2. A Tangled Relationship
Episode 2. Tangled Relationships
Returning to the room, the words on the page refused to register in his mind.
Jin-hyeok sat blankly, pen in hand. The image from earlier kept resurfacing—the glimpse of pale skin barely concealed, the damp sheen of her flesh. The slender waist without an ounce of excess, the full breasts swaying with weight. Even the rosy tips had burned themselves into his memory. No matter how hard he shook his head, the vision wouldn't fade.
His cock throbbed painfully hard. The fabric of his pants strained as he shifted uncomfortably, crossing his legs beneath the desk and swallowing a dry cough.
Thankfully, Na-eun was fast asleep.
She had complained of a headache before collapsing face-first onto the bed, apparently dozing off immediately. Jin-hyeok steadied his breathing and glanced at her. Long, dark-blue hair spilled messily over the pillow. The curve of her back, arched slightly from her position, accentuated the dip of her waist and the swell of her hips beneath the thin fabric of her clothes.
Somewhere along the way, she had grown into a woman.
Lately, Na-eun had taken to wearing short skirts on the days Jin-hyeok came over. She would cross her legs deliberately, exposing her thighs, or press her chest against her arms as if by accident. He pretended not to notice, playing along. Even now, sprawled across the bed, there wasn't a single flaw in her figure—her breasts, her hips—all the ripe fullness of a twenty-year-old in her prime.
It wasn't as if her grades were bad enough to warrant retaking the college entrance exams. She had already secured admission to a decent university but insisted on spending another year trying to follow Jin-hyeok to his school. She had trailed after him since childhood. He had known for a long time how she felt about him.
Anyone else would have called him ungrateful.
A girl this pretty, throwing herself at him like this. But Jin-hyeok's heart lay elsewhere.
With Eun-ju.
The woman he had fallen for at first sight as a child still made his pulse race even now, as an adult. The image of her body from earlier resurfaced. How could a woman nearing forty maintain a figure like that? But Eun-ju was married. From what he could tell, she and her husband had a good relationship—no room for interference. It was a feeling he shouldn't harbor, one he could never voice.
And yet, here he was, with a girl who adored him clinging to his side.
Get a grip.
Jin-hyeok forced himself to steady his thoughts.
"Mmm... ah..."
Just then, Na-eun stirred in her sleep. As she turned onto her back, her skirt rode up past her thighs, revealing the taut fabric of her underwear. The outline of her plump flesh peeked through the slight gap in the material.
Careless.
He smirked but couldn't tear his eyes away. Eventually, he reached for the blanket pooled at her feet and draped it over her. The moment he did, a hand—one he thought was asleep—slipped around his wrist.
"Oppa... I like you..."
The words spilled out like a sleep-mumbled confession.
Jin-hyeok froze. Once again, he struggled to push Eun-ju from his mind.
After that incident, an awkward tension settled between Eun-ju and Jin-hyeok.
Eun-ju began deliberately making herself scarce during tutoring sessions, clearly avoiding any chance encounters with him.
"Where's your mom?"
"Mom? She went to the supermarket."
At Na-eun's reply, Jin-hyeok swallowed his disappointment. Outwardly, he feigned indifference, turning his attention to the workbook in front of him. Regardless, his priority now was Na-eun's grades.
But perhaps because she sensed Eun-ju's absence, Na-eun's advances grew bolder than usual. She pressed close, letting her thigh brush against his leg, wearing a loose T-shirt that exposed the valley of her breasts whenever she leaned forward. Every time Jin-hyeok averted his gaze, she smirked, as if enjoying his discomfort.
Yet his reprimands were just as swift when she made mistakes.
Thwack.
"Ow!"
Na-eun clutched her forehead where he had flicked her, eyes welling up with tears.
"What's this? Why did you get this wrong?"
"I—I don't know!"
Jin-hyeok sighed, tapping the workbook with his finger.
"At this rate, I'm not sure we'll keep our promise."
"No! You can't take that back!"
Na-eun straightened abruptly, then immediately buried herself in the problems again under his watchful eye.
"We'll need extra time today."
"Ugh... fine."
"Solve these, and I'll check them after."
As Na-eun hunched over the desk, Jin-hyeok watched her for a moment before standing.
"I'll be right back—bathroom."
"Mhm."
Leaving her distracted figure behind, he stepped out of the room.
He had just finished in the bathroom when he heard the front door open.
Is her father home?
Thinking to greet him, Jin-hyeok headed toward the entrance—only to come face-to-face with Eun-ju, grocery bags in hand.
"Long time no see."
"Oh—yes. You're here, Jin-hyeok."
Eun-ju averted her eyes, flustered. But what caught Jin-hyeok's attention was her outfit—clothes that clung to her figure, makeup carefully applied yet seemingly effortless. She didn't look like someone who had just returned from the supermarket. More like someone who had been out meeting another person.
And yet, she still refused to meet his gaze.
A surge of irrational jealousy prickled under his skin. Without thinking, he reached for the grocery bags in her hands.
"They're heavy. Let me take them."
Half-taking them by force, he waited until Eun-ju nodded hesitantly before carrying them to the kitchen. He set them on the table, and Eun-ju began unpacking quietly. Jin-hyeok watched her for a moment before speaking.
"Did you... meet someone?"
"Huh?"
Eun-ju's hands stilled mid-motion.
"What kind of question is that?"
Her startled reaction made Jin-hyeok realize how abrupt his words had been.
"Ah—no. It's just... your outfit. You look dressed up."
He stumbled over his words, uncharacteristically flustered. Eun-ju let out an involuntary laugh.
"No, I just... felt like looking nice today."
The tension visibly drained from Jin-hyeok's shoulders.
"Sorry. That was out of line."
"Why? Does it suit me?"
Eun-ju playfully placed a hand on her hip, striking a pose. The fabric of her clothes hugged the curves of her body, tracing the lines from her hips to her chest. Jin-hyeok's gaze flickered there before he hastily looked away.
"...Yes."
His face flushed as he forced out the answer. That single word inexplicably lifted Eun-ju's mood. Before she could stop herself, another question slipped out.
"Do I... still look young?"
"...Yes."
Hesitant but earnest, Jin-hyeok answered as if confessing a secret. The sight of him blushing so openly made her heart skip.
Without thinking, Eun-ju took a step closer. Jin-hyeok stiffened but didn't retreat. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly at the proximity of her breath.
"...Do you still like me?"
Just as Jin-hyeok parted his lips to reply—
"Oppa! I finished!"
Na-eun's voice burst from the bedroom, shattering the tension in an instant.
"Ah—"
Jin-hyeok hesitated, turning toward the sound. The answer Eun-ju had been waiting for slipped through her fingers, leaving an inexplicable hollowness in her chest.
Then, just as he was about to enter the room, Jin-hyeok paused. Without looking back, he murmured softly—
"I... I do. Even now."
A whisper, barely audible.
Eun-ju's heart pounded violently. Her face burned. She stared blankly at the closed door before pressing her palms to her cheeks, the heat stubbornly lingering.
"How foolish... What am I doing?"
The words escaped her in a hushed breath.
Jin-hyeok barely managed to focus through the rest of the tutoring session. Only after circling the final answer did both of them exhale in exhaustion.
"I'm tired..."
Na-eun flopped facedown onto the bed.
"You did well today."
At his praise, she peeked out from the covers, silently asking for a head pat. Jin-hyeok chuckled and obliged, running his fingers through her hair.
"Rest properly today. Don't push yourself."
Na-eun hesitated before nodding.
"Next time, I'll walk you home."
"We're not dating or anything."
She pouted slightly at his words. Jin-hyeok only smiled and closed the door behind him.
In the living room, Eun-ju waited—hesitant, yet holding out a container of side dishes.
"Take these with you."
"Ah... thank you."
Since starting college, Jin-hyeok had been living alone. With both his parents frequently overseas for work, he often found himself by himself. Eun-ju, aware of his situation, occasionally packed meals for him—a kindness that had carried over from childhood.
An awkward silence settled between them as he accepted the container. Just as Jin-hyeok mustered the will to leave—
"That... what you said earlier. Did you mean it?"
Eun-ju's question came abruptly.
"Huh?"
"That you still... like me."
Jin-hyeok's eyes met hers. He swallowed before answering slowly.
"I meant it."
Eun-ju knew she shouldn't, but the words spilled out anyway.
"I—I'm a married woman."
"I know."
"And yet..."
"I know it's wrong. I just... wanted you to know. I'm sorry."
He bowed his head slightly. The sight of him apologizing only made her chest ache more.
Then—the sound of Na-eun's door opening.
Before she knew it, Eun-ju had pulled Jin-hyeok into the empty study. The moment the door closed, Na-eun's footsteps echoed down the hall, fading toward the bathroom.
"......"
Neither of them knew why they had hidden. Only that they couldn't let Na-eun catch them like this.
In the cramped study, their bodies pressed close. Eun-ju flinched at the contact and pushed him away.
"Sorry, I don't know why I—"
Before she could finish, Jin-hyeok pulled her into an embrace.
"Ah—!"
"I like you. Truly."
His whisper against her ear sent her heart racing wildly. At the same time, heat pooled low in her stomach. The world outside the closed door felt distant—as if only the two of them existed in this small, dark space.
"W-we can't. This is..."
Despite her words, Eun-ju's hands remained fisted in his shirt, unable to push him away. Instead, she clutched the fabric tighter. As Jin-hyeok's face drew nearer, she stared blankly at the shrinking distance between them—before finally closing her eyes.
Their lips met.
What began as a tentative touch quickly deepened. Without realizing, Eun-ju tightened her grip on his clothes.