・・・・・
After their date a few days ago, Gaeul had finally made up her mind.
She couldn’t keep her place a secret from Dohyun forever. Although it was a bit modest and had noisy neighbours, it was a decent place she’d worked hard to find, and it was clean inside, so she thought it would be fine to invite him over. Even the large recycling bin in front of her place, which was as tall as she was, and the noise from the neighbours, had become bearable as she got used to them over the past few days.
Tomorrow was finally the weekend of their date. Since they were meeting in the late afternoon, she could finish cleaning tonight, and then tomorrow morning, she could buy some herbal tea bags to have ready when Dohyun arrived.
Well, Seo Dohyun had clearly said that even a shack would be fine. This cosy studio was definitely better than that. In fact, his words, a while ago, had given her a lot of courage.
After getting home from work, Gaeul started the laundry, cleared the scattered belongings, and swept and mopped the floor. Once the laundry was done, she set up the drying rack, hung up the clothes, and began organising the fridge. Luckily, the food waste had already been thrown out that morning, so there wasn’t much left to organise. Finally, she sorted the recycling to make it easier to take out and finished cleaning.
When she checked her phone after finishing, it was already past midnight. Although she thought she had moved quickly, time had passed faster than usual, probably because of the overtime at work and the numerous small tasks around the house.
"Still, now that everything's cleaned up and the lights are on, it feels pretty cosy."
Thinking about it, her officetel was old, but still a decent place for the price. It had been recently remodelled, so the interior was clean, and since it was a residential-commercial complex, it had all the conveniences right downstairs: a convenience store, restaurant, pharmacy, and even a hospital.
Plus, being able to throw out the trash anytime, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, was so convenient. When she had lived in their old apartment or the villa, she had to wait for a specific day to take out the recycling. Looking at it this way, her place had a lot of advantages. She realised she’d been focusing too much on the negative aspects, probably because she was worried about how it would look to Seo Dohyun.
All that was left now was to throw out the trash and send a quick goodnight message to Dohyun. Gaeul put on a lightweight jacket over her pyjamas and headed to the entryway, where trash was piled up. Then, holding the bags in both hands, she opened the door.
And just as she opened the door, she came face to face with a very familiar man, standing right there in front of her.
Beep.
“...”
“...”
The man in red pants stood there, his unfocused eyes staring at Gaeul and then, Tik—. The corners of his mouth curled into a sinister grin.
He was the infamous figure in the area, who was rumoured to be mentally ill.
Bang!
She quickly grabbed the doorknob and slammed the door shut.
Every second was a mere flash, and although the door was closed, the man’s gaze still lingered in her mind as if he were standing right in front of her. He was surely still standing outside, staring at her through the door. Her hands trembled, and her breath became shallow. The saying that one lost their voice when they were too startled was true — she couldn’t even scream.
Beep.
A moment later, she heard the sound of the door locking, but her body didn’t respond right away. It was only after checking multiple times that the door was locked that she finally released the doorknob. By then, her palms were drenched in cold sweat.
She dropped the trash bags in the corner of the entryway and started taking slow steps backwards — one step, two steps… Then, she threw off her jacket and climbed into bed, hiding beneath the blankets.
"Sob... huff... sniff..."
Tears began to spill from her eyes.
What had they said in the group chat again? That she should take a picture or record a video when reporting it? Or was it enough to just report it over the phone? But even if she reported him, wouldn't he just come back after a month or two? What if he came back and tried to harm her?
Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. The man was a strong adult male, and she feared that if something serious happened, she would be physically overpowered. At this rate, she wouldn’t even be able to take out the trash, let alone invite Dohyun over. If Dohyun were here, he would handle this in an instant.
But if he found out about this, he would just worry about her.
Gaeul knew that Dohyun loved her deeply and worried about her constantly. She wanted to stand beside him as an equally attractive and capable woman, like the other women in his life. But the reality was that she was just a young, inexperienced newcomer to society. Maybe because of the age gap, Dohyun always seemed to see her as someone to protect. Gaeul, on the other hand, wanted to be someone mature, someone he could rely on when things got tough...
Her hand moved instinctively to call Dohyun, but then paused, hovering over another contact.
Still, because they were related by blood, at this moment, Lee Gajun came to mind right after Dohyun. Rather than unnecessarily worrying other people, it seemed better to have him take a taxi to her place since he lived nearby and ask him to take a photo of the man outside and send it over for the report.
With trembling hands, she pressed speed dial number 1 and then tapped the call button. After a few rings, the call was answered.
"Sob... sniff... Oppa…"
Perhaps because he was very flustered, unlike the usual Lee Gajun, his reply came a beat late. Just as Gaeul, with a puzzled expression, was about to continue speaking, a voice came from the other end.
[...Lee Gaeul. What's going on? Why are you crying?]
Had she accidentally pressed 0 out of habit? She was certain she had called Lee Gajun, yet now, Seo Dohyun’s voice was ringing in her ear.
“...Sniff, huh? Seo Dohyun? Hic... What do I do…? I think I dialled the wrong number...”
[You dialled correctly. I’m with Assistant Manager Lee right now, but he’s in no condition to take the call, so I answered for him. Something’s wrong, right? I’ll come get you right away. Where are you?]
Gaeul lowered her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn’t want to worry him too much.
“... Sniff, it’s nothing. It’s just… This isn’t something you need to worry about, Dohyun. I was just getting things ready for tomorrow... Sob, there’s something I need to tell you tomorrow too… I didn’t want to do it like this... There’s just so much I need to wrap up..."
[Something you need to tell me?]
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Gaeul, suppressing the growing lump in her throat caused by a mixture of relief and overwhelming emotion, waited for him to speak.
They were just planning a regular date, so what could Lee Gaeul possibly need to prepare? What did she need to say and why was there so much to wrap up...?
Seo Dohyun, who was slightly intoxicated and not in his right mind, convinced himself that Gaeul was preparing to break up with him. Lately, her messages had become infrequent, their time together had decreased, and even when they were together, she always seemed lost in thought… Wasn't it clear to anyone that she was hiding something? He kept telling himself it couldn’t be true, but people said a lover’s intuition was never wrong. Was this how it would end?
[By any chance, are preparing for our meeting tomorrow... No, let's meet and talk first. Lee Gaeul, you didn’t do anything wrong, so stop crying.]
If Gaeul had been thinking clearly, she might have noticed the strange seriousness in Dohyun's voice. But overwhelmed and disoriented, she naturally took his words to mean he was finally realising she was preparing to invite him to her place for the first time.
“I know I’ve been putting this off for too long… Sniff, I think it’s finally time… Anyway, I’ll hang up now. I don’t think I’m in the right state to say more.”
[Wait.]
The voice on the other end of the line dropped to a low, serious tone.
[I need to see you right now. Where are you?]
“Sniff. I’m at home.”
[…If it’s okay with you, I’ll come to your place. Or we can meet somewhere nearby.]
“Sniff… I’ll send you the address. But don’t come in right away; call me after you park. Sob, a man is standing outside my place…”
[A man?]
Seo Dohyun muttered to himself before continuing.
[...Firstly, I’ll head over there soon, so let’s talk about it in detail when we meet.]
"Sob, okay..."
After hanging up, Gaeul let out a flood of tears, overwhelmed by a mix of relief and distress.
She had even planned to invite him over with the catchy phrase, ‘Do you want to eat ramen together?’ which was said to be popular among Dohyun’s generation, but everything had gone wrong. She couldn’t even ask him to report the man standing by the door, and the whole situation was as chaotic in her mind as it was in reality.
However, after crying it all out, she began to feel a little calmer. Realising that she hadn’t properly explained about the man at her door before ending the call with Dohyun made her anxious again. She should have warned him to be careful, even if the group chat had mentioned that no one had ever been directly harmed before. After all, one could never be too sure; it was an unsettling situation, even if nothing actually happened.
Gaeul pressed 0 on her phone to call Dohyun again. As soon as he answered, the doorbell rang.
[The man you mentioned is already gone, and I’m alone, so open the door.]
Seo Dohyun, who had received her call, responded as if he had read her mind.
Gaeul quickly rushed to open the door.
・・・・・
Seo Dohyun entered, effortlessly stepping over the trash with his long legs.
The dim interior, lit only by a single orange floor lamp, felt quite cosy. The bed seemed to be the metal one she had originally used and a soft ivory rug was laid out below, giving the room a warm impression.
There was so much he wanted to say to her right away. He wanted to ask if she hadn’t told him her new address because she was preparing to break up, but after receiving the address, he wanted to scold her for telling the man she was about to break up with where she lived. Despite being on the verge of being dumped, Dohyun was still curious about her new home and felt he needed to see for himself if she was doing well to feel reassured.
However, seeing her living so comfortably in such a nice home, he became even more certain that her claim of being embarrassed to show him the place was just an excuse. In fact, she had been keeping her place a secret and maintaining minimal contact as a way to prepare for their breakup. He wanted to ask who the man at the door was and why that man was standing in front of her place without her knowledge. He had heard that she hadn't mentioned a word about their relationship to Assistant Manager Lee, and he couldn't help but wonder how much she must have struggled alone, not wanting to bother her older brother.
In the midst of all this, he wondered: was it really so hard to break up with him that she cried and called Lee Gajun? Knowing that it was just as difficult for her to let go of him somehow gave him a strange sense of comfort.
It felt ridiculous, considering they might break up at any moment.
"I missed you."
Amid all the swirling thoughts, those were the only words that came out. Seeing the dried tear stains on Lee Gaeul's eyes made his heart ache. Her eyes were swollen, and the redness in the blood vessels revealed how much she had cried. Although her glasses had thick, horn-rimmed frames, her condition was still unmistakably visible to his eyes, as always.
“Me too. You came so quickly? Don’t just stand there at the door, come inside.”
Gaeul went in first. Seo Dohyun followed her, taking off his shoes and stepping into what he presumed to be the living room, where a cheap rug was laid out on the floor.
This feeling would likely be the first and the last. He wondered what it would be like to roll around here with Lee Gaeul…
Even amidst all this, such vulgar thoughts intruded on his mind. At that moment, blood rushed downwards.
It was always like this when he was with Lee Gaeul. Even if something upset him or made him angry, just seeing her face would make everything melt away, and his body would respond. While it had been an advantage during their time together, it became troublesome in the situation where he was about to part ways with her.
Seo Dohyun tried his best not to show it on the outside and opened his mouth.
“I was at Assistant Manager Lee’s house. I took a taxi straight from there.”
“You came like this? If you were going to my brother’s house, you could have borrowed some comfortable clothes. You went straight to drinking after work, didn’t you? You must have had quite a bit. The smell of alcohol is really strong. Are you okay?”
'Are you okay?' How could he be okay? He had come to be rejected by the woman he cared about.
“...I drank quite a bit, but I’m fine.”
“Anyway, I’m glad there was no one at the door. First, sit down and let's talk...”
"Lee Gaeul."
Seo Dohyun’s eyes reddened. Tears instantly filled his eyes.
"I'll be straight with you. I'm going to pursue you. But if you're still not interested, just tell me. I don't want to be that pathetic guy at my age, but I like you too much to give up. I wish I could let you go to meet someone your own age... Fuck, this is the best I can do."
He clenched his fist tightly. Had he drunk too much? He couldn’t control his emotions. He used to think poorly of men who cried over women or those who cried after drinking, but now he was exactly the combination of both. Even in this situation, his penis was stiff; he felt completely ridiculous.
"I didn’t come all the way here just to show you how pathetic I am… Ah, but it seems like I need to suck on your lips to calm down. Should I kiss you?"
His drunken thoughts were a jumble, lacking any coherence, but even in this state, he wanted to kiss Gaeul.
"Hey, Seo Dohyun... I’m not really sure what you’re talking about, but... No, actually, you seem way too drunk.”
“What was happening...?” Gaeul muttered to herself in surprise.
Gaeul looked visibly flustered.
It was understandable for her to be flustered when the man who was about to be dumped tried to kiss her. It must be so absurd.
Even if there was no such thing as a beautiful farewell in the world, to have a decent parting, he needed to stop acting so disrespectfully and unsightly and come to his senses. However, his alcohol-soaked mind easily ignored the voice of reason.
"Yeah, I'm very drunk. This is my first time being this drunk. So, Gaeul, come here."
Then, unable to bear it any longer, he quickly approached her.
Up close, her eyes looked even more swollen. So this was how her eyes swelled when she cried. They didn't swell this much when she watched a sad movie before. How much did she cry today to swell up like this?
Ironically, seeing Gaeul's face made him feel relieved even in the midst of their breakup. The fact that she was just within reach was a comfort to him.
"Should I suck your pussy instead of your lips?"
However, regardless of his reason, the words that came out of his mouth were extremely vulgar. No wonder Gaeul wanted to break up with him. For a moment, he felt a wave of self-loathing, but his reason was quickly pushed aside, and his instincts took over. Simultaneously, his penis seemed to grow even larger.
"...What?"
"You like it when I go down on you, right?"
An old guy like him had to be good at this to even think about meeting her. Good at sucking and good at fucking. Right now, it seemed like this was the only way he could impress Gaeul.
"That’s true, but why are you saying this all of a sudden... Wa-wait a minute!"
“Because I don’t want to end things with you. So I’ll try my best at this.”
Dohyun skillfully carried Gaeul and headed towards the bed.
Creak.
The bed groaned under the weight of two people. The old metal bed made so much noise when Dohyun got on it that it felt like it might break.
After laying Gaeul on the bed, he threw off his jacket and, with an impatient gesture, loosened his tie. She raised her upper body slightly and spoke. In an instant, their faces were close, with Dohyun lying over her as if about to pounce. The gaze they exchanged was intense.
"Seo Dohyun. The way you've been speaking since earlier is strange. I think it would be a good idea for us to have a talk."
"A talk?
Dohyun, having loosened his tie and thrown it to one side of the bed, continued speaking as he unbuttoned his shirt.
"You can say you want to stop after the sex is over. We've been together for over a year, so you can give me that much of a chance, can't you?"
He furrowed his brow. Even he thought it was the worst thing to say at a time like this. However, with his reason numbed, Seo Dohyun felt that the only chance he had left was a passionate night with Gaeul. After all, in theory, weren't there quite a few couples who overcame their conflicts through sex?
"Ha, let’s pretend I didn’t hear that just now."
Dohyun's hand reached for Gaeul's eyes. He gently wiped away the tear stains with the back of his hand and effortlessly removed her glasses.
"Why did you cry so much?"
"There was a situation. As for how this happened...”
"...No. I'll hear the details later. This comes first."
Snap.
He snapped off the leg of her glasses and threw them far away. Then, he licked the fingertip that had wiped away Gaeul's tears with the tip of his tongue. There was no particular taste as if nothing had rubbed off on it.
"Wait, did you just break the leg of my glasses?"
"I must've misjudged my strength while I was drunk, and it broke. I'll get you a new one tomorrow."
‘Then at least we can be lovers until then.’ Dohyun swallowed the thought that came to mind.
"So, focus on me now."
Did Lee Gaeul know? Behind Seo Dohyun's outward desire for her to live a happy life, which brought him his greatest joy, he concealed a darker longing: for her to never escape him.
This possessiveness was unlike ordinary emotions. He wanted to show Gaeul only beautiful things, but at the same time, he thought it might be better if she couldn’t see anything else. He couldn't endure the thought of another man being reflected in her eyes. He wished that Gaeul would know no one else but him for her entire life. The mere existence of other options for her filled him with constant anxiety, so he longed to be the only one in her world.
He didn’t want anyone other than himself to know Gaeul’s loveliness. After all, who knew when that dick-swinging bastard who had been lurking around her house today might show up again? He wished he could eradicate all men from the world. Then, he wouldn't have to worry about filthy eyes leering at her…
"...Okay."
Gaeul stared at the spot where his face was and swallowed nervously.
Seo Dohyun loved her so much that he wanted to devour every single movement of her muscles.
So today, he would seize Gaeul with his whole being.
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