Chapter – 53
“Thank You”
Thud.
The sound of a phone being set down on the table echoed softly. Eunhee tried to lift her eyes, but her body, crushed by exhaustion, refused to cooperate.
A hand settled on her forehead—unexpectedly large and warm. As she registered how long the fingers were, her eyes flew open.
Younghoon was looking down at her.
“……”
His quiet gaze was dark and deep. The eyes sunken in shadow looked inexplicably heavy.
When a sharp glint passed over his face, Eunhee startled and pushed herself upright.
“Rest,” he said.
He gently pressed her shoulder back down.
“You must’ve been tense. Your body, I mean.”
“Yeah. Get some rest.”
Younghoon tenderly brushed her cheek.
Eunhee glanced at her clothes, sticky with alcohol. Only then did Younghoon nod as if he understood.
“Should I wash you?”
“I’ll… do it myself.”
“I will.”
His thick, long fingers slid slowly down her arm.
At the tenderness mixed with quiet insistence, Eunhee nodded.
One arm slipped behind her back, the other under her legs. As he lifted her effortlessly, Eunhee wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, and Younghoon carried her into the bathroom.
“You’re so thin.”
He clicked his tongue. For a brief moment, Eunhee buried her sore, stinging eyes into his warmth. After everything that had happened today, this moment felt painfully precious.
Beyond the glass wall dividing the bathroom, Younghoon set her down on the long counter beside the sink. He wet a towel and carefully wiped her face, then her hands.
The faint smell of alcohol lingered on her damp clothes. With a troubled expression, Younghoon slowly gathered her fragile upper body into his arms.
He rested his smooth jaw against one of her shoulders, pressed his nose into the nape of her neck, and inhaled her scent deeply. Feeling his warm breath brush her ear, Eunhee tilted her head.
“You must’ve been flustered. Angry, too.”
He murmured as he rubbed the bridge of his nose against her cheek.
Cradling her small face in one hand, he tilted his sharp jaw and leaned in.
Peck.
The soft sound of a kiss spread quietly through the bathroom.
“Were you really upset?”
Their eyes met tenderly. Had she imagined it—the shadowed look he’d had while gazing down at her as she slept?
“…Only for a moment back then. After that, I was fine.”
Eunhee answered with a faint smile. In truth, she hadn’t even thought about that incident anymore.
If what she’d gone through today had only been the humiliation in front of others, then she really would have been perfectly fine.
“But I’m hurting.”
Eunhee’s eyes widened at the unexpected response.
At the end of her startled gaze, Younghoon deliberately furrowed his brow. He tapped his left chest lightly.
“Here. My heart.”
He exaggerated the pain, clearly aware of her.
Pfft.
Eunhee burst out laughing.
The night before their parting was unbearably heavy, and his silly joke lightened it, if only for a moment.
Smiling faintly, Eunhee studied Younghoon’s face.
Thick black hair, a straight forehead, a sharp nose, and long eyes—her affectionate gaze traced every line. As if committing it to memory, she took her time looking at the beautiful man before her.
She wished she could turn moments into pages. She wished she could open up the days she’d shared with him whenever she wanted.
She would place the prettiest bookmark in the time she’d spent with Younghoon.
So that even as time passed, she could remember him clearly. So she could always take those memories out carefully and look at them again…
At the foolish fantasy, a small smile escaped her lips. At the same time, regret and sadness soaked into her chest.
Reality was this: she was facing her last night with this man.
How should she tell him about the sudden goodbye?
At the very least, she didn’t want to disappear overnight and pretend that their time together had never existed.
“…Prosecutor.”
Her calm voice slipped between the smiles they exchanged.
“You’re a good person.”
Younghoon’s lips curved upward. The laughter that spread to his chest made it rise and fall slightly.
“That’s nice to hear.”
“Go on,” he whispered sweetly.
Though he said that, he didn’t give her time to speak. He captured her lips fully, refusing to let her go.
Their tongues overlapped softly. Only after he traced her delicate inner flesh and bit down gently on her full lips did he pull away. Raising one eyebrow, Younghoon lazily brushed her swollen lips.
“And?”
“…You treated me well. You were kinder than I expected, Prosecutor.”
He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. As he leaned close to her ear, Eunhee spoke again.
“…And…”
“……”
“…Thank you. For everything.”
That was when a strange silence settled in.
Still buried against Eunhee, Younghoon didn’t move for a long while. Even the breath spreading along the side of her neck no longer felt warm.
Uneasy, Eunhee’s eyelids trembled faintly. Younghoon straightened and let out a long breath.
Then he gave a short laugh. Looking off into empty space, he ran a hand through his hair.
She hadn’t even said anything yet, but suddenly Eunhee felt afraid. Her throat burned as she prepared to leave, yet the gaze fixed on her was chillingly cold.
“You’re not going to see me again?”
He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to meet his eyes. Not understanding exactly what he meant, Eunhee stared up at him blankly. Her unfocused gaze blurred with moisture.
“You say it like you never will.”
His pitch-black eyes were sharp.
“…Prosecutor.”
She barely managed to call him, but no answer came.
Instead, Younghoon let out a twisted smile and loosened his tie. He removed his watch and placed it on the counter with unhurried movements.
He unbuttoned the cuffs of his pristine white shirt and rolled up the sleeves. When he bent down toward Eunhee, a heavy scent brushed past her.
His hand traced over her round knee. The thick veins bulging along his forearm twitched ominously.
Both large hands settled on her pale thighs. Eunhee’s clear eyes clouded with confusion.
“How about this?”
“Huh?”
He asked as he kneaded her bloodless flesh. Her legs were pushed further apart.
“Hah…”
Startled and humiliated, Eunhee frowned slightly and turned her head away. Her palms pressed hard against the counter behind her, arms tensing.
With his relentless touch, her clothes were lifted in an instant. Eunhee curled her body and shifted her hips in reflex, but trapped against the wall, there was nowhere to retreat.
“Ah… Prosecutor, why…”
Her lips parted weakly.
“Is this not kind?”
He asked as he tugged down her stockings. Eunhee hurriedly clung to him, trying to stop him.
“Why are you doing this…?”
“I don’t like hearing ‘thank you.’”
His voice was crooked.
Unable to believe his sudden change, Eunhee’s eyes welled with tears. The torn stockings were tossed onto the floor.
Staring coldly at them, Younghoon steadied his ragged breathing.
When he faced Eunhee again, his expression was calm, as if nothing had happened.
“Guess I just snapped.”
His smile was light, at odds with his sharp words.
Eunhee met his gaze, barely holding herself together. Her eyes shimmered with moisture, as if tears might spill at any moment.
“Maybe it’s because you’re so pretty.”
“Prosecutor…”
“Other people thought so too today. Pretty. Pretty enough to make some bastard lose his mind.”
