Ch.314314. Pavlov’s Dog

“……Nabi, what are you preparing?”

That’s a spine-chilling statement if I’ve ever heard one. I asked what on earth she was preparing at this odd hour, feeling anxious, but Hwa Nabi ignored me completely and went to the shower.

-Click, thud. Shhhhhh.

“What the…”

Left suddenly alone, I picked up some side dishes with my chopsticks and thought while chewing. Could this be a signal from Hwa Nabi? Is she telling me to prepare for… you know… that kind of thing?

I had a feeling something was up when she started saying things like “Do you know what day tomorrow is?” and “Since you’re coming home late, we won’t have time to do anything.” Seeing her leave in the middle of dinner to prepare something confirms it.

Hwa Nabi, you’ve made up your mind.

“Ah, delicious.”

Chew, chew. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. It’s a special occasion, and she must be upset that I’ll be coming home late, so she’s planning to do tonight what we would have done tomorrow. Once that thought crossed my mind, my chopsticks slowed down a bit.

Any other day, I’d happily go along with it, but today I’m reluctant. I’m mentally and physically exhausted after a rigorous training session with my brother.

I know I shouldn’t say this after enjoying the meal she prepared, but I just want to rest today. I’m only human and need to recharge. Wouldn’t it be better to finish work quickly the day after tomorrow and make up for the two days I’ve been negligent?

“……*gulp*”

Yes, that sounds good. I’ll have to apologize to Hwa Nabi, but I should gently suggest we get some proper rest tonight. Having satisfied my hunger, I quickly finished my meal and stood up.

Let me clear the table before Hwa Nabi comes back. I’m not particularly trying to score points, but it doesn’t hurt to make a good impression. As I was soaking the dishes and putting away the leftover side dishes in the refrigerator, it happened.

Click. The bathroom door opened, and Hwa Nabi came out. Having just finished her shower, her hair and lips looked more moist than usual.

“Husband, have you finished eating already?”

“Oh, yeah.”

My gaze unconsciously drops downward. The smooth thighs extending from beneath her bathrobe captivate my eyes completely. Is Hwa Nabi really the mother of two children? Looking at her now, she could easily pass for a college student in her prime.

No, not just a college student. Even women who are considered top-tier in various fields couldn’t hold a candle to Hwa Nabi. It’s no wonder she still receives modeling offers through Instagram DMs. Didn’t that adult magazine contact her recently too? What was it called… “Sexiest Mom on Earth” special? They wanted her as their main model?

“……”

When I first heard about it, I thought they were crazy. But thinking about it now, such offers make perfect sense. And I’m not saying this because she’s my woman—I’m being completely objective. I don’t think any man could take his eyes off her.

I made the right decision not letting her model. How could I show a woman like this to others? I should keep her wrapped up tight, just for my eyes only.

As I continued these ethically questionable thoughts, Hwa Nabi’s expression while looking at me grew increasingly strange. She seemed to be wondering why I was suddenly acting this way.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and pretended nothing was wrong as I resumed what I was doing. Let me finish what I started first.

“Give those to me. I’ll do the dishes, so go brush your teeth.”

“Why brush my teeth?”

“What, you’re going to eat and just go to sleep? What if your teeth rot?”

“……Oh.”

She has a point. I obediently headed to the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. After completing all my preparations, I came back out.

It couldn’t have taken more than five minutes, but Hwa Nabi had already finished the dishes and was standing in front of the open refrigerator. Wondering what she was doing, I approached and saw her fingering the surface of a champagne bottle.

“Hmm… perfect.”

“What’s perfect?”

“The chilling. I put it in when you went to shower, and now it seems to be just the right temperature to drink.”

“Oh, but if we’re drinking champagne, why did you tell me to brush my teeth?”

“Heh, why do you think?”

As if asking why I would even ask such a question, she smiled subtly and patted my behind. I think I know why, and I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.

“Husband, bring two glasses, please.”

“Mmm, okay.”

I took out two wine glasses from the cupboard and followed Hwa Nabi. She entered the bedroom ahead of me and placed the champagne bottle on the bedside table.

“Here, sit down.”

I wonder if I should have matched her dress code. I sat down as instructed, but it feels a bit awkward with Hwa Nabi in her bathrobe while I’m in my shirt.

I thought about changing clothes, but before I could, Hwa Nabi opened the champagne.

“Now that we’ve had dinner, it’s time for dessert, right? So I prepared this. Moët & Chandon—they say it’s excellent as an after-dinner dessert champagne.”

“The color is really pretty. Here’s to us.”

It should taste as good as it looks. A well-chilled champagne is always at least halfway decent. I took the champagne Hwa Nabi poured for me and took a sip. As expected, it’s refreshingly cool. The aftertaste doesn’t linger and it’s clean—perfect as a dessert champagne.

We playfully clinked glasses once more, and as I took another sip, I glanced at the clock. It’s quite late. Woohee and Woocheon must be sound asleep in their room by now. When they were younger, they used to wake up frequently during the night, but now that they’re a bit older, they mostly sleep through the night without waking up.

So, Hwa Nabi and I can enjoy this time together without worry. How long has it been since we leisurely enjoyed drinks like this? Probably more than three months. We’ve both been so busy with our work that we’ve hardly had any time to relax together.

That’s probably why the champagne swirling in my hand feels so unfamiliar. As I was experiencing this sudden sense of how much things have changed, I turned my head slightly. Hwa Nabi, who has always been a lightweight, was already starting to blush…

“……”

She’s tipsy after just one glass, even though it’s been a while? That can’t be right. I observed Hwa Nabi carefully while fiddling with my wine glass. Red cheeks, slowly blinking eyelids, relaxed lips.

Anyone would recognize someone affected by alcohol, but something seems off. This isn’t our first time drinking together. We’ve done it several times before. And each time, Hwa Nabi would only get tipsy after at least half a bottle of champagne, or even more. So there’s no way she could be this affected by just one glass.

“Husband.”

Hwa Nabi, who had been swirling her champagne glass, called out to me. I answered with just my eyes, and after staring at me for a moment, she smiled brightly.

“It’s a bit hot in here, isn’t it?”

“Hot…?”

Before I could respond, Hwa Nabi untied her bathrobe. As the robe slid down, revealing her round shoulders and what she was wearing underneath.

…It’s a revealing one-piece lingerie. Similar to that one from before, but with a slightly different design. The previous one had mesh covering the abdomen, but this one reveals everything, with her toned figure clearly visible through the sheer fabric.

“……”

I took a sip from my empty wine glass. Of course, there was no taste. The fact that I’m doing this shows how flustered I really am.

No, not flustered—delighted. So happy that I’m losing my mind… something like that.

Forget about making rational judgments; my heart keeps pounding at the sight of Hwa Nabi’s sexy outfit. Am I an idiot? I’ve seen this sight several times before, so why am I acting like it’s new? Stay calm. Showing too much excitement can be disadvantageous in the push and pull of relationships, right? Though we’re long past that stage. Still…

“Mmm, this is hard.”

“…Hard?”

“Yes, I want to rest a bit.”

Hwa Nabi, who got tipsy after just one glass of champagne, leans back in her chair. But such trivial matters aren’t important. What’s important now is that my woman wants to rest.

I made her put down the wine glass she was holding, then went behind her and carefully lifted her up. Since she was already relaxed, it wasn’t particularly difficult.

“Shall we go to the bed?”

“Heh, please.”

Maybe it’s because of what she’s wearing, but her smile looks unusually seductive. I suppressed my pounding heart and placed Hwa Nabi on the bed.

“Husband, what about the pillow?”

“Oh, just a moment.”

I pulled over the pillow she usually uses, but she shook her head slightly as if to refuse.

“Not that one.”

“Then?”

“This firm one here.”

Hwa Nabi tapped my chest with her finger. She wants to use my body as a pillow.

I wanted to be comfortable with it since I’ve done it many times before, but if it were that easy, I wouldn’t be nervous. With a trembling heart, I offered my arm to Hwa Nabi.

As I naturally ended up in bed with her, my gaze fell on the edge of the bed. There’s a pillow with YES on one side and NO on the other.

Whether by coincidence or Hwa Nabi’s intention, the YES side is facing me.

“…Nabi.”

“Yes?”

Hwa Nabi burrowed deeper into my arms. As our bodies touched, the scent of the champagne we just drank mixed with her pleasant body fragrance, tickling my nose.

“…Mmm.”

Am I… Pavlov’s dog? Just a moment ago, I was so tired and only wanted to rest. But just seeing Hwa Nabi’s fair skin has made various parts of my body react uncontrollably.

At this rate, I couldn’t complain if someone called me an animal or a dog. My behavior is similar, isn’t it? I react when touched, enjoy being comforted, and do what I want when I want to…

“Husband.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“What’s this hard thing here?”

“……”