Chapter 11: The scent of betrayal

“…Haa…”
“It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

It had been so long since Hyeji and I had shared a meal like that, so close, so… normal.

“…Yeah…”

The restaurant was incredibly fancy, the waiters radiating an aura of expensive dress codes that almost crushed me. But the food was so good, I barely registered Hyeji’s words, too busy savoring each bite.

“…You look pale. Are you okay? Did you eat too fast…?”
“Oh, uh, no? Um… Yeah…”

I considered myself relatively well-off, but compared to Hyeji… We lived in different worlds. I guess that’s what happens when a wannabe entrepreneur tries to keep up with a bona fide genius. Still, I was glad our differences weren’t even greater.

“…Want some digestive tea…?”
“Oh, no, no, no…”

Damn it. Why was she being so sweet? The way she looked down at me, her hand brushing my hair… It was driving me crazy. Weren’t we over this?

“…If you’re up for it… I could buy you a drink…”
“…”

A drink? Hyeji… she was even more beautiful now. Stunning, really. I used to think I wasn’t bad looking, but compared to her… even with makeup, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

“…Hic…”

And she was asking me for a drink? After trying to… After what happened… After our breakup and reunion, after I finally achieved the success she wanted…

“… “

My mind raced, thoughts swirling like a knife twisting in my brain. How dare they intrude like this? No, I’m taken. I could never leave Hyea. She was my everything, my invincible shield. We might have had a thing, but it was over!

Clink

“…Looks delicious.”

But Hyeji’s eyes… They were so beautiful. And the food was too expensive to refuse. If it had been moderately priced, I could have declined, but this felt like a bribe. Like I was being bought.

“They have the best appetizers here. Great value, too.”
“You’re talking about value…?”

The bar she dragged me to wasn’t fancy. It looked like any other street-side pojangmacha. Familiar. But if Hyeji chose this place, there had to be a reason.

(TL note: Pojangmacha (포장마차) are small tented restaurants on wheels or street stalls in South Korea that serve a variety of street foods, such as tteokbokki, sundae, twigim, and anju (dishes accompanied with alcoholic beverages).)

“…I always wanted to come here with you…”
“…”

Her cheeks and ears were flushed. The moonlight filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow. Her quiet voice, amplified by the alcohol, sent shivers down my spine.

“…I wanted to come here for my 20th birthday… I ended up coming alone, though…”
“…”

I took a sip of my drink, Hyeji’s voice a comforting melody. So much for pacing myself. She didn’t seem affected by the alcohol, but…

I wanted to drown in the moonlight with her.

Slide

“…”
“…I’m glad you’re here now…”

The moonlight intensified. I was already tipsy, the ordinary soju transformed, its color shifted to the tables’s blue colour and then to white under the moon’s spell.

It should have been an ordinary moment, but it wasn’t. For us, it could never be ordinary.

“…Yeah.”

My slurred reply made Hyeji smile. I was glad. She’d looked so empty at the cafe, but now… her smile was warm.

“…It would have been nice if Yura and Taeyeon were here too…”

I mumbled, remembering the girls we used to hang out with, like family. I could almost see their faces. Taeyeon, the sporty one. Yura, the romantic. I wished they were here with us, sharing drinks, filling the empty seats.

It would have been much livelier.

Slide

“…”

Lost in memories, I blinked, my reflection staring back at me from the soju glass. Someone sat down next to me.

“…Hye—”

It was Hyeji.

Slide

“…”

Without a word, she pulled me closer, so I was leaning against her.

“… “

I nuzzled into her shoulder, inhaling her sweet, intoxicating scent.

“…What does… the alcohol… taste like…?”

Her hand gently cupped my cheek, her touch soothing.

“…Sweet…”

The day hadn’t been particularly long, but it felt significant, memorable. The alcohol had seeped into my senses, warming me from the inside out. I leaned into her embrace.

“…That’s good.”

Her warmth didn’t fade, no matter how close I got. As she stroked my hair, her arm around my shoulders, I remembered what she truly desired.

“…Hey…”

A question, a lullaby, lingered in the air. What was I doing?

“…Do you… still want to… sleep with me…?”

My eyes, half-lidded, met hers. Our faces were close, my head tilted up, hers tilted down. I arched my back, pressing myself against her, feeling her breath on my skin. How did I look to her, my hips pressed against her like this?

“…”

Hyeji stared into my eyes. Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak. Her hair fell around us, creating a veil of intimacy. I was drawn in.

“…What happened to the person you liked?”
“…”

She didn’t touch my hips, only pulled me closer, her arm around my waist, and asked.

“…Hmm…?”

The person I liked? Oh.

“…The hickeys… Did things work out…?”
“…”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to bring that up now, not in this intimate atmosphere. And I knew what I was doing, what my question implied. I was trying to gather my scattered thoughts, my swirling emotions.

I wasn’t thinking straight.

“…It didn’t…”

I definitely wasn’t thinking straight.

“…Work out.”
“…”

Was I crazy? I must be. I’d finally lost it.

“…Is that so…?”
“…”

I looked away, ashamed, waiting for her reaction. Did Hyea know what I was doing? Alcohol made you do crazy things. It was a poison. But I couldn’t resist. Not the alcohol, not Hyeji.

Slide

“…Can you get home okay…?”
“…Yeah.”

We didn’t speak after that. I was lost in the unexpected emotions stirred by my careless lie. Hyeji, seemingly unfazed, just held me and continued to drink.

“…You really don’t have to walk me…”
“…It’s okay… I’m fine…”

That was how our reunion ended. Not dramatic, not sad. Just… subdued. But it filled a void within me. Hyeji was like that. She’d carved a hole in my otherwise empty heart, and now, she was filling it again.

That was enough. I was content. We’d met again. We were together again.

That’s all that mattered.

Kick

“…Sh*t…”

I kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. The moonlight was bright.

***

Ring

“…I’m… home…”

I arrived home, reeking of alcohol, my mind hazy. Hyea wouldn’t mind. I realized my body didn’t hurt at all. The pain in my side was gone. Was it because of Hyeji? That was… good. Right?

“…Huh?”

Hyea wasn’t home.

“…Did she use it all…?”

Did she use up all her stored energy? Or was she just tired? I didn’t think much of it, washed up, and went to bed.

“…Haa…”

The day had been short. The sun had set quickly, the moon rising leisurely.

“… “

As I drifted off, I realized I’d left my jacket at the pojangmacha. I was too comfortable to get up, so I decided to buy a new one.

“… “

Drift

My thoughts quieted, and sleep beckoned. I’d had a lot to drink. Would Hyea appear in my dream? Tonight? Would she find out—

Thump

“Gah…!”

A hand shot out of the darkness, covering my mouth.

“Mm…!”

My arms were pinned, my neck exposed.

“…Sniff, sniff…”
“Gasp…?”

Rustle

It was Hyea. She was unusually rough, her face buried in my neck, inhaling my scent.

“…You smell like another person. What have you been doing…?”
“M-mm… J-just… drinks… with a friend…”

She released my mouth.

“…Have you lost your mind? Leaving me alone to drink with another woman?”
“I-it’s not like that… We just… met up after a long time…”

Her tail thrashed angrily. Her voice, a whisper in my ear, sent shivers down my spine.

“I told you not to go… And you disobeyed me… You drank… Did you… Did you sleep with her…?”
“No…”

My immediate denial made her pause. I hadn’t meant to lie. My subconscious reaction to her accusation, the guilt of deceiving myself…

“…Don’t even think about lying to me. I’ll show you what a fox’s jealousy looks like…!”
“I think I’ve seen enough…”

She ripped off my clothes, her teeth nipping and licking at my skin.

“Ah… Mm… Ow… Hngh…!”

She expertly brought me to the brink of arousal, then…

“…Do you want this…?”
“Ah… Haa… Hngh…!”

Press

She pressed her face against mine, her lips and tongue exploring my skin. A deep, intense kiss.

My body trembled, craving more. I shivered at her touch, my core aching for release.

“…Beg for it… Show me how much you want it…”
“Mm… Haa… Gasp… Chuwp…”

The kiss continued, my tongue struggling to keep up with hers, becoming a plaything in her mouth. Her dominant kiss forced me to surrender. The feeling of being conquered, her body pressed against mine, my knees buckling… It was intoxicating.

“Mm… Haa…!”
“…Haa…”

Our lips finally parted, a string of saliva connecting us, dripping onto my neck, disappearing into my cleavage. She pressed her hips against mine, grinding against me.

“…I’ll let you off the hook this time, since you’re being cute… But next time… there won’t be a next time…”
“…Haa…”

She whispered in my ear, her lips brushing against it. My body tingled.

Flop

She pushed me onto the bed, her body following immediately, her touch overwhelming.

Thrust, thrust, thrust

“Haa… Hngh… Ahh…!”

I bucked and writhed, clawing at her back.

“Hngh…! Ahh…!”
“You seem quite worked up… Perhaps you need more training…?”

But I couldn’t resist the pleasure.

“Haa… Wait… Stop… Haa…”
“…Don’t even think about falling asleep… Did I already say that?”

Creak

She slipped her fingers into my mouth, amplifying the pleasure, my body convulsing, on the verge of unconsciousness.

“Hngh… Gasp…”

It had been a while. That’s probably why it felt so intense.

This was… a bit much. Why wouldn’t she stop?

Oh, please.

“Haa… Hngh…”

The rest of the night is a blur.