TMBF-11

 CHAPTER 11

Beep— click.
The door lock disengaged and the door opened.

“…You’re really too much.”
“What is.”
“What do you mean what, oppa…!”

Beom Kwon-yeol’s eyes curved gently as he looked down at her flaring up.
Yoon Hee-jo, her cheeks flushed red, bit her lip and abruptly turned her gaze away.

“…You already know.”
“I’ll only know if you say it.”

With a soft chuckle, Beom Kwon-yeol lifted her up just like that.

“O-oppa! Please put me down.”
“You’re getting quite used to being held now.”
“That’s because you’ve been carrying me around like this all day—”

She hurriedly shut her mouth, but he had already heard everything.

“You speak well. Keep going. I’ll listen.”
“…Please put me down quickly.”
“What’s with the bluff when you can’t even stand properly.”

That’s also because of you!

The ‘verbal contract’ made at the hotel had been overwhelmingly exhausting and difficult.

“Let’s try to do well, us.”
“You should answer differently now. We’re a married couple.”

Beom Kwon-yeol, now above Yoon Hee-jo, kissed her.

The kiss that began softly soon deepened as his tongue slipped through the parted gap, stirring her from within before turning into a fierce storm.

Each time overwhelming pleasure surged through her as if splitting her body in two, Yoon Hee-jo could do nothing but cling to his neck and moan.

Truly, Beom Kwon-yeol never seemed to tire.

“…Ah, hng!”
“Ha… relax.”

As Yoon Hee-jo’s thighs trembled and wrapped around his waist, his brows furrowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed sharply.

Soon, he pinned her thin wrists above her head against the bed and kissed her again.

The damp, suggestive sounds of skin against skin filled the sealed room.

Biting persistently at her ear, Beom Kwon-yeol looked down at her disheveled state and muttered lowly.

“You should open your eyes, Hee-jo.”
“Haa…”
“We said we’d do as I told you.”

Even as her voice sank, her tear-wet eyes reddened, and her body lost all strength until she could only sway helplessly to his movements, he pushed her as if every moment were the first.

When she woke from sleep as if she had fainted, it was already late afternoon, and at Yoon Hee-jo’s request to go home, the two came to her apartment.

Carrying her inside, Beom Kwon-yeol set her down on the sofa and lowered himself.

“I’ll do it—”
“That’s enough.”

Kneeling on one knee, he lightly grasped her ankle.

As his thumb slowly rubbed the soft flesh near her ankle bone, a strange sensation rose, and Yoon Hee-jo gently bit the inside of her lip.

…

In the thick silence, only the strong grip around her ankle and the warmth of his hand were vivid.

Her foot, held in his large, firm hand, looked almost like a child’s.

Yoon Hee-jo slowly inhaled.

His intense gaze, as if handling something delicate, and the overly careful way he removed her shoes made it hard to breathe.

“…Thank you.”

At this rate, her heart might burst.

If she stayed with Beom Kwon-yeol any longer, the sound of her racing heart would give her feelings away.

Just as she was about to speak—

“I was thinking we could make this our newlywed home.”

“Yes, you should go now— …What?”

Her words twisted mid-sentence.

What… did I just hear?

As if reading her thoughts, Beom Kwon-yeol looked up at her and spoke.

“You said you liked this place. It’s convenient for commuting, and there’s a park right next door for walks.”

“That’s true, but…”

“You refused when I said I’d transfer the ownership, so this is the only option.”

Yoon Hee-jo blinked slowly.

How does that conclusion even make sense…?

“There are several empty rooms, so combining our things will be easy. It’s also closer to the company for me than the hotel or the main house.”

“Um, Kwon-yeol oppa.”

“Yes. Unless you want a new place for the newlywed home—”

“W-wait a moment!”

Overwhelmed, Yoon Hee-jo covered his mouth.

Just like when he proposed, her mind turned blank.

“So…”

After steadying her breathing, she carefully asked while meeting his gaze.

“You said newlywed home… just now?”

Nod.

“You’re saying you’ll move into this house?”

Nod.

“So… you mean we’ll live together?”

Nod.

Watching him nod, Yoon Hee-jo exhaled faintly.

“So I didn’t mishear… just like before.”

“When?”

He spoke, but—

“Mm.”

Startled by the tickling sensation in her palm, she pulled her hand away, but he quickly grabbed her wrist.

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to move in as soon as possible. This coming weekend works too.”

“T-that fast?”

Seeing her stammer, he smiled faintly and traced the inside of her wrist before intertwining their fingers.

“I plan to proceed with the wedding as quickly as possible.”

Pulling her up, he embraced her swaying body from behind and led her toward the window.

The park in January was colorless, its trees like skeletons frozen in a monochrome photograph.

But after winter, spring always comes.

“By the time the cherry blossoms you like bloom, it should be good.”

“Isn’t that too fast…?”

“That’s better for you too. You won’t have to go on those ridiculous blind dates anymore.”

She flinched.

Then Yoon Hee-jo looked at the barren branches.

As she relaxed, she felt his arms tighten around her.

‘I wish we could stay like this forever.’

If they were an ordinary couple, even standing here doing nothing would be happiness.

‘But someday, this embrace will belong to someone else.’

Thinking that, she felt it was right to set conditions earlier.

“Everyone will be very surprised.”

“Probably.”

“They’ll feel betrayed too.”

Especially Madam Jin Seo-ryeong.

Though she smiled kindly, there was always anxiety beneath it.

“In the end, it turned out just as she feared.”

“It turned out exactly as my mother predicted.”

He smirked faintly.

“They say if you keep thinking about something, it will come true.”

At his cynical tone, Yoon Hee-jo laughed weakly.

That’s not wrong.

Even if she denied it, her subconscious had always wanted to stand beside him.

Just as much as his mother had wished for her to leave him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle my mother, and I’ll compensate you properly.”

Compensate.

To him, this warmth and closeness were calculated results.

Just practice so they wouldn’t look awkward in front of others.

“For now, don’t go even if my mother calls you.”

“…How can I do that?”

“If you go, go with me. From now on, we move together.”

“Because we’re married.”

Yoon Hee-jo swallowed hard.

Her pounding heart refused to calm down.

The emotions she had suppressed threatened to spill over to him.

Still, she didn’t want to pull away.

“If we’re married, this kind of contact is normal…”

Using that excuse, she held onto his arm and nodded.

“I will.”

He turned her around, cupped her cheek, and lowered his head.

Before their lips met—

“What does this mean?”

“Practice.”

“….”

“I have to look like I’m crazy about you.”

As he rubbed her swollen lower lip, he pulled her closer.

“So it has to look like we can’t keep our hands off each other.”

From this moment on.

Their breaths intertwined between their pressed lips.

That day, instead of returning to the main house, Beom Kwon-yeol stayed with Yoon Hee-jo for one more night.

As if the storm ahead didn’t matter at all, he consumed her endlessly.