Limits of Paradise

“…don’t go.”

The man, his face buried between her knees, murmured in a hoarse, subdued voice.

“Huh?”

“Don’t run away.”

Tae-eun flinched as she listened closely, and in that moment, he pressed his face closer to her lower abdomen. Her back straightened rigidly.

Her broad back, bare of any shirt, heaved rapidly, and beads of sweat trickled down her spine. His solid arms reached under the bed, touching her calves, making it feel as if any movement might twist her ankle.

She glanced at her phone lying on the floor, then cautiously took off her scarf and coat. She then leaned comfortably against the headboard and gently stroked his blonde hair.

“Don’t leave.”

“Okay, I won’t. Where’s your phone?”

“Why?”

Hyun-ho tightened his grip on her ankle and lifted his head slightly. She didn’t stop the soothing strokes, aiming to calm him down.

“I was thinking of sending a text to Mr. Oh Min-woo. To let him know the café is closed today.”

“Ah…”

His bright eyes carefully scanned her face. Assured that she had no intention of leaving, he reached his long arm to the nightstand.

“I’ll send it. Just lie down here with me.”

Should they really be lying down together after agreeing to stop everything yesterday? She watched him as he typed the message, briefly wrestling with her thoughts.

Yet, she couldn’t turn her back coldly, not with his current situation. She worried that her harsh words might have contributed to his poor condition.

“I’ll just hold you.”

He shifted to the side to make room, asking with a cracking voice. She nodded and slipped under the covers.

Hyun-ho quickly scooted over, cradling her arm and burying himself into her embrace. His warm body pressed down on her. His weighty manhood rubbed against her leg.

Taken aback, Tae-eun’s back stiffened. But he paid no heed and pressed his warm cheek against her nape.

“Stroke my hair like before.”

Tae-eun, trying to remain composed, obliged his request. Despite this, she felt his manhood stiffening against her knee but couldn’t bring herself to scold someone who was sick.

“What happened? Why did you suddenly get a fever?”

She asked anything that came to mind to distract herself. The hot breath escaping his slightly parted lips spread over the area near her collarbone.

“It started in the early morning. Maybe because I drank alcohol, which I usually don’t.”

“Why did you drink?”

“Because I was upset.”

Her mouth snapped shut. She didn’t need to ask why he was upset; she knew all too well.

“I really hated how we parted.”

Hyun-ho pulled her tightly against him. His lips pressed firmly against the tender skin inside her collarbone.

“Don’t say we shouldn’t do anything anymore.”

His desperate plea left her feeling breathless. Her hand, which had been stroking his hair, froze.

“I’ve been waiting for so long…”

He murmured. It felt as if his fever was spreading through his entire body. She didn’t need a mirror to know her face was probably as flushed as his.

“Tell me how I upset you. Then I won’t repeat it anymore. Okay?”

Tae-eun pushed him away and met his eyes. It was the first time she was looking down at him like this, with him towering over her most of the time.

His eyes were red, perhaps from the fever, but it looked so much like he had been crying that it made her frown.

She took a deep breath, preparing to reveal her true feelings that she had wrestled with late into the night. The loneliness that overwhelmed her even in his kind moments, and the sorrow she felt right after they had been intimate, made her realize why she had said those hurtful things.

“I guess I’m a bit conservative.”

She spoke with difficulty, and he blinked quietly, his cheeks burning.

“Well, it means that we are just friends, but going as far as we did doesn’t align with my values.”

“Just friends?”

Hyun-ho echoed her words. The sunlight streaming through the window was absorbed into his hazel eyes. Although the iris was a warm color, the temperature he radiated felt cool.

“Do you have anyone closer to you than me right now?”

Unable to refute, Tae-eun closed her mouth but could not hide her sense of injustice and looked down. He moved his head up from the pillow he had made with his arms, and she had to lift her eyes a bit more to meet his gaze.

“So you mean we need to define what we are first?”

“Yes.”

She nodded easily, having realized that she didn’t want a relationship that was just about satisfying sexual desires. She wanted something deeper where their hearts could connect, or perhaps, to end things cleanly.

The problem was, even she wasn’t sure which option was the right answer.

“Wait.”

Ji Hyun-ho abruptly sat up from the bed. His privates almost brushed against her face, making her instinctively shut her eyes.

“Hey, where are you going?”

When she opened her eyes again, he was getting dressed. She turned her head quickly as his toned buttocks disappeared into black underwear and asked again.

“You’re sick, where do you think you’re going?”

“I’ll be back soon. Just stay here.”

“What?”

He dressed quickly, grabbed his car keys, and headed to the front door. She followed hastily, but the door slammed shut right in front of her. The room fell silent instantly.

Dumbfounded, Tae-eun looked around the room. She was perplexed by the man who had just bolted out, especially right after such a conversation.

She tapped her cheeks to regain her composure and walked over to the window. He might return soon, and she thought it would be good to tidy up the room a bit.

As she opened the window for some fresh air, she saw a large tree in the backyard. It looked quite old, in contrast to the relatively new building. She shook her head, dismissing the urge to delve into the history tied to this house.

“I shouldn’t be thinking about such things when I’m alone.”

She decided to wash the sheets but only straightened them for now, respecting the owner’s wishes. On the table, as he had said, were three empty beer cans.

“He really can’t handle his liquor.”

Tae-eun sighed heavily as she crushed the cans and tossed them in the trash. She felt sorry that the usually non-drinking man had resorted to beer because of her.

She also turned on a robot vacuum cleaner and sat on the sofa, waiting for Hyun-ho to return. Just as she was contemplating whether to call him, she heard rapid footsteps coming up the stairs.

The front door opened, and the first thing that came into view was not the man but a huge potted plant.

“What is that?”

She approached Hyun-ho with curiosity as he set down the heavy pot with a grin. Closer inspection revealed red camellias blooming among the green leaves.

“A camellia tree? Why this?”

“For you.”

“For me?”

Tae-eun was taken aback as the man who had just been feverishly ill suddenly dashed out to bring back a camellia plant. He didn’t even look sick anymore; instead, he seemed completely rejuvenated.

“Noona, let’s date.”

Tae-eun’s mouth fell open in shock. She immediately shook her head and stepped back, but his previously smiling face quickly turned to one of confusion.

“Why? You wanted us to define our relationship.”

She hadn’t expected such a straightforward confession, as if he was pleading on his knees. This was something that should be decided after both parties seriously considered their feelings and discussed them thoroughly.

“Are you confessing because you want to be with me?”

Hyun-ho’s face turned ashen. Although she knew he was essentially a good person, at times he could feel overbearing, and this was one of those moments.

“It hurts to hear you say that.”

His expression twisted in a way she had never seen before, causing her to falter.

“You don’t even know how long I’ve waited.”

A brief silence fell, punctuated only by the sound of the sea breeze coming through the open window and the robotic vacuum whirring around.

“Why did you wait for me?”

She feared her heartbeat might escape as she spoke, wanting to physically restrain it with her fists.

“Because I missed you.”

Tae-eun bit her lip, fearing that her churning stomach might lurch out if she opened her mouth too wide.

“I thought about you every day. I wanted to greet you with joy whenever I saw you. You might have forgotten me, but I longed for you whenever I heard news about you.”

However, his continued confession left her mouth agape. She wanted to ask since when had he felt this way.

“The only woman I remember is Song Tae-eun.”

It felt like a strange confession to her. Suddenly, the man facing her seemed much more mature than usual.

“So, don’t try to act like nothing happened now.”

Just then, something lightly fell to the ground. Hyun-ho turned to pick up a camellia bud that had dropped from the pot beside the front door.

He slowly approached her and placed the red camellia flower in her hand. Though it had fallen from the branch, its beauty remained intact.

“Do you need time to think?”

Holding the flower as large as her palm, she could only nod. The man gave her a generous smile.

“Then think about it here, before Dodam’s walk time.”

“What? No, I—”

“Sit on the sofa and look up what camellias symbolize on your phone.”

He gently guided her to the sofa and even handed her the phone, not holding the flower. His lips curved into a warm smile.

“You can’t leave here until you’ve made up your mind.”

 

 

🍉🍉🍉

T/N: damn, Hyun-ho is persistent XD