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・・・・・

There wasn't even a cell signal in the elevator of the old apartment building.

Looking at her phone, Gaeul sighed and turned off the screen. Keeping the flashlight on would make things a little less scary, but she decided to save her battery just in case. Besides, the phone’s light made Seo Dohyun’s face so visible that it was unbearably awkward. The darkness might actually be preferable.

In the pitch black, all they could sense was each other’s presence. The elevator was old and cramped, and the distance between the two, seated on the floor, was close enough that a misplaced hand could easily brush against the other.

“Are you there?”

“I’m here.”

In truth, she could tell he was nearby by the subtle scent of his cologne — a mix of calming woody notes and bergamot. It was the scent that had left the strongest impression on her, among the many perfumes she had smelled in the store.

His characteristic low voice was still pleasant to listen to. She gave a faint smile. In the darkness, she didn't have to worry about controlling her expression, which was a relief.

"What did you come to get from my brother?"

“Assistant Manager Lee has the samples we received from the other party during the external meeting on Friday.”

Could something like that really be urgent enough to need over the weekend?

That thought crossed her mind, but she didn’t bring it up, worried that it might come off as too critical. Since she had never been part of a corporate environment, she assumed there were things she just didn’t understand about their situation.

"What were you doing before you got here?"

“A blind date.”

“…A blind date?”

A brief silence passed.

“Who set it up?”

“A friend did.”

"Do you like them?"

"Do you remember the day we first met?"

“I remember.”

"The person I was originally supposed to meet at the hotel that day turned out to be the guy from the blind date. I was a bit unsure when I saw his tattoo, but I was certain when he mentioned being at the hotel that day."

"What? So, are you going to meet him again?"

The elevator shook slightly as he moved.

"If I had planned to keep seeing him, I wouldn’t have come back so early. After he lost me to you, he left some harsh comments about me on the app. How could I even think about having a follow-up with someone like that?"

"Well done. That guy is a perverted bastard who goes after women with no experience, so stay away from him."

“How do you know about that, Seo Dohyun?”

"I saw the chat history on the app, remember?"

"Oh, right. I only found out the next day after seeing his rude comments, but you’re really quick to pick up on things."

Silence fell once more.

“So, Seo Dohyun, what made you sleep with me that day?”

"Just because. The guy you were going to meet through the app seemed mediocre, and you seemed okay. At least I'm better than that guy."

“...”

She never thought it would actually be true. Hearing what she had hoped for directly from him felt pretty good.

After a slightly longer pause, he spoke again.

"Also, the place we first met wasn't Baekje Hotel."

This was new information to her.

With a puzzled expression, Gaeul looked at the spot where he would be in the darkness.

“Then where?”

"Last summer, at the MT (membership training) organised by Chunchoo University's employment and startup club, where even graduates participated. You were there, right?"

Her eyes widened. How did Seo Dohyun know about that club retreat?

“Yes.”

"I went too. Not because I was an alumnus, but to pick up my cousin who ran away because she didn't want to go to a family gathering."

At that moment, Juhee's voice flashed through her mind.

"Right. That day was a total disaster. One senior skipped a family event to come to the retreat and ended up drinking so much that her cousin had to come and drag her away. Someone started throwing up on the living room floor, and after that, three more people followed suit.

Come to think of it, by the time she came to her senses the next day, it seemed like the senior who ran a perfume company had disappeared. She wasn't close with that person, and her hangover was so severe that day that she didn't even know who stayed and who left, so she didn't have the time to pay attention to other people and couldn't remember it right away.

“Did you see me that day?”

“Yes.”

“I blacked out, so I don’t remember anything from that night. How did we meet?”

“Do you remember the smoking area along the path from the lodging to the beach?”

“Yes, the one with the bench overlooking the sea, right? As soon as I arrived at the lodging, I thought the location of the bench was really good, but it turned out that it was a smoking area, so I couldn’t go near it during the day because of the smell of cigarettes.”

“Yeah. There.”

Now that she thought about it, she remembered seeing a very handsome guy that night.

To be honest, when she learned the blind date guy was the one who had taken her back that night, she wondered if he might have been the man she’d glimpsed. But when she saw him in person, he didn’t really leave an impression. As much as she hated to admit it, even her older brother, Lee Gajun, looked better.

But if that guy had been Seo Dohyun, the story would have been different. No matter how drunk she’d been, seeing a guy like him would have left enough of an impression to remember seeing a handsome man, even if her memory was otherwise blank.

“Why were you there anyway? Do you smoke?”

“I smoke.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I’ve never smoked in front of you. You don’t like it, right?”

“How did you know that? Did we even say hello that night?”

“We did.”

It was just one surprise after another.

Seo Dohyun had met Gaeul at last year’s club MT and had even exchanged greetings that day. Since he clearly pinpointed that day as their first meeting, it meant that he had recognised her when they met again, a full year later.

“Come to think of it, that day I... Oh, right, I accidentally grabbed the wrong pair of glasses and ended up wearing the horn-rimmed ones.”

“I told you. The horn-rimmed ones look better on you.”

Gaeul’s eyes widened. She covered her mouth with her hand. No wonder he seemed so obsessed with the horn-rimmed glasses she had never worn before. Why was he bringing this up now?

“So, at the hotel that day, you recognised me and decided to have a one-night stand?”

“At first, I didn’t know. A lot of time had passed, and you were wearing heavy makeup, no glasses, and had a completely different hairstyle and outfit. It wasn’t until morning when most of your makeup had worn off, that I recognised you.”

“Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

“...”

The reply was delayed. For some reason, it felt like she could sense his gaze in the darkness.

“I didn’t want to.”

“…What?”

“Anyway, it seemed like you blacked out that night, so there was no point in mentioning it.”

His voice sounded cold. Gaeul responded in a slightly dejected tone.

“That’s true, I guess…”

Silence fell again. He soon let out a frustrated sigh.

“I was hoping you’d remember on your own.”

“...”

"You said you wanted your first kiss to be with someone you liked. How am I supposed to tell someone who's so obsessed with protecting their lips that they’ve already had their first kiss?"

“...What?”

“For the record, you were the one who made the first move. If anyone’s lips were ‘stolen,’ it’d be mine, not yours.”

“Wait a minute. Did I kiss you that day?”

Gaeul was startled and moved towards him. The elevator shook slightly again.

“You did.”

“That’s impossible. Don’t lie.”

“What’s the point of me lying to you about this now? And besides, you keep acting like you’re the victim, but I’m telling you, you were the one who started it.”

“Then why did you go along with it?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s not because you liked it, but you don’t know?”

"Yeah, I don’t know. Does it feel unfair?"

“Of course it’s unfair! I don’t remember anything about my first kiss!”

“Am I the one who should feel wronged for being taken advantage of in terms of kiss and sex, or should you feel wronged for not remembering your long-awaited first kiss because you blacked out from the alcohol you drank?"

“That wasn’t your first kiss!”

"It was my first kiss too, you know?"

Silence settled once more.

Ha. His hollow laugh echoed in the darkness.

Gaeul cautiously parted her lips with a bewildered expression. 

"So... are you saying that Seo Dohyun hasn't even kissed anyone by the age of thirty-three?"

“...I was still thirty-two at that time.”

"How is it possible that you're experienced in sex but have never kissed?"

"By that logic, what does that make you? You've been pounded by me this whole time and still haven’t kissed me."

"That’s a convincing argument. Now that I think about it, it does seem plausible."

Hearing her quick change of attitude, Dohyun laughed in a resigned manner. Strangely, that laugh alone shifted the atmosphere in the small, square space.

"You’re really something, you know?"

"I’d say being a little frustrating is better than being obnoxious, Seo Dohyun."

"I guess you're aware of how frustrating you are."

"Of course. I also remember that Seo Dohyun liked that frustrating person."

"How come you never back down?"

"If I lose here, how am I supposed to endure the awkwardness for the rest of the time?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Seo Dohyun's phone screen lit up. He seemed to be checking the time remaining until the expected rescue, as mentioned by the security guard. Perhaps because they were surrounded by such deep darkness, even that small light revealed his face entirely.

His shadowed profile was also handsome. After checking the time, he slowly turned his head toward Gaeul. The moment their eyes met, the light from the phone screen went out.

Once again, it was dark.

If their gazes had lingered for just a moment longer, Gaeul’s heart would have been pounding so hard that it might have burst. Although their bodies did not touch, they were sitting closer together than they realised. Gaeul swallowed hard.

It was his voice that broke the silence.

“Lee Gaeul.”

“...What is it?”

"I didn’t need to come here for those samples today."

“...”

“I came to see you.”

It had been a long week and a short one at the same time. During this period, she too had wanted to see Seo Dohyun. Though they had never been in an official relationship, and she was the one who turned him down, she spent her days as if heartbroken, crying tears as if she had been the one rejected.

Seo Dohyun was her older brother’s superior, ten years her senior, with many differences in their circumstances. And he was still handsome, with a pleasant voice, and fortunately, he still seemed to like her.

“I remember your first kiss.”

“...”

"If you’re that upset about not remembering, should we do it again here?"

A large palm covered the hand she had resting in front of her. Their faces moved so close together that their breaths intertwined. Although it was still dark, they were close enough to feel where each other's lips were.

"I’d like that."

Their lips gently pressed together, soft and warm. As if by some unspoken promise, their lips parted, and their tongues immediately invaded each other’s space. As Dohyun leaned in closer to her, Gaeul wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. His hand sank into the back of her head, and the strands of her hair tangled around his fingers. With pressure building in the hand supporting her head, their faces drew even closer together.

The movements grew urgent. With his other hand, he grabbed her thigh and pulled her onto him. Gaeul kissed his lips and obediently climbed on top of him. Beneath her, she could feel his erection pressing up against her bottom. The two of them pressed together as if this kiss was their way of filling the gap created by their time apart.

Chuu, smooch. Chuu.

The narrow space was filled with the sound of their lips rubbing against each other. In the darkness, her hearing became more sensitive. The wet sounds of their lips and the occasional moans from each other heightened their arousal. He pressed her harder against him. Gaeul, gasping for breath, tightened her grip around him, pressing his body closer. Though the rough movements took her breath away, she thought it would be better to suffocate and die than to be apart from him.

It was only after their breaths mingled and they messily exchanged saliva that she felt her entire body return to life. For Gaeul, the past week was definitely a time when she felt like she was dead, even though she was still breathing. Having lived without Seo Dohyun for 23 years, she believed she would be able to continue living well in the future. 

It was only after she let him go that she realised he had already invaded her inner space too deeply. A person's life was said to be divided before and after falling in love, but Gaeul's life was divided before and after meeting Seo Dohyun.

Just because he disappeared from her everyday life, the highly competitive recruitment announcement for a new employee at a prestigious corporation, for which she had put everything at stake, seemed like meaningless letters, and all the qualifications she had accumulated until now felt like scraps of paper.

If she got hired, got promoted, and earned money, what was she supposed to do next? Did she even enjoy studying? What was the point of studying hard and quickly landing a job at a big corporation, just to end up with slightly better conditions than her brother?

Up until now, she had been too busy chasing after Lee Gajun to deeply consider what she truly wanted. She had simply focused on accomplishing the tasks in front of her, and everyone would praise her for doing well.

Society had laid out a clear roadmap of the things one should achieve at each stage of life to become successful, and she had followed this path better than anyone else until now. Because of that, she believed she was living a good life.

Could her life, which was once like that, really change so much just because one person invaded it?

Their lips parted. Breathing heavily, they fumbled for each other’s forms in the darkness.

Flickering, the elevator lights began to turn on. In the flashing light, their figures remained as vivid after images, clearer than anything else.

“Seo Dohyun.”

“Hmm?”

“I like you.”

Their lips met again.

・・・・・

An 'Out of Order' sign was posted in front of the elevator.

The two people, who were rescued from the fourth floor, emerged hand in hand. Although her home was just two floors up, their steps led them downwards instead.

"Hey, we still have the third night left, right?"

“What about it?”

He looked at Gaeul with a smile tinged with amusement. Their eyes held nothing but unguarded affection for one another. At that moment, she thought that with just this gaze, they could face whatever might come next.

She smiled and continued speaking. 

"Shall we do that now?"

“That’s a good idea.”

Seo Dohyun took Gaeul’s hand and stepped out of the building.

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