MPK Ch 10

“Ah, hello. I heard this cafe allows prepayment.”

About a week before New Year’s, a valuable customer visited early in the morning. I subtly suppressed my instinctive smile and stood politely at the counter.

“Yes. Many business owners in the area prepay for convenient use. Are you a shop owner nearby?”

“No! I mean, yes! Our director… An employee recommended your coffee, so I came to try it.”

“You work in construction then. Hmm… But if you’re not nearby, will you be able to come often? It would be a loss if you prepay and can’t visit frequently.”

Refunds would be troublesome for both of us.

“No, it’s not that far. I can come often enough. I would appreciate it if you could process the payment.”

The kind-looking gentleman with extremely polite manners put his hands together and offered his card. He’s using a Woosung card. A person who supports my business and contributes, even slightly, to Woo Baekyeon’s company. My fondness for him increased a little.

“Certainly, sir. How much would you like to prepay? The minimum is 200,000 won, and you’ll receive a 10% discount on drinks.”

“Ah, well, what’s the maximum?”

Hmm? The maximum…? I hadn’t really thought about a limit. After a moment’s thought, I blurted out a random number.

“Two million.”

“Okay. Two million won, please.”

“…Excuse me?”

Like a Christmas miracle, three gentlemen prepaid a substantial two million won each at the cafe. And that was only because I’d set the limit at two million; some even asked if they could prepay more. In just a few days, I’d made six million won!

“Woo Baekyeon, isn’t this strange?! Did a hidden camera crew come by without my knowledge? For some ‘Coffee Master’ special or something?”

“Our team constantly monitors all media regarding you and me. Nothing like that happened.”

Baekyeon, who was watching my frantic behavior with a jaded look, calmly said,

“It’s year-end budget spending.”

“Huh?”

“Budgets that disappear if they’re not used by the end of the year. They’re trying to use it up. Research funds, team operational expenses, things like that.”

“…Those exist?”

“It’s common.”

Only after hearing his confident words could I stop my hands from trembling, which had been shaking with suspicions of underworld money laundering, bribes to Woo Baekyeon’s spouse, or counterfeit money. Woo Baekyeon clicked his tongue in disbelief at my delusion. I heard him mutter, “For such a paltry sum.” A normal person naturally has less courage than you, okay?

“Tsk, so they’re not going to ask for a refund after the new year, right? Like, entrusting it to me briefly and then suddenly demanding it back….”

“That won’t happen.”

“Oh…, how do you know?”

“…I’m more familiar with how companies manage their funds.”

“That’s true. Hey, but those gentlemen haven’t been back once after prepaying that much.”

“It’s only been a few days. They’ll likely make a large order later for a company dinner or something. Just relax and accept it.”

“Hmm.”

For some reason, Woo Baekyeon was more talkative and subtly kinder than usual today. Was he worried because I was so anxious? The way he patiently addressed my nonsense in his aloof voice made my heart flutter. I suddenly felt like teasing him and poking him to see his reaction, like a childish kid.

Since I couldn’t annoy someone who’d given me good advice, I deliberately snatched a side dish from Woo Baekyeon’s plate instead. His gaze naturally followed my chopsticks to me. I leaned slightly forward and smiled.

“Thanks for the advice, Director. I feel much better.”

“It’s nothing. Ask me first if anything happens.”

“Got it. Still, I think I’ll only accept prepayment from one more person. Managing any more than this would be burdensome.”

“…….”

Woo Baekyeon simply raised and lowered an eyebrow without saying a word.

Now that the threat was gone, all that remained was gratitude. Determined to provide the best service to those who trusted me, I rushed off to a barista class early Saturday morning. I’ll work hard and not lose my beginner’s spirit. Next time you visit the cafe, I’ll have even more delicious coffee ready for you!

If the coffee gets better, sales will increase, and if sales increase, I can hire more part-timers, and if there are more part-timers, I can go home earlier. Then, naturally, I’ll spend more time with my housemate.

Woo Baekyeon has shown very, very slow changes in intimacy proportionate to the time we’ve spent together. But once in a blue moon, he shows a side of himself that seems reserved only for me, and for some reason, it makes my heart ache. My desire to get closer to him surged.

“Jung Hankyung, let’s work hard.”

That being said, due to the aftereffects of waking up early, I secretly hoped the lunch rush wouldn’t be too busy….

Heeyeon usually works full-time on weekends, but she had an unavoidable appointment this evening. So, I ended up covering the afternoon shift. Since I was already out, I headed to the cafe, intending to relieve her early.

“Oh, boss….”

As soon as I opened the door, Heeyeon called out to me in a daze. Then, she abruptly stood up.

“B-Boss, come quickly!”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Her gestures were urgent. My steps towards the counter quickened.

“What happened?”

“Well, just now. A really strange person came and went.”

“Yes?”

Heeyeon lowered her voice and quickly explained.

“Earlier, this gentleman came in, looked around, and asked if prepayment was possible. I told him the maximum was two million, and then, uh, he said he wanted to do it for five teams and swiped his card for ten… million.”

Ten? Heeyeon showed me the receipt as my eyes widened in shock. A sales record of ten million won was undeniably printed there.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. He spoke so smoothly and handed me the card so quickly that I only came to my senses after the payment was processed….”

“It’s okay. Let’s calm down and look into this.”

I checked the app. The card terminal record also displayed the eight-digit amount, sticking out like a sore thumb.

“I-Is this some kind of money laundering by gangsters? Or voice phishing, a counterfeit card, or something?”

…Everyone thinks alike. Having been in Woo Baekyeon’s shoes just the day before when he’d faced the same question, my stiff shoulders relaxed a little.

“Let’s assess the situation first. What did the customer look like?”

“It was a woman, around my mom’s age. She wore glasses, looked like she worked in an office or management… oh, she resembled the actress Yong Seong-hee.”

I tried to recall if there had been a customer matching that description, but I couldn’t. My fingers moved busily across the screen. Who in their right mind would prepay ten million won at a place that’s only been open for a month?

‘Who in their right mind….’

I moved my hands quickly in front of the laptop, searching for the masked information.

“…….”

The card number seemed strangely familiar.

I scrolled back through the payment records to a few days ago, to the first two-million-won prepayment that I’d considered a stroke of luck for the cafe’s end-of-year sales. I’d looked at the transaction details so many times that I remembered them. The card information matched exactly.

The events of the past few days began to replay in my mind.

The line of customers who’d awkwardly appeared and abruptly offered large sums of money. It was undeniably strange, yet I’d dismissed my suspicions because of someone who, unlike his usual self, had been optimistic and assured me everything would be fine.

I’d accepted it because I wanted things to go well for the cafe so I could spend more time with him.

The tension drained from my shoulders. Anger with nowhere to go leaves one feeling powerless.

All the circumstances quickly pointed to one person.

“Boss, did I… make a big mistake?”

“No.”

“Your expression right now… it’s….”

“It’s really nothing. I think I know who did this. It’s probably a prank.”

“Really? What kind of prank is this big? It nearly stopped my heart!”

“I’ll talk to him.”

Even if I hadn’t known about the previous prepayments, today’s was clearly done without any intention of hiding it. That’s probably why I felt this way.

“I’m pretty angry too.”

💍

‘I don’t need financial support.’

I’d said it directly from the start.

‘You seem to have a lot of money, Woo Baekyeon. But keep it. I have my own.’

The second time, I’d made my refusal clear.

I have no intention of forcing my lifestyle, financially independent from Woo Baekyeon, upon him at the expense of his convenience. I also agree that our married life should revolve around Woo Baekyeon, who has to be mindful of the public eye.

But he should respect my repeated refusals.

I left the cafe and arrived back at the penthouse, which I’d left early that morning.

Woo Baekyeon, who usually comes downstairs to the living room on weekend afternoons, turned his head at the sound of my footsteps. Instead of surprise at my early return, a smug smile graced his face. As if he knew why I was back at this hour. The smile gradually faded as I approached.

“Woo Baekyeon, you did this, didn’t you?”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Go and cancel it.”

“…….”

I don’t know what my expression looked like, the same one Heeyeon had pointed out earlier. Sometimes my reflection appears in the large windows when it gets dark, but right now, it’s broad daylight.

What was certain was that it was enough to make the aloof Woo Baekyeon flustered, and I didn’t have the energy to compose myself even though I knew it.

“No.”

“What?”

“You said yesterday you’d only accept prepayment from one more person.”

“So, that one person is you?”

“Jung Hankyung, you don’t like direct support, so I boosted your sales with my own money. What’s the problem?”

“So you were aware that I didn’t want to take your money?”

“…….”

“Were you the ones who swiped two million each before this too? I thought it was strangely agreeable for your personality.”

“…….”

“Ah, can’t answer?”

“Jung Hankyung.”

Woo Baekyeon placed the book on his lap down and rose from the sofa. Now his expression hardened, mirroring mine.

“You have a loan. Just a while ago you wanted more people to prepay, but it can’t be me?”

“Ha. Hey, Woo Baekyeon….”

“I was going to buy more, but the limit was a mere two million, so I stopped there. If you want to run a business, how about increasing your scale?”

“I told you I don’t need it!”

My outburst was followed by a rush of heat to my head. My body, robbed of its heat by my head, grew cold. Words tumbled out, driven by my pounding heart.

“Woo Baekyeon, is money so abundant that you can just throw it around?”

“…….”

“If you have that much money, for fuck’s sake, didn’t I tell you to donate it to a good cause?”

Woo Baekyeon’s eyes widened. Then, his shoulders tensed.

“That’s not it. I didn’t give it away for free. I paid for a service, a product.”

“What are you going to do with ten million won worth of cafe vouchers you won’t even use?”

“…I can use them slowly. And, you said before that you liked how my relatives bought vouchers and didn’t use them all up.”

“Do you seriously think that situation is comparable to this? Even if you’re a chaebol, can’t you tell the difference between ten million won and twenty thousand won?”

“…….”

Woo Baekyeon clenched his arm with one hand, a defensive posture. My mind screamed at me to stop and talk rationally, but…

“Why do you refuse my help so vehemently?”

The quicksand in my mind surged again, to a depth where if my feet slipped, I would instantly drown.

“Hey.”

Submerged up to my neck, I struggled to pretend it wasn’t a swamp.

“Do I look like a fucking beggar to you?”

“Jung Hankyung, I….”

“Do you want to give me charity that badly? Is that how I appear to you, Director?”

Woo Baekyeon released his bitten lip, leaving a dark red mark. He mulled over my words.

“Charity?”

With a slight tremor in his shoulders, Woo Baekyeon exhaled shortly.

“…Yes, it’s true that I spent money I didn’t need to. But why do you call it charity?”

“If it’s not charity, then what is it?”

“You didn’t even consider that it could have another meaning?”

Before my sarcastic laugh could fade, a voice choked with frustration was directed at me.

“I wanted to give you a gift.”

“…….”

“We’re family. You even said you’d eat my food for me if you thought it was poisoned. So why do you view everything I give you so negatively?”

“…….”

I was momentarily speechless. I could have retorted in countless ways, but Woo Baekyeon’s expression stopped me.

Unlike my unfiltered outburst, Woo Baekyeon spoke in calm, measured sentences. However, his usually impassive face now held an unfamiliar emotional turbulence. It seemed closer to hurt than anger.

“I’ll cancel it since you’re so offended. …But, at least when I instructed them to boost your cafe’s sales, my intention was far from charity.”

“…….”

“Jung Hankyung, do you give charity to your family?”

A jolt of realization—that I might have made a mistake—struck my darkly painted mind. By then, Woo Baekyeon had already turned and headed for the stairs. I instinctively reached out, but my feet were rooted to the spot. His back disappeared faster than usual.

“…….”

Buzz—

The vibration in my pocket finally allowed me to move.

Heeyeon

Boss, when r u coming? Is everything ok? I need to leave soon..ㅜ 12:40 PM

“Ah….”

I looked back and forth between the stairs and my phone, then finally turned towards the entrance.

My head throbbed from the aftermath of my outburst. Through the ringing in my ears, another noise from a distant memory replayed.

“Fuck.”

I thought the swamp had been filled in over the past ten years, but it was still there, churning, ready to grab my ankle and drag me down at any moment.

💍

The last customer left the cafe. After tidying up the tables and floor more slowly than usual, I turned off the main lights, leaving only the indirect lighting at the counter on, and sat there blankly.

“…….”

The emotion I felt as I replayed the events of the afternoon was clear regret. I’d overreacted. Woo Baekyeon, unknowingly, had stepped on Jung Hankyung’s weak spot. It was my rock bottom. Even if I’d experienced something similar with someone else in a different place, my reaction would have been the same.

So, this regret stemmed from Woo Baekyeon’s final expression.

‘Jung Hankyung, do you give charity to your family?’

I rubbed my face with both hands. It felt like something sticky was clinging to my palms. As I flailed my arms, trying to shake it off, I felt like I’d pushed Woo Baekyeon away too.

I stared outside until the passersby beneath the streetlights disappeared, then rose from my seat.

“Would you like a refund?”

The next day, I opened the cafe with a tired face and a customer arrived early in the morning. The person Heeyeon had described was Kang-hee Shin, Woo Baekyeon’s secretary. I took the card and cancelled the total of 16 million won in prepayments. The eight-digit figure printed on the receipt still seemed bizarre. I covered Woo Baekyeon’s name on the card with the receipt and returned it to Secretary Shin.

“I apologize for the inconvenience caused by him and me.”

“Not at all. It’s me who should apologize.”

Secretary Shin packed his wallet with a grim expression.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t properly mediate what the director was trying to do. My judgment was poor.”

“Well, it’s true that you’re stuck in the middle of this.”

“Jung Hankyung, if you don’t mind me asking, did you not go home last night?”

“…I thought it wouldn’t be good to see each other right after a fight. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Haha, with only two people living in a penthouse of that size, you could easily avoid each other for a week. Just go home.”

He was still a straightforward person with a gentle demeanor. Rubbing my stiff shoulder from sleeping curled up in the staff room, I asked,

“By any chance, Secretary Shin… did you come here to try and reconcile us?”

“It’s a matter between husband and wife; me? I simply came to process the refund on the director’s behalf. I absolutely won’t say things like, ‘The director is more sensitive than he looks and isn’t the type to do such things secretly, so I don’t understand why he did it.’“

“…….”

“That would be overstepping.”

Secretary Shin bowed politely.

“I only came to process the refund today, so I’ll be going. Have a good day, Jung Hankyung.”

“…Have a safe trip back.”

Secretary Shin left me with a gentle smile and a lot to think about. His words echoed in my mind.

Woo Baekyeon doesn’t really filter his words with me. He explains things he can share calmly, and draws a line with “You don’t need to know” for things he doesn’t want to tell me.

Certainly, secretly scheming, especially in such a clumsy, easily detectable way, didn’t fit Woo Baekyeon’s character at all.

Lost in thought, I unconsciously touched my neck. It was a habit I’d mostly broken since the scar above my Name had healed, but it resurfaced when I was deep in thought. The soft knit prevented any itching….

And this knit was a gift from Woo Baekyeon, given after he’d chided me for not telling him my birthday. I hadn’t intentionally kept it from him; I’d genuinely forgotten.

As I recalled the memory that amplified my discomfort, I suddenly stopped. There was a word Woo Baekyeon had reacted to unusually strongly at that time. It was…

“…Surprise?”

Huh.

A chuckle escaped my lips after I said it. Holding the knit fabric in my hands, I let out a series of disbelieving sighs.

“No way, what a crazy bastard.”

Woo Baekyeon, looking elated that day while watching me genuinely happy, Woo Baekyeon muttering “surprise” as he handed me the gift.

“Ha….”

I covered my face with both hands again, just as I had the day before. Then, I abruptly lifted my head.

I was about to grab some scrap paper from the staff room, scribble “Be right back” on it, and stick it on the door. That’s when I ran into Heeyeon, who had arrived unusually early.

“Oh, boss, you were out?”

“Yes, um, I’ve finished all the opening preparations! I’ll be counting on you today!”

💍

The lower floor of the Heaven’s Castle penthouse was silent and devoid of any presence. I stood at the foot of the stairs, a boundary I was never supposed to cross, and looked up.

“Woo Baekyeon.”

There was no response from the unseen upper floor.

“Woo Baekyeon! Look at me! Come down for a second!”

After calling out several times, I called Woo Baekyeon. The call was cut short after two rings.

“Well, at least he’s not asleep yet.”

…Then let’s wait a little longer. I sat down at the bottom of the stairs. He’ll come down when it’s time to eat….

That, I realized, was wishful thinking. Hours passed, and Woo Baekyeon didn’t show his face.

“Hey, come down and eat! I heard you’ve been up there since last night!”

Woo Baekyeon, are you alive? 3:24 PM

Let’s talk… 4:01 PM

No, at least eat something… 4:05 PM

The read receipts disappeared every five minutes, but there was no reply. Well, even if he hasn’t eaten, he probably doesn’t feel hungry since he’s ignoring me….

I called out to Woo Baekyeon, called him, texted him. I spent half a day at the bottom of the stairs acting like a pathetic ex-boyfriend.

Finally, past 7 PM, I took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stair.

“I’m coming up!”

Although the stairway to the upper floor was enclosed, the walls and ceiling were so brightly lit that it was almost blinding. The hidden upper floor began to reveal itself beyond the highest step.

There were four doors upstairs. As I stood there, momentarily frozen, unsure where to go…

Thump.

As if someone had pushed me, my head turned towards the innermost room. A dull ache followed by phantom pain flashed across my Name-marked neck. Rubbing the spot, I stared at the door.

“…The person who carved my Name is in there, right?”

I knocked, but there was no response. I knocked again, with the same result. My hand, paused in front of the door, reached for the doorknob. Perhaps because I was nervous, the doorknob felt cold against my warm palm.

“Woo Baekyeon. I’m sorry, but I’m coming in.”

I twisted the doorknob and pushed open the tightly closed door. A brightly lit room, as bright as the hallway, appeared. The first thing I saw was a bookshelf that filled the wall in an L-shape. On the opposite side, I saw a large bed with a mound of blankets.

The person lying there had their back to the door, so I could only see the back of their head.

“Let’s talk for a minute.”

“…….”

“Get up.”

Since I had already crossed the stairs, I felt like I shouldn’t intrude further into the room, so I called out to him from the doorway. But he didn’t move.

“If you’re going to pretend to be asleep, at least turn off the lights.”

“Don’t turn them off!”

Woo Baekyeon, who had been lying down, abruptly sat up and shouted. It was the first time I’d heard his voice in hours. He pulled his chin in and glared at me like a wary animal.

“State your business.”

“…Um, I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for.”

“I was wrong yesterday.”

“What did you do wrong.”

If this were an actual relationship, it would be incredibly difficult, regardless of whether I was right or wrong….

I ran my hand through my hair and leaned against the door.

“…To make a pathetic excuse…”

“…….”

“I… received significant support in the past. I was actually a baseball player until my second year of high school.”

“Baseball.”

Ah, he knew, of course. Although my media coverage didn’t even compare to a fraction of Woo Baekyeon’s, there were a few articles about the “brave baseball boy” when we became a Name couple.

“I’d lived my whole life focused solely on baseball, but my career ended forcibly when I injured my shoulder after confronting some people trying to kidnap two young siblings with nothing but a bat.”

“I know. Song Chae-rin and Song Chae-seong, the grandchildren of Junghwa Ilbo’s chairman.”

Woo Baekyeon turned his head away as he answered. I also found it difficult to continue this story while looking at someone’s face, so I looked at the carpet and continued.

“When I received the diagnosis that I wouldn’t be able to play at a professional level again, I was devastated that my dream was over, but I was more heartbroken that I’d disappointed my parents, who had supported my baseball aspirations their whole lives. But when my father visited me in the hospital, he said, ‘It’s okay that you can’t be a player, you’ve become a good person. You’re at an age where you can start anything anew.’ That’s what he told me.”

“…….”

“Junghwa Ilbo portrayed me as a brave baseball boy for the sake of my future. So that my retirement from baseball wouldn’t be seen as a disgrace when I eventually pursued a different career. The media made me into a once-in-a-lifetime hero, and donations poured in from various organizations. The chairman said there were also some trying to curry favor with Junghwa Ilbo. As a result, I suddenly received…”

Special broadcasts, a barrage of favorable news and articles, along with reward money…

“Two billion won. It was ten years ago, so it was an even more significant amount back then.”

Junghwa Ilbo concealed the actual amount donated to me from the public. The articles only mentioned that I’d received a scholarship to rebuild my dreams.

At the time, I was focused on rehabilitation and, burdened by the guilt of letting down my parents, I entrusted the entire sum to their management. I’d believed nothing would go wrong since we were a peaceful family.

However…

“My father quit his job and started a business. My mother, while angry at him, stopped studying for her civil service promotion exam.”

Their arguments increased, voices were raised, and their smiles in front of me became strained. Our home, its warmth fading, housed someone who had lost their future and couldn’t cope with their wounds.

“…Eventually, my father’s business failed, and a large portion of the money disappeared. As soon as I turned twenty, my parents divorced.”

Even Junghwa Ilbo hadn’t anticipated this. It was why the chairman and his wife continued to care for me even though I insisted I was fine.

“After that, I became sensitive to financial favors. I decided never to accept them again, believing there’s no such thing as free money. I guess that incident still lingers.”

I had explained everything, and now it was time to apologize.

“I’m sorry for yelling. I’m sorry for saying things like ‘charity.’”

“Treatment.”

“Huh? What?”

“You didn’t lose all the money, did you? Did you receive proper treatment for your shoulder?”

“Ah. My father didn’t use my rehabilitation expenses. See? I’ve never seemed inconvenienced in my daily life.”

Woo Baekyeon stared intently as I moved both shoulders back and forth. Then, he turned towards me. The blanket covering his lap slipped down.

“…Come closer and show me.”

It was an unexpected request. Permission to come closer… right? My hesitant steps landed one by one on the rug. It felt like entering uncharted territory.

As I approached the bed, close enough to meet his eyes, the scene of our argument from the previous day resurfaced, pricking my conscience. Woo Baekyeon’s eyelashes pointed downwards.

“Sit.”

“Okay.”

I awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed. He gently grasped my shoulder over my clothes.

“How did you know which shoulder I had surgery on?”

“…….”

Woo Baekyeon didn’t answer, instead continuing to examine my shoulder, arm, and even my neck. …I wasn’t trying to be oblivious, but every time Woo Baekyeon’s hand touched near my Name, I felt a slight tingle.

“Jung Hankyung, I didn’t know.”

“…….”

“If I had known about your circumstances, I wouldn’t have brought up anything related to finances when we drafted the prenuptial agreement.”

The atmosphere softened enough for me to finally manage an awkward smile.

“So, are you still angry?”

“…….”

Woo Baekyeon removed his hand from my shoulder.

“I understand that my actions were wrong, and I’ll reflect on them. However…”

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. Wait, I’ve seen that look somewhere before. I instinctively flinched.

“Your attitude was also problematic.”

“Uh-huh….”

“Entering the house with an angry expression is disrespectful to your spouse. I didn’t know what was going on, so I couldn’t help but be defensive.”

“It’s also ridiculous to announce you’re going home to be angry.”

“…….”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t barge in and explode in anger like an asshole again.”

“Even if you’re angry, don’t use profanity. You said ‘fuck’ to me.”

The curse word, uttered in his refined voice, sounded foreign and bizarre. Perhaps it was the first time that word had ever crossed his lips. I was newly remorseful.

“I was definitely wrong about that.”

“A spouse who fights and stays out all night is the worst.”

“I didn’t sleep comfortably anywhere; I huddled in the cafe’s staff room….”

“That makes me even angrier. You should have gone to a hotel, or… Just don’t run away.”

“Yes, yes….”

“…I’m not good at handling unexpected situations.”

His wet, pine-cone-colored eyes looked directly at me.

“Even if you’re angry with me, please give me some time to think….”

His words completely disarmed my remaining fighting spirit. If this were a fight, I was utterly defeated, yet I wasn’t frustrated. I was just relieved I wouldn’t have to see the same expression he wore yesterday again.

“But, Woo Baekyeon. You also give me the cold shoulder without warning sometimes.”

“I’ve never done that.”

“Even if I’m in a subordinate position right now, you don’t have the right to answer so confidently.”

“I treat everyone the same, and I’m actually more careful with my words and actions towards you as my spouse. On the other hand, you were particularly forceful with me yesterday, and you wouldn’t treat others that way. Yesterday, I was treated worse than a stranger.”

“Okay. I really won’t do that again.”

I couldn’t even get my point across. I raised my hands in complete surrender.

“Anyway, Woo Baekyeon. If you really want to help me pay off my loan with sales, come with Secretary Shin and just buy a cup of coffee each.”

“What good will pocket change do…?”

“I’ll buy you tteokbokki again when the loan is paid off.”

“Trying to squeeze blood from a stone.”

This guy, even when I’m groveling and apologizing, he makes me narrow my eyes and glare at him…. He’s the type who earns back the thousand-nyang debt he owes with his face. That is to say, the moment I saw his pretty face with its pertly pursed lips, my anger melted away again.

With the misunderstanding resolved, my tension dissipated, and the various parts of my body that had been stiff with anxiety now ached.

“Haa….”

As I slumped my shoulders, a languid air of exhaustion filled the room. The relief of reconciliation loosened the tightness around my heart. My heart beat slowly, like a ball dropped to the ground, but with a strange flutter.

Now that we’ve both calmed down and there’s nothing left to discuss, I should probably leave. But do I really have to leave right away…? Can’t I stay a little longer, even if there’s nothing else to talk about?

“Jung Hankyung.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been in the same bed.”

The fact I was deliberately trying to ignore slipped out of Woo Baekyeon’s mouth first.

“…Hey, if you don’t want to do it anymore, tell me now. So I can stop thinking about it.”

“Stop doing what?”

“You know… um… things people do in the same bed.”

“Why wouldn’t we?”

His stance was firmer than I expected. But there hasn’t been even a hint of that kind of atmosphere since I came into this house.

“I just haven’t suggested it because you seemed busy preparing for your business.”

“…So you, you want to do it with me again?”

“Do I need to be asked that when a married couple is about to have sex?”

His characteristically aloof question, although sometimes odd, hit the mark.

The location: in bed. The time: evening, as the sun begins to set. The topic: sex. My heart pounded, and the area around my neck grew warm.

“What about you, Jung Hankyung?”

Ahem, hmm. I pretended to clear my throat and stroked the Name on my neck.

“It seems to know we fought. It says to be nice to you.”

“If nothing happened to my Name, and only yours reacted, it means you have something to feel guilty about.”

“Oh, come on, you said you’re not angry anymore.”

“You didn’t answer my question about what you want, Jung Hankyung.”

“…What do you want to do first?”

“If there’s an order, a kiss would be first.”

Honestly, would the penthouse be struck by a meteor if he just said he wanted to kiss?

I cupped Woo Baekyeon’s ear and jawline, pulling him closer. Despite his prickly words, he readily leaned in.

His lips, touching mine after so long, were still soft and warm. As if we had made a pact, we shared a light kiss, lips simply pressed together. A series of dry, light pecks followed, lips parting and closing slightly. The warmth I felt from a short distance away gradually drew closer. I opened my closed eyes as a faint throbbing sensation arose from my neck. Our gazes met at a distance where our eyelashes almost brushed.

Woo Baekyeon caught my hand, which was cupping his cheek. The distance between us closed abruptly, and our open mouths met. As our tongues tangled hotly, the strange ache from my Name intensified. Or was it an itch rather than pain? It felt like a toy hammer tapping lightly against my heart with each beat.

I suddenly wondered if my Name, just as it had indicated where Woo Baekyeon was earlier, was now signaling a significant shift in his emotions.

Gasping for breath mid-kiss, I slipped a question into the gap between our lips.

“Hey, so you’re saying that on our honeymoon, despite your sensitivity, you actually wanted to have sex more. This, this.”

“…….”

“You jumped at even the slightest touch, but for a first-timer, Woo Baekyeon, you were quite eager, ow!”

Woo Baekyeon, glaring at me with displeasure, bit my neck hard.

“Hey, w-wait…! Hngh!”

A tingling sensation spread from my Name throughout my body. Then, he licked the sore bite mark with his tongue. Each time the warm, wet sensation swept across my skin, my shoulders twitched. The moist flesh inside his mouth rubbed against the surrounding area, creating a strange sensation.

“Haah, be gentle. Ugh, a-alright. It wasn’t just you who was turned on back then. Aaah, that spot feels really weird. Eek!”

As I tried to dodge him, he seemed intent on devouring my neck with his tongue, my body tilted back. Woo Baekyeon seized the opportunity and pushed me down.

“Ugh…!”

He climbed on top of me, his mouth latched onto my neck as he stroked upwards along the crease of my buttocks. The blunt sensation through my jeans sent a shiver down my spine.

Ah, I originally planned to suggest switching positions next time after the honeymoon… but I’m not really in a position to say that after messing up.

“Jung Hankyung, why are you thinking about other things?”

Actually, I’m starting to think this position with him is okay….

“Well, there’s such a thing as make-up sex.”

“Don’t say things only you understand. What’s that?”

“Hmm… how should I explain this? It means you can ask for different things from your partner.”

“What kind of different things?”

I was still debating whether to suggest it, but seeing Woo Baekyeon’s face, I made up my mind. It would be good for me too if it could completely dispel any remaining guilt.

Another reason was that I wanted to see new expressions on his usually sullen face. I grinned and pushed Woo Baekyeon’s shoulder. He looked hesitant but moved back obediently.

“For example, like this.”

I made Woo Baekyeon sit and got off the bed. His twitching eyebrows, long, thin eyelashes and brown eyes, pale cheeks that seemed untouched by sunlight, lips already reddened from biting and kissing me, his Adam’s apple, his rumpled shirt, the glimpse of his toned body beneath it.

My gaze trailed downwards as I knelt. The startled Woo Baekyeon quickly reached out, but I caught his hands and stopped him.

Since his hands were caught, he had no choice. I used my teeth to tug at the ribbon tied at the front of his sweatpants. The knot came undone easily.

“Jung Hankyung…!”

A gasp of surprise escaped him. Geez, I haven’t even done anything yet. I pulled his pants down with my teeth and then tugged at the waistband of his underwear. Woo Baekyeon’s hands, still clasped in mine, twitched.

I pulled down his underwear and freed his cock. Woo Baekyeon let out a shaky breath. His cock wasn’t fully erect yet. As I pressed the underside of the glans with the tip of my tongue, blood began to flow to the rounded tip. It was the same pink color I’d seen about a month ago. Thinking about what was about to happen, it looked like a strawberry candy with a hint of milk. That image somehow made this act, which I was doing for the first time, seem doable.

Woo Baekyeon’s glans entered my wide-open mouth. I licked the hot mass with my tongue. As expected, I couldn’t taste anything other than the scent of skin, but Woo Baekyeon’s reaction was intense.

“Wh-what… are you doing. Why suddenly… oral sex. Ugh…, hngh, wait. Jung Hankyung….”

I didn’t plan on sucking a guy off regularly, so just enjoy it, dude. With that in mind, I guided his hands to the back of my head. His hesitant hands then gripped my hair tightly. His cock pushed a little further into my mouth.

“Hngh…!”

Ugh.

Despite my enthusiastic start, it was undeniably a mouthful.

I massaged my jaw with my thumb and middle finger and lowered my head further. The tip of his cock started to prod my throat, but there was still a length I hadn’t swallowed. There was no way I could fit it all in. I tightened my mouth and used my hand to grip the remaining length and his balls. His white thighs trembled above me, the lines of his muscles deepening.

“Uh, haah…, ugh….”

Heated breaths fell on my head. His cock quickly hardened completely. I pulled back slightly and looked up at Woo Baekyeon. He was biting his lower lip, trying to endure the pleasure. When our eyes met, he blushed, the color change visible even to my eyes.

“Uh, d-don’t… look.”

His embarrassed voice tightened my lower abdomen. I thought this was a one-sided act, but unexpectedly, I was also… quite… I nipped at the frenulum beneath his glans with my lips before taking his length into my mouth again.

“Hngh!”

Woo Baekyeon’s waist buckled, and the fingers gripping my hair tightened. My mouth, filled with more than it could handle, filled with saliva, producing wet sounds with each suck.

“Wait, aah…, hng, please, uh…!”

Woo Baekyeon tried to push my shoulder away. No way. I grabbed his wrist and held it still. I’ve spent years fending off unwanted hands….

“Aah, Jung Hankyung, no, aah!”

Woo Baekyeon’s waist buckled forward as he exhaled a long, hot breath onto the back of my head. At the same time, something hot and salty erupted in my mouth. Did he just… cum? Isn’t that a bit early?

“Aah, ugh, hhng…!”

His orgasm lasted quite a while. I hadn’t intended to swallow, but my mouth was so full that it went down my throat involuntarily. I choked and coughed, unable to pull back because Woo Baekyeon’s upper body was slumped on top of my head, hot fluid dribbling from the corners of my mouth.

“I told you to stop!”

Woo Baekyeon, having finished cumming, pushed me away with his mouth. I wiped my dripping mouth with the back of my hand and coughed. Oxygen rushed back into my deprived head, making my vision swim. I barely managed to steady myself by gripping Woo Baekyeon’s knee.

“Jung Hankyung, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

My vision quickly returned as the momentary breathlessness passed. The first thing I saw was Woo Baekyeon’s face, close to mine as he checked on me. His flustered face was as red as a late-season strawberry. Seeing his expression stirred something within me again. I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue, coated with his cum.

“…!”

Woo Baekyeon scrambled back onto the bed, inhaling sharply enough to create a whooshing sound. Wow, the reaction was incredibly satisfying….

Thwack!

Something white and fluffy suddenly flew at my face. The pillow that had hit me landed on my lap.

“…Hey, you hit me after getting everything you wanted?”

“That… that face is weird. It’s too… lewd, so don’t, don’t do that.”

Rubbing his face with the back of his hand, he pulled my arm, which was still on the floor, to help me up.

“Jung Hankyung, do you… like… oral sex?”

It was the first time I’d heard someone use such a formal term for blowjobs, so I couldn’t answer right away. In the meantime, Woo Baekyeon continued.

“…I’ll do it for you next time.”

“Huh? No need. It’s okay.”

“Why?”

…His response was sharp. But I really don’t want to receive from Woo Baekyeon.

“Honestly, I don’t think you’d be good at it, and your teeth might touch.”

“…….”

His lips, which looked like they wanted to retort, closed, and after a few shrugs of his shoulders, Woo Baekyeon said,

“I’m good at preparing thoroughly. Next time, just you wait.”

“No, it’s not necessary…”

“And…, you’re okay with me.”

That was in response to my comment about his teeth, right? For some reason, his words made my heart flutter. It felt like I was looking at a cat that only I could touch, a feeling of pride because he wouldn’t be like this with anyone else.

Woo Baekyeon reached for a square, paper-wrapped package on the nightstand. For a second, I thought it was a condom, but it turned out to be an alcohol swab. He meticulously cleaned his fingers from tip to base. On its own, it looked like the meticulous act of a clean-freak, but knowing how those hands had touched my body, it could only appear suggestive to me.

“Lie down. Jung Hankyung.”

“…….”

Even his blunt command sounded a little chilling.

As soon as I propped myself up on the bed with my elbows, his alcohol-cooled fingers dug into the small of my back and slid downwards. His other hand easily undid my belt buckle and zipper.

“Hngh.”

His fingertips touched my entrance. I instinctively tried to squirm, but Woo Baekyeon pressed down on my upper body with his own, pinning me down. I ended up lying face down, angled slightly away from him. As he probed my entrance and angled his wrist, my clothes shifted, exposing my bare skin. In contrast to the cool air against my skin, my cheeks flushed hot. Woo Baekyeon didn’t give me time to grab a pillow to bury my face in before thrusting two fingers inside me. Two from the start.

“Jung Hankyung, it’s much tighter than last time.”

“Haah, that was a month ago. Of course it is…, kkh.”

His knuckles pushed past the initial tightness. It felt a bit rough, but it wasn’t excruciatingly painful like the first time in Jeju Island. Back then, the fear of penetration had played a part, but perhaps now, knowing that the sensation wasn’t so bad, made it easier.

Rip—.

I heard another tearing sound behind me. It was Woo Baekyeon tearing open a condom wrapper with his teeth.

“What, you had some?”

“You looked for them on our honeymoon.”

“Oh….”

He really was prepared to… do it again with me…?

Woo Baekyeon removed his fingers and sheathed his cock with the condom. Even the way he pinched the tip to ensure a snug fit seemed textbook perfect. He then coated his fingers liberally with the remaining lubricant, slicking my entrance before probing inside again.

“Ugh!”

He quickly pushed past the slightly relaxed outer area and stretched me open. Woo Baekyeon didn’t give me time to process the unnerving sensation before he started to knead my insides.

“Aah, ugh…, haah….”

“…….”

The wet sounds of his fingers inside me, my moans, and Woo Baekyeon’s increasingly ragged breathing mingled. As he spread his three fingers inside, stretching me open, my hips lifted involuntarily, and I clenched my teeth.

While ravaging me from behind, Woo Baekyeon reached around with his other hand and stroked my cock.

“Next time, I’ll definitely use my mouth….”

“No, you don’t have to, ugh…!”

Even I, who had been too busy to think about sex, quickly became hard. The simultaneous stimulation at both ends quickly brought pre-cum to the tip of my cock.

Confirming that I was fully aroused, Woo Baekyeon withdrew his fingers. Then, spreading my buttocks, he thrust inside.

“Aah….”

Was it my imagination that his grip on my hips tightened as he hissed a breath? My clenched entrance was forcibly stretched open in an instant.

“Hngh…, huh.”

He pushed in forcefully, then lifted his hips with a thud. My prone body lurched forward, nearly hitting my nose on the bed.

Woo Baekyeon pulled back, then thrust in hard. The glans, parting my insides, grazed my prostate. Woo Baekyeon gripped my hips tightly when he saw me shudder at the sensation.

Thud!

He relentlessly assaulted the sensitive spot.

“Akh, haah…!”

A chilling anticipation arose with each hard thrust and withdrawal. Moments later, overwhelming satisfaction and exhilaration washed over me in waves. The problem was the pace; it was too fast.

Woo Baekyeon clearly didn’t understand the concept of pacing. He never did shallow thrusts; he pulled back until the glans barely cleared my entrance, then drove back in hard enough to make my insides raw. It was the reason coherent thought was gradually disappearing from my mind. Amidst all this, Woo Baekyeon covered my hand, which had been stroking myself on the bed.

“Hey, I can take care of this myself…, ugh! Haah….”

Of course, he wouldn’t listen. He gripped the base of my cock and pressed his thumb against my perineum. A tingling sensation, like a cramp, shot through my lower body.

“Jung Hankyung, if I… touch you here… you… become softer.”

“Aah…! Hngh!”

My entrance stretched wide enough to accommodate the base of his cock as he pushed even deeper than before. My teeth clenched involuntarily as I came onto my combined hands, the cum practically squeezed out. It was less of an orgasm and more like being forcibly milked. My cock remained hard.

“Woo Baek… yeon. Aah, ugh!”

Woo Baekyeon licked the hollow beneath my shoulder blade. I never knew that the skin beneath my bone was so sensitive.

My body inevitably recalled the sensations from our honeymoon a month ago. I thought I was relatively clear-headed at the beginning, but the violent pleasure had intoxicated me just like back then.

My back would definitely be sore after this. Doggy style already strained my back more than missionary, but Woo Baekyeon was also relentlessly thrusting his hips from below.

“Haah, aah… crazy. Hngh, uh…!”

To be precise, I was also matching his pace, raising and lowering my body. The friction intensified, and the swollen flesh inside my clenched buttocks felt even more insistent.

His chest, pressed against my back, vibrated intensely. Woo Baekyeon finally made my back give out, my arms collapsing beneath me. I buried my face in the warm blankets and gripped the fabric in my hands. An almost surreal, persistent pleasure clung to me.

“Haah, uh… Jung Hankyung, haah, aah…!”

“Ugh, right there…!”

My knees spread as Woo Baekyeon pushed against my thighs. The shame of the position was nothing compared to the wet sounds coming from my ass. The sticky, squelching sounds were fast and insistent. It felt so good it was almost painful. My muffled moans into the blankets grew ragged.

“Hey, I’m gonna… cum… aah!”

Kkh…! A guttural moan escaped me as I came. The orgasm rippled through my body, making my insides twitch, and Woo Baekyeon thrust a few more times, burying himself to the hilt before stopping.

“Haah, aah… ugh…!”

My insides filled with his warmth as I squeezed his cock tightly, milking him of the last of his cum. Panting, I collapsed onto the bed, still intertwined with Woo Baekyeon.

“Haa….”

Perhaps it was because I’d been driven to the point of exhaustion, but the wave of fatigue was immense. Why did it feel like I’d spent half a day being rolled around a gym after just one round of sex?

All training should be followed by a reward to leave a good memory. In that sense, Woo Baekyeon rolling me over and kissing me was a pretty decent reward. The look of arousal on his usually aloof face was even better.

“Hmph.”

Woo Baekyeon’s gaze, looking at his spent cock and the evidence on the sheets, was filled with pride. He seemed to be giving himself high marks for making me cum while being fucked. Driving me to the point of collapse wasn’t necessarily a good thing, though…. I definitely buttoned the first button wrong from our honeymoon.

“The doggy style position has many advantages for penetration, but the biggest disadvantage is not being able to see your face.”

“Is that… uh, uh…? Why?”

“I like it a little more when I can see your face.”

Oh, no. To say something like that… how can you look someone in the eye while doing it? Men are creatures who fall for the words “even when you’re old, you’ll be handsome.” Praise from a beautiful person is even more potent. That’s why I end up saying things like this.

“Then, ahem, should we do it again, facing each other?”

Woo Baekyeon nodded and placed his hand beside my face.

“We’ll face each other, but it won’t be just once. We’ve never done it only twice before.”

“…….”

“Or is make-up sex only twice?”

“No, there’s no such thing. Uh, no…”

No matter how much I thought about it, this situation seemed to be my fault. Ah, since it’s come to this, let’s just enjoy it. It’s tough, but honestly, it feels good. The problem is that it’s a bit too tough.

💍

As I lay sprawled on the bed, something clattered against my wrist.

‘Haah…, I had my watch on.’

It had even automatically switched to workout mode. Indoor cycling…? And the workout time was recorded as six hours.

Is that even possible? A pink dolphin ramming its hips for six hours… is that humanly possible? Judging by my wrecked state, it seems like an impossible mission. Aside from my numb ass, my whole body was drenched in unidentifiable fluids.

Hey, Woo Baekyeon, your sex manners are truly atrocious. Who taught you that? Who deflowered you?! Then, I guess I should look in the mirror.

Actually, Woo Baekyeon’s rough movements weren’t random and self-serving… but a relentless pursuit of my pleasure points. If his methods had been purely painful, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it, but humans are creatures of habit… even sex that leaves me drained… I’m starting to feel like it’s… not bad….

Of course, after every ounce of my energy has been squeezed out, I can’t even lift a finger, like now. Orderly footsteps approached me as I lay stuck to the bed like seaweed.

“Jung Hankyung, go wash up.”

“I barely have enough energy to breathe, you crazy bastard….”

“Why do you keep using profanity?”

“Your humble servant implores you to leave him be.”

Despite the intense activity, Woo Baekyeon had returned to his composed and aloof demeanor. He was like a princess with a magic dress that never gets wrinkled. I’ve heard stories about princes transforming into green frogs, but never about princesses transforming into hyper-sexual pink dolphins….

“Get up. Wash up and go sleep in your room. You’re not asleep right now.”

“Give me ten seconds, and I can totally do that.”

“Jung Hankyung.”

Despite his curt tone, his hand gently caressed my bare shoulder. But what can’t be done, truly can’t be done. Woo Baekyeon, reclaim your lost conscience, just this once. I turned my back, more stubbornly than when he’d been sulking earlier.

“…….”

Woo Baekyeon sighed, a sound like the chirping of a bird. Yeah, give up. I’m sleeping here today. Woo Baekyeon’s shadow, which had been cast over me, receded again. He returned and draped a large bathrobe over me.

And then…

“Hey, hey, hey! Whoa! Heavy! Put me down!”

“You’re not heavy, you’re just struggling. Hold still.”

“Huh, holy shit….”

I was lifted into the air, my butt dangling like I’d fallen into a pit. Woo Baekyeon, having scooped me up, turned towards the door. My fatigue was pushed aside by surprise.

“Hey… you’re lifting someone heavier than you.”

“How much do you weigh?”

“Uh… I’ve lost some muscle lately, but I was 78 kilos the last time I checked.”

After slowly muttering “170 pounds,” Woo Baekyeon scoffed.

“I weigh more.”

This guy. Seeing him subtly smile with relief after calculating meant he wasn’t bluffing. Does he have a hidden gym in one of the upstairs rooms? His steps, which had been heading that way, stopped in front of the stairs.

“Hey, am I heavy after all?”

“No.”

Woo Baekyeon, effortlessly carrying me, took long strides down the stairs.

‘Huh?’

It’s still dark outside, so why is it so bright inside? Were the hallway lights on earlier too? …Well, it was a day where I didn’t have time to notice such things.

I was gently placed on the living room sofa. Woo Baekyeon returned with a pile of wet towels and knelt on one knee in front of the sofa. He began wiping away the fluids on my inner thighs with a warm towel.

What kind of towels were these that I couldn’t even feel them, gliding over my skin like water? Even though we both enjoyed it, I must have looked a mess, yet Woo Baekyeon didn’t seem bothered at all.

It must have been Woo Baekyeon who carried me to the room and cleaned me up during our honeymoon too. I’d intended to bury that embarrassing memory, but now that I knew the truth, I was a little… touched.

“Jung Hankyung, there’s one more thing I want to ask… you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“…Did all the money you received from the sponsorship really go into your father’s business?”

“Almost all, except for the rehabilitation costs? …Ah, right. There was something else. Someone… uh…”

My shoulder twitched as his hand reached deep between my thighs.

“Hey, hey. I’ll do it. Give it here.”

“No. Continue what you were saying.”

“It’s nothing much. Someone made a designated donation… to ensure that no one could touch me until I became an adult? Something like that. Three hundred million won. I received that.”

“What did you do with it?”

Ah, about that….

“It might be funny to talk about this after fighting about money… but I paid off my father’s urgent debts, gave my mother some living expenses, and donated the rest.”