Chapter 9

She whipped around. She planted strength into both legs, pressing them together like a pair of chopsticks.

“We said we wouldn’t go all the way. I get it… you’re capable.”

Why was Lee Sung’s center of gravity still so steady? Why did it feel like the way he touched a woman was so skilled? Was Seo Yeo-ra lying?

She didn’t know the reason, but she knew the conclusion.

Lee Sung was not impotent.

“We’re not going to the end. And whether I’m really capable or not… we’d have to go further to know.”

“How much further?”

She sat up and covered her front with both hands.

“Because I want to see.”

“W-what?”

“Everything. Even the part you’re hiding.”

She could feel a sensual wetness spreading. Because she clearly understood what Lee Sung wanted to see.

It was confusing. Suddenly, everything that had happened up to now became confusing. Why?

Why had Lee Sung accepted her proposal, and why was he actively responding to it now?

To him too, she had been a friend of 30 years. So why was he caressing her body with such affection and reacting to it?

He even said he was a virgin. If he wasn’t, then why had Seo Yeo-ra lied?

Everything was so confusing that she even forgot about the incident she had experienced earlier today.

Ah… maybe Lee Sung was trying to make her forget a shocking breakup with an even more shocking method.

It felt dizzying and awkward, like she couldn’t get off a rollercoaster on a hard course.

Lee Sung was quick to notice. He instantly picked up on her chaotic emotions and turned around.

“Get dressed. You… snapped back to reality again. I’m not doing this anymore.”

What the hell was this? This almost-encounter with Lee Sung left a serious storm in her heart. Alcohol was the problem. No—Go Do-hoon and Seo Yeo-ra, who threw shit at her, were the problem.

No, maybe she was the biggest problem for provoking Lee Sung’s competitiveness and doing this insane thing.

This shouldn’t have happened. She felt herself sobering up a little.

She hastily grabbed and put on the clothes that had been stripped off. Her body trembled from what had just happened, and her hands were clumsy and frantic as she dressed.

Lee Sung’s back of the head looked annoyingly calm. As if what had just happened was as routine as eating dinner.

Meanwhile, she was flustered, like someone who had just had her first sexual experience.

Once she had managed to squeeze into her clothes, she spoke to the back of Lee Sung’s head.

“Don’t look back. Today… I’m just… confused. I need to leave first.”

As always, her best friend ignored her and turned around.

“You drank. I’ll call a driver service and make sure you get home.”

“You… I… can’t really face you right now.”

The fact that Lee Sung had just looked all over her body, touched it, licked it—it was so embarrassing she could die.

When the alcohol wore off, a horrifying crash of reality would hit her. Why hadn’t she been able to pull herself together?

Lee Sung took out his phone and seemed to call a driver.

“It’s late. I already called the driver, so just take my car. If you really don’t want to look at me, I won’t follow. I’ll park at your place and pick it up later.”

“It’s not even far. I could walk…”

It would take her at least 30 minutes on foot.

“He’s someone I know. Just do as I say. You’re drunk.”

“I sobered up. No… not completely yet…”

If she said she was sober, it would mean admitting she did all this in her right mind. Then it would be irreversible.

She started rambling again and let out a small curse.

“Ha… Fuck. This is driving me crazy.”

“That’s why. Just take the car. Come on.”

If she argued any further, she felt like she’d get swept away in another mess, so she followed him.

Once in the elevator, Lee Sung pressed the basement floor button beside her.

Whirrrr. The descending hum of the elevator was the only sound between them.

Her mind kept replaying what had just happened. Dirty, shameful, sexual, grotesque things.

Why had she provoked Lee Sung and caused such a thing? The reasons she had thought made sense now felt stupid.

Was it really because of the two people who had slapped her and Lee Sung in the face? Because she couldn’t believe he was impotent? Because she wanted to help him?

Did those even count as reasons?

“Ha. Fucking alcohol.”

This was all because of the alcohol. It had to be.

Lee Sung, pretending not to hear her muttering, changed the subject lightly.

“Must be rough, canceling the wedding.”

“That bastard Go Do-hoon should be the one in trouble. Why me? Ha… I’ll have to start calling everyone. Ugh!”

The thought of calling all the friends and family she had invited to announce the wedding cancellation was depressing.

People would ask why, and sooner or later her shameful situation would be whispered about.

“Ah fuck! Fucking hell!”

“Watch your language. You need to speak good words if you want good things to happen.”

How could this be the same man who had just done such things to her? He was so calm—no, cold, even.

“You know I got my next project lined up, right? The costume team is ‘Studio DIA.’”

Goddammit. Was that supposed to be a good thing?

Studio DIA, run by Go Do-hoon’s older sister.

Go Do-hoon, Seo Yeo-ra, and she had all worked at the same studio. If she handed in her resignation soon, she wouldn’t be part of the team anymore.

They had all entered the world of film costuming and ended up gathered at Studio DIA.

When Go Do-hoon’s sister Go Hee-young, a respected costume director, had more work than she could handle, she had pulled in her brother’s former classmate (her) and Seo Yeo-ra.

“I’m quitting Studio DIA. How can I work under Go Do-hoon’s sister?”

Of course, Go Hee-young was someone she respected and aspired to be like—but how could she keep seeing Go Do-hoon and Seo Yeo-ra?

Go Hee-young doted on her brother and wouldn’t cast him aside. It would be easier for her to just step back.

Ding.

The elevator opened in the basement. Lee Sung stepped out first, and she trailed behind.

He matched her walking pace and soon walked beside her.

Because of Lee Sung’s towering height, her friends used to call her a cicada when they walked together.

She had consoled herself that 162cm wasn’t short, but with this 188cm giant—no, tree—beside her, she couldn’t help but be the cicada.

His physique was always overwhelming, but it had never given her this kind of psychological pressure before.

Why was that? Why did this big man walking beside her feel like he was crushing her?

The memory of being pinned under his massive body in his room came rushing back.

No. No, don’t think about it. She gave a small shake of her dizzy head.

Suddenly, a low voice stabbed into her scalp.

“Don’t quit.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t quit just yet. The drama I’m doing… you should work on it.”

“I don’t want to see their faces again.”

In truth, the hardest person to face was him.

Once the alcohol wore off, she’d be writhing in regret. For now, she needed distance to regain composure and restore their friendship.

She was part of the production team, so she wouldn’t have to go on set much. It wasn’t like she’d see Lee Sung often. But she would. They’d run into each other.

Go Do-hoon. Seo Yeo-ra. And Lee Sung.

“I don’t want to see them either.”

Lee Sung’s sudden words seemed to challenge her heart.

“What?”

“Those two. But you said you wanted revenge, right? If you back off like this, it’s not revenge—it’s running away.”

He hit the mark dead on.

He was right. She had wanted revenge, but in reality, she had chosen avoidance.

If she avoided them just because she didn’t want to see their faces, they’d get to walk around confidently while she cowered.

While those conflicting thoughts pressed down on her chest, Lee Sung approached the middle-aged woman waiting by his car.

She recognized her—a driver-for-hire she’d seen a few times before.

The two exchanged a few words, mostly Lee Sung asking her to take care of her.

Click. When they were done, he opened the passenger door for her.