episode_0123

This was an hour before Hong Yeonhwa saw Cheon Soyul, her cheeks flushed from being wet, and harbored murderous intent towards Lee Hyunjin, who appeared behind her.

Guided by a servant, Cheon Soyul headed to the bathroom, then suddenly felt a presence and paused. For a moment, her expression hardened as she wondered who it was, but she soon relaxed, realizing the presence belonged to someone utterly familiar.

“……What is it?”

Without turning around, Cheon Soyul simply asked curtly what he wanted. Having already entered the bathroom, she had no hesitation about taking off her clothes.

*Swish-*

With the sound of her clothes rustling against her skin, Cheon Soyul revealed her smooth naked body, but… There was nothing new about it. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t shown her bare body once or twice before.

“Hmm…”

Rather, it was Lee Hyunjin who reacted awkwardly to Cheon Soyul’s calm response. Turning the corner of the bathroom entrance, he showed himself and scratched his cheek.

“I just thought we could wash together.”

“Huh…?”

At his reply, Cheon Soyul tilted her head slightly in bewilderment. Turning to face Lee Hyunjin, who stood behind her, Cheon Soyul narrowed her eyes. At her gaze, which seemed to be searching for his intentions, Lee Hyunjin had to raise both hands.

“Why are you so serious again? I have no other intentions.”

His reaction was as if he felt a little wronged. Of course, Lee Hyunjin knew she was angry with him about something… Still, he wished she would stop looking at him with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘What’s your game?’ He didn’t feel very good, as if he was being guarded against.

Lee Hyunjin smiled bitterly and conveyed his true feelings.

“I just want to soak in the water with you.”

“……”

Cheon Soyul’s expression showed a hint of contempt. Lee Hyunjin belatedly realized his words could be misunderstood and fell silent. …No, strictly speaking, it wasn’t even a misunderstanding.

In any case, in connection with the Rachel incident, Lee Hyunjin was in the position of a culprit, so he couldn’t say anything more and could only wait for permission.

“……Hmph.”

Then Cheon Soyul glanced at Lee Hyunjin and let out a meaningful snort. Her eyes gently curved into a half-moon shape. Just as Lee Hyunjin felt needlessly nervous and his lips drying out, Cheon Soyul let out a small laugh, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

“Alright, fine. It’s okay.”

“……!”

She then gave her permission. Lee Hyunjin’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected her to allow it so gently. Even after saying it, he had thought he might get a bit of a scolding. As there was naturally nothing bad about it, Lee Hyunjin made an awkwardly bright expression and was about to approach Cheon Soyul.

Cheon Soyul held out her palm.

“Wait.”

“?”

“Before that, listen to what you need to hear.”

Her eyes narrowed, and Lee Hyunjin stopped in his tracks. What he needed to hear. Lee Hyunjin instinctively understood the meaning.

‘Is she telling me to apologize?’

Regarding Rachel… Strictly speaking, he had never directly mentioned it, had he? He might make the excuse that he couldn’t find the right timing, but from Cheon Soyul’s perspective, she would have every right to get angry.

Lee Hyunjin felt his mouth taste unnecessarily bitter and nodded. Apology. There was nothing he couldn’t do. If he had done wrong, apologizing was the right and logical thing to do, wasn’t it? Such things were especially important in relationships between men and women. Even if it was a minor issue, things could go wrong because of them.

But.

Lee Hyunjin decided to take a slightly more roundabout way for something that could have ended with a simple word. Given how low her expectations of him were, Cheon Soyul seemed willing to forgive him with just one sincere apology— Wasn’t that a bit too easy? Not only would his conscience prick him, but such a perfunctory ending wouldn’t be remembered well later either.

Lee Hyunjin took a big step forward. He moved one step closer to Cheon Soyul.

“……Hey?”

Cheon Soyul was a little flustered. He nodded, but instead of apologizing as told, he suddenly approached…? Surely he wasn’t planning to just let it pass without saying a word. Cheon Soyul’s eyebrows twitched. That wouldn’t do. Even if she was in the inferior position, what needed to be done had to be done, and what needed to be heard had to be heard!

With that thought, Cheon Soyul was about to coldly push Lee Hyunjin away. As if he had anticipated her actions, Lee Hyunjin pulled her into a hug. It was a hug as if he had snatched her up.

“I love you.”

“……!?”

And his first words, uncharacteristically, were a serious declaration of love. Cheon Soyul’s eyes widened, and she became stiff and rigid. Held tightly in Lee Hyunjin’s embrace, her arms flailed aimlessly in the air.

“……Hey, hey, what is this all of a sudden.”

So, she tried to push Lee Hyunjin away, attempting to shove the words she had just heard into a corner of her mind.

“I’ve told you a few times before… I started to like you since freshman year, and after experiencing a few more things in sophomore year, I truly came to love you.”

“!?”

Lee Hyunjin pressed on without brakes. *Kyaaak?!* Cheon Soyul’s body flinched, letting out a sound like a cat, and the more she did so, the tighter Lee Hyunjin’s embrace became.

“By now, you must know that it’s long since surpassed simple romantic feelings. Not just me, but you too.”

“Uh, ugh. Uh?!”

“To be honest, I can barely imagine myself marrying anyone else but you anymore.”

“W-what are you even saying…!?”

Cheon Soyul’s face flushed brightly. Her ears were hot to the touch as she, brimming with heat, patted Lee Hyunjin’s head. Of course, it was nothing more than a powerless pat, devoid of any real force. *Pat pat pat.*

“I’m truly sorry about what happened a few days ago. There’s really no excuse for ignoring a promise I made.”

Even amidst that, Lee Hyunjin’s words continued. Not caring about Cheon Soyul’s playful resistance, Lee Hyunjin silently continued what he had to say.

“……Of course, I didn’t mean to make you anxious. Even when I play mischievous pranks, would I ever torment you with something like that, you idiot?”

And by then, Cheon Soyul could no longer resist and had no choice but to listen. With her face dyed bright red, she buried her head in Lee Hyunjin’s chest.

Lee Hyunjin’s hand gently stroked Cheon Soyul.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“Forgive me.”

Cheon Soyul mumbled, her lips pursed. Inwardly, she muttered, *Bastard.* If he came at her like this, wouldn’t it be strange not to let go of her feelings? He was truly determined to make her feel petty. Even thinking that, Cheon Soyul couldn’t help but admit that deep down, her mood was softening.

Suppressing her lips from curving upwards with superhuman willpower, or perhaps deluding herself into thinking she was suppressing it, Cheon Soyul feigned a sulky expression.

*Thud,* Cheon Soyul pushed Lee Hyunjin’s chest, spun around, and crossed her arms.

“……Hugging me when I’m naked, what the hell, you bastard.”

“Ah, mm.”

And though her muttered words were, at first glance, full of vicious-sounding curses, Lee Hyunjin recognized the hint of laughter in her voice. But if he showed that he noticed, she would definitely get sulky again…

As he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, Cheon Soyul, still turned away, gestured with her hand.

“Uhm, what is it?”

“Huh?”

It seemed to be a gesture pointing to Lee Hyunjin’s upper body, specifically his top. With her ear tips reddened, Cheon Soyul mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“……So, hurry and take them off.”

“……?”

Ah.

Lee Hyunjin wore a questioning expression for a moment, then soon let out a short exclamation. It was such a sudden change in attitude that he had to understand her words belatedly. In other words, it was permission for a co-ed bath. Lee Hyunjin chuckled quietly and nodded his head towards her.

“As you command, My Lady.”

“Don’t call me that…”

Cheon Soyul grumbled but wore a faint smile on her lips. She opened the door first and headed for the bath. The Hong family’s bathroom was, surprisingly, an open-air bath.

“Oh.”

Lee Hyunjin, who soon followed her inside, let out a low exclamation of admiration.

“The facilities are quite amazing.”

And then he added a playful remark.

“Since I’m about to make it dirty… I feel a little sorry.”

“……”

Cheon Soyul pressed her lips together. As she unbound her hair, she felt the sensation of her hair touching her spine, which somehow sent a pleasant shiver down her back.

“……Good grief, anyone watching would think we had already made a promise to do it…”

Even as she said that, Cheon Soyul could already predict Lee Hyunjin’s reply. He would surely retort cheekily with something like, ‘Then are you not going to do it?’ And she would surely not be able to refuse it a second time. Thinking there was truly no woman as foolish as her, just as Cheon Soyul was about to silently pout her lips.

*Grab-*

“……!”

Contrary to her prediction, Lee Hyunjin didn’t say anything more. He merely pressed his body close and immediately pulled her in.

“Hnngh!? Uhh, mm, ahh…”

Cheon Soyul’s widely opened eyes gradually couldn’t help but become hazy and unfocused. This was because Lee Hyunjin’s tongue, as he tightly gripped the back of her head, pleasantly intertwined with hers. She felt her legs gradually lose strength, and an incredibly thrilling pleasure blaze up her spine as she closed her eyes tightly.

And she mumbled to herself inwardly.

This is cheating.

This is really too much.