Chapter 4
“Mm…”
Sunlight sparkled through the curtains, settling lightly on Eunbin’s eyelids.
Frowning, she rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them. The first thing she saw was the white ceiling above her.
Blink. Blink.
Her dazed gaze froze as memories of last night crashed into her mind like lightning. Eunbin immediately checked the seat beside her.
Jihyeok wasn’t there. The seat was empty.
“A dream…?”
Could it all have been an overly vivid dream?
Her chest felt heavy with a strange mixture of relief and uncertainty.
As she pushed herself up, she noticed it.
The blanket had slipped down, revealing her body—and the marks stamped across it like a brand.
This was proof that it hadn’t been a dream.
Eunbin slowly scanned her body. Seeing the red petal-like marks made a scene from last night flash in her mind.
“Are you okay?”
Jihyeok had been looking at her with a gaze that seemed on the edge of madness. She could feel how hard he was restraining himself.
She didn’t know why her heart raced at that sight.
“Should we stop if it’s too much?”
“It’s painful, but I like it… keep going…”
Those words seemed to release the last of his restraint, and his movements became relentless. His hands traced her delicate skin softly.
When his heat surged and withdrew, she couldn’t help but moan.
“I’m… insane.”
But the moment had already passed—the damage was done.
A faint sound reached her ears, still confused: the sound of running water from the bathroom. Jihyeok was showering.
And that meant once he finished, she’d have to face him again.
Eunbin moved faster than she expected. She lifted the blanket and stepped out of bed.
The moment her feet touched the floor, a sharp pang hit her lower abdomen.
“Ugh…”
The remnants of last night weren’t just physical.
But she couldn’t blame him. After all, she had been the one to tempt him first and then push him forward. She must have been possessed by some madness yesterday.
How could she have done that… to Jihyeok of all people?
But now wasn’t the time for regrets.
Grabbing her aching waist, Eunbin collected the clothes she had tossed aside.
After quickly changing, she packed her bag and prepared to leave.
Meanwhile, the sound of the shower was fading—the signal that he would emerge soon.
Eunbin gripped the doorknob tightly, feeling an inexplicable force pulling her back into the room.
Yet, finally resolute, she pulled the door open.
Her hurried exit was like a cat slipping out in the dead of night.
What Eunbin didn’t know was that, no matter how far she ran, she would inevitably return to Jihyeok’s side.
Eunbin stepped out of the taxi and stopped at her apartment entrance, pulling her jacket collar up to her chin.
The early morning air was cold, but her body felt hot as if she had caught a fever.
With each step, her legs wobbled, and an ache throbbed deep inside her.
The raw sensations Jihyeok had left behind last night were still vivid in her mind.
“If Oppa finds out, I’m in trouble…”
Eunbin buried her nose in her sleeve and sniffed. The scent was a strange mix of the hotel’s luxurious amenities and Jihyeok’s heavy body fragrance—a perfume that seemed to announce, “I spent the night out.”
Unsure if it would work, she flailed her arms in the air to shake off as much of his scent as possible.
Then, like a guilty criminal, she lowered her head and entered the building, taking the elevator up.
“Please… let him still be asleep…”
If she could slip in quietly, shower, and change clothes, it would be a perfect crime.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened. Eunbin descended, hands clasped in a silent prayer.
At the door, she entered the code on the lock.
Beep beep beep beep, brrr.
As the door clicked open, Eunbin froze.
“Joo Eunbin!”
In the middle of the living room stood Woojin, his eyes swollen and puffy, face pale as if he hadn’t slept all night.
The moment he saw her, he set down the cup of water he had been drinking and rushed over.
“Why are you just coming back now? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“Uh? Ah, that… well…”
“I thought something happened! Were you in an accident?”
It wasn’t anger in his voice—it was worry.
Woojin grabbed Eunbin’s shoulders, turning her slightly to check her expression.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Why do you look like this? Who were you with?”
He sniffed suddenly.
“There’s… some kind of… guy’s cologne on you?”
Eunbin’s heart dropped.
If he found out now, it would be disastrous. She knew exactly what to do in moments like this: deny everything.
“No! That’s impossible!”
“Then what is this smell? And where have you been sleeping?”
Eunbin quickly organized her thoughts, squeezed her eyes shut, and said, “A jjimjilbang! The sauna! It smells like mugwort!”
“A… sauna smell? That’s not it… this is exactly expensive men’s cologne…”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
Eunbin jumped up, denying it furiously.
“I went to a sauna with friends after work. We were chatting and I fell asleep there.”
“….”
“I only realized my battery died on the way back.”
It was a single explanation that accounted for both the mysterious scent and her unscheduled absence.
She couldn’t tell her brother the truth: that she had tumbled around a hotel room with his friend. Absolutely not.
Avoiding his gaze, Eunbin took off her shoes.
“It was Friday night. We met after a long time, chatted, and it just happened.”
Guilt pricked her heart, but survival instinct carried her lies smoothly.
Woojin squinted suspiciously, then let out a long sigh.
“Haa… alright. Anyway, I’m glad nothing serious happened. I thought you got lost or met some weirdo.”
Weirdo. Eunbin flinched internally. He wasn’t exactly a weirdo—but if her brother knew, he would have freaked.
“I’m tired. I’m going to shower.”
Before he could press further, she wisely escaped. Honestly, she was exhausted. It felt like a storm had swept through since last night.
As she hurried to her room, her legs suddenly gave way, and she lost her balance.
“Whoa, be careful!”
Woojin rushed to support her, catching her arm.
In the process, her jacket slipped slightly, revealing the white nape of her neck marked with red.
Startled, Eunbin clutched her jacket back in place. Fortunately, Woojin hadn’t noticed.
But it was only a matter of time before she was caught.
“I’m… tired. I’ll go in!”
“What? Eunbin! We’re not done talking yet.”
“Later. We’ll talk later.”
She shrugged off Woojin’s hand and rushed into her room. Only after locking the door did she finally feel the tension leave her body.
Leaning against the door, she collapsed completely.
“Haa…”
Eunbin exhaled deeply, weighed down by guilt and self-reproach.
She gathered herself and went to the full-length mirror. Carefully, she removed her jacket and unbuttoned her blouse.
The reflection made her gasp.
“…Haa.”
It wasn’t just her neck. Her collarbones, the upper part of her chest, even her shoulders—Jihyeok’s marks were scattered like petals, as if branding her as his.
Of course, she had left marks on his back too, so she couldn’t complain—but still…
‘This is too much.’
Her face burned. How could she hide this? Should she wear a turtleneck in midsummer?
As she stood frozen, unable to erase the marks no matter how much she washed, her phone buzzed on the bed.
Startled, Eunbin picked it up. The caller ID showed an unknown number—but she instinctively knew who it was.
One image came to mind immediately.
A small earring glimmering in the morning sunlight.
Only after touching her earlobe did she realize she had left one earring in that hotel room.
[Stop making excuses and just eat. I’ve got something for you.]
The message was blunt and brazen—refusal wasn’t an option.
Eunbin tossed the phone onto the bed and crawled under the covers. Even with the blanket over her head, she felt as though she could still hear his voice.
“It doesn’t matter. Soon, you won’t be able to think about anything at all.”
Even though she had run from him, she sensed this was far from over.
