[Business Trip - 31]
Her fingers were slick, stained with the viscous, intoxicating nectar of her own arousal—Jia’s fluids.
The scent was overwhelming, so thick it felt as though it had seeped deep into his skin. It was a sharp yet sweet aroma, reminiscent of yogurt mixed with a hint of fruit—and that distinct, raw musk. Had he not known the source, he might have been disgusted, perhaps even angry at the pungency of it. But because he knew it was *her* scent, Ji-wook found it utterly fragrant.
“……This isn’t the time for this!”
Forget the scent, stop trying to escape reality! You messed up! That look on Jia’s face! That was one hundred percent pure, unadulterated rage. That smile wasn’t a smile at all! He could practically feel the killing intent radiating off her! Why did you let your excitement get the better of you and reach out like that, Kim Ji-wook?! *“Didn’t you think Noona was expecting it too?”*—my ass! How arrogant could you be? Just because she was turned on didn’t mean she was giving the green light for *everything*! There’s a reason people say you should look before you leap!
“I have to fix this!”
She had gone to the restroom on purpose because she couldn’t lash out at him in public; she needed to compose herself. That meant there was still a sliver of hope for a conversation once she calmed down. It might just be wishful thinking, but he wouldn’t know unless he tried. Ji-wook stood up. He would chase her to the restroom door. He’d figure out what to say on the way. He absolutely could not act defensive. Even if she imposed some ridiculous restriction as a penalty for breaking their agreement—even if she ordered him to stay at least 10 meters away—he wouldn’t complain. Right now, there was only one thing that mattered: not losing his chance to be by her side. That was enough.
Even the people we love most are bound to be forgotten when they aren’t near. Especially if the heart has already begun to drift. If people break up even while holding hands, then not reaching out at all was no different than telling her to leave. “……I’m hardly in a position to say that, though.” Ji-wook squeezed his eyes shut, furrowing his brow, before shaking it off and forcing himself to move. He needed to ask where the restroom was, but the clerk was nowhere to be seen.
At the same time—the building’s public restroom.
Because it was an old building, the only separation between men’s and women’s was the stall door, and to use it, one had to lock the main entrance entirely. Having finished her business, Jia sat on the toilet, her legs kicking like a child’s as she struggled to contain a burst of laughter.
“Oh my god~! Ji-wook’s reaction was just too cute!”
Even the slightest tease made his panic show all over his face. He’d try to stop her, saying it wasn’t allowed, but at some point, he’d start enjoying it himself—and just like when he touched her butt earlier, he’d even start pushing back aggressively. When he’d reached under her skirt, seemingly forgetting the “no contact” rule, she had been genuinely surprised. He’d even gone as far as to slip a finger inside her.
She had stood up in anger at first, but the moment she recalled the look on his face afterward, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Puhaha! That face he made when he went from being so cocky to falling apart in an instant, ahahaha~!”
Normally, she would have punished him for breaking their promise after all the warnings she’d given, but since he’d put on such an entertaining show, she was willing to forgive him if he gave a sincere apology. He was probably pacing back and forth right now, agonizing over how to apologize. She could clearly picture him rushing toward the restroom to do just that.
“How can they be so similar? They act like brothers, even though they aren’t related by blood.”
Honest and naive. They gave such rich reactions when teased. They’d go along with it as long as it wasn’t too much. They’d even try to accommodate her on purpose. And the way their emotions were written all over their faces—that was the best part. Still, she had to give Ji-wook extra points for his assertiveness, she thought, her mind drifting to the face of the man she loved.
“I love that they’re so open and straightforward, but…”
Seunghyun, who laid everything bare as if he were under some compulsion to show his true self. Like that absurd request for NTR. Was being *too* honest a problem, too? But Seunghyun wasn’t so foolish that he didn’t realize the impact of his own words. If he had confessed his feelings so openly, it must have been because he had reached a firm resolution. What was it that steeled his resolve? Was it the belief that his wife would grant even such an outrageous request? Was it the certainty that their love wouldn’t waver?
He had brought it up despite his own crippling struggle with erectile dysfunction—hadn’t he thought about it? Something like, *“I hope you find someone better than a pathetic man like me.”*
Her lips twitched. She felt the corners of her mouth curling into a smile against her will. Every time she tried to guess the reasons behind Seunghyun’s actions, all roads led back to the fact that he loved her. It might be self-indulgent, a product of her own overactive imagination, but every time she thought it was because Seunghyun loved her, she writhed in a mix of shyness and embarrassment.
Her legs swung wildly. With her ears flushed bright red, she whispered the name of the man she loved, her eyes shimmering like a girl in the throes of first love. “Seunghyun-ssi……”
The call she’d had with him before going out with Ji-wook. The voice of the man she loved, heard for the first time in a while, had been so sweet. And then, his confession—or rather, his admission. It was such a ridiculous story that she had almost dismissed it as a joke, but his voice had been trembling as he spoke. It was a voice that sounded as if it might crumble at any moment, yet it carried a clear, unwavering will to not tell her a lie. Having heard that, what answer could she have given other than “I understand”?
It was so unfair. Even if it was Seunghyun-ssi’s fault, how could she do anything but forgive him? So, she had to prepare a gift! A gift that would make him happy, for the sake of the man who trusted her enough to be honest. *You can look forward to it,* she thought, licking her flushed, swollen lips as she imagined her beloved, who was currently far away.
“……Wait, is he not here yet?”
She’d thought he’d be rushing over in a panic by now. The restroom was silent. No footsteps. Could the shock have been so great that he hadn’t even thought to come and apologize?! Thinking back, Ji-wook’s expression right before he came to the restroom had been quite alarming. His face had been deathly pale, drained of all color, filled with pure terror. *Oh no! Was I too harsh?* she thought, but it was already water under the bridge. A spring only bounces back the way you want if you press it just right; press too hard, and it might fly off in an unexpected direction.
She decided she should just head back, when—
Click-clack!
The sound of the restroom door handle turning echoed through the room.
“Oh, you’re finally here~?”
Making her wait like that—Ji-wook had really lost his touch! Curious to see what kind of expression he’d make, she prepared to step out of the stall, but something felt wrong. If it were Ji-wook, he’d know she was in the restroom, wouldn’t he? He would have called out to her—
Rattle, rattle!
It was strange. If he’d turned the handle and it didn’t open, he should have known someone was inside. If he’d known someone was there and was just in a hurry, he would have given a light knock. But the sound she heard was clearly someone shaking the door to force it open.
Was he in that much of a rush? Or was he drunk? She felt there was a chance she’d been using the restroom alone for too long, so she ignored the uneasy feeling and stood up to leave.
But before she could, she heard it:
Click! Clack!
The sound of a key picking the lock. Then, the screech of the old door swinging open. Then, cautious footsteps. She realized that small, stealthy movements—as if trying not to be discovered—were gradually approaching the stall she was in.
This was definitely not a normal restroom patron. She raised her voice as a warning. “Someone’s in here!”
If it were someone who’d walked in by mistake, they’d apologize and leave; even if it were someone else, they’d run away. But the presence, which had hesitated for a moment, didn’t answer and began to move again.
Swoosh—!
A shadow flickered through the gap in the stall door. As if to deliberately announce that he had arrived right in front of her, the owner of the shadow continued to assert his presence. He was right there, in front of the door. And he wasn’t even trying to hide his ragged, heavy breathing. He was making deliberate, fidgety sounds.
Wait, look at this bastard?
The suspicious behavior felt like the work of someone who had done this more than once or twice. This was the second floor of an old building. Even if she screamed, it wouldn’t reach the restaurant. Even if she called the police or her companions, it would take time for them to arrive, making it easy for him to escape.
Jia was dumbfounded. She couldn’t understand how someone could do this, knowing a woman was alone inside—that someone would commit such a perverted act in this day and age. It meant he was confident he wouldn’t be caught, confident he could escape. Should she just burst out and grab him? But what if she missed? What if he fought back? If things escalated—no, even thinking about that was playing right into the hands of the guy outside the door.
I’m going to destroy him!
A shameless human being who thought he could get away with this deserved to taste the bitterness of life. She kicked the door with enough force to shatter the handle and shouted,
“Hey!”
“Noona!”
“…?!”