Chapter 22. Lee Jaeheon (2)

She sucked in a sharp breath and pushed his chest away with her elbow. But then his cold, smileless face moved in closer.

“Let’s start with a kiss.”

He grabbed her chin roughly. His thumb pushed past her lips—and suddenly, his tongue followed, tasting faintly of toothpaste.

Startled, Eunkyo tried to push him away, twisting her face, but the kiss only grew deeper, more intense.

Her mind spun. Was this a dream? A hallucination?

His tongue moved deliberately, exploring her mouth, brushing against her teeth before retreating with a trail of saliva.

“Ha! Jaeheon! What the hell are you—!”

He caught her wrists and pulled her tightly into his chest, grabbing the back of her head.

“Shut that mouth. Unless you want to see me completely lose it.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as his lips devoured hers again. The kiss was consuming—predatory. Her back pressed into the sharp edge of the sink, and her heart, already unsteady for days, thudded out of control.

It felt like a fever. Her body trembled like someone with chills, teeth chattering.

She knew why this was happening. Her first kiss with Dohyun had been filled with this same confusion and trembling—she would never forget that moment for the rest of her life.

“Why are you shaking like this? Didn’t you say you liked casual stuff? That you’d sleep with someone if there was even a tiny bit of attraction?”

The pot on the stove started boiling dangerously, and her phone on the sink lit up—an unknown number flashing insistently.

He reached out and flipped the phone over, pushing it out of sight.

Then he bit down on her soft tongue and pulled it back, his eyes narrowing. But when he saw her desperately clutching at her clothes with her eyes tightly shut, he felt himself swell below the belt.

Fuck.

Swallowing the curse, he finally let go of her lips and gripped the edge of the sink with both hands. With a heavy sigh, he rested his forehead against Eunkyo’s shoulder.

“I like you, sunbae.”

After saying that, he turned as if to leave her, dazed and speechless—only for a wet dishcloth to slap him square in the back.

“I saw. Yeah, I saw it! You moaning my name… while masturbating. That’s why I wanted to date someone! Because I didn’t want to fall for some cocky kid trying to seduce me! So don’t mess with me. Just one more time… if you kiss me like that again, I’ll kill you. Got it?!”

Jaeheon’s eyes widened in disbelief—an expression that didn’t suit him. Then he tilted his head and let out a hollow laugh.

He looked at her, chest heaving with rage, then walked toward her again. When she backed away, he reached over and turned off the induction stove with a loud beep.

A puff of white steam rose, momentarily clouding her vision. Eunkyo, breathing hard, stared down at the now-cold induction stove, biting her lip.

She wasn’t sure anymore.

Thinking she’d started to understand Lee Jaeheon… that was clearly a mistake.

Looking down at her angry, conflicted face, he slowly pressed his cheek to her ear. Then he whispered into the stillness between them.

“If you know I’m dying to seduce you, maybe just give in already. Do you like to be on top? If you want to ride me, I might let you for once. Otherwise, I’ll take care of it. If you’re lonely, don’t go looking for some other asshole—just look close.”

* * *

I’m hungry.

Lying sprawled on the bed, Eunkyo slowly dragged herself to the fridge and opened it but there wasn’t much worth eating. She made a mental note to get groceries tomorrow and plopped onto the couch with her laptop.

A message had come in—probably during that intense kiss with Jaeheon:

「This is Professor Seo Kyung-woo. Please contact me.」

Eunkyo let out a deep sigh, brushing a hand over her face.

Is it really right to define this feeling as fluttering? That was the question she kept asking herself after Jaeheon left. If someone asked whether her heart fluttered because of him, she’d say no.

But truthfully, by any objective or subjective measure, Lee Jaeheon was a great guy. A little twisted, sure—but even that had its charm. The real problem was, she kept thinking about him. Constantly.

That made it hard to think of anything—or anyone—else.

Still, she didn’t reply to Professor Seo Kyungwoo’s message.

She’d met him at twenty, the moment she entered university. Seo Kyung-woo had been a professor in the creative writing department, known for his authoritative air and critic-like tendencies.

She’d respected him.

Some students, herself included, had frequented his home to study writing. They’d helped edit his work, run errands—whatever was needed. In return, he only devoted himself to students who showed a deep thirst for learning.

Eunkyo had been one of them, visiting for months, crying often, absorbing harsh critiques and biting remarks, enduring countless personal attacks. Now she could say it was a formative experience, but back then, all she wanted was to escape.

「I’m planning a special lecture with external guests. Thought it’d be great if one of my former students—you—could do it.」

「It’s twice a week for five weeks. Let me know if you’re interested.」

「Come see me sometime, too.」

Professor, I don’t have the mental space for this right now.

Eunkyo lowered her phone and leaned her head against the back of the couch.

“I like you, sunbae.”

Liar. You just wanted to do it once.

As she tilted her head back, her eyes landed on the paperweight Jaeheon had made for her. The rabbit, with its long drooping ears and deep blue heart, looked just like her.