Dark clouds hung heavily in the night sky as if rain were imminent, and the wind blew quite pleasantly. Ja-kyung stared blankly at the alcohol and snacks the employee had just placed on the table. The cocktail with its sweet peach fragrance seemed to be Ja-kyung's. And the strong liquor was probably Kang Il-hyun's.
She took a piece of ice from the ice bucket and placed it on her palm, gazing at the pool. Due to the lighting rising from the bottom, the pool water changed into various colors. And gentle music flowed from the nearby speakers.
When she threw the ice onto the pool, it made a plopping sound. Finding that amusing, she threw a few more before standing up. She dipped her hand into the water, but it was still cold. She withdrew her hand and walked around the pool.
Kang Il-hyun had suggested playing in the pool after coming home and eating dinner. Ja-kyung had refused, but he hadn't listened at all. Since the USB was found anyway, there was no reason to deliberately stick around anymore. But she thought if she refused any further, he would harass her, so she decided to at least pretend to come out and sit.
She took a seat on the sunbed and took a sip of the cocktail the employee had brought. It was more like a beverage than alcohol. Though sweet things weren't her preference, the taste was decent enough. After emptying about half the glass, she picked up a canape that came as a snack. The employee had explained that what was on top was beluga caviar. Gold dust was also lightly sprinkled on top.
While eating the snack, a mosquito flew over and landed on her arm. She slapped it with a sharp sound. Blood seeped out red, showing it had already bitten someone. She frowned and brushed it off. She had seen disinfection work being done a few days ago, but since the surroundings were forest, moths and bugs always swarmed.
"Aren't you going to swim?"
A man in a dark blue bathrobe approached, and for a moment she didn't recognize who it was. Kang Il-hyun, having showered and come out, had all his hair down covering his forehead. It was the first time seeing this look since coming here, and he looked much younger than usual. Though he still didn't look under thirty...
"How's the cocktail taste? The bartender made it himself."
He had hired a bartender just for today to drink this. He said they would make whatever she wanted. Anyway, she wasn't a strong drinker, so two or three glasses was her limit. While she was savoring the taste, Kang Il-hyun turned around and took off his bathrobe.
Ja-kyung's eyes, which had been fishing a cherry out of the cocktail glass, landed on his back. A truly flawless body. The muscle density was high, and there was no fat to be found. His shoulders were broad, and his overall proportions were excellent.
It was quite surprising that there were no tattoos on his back. She thought he'd at least be carrying around a dragon. She popped the cherry into her mouth, and he turned his body. Ja-kyung's eyes grew wide. She almost spat out the cherry that was in her mouth. She wanted to ask if he had stuffed something inside his underwear.
Kang Il-hyun walked over and picked up his glass.
"Cheers."
He stood close and extended his glass, but the front of his triangular swim briefs was quite bulging. Was he erect, or was it originally like that even when not? It was difficult to maintain her expression. Her upper body unconsciously leaned further back.
"Do you want it?"
Startled, she looked at him, and he was fishing out a cherry from another glass and offering it.
"Thought you liked it."
Fuck. Add a subject when you speak. She shook her head. She wished he'd either get in the water or sit down. Why was he standing right in front of her like that. Turning away felt like she was conscious of it, and staying like this was annoying.
"Why do you keep stealing glances at my dick?"
She was exasperated and felt wrongly accused. When she looked at him, he was holding his glass and grinning.
"I wasn't stealing glances... you're sticking it out like that in front of me..."
"Must be an optical illusion. Looks like it's sticking out even when I'm not. Because it's so big."
"......"
Actually, last night while lying down to sleep, she had thought about Kang Il-hyun. When he was young, he had lost his mother early, and she had briefly felt pity for his situation of having to be killed by his father when he grew up. But this man's mouth had the talent to blow even that away. A bastard who deserves to die.
She turned her head away, and he put down his glass and entered the pool. Splash, splash, the water sounds mixed pleasantly with the chirping of insects. Ja-kyung sat on the sunbed and watched Il-hyun. Under the lighting, his muscles, wet with water, glistened even more.
With his hair down, he looked like a different person today. He went straight into the water. His figure swimming to the end of the pool with underwater strokes looked like a dolphin, not a person. The talk of him swimming well wasn't empty words either. In front of the wall, he turned powerfully and didn't come out of the water until returning to his original spot.
Puhuh, he surged up from the water, swept back his wet hair, and smiled brightly at Ja-kyung. Ja-kyung couldn't even blink and was momentarily dazed by the sight. He really is damn handsome. Belatedly coming to her senses, she averted her gaze elsewhere.
Kang Il-hyun walked out of the pool, picked up his bathrobe, and draped it over his body. After buttoning the front, he bit his lower lip hard and cursed.
"Fuck. It's really cold."
Ja-kyung, who was drinking the cocktail, couldn't hold back her laughter and almost sprayed it. When he confidently stripped and went in, that was one thing. She thought he'd sit in ice water with a cheeky expression, but I guess people are people. Laughing kept coming out so she turned her head completely to the side, but he came and sat right in front.
"Is it funny?"
Cough. Ja-kyung shook her head. But the laughter that had burst out wouldn't stop. She usually didn't laugh big, but Kang Il-hyun's appearance just now was too human. Biting her lower lip, her cheeks kept twitching. It was no use, so she buried her face between her legs to hide it.
"You're laughing."
Ja-kyung, who had buried her face between her legs, slowly raised her head.
"First time you really laughed."
It felt like being hit. Kang Il-hyun held his glass and looked at the quiet pool. When both closed their mouths, the sound of insects felt particularly loud. After finishing the cocktail, he called an employee. The employee brought the next cocktail. It looked like a universe inside the glass. Amazed, she shook the glass and examined the inside.
"Don't you miss your mom?"
It was a question like asking a child. At the sudden mention of mom, Ja-kyung shook her head.
"I talk to her every day so it's fine..."
"What does it feel like?"
"What?"
"Having a mother."
Ja-kyung couldn't answer. What would it feel like.
"It's nice..."
What was he thinking to ask such a question. She knew how his mother had died. She had hanged herself from the second-floor railing, hadn't she. Why did she die. Did even the wealthy madam have such difficulties. The insect sounds that had been pleasant to hear now felt pitiful.
Kang Il-hyun, who had been looking indifferently at the calm pool surface, opened his mouth.
"When I see a pool, I think of my late mother."
Kang Il-hyun brought up his mother's story first.
"You must have swum with your mother when you were young..."
"No. She tried to drown me in the pool to kill me."
"......"
"And not long after, she hanged herself and died."
"......"
He emptied the remaining alcohol in one go and furrowed his brows. Then he turned to look at Ja-kyung.
"I understand. Living with a man she didn't even like and giving birth to someone like me, it must have been hard."
For a moment, Ja-kyung didn't know what to say. Kang Il-hyun let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky, muttering. Ah, I miss Mom.
Why is he like this... At the suddenly serious atmosphere, Ja-kyung lost her words. While gauging the mood, Kang Il-hyun turned his head and looked at Ja-kyung quietly.
"Someone should comfort me."
He stared straight at her, but there wasn't even 0.1g of sadness in his eyes.
"I want to be comforted, Ian."
With a face gloomy like a dog caught in the rain, completely unbefitting him, he extended his hand. Not pitiful, but scary. Ja-kyung picked up the watermelon that came as a snack and shook her head left and right. If counting almost being killed by parents, she had a lot to say too. Kang Il-hyun was no match.
"Comfort."
Since he kept going on about comfort, she pretended not to hear, turned around, and sat nibbling on the watermelon. Meanwhile, mosquitoes kept landing on her arms and legs. Come to think of it, the mosquitoes were only attacking Ja-kyung. Mosquito, you don't like Kang Il-hyun either? If conversation were possible, she wanted to ask. She waved her hand to shoo them away, and Kang Il-hyun called her.
He put a cigarette in his mouth, stood up, and extended his hand.
"Let's go inside. Can't deal with the mosquitoes."
After hesitating, Ja-kyung took his hand. He pulled her, and as she was about to stand up lightly, he suddenly yanked hard. Huh? She tried to regain her balance, but she was a beat too late. In an instant, her body plunged into the pool with a splash.
When she flailed her arms and came up above the water, Kang Il-hyun was laughing like a villain with a lit cigarette in his mouth. Furious, she shouted.
"What are you doing!"
"You said you wanted me to do that for you."
He held his glass, walked backward, and lightly waved his hand. Saying she should reflect on what she did wrong there, and not to come out until she did, he turned his body and left. Dumbfounded, Ja-kyung belatedly realized her glasses were gone. Looking around, she saw them floating along with the half-eaten watermelon next to her. Ah, damn it.
After retrieving that and coming out of the water, it was quite cold. Ugh, grinding her teeth while walking toward the house, suddenly rain began to pour, drop by drop. Ja-kyung looked up at the sky with resentful eyes.