His expression vanished as he silently caressed her skin. Lee Yeon tried desperately to forget the sensation against her back.
"Kwon Chae-woo, scrubbing like that doesn't feel refreshing at all. I put the washcloth right there. Please use that first."
"It looks painful."
"What?"
"If I touch it wrong, Lee Yeon's back might turn red."
"...That's literally the point of bathing."
Lee Yeon curled her body to hide the mottled bruises from constantly rubbing against the hard wood. She had no idea what misunderstanding Kwon Chae-woo had formed.
"Then let's skip the bath today."
"Are you kidding me?"
Lee Yeon whipped her head around, fuming. Her fierce glare was surprisingly sharp.
"Just with me—"
His voice, devoid of any laughter, paused briefly.
"Let's just call it simple play."
His entire palm pressed hot against her back. His slightly rough hand slowly kneaded her shoulder.
"Ah..."
When his arm pressed down firmly on the center of her back, her waist twitched strangely.
Warm water and hands even hotter than that. And old scars. Frictional heat rose somewhere among them. Lee Yeon curled her lips inward, feeling a languid breath about to burst. The humidity of a summer day clung to her entire skin.
His fingertips grazed beneath her chest. She quickly covered her chest with both forearms. The man pulled away plainly.
When he rubbed circles along her spine with his thumb, his other four fingers touched the curve of her waist. Both his hands easily encompassed her waist. Lee Yeon felt like melting right into the warm water.
She wished he would just scrub painfully and thoroughly instead. The unsettling sensation made her awkwardly stare at the ceiling.
Her thoroughly flushed face should have been from the hot water.
* * *
Once her back had been bared, sharing a bed became as easy as eating cold porridge.
Her limbs were already going languid, and drowsiness crept in. Lee Yeon sighed as if in surrender.
"Kwon Chae-woo, good night."
Just then, he lifted the covers and got in, filling the mattress. Lee Yeon felt an inexplicable comfort and closed her eyes.
Today had been truly long. Would it continue like this from now on? The first day moving together with Kwon Chae-woo from morning to night. It was demanding, but fortunately not as bad as she had thought...
"Already sleepy?"
"Yes... Wait, what?!"
Lee Yeon sprang up like a spring.
"What's wrong?"
Wait a moment, comfortable?
Did I just think it wasn't as bad as expected?
Am I crazy?
'That man tried to kill me, and I hit him with a saw! That person is... a bad man, and terrifying on top of that!'
Her drowsy mind was violently thrust back into reality. Lee Yeon pounded her head as she chewed over the thoughts she had unconsciously formed.
Then Kwon Chae-woo, who had also sat up, wrapped her small fist in his hand and raised his eyebrows.
"What are you doing right now?"
Is lying next to this man really comfortable?
'Get a grip, So Lee Yeon!'
Lee Yeon's eyes wavered.
'Don't forget that slaughterhouse from back then...!'
Lee Yeon, who sought coexistence, did not fit with a family of killers. Did it make sense for me to sleep peacefully next to a murderer?
Lee Yeon went pale at her own complacent attitude. It was a complete safety numbness. Just a few days ago, she definitely hadn't been this lax.
"Lee Yeon."
Kwon Chae-woo, who had been frowning imperceptibly, turned her head to face him. Their eyes met before she could avoid it. Lee Yeon squeezed her eyes shut as if to deny this fact.
"Open your eyes."
"..."
"I don't understand what you're trying to do. Suddenly putting one leg out like you're going somewhere?"
Only then did she feel one leg planted on the floor. That was how urgently her body had reacted on instinct.
She wanted to turn her face away, but he held her firmly so she couldn't move an inch. So she clamped her lips shut in defiance.
Kwon Chae-woo's heart went cold at the sight of Lee Yeon suddenly rejecting him with her entire body.
"You really won't open your eyes? You think I'll let that slide?"
"..."
"You don't even want to talk to me?"
Even at his coaxing voice, Lee Yeon was not swayed.
"Lee Yeon has never made someone turn against her, has she?"
In that instant, Kwon Chae-woo bit Lee Yeon's nape firmly. Her stubbornly closed eyes flew open, and a short cry escaped her lips.
"That's why you're so fearless."
He lowered his head further and forcefully sucked her flesh. Each time he parted his lips wide, wet sounds emerged. His nose flattened as he persistently bit and scratched. His entire mind was captivated by her alluring scent.
"Ah...!"
She shrugged her shoulders and complained of pain, but that only made his blood circulate faster. Lee Yeon's mild body scent clinging to his mucous membranes was maddeningly stimulating. His mind gradually went hazy with crimson impulse.
One hand cradled her jaw and ear, while the other firmly gripped the back of her head. He wanted to smear every bit of her between his gums. Even if it was blood, he didn't care.
"...Ah!"
She squirmed once more, but he only laughed against her skin. He bore his teeth in and chewed the soft flesh firmly.
Kwon Chae-woo indulged in her to his heart's content, like freshly washed fruit. Perhaps this nameless thirst that had ignited since morning.
He twisted his head and burrowed deeper. He wanted to spread his jaws wide like a snake and ravage her moist nape. It was the most intense memory to be etched into his impoverished mind.
His drawers grew slightly damp. Cowper's fluid flowed long from the tip of his stiffly erect member. Even with merely this degree of intimacy, suppressed moans leaked out.
"Hah..."
Lightning struck his head. Not this, more. More. Something was urgently goading him.
He felt that unless he roughly rubbed and ravaged, this ache would not subside. His waist jerked like a beast. Wanting not just her neck, but to devour her entire body.
"...Did, did you remember? Is that it?"
Then Lee Yeon asked, trembling.
If a loyal and prudent person bit someone without warning, there was only one reason—he had lost his mind. Lee Yeon, suddenly ambushed, could only think that.
And that meant her worst fear had come to pass.
"Kwon Chae-woo. Did your memories... return?"
Her voice was filled with terror.
At that moment, Kwon Chae-woo stopped all his actions as if he'd been stabbed in the side. Even a grinding animal wouldn't be this much of a mess.
When he pulled his lips from her neck, red bruises were dotted like mold spots. It was hardly a pretty sight.
"...No, Lee Yeon. No."
Lee Yeon's pupils shook violently, filled with wariness, fear, and suspicion. A person with zero offensive capability had her fur bristled, desperately watching for his reaction.
It was practically the expression of someone facing a monster.
With that single gaze, Kwon Chae-woo glimpsed his own past.
Her round pupils were a peephole. That convex lens showed the unfortunate So Lee Yeon and the violent version of himself in black and white.
As his abnormal excitement cooled, self-loathing rose like bile.
"Lee Yeon, I was wrong."
"..."
"I lost my mind for a moment and made a mistake."
He ran his hand through his hair and bowed his head deeply. Guilt was evident in the way he completely covered his eyes with his palm.
"I'm truly sorry."
Yet at the same time, Kwon Chae-woo felt his insides boiling.
What kind of question is that, asking if I remembered the moment we had physical contact?
Just how did she have sex with 'Kwon Chae-woo' that bastard that she recoils and fears like this.
This unidentifiable ferocious emotion was difficult and unfamiliar. He inhaled deeply as if to calm himself. His jaw muscles bulged and disappeared.
"Lee Yeon, I think it's best we sleep separately today."
"...What?"
"It's my own punishment. I'll forfeit breakfast."
"..."
"If needed, whether it's a month or two months, I won't wake you until your heart softens."
Then Kwon Chae-woo rose from his spot without hesitation.
Really...?
Lee Yeon could only stare blankly with wide eyes as he walked away.
Her first thought was relief. Thank god she could sleep alone. Thank god he hadn't regained his memories.
Lee Yeon inadvertently touched her throbbing neck and flinched in surprise. Even the slightest stimulation made it hurt enough to make her shudder like a burn. At this degree, he had definitely chewed her neck up completely.
"Ah...!"
Lee Yeon scrambled out of bed and followed him.
"Kwon Chae-woo, wait a moment!"
At her urgent call, he stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. But the moment their eyes met, he silently cursed. Even just reading his lip movements, it was a very vulgar word.