Chapter 2.2

Chapter 2.2

“Should we go to physical therapy?”

As he spoke, Min-gyu was already removing his hand and standing up. He was always so impatient. Yeonha’s eyes widened at the sudden suggestion.

“No… it’s over.”

“What does that matter? If it hurts, we go again.”

“It’s fine. Really.”

“Fine, huh?”

They bickered back and forth a bit. After Yeonha insisted several times that she would let him know if it continued to hurt and that she didn’t want to go right now, Min-gyu reluctantly backed off. He ruffled his hair in frustration.

“Don’t just tough it out if it hurts. Speak up right away, okay?”

“Got it…”

Although it was probably meant to be caring advice, Min-gyu’s way of expressing it was somewhat intimidating. Yeonha had gotten used to his mannerisms over time, though. With a faint sigh, she slowly got out of bed. She tried not to think about it, but she still put a bit of pressure on her right foot. Min-gyu’s sharp gaze followed her hesitantly.

“What time is it?”

In the clockless room, Min-gyu pulled out his phone from his pocket and answered. Just past twelve.

‘Slept a lot again.’

Though she nodded casually, her mood sank. Perhaps the lingering effects of her ankle surgery were less troubling than the seemingly endless bouts of sleep.

She’d lived with the belief that she didn’t get much sleep, dividing her days tightly, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. It was hard to refute Min-gyu’s claims that she was weak, especially considering that, with her frequent naps, she spent more than half her day asleep. At first, she thought the fatigue was due to various stressors, but it showed no signs of improving.

“You need to eat.”

As she headed towards the bathroom to wash her face, Min-gyu’s low voice stopped her. She responded with a distracted nod, but felt his arms wrap around her from behind. Stunned, Yeonha merely exhaled softly in his embrace. Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?

“Hey.”

“…What?”

“…”

He didn’t answer for a while after calling out. Min-gyu just held her silently in his embrace. Eventually, he lowered his head and placed his lips a few times on her soft cheek. Without any visible reaction, Yeonha kept her gaze fixed on the arm that tightly wrapped around her. The rough texture of his lips against her skin felt oddly intimate. Since some time ago, Min-gyu had occasionally acted as though they were in a very affectionate relationship.

Yeonha didn’t dislike his behavior, but it felt a bit awkward. It was strange to worry about likes and dislikes after having been intimate, but that’s how she felt.

“I’m sorry.”

When he mumbled that softly, Yeonha turned her head to meet his eyes. His expression was still unreadable.

“What for?”

“For your ankle. I was worried it might be hurting because of last night.”

I’m the crazy one. The coarse voice against her ear made her mouth fall open.

“…It’s not because of that.”

As she averted her eyes and answered, the arm embracing Yeonha tightened. The large hand pressed against her chest, just below her breasts, was unsettling. What… anyway, it wasn’t just a casual remark. Yeonha also vividly remembered how carefully Min-gyu had held her. Even amidst the disorienting and confusing sensations that lingered after the tension had dissipated, that feeling was palpable.

……In the first place, she was the one who had provoked him. If she thought about it, she was the one who had initiated everything, from the beginning to last night. Yeonha, who had been feeling heavy-hearted all evening due to the lingering effects of a nightmare she had during her afternoon nap in the empty house, was still affected.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

She carefully wrapped her arm around Min-gyu’s neck as he lay there, smiling faintly at her. Although she clearly felt him stiffen, she couldn’t help but lean in, her heart wandering aimlessly. The gentle kisses scattered across her face were not enough to satisfy her. She craved more, using her awkward, immature body language to tantalize him further, unable to be called a seduction.

Even though last night was only their second time together… Yeonha felt a profound sense of strangeness at her own desire for such an unfamiliar act.

Why had she become like this?

What did he think of her?

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Yeonha’s gaze grew unfocused without her realizing it. After all, it was an act they both wanted. It was meaningless to scrutinize the nature of emotions flowing in a relationship with a predetermined end.

“I’m going to wash up.”

The voice that came out was cold, even to her own ears. As she twisted her body to get out of the warm embrace, a dissatisfied response came back.

“You’re already clean, why wash again?”

When he suggested eating first and then washing, she shook her head. Now that she thought about it, Min-gyu had already washed up, and she suddenly felt embarrassed about her disheveled appearance.

“No… I need to wash my face too.”

“Always so meticulous.”

Despite his grumbling, Min-gyu let her go without hesitation. His obvious gaze followed her round head as she walked straight into the bathroom without looking back.