Chapter 29.1

Chapter 29.1

When she opened her eyes, she saw the ceiling of the bedroom. Heeju blinked blankly.

When did I end up in bed?

It seemed like she dozed off while sitting in a chair and eventually fell asleep face down on the bed, but somehow she was now sprawled out on the bed. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she turned her head to the side. There was no one lying beside her as they should have been.

Heeju abruptly sat up in bed. As she looked around the room, she soon spotted the back of a man’s head peeking over the back of the sofa.

“Haah…”

She let out a long sigh and got up to walk over to the sofa. The closer she got, the stronger the acrid smell of cigarette smoke became. Sure enough, a hazy cloud of smoke lingered around the sofa.

Gukhyun was slouched against the sofa, staring intently at the wall. No, more precisely, at the black tank.

“You shouldn’t be up this early already.”

Gukhyun glanced at Heeju and took a deep drag from his cigarette. Then, he looked back at the tank and replied, “I’m just sitting.”

In the midst of all this, you’re playing with words? It seems like the pain isn’t enough to kill him. Heeju alternated her gaze between Guk-hyun, who exhaled cigarette smoke, and the black tank he was staring at as if entranced.

What the h*ll was he looking at?

It was just a pitch-black tank.

There was no rule that something had to be grown inside the tank, but the empty tank, with its intensely dark color, inexplicably evoked a strange sense of foreboding. Perhaps that was why, when she first saw it, she had a vague premonition that she might end up trapped inside that tank.

The black walls reminded her of a damp pit that seemed ready to swallow her whole. If a psychiatrist were to see it, they would undoubtedly declare it an unsuitable object to keep as a decorative piece at home. Meanwhile, Gukhyun leisurely smoked his cigarette while admiring that very tank.

He was wearing only thin pajama pants, and on his bare upper body, there was just the bandage that Heeju had wrapped around his shoulder. Seeing him moving around normally, it seemed he was okay, but honestly, she couldn’t express how shocked she was when such a large man collapsed without making a sound right after s3`x.

Yet, seeing him sitting there as if nothing happened felt a bit absurd.

“Troublesome patient.”

Gukhyun jabbed a finger at his own chest.

“You talkin’ about me?”

“The first thing you reach for the moment you wake up is a cigarette?”

At that, Gukhyun let out a short laugh and dragged the ashtray closer, grinding out his smoke. Last time, he hadn’t even bothered—just put it out on some fancy-ass table like it was nothing. That table had long since been replaced.

He pulled a fresh cigarette from the pack and jerked his chin lazily at Heeju.

“The first thing I looked for was you.”

“…….”

“This is the second.”

“Then the third… is that thing?”

Heeju tilted her chin toward the black water tank. Gukhyun followed her gaze, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he slipped the cigarette between them.

“That? I just look at it ‘cause it’s there.”

“Look at what? There’s nothing in it.”

“The hell you mean, nothing? There’s water. Black water.”

Click. A flame sparked from the lighter. As Gukhyun took a deep drag, his cheeks hollowed, and the tip of the cigarette burned red. Chain-smoking right in front of his doctor—he really was the textbook definition of a sh*!ty patient.

Heeju turned her head toward the so-called black water. She’d assumed the tank was empty, but it was actually filled to the brim, leaving no gaps. Either way, it was anything but normal.

“You want me to introduce you to a psychiatrist? I know plenty.”

“One doctor’s more than enough for me, sweetheart.”

“Do you always talk like that? So vulgar?”

“Didn’t get enough love growing up. I’m an attention wh*re, so I just want yours.”

At his words, Heeju suddenly found herself wondering about his childhood. What kind of life did a man like him grow up with? Was it true that the chairman of Jungdo Construction had stolen some rich family’s kid and raised him as his own?

“Come sit down. Your legs must be shaky after getting f3c.ked raw all night.”

Gukhyun patted the seat beside him on the couch. A considerate invitation, phrased in the filthiest way possible.

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine.”

Instead of sitting down, Heeju turned away. There was no need to satisfy every single curiosity. Why the hell should she close the distance between them any more than necessary? She didn’t want to. What they had right now—just physical, nothing more—was enough.