Chapter 44. Lee Jaeheon (24)

Lee Jaeheon—if he says he will, he means it.

Startled, Eunkyo quickly pushed his face away. Jaeheon, knocked back a little, clenched his jaw… then smiled, like nothing had happened. Sensing the shift in mood, he waved cheerfully at the students and casually took her hand again, guiding her away.

This time, she let him lead.

Sunlight pierced through the tree branches overhead, casting a web of shadows along the path. Every step they took together drew glances—some curious, some lingering.

“Where are we even going? People are watching. Let go of my hand.”

“The condoms arrive this week.”

‘Ah.’

Her steps slowed, her face turning as red as the summer heat.

Jaeheon burst into laughter and looked back at her.

And for just a moment, Eunkyo saw a flicker of another face overlapping his.

No…

That boy was a Seo, and Jaeheon was a Lee.

And besides, that boy had been slight, delicate, with beautiful eyes.

“So… where are we going, exactly?”

***

‘Should we even be in here?’

Eunkyo followed Jaeheon into one of the on-campus studio spaces.

It was different from the ones she’d known—nothing like the Western painting or design studios she was used to.

This one felt more like a ceramics workshop, or even a factory—full of materials, scattered tools, creative chaos.

But Jaeheon fit in perfectly, like he belonged.

“I spend pretty much all day here. Come here.”

Eunkyo, still hesitating, walked over.

Jaeheon, sitting on a stainless-steel workbench, suddenly pulled her into his lap.

Now trapped in his embrace, Eunkyo let out a long sigh and covered her face with both hands.

“Don’t do this in public, please. What would your friends think if they saw us?”

Jaeheon leaned his forehead against hers, frowning slightly as he playfully nibbled her fingers.

“What would they think?”

“They’d think it’s weird, obviously.”

“What’s weird about it? It’s not like I’m dating someone else, and I’m not making out with another guy.”

“We don’t match.”

That one, firm sentence made Jaeheon look up sharply. The irritation in his eyes was clear.

“You still see me as a kid, don’t you.”

His tone was laced with sarcasm. Eunkyo lowered her hands.

“You are a kid. Let’s be honest—you’re young.”

“Oh, so that’s it? You had fun ‘eating up’ a kid, huh? You looked like you were really enjoying yourself.”

The crude and raw remark made Eunkyo’s eyes flare.

“Watch your mouth. We haven’t even done anything yet.”

“You sucked my dick. That counts. Maybe I should’ve let you swallow too—would that make it official?”

“Haa, that’s not what I meant—”

“So I should go date someone my own age instead?”

Her tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed. She looked up at him in silence, meeting his dark, unreadable gaze. He leaned down, brushing a kiss across her nose and upper lip.

“I never begged you to date me, sunbae. I may have begged for a kiss or sex, but not for a relationship.”

“And?”

As she tried to push his face away again, her fingers brushed against the hardness of his teeth.

He bit down. Hard.

“I’m asking: if I went and dated girls like that, would you finally fuck me without hesitation? Are you trying to lump me in with them just to make yourself feel better?”