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Chapter 24
“Cohabitation…”
Yuseong blinked in a daze.
She wasn’t the type to get easily flustered, yet she stood there, completely frozen, forgetting even to compose her expression.
Did I just hear that correctly?
So, the cohabitation I know?
Just like that… without any warning?
“What are you waiting for? Pack your things. I’ll wait.”
Suhyeok said this and casually settled back on the sofa.
Yuseong furrowed her brows and stared at him intently.
Earlier, she had held onto Suhyeok out of fear of being alone… but to be suddenly offered cohabitation like this…
He must know that I feel uneasy because of Kwon Hyukjun and my uncle.
Her current officetel address had been exposed, so it wouldn’t be strange if someone posed a threat at any moment.
Given the circumstances, moving into Suhyeok’s penthouse—secure, private, and with him there—was clearly the best option.
However.
Having Kwon Suhyeok there meant safety, but it also meant danger.
Not physically, but psychologically…
Two adults under one roof… is it really possible nothing will happen?
He had said he couldn’t be intimate with a girl eight years younger like herself—but last time…
“Shall we reconsider the clause about our marital relationship?”
Half-joking, half-serious, he had said that to her.
Yuseong’s mind raced.
For now, let’s just go to Kwon Suhyeok’s house tonight.
Being alone here was too frightening and uneasy.
Whether or not to cohabit could be decided after spending tonight together.
“Aren’t you going to pack? You might expect me to buy other things for you, but surely you’ll need to bring your own underwear.”
“…!”
“Or do you want me to pack it for you?”
Ah! Yuseong, shocked by Suhyeok’s unfiltered words, blushed furiously and ran into the room.
In that instant, all the worries she had were shattered.
Who would say that to a rational woman?!
“Haah, maybe I worried for nothing.”
Kwon Suhyeok was treating her like a little kid from the neighborhood.
Sighing deeply, Yuseong began packing the few items she would need for one night into a large shopper bag.
After a while, she hesitantly came out.
“…I’m all packed.”
“Isn’t that too little?”
Suhyeok, not on his phone and sitting idly on the sofa, asked upon seeing her modest luggage.
“I’m just staying tonight. Cohabitation… is a bit sudden, so I’ll think about it more.”
“Whatever.”
He got up coolly and headed toward the door, then paused and turned back.
“Just so you know.”
“Yes?”
He squinted at her and asserted:
“I’m not going to eat you or anything, so relax.”
Yuseong’s eyes widened, and unconsciously, her lips pouted.
“You can rest assured I won’t do anything either.”
She stepped ahead of Suhyeok and slipped into the just-arrived elevator.
Suhyeok stifled a laugh as he followed her in.
“Didn’t you just say ‘Hmph’?”
Yuseong’s eyes narrowed into triangles as he teased her again.
“…I didn’t.”
“Alright, alright, got it.”
He grabbed the bag Yuseong was holding.
Seeing the little girl stubbornly standing next to him wasn’t unpleasant.
He wondered what could have gone through her mind to break down at the mere mention of cohabitation.
Doesn’t she know we’ll have to live together after marriage anyway?
Yuseong was usually confident, but in this, she was utterly gentle and compliant.
Perhaps that was why teasing her was so enjoyable.
Cute.
Ding—The elevator doors opened in the underground parking lot.
“Let’s go. To my house.”
Suhyeok, enjoying teasing the “rabbit,” slung Yuseong’s bag over his shoulder and led the way.
The result was obvious if the rabbit entered the tiger’s den…
Unaware that his words were a blatant lie.
Even though Yuseong insisted on driving again, Suhyeok took the wheel.
She just couldn’t get used to sitting in the passenger seat.
Everything went fine until Yuseong searched for wet wipes.
“Kwon Suhyeok, something got on my hands. Do you have any wet wipes?”
“Wet wipes? Check the glove box in front of you.”
Suhyeok answered without thinking, and before she knew it, the glove box was open.
“Ah.”
“Huh?”
Both stared at the same thing.
Suhyeok ran a hand over his eyebrows awkwardly, while Yuseong’s eyes widened in shock.
“…What is this?”
In front of her eyes was not a wet wipe, but an unopened condom.
It looked like an object from another world. Yuseong checked the attached receipt in disbelief.
“You said you wouldn’t eat me!”
Even more shocking, the purchase date was today.
He had gone to the convenience store not for cigarettes, but to buy this.
“You just bought it!”
“Well… that’s…”
“Lying about being a virgin, huh?”
Yuseong questioned in disbelief.
“Are we really allowed to not fulfill marital obligations?”
“I’m not that shameless.”
“Then this…”
Seeing “XL” printed on the packaging, Yuseong blushed and quickly put it back in the glove box.
But she noticed another item she hadn’t seen before: a fabric deodorizer.
It was on the receipt too.
The package had a cute teddy bear illustration.
“Ahem, but… why did you buy this?”
It wasn’t a scent Suhyeok would normally use. Yuseong stared at the bear design, clearly not matching him.
“You said you hate the smell of cigarettes.”
Unexpectedly, he replied:
“…You’re the reason I bought it?”
“Yeah, I bought it for you. Went all the way to the convenience store for it.”
Emphasizing “all the way,” Suhyeok made Yuseong’s heart flutter.
She knew he was surprisingly considerate, but… to hear that he bought a deodorizer as soon as he heard she disliked cigarette smoke?
Really, all that effort?
Her thoughts slowly began to turn pink.
With the condom discovery and this revelation, it felt as if he had romantic feelings for her.
He’s just my employer. My partner for revenge. Just a contract marriage!
Regaining her composure, Yuseong put the deodorizer away and firmly closed the glove box.
She gazed out the window from a distance.
“Don’t think of using that with me. I’ll pretend I didn’t see it. And cigarettes are bad for your health, so try to quit. You smoke too much.”
To Suhyeok, she was just an embarrassed little girl babbling away.
“What’s this? Are you supporting me?”
“Eh?”
“Living with you isn’t so bad.”
Whether joking or serious, Yuseong frowned at Suhyeok’s words.
He’s so sly, yet supposedly inexperienced with women? Impossible.
No trace of a lifelong single man’s vibe at all.
She couldn’t tell what he was joking about and what he meant seriously.
I can’t just be flustered alone.
Annoyed that she kept reacting to everything he said, Yuseong spoke with a dignified expression.
“Kwon Suhyeok. Do you like me?”
A direct, strategic strike.
“….”
“Do, do you like me?”
Suhyeok, unfazed, merely glanced at her.
Caught off guard by his reaction, Yuseong blinked rapidly.
Why did I say that! I’m not some girl daydreaming about this, ah, why did I say it.
The silence was so mortifying it became embarrassing.
Finally, she bit her lip and looked down, when a smirk sounded beside her.
“Well… you are pretty.”
“….”
“Sometimes cute too.”
The light turned red, and the car stopped. Suhyeok fully turned to her and continued:
“Do I like you? I’m not sure. It’s my first time feeling this for a woman.”
Suhyeok spoke such words with a dry expression.
Completely disarmed her with words in return for her direct strike.
“….”
Before Yuseong could respond, the signal changed again. Suhyeok shifted gears and asked:
“Do you think I find you so pretty it’s killing me?”
Her heart tightened, her toes curled.
Kwon Suhyeok was not the type to use turn signals.
This is so flustering…
She threw a straight question, and a direct response came back.
