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Chapter 22
For a moment, silence sank into the living room.
Yujin swallowed hard, nerves rattling inside her.
Stay with me tonight.
Was that why he had checked earlier on the phone to make sure Yuhyeon wouldn’t be coming back?
The thought that the question might be indecent sent a feverish heat rushing through her.
“You fixed your makeup before coming out—just for me, right?”
“……”
“Your lips… they look even prettier than before.”
He noticed. She’d applied only the faintest touch, thinking it would go unnoticed. She hadn’t expected him to catch on.
“N-no, that’s not it…”
Flustered, Yujin quickly pulled his hand away from her lips. She reached for her glass, only to find it empty, then snatched Hyjae’s and downed it all in one go.
“When did you drink all this?”
“Oppa.”
Yujin called him, but her eyes darted away. She was trembling too much to meet his gaze.
“If you keep doing this… I’ll start to misunderstand.”
Her voice quivered, struggling to hold steady.
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
She wondered every day why he acted this way.
Was it really just because of that mistake she’d made, the one incident? Was that why he kissed her?
Or… did he have feelings beyond that?
She wanted to ask outright, but fear stopped her—fear that he’d say it meant nothing, that she’d be rejected. After all, if that happened, her years-long crush would end in humiliation.
“It’s late. Too late.”
Unable to keep going, Yujin stood abruptly. But Hyjae caught her hand.
“Im Yujin.”
She tried to cover the awkwardness with work talk.
“Filming wraps after Monday. Just one more day. Let’s go to work together then.”
Even as she spoke, her eyes never met his.
“If it’s too much for you to come by my place, I’ll come to yours early in the morning—”
But Hyjae tugged her lightly, and before she knew it, she was pulled onto his lap. Startled, she tried to get up, but his arm wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her there.
“If you don’t tell me what misunderstanding you have, how am I supposed to know?”
His low voice brushed against her ear, close and heavy. She faltered, unable to form the words. Then his voice came again, deeper.
“When I said stay with me tonight… that wasn’t a joke.”
“Stay… and do what?”
She couldn’t help blurting it out, regretting it instantly.
“What do you think two people would do, alone together?”
“……”
“Exactly what’s in your head.”
“N-no! I wasn’t thinking—”
Before she could finish, his lips crashed down, devouring hers. Unlike before, the kiss was bolder, rawer. Yujin’s eyes squeezed shut as his tongue pushed past, tangling with hers, coaxing, pressing deeper. Their breaths and saliva tangled into one messy rhythm.
“Mmhh…”
Could a kiss really feel this obscene?
His hand slid slowly up her spine, stoking a dangerous heat. She broke away, gasping against his shoulder.
“Haah… Opp—”
But he cut her off with another kiss, swallowing the words. His hand slipped around to the front, cupping her curves through her clothes.
“Ah—!”
Her lips trembled open, letting a startled moan slip free.
So far, their kisses had never crossed into this kind of touch. Gentle, polite first love Hyjae—was he really a beast hiding under the surface?
Her mind flashed with an image of the two of them, tangled together on a bed, bodies pressed without restraint.
“W-wait… just wait a second—”
She twisted away, breathless, and for the first time his hands stilled. Unlike her shaking chest, his expression remained calm—almost serene.
Their eyes locked, and his raw, unguarded gaze sent heat pooling low in her belly. Then she felt it—something heavy pressing against her from below.
Her eyes widened in shock.
“No…!”
Hyjae understood instantly, gripping her hips with both hands and pulling her down more firmly against him.
Her body stiffened. She was seated squarely on top of him now.
“Th-that… oppa, is it… okay?”
At her timid question, his lips curled into an amused smile.
“What do you think? Does it look okay to you?”
Was he seriously asking if she liked what she felt?
But even amid the embarrassment, a flicker of relief washed over her. She had wondered, after that accident… if he’d been hurt.
“I worried about you.”
He let out a low laugh.
“God, you’re too cute. I’m in trouble.”
“Don’t… tease me.”
“What exactly did you worry about, hm, my little bean?”
Her face flamed as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“I… I thought, what if… because of me, because I stepped on you… what if oppa became… impotent…”
He choked out a laugh.
“Impotent?”
The more she spoke, the more amused he looked.
“And if I really did become impotent…”
He tilted her chin so she couldn’t look away. Her lips were parched, her tongue darting out nervously to wet them.
“Would Im Yujin take responsibility?”
“Eh?”
Her eyes went wide.
“You broke it, so you’d have to. Otherwise I’ll never get married.”
“…But… it doesn’t feel like that at all.”
“Oh? Then what does it feel like? Do you like it?”
He pressed her hips down playfully, grinding her against him.
“Uhnn—!”
Her body jolted, heat rising as his hardness shifted beneath her.
“Why are you… ngh… asking it that way…”
The conversation felt like a trap—every word twisting her further into his grasp. His grin, his eyes, everything about him was mischievous now.
She shot him a glare.
“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re making me feel guilty.”
“If this is just because of that accident…”
“Im Yujin.”
He cut her off, pulling her even closer. The steady thud of his heart beat against her chest. His face looked calm, but his pulse betrayed him.
She stared at him, trembling.
“Do I really look like the kind of guy who’d do this just because of that?”
“Then… why—”
“Do I really need to spell it out, my little bean?”
“If you don’t say it… how would I know?”
Her voice was barely a whisper. She needed to hear it, clearly—where they stood, what they were. She was tired of jealousy, tired of wondering.
“What kind of lunatic would kiss someone, sleep with someone, just for that?”
Before she could reply, his finger slipped between her lips, stroking the inside of her mouth. His gaze darkened further.
“Stay the night. I wasn’t planning on letting you go anyway.”
