A Fool in Love
The sound of the hair dryer hummed through the bathroom—whirring, whirring—as the golden glow that had brightly illuminated the space gradually faded. Adele, who had gathered her scattered mind and fervently finished her prayer of repentance, pulled the plug from the bathtub. She had prayed to Lady Rosario, desperately hoping that someone as frivolous as herself might still be worthy of the title of Saint, though she had no idea whether an answer would come. Rising from her spot, she weakly turned on the shower.
Adele kept repeating the word “responsibility.” She wanted to throw a tantrum at Jihyeok. That man, who had seduced her with his silver tongue and made her do those utterly embarrassing things she had never even imagined. She had been completely swept up in it all. She had been defiled. Therefore, Jihyeok had to take responsibility.
Adele fiddled with the shower faucet left and right, alternating between hot and cold water as if punishing herself. After enduring long stretches of cold, then hot, then cold again, she felt her mind clearing just a little. Once she had thoroughly and cleanly washed every inch of her body—especially between her legs—Adele opened the bathroom door and cautiously poked her head out.
‘Jihyeok…?’
He wasn’t there. But he had definitely returned. The sound of the television drifted in from the living room. The bed had also been changed with fresh, clean sheets, and laid out neatly on top were underwear, a long-sleeved knit sweater, jeans, and a pair of pajamas printed with little foxes.
After drying herself thoroughly with a towel, Adele quickly slipped on the panties and pajamas.
‘They’re so cute…’
The design of the pajamas was incredibly satisfying. Where on earth had he found them? Jihyeok was usually so oblivious, yet in moments like this he could be surprisingly thoughtful. Adele flopped onto the bed, pulled the blanket all the way up to her chin, and cleared her throat.
No reaction from the living room. Adele coughed again, this time a little louder, to announce her presence to Jihyeok.
Before long, the sound of a chair scraping came from the living room, followed by the bedroom door opening as Jihyeok stepped inside.
Jihyeok wore a gentle expression. The moment she saw his face, the utterly shameful events from earlier flooded back into Adele’s mind. She hung her head low.
Jihyeok answered in a slightly hurt tone and came to stand beside the bed. Adele immediately regretted her impulsive words. Didn’t that make it sound like she was trying to avoid him? Her love for him was rock-solid, yet because of what had happened earlier, embarrassment had made her say the opposite of what she truly felt. She quickly corrected herself.
When Jihyeok promptly sat right beside her, the look on his face made it clear just how much he truly loved her. It was as if honey were dripping from his every feature. Seeing his unwavering affection, Adele felt reassured. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
The moment the words left her mouth, Adele squeezed her eyes shut and inwardly scolded herself. Why had she said that again…? Jihyeok was sure to be flustered or disappointed.
Just as she expected, Jihyeok spoke in a bitter tone. Adele hurriedly corrected herself.
Jihyeok’s mouth fell open in shock, opening and closing wordlessly. Adele’s heart sank with a thud. She pinched her own thigh hard. How could she keep making such stupid mistakes…? She really was a fool. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she spoke again.
Jihyeok gazed at her for a moment, then let out a soft, helpless laugh. Without a word, he drew closer and wrapped her tightly in his arms.
Jihyeok moved for her sake in even the smallest things. Even when he wasn’t doing anything in particular, his heart was completely transparent. And the fact that he was saying all this meant he was clearly prepared to take responsibility. Yes, she shouldn’t try to test his feelings. As Jihyeok had said, love shouldn’t be calculated.
Adele’s face filled with pure happiness. Satisfaction upon satisfaction. Her first love was such a perfect man, and that perfect man loved her. Someday, she wanted to stand with him in Lady Rosario’s temple and pledge their lives to each other. With that thought, Adele buried her face against Jihyeok’s firm chest.
The happy sightseeing trip around Jeju Island with the man she loved ended in the blink of an eye. She had wanted to explore more, but Silvia weighed on her mind, so she had no choice but to return. On the way back to Seoul in Jihyeok’s car, heading toward Uijeongbu, Adele spoke while thinking how nice it would be if Silvia could meet a good man just like she had.
After giving her orders with great enthusiasm and chatting for a while, they arrived in Uijeongbu before she knew it. Adele hated parting from Jihyeok so much that even after the car stopped in front of the house, she didn’t unfasten her seatbelt. Watching her, Jihyeok smiled brightly.
Adele shyly held out her hand, as if asking him to hold it. Jihyeok’s mouth split into a wide grin as he immediately took her hand. He gently played with her fingernails, speaking in a worried tone.
Adele couldn’t understand why she became so small and meek whenever Jihyeok touched her. Her face would flush red as a matter of course, and her heart would pound wildly. Why did she react this way? Was it because of what happened yesterday and the day before? No, it had been like this even before those events. It seemed she had fallen so deeply in love with the affection Jihyeok gave her that these reactions kept slipping out… It was almost like she was lovesick.
Twisting her body in a show of modesty, Adele slowly nodded at Jihyeok, who was watching her, and said,
His voice trailed off as Jihyeok suddenly leaned in. He peppered her cheek, lips, and neck with little kisses, expressing his affection, before getting out of the car. He walked quickly around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Adele’s face was burning. She didn’t even notice how widely her lips were curved upward as she gently touched the places he had kissed and stepped out. She gave him a small bow.
Jihyeok gave her a refreshing smile, then got back in the car and drove off. Adele stood in place until the taillights of his car completely disappeared. Only then did she calm her fluttering heart and slowly walk toward her nest.
She had only been gone for about three days, yet it felt like she hadn’t been home in ages. After entering the passcode and stepping inside, Adele’s eyes met Silvia’s, who had just finished showering.
Silvia, still in her underwear, ran over to greet her. Adele smiled brightly and hugged Silvia tightly, sharing the joy of their reunion.
Silvia’s encouragement, along with Jihyeok’s, gave Adele tremendous strength. As long as those two stayed by her side, she felt like she could accomplish anything. Adele was beaming when Silvia’s next question made her pull away from the hug in surprise.
Adele hesitated for a moment. Lately, she had been piling up secrets from Silvia one by one. Silvia was the most trustworthy person besides Jihyeok—someone who clearly cared for her. Keeping secrets from someone like that… felt wrong. Adele made up her mind. Yes, she would tell her everything. Not too much detail, though… She would simply say she had charged her Device through intimate acts with Jihyeok. She would also tell her how much she loved him.
Having made her decision, Adele opened her mouth.
Silvia’s expression froze completely. It seemed she had misunderstood. After all, Adele had blurted out that it was because of Jihyeok. Adele quickly continued.
At the detailed explanation, Silvia’s mouth fell open. Watching Silvia’s pure reaction, Adele giggled. Silvia was far more mature and experienced than she was. But when it came to romance, Adele was the senior. The difference was so vast it couldn’t even be compared. Feeling oddly proud that there was something she was better at, Adele said,
Silvia swallowed hard and glanced at Adele, her expression asking if it was really okay to hear the details. Adele nodded cheerfully and pulled Silvia by the wrist. She sat her down on the sofa, cleared her throat, and began.
Adele explained everything that had happened on Jeju Island. From purifying the monsters that were destroying the ecosystem to charging her Aether through intimate acts with Jihyeok. She didn’t go into too much detail about the sexual parts, just as she had planned earlier. She simply said that while Jihyeok was kissing her, he had touched her body and it felt incredibly good, and that the act had instantly charged her Aether.
And after hearing the entire story, Silvia’s reaction was…
A rather lukewarm response. It was honestly unexpected. Adele had thought she would be shocked, yet that was all. Was she feeling embarrassed? Well, since Silvia had zero experience with men, that was probably it. Adele smiled brightly and patted Silvia’s shoulder encouragingly.
Silvia seemed to be lost in deep thought. Adele tilted her head curiously.
At Adele’s confident words, her nose held high, Silvia let out a small snort and nodded.
The moment Adele, still wearing a bright smile, disappeared into the bathroom, Silvia shot up from the sofa and grabbed her phone from the dining table. She sent Jihyeok a single message.