Chapter 34
I couldn’t tell when it began.
“Ah……”
A large hand cupped my cheek as a fragile breath escaped me.
A hand strong enough to hurt me with the slightest force instead touched me with an unbelievable gentleness as it drew near.
Without glasses, his eyes were perfectly clear—no blur, no haze. That’s why the hunger in his gaze, fixed right before my nose, felt so unmistakable.
A race with no starting point felt natural, and I felt no resistance.
The soft touch at the tips of his fingers, beyond mere ticklishness, stroked my downy hairs and set my skin alight.
My head tilted down, leaning closer, until I placed my hand on the back of his, which cupped both my cheek and nape.
And then, when he pulled me close by the waist, pressing us together so that his warmth seeped into me, I made a sound for the first time.
“Ha Yoonjae.”
The voice that left my lips and rang in my head felt unreal.
No—that this runaway moment with no beginning could be reality was already too much to ask. Even knowing that, I wrapped my legs around Yoonjae’s waist.
Pressed closer still, I felt an unfamiliar, strange force stirring in my lower belly.
Like an alarm knocking politely for permission, it made me loop my arms around his neck.
Splash.
It was as though I had fallen into water. No—it didn’t even feel like I was alive.
I had no wings, yet I floated; no webbed feet, yet I swam.
A mysterious confidence bloomed in my chest, as if I could go anywhere I wanted, do anything I wished. I held the back of Yoonjae’s head and brought my nose close.
Tap.
My nose touched his, pretty as though sculpted, and my lips parted a few times.
I didn’t know what I was asking for with parted lips, but Yoonjae’s eyes curved softly, tenderly holding me within them.
Beautiful.
Of everything I had ever seen, this moment could have been crowned the best without hesitation.
Drawn not by sight but by the brilliance felt in my heart, I embraced him completely, as though offering him my everything.
Breathing in even the languid breeze that made my hair flutter, I drank him in. Yoonjae whispered as sweetly as his gaze:
“□□□.”
He called me—but the voice wasn’t mine, nor was it clear.
Doesn’t matter.
Whether real or not, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered now was this:
I want to touch you.
I want to hold you.
I want you.
I want to kiss you.
Overflowing was only the yearning to press my lips against those soft lips and fill my heart with joy.
Did he understand the meaning in my moist, primal eyes?
“Do you really think so?”
A soft murmur, lazy as a sigh. I nodded.
Like a hungry child whining with an empty stomach, my arms fidgeted around him as I blinked.
“You don’t dislike it?”
At that foolishly innocent question, Yoonjae laughed.
His faint smile lingered as he covered my thin arms that clung to him, his other hand trailing from my waist upward with teasing strokes.
“……Ah.”
The deliberate seduction of his touch made my breath quicken.
A shiver ran down my spine, my back arching, and then his lips slowly descended toward mine.
So close already, yet unbearably slow as he came closer. The slower he moved, the stronger his scent filled me, saturating every inch of my body.
He devoured me completely.
And then, before I knew it, bare skin was tangled together as one.
“……Hh!”
I woke.
Bright sunlight streamed through unclosed curtains. On the wide bed, my eyes shot open, unblinking, my body curled tight.
My lips were clamped shut, so my breath came hard through my nose. And yet, threading into me still was the man’s scent.
As though tugged, my messy head lifted.
I must’ve slept so deeply—I looked a wreck as I sat up and quickly loosened the death grip I had on the blanket.
“Damn it.”
The blanket in my hands was Yoonjae’s. The one I had borrowed days ago and still hadn’t returned.
Despite its thick look, it was light and feathery-soft, giving me the best sleep I’d had in ages.
I’d been waking often these days from stress, but under this blanket I had slept soundly, dreamless.
[Can I borrow this blanket?]
That’s why, savoring that deep rest, I’d asked his permission and brought it to my room. He had given me the most bewildered look when I asked, but I hadn’t cared.
And if he knew I hadn’t even washed it before using it, he’d have been horrified. So I’d kept quiet.
But the problem was—I’d started having dreams. Similar dreams.
The first, I hardly remembered. The second, I dreamed of the embrace in the columbarium. And today—
“Ughhh!”
I shook my already messy hair, shoving away the precious blanket I’d been clutching.
“You’re cursed. Totally cursed.”
It had to be the scent of Ha Yoonjae’s skin lotion clinging to this blanket.
Yesterday, I only suspected. But since I smelled it even in my dreams, now I was certain—100%.
“Just like your owner. Lecherous. Sneaking into people’s dreams, really.”
Muttering nonsense since no one was around to hear, I rolled up the blanket in my arms.
On my way to toss it into the laundry, I suddenly stopped.
Instead, I buried my nose in it again. His scent, still soft and lingering, washed over me.
“……”
That was why, night after night, I had clutched the blanket tighter as I slept.
The scent might fade, but when I caught even the faintest trace of it, the tension in my body melted.
As though I were being protected by someone.
Really—just like your owner.
If I had known men’s cologne could smell this good, maybe I would’ve dated more.
With that useless regret, I buried my face again, sniffing deeply.
Sniff, sniff.
So caught up, I forgot I was standing not in the laundry room, but right in front of the kitchen.
And that the homeowner, who always woke earlier than me, was right there.
“……”
As usual, Yoonjae had risen early and was pouring himself coffee when he suddenly witnessed the ridiculous sight of me, wrapped in a blanket, mumbling and sniffing it.
As new as every day with me was, this was not the kind of “new” he’d wished for. He couldn’t stop himself from asking:
“What on earth are you doing?”
“……!”
I jerked my face from the blanket, cheeks burning crimson.
“I’m not a pervert! I just like the smell, that’s all! Honestly!”
He bit back the urge to tell me the world did call that being a pervert, finishing his coffee instead.
Somehow, even asking more felt pointless.
Avoiding his sigh, I quickly tossed the blanket into the laundry and shuffled back out, cheeks still hot, muttering excuses like a guilty thief.
“It’s just—since I’ve been home all the time, my body’s stiff, and I haven’t been sleeping well. But under that blanket, I sleep so well. And maybe it’s the fabric softener or something, but it smells… really nice.”
“Enough.”
“There’s seriously no other meaning behind it—”
My excuses crumbled.
Because the truth was, there was another meaning. The dreams I’d been having were… indecent. And the man I had “done things with” in those dreams was standing right in front of me.
“…right?”
My conscience stung.
And since today’s dream had been especially vivid, staring at his handsome face in the morning only made my heart pound harder.
It’s just because of the dream. Just the dream.
Maybe I was just restless, unfulfilled in ways I hadn’t known. But with a morning already filled by those dreams, I gulped cold water from the dispenser, praying none of my heat reached him.
Thankfully, Yoonjae seemed uninterested in pressing me further. After finishing his coffee and rinsing the cup, he left the kitchen.
When I raised my glass for another drink, my eyes caught on him—dressed in a flawless suit.
It was his work attire.
“You’re going to work? On a weekend?”
“Seems so.”
He often worked weekends, but this was the earliest I’d ever seen.
As I drained my water, I thought of Mr. Hong, probably waiting downstairs.
“Poor Mr. Hong. Having to work weekends too, just because of his boss.”
That struck a nerve.
At my needless defense of his aide, Yoonjae shot me a cold retort.
“Instead of spouting nonsense, go wash your face.”
“Ugh.”
Efficiently embarrassed, I scrubbed at my eyes with a paper towel. The jingling sound of his car keys caught my ears.
“Oh? You’re driving yourself?”
He didn’t answer, already heading to the door, but I hurried after him.
From what I’d seen, when Mr. Hong wasn’t around, most schedules involved Eunse’s arrangements. Especially weekend mornings like this—almost always outside work.
“Ha Yoonjae, wait!”
I rushed ahead, blocking his path with bright, eager eyes.
“Let me drive you.”
“What?”
“I’m good at driving. Trust me.”
Those sparkling eyes—he didn’t know, but they hit him right where it hurt. His brow furrowed, troubled, which only made me more anxious.
How do I convince him? I want to drive. I really want to.
I loved driving almost as much as working out, and it had been ages since I’d held a wheel. If I let this chance slip, who knew when I’d get another.
What to do, what to say—then suddenly, an idea struck.
That’s it.
Before he could walk off, I clasped my hands to my chest and widened my eyes as round as I could, delivering what I thought was the perfect proposal:
“If Mr. Hong isn’t here, why not just hire me for today?”
Those sparkling eyes pierced him again, leaving his chest tingling as I went on.
“I’ll be your secretary. Just for today.”
“……”
“Cheaply.”
