A Forkful of Temptation
Ever since that day, stopping by Seojin's home—no, Yoon Sajang's place—after meeting Seoyeong every Saturday had become a given. Naturally, it was a secret from Seoyeong. I made sure not to move right after we parted, deliberately waiting a bit before heading over. If I ran into her by any chance, there'd be no way to explain it.
The funny thing was, at first, I'd gone to great lengths to hide that I was pretending to meet Seoyeong. But now, I was even more careful to keep my meetings with Seojin under wraps. Even I had to admit it was ironic.
It was hard to refuse, though. Especially since Seojin's lunches were so damn good... That just made it all the more troubling. My head knew it full well—this wasn't right, and I shouldn't be meeting Seojin. She was the fiancée's little sister, and I'd only agreed to this engagement out of obligation in the first place, wanting nothing more than to dodge it. I knew this could spiral into an unfixable mess. And yet, my heart played by its own rules.
Yeah, if it was just the delicious food, I could put up with it. But when I started enjoying the time spent together... I was helpless.
At the beginning, I racked my brain over what to do. Seojin said it was fine to bring a gaming console, but I wasn't sure a girl would be into that. It might just make things awkward, so I gave up on the idea. Then, when my little sister asked to borrow my Nflix account, it hit me—this was it. So before heading to Seojin's, I signed up for premium right away. The timing was perfect. I even laughed at myself a little, but weirdly, I was quick to decide on stuff like this. Whether intentional or not, I owed my sister for the hint. Still, I didn't share the account with her. That's that, and this is this.
Luckily—or maybe not—Seojin had a bunch of dramas she'd been wanting to watch, so after lunch, she'd always glue herself to the TV. But watching her, I'd notice her tastes were... unique, let's say. The dramas she picked overlapped a lot with ones I'd thought about checking out myself. It was uncanny. It felt like I'd gained a little sister with similar tastes. Hell, I even thought it would've been nice if Seojin really was my little sister.
The problem was, Seojin kept trying to plop me right next to her on the couch. I was starting to get comfortable around her, but this was way too much. And since it was her house, she'd lounge around in super casual clothes right in front of me. There was nowhere safe to look; I could barely meet her eyes. Tank top and dolphin pants... wasn't that a bit too defenseless?
"Ajusshi, we have snacks and stuff... but no beer. That okay?"
I tried to focus on the screen, but when Seojin asked that, I shook my head on reflex. I wasn't big on alcohol to begin with. I could drink if I had to, but only a glass or two for the mood—nothing worth seeking out. Seojin looked a little disappointed, though, and I nearly burst out laughing. This kid was already craving booze.
Technically, the law only banned minors from buying alcohol, not drinking it. But I still wished she wouldn't start yet. Getting her hooked early wouldn't do her any favors. Just look at my family. Dad had this "early education is key" thing with booze, feeding us sips from a young age, and now my brothers were practically glued to the bottle. It didn't ruin their lives, but it worried me.
That line of thinking naturally steered the conversation to alcohol. Unlike my family, which force-fed us "early education" even as minors, Seojin's home was a model of propriety. I knew Yoon Sajang liked his drinks, but he never touched a drop in front of the family—what a guy. Still, wasn't it a bit too rigid?
"The intention's good, but isn't it a little too strict?"
"Too strict...? You're badmouthing someone else's dad?"
I'd said it without thinking and nearly got an earful from Seojin. That wasn't what I meant at all. I hurried to explain before she could hate me for it, cold sweat dripping down my back.
"Then later, you teach me how to drink, Ajusshi."
More cold sweat. For a split second, I envisioned Yoon Sajang in grim reaper garb, slicing my throat. Why does this kid say dangerous stuff so casually?
Seojin could give me chills sometimes, but I didn't hate it. Going to her place had become something I always looked forward to. That happy routine came crashing down with a single message from her.
It said Seoyeong was starting to suspect I was visiting their house regularly. She hadn't caught me red-handed yet, but hearing the context gave me goosebumps. Finally, emotion and reason aligned. Things had gotten this risky—it was time to stop. Deep down, I'd known all along that meeting Seojin separately was wrong. Barely seeing my actual fiancée while hanging out weekly with her little sister? That didn't add up.
So on the day we were supposed to meet at the café, I told her we shouldn't meet like this anymore. But Seojin shot it down flat.
"I like you, Ajusshi..."
She said it so innocently, the kind of line that could be so easily misunderstood. Of course, she just meant she enjoyed hanging out. Her face made that clear. She saw me as nothing more than a friend, surely. No hidden meanings.
And yet... hearing it made my breath catch. I was speechless. Then our eyes met. I'd always thought she was cute, but today it hit harder. Just locking gazes made my chest itch. I looked away first.
I had to escape this. "...W-We haven't ordered coffee yet, right? I'll get it. What do you want?"
Thank god we were in a café. I had plenty of excuses to step away. Once I put some distance between us, I could finally breathe. Better calm down while ordering. Honestly, coffee didn't matter—I'd just pick something safe.
Then, as I was about to order, the display case caught my eye. A particularly mouthwatering slice of chocolate cake held my gaze. I didn't care much, but wouldn't Seojin get bored with just coffee? ...Screw it. If she didn't want it, I'd eat it. So I ordered a slice along with the drinks.
When I returned with the cake, Seojin's eyes went wide for a second. She seemed flustered, which made me embarrassed, but she quickly smiled, her lips curving up.
Is it that good?
Watching her eat made me feel oddly proud. Seojin scooped small bites with her fork, her expression softening instantly. I stared, mesmerized. She carefully sliced the front of the glossy chocolate cream-topped cake. The fork pressed down, slightly marring the shape, but the cut edge gleamed with thin cream. She speared a bite-sized piece and brought it to her lips. Her small mouth parted just enough for the cake to slip in. A bit of cream stuck to her upper lip, which she licked away with the tip of her tongue. When she pulled the fork back, its silver surface shimmered with chocolate residue.
After three repeats, I snapped out of it. Seojin paused her fork and called to me.
"Ajusshi."
If she'd been a second later, I might not have reacted. I was relieved internally when she cut another piece from the front and held it out to me on the fork.
"Ahh."
The fork she extended seized my attention completely. The cake piece wobbled at the tip, chocolate cream glistening faintly. My mind went blank.
What the hell is this situation?
"Not gonna eat it?"
She brought it closer. Beyond it, her face smiled casually. I finally got her intent. But I lacked the courage to accept. I scrambled for an excuse to refuse. All futile, of course.
"Hurry up and eat. My arm's gonna fall off~"
Seojin grinned playfully, shaking the fork in front of my eyes. My gaze followed the swaying cake. My senses faded. And the next moment—
When I came to, sweetness flooded my mouth. Strangely, the chocolate flavor barely registered. It was just... sweet. Intensely so, like my teeth might melt... But it didn't feel bad at all. Her smiling face filled my vision. My heart pounded wildly, like an alarm blaring in sync.
This was a definite danger signal.
"...I think I can't come to your house anymore."
Only after saying it did it sink in. I was declaring an end to this—right here. Meeting Seojin more would make me weird. Or maybe I already was.
But that resolve crumbled pathetically the moment I saw her face.
A face on the verge of tears. One wrong word, and she'd really cry. So I spouted something ridiculous again.
"If you really wanna see me... we can meet outside..."
The second it left my mouth, I realized I'd just dug my own grave. But Seojin smiled. That alone eased my mind. What a ridiculous situation.
While discussing where and what to do next, Seojin was visibly excited.
What's so fun about a lame ajusshi like me?
"Haha... sure, why not. When works? Weekdays are tough for me... How about Saturdays?"
With my schedule, Saturdays were pretty much the only free day. I figured it'd suit Seojin too. But as she checked her phone, her expression hardened.
"Next week won't work? On Saturday... I have to go somewhere kinda far..."
It was clearly something important. I didn't know why, but a bad feeling crept up. Like... I shouldn't let her go alone.