Chapter 76. Lee Dohyun (6)

*Whirr!*

 The washing machine spun in the background. Eunkyo crouched in front of it, splashing water on her face.

“Ahhh…”

Her whole body ached. She let out a long yawn. The sleepiness hadn’t worn off yet. Watching the drum spin slowly, she nodded off like a sick chick in a nest.

A soft light filtered through the frosted glass, warming the back of her neck. Half-asleep, she stretched.

Last night, she’d gotten home around 2 a.m. It wasn’t like they were starving animals or anything, but as soon as she got in his car, it was like they were possessed—kissing, pulling, biting—and before she knew it, they were in the back seat.

It was the first time she’d ever been so completely immersed in one single act.

Rainy night. An empty road. A jazz vocalist she’d never heard before crooning in the background. Moonlight clinging to the side of Jaeheon’s face.

“I like you better without makeup, sunbae.”

He’d kissed the pulse at her neck, his hands exploring every inch of her body. He’d whispered all sorts of things—about dropping by his parents’ place for dinner, about refusing his mom’s suggestion for a family trip.

Sweat beaded on the skin pressed into the car seat, leaving her body dewy. Having sex in a car was something she’d only imagined in fiction. Maybe that’s why she’d been even more tense—flinching at the slightest touch, her mind going completely blank.

When his hand slipped into her pants, brushing over trembling curls and then pressing against her soft, wet skin, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She bit down hard, not wanting to make a sound, and he turned to kiss her.

‘Told her not to bite. Told her to relax.’

And just as she felt like she might lose consciousness, his slick length pushed inside, stretching her open.

Eunkyo clung to his neck and gasped. Maybe it was the guilt—the sense of doing something wrong—that made it impossible to fully open her eyes.

That night felt like a total escape. Like downing something impossibly sweet, something that would rot her teeth—making her stomach twist even as her tongue kept chasing more.

“Ugh, seriously!”

Eunkyo sprang to her feet and began cleaning, as if trying to shake off the lingering thoughts clouding her head. For the first time in a while, she flung open all the windows, letting the hot summer sun pour into the apartment.

She watered the few plants she had, swept up old dust, wiped things down. She neatly folded out-of-season clothes and the ones she no longer wore, boxed them up, and searched for a donation service. Before she knew it, the entire day had slipped by.

Time that felt meaningless but wasn’t.

Still, there was one place she couldn’t bring herself to open: her vanity drawer.

Instead, she took the glass rabbit paperweight Jaeheon had gifted her and placed it on the vanity, close by. The sky reflected in its crystal-clear body was a bright blue—cloudless, serene. That pure color made the transparent rabbit look tinged with blue.

Thinking that maybe she had poured so much of herself out in order to become this clear, this clean, she wished for a heavy summer rain to fall inside her, too.

For the monsoon to finally wash through her.

Forgetting, of course, that a heatwave had just begun.

***

— Where are you? I don’t see you.

Seowoo’s voice echoed through the phone. It had started acting up again, just when she needed it.

“I’m in the lobby. Should I ask the concierge? This place is… confusing.”

The vibe here was completely different from the college areas Eunkyo was used to, and she felt a little disoriented. Were there really this many people in Korea who lived so leisurely? Everyone else seemed at ease, like they belonged in a luxury hotel. Meanwhile, she felt out of place, a little overwhelmed.

Still… why did the hotel name feel familiar? She’d never been here before.

— We’re on the third floor. You’ll see an escalator on the right side of the lobby—take that up. The lobby’s technically on the second floor.

“Oh… I get it. I’m coming up.”

Once she had her bearings, she stood in front of a mirrored column and adjusted her outfit. Though her skirt was already neat, she smoothed it again and straightened her earring. Bold makeup didn’t suit her face, so she touched up just enough to avoid standing out.

After all, the nail that sticks out gets hammered.

Today, she didn’t want to be noticed. She wanted to blend in, become part of the crowd, and quietly disappear when the time came.

The friends she’d see today all knew she had once been involved with Dohyun. They’d probably ask—if she’d come with him. If they were still seeing each other.

That was the kind of awkwardness she desperately wanted to avoid.

She tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ear and stepped onto the escalator Seowoo had mentioned. All around her, people dressed in elegant suits were riding up with her.

「I’m coming up now.」

She sent the message to Seowoo and then, naturally, lifted her gaze.

Just a few steps above her, a man was talking to someone—smiling with that effortlessly smooth, lazy expression he wore so well, one hand in his pocket.

Then, as if by reflex, he rubbed his lips—a habit—and suddenly, as if he’d felt her eyes on him, he turned his head.

Their eyes met perfectly through the narrow space between the crowd.

Through that small gap, Lee Dohyun looked down at her—and his smile faded from his face.

He mouthed her name.

“Eunkyo.”