Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32.1

Arriving at the hotel around dawn, André washed off the sweet scent that clung to his body with scalding hot water. He firmly resolved never to seek out Miran again.

But when it was time for Miran to get off work, André found himself in the small alleyways of Poidong without realizing it. Like a loyal dog waiting for its owner, he stood by a tall utility pole, waiting for her.

Even while waiting, his mind changed dozens of times. He would turn to leave, thinking about what he was doing, but when Miran spotted him from the end of the alley and ran towards him with a bright, sunny smile, he would ultimately sigh in resignation and succumb to his desires.

André de Lafayette, who had always been stricter with himself than anyone else, gradually became accustomed to this deviation. The pretext for their meetings was script practice. But once inside the small rooftop room, no one mentioned the script.

–

The afternoon before the day of the film shoot.

It was a day when Miran’s part-time job ended earlier than usual. In the late afternoon, André stood in front of the utility pole as usual. The surroundings were still bright since the sun had not yet set. As a result, things he couldn’t see in the dark night became noticeable.

Smelly garbage bags left outside the gate, dirty posters, and scattered flyers on the ground.

André let out a heavy sigh. One of the things the pitch-black darkness had hidden was André himself, who was swept away by desire and came here every day.

He rubbed his face with his hands and looked up at the clear blue sky. He knew that Miran liked him. She looked at him with such blind affection that even a stranger could notice it. André didn’t dislike her either. But that was all.

With the film shoot scheduled for tomorrow, there would be no more excuses or reasons to come here. So today would truly be the last time he came here.

They never had a proper date or s€x, and they knew little about each other. Now was the right time to stop. Since nothing had started, there was nothing to end. It was the right thing to do before he became an even more shameless bastard.

“André!”

From a distance, Miran waved at him. André, who had been leaning against the utility pole, straightened up. With his hands in his pockets, he turned towards her.

Seeing Miran approach with a bright smile and a spring in her step, as if she had no worries in the world, his lips naturally stretched into a wide smile.

Just a moment ago, he felt like a dog with an invisible leash, tied to the utility pole, waiting for its owner. But now, seeing Miran, who looked up at him with sparkling eyes full of joy, she seemed more like a fluffy puppy, wagging its tail and circling around him, eager to play.

André couldn’t help but chuckle. Ha. What am I going to do with you?

Miran looked at him and shyly smiled, unable to take her eyes off his face.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No.”

“It’s just… this is our first meeting during the day.”

“……”

When there was no response even after waiting, Miran twisted her body and glanced at him.

“Um, the weather is nice. Shall we take a walk? You haven’t had dinner yet, right? Is there anything special you want to eat?”

“You.”

Miran blinked blankly, and the moment she understood his words, her cheeks flared up. She quickly turned around, opened the back door, and disappeared inside as if fleeing.

Hearing the light footsteps running up the stairs, André chuckled softly, closed the back door, and took the stairs three at a time to catch up with her in an instant.

André followed her into the bathroom and stood close behind her as she washed her hands at the sink. She was lathering soap in her palms when she looked up in surprise. Their eyes met in the mirror.

André brushed her hair to one shoulder and pressed his lips against the nape of her neck. Miran swallowed hard as she looked into the mirror. Her face reflected in the mirror was flushed with heat. She wanted to look away, but André’s gaze held hers firmly.

His thick, long eyelashes lowered slightly as he extended his arms to encircle her, interlocking his soapy hands with hers. The soap slipped and fell into the sink.

“Ugh…”

Miran looked down at their intertwined hands with a flushed face. The sensation of their fingers interlocking and palms rubbing together felt incredibly sensual. It was made even more so by his lips trailing up her neck and teasing her earlobe.