Chapter 83
The restaurant was her first time in a place like this, so it felt awkward, but just as Ye Eun-seol had promised, the atmosphere was incredible. Seo Do-gyeom seemed completely at home in that kind of setting, guiding her with practiced ease.
“Did the food suit your taste?”
“It was absolutely delicious. I just wish there’d been a little more—it felt like too small a portion.”
“…That’s what a normal person’s single serving looks like.”
She had slipped away to the restroom to call Ye Eun-seol, and he responded with an incredulous laugh. He knew how much she usually ate, so of course he found it funny.
“Anyway, I’m glad you liked it. I was worried you might be stressed about the Jang Seul-gi situation.”
“Jang Seul-gi? Why bring her up all of a sudden?”
Baek I-hae, who had been smiling happily, stopped mid-laugh and frowned. It was a name she hadn’t expected at all.
“…Huh? Seo Do-gyeom hasn’t told you anything?”
“Told me what?”
“Well… it’s probably something you don’t need to know, but—”
“Tell me. Now I’m curious.”
Ye Eun-seol let out a small groan, as if he’d misspoken. After a brief pause, he continued.
“I only found out while looking into what happened to Jang Chung-won. That father and daughter… it seems they’ve gone missing.”
“It probably wasn’t Do Ha-jun. Could it have been Baek Yeong, or maybe Uncle?”
When Baek I-hae asked with worry in her voice, Ye Eun-seol hesitated before answering.
“I don’t know the details, but from what I could find, the last person they met was Seo Do-gyeom.”
“…?”
“When I asked him about it, he told me it was none of my business. So I thought maybe he’d mentioned something to you, since you’re directly involved.”
Thinking about it now, there was no way he would have told her something like this, Ye Eun-seol added with regret. It clearly sounded like a slip of the tongue.
There was no solid proof it was Seo Do-gyeom’s doing, so Ye Eun-seol told her not to worry and just enjoy herself.
The call ended there. Baek I-hae stared at her phone for a moment, a faint unease lingering, then forced herself to push it aside.
‘It was probably just a meeting at Uncle’s request. No way… No, it can’t be. Uncle wouldn’t be unnecessarily cruel.’
I’ll ask later, she decided, plastering a smile on her face as she left the restroom.
Seo Do-gyeom, waiting outside, spotted her and smiled.
“Where should we go next? It feels too early to head straight home.”
As if reading her mind, he sounded reluctant to end the evening. When he suggested catching a movie, Baek I-hae fidgeted with her fingers.
‘Should I say it? What if he thinks I’m too forward and hates it?’
But she was being forward. Still—kissing at home always felt like they had to watch out for prying eyes!
After a moment’s hesitation, she quickly linked arms with him as he started walking.
His surprised eyes turned to her.
“Um… I, well…!”
“Yeah? It’s okay, take your time.”
“Could you… lean down a little? I want to whisper something.”
He looked puzzled but kindly bent at the waist.
Swallowing hard, Baek I-hae leaned close to his ear.
“I booked a room upstairs… maybe we could…”
‘Spend some time there’ sounded strange.
Searching for the right words, she didn’t notice the shift in his eyes.
“…rest a bit before heading home?”
“You don’t mean Ye Eun-seol booked it for you, right?”
He asked for confirmation. She blushed and shook her head.
At her reaction, a subtle expression crossed his face before he asked again, this time in a softer, more intimate voice, as if considerate of her embarrassment.
“So… I-hae, you booked it yourself?”
“…Yes.”
She immediately regretted saying anything and was about to laugh it off as a joke, but Seo Do-gyeom simply took her hand and walked toward the front desk.
He calmly gave her name as the reservation holder and accepted the key. He listened attentively to the staff’s explanations about the room amenities, showing no sign of nerves.
The one panicking was the person who had actually made the booking.
A reasonable suspicion—that this couldn’t possibly be his first time—vanished the moment they reached the room and he pressed his lips urgently against hers.
Because for the first time, the man who always remained cool even when angry was looking at Baek I-hae with heated eyes.
“I-hae.”
His voice felt burning hot, as if it could set her entire body ablaze.
It was similar to the feeling from their very first kiss—only hotter, sending strange tremors through her chest.
It was a completely new emotion.
“If I’m misunderstanding, tell me. I took this to mean you wanted to go further than just kissing.”
Speaking so directly only made her more embarrassed.
As she fidgeted and tried to look away, his hand gently caught her chin. It was firm but not painful.
He held her gaze, resting his forehead against hers, and whispered,
“If you don’t answer, I might keep misunderstanding. You need to stop me.”
Because if it’s you asking, I could stop even now—he added, then lowered his head.
She thought he would kiss her mouth, but instead he slowly traced her earlobe with his tongue, making her flinch. Her toes curled.
Part of her wanted to hide; another part wanted to cling to him.
Was Seo Do-gyeom feeling these same unfamiliar sensations?
This was no longer the innocent romance of students. They were adults who had confirmed their love for each other.
‘I want to be closer. Just a little more.’
After a brief hesitation, Baek I-hae made her decision. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
Looking into his surprised face, she spoke slowly.
“That’s not a misunderstanding.”
Those words became the spark.
Their lips met clumsily, eagerly, but precisely because of that awkward fervor, the kiss was rich and intense.
They didn’t try to hide their quickened breathing; the forbidden thrill of it only heightened the moment. Seo Do-gyeom effortlessly lifted Baek I-hae, who was clinging to his neck, and carried her to the bed.
He desired her more fiercely than anyone else—she could tell without words.
‘I love Seo Do-gyeom.’
It wasn’t a fleeting impulse. All hesitation gone, they chose to surrender completely to each other.
They arrived home only as dawn was breaking.
They had agreed to say they’d gone to a late-night movie if anyone asked, but no one questioned why they were so late.
Feeling both respected and slightly embarrassed, Baek I-hae hurried to her room.
“…Good night.”
For the first time in a long while, they couldn’t quite meet each other’s eyes as they said goodnight and went to their separate rooms.
Once inside, Baek I-hae’s heart was still pounding so hard that she collapsed onto the floor.
‘I’ve lost my mind.’
She tried to calm her trembling body, but there was no quieting her racing heart.
‘Was it a dream?’
In a daze, she stared blankly at the ceiling before shaking her head. It was late—she needed to wash up and get ready for bed.
After removing her makeup and showering, she climbed into bed. Rubbing her pleasantly aching body, she turned on her phone.
‘Right, Chai Ryeong said we should have a meal together.’
They had been scheduling a date when something came up, and Baek I-hae had said she’d reply later.
About to send a message now before she forgot, she tilted her head in confusion.
“Huh?”
Something felt familiar. She stared at the screen for a moment, then slowly blinked as realization dawned.
‘Why is my chat history with Baek Yeong gone?’
Along with Chai Ryeong, the person she messaged most was Baek Yeong. It was strange that he wasn’t in her recent conversations.
Thinking she might be mistaken, she scrolled down—no chat room.
An uneasy feeling crept over her. She opened her contacts, and her eyes wavered.
“Why… isn’t he in my call history either?”
It was bizarre. The recent calls and messages she’d exchanged with him not long ago had vanished.
His name didn’t appear even in the phone’s call log. Only when she checked recent calls by number did she understand.
‘Why is he blocked? I never did that.’
No one else had touched her phone. Baek I-hae froze in shock.
Suddenly, she remembered the birthday gift from Ye Eun-seol that had disappeared.
“No way…”
Pushing down the unease, she unblocked Baek Yeong’s number.
