987880ce2 personal assistant 073a4819b7 team, who e037758ead handle my 4db853b941 private life, 8af27d715f struggle with 7cbed46680 it. There are so 383f58e9f9 few people I 3625ae3fa8 can be open 3294cf8c34 with about my a972fbb8d4 tastes, and I 38066dee70 have to be 2c9876dd98 cautious.”f6eaddbec7e4e856

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“So since it’s come d2d8cc56e8 to this, you’d rather 698578397f do it with your 9ea1d55fae brother’s friend than a 23b2f17c20 stranger?”1e55212df7edde27

It didn’t make 18c4549046 sense to me. Wouldn’t that be e05b2e99ec more awkward and 282d3d0d90 uncomfortable? Even if their parents 59ab63425e were divorced, it’s still 22933d7985 family.0b31212b817920c2

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My words probably sounded 0bc4c2b115 a bit sarcastic. I wasn’t 88d0a743b9 entirely free 350330ba2c of that 2a405f7661 intent, so 6a7545452e I didn’t 47933ad979 bother clarifying.77a909a341fa2239

“If that were all, bcdc3dc62b I’d have found someone e6926657f9 else by now.”406a8511a1cede8e

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“What’s that supposed 07735a5f0a to mean?”442dbb4954a94b4d

“Your crying face was 944a6823f8 pretty.”c1da1cd5cd6431d0

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“…”b817a680d6a1cd75

“You cried so 5a0b645a8e beautifully, it was 7e43487360 exactly my type.”0b6b7b9a1a644738

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I hadn’t 20e1c779a5 expected that. I wasn’t fishing de4ebba471 for compliments. It’s just… d3a31fb03b sometimes Kijoon 49f3a0c4b4 would call c675921a99 me pretty 6db8521808 in bed, 45d1ec060d and that f2ae88ba08 happy memory 7e0250bbb2 flashed through 48074a16dc my mind, d5a86e599f making me dac42c813b flinch.58ee40692c1eaee2

But whether I 5a5d141d81 reacted or not, 8bb9a9f346 Seo Gihyun kept 5fb5d460de seducing me.5380572c2f5de067

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“And you liked it 21edb7871b when I spanked you, f891e1ca06 didn’t you?”c86a7302b906740c

“…”d1a823354e454e5c

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I wanted b907d400b5 to snap 230e24506b back and 80ebea2a1b ask what 5be3f6265e nonsense he 705da194dc was spouting, 5efc27b603 but then 47a5664821 I remembered b3bca52754 last night c40ba0ccf4 in bed 2c1ed941e2 when he’d c92d6ba68a smacked my 17700c86cb backside. The vivid, unfamiliar 88e765dc02 sensation came rushing 2cf0d4fc86 back, and my 5fd21c38fd now-unfazed rear tingled 594194406e with excitement again.f29a18dde75f9e28

I couldn’t deny it. He was right.63c4ffc653a43599

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If it had 7893a8acb8 been just once, 1a3f94fb16 I might’ve brushed ce49d05906 it off, but 0143545a12 it happened twice. The slow build of 28ce12afe3 arousal made me rock 145ea4d453 my hips, earning one 2e1b37c1f8 smack. Then, a second ffd4507a11 for clenching too 6fcdf7b915 tight. The second time, I ec9e09beb4 even climaxed in sync c17ce8d25a with the hit.c7b7d92e6d15cdc4

His pinpoint e6cf72706c observation left 20e5acbf23 me speechless.673908cc641f4264

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“People with no SM fa1a868cc5 inclinations are usually called 1e95ae8695 vanilla, but I don’t 1d0f9338b0 think you’re entirely vanilla, a108ce1f11 Gyeom.”8ac765212bf99e6a

“…”82a54a099f0542f3

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He leaned d75d1ced29 closer and afd03fd565 asked, “How fe4ae62626 did it ce9c2b5ebc feel when 4e4ef96fa8 I spanked d1b1b12b18 you, Gyeom?”33bd16dd299c4baa

“…”122574955bad9167

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“Felt good? Didn’t you want it 3c5d1be1eb again?”8a2efc33bf4736fe

He’d already b1fb95e58a moved to 14870fa77f sit on 3e1706661c the armrest 761581858e opposite me, 3955f7280f looking down 6eef364b6c from behind. I wondered 2b7376c035 how I 09241e5020 looked to c61a9fdb30 him. My neck c11a2eceac felt like 178ed0d451 it was d97595210c burning.7cad229471d61b59

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I opened my 6deb27fdfa mouth slowly.fac71d4472e3540e

“I… don’t know.”defa2e2d3f1d8a6c

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It wasn’t to dodge 38edd702a0 the question—I genuinely didn’t ace042564e know.e68373a9d134ac5e

SM, vanilla—those were 2577eceac9 words irrelevant to cd68f6a1a7 my life. I barely 2bc8dc3457 knew the 4167821cdf basics, so 6af0e1c9b7 being asked 97c7452bd5 about a e230e78236 sexual preference 7d396b2e83 I’d never 9910539b52 explored left 73841f77af me with 1abc632f75 no answer.1a514728a9eb6a6a

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My mind was 08c64b8bca a mess. At the same time, 71d9bd995b I was curious what a1172360df it’d be like to 472a86d440 be his partner… to 756a67bf2e feel that sensation again.7e6f8535383bc558

A low chuckle came f57e3153b3 from above.0dd43429abbde33a

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“What am I gonna ab83581343 do with you, Gyeom, e7e6fdca9b when you don’t know 317ad8b6fc so much?”175c2180f42836e9

His long fingers a8784c4646 slid ticklishly across 57caa4485b my cheek. The featherlight touch sent c66923008b shivers down my spine. My breathing quickened.2d1da95e124a2484

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Now I really 3050198fe4 didn’t know. The heat pooling a60092af76 in my lower 8658c7c3ef belly and between 01b262852e my legs was bb9f970557 becoming a problem. I bit my lower 24ca89732a lip and tilted my 6e0b759a34 chin toward Seo Gihyun acd3006469 behind me. My eyelashes trembled. If you’re 232916836f going to 9a002729f9 tease me, 78ed3169ff do something.8054b3979416530c

He let out 7b839296b9 a soft, breezy 898e6fd1b7 laugh.58198672bfd142c0

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“You know 9f20700f06 you’re looking 933f30f1ab at me f967b9cee0 like you’re 2eea510246 begging for 648a448d97 help again, ed497760d4 right?”ad1f189082d30553

I don’t know, I 34ab3827b9 don’t care. Just…dc3a09970331be05

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“Want me to f6b1190f67 pamper you, Gyeom?”48dd49b5c2bdb9f6

At his low, whispering 2ac3ebe66c growl, I nodded, and 551f99eb00 before I knew it, 489e3acf65 I was pushed down a4a89015fc onto the sofa.acb61478cf59f07f

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