Chapter 45
For several minutes, hot breath had been brushing against the back of my neck. At first, I didn’t pay much attention, but at some point, it became increasingly ticklish until I couldn’t bear it anymore.
My eyelids twitched, and I finally opened my eyes. I recognized the familiar sight of my room.
Since I hadn’t been drinking, the memories of last night came back quickly and vividly. As soon as I came to my senses, I blushed, aware of Joo Kwon-oh behind me.
He was still sleeping, or so it seemed, holding me as I lay on my side, breathing audibly.
“Kwon-oh.”
“Mmm…”
A muffled response came back. His deep, sleepy voice brushed against my ear.
Feeling shy again from the morning, I started to wriggle, trying to escape from his embrace.
“Hey, Kwon-oh. It’s morning already.”
“Mmm.”
“Aren’t you… going to get up?”
“I want to stay like this all day.”
Joo Kwon-oh held me tighter to prevent me from escaping, then started to suck on my shoulder with his lips.
“Ah! It… it tickles.”
“Your shoulder smells sweet too. You’re sweeter than the Einspänner cream we had yesterday.”
“Stop it, ah…”
Kwon-oh’s soft tongue tickled my shoulder and the nape of my neck. Then, as if tasting something truly delicious, he even licked my skin. We hadn’t washed properly after sex last night, so dried sweat must still be there….
“Jeong-ha, your heart is beating so fast.”
Kwon-oh teased as he fondled my chest with his hand.
“That’s… because you keep touching me.”
“Should I touch somewhere else then?”
“My lower… ah, it still stings.”
“Oh.”
Timidly, I informed him of my current state, worried he might want to do it again first thing in the morning. My lower parts were still sore, like a heat rash.
Seeming a bit disappointed, Kwon-oh kissed my nape a few more times before finally letting me go.
“I’d like to wash you, but it might be more uncomfortable if we both go into the bathroom.”
He said, licking his lips as he put on his pants.
“You don’t have to.”
“Go wash up first.”
“Okay.”
I quickly got up from the bed, gathered my clothes, and covered myself before entering the bathroom. I could hear Kwon-oh chuckling behind me.
Thankfully, the bathroom is small. If it were spacious, Kwon-oh might have really followed me in, saying he’d wash me.
I didn’t have the confidence to face him naked right after waking up. Especially not in a sober state.
“Jeong-ha.”
As I was about to hang my clothes on the towel rack and turn on the water, Kwon-oh called my name from outside.
“What?”
“Can I look around the kitchen?”
“Ah. Sure. There’s not much in the kitchen… If you want water, there’s bottled water in the fridge.”
I answered Kwon-oh through the bathroom door.
“Got it. Is pasta okay for breakfast?”
“You can’t make pasta.”
“Tsk. I told you I learned how.”
I opened the bathroom door slightly to check outside and saw Kwon-oh’s back as he wandered around the kitchen area, wearing only his pants. He looked like he lived here.
As always, I think he adapts well anywhere. I felt more like a guest in this house, hiding in the bathroom with my body fully covered.
Come to think of it, there were clear nail marks on Kwon-oh’s back from last night.
“Why are you peeking? Fallen for me all over again?”
Feeling my gaze, Kwon-oh turned around and cocked his head mischievously.
Surprised by the sudden eye contact, I shook my head vigorously. Then, not wanting to deny his words, I hesitated and nodded.
“Unbelievable. You won’t let me touch you, but you’re seducing me first thing in the morning.”
“Are you really going to make pasta? We probably don’t have the ingredients.”
“Hey, I told you I can do it.”
“Then I’ll help you after I wash up.”
“No need, just hurry up and go in. Before I drag you out and eat you like a peach.”
At his playful warning, I closed and locked the bathroom door.
Looking in the mirror, I saw my face was already flushed red. The red marks all over my body told the story of how passionately we had rolled around last night.
There wasn’t a spot that hadn’t been bitten. With the weather getting warmer, I’d soon need to wear short sleeves, but at this rate, I might have to cover my entire body.
I quickly washed up and came out to find Kwon-oh boiling something in front of the induction stove.
On the table were tomatoes, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, and bread that hadn’t been in my room before.
“Did you go to the market?”
“The convenience store downstairs.”
“Why did you buy tomatoes?”
“To chop and mix with the sauce, then stir-fry.”
This seems quite elaborate. I thought he’d just use store-bought sauce and stir-fry it.
I went to Kwon-oh’s side and took out a knife from the kitchen drawer. But before I could properly grip the handle, Kwon-oh frowned and took the knife away.
“You just sit down. I can’t watch this, it’s making me nervous.”
“What’s there to be nervous about? I’m just chopping tomatoes.”
“Look in the mirror. Your knife-holding form is all wrong from the start.”
“…”
What do you know, I wanted to say. But in reality, as he pointed out, I had no talent for cooking, let alone peeling fruit, so I just kept my mouth shut.
“Don’t pout, just sit over there.”
“I’m not pouting.”
“I’d rather do it myself than watch those pretty hands of yours handle a knife.”
Despite my hands being dry from handling various paints and dry materials, Kwon-oh casually called them pretty.
Unlike me who was feeling shy, he hummed a tune as he washed the tomatoes. He removed the stems, gathered them, and threw them in the trash, then took out a cutting board and started slicing with impressive skill.
I forgot about wanting to help and just blankly watched his back as he cooked.
…Why is he so cool?
I thought it was impossible to like Kwon-oh more than I already did. I was wrong.
He’s handsome, kind, good at sex, and now even skilled at cooking. No wonder women can’t stay away from him.
He can be stern and sometimes even scary when establishing hierarchy with men, but if I were a woman, I might find that aspect of him even more attractive. Even as a man, I’m already attracted to him.
“Jeong-ha. This needs to boil for about eight minutes, so leave it like this. I’ll go take a shower in the meantime.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t touch it, it’s hot.”
“Alright.”
Am I a child? As if I’d burn myself on a boiling pot. Besides, this is my own apartment.
Though grumbling inside, I obediently nodded. Kwon-oh took a towel and went into the bathroom.
I checked the time, intending to turn off the induction stove after the eight minutes Kwon-oh mentioned.
But Kwon-oh finished his shower quickly, coming out after just over five minutes. He was still only wearing pants, just like when he went in.
“Here, my t-shirt. It’s the biggest one I have, so it should fit you too.”
I handed Kwon-oh the t-shirt I had taken out earlier. He smiled, shaking his dripping wet hair.
“Thanks.”
Kwon-oh immediately put on the t-shirt. It was the biggest one I owned, but it fit Kwon-oh tightly. It made me realize not only his height but also how broad his body was.
“It’s ready now.”
Kwon-oh checked if the pasta was cooked, then added it to the pre-made pasta sauce. He added garlic, mushrooms, and oil, stir-fried it a bit more with the pasta, and finally sprinkled cheese on top.
“There are a lot more ingredients than I thought.”
To be honest, when I asked Kwon-oh to make tomato pasta, I thought it would be as simple as making ramen. Just boil the noodles and pour in the store-bought sauce.
I didn’t expect him to cook so meticulously.
“You’ll be moved when you taste it. I learned it directly in a kitchen.”
I’m already moved. Beyond moved, I’m touched!
I watched in amazement as Kwon-oh plated the pasta. To think that Kwon-oh, who used to only know Korean food and couldn’t even boil pasta, learned a tomato pasta recipe for me.
Even if it turned out too salty, I was prepared to finish the whole plate.
“It smells delicious.”
“Let’s eat.”
“Okay. Want some cola?”
“Sure.”
We sat at the table with the fancy dish in front of us. Kwon-oh watched expectantly as I took a bite of the pasta with my fork.
“How is it? Killer, right?”
“…It’s delicious.”
My eyes widened at the rich flavor and umami of the tomato sauce bursting in my mouth.
“It’s like something from a restaurant.”
“Of course.”
Kwon-oh, satisfied with watching me quickly move my fork, finally started eating too.
What can’t Kwon-oh do? Why does he become more attractive the more I know about him? How can he look so handsome even when wearing clothes casually, with his hair messy from just washing, eating pasta?
