Sharing the same bed was warm, yet suffocating; delightful, yet at times embarrassing.
It was a time to affirm their feelings, the only time they could devote themselves entirely to one another.
In the gentle warmth of someone else’s body, Hae-in came to understand the meaning of nights she had never known before.
If love had a physical form, it would surely resemble this moment.
“Kang.”
“Mm?”
“You know…”
Half-asleep, murmuring as she hugged her pillow, Hae-in felt Si-yul pressing light kisses onto the slope of her shoulder.
“Hey, that tickles.”
“Then hurry and say it. What is it?”
Even as she gave him a little push, Si-yul kept kissing her, leaving her no choice but to giggle.
Why had she never realized how good it felt to touch firm skin?
It must be because I’d never allowed myself to belong to anyone before.
Before meeting him, she had been wholly her own, never feeling the need to share or belong to someone else.
She hadn’t known that just being touched could make her happy, or that the warmth in his gaze could bring her peace.
Now, looking back, she realized there had been so many things she hadn’t known.
“My life, you know—it hasn’t been that long, but… I think it’ll be divided into before and after meeting you. A lot has changed.”
“That’s quite the love confession.”
“Is it?”
“Mhm.”
With a soft rumble in his throat, Si-yul wrapped his arms lazily around her waist from behind. At first Hae-in let herself be pulled into his embrace… then growled.
“No! Off—off!”
She instinctively knew that if he held her tight now, it wouldn’t end there.
Her firmness was almost shocking—was this really the same woman who had been purring with pleasure just moments ago? Si-yul looked as if he’d been betrayed.
“Why not?”
“Because—it’s good, but we’re not doing it again!”
“Why?”
“Because… o-one time is enough!”
Is he really asking because he doesn’t know?
Hae-in glared, defensive, while Si-yul pouted seriously, cheeks puffing out in a way that didn’t match his handsome face. But no meant no.
“It’s not enough.”
“It is enough!”
“It’s nowhere near enough.”
“I don’t want to see you wasting away, Kang. You know that!”
If he knew the reason, why did he keep pushing? He wasn’t some moth flying straight into a flame.
Hae-in was already worried about what would happen once Tae-il moved out. If Si-yul was like this now, how much stronger would he be when they were alone together? She didn’t even want to imagine.
“Anyway! Absolutely not!”
“…I’ll eat stamina food.”
“That’s even worse! You’re already more than enough—”
“Pfft.”
Of course, even as she said it, Hae-in knew her words were contradictory. She worried about his health, yet feared him eating anything to boost his strength even more.
Because even now, he was this energetic… if he actually did eat such things—just the thought made her throat go dry.
“Ahahahaha!”
As if he knew exactly what she was imagining, Si-yul burst out laughing, leaving Hae-in flushed scarlet.
“Kang, you…!”
“Mhm?”
“Why are you so obsessed?!”
“Are you asking me why I love you this much?”
Said with such an easy smile, it was impossible to stay angry.
The first reason Hae-in could never win against this man was that he made her heart flutter far too much.
“If only you didn’t know how to talk…”
Grumbling, she let him pull her back into his arms, where he held her tight. She shivered when he kissed the nape of her neck, but didn’t run away—not yet.
Si-yul, personally, liked this moment when she was debating whether to escape. It was entertaining to watch.
Of course, she was also adorable.
“Then, I’ll just hold you like this.”
“…Liar.”
“I mean it. I’ll endure.”
Kang Si-yul was an unbearably sexy man. And if there was ever a moment when he was especially tender, it was now.
For all her complaints, this was also Hae-in’s favorite moment.
“But hey… exactly how old are you?”
It was such a common question, yet Hae-in froze.
“M-me?”
“Who else? You said earlier your life hadn’t been that long. It made me curious.”
This was one of those questions she simply could not answer. Not even in pillow talk.
She had no choice but to feign ignorance.
Hae-in buried her face into the pillow, letting Si-yul stroke her back, pretending to fall asleep.
The very picture of a cat feigning indifference.
He realized instantly that she wasn’t going to answer, but tonight he was persistent.
“Where were you born?”
He asked again, gripping the shoulder where his kiss mark lingered, urging her to roll over and look at him.
Look at me.
Reluctantly, Hae-in lifted her head and looked up at him, her expression flat.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t remember? Or…”
“I can’t answer.”
“…I see.”
It was sad that he could accept such an evasive answer.
What was sadder still was how used she had become to dodging the truth.
“Tell me something. Anything.”
“I want to.”
With a faint smile, Hae-in propped herself up on one arm and wrapped the other around his neck, pressing her lips to his in apology.
He understood—that was her way of saying sorry.
“Say something. Otherwise, how can I find you?”
“…Mm.”
“Leave me a trace.”
“I’ll try.”
Si-yul’s face soured like a cat swatted on the nose.
Does he think that was an empty answer? But it wasn’t. I meant it with all my heart.
Even if she knew it was impossible.
“See? That’s what I mean. Now isn’t the time to worry about other people.”
By “other people,” he meant Ha-eun and Tae-il—the couple Hae-in couldn’t stop worrying about.
Part of the reason he disliked meddling in others’ relationships was his own personality. But another part was that their own relationship was already difficult enough.
Even as they spent this quiet time together, he wasn’t exactly at ease.
“True, we do have it hard.”
“You don’t say.”
“Yeah, but… compared to us, they still have a chance.”
“….”
“That’s how it is, Kang.”
When Hae-in kissed him first, it was usually when she was very, very sad. Just like now.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
It was a quiet afternoon. Si-yul had come home early from work.
Hae-in sprawled in the living room, sketching.
Lately, she poured herself into portraits of Si-yul. She hoped that if she kept drawing him, her hands might remember him in the future.
That even if her body changed, her memory might still remember.
That even if her memories were erased, at their foundation, he would still be etched there.
It’s foolish, I know… but better than doing nothing at all.
So Hae-in filled as many sketchbooks as time allowed. She was already on her second.
“Drawing me again?”
“Mm.”
“Looks great.”
“Better than before, right?”
She wasn’t a portrait specialist, so there had been plenty of failures at first. But by now, she was capturing more of his unique essence.
That air of arrogance, irritating yet undeniably sexy. The lazy gaze that hinted at countless thoughts, making him difficult to capture.
If she had to compare him to a color, he was blue—the trickiest of them all.
“Why do I feel like you’re drawing me with fewer clothes each time? Just my imagination?”
“Huh?”
Si-yul rubbed his chin, speaking meaningfully. Hae-in glanced down at her sketchbook—and realized with a jolt that he was right.
While she’d been focused, she hadn’t noticed, but lately her drawings had been stripping him more and more.
And the muscles were getting more detailed with each attempt.
She had started with just his face, then his bust, and now his torso. Was she planning a full nude soon?
“S-sorry…”
“I don’t mind, as long as you like it.”
“…Ugh! That’s because you’re always stripping down!”
Embarrassed, she tried to shift the blame onto him, though she knew it was her fault.
Influence or not, the fact that she was unconsciously sketching his nude body was… questionable.
What kind of perverted woman was she? At this point, she wasn’t in a position to call him a pervert anymore.
“Anyway, I was thinking…”
“What?”
“Instead of me, why don’t you try drawing yourself?”
“I… tried. But it didn’t work.”
So many things didn’t work for her. Si-yul muttered his complaint, but quickly changed the subject when Hae-in looked crestfallen.
“Well… if you’re bored, want to go grocery shopping with me?”
“Grocery shopping? Me?”
“For Tae-il’s party tonight. I need to buy ingredients. You wanted to help somehow, right?”
“Oh! Then yes!”
She wanted to help with the cooking, but her poor cooking skills didn’t need to be proven to Si-yul again.
So she brightened instantly and jumped to her feet. Amused at how quickly she forgot her worries, Si-yul patted her head.
“Good girl. Let’s get ready and go.”
“Mm!”
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Why was going to the supermarket so fun?
Maybe because it meant she could actually buy things. Pushing the cart, Hae-in asked eagerly:
“So, what’s on the menu?”
“Still deciding. I’ll see what the ingredients look like first.”
“Ooh!”
“…Between salmon salad and Cajun salad, which do you prefer?”
“Cajun!”
Her eyes sparkled as she raised her hand high. Si-yul laughed, moving closer to help her push the cart.
To anyone else, they might have looked just like a happy newlywed couple.
“Between garlic butter shrimp and garlic chicken wings?”
“Shrimp! Since the salad is Cajun!”
“Then let’s go with that. For the main dish, I’m thinking mussel gratin. It pairs well with wine, and most importantly, it’s easy to make.”
“What about spaghetti?”
“That guy brought loads of mussels from the countryside.”
Right. There had even been mackerel. Hae-in had no choice but to agree—there was already more than enough food for four people.
“Along with that, maybe I’ll bake some simple cupcakes, and since we have a lot of cabbage, I could make cabbage rolls too.”
“…My mouth is watering.”
“Don’t drool, miss.”
Beside her, Si-yul pretended to wipe the corner of her mouth, and Hae-in countered with a playful snap, pretending to bite his finger.
Before she knew it, she was smiling.
Now she realized—it was because she was on something like a date with him, just the two of them. That was why she felt so giddy.
Shopping for groceries wasn’t half as fun when done alone.
“Come to think of it… Kang, you can actually cook all that?”
“Of course.”
“That’s amazing!”
“Then, will you marry me?”
…Honestly, this man—
he never missed a chance to make her heart race. Hae-in pouted, glaring at him.
“Should I?”
She looked as if she were about to scold him, but then burst out laughing instead. Maybe that was why his face suddenly leaned in closer.
In that husky voice of his, he asked the one thing she could never win against.
“…Can I kiss you?”
“Of course… not.”
We’re in public, you idiot.
The two of them were on the escalator down to the basement food section. And even then, they were already close enough to make passersby roll their eyes.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
As they shopped, Hae-in noticed that most of the people around them were housewives with children.
A man and woman shopping side by side seemed like a rare sight.
“By the way, being like this…”
“We look like newlyweds.”
Si-yul cut her off before she could finish.
And as if to prove his point—though why he needed to do it was beyond her—he stepped up behind her, pressing close as she pushed the cart, covering her hands with his own.
Seeing his hand over hers, she felt heat rush to her face.
This wasn’t just a newlywed couple look—this was upgraded, disgustingly lovey-dovey newlyweds!
“Kang… you’re too close.”
“Well, you need supervision.”
“That’s not why you’re doing this!”
“True. I just like being this close.”
I should stop talking. His affection is so sweet it makes my tongue ache.
In the end, Hae-in gave up on trying to push him away. They had almost finished shopping anyway, and the cart was now too heavy for her to push alone.
As she peered into the cart, Si-yul leaned in from behind, whispering against her ear.
“Just thought of something. Do you know the tale of the fairy and the woodcutter?”
“Of course.”
“The Snow Woman myth?”
She knew that one too, but why was he bringing it up now?
Si-yul, handsome enough to draw attention just by walking down the street, had a secret.
Namely—that if you ever stepped into his room, you’d find an entire bookshelf packed with books on spirits and monsters.
Lately, he’d even been buying books on Western supernatural phenomena, what people called occult.
And since those books weren’t available in Korea, he had gotten them in the original languages—and read them without a dictionary. Compared to medical texts, he claimed, they were easy.
She didn’t know whether to admire him or be horrified.
“…Why are you asking me this now?”
“Because those stories all share something in common.”
“Mm? That they all have pretty women?”
“No.”
Ugh, here he goes again with the tough questions. I told him I don’t study this stuff!
Annoyed, Hae-in shot him a look—only to follow his gaze toward what he was pointing out.
Two children were running by. Another was perched on his father’s shoulders.
“They all end with children being born.”
“…What?”
“In some stories, once they bear a human child, they actually become human themselves.”
Hae-in’s lips slowly parted.
This man… really… That’s all he thought about. Making sure she could never leave him.
“Even the gumiho bears children with humans.”
