Ji Hyun-ho made the excuse of shielding from the storm to follow right into the foyer. His mom, who hadn’t gone to the orchard because of the foul weather, welcomed him.
“Hyun-ho, have some kimchi pancakes before you go.”
He kicked off his shoes and entered the house ahead of her, claiming he was peckish and starting a friendly chat with his mom.
Song Tae-eun leaned an umbrella aside and petted the head of the dog that came to greet her. She felt why he might be hungry and couldn’t follow him inside right away, lingering in the entrance a bit longer.
Her stomach, only filled with scorched rice, was screaming hunger after a passionate kiss. She absentmindedly rubbed her lips clean before heading to the kitchen.
The man casually pulled out the chair beside him for her. She glanced across subtly, but her mom was busy stuffing snacks into Dodam’s toy.
“Are dad and mom busy meeting people and hanging out these days?”
“Yes. Mom’s attending meetings daily and dad’s visiting fellow association members and the orchard.”
Boo Yun-hwa clicked her tongue, perhaps reminded of her own busy times a few years back. She lamented how tough elections were while underneath the table, Dodam was trying to sneak treats out of a toy ball.
“Do you know how nasty that Han Ju-sam guy is?”
“The current association president?”
Song Tae-eun recalled the name of someone who had consistently lost to her dad in previous association elections. When her dad decided not to run after serving multiple terms, that man finally won.
“Did he throw money around even when he ran with uncle?”
“Throw money?”
She was surprised by the new story, but Ji Hyun-ho nodded nonchalantly.
“Yeah. He’s still throwing money around to secure another term.”
“He’s handing out envelopes with 50,000 won each now. Back in dad’s day, it was 30,000 won. Guess inflation hit him too, huh.”
Mom angrily tore into a big kimchi pancake with her chopsticks, then drank some cold water as if she was still feeling parched inside.
“Can’t we catch him red-handed and report it?”
“It’s hard without proof. You wouldn’t believe how tightly those who took the money stick together.”
“Over 50,000 won?”
Tae-eun was incredulous, but mom just snorted.
“They stick together over that much, yes.”
Ji Hyun-ho continued to eat kimchi pancakes with a serene expression. Grease glistened on his swollen lips, which shone as if they were glossed due to their naturally vivid color.
Watching him, she bit her lip and looked away, hoping her mom wouldn’t think weirdly about their lips’ swollen appearance. She had indeed been intimate with Hyun-ho but didn’t want their parents to find out.
“Eat up.”
He pushed a round plate towards her. She glanced at her mom, who was preparing to make more kimchi pancakes, and then back at him.
“Don’t worry, just eat.”
He whispered reassuringly, as if he knew what was on her mind. The sizzling sound of batter cooking on the greased frying pan drowned out his whisper.
She frowned and pushed a piece of kimchi pancake into her puffed-up lips, looking annoyed at the smiling man.
***
That night’s dream was intensely erotic, a lingering effect of a deep kiss.
Tae-eun was on the second floor of Hajung Café 61. But unlike during the day, she was lying listlessly on a man’s bed.
She had braced herself somewhat for bed, but lying eagle-spread on the heavily scented mattress was truly embarrassing. Her body felt strangely weak.
When she turned her head to the side, she spotted Ji Hyun-ho coming out of the bathroom. Dressed only in light workout pants, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her lying on the bed.
“No, this isn’t what I…”
She tried to get up to explain, but her body felt like sodden cotton, heavy and unwilling to leave the bed. Meanwhile, the man slowly approached.
Shirtless now, he appeared even more imposing than when clothed. She looked up at the overpowering man, gasping weakly. Just his gaze seemed to press down on her with a heavy weight.
“You hardly even look at the bed.”
He muttered something cryptic, then stretched out beside her, resting his arm as a pillow. She stared blankly at his muscular form elegantly displayed before her.
His hand began to play with her earlobe. It was an area he usually didn’t touch, making her scrunch her neck from the ticklish feeling. Yet, he persisted, tracing up to the helix of her ear with his fingertips.
“Stop, it tickles.”
“Why?”
“I’m ticklish.”
“You don’t seem to hate it.”
Even in the dream, his logic was frustratingly irrefutable. She scowled in annoyance, but it seemed to have no impact on him.
Ji Hyun-ho leaned in closer as if to examine her ear more carefully. His breath tickled her ear. His fingers pressed and moved along the contours of her ear as if he was kneading dough.
“Ah…”
Tae-eun inadvertently let out an excited sigh and then tensed up. The ticklish sensation turned into an unbearable itching that slowly crept up from her feet.
It seemed the man lying beside her sensed her strange mood too. His finger movements stopped. She could feel his intense gaze, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn her head.
For a moment, she thought his breathing grew closer. His breath seemed to directly touch her eardrum, and as she tried to move away, the damp touch reached her faster.
“Ah!”
His tongue was the culprit.
It slickly traced the helix of her ear. She gasped for breath, desperately clutching at the sheets, as a strangely arousing sensation curled her toes.
The man sucked her earlobe between his lips, pulling lightly. Her heart pounded fiercely, and she felt a surge of strength between her legs.
His tongue moved deeper, daring to explore the inside of her ear. Now, all she could hear was the wet sound of his tongue moving.
The vividness of the sensation was so intense, she couldn’t believe it was just a dream. Although her eyes were wide open, her vision blurred. She pushed against the sheets with her heels, trying to resist, but eventually a moan escaped her lips.
“Ah…”
And then, Hyun-ho climbed on top of her. The tongue that had tormented her ear now invaded her mouth. He lifted her arms around his neck.
His bare chest pressed tightly against her body. His lips, as always, greedily sucked at hers. Their breath and saliva mixed together.
Tae-eun’s fingers brushed against his hair. Despite multiple bleachings, it was surprisingly soft—softer than a freshly bathed puppy’s fur. Unknowingly, her hand moved higher to stroke his hair.
He responded by peppering her lips with delicate kisses, more rubbing than kissing. Later, he buried his face between her neck and shoulder, enjoying her touch.
He breathed hotly, his tongue flicking at the nape of her neck. Startled, she gripped his hair tightly, and he chuckled lowly, his back quivering.
“It hurts, Noona.”
“Sorry…”
Hyun-ho raised his head to meet her eyes. In the dream, his amber eyes seemed more intense than usual, glowing as if they were the only light in the darkness.
Tae-eun exhaled softly, captivated by his gaze, unaware that their bodies were pressed closely as if about to merge.
He smiled widely, and she was about to smile back when he thrust his hips forcefully.
“Ah!”
With a thud, a hot, heavy sensation precisely settled between her legs. He looked down at her as he began to grind intensely. Heat spread quickly throughout her body.
“Ah, ah…”
She thrashed her head, trying to escape the bizarre sensations he was provoking, but it was futile. He continued his explicit motions, rubbing their bodies together through several layers of fabric.
His movements became rougher as the sound of fabric friction grew louder. His intentions could not have been clearer.
She realized, as when they kissed, that her underwear was thoroughly wet. She was both aroused and frightened. Her breath quickened, and her vision blurred with moisture.
Hyun-ho lifted her onto his firm thighs, aligning their eye levels. As she blinked, a tear fell.
“Don’t cry.”
His tongue licked the wetness off her cheek, his gaze locked on her eyes.
“How can you cry over something like this?”
Just as Tae-eun was about to protest, her tearful gaze drifted behind him, and her body froze.
Deputy Director Ha Sung-joo, with his mouth full of dark hair, was watching them.
“Ah…”
She shuddered and struggled to get out of Hyun-ho’s embrace, or rather, to escape the dream itself. For the first time, strength surged into her limp hands, pushing him away forcefully.
“Song Tae-eun.”
He wrapped his arms tightly around her to prevent her escape. Her eyes tightly shut, she couldn’t hear his call.
“Look at me.”
He commanded without even looking back, as if he knew who was behind him. She was about to burst into tears, biting her lip.
“Who is that?”
He pressed her firmly. Failing to escape, she tried to hide in his embrace, but he didn’t allow it. He just demanded more coldly.
“Tell me who that bastard is.”
🍉🍉🍉
