episode_0036

How much time had passed? Eunhye, who had been sobbing in my arms for a while, eventually stopped crying and closed her eyes, letting out small breaths.

I laid Eunhye on the bed and belatedly went into the bathroom to wash up.

Due to getting drenched in the rain, my reflection in the mirror was a pitiful sight, but more than that, I had a troubled expression on my face.

If I were to pinpoint the cause, it would probably be because of Ju Eunhye.

Though she occasionally showed a weak side, she had always been cheerful, so I never had much reason to worry. But the sight of her just now was so fragile and vulnerable that it was hard to ignore.

“She spoke as if she had been abandoned by someone.”

Could it have been about her late mother, whom she mentioned before? No, considering that Eunhye had waited for over 10 years, it must refer to someone else.

Goodness, if only I had made an effort to understand Eunhye a little bit, I wouldn’t be racking my brain like this…

Yes, that’s how I’ve always been. Always avoiding responsibility, even to the point of being repulsed by troublesome matters.

When faced with a problem, I would handle it half-heartedly, never taking a moment to be serious.

If there was an exception, it was a year ago, when Sujeong confessed to me. If I didn’t feel fluttered by her absurd confession of falling in love at first sight, it would be a lie, but because I was repulsed by the idea of taking responsibility for a woman, I tried to reject her confession.

But feeling guilty at Sujeong’s tearful plea, I ended up accepting her confession, leading to an unwanted romantic relationship.

“In hindsight, it was truly regrettable.”

No matter how inexperienced I am in relationships, I can say with certainty that I have never acted like a lover with Sujeong.

Was it even possible for Sujeong to like me even a little bit?

I remember feeling like crying inwardly when she made harsh remarks that hurt my pride the last time we met.

I used to suffer alone at those times, but…

Ju Eunhye…

On the day Eunhye was hurt by Sujeong, she handed me a drink without asking for any reasons, trying to comfort my gloomy mood.

She was an uninvited guest forced into my home by the grandfather’s order as the daughter of a benefactor, but every moment spent with Eunhye felt special in its own way.

At first, it bothered me when she called me “sir,” but now I’ve even grown accustomed to it. If I don’t hear her call me “sir” for a day, I might even feel a sense of loss.

And… for some reason, just thinking about Eunhye made my whole body feel hot with the pounding of my heart.

To be honest, just before I drank, the moment I saw Eunhye’s naked body in the mirror, I fell into an impulse that should never have been felt.

If I had regained my senses a little later, I would have touched those large and soft 75D cups with my hands… Damn it, Kang Sunwoo, you idiot!

— ♪~ ♪♪♪~

In the midst of being consumed by a wicked impulse and hitting the trash in the mirror without mercy, a phone call came through on the smartphone I had placed on the dresser.

Thanks to that, my head cooled down as I wiped off the moisture on my hands, then picked up the smartphone to check the caller.

Seeing the three letters “Sujeong” displayed on the smartphone screen made my whole body tense up.

*

“Phew… Do I answer this, or not?”

Although I wanted to pretend I hadn’t seen it and ignore the ringing phone, the smartphone continued to buzz loudly, urging me to respond.

His calls were never something I wanted to receive, but today, I wanted to avoid them even more. Especially in this moment with Eunhye…

But knowing his persistent nature, it was inevitable that he would keep calling until I picked up.

“…Hello?”

With a resigned sigh, I pressed the call button.

“Hey, Kang Sunwoo!! Didn’t I tell you to pick up whenever I call?! Huh?!”

As expected, Im Sujeong’s voice, filled with anger, echoed in my ears.

Thanks to her, the good mood I had vanished completely, leaving a bitter smile on my face.

“Alright, I was wrong for not picking up. But why are you calling at this hour?”

“You call that an apology? Anyway, Sunwoo, why did you take a sick leave from work today?”

“How did you know about that? Well, my condition deteriorated, so I decided to take a break until tomorrow.”

Could it be that she called because she was worried about me being so sick that I had to take a sick leave? If that’s the case, even though I unintentionally deceived Sujeong, I might feel a bit happy that she cares.

“Ugh, fine, if that’s the case… Can’t you do anything properly? How sick were you to take a sick leave so suddenly?”

“…”

“Hey, are you even listening? Do you not even have the energy to pick up the phone? Wow, I can’t believe how pathetic I am that I can’t even–”

“If you can only speak like that, then I’m hanging up now.”

“What? Hey, how can you talk like that to someone who even bothered to call you–”

“If you don’t hang up, I will. Don’t call me.”

“Hey! Hey! Kang Sunwoo!!”

— Click, beep, beep, beep…

“…I’m a fool for having expectations.”

It’s been a year since I started dating this guy, but I’ve never heard a single warm word from him. Despite enduring Sujeong’s insults and slander all this time just because he said he liked me… I’ve reached a point where I can’t endure it anymore.

Because I keep comparing.

The harsh attitude I’ve received from Im Sujeong versus everything Joo Eunhye has done for me with genuine concern and support.

If I had actually taken a sick leave because I was really sick… No, let’s not think about it. Eunhye would definitely put on a show of concern even if she’s sick of it.

Besides, I don’t even want to imagine Eunhye looking gloomy.

“Even though crying looks cute… he looks best with a smile.”

With a bitter smile at my awkward soliloquy, I turned off my smartphone and looked towards the bed where Eunhye should be lying.

But all I saw were the rumpled blanket and pillow, with no sign of Eunhye who should be fast asleep.

“Is this how it’s done? Hoohee… So pretty, so beautiful…”

As I stared at the messed-up bed, I heard Eunhye’s voice. Turning my head to follow the voice, I met eyes with Eunhye standing in front of the vanity mirror.

However, just moments ago, when she was lying on the bed, Eunhye was clearly wearing pajamas…

“Why are you looking at me like that? Can’t take your eyes off because I’m too cute?”

With a black cat ear headband and a black bikini swimsuit with a hole in the center of the chest, Eunhye smiled.

“You… You you!! How did you…?”

“Uh…? Oh~ This was in the closet? There was even a maid outfit with a really short skirt… But why a cat? I hate cats… Hmph!”

Chuckling, she sniffled as she wiped her tears, making me break out in a cold sweat. Why did she open that problematic wardrobe? Even if she opened the door, why did she change into those… suggestive outfits that were inside? I couldn’t understand any of it.

Coming to this motel with Eunhye was not intentional.

But the moment she opened that wardrobe, seeing the woman in a bunny girl outfit from the opposite room and the strange reaction of the staff, I had a gut feeling that this was no ordinary motel.

It reminded me of the cosplay-themed motels I had heard about from my teammates who once briefly enjoyed cosplaying…

“It’s a bit tight… but hey, mister. Doesn’t Eunhye look really pretty in this?”

Adjusting her bikini top, Eunhye approached me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her seductive figure, almost like she was in her underwear, but my body seemed to resist, taking a step back.

“You’ve grown so much while I wasn’t looking… Mister, are you listening? Hehehe… Mister~”

Before I knew it, I had plopped down on my butt, but Eunhye, pressing her hips against mine, gently placed her index and middle fingers on my shoulder, slowly sweeping them down.

“Ugh,”

Feeling my nerves tingling all over, I managed to maintain my composure, grabbing her shoulders to push her away.

“Hehe… Mister… I may have lost everything else… but… I will never lose you…”

However, as Eunhye pushed her face into my chest and pressed her body against mine, my long-standing vow to never touch the granddaughter of my benefactor, Eunhye, crumbled mercilessly.