Chapter 28: The Lovers Card — Sensuality, Push and Pull, Hearts Laid Bare, In Heat
It was a late-night comic cafe. A couple seat, tucked between stacks of comic books. Dain set a tarot deck down on the table.
"Stop sitting around running experiments all day. Go get yourself a hobby."
Dain gathered the snacks with practiced ease.
Jaewon sat down and looked at her. Then — at the table. The notebook he always carried was missing.
Dain caught the emptiness of his hands. A laugh rose in her, but she kept it to herself. It was a night he'd come without his records. A night for her alone.
"You actually believe in this stuff?" Jaewon studied the deck.
"I know it's statistically meaningless."
"Then why do it?"
Dain pushed the deck toward him.
"Try it and you'll find out."
She refused to admit that this wasn't just about wanting to beat him. So Dain simply began to shuffle.
Dain set the rules. She was always the one who made the games, after all.
"One card, one question. Don't want to answer, you take a penalty. I decide the penalty, and the one taking it picks — as is, harder, or pass. Pass means we move on to the next card."
Jaewon seemed to think it over for a moment. "Those rules are hardly fair."
"Obviously."
First card. Dain flipped it.
"Tell me honestly — what was your first impression of me?"
Jaewon answered without a flicker of hesitation. "I thought you were unsettling."
Dain's eyes went wide and she fired right back. "Why?"
"Because you're the type who reads everything about a person while giving nothing back."
Dain stared at him for a long moment. The words were too accurate — so she said nothing at all.
Second card. Jaewon flipped it.
"In the lab — have you ever thought about anyone other than me?"
"Work-related, there's—"
"Not work."
Jaewon paused for a moment. "No."
Dain propped her chin on her hand. "Hm~ boring."
Third card. Dain flipped it.
"What's the word you've written most about me in that notebook?"
Jaewon opened his mouth — then closed it. For the first time.
"I'll take a penalty."
Dain arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Jaewon looked her dead in the eye. "A kiss on the back of the hand. That's the lightest one there is, isn't it?"
Dain held out her hand. Jaewon took it. The moment his lips touched the back of her hand — heat bloomed right there. The area of contact was tiny. And yet the warmth of it, pressed then gone, refused to cool.
"That's the best penalty you can come up with? Way too weak."
Dain said it as she drew her hand back, then flipped the next card.
The Lovers card came up.
Dain looked at it — and laughed. "Shuffle. Again."
Dain made the rules. She was always the one who made the games, after all.
"One card, one question. Don't want to answer, you take a penalty. I set the penalty, and the one taking it picks — as is, harder, or pass. Pass means we move on to the next card."
Jaewon seemed to think it over for a moment. "Those rules are hardly fair."
"Obviously."
First card. Dain flipped it.
"Tell me honestly — what was your first impression of me?"
Jaewon answered without a flicker of hesitation. "I thought you were an unsettling person."
Dain's eyes went wide and she fired right back. "Why?"
"Because you're the type who reads everything about a person while giving nothing back."
Dain stared at him for a long moment. The words were too accurate — so she said nothing at all.
Second card. Jaewon flipped it.
"In the lab — have you ever thought about anyone other than me?"
"Work-related, there's—"
"Not work."
Jaewon paused for a moment. "No."
Dain propped her chin on her hand. "Hm~ boring."
Third card. Dain flipped it.
"What's the word you've written most about me in your notebook?"
Jaewon opened his mouth — then closed it. For the first time.
"I'll take a penalty."
Dain arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Jaewon looked her dead in the eye. "A kiss on the back of the hand. That's the lightest one there is, isn't it?"
Dain held out her hand. Jaewon took it. The instant his lips touched the back of her hand — heat bloomed on that exact spot. The area of contact was tiny. And yet the warmth of it, pressed then gone, refused to cool.
"That's the best penalty you can call? Way too weak."
Dain said it as she drew her hand back, then flipped the next card.
The Lovers card came up.
Dain looked at it — and laughed. "Shuffle. Again."
* * *
By the time the Lovers card turned up a second time, the atmosphere had shifted into something else entirely.
"Did you rig the deck or something?"
"I don't manipulate probability." Jaewon said it flatly, sliding the card aside.
That deadpan delivery — set Dain's heart off in a strange, skittering flutter.
Fourth card. Dain flipped it.
"Why didn't you run away on the subway?"
Jaewon looked at her for a moment. Then he said, "Penalty."
Jaewon waited.
"Whisper my name in my ear."
Jaewon leaned in toward Dain. And beside her ear, just once:
"Miss Dain."
Low. In a way that let the name land directly on her ear. Dain went rigid. Heat climbed up from below her belly. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had said her name like that. She had always been the one doing the calling.
"Th-that's all you've got?"
It felt miraculous that her voice came out at all. Steady, no less.
Fifth card. Jaewon flipped it.
"Ever imagined doing it with me without the drug — yes or no?"
Dain looked at him. He didn't look away.
"Penalty."
"Sitting on my lap for thirty seconds."
Dain nodded.
Dain shifted across and settled onto Jaewon's lap. That day, for the first time, she learned just how long thirty seconds could be.
The inside of her underwear began to warm.
And Jaewon wasn't even moving.
Dain realized it. She looked away. Fixed her eyes on the tarot deck. She could feel Jaewon watching her. The way he recorded things. Precisely.
Twenty-eight seconds. Twenty-nine.
Dain rested her hands on the table. The picture of nonchalance.
Thirty seconds ended. Jaewon took her by the waist and lifted her off. Dain pulled in a breath. Careful not to be caught.
Sixth card. Dain flipped it.
"What do you think of me, right this second?"
Jaewon looked at her. For a long time.
"Penalty."
"Touching one place over your clothes."
Dain caught Jaewon's wrist. Thought for a moment about where to lead it. Then — moved it to her chest. Over the clothes. His palm closed over her breast.
That heat — passed through the single layer of fabric straight into her flesh.
This time, Dain didn't say harder.
Whether that silence carried or not, Jaewon tightened his hand a little more. Without asking.
Dain looked away.
Jaewon's ears had gone red. Dain saw it.
The man who'd taken every penalty in that calm, level voice — couldn't actually stand where his own hand was.
That she wasn't the only one wavering. The thought eased Dain a little. And made her a little more dangerous.
The third Lovers card appeared.
Both of them felt a scatter of thoughts flicker past as they stared at it.
Jaewon set the card aside first. And then—
"Can I ask a question this time?"
That wasn't in the rules.
"Sure. Go ahead."
"That day — when I asked if you'd come again, why did you leave without answering?"
Dain went rigid.
She reached for a penalty — but just before her lips could part:
"This time, I'll take it as an answer."
Jaewon said it first.
The man who always took dictation. For the first time — he demanded.
Dain looked at him. He didn't look away.
Dain set the card down.
And climbed over to Jaewon's side.
That was the answer.
"You said you'd take it as an answer. Well — this is mine."
It was a narrow couple seat.
Facing each other. Neither on top, neither below. Each of them bearing the other's weight.
At first, it was slow.
Jaewon didn't hurry. Neither did Dain. Dain had never been this soft with anyone — and yet it happened naturally.
Jaewon's hand took her waist. This time, inside her clothes.
Touching skin directly was a different temperature altogether. His bare palm against her skin. Every time that hand traveled up her back, Dain's body tilted toward it. As if it wanted more.
"Ah—"
Low. Dain gripped Jaewon's shoulder.
Jaewon pressed his lips along the line of her neck. Slowly. Down toward her collarbone. Each spot he touched left heat behind. It didn't fade.
He began to enter her.
Dain grabbed Jaewon's hand. At first, to endure. Then — to pull him closer.
She felt the resistance draw taut. The flesh inside her needed time to accept him. She was filled from below her navel, all the way to the deep end of her belly.
They paused for a moment, savoring it.
This position. This fullness. The weight that filled her from beneath her navel ringing out through the depths of her belly.
Dain had always been the one leading. The one who took what she wanted. And once she'd taken it, it was over.
But now was different. Jaewon was holding her hand. Not letting go of the hand she'd demanded he hold.
That fact — pressed down on somewhere inside her more heavily than the weight filling her.
Dain closed her eyes.
She tipped backward. Her spine met the backrest of the couple seat. Jaewon took her weight against him.
"Hold on. Drop me and you die."
Jaewon took Dain's hands. Both of them.
The queen of control — for the first time, chose a position that required physically trusting another person. She squeezed the hands holding hers. As if she'd never let go.
A rhythm took shape.
The angle was different, coming from sitting face to face. It struck the front wall inside her, concentrated and unrelenting. As if Jaewon knew exactly that — he held the angle. Clever as he was. Precise.
"Hah—"
A sound escaped her. Dain tried to stop it. Her hands were held fast; she couldn't cover her mouth.
Jaewon looked at her face.
Dain tried to look away. Jaewon said her name.
"Miss Dain."
Like a whisper at her ear. Low. Different from before.
Dain looked at him. Their eyes met. There was no escaping it. Watching her eyes, Jaewon quickened his pace.
Wet sounds reverberated low through the narrow space. Dain heard them.
It was mortifying, that these sounds came from her own body. Like this, in front of Jaewon.
Mortifying — and it made her burn hotter.
Jaewon freed one hand and gripped her waist deep. The remaining hand he did not let go.
"No drug today?"
Dain shut her eyes. If she opened them, she was afraid she'd show Jaewon everything in her heart.
"Shut up."
Her voice came apart.
Jaewon didn't stop. He changed the angle — finding, more precisely still, the spot that broke her voice open.
"Hah— ah— ahh—"
Dain crushed his hand in hers.
Something below her belly began converging toward a single point. Fast.
She went rigid.
Her whole body at once. Strength shot down to her toes. Her tilted-back spine arched deeper — and Jaewon bore her weight. Never letting go of her hand.
The waves came. Once, twice — past counting. The clasped hands carried every last tremor straight into Jaewon's. There was nowhere to hide it.
Dain screamed out with everything she had.
They were on their way out.
Dain asked, "Today's session — you can skip writing it in the notebook, right?"
"There are things I couldn't forget even without a record."
The pre-dawn streets were empty.
Walking side by side, their strides fell into step all on their own. Nobody had tried to match them. It struck Dain as strange — so she deliberately quickened by half a step. Jaewon followed the half step. Without a word.
Dain stifled a laugh. Careful not to be caught.
Just before they left the comic cafe, Dain's hand had lingered a moment on the table.
She pocketed a single card. Smoothly.
Jaewon watched her do it. He said nothing.
The Lovers card had come up three times today.
And there was no fourth Lovers card in the deck.
Because it was in Dain's pocket now.