One Breath Closer to the Flame
The river breeze brushed against my skin as I took a walk, and before I knew it, the sun was already dipping low on the horizon.
Orange-tinted sunset light shattered across the river's surface.
Whoa. What an insanely beautiful view.
Hmm. Good thing I grabbed the camera from the car.
I thought about snapping a shot and glanced to the side. There was Sol, completely absorbed in taking photo after photo of the scenery with her phone camera.
Oh... This might actually look better.
I framed the shot horizontally—capturing the orange sunset breaking over the river and Sol as she photographed it.
When I stopped down the aperture a little more, that orange glow turned into beautiful bokeh sparkles, and Sol bathed in the sunset light looked stunning.
Click—
It had the feel of a natural, everyday photoshoot.
Framing it horizontally made it look like a movie still, which I liked even more.
At the sound of the shutter, Sol whipped her head around.
Sol trotted over with quick little steps, trying to snatch my camera away.
I let out a small laugh and raised the camera high above my head.
Sorry, but I'm 185cm tall?
No matter how much this 148cm little squirt jumped around, she could only flail somewhere near my shoulder level.
Sol pouted, lips pushed out, and trailed after me like a little duckling.
I got back in the driver's seat... Wait, what?
This little brat had gone and grabbed the camera I'd tossed in the back seat and was staring at it.
Lee Sol gazed at the camera's LCD screen with sparkling eyes.
I tossed the words out casually as I started the engine.
At that, Sol's face turned bright red.
At my question, Sol finally put the camera down and buckled her seatbelt.
The girl who used to boil cup ramen in her room all the time had gone and reserved a high-end beef place in Hannam-dong.
She'd put in a lot of thought.
Of course, I absolutely hated sitting in traffic... but there was no helping it.
We left Namyangju and got on the Olympic Highway, where the evening rush hour traffic started to clog up badly.
The frustrating road that kept stopping and going.
But thanks to the chatterbox in the passenger seat, it wasn't boring at all.
Sol's face lit up with energy as she chattered away excitedly.
After driving for about an hour like that, we arrived in front of a luxurious Korean beef restaurant in Hannam-dong.
We handed the car over for valet parking and went inside, where they guided us to a private, quiet room.
The moment she sat down, Sol started fidgeting and looking around nervously.
It was hilarious how she was the one who'd made the reservation but was the one getting all nervous.
At my half-joking words, Sol puffed out her chest and shot back.
Though her chest was still tiny.
Soon the charcoal was brought in, and the staff personally grilled the beautifully marbled top-grade two-plus Hanwoo beef by cut, placing each piece on our plates.
The moment Sol put a piece of meat in her mouth, she furrowed her brows and let out a moan of delight.
I said while chewing my own meat.
With meat like this, nothing beats baijiu.
I ordered a bottle of high-quality baijiu that would pair well with the flavor.
When the liquor arrived, I filled both my glass and Sol's.
When I raised my glass, Sol lifted hers too and lightly clinked it against mine.
Clink.
Sol took a sip of the baijiu and spoke with genuine feeling.
Her round eyes reflected the warm light from the table lamp, shimmering softly.
It wasn't the impulsive behavior like last time at the izakaya—stumbling around drunk and shoving her lips at me.
This was a calm, honest conversation where she laid out her feelings.
I set my glass down and looked at her steadily.
Yeah, it was worth the effort of dressing up.
Though the lipstick had already completely worn off back at the brunch café.
But it wasn't just the outfit or the makeup.
The small sense of ease and confidence that had grown inside Sol was turning this 148cm little squirt into quite a charming woman.
At my joke, Sol burst into a bright smile.
The luxurious taste of the meat, the appropriately strong alcohol sliding down my throat, and the pure goodwill of the woman sitting across from me.
It was perfect. A truly enjoyable evening.
It was around the time we'd had a decent amount of baijiu and the quality Hanwoo had filled our stomachs nicely.
Sol set her empty glass on the table and mumbled quietly.
This little brat. She's drunk again?
She said that, but her focus was slightly unfocused.
I rested my chin on my hand, gave a small laugh, and threw out,
The moment I finished speaking, Sol's cheeks burst into flames.
Her face, already flushed from the baijiu, now burned an even deeper, explosive red.
Sol covered her face with both hands and buried her head on the table.
She's going to have so much stress.
She's definitely going to be kicking her blankets tonight, Sol.
Seeing this tiny thing so embarrassed she didn't know what to do with herself made me want to tease her even more.
When I asked her directly, Sol, who had been hiding her face, jerked her head up in surprise.
At my mischievous teasing, Sol's pupils shook like there was an earthquake in them.
She must have been incredibly embarrassed.
Unable to take it anymore, Sol shot up from her seat.
The way she ran off was exactly like a little kid trying to escape.
I stood up too.
I figured I'd get the smell of meat off me and refill my nicotine while I was at it.
I stepped outside the restaurant and stood in a quiet corner of the alley, enjoying a cigarette.
The night air was quite refreshing.
The meat had been delicious, the drinks went down clean, and overall I was in a great mood.
Sol, who had gone to the bathroom, slipped out of the restaurant and came to stand beside me.
Her eyes were fixed on the cigarette pack in my hand.
I took out a fresh cigarette, put one in my own mouth, and placed another directly between Sol's lips.
Then I pulled out a lighter from my pocket and flicked it on.
Click.
To block the wind, I cupped the flame with one hand and brought my face close.
Naturally, Sol's face and mine drew right up to each other with only the lighter's flame between us.
Close enough to feel each other's breath.
Sol flinched in surprise, shoulders twitching.
She nearly dropped the cigarette she was holding.
What the hell. Back when we worked at that pub together, we used to light cigarettes for each other like this without thinking twice.
She's making such a fuss all of a sudden.
But seeing this reaction, I get it now.
She really does see me as a man. Very clearly.
The way she treats me is filled with that subtle feminine tension.
I leaned my face in playfully.
Startled, Sol made big round bunny eyes and took three whole steps backward.
Why is she like this? It's so cute.
I chuckled softly, shoved the lighter back in my pocket, and took a deep drag.
Huu.
White smoke scattered into the night sky.
Sol exhaled her own smoke and slowly crept back to my side.
Leaning against the wall while smoking, Sol glanced up at me and opened her mouth.
Here it comes.
Haha. I can't even argue with that. She's right.
I really was a broke loser back then, drowning in a negative bank balance.
I couldn't afford anything but convenience store lunches, and whenever we ate together like this, Sol would always pay with her own money.
This kid knows all about my past.
When I answered vaguely, Sol's expression turned slightly serious.
That hit a nerve. It is illegal.
No matter how much I call it underground art, in the end, bringing in women to shoot hardcore sex videos and broadcast them in this country called South Korea is clearly illegal.
If the cops catch me, it's straight to the handcuffs.
At my ambiguous answer, Sol's eyes widened as she grabbed my sleeve tightly.
Sol kept digging persistently.
I flicked the cigarette I'd been smoking onto the ground and crushed it under my shoe.
I pushed Sol's shoulder and headed back into the restaurant.
Once we were back in the warm room and seated, I poured the remaining baijiu into my glass.
Sol kept glancing at me as she sat down and picked up her chopsticks, but she clearly couldn't focus on the meat.
Eventually, while chewing a piece, she asked again carefully.
Hmm... It is something I can't really say.
If she found out what I was doing, she'd definitely be shocked.
How could she accept that the kind, fun oppa she used to know was actually a crazy bastard who put collars on women, treated them like dogs, soaked them in cum, and made money off it?
I fiddled with my empty glass and answered indifferently.
Yeah. If she's so curious she's about to go crazy, it's only right to tell her.
Who knows.
She might end up wanting to make big money with this too.
If it's not because I pressured or forced her, but because she herself says she needs the money and willingly crawls into my boundaries saying she'll do anything—
Then I won't bother stopping her.
Though... I'd rather that day never comes.
I picked up the remaining meat with my chopsticks and placed it on Sol's plate.