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Chapter 1
Until ten minutes ago, they had been friends.
Dokgo Beomjin was built like a wall, excelled at every sport, and drew attention wherever he went with his strikingly handsome appearance. Yet in front of her, there was always something oddly absent-minded about him.
He couldn’t even tie a necktie properly.
Whenever they met somewhere, he’d inevitably get targeted by religious recruiters and nod along to them with a serious expression.
He spilled water every single time he poured it into a paper cup.
He was a picky eater who rarely touched food unless she made it herself, and he would never drink coffee or tea unless he was with her.
Sometimes he would stare at people with a sharp, intimidating gaze, but only for a moment.
Soon enough, he’d turn to her with innocent eyes and a gentle smile.
And for over ten years, Ahn Sui had looked after him.
There had never been any romantic tension between them.
Or perhaps there had.
But Sui ignored it.
Because she didn’t want to lose Beomjin.
But now…
“Dokgo Beomjin, wait a—!”
The moment her lips parted, Beomjin’s lips covered them.
Hot breaths mingled between them.
A soft moan escaped Sui as her unusually pale, slender fingers clenched his collar tightly.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Passion flared like fire in the eyes of the man who rarely revealed his emotions.
“…”
The moment Sui swallowed nervously—
Beomjin swept her into his arms and strode toward the bed.
As soon as her back touched the soft sheets, she grabbed his shoulders.
“Hey, Dokgo Beomjin! Are you even listening to me?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re obviously not. Look at your eyes.”
“Yeah.”
At this point, no matter what she said, his answer would probably be the same.
For all his intimidating appearance, Dokgo Beomjin was terrible with alcohol.
Give him even a little, and he’d soon be leaning his head on her shoulder, completely helpless.
And afterward, he’d never remember any of it.
Which meant…
He probably wouldn’t remember tonight either.
Of course, Sui wasn’t exactly a heavyweight drinker herself.
Still, she handled alcohol better than Beomjin.
At least she remembered things.
She looked into the dark eyes staring down at her.
Just today.
Couldn’t she cross the line just this once?
If it’s something I’ll eventually have to do someday…
Maybe spending a night with Beomjin wasn’t such a bad idea.
He was handsome.
Quiet.
And most importantly…
He had never once looked at her as a woman.
I’ve spent so many years looking at this face that no other guy can compare.
Which meant Beomjin shared some responsibility for the fact that she’d never had a proper relationship.
Her alcohol-blurred vision swayed.
And today, I’m exhausted enough to lose my mind.
Having finished rationalizing, Sui wrapped her arms around his neck.
“This is partly your fault, too.”
“My fault?”
“Your face.”
Her red lips parted shyly.
“…You’re too handsome.”
For a moment, Beomjin’s pupils trembled.
Sui burst out laughing.
“Wow. Dokgo Beomjin can actually get surprised? Ah, you’ve looked like that before when I said something.”
What had she said back then?
After blinking her wide eyes a few times, she gave up trying to remember and smiled.
“You make every other guy look like a squid.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, idiot. If you’re going to look like that, at least be short. If you’re tall, don’t have broad shoulders. If you have broad shoulders, at least have short legs.”
You know that’s what all the guys complain about when they see you? It’s hilarious.
Her eyes curved into crescents.
“What is it, Dokgo? Why are you making that face?”
Beomjin said something, but his voice was too quiet to hear.
“Hm? What was that?”
She tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
“Say it again.”
Each word caused their lips to brush lightly.
“You’re so beautiful it drives me crazy.”
Sui stared into his widening eyes.
Beomjin laughed softly before pressing his lips to hers again.
His large hand slid gently along her slender figure before settling at her waist.
“Mmm…”
Was that really the sound coming from her?
Every time his hand gripped her pale skin or caressed it softly, her body trembled.
Click.
One by one, the buttons of her blouse came undone.
Maintaining eye contact, Beomjin spoke.
“This is your last chance.”
“Last chance for what?”
The final button came loose.
His gaze darkened as he looked at her.
“A chance to keep the line you’ve drawn between us.”
Lace.
Cute.
His long fingers lightly brushed her undergarment.
Sui gasped and shrank back.
“If you don’t want this, push me away.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly.
“What’ll it be?”
A faint smile appeared on his face as he left the choice to her.
As though he already knew the answer.
“You can have it.”
“…Have what?”
“Me.”
He lifted her hand and pressed it against his cheek before kissing her palm.
“You said being handsome was nice.”
“I-I never said that.”
“Then let’s say you’re going to.”
His lips moved slowly up the inside of her wrist.
At the same time, he guided one of her legs around his waist.
The feel of solid muscle against her made her inhale sharply.
This was her first time in such an embarrassing position.
And with Dokgo Beomjin of all people—the friend she’d known her entire life.
“Ahn Sui.”
Strange.
He always called her by name.
Why did it sound so intimate now?
“Time’s passing.”
She bit her lip.
Right.
If she was going to do it anyway…
Whatever.
Closing her eyes tightly, she pulled him toward her.
She could feel him smiling against her lips.
But only briefly.
Like a starving man, he began kissing her hungrily.
His lips traced a path from her elegant neck to her delicate collarbone, leaving marks behind.
Satisfied with the evidence he’d left, he began removing the rest of their cumbersome clothing.
Even then, he never forgot to press kisses against her skin.
Then, just as his lips moved lower—
“Beomjin, stop, wait—!”
Unlike the Beomjin who usually obeyed her every word, he ignored her plea this time.
She covered her mouth with her hand, but couldn’t stop the sounds escaping whenever his lips moved.
“Haah…”
Raising his head, Beomjin looked down at her flushed face and rapid breathing.
He licked his damp lips.
Then, in one swift motion, he loosened his tie and pulled off his shirt.
His hand reached behind her back.
Click.
The clasp came undone.
“I’ll take responsibility.”
His voice was low.
“For making every other guy look like a squid.”
One by one, discarded garments fell onto the pile of clothes.
Each movement of his muscular arms sent waves of heat through her body.
“Please… stop…”
“Liar. You’re enjoying it.”
The moment her lips curved, her body trembled.
Watching her, Beomjin smiled.
“From now on, don’t look at anyone else.”
He kissed her and leaned closer.
Holding his large frame, Sui found herself thinking—
This man didn’t feel like the Dokgo Beomjin she knew.
The clumsy Beomjin she had always taken care of couldn’t possibly be the same man now skillfully seducing her.
“Ah…!”
Overwhelmed by sensations crashing over her like waves, she clung to him as though he were a lifeline.
“Don’t let go.”
His smile looked almost devilishly charming.
“Not now.”
He gazed into her eyes.
“Not ever.”
It was the moment the line called friendship finally shattered.
Fifteen and a half hours before they crossed that line while drunk.
7:30 a.m. that same morning.
Sui stepped out of an old gray building and headed home.
The sun rises earlier these days.
Just before the end of her shift yesterday, a request had come in regarding the funeral of someone who had suddenly died from a heart attack.
The case had originally been assigned to her team leader, but his wife—who had been feeling ill for several days—had been rushed to the emergency room, forcing Sui to take over.
Fortunately, most of the complicated procedures had already been completed.
All that remained was transporting the body from the mortuary to the crematorium.
Sui worked as a funeral director on Seonham Mutual Aid’s unclaimed-deceased services team.
She was also a florist responsible for designing memorial flower arrangements.
The reason she had chosen this profession was because of her father, who had left home when she was young and never contacted the family again.
She had always thought:
Maybe if I work in this field, I’ll hear something about him someday.
“Whew, I’m tired.”
Her shoulders ached.
Lately she’d also been responsible for designing a new line of floral memorial frames, leaving her utterly exhausted.
After getting off the bus, she began the five-minute walk home from the stop.
Then she noticed a familiar sight in the distance.
A man who stood a full head taller than everyone around him was standing still, listening attentively to a woman speaking to him.
Recognizing the scene immediately, Sui let out a small sigh.
“Honestly… caught again, Dokgo Beomjin.”
