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Episode 9 (English Translation)
Iryeong’s eyes darted around the room as she racked her brain for a way to escape the hotel.
She needed to find some method to break free from that sharp, predatory gaze fixed on her.
“What are you imagining?”
His voice was soft, almost teasing.
“…Sorry?”
“I just got curious. What kind of thoughts could make you suddenly so busy?”
His question, perhaps born of simple curiosity, made her react before she could stop herself.
She gripped the blanket, let it go, then grabbed it again, shaking her head quickly.
Rustle, rustle.
He imitated the sound calmly, and for some reason, her ears began to burn.
She bit her lip hard, frowning as if to tell him not to look at her like he knew everything.
“I can see it all,” he said.
His voice, usually light, dropped lower—rougher.
“So don’t tempt me.”
The sudden shift in his tone made her lips press together even more tightly.
“Your lips,” he murmured, slowly tracing his finger over his own mouth as if to demonstrate. “Stop tormenting them.”
“This isn’t—I didn’t mean—”
Her fluster was obvious, and she couldn’t figure out where to look.
“Everything shows on your face, Iryeong. Exactly what you’re thinking.”
His quiet laugh was tinged with amusement.
“I like that about you,” he added, his eyes suddenly narrowing as they locked on her.
In that moment, Iryeong abandoned the idea of leaving. His warning, though unspoken, was loud and clear.
“Only with me,” he said softly.
She bit her lip again. She couldn’t bring herself to look him straight in the eye; the way he said such embarrassing things so easily was overwhelming.
“From now on, if you drink too much, you do it in front of me.”
“…What?”
She could only respond blankly to his absurd declaration.
“Do you know how hard it was to carry you all the way here?” he muttered.
She fell silent immediately. The image of him carrying her on his back was mortifying enough.
“At first I thought this was all ridiculous. But actually, maybe it’s a good thing.”
He ran a hand over his jaw, then down to fiddle absently with the button of his shirt.
“You asked about marriage, didn’t you?”
“…Huh?”
“If two people are going to become husband and wife,” he said slowly, his gaze sharpening, “they should know if they’re truly compatible.”
Her breath caught, and she instinctively raised a hand to her lips. His meaning was unmistakable, and her heart started to race wildly.
“What do you think?”
His voice was low, strained with barely contained emotion. She could feel the change in the air—the heat building between them. Her mind screamed at her to look away, to defuse the tension, but her body betrayed her, drawn toward him.
The closeness, the sound of his breathing, the intensity in his gaze—it all became overwhelming.
He stood, his eyes never leaving her. She could do nothing but watch as he came closer, step by step.
“Let’s find out,” he whispered.
“F-find out what?” she stammered, backing up slightly.
“I warned you about nights like this, Iryeong. You’re not being careful,” he said, his voice husky and dangerous.
Her head lifted as if pulled by an invisible thread. He was right in front of her now, close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin.
“It’s really getting hot now,” he murmured, undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one.
“Are you crazy?!” she yelped, averting her eyes, unprepared for the sight of him like this.
“I think it’s time we both went a little crazy,” he replied with a faint, daring smile.
Then he pulled her into his arms. The sudden heat of his body, the strength of his embrace—it made her shiver.
“I can’t turn this off,” he whispered against her ear. “I’m still a man, after all.”
The world around them blurred. Her breath quickened; the air felt charged, as if one more spark would set everything ablaze.
She knew exactly where this was heading, and yet she couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop it.
“This is your last chance,” he murmured, his eyes locked onto hers. “If you don’t want this, say so now.”
Her heart pounded painfully. His honesty, his intensity, his nearness—everything tangled together until it was impossible to separate thought from feeling.
She didn’t run.
And so, with the night as their witness, they crossed the line between hesitation and desire. What began as teasing ended in a passionate embrace that neither of them could resist, lasting until long after midnight.
