A Convenient Excuse
She was growing closer to Jeongun, the cafe owner — not as fast as Suhee had hoped, but she could feel it happening all the same. Steadily. Incrementally. The distance between them shrinking by degrees.
"So this is..."
"Ah. I see."
And she had the perfect excuse: her driver's license exam.
Their eyes would meet now and then, and a faint awkwardness would settle between them. But in the midst of that, there were moments that sent a thrill straight through her. Whether he did it on purpose, she couldn't say — but his gaze would turn intensely commanding, almost oppressive. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, though Suhee was not the type to miss something like that. Even while they sat pressed together over the exam booklet, every time she caught that look, a shiver ran through her entire body.
"Would you like some coffee?"
"Oh — I'll pay."
"No, it's fine."
It was late. The last customers had gone, leaving just the two of them in the shop. Jeongun rose from beside her and slipped behind the counter.
A lean, well-built frame. Not hers — the man she was watching.
She gazed at his back as he prepared the coffee, a clean black apron tied around his waist. There was something almost contradictory about him: that dangerous look in his eyes, set against this neat, composed appearance. And the contradiction only made him more attractive. A tidy, polished style. The men who usually stripped her with their eyes — this time, she was the one doing the looking. It was unusual for her. But then, she was getting frustrated.
"Here you go."
"Ah, thank you."
This man simply would not take the bait. She'd flash a glimpse of bare skin, and he'd look — but that was all. Unlike Donggyun or Taejun, who had fallen so easily, Jeongun's resistance intrigued her. By now, though, it was starting to get under her skin. And yet the more he held out, the more she found herself wondering just how sweet the fruit would taste when she finally picked it.
"The written test isn't actually that hard."
"What if I fail?"
"Well... you just take it again."
A faint smile touched Jeongun's lips. Getting closer to Suhee wasn't a bad thing, as far as he was concerned. He'd already marked her in his mind, after all. And the more he looked at her, the more he wanted her.
"And the practical will be harder."
"Haa..."
Watching her sigh, Jeongun leaned back in his chair and murmured,
"Well. I could help you with that, too."
He'd mentioned it in passing before, but he seemed genuinely willing to keep helping her. Suhee had no reason to refuse. Whether they were in the cafe or in a car, they'd still be alone together — but a cramped, enclosed car was a far better place to make a move than this open shop. He wasn't easy. But if she kept this going, she was certain she'd have him. She had never failed yet.
"Then I'd love that. I don't even have a car."
"Don't worry about it."
But Jeongun was thinking the same thing. Trying something here, in the shop — it made him a little uneasy, too. They were visible from outside, and a customer could walk in at any moment. Of course, later on, he wouldn't care about the location.
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Anyway, go take the written test tomorrow."
"Should I?"
"Yes."
The bell above the door chimed.
"Welcome."
The next day, Suhee walked into the cafe after finishing her written exam. It was still daytime, and the place was crowded, but she went straight to the counter and started chattering excitedly at Jeongun.
"I passed!"
"The written? Easy, right?"
"Yeah, way easier than I thought. And I didn't even know you get the results right away."
The looks from the other customers were icy.
"Who the hell is she?"
"Ugh. So annoying."
They couldn't even get Jeongun to be friendly with them, and here she was chatting with him like they were close. Suhee felt those women's stares, but she couldn't have cared less. A few of them glared as she headed back to her seat. That didn't matter either.
One woman, provoked by Suhee's sheer confidence, stood up and approached the counter. She was another regular who'd been coming to the cafe with Jeongun in her sights. After watching someone else get shot down trying to get his number last time, she'd been playing it more carefully. But seeing him banter with Suhee like that — she couldn't take it anymore.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
His voice was colder, lower than when he'd been talking to Suhee. The woman's face crumpled. She'd stood up in a rush of irritation, but that icy attitude made her instantly regret it. She bit her lip, considered trying again, and then just turned around and left.
"You okay after that?"
"Hmm?"
"That customer earlier. She just walked out."
"Ah... well. Can't be helped."
Suhee tilted her head slightly, a sly little smile playing at her lips. The woman who'd approached after seeing how close they looked hadn't even managed a proper word before leaving.
"But she was a customer..."
"That's all she was. Just a customer."
In a way, Jeongun was right. To him, she was one customer among many. No reason to make conversation or give her special treatment.
"Mm."
Then what about me? The question rose all the way to the back of her tongue, but Suhee swallowed it down. They'd become something a little special — or so it felt. But if she poked at it, she had the sense that everything they'd built would scatter. He seemed like the kind of man who would do exactly that. So she just made a small, ambiguous sound and looked at him.
"Well. Shall we talk about the license?"
Jeongun wasn't oblivious to that look. He'd dated plenty of women, slept with plenty, trained plenty. That woman was just a customer. Then what was Suhee? They both knew perfectly well that he treated her completely differently.
"Ah — the practical!"
"That's right. The road test is next."
"Yeah."
Honestly, she could handle both the skills course and the road test at a driving school. But that wasn't the point for either of them. What mattered was the excuse. They were both thinking about how to seduce the other. Their goals were aligned. Which made the conversation easy.
"If I only practice at the driving school... do you think I can pass?"
"I told you I'd help."
Closing time was approaching. Jeongun pulled out a chair across from Suhee and sat down. She leaned in toward him, closing the distance. Through the two undone buttons of her shirt, a flash of pale skin flickered across his vision.
The first time, he might have looked away. But Jeongun had made up his mind — he didn't bother averting his gaze. When someone was putting herself on display this blatantly, looking away wasn't in his nature. He couldn't see her underwear, but the contour of her full, firm breasts was enticingly visible. Seeing something like this, even he felt a faint heat rising in his body.
"How?"
"We'll practice in my car after the shop closes."
"Ah... is that okay?"
"Of course. The school athletic field nearby is empty at night."
"Ah. I see."
The arrangement was a little strange, but it was basically a late-night drive.
"Nngh. Ahhn. Ah..."
"Could you lift your hips a little for me?"
Of course, even in the midst of all this, she wasn't skipping her fun with Taejun. He'd been clinging to her every time she went to the gym, and after she'd turned him down a few times, he was clearly getting desperate. During sex he was still as filthy and unrestrained as ever, but the rest of the time... well. He'd started watching her more carefully. Reading her mood.
"Nngh — you like that, Suhee?"
"Mmh. Yesss."
Sex with Donggyun was the same. He lacked that special something Taejun had, which was a little disappointing, but his devoted attitude and the way he gave it his all were useful enough. His cock, too — the shape, the size.
One way or another, while Suhee was enjoying herself like this, the day of her practice session with Jeongun drew closer.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes!"
After setting the security system, Jeongun turned toward Suhee, who was waiting for him. She was wearing short shorts and sneakers. She paused for a moment, then followed behind him.
They walked in silence to the nearby parking lot. But the atmosphere wasn't awkward. They both knew, to some degree, what the other wanted. That their goals aligned. But the timing of saying it out loud — that was what mattered. Neither of them wanted to look cheap.
So Suhee kept flashing glimpses of skin, tempting him, and Jeongun didn't refuse — he openly enjoyed it. Every time she felt that heated gaze on her, Suhee went dizzy, and a little impatient. Normally, after this much teasing and that kind of reaction, something would have been said by now. But there was nothing. No "accidental" touches, either. Which was why Suhee saw tonight's practice session as the perfect opportunity.
His height. Those large hands. They kept catching her eye.
"But what if I mess up and wreck your car?"
The question came from behind him as she followed along. Jeongun nearly said that would actually be fine. How badly could she wreck a car on an empty athletic field? If anything, even a small scratch would give him an excuse to bind her even tighter. But he couldn't just say that.
"Well... you could just help out more at the shop."
"Pfft. Would that cover it?"
"What, how badly are you planning to wreck it?"
"Hey, that's not what I meant..."
He'd said it without thinking, but the idea of having her work at the shop more seriously wasn't a bad one.
"You're a student, right?"
It was late to be asking about her personal details, but Jeongun decided to dig a little deeper now.
"Ah. Um... no, I graduated. I'm taking some time off this year before I start job hunting. Well, more like just hanging out, honestly."
Jeongun nodded at her answer. She'd looked young. That explained it.
"Then even if you wreck the car, you can work it off before you get a job."
"Hey, I'll be careful!"
They arrived at the parking lot as they talked.
"Get in. I'll drive us to the field."
"Okay."
Suhee climbed into a car that looked fairly high-end. The interior was filled with his scent, as if it were his bedroom. Coffee, mixed with some cologne she couldn't place — not overpowering, and they suited each other well.
The veins rising on the back of his hand as he gripped the steering wheel caught her eye, and her heart started racing. Hurry. She wanted him to take her, already. She wanted to do it. She desperately wanted to find out what kind of man he was in bed.