Boiling Desire (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
Ha Joon cupped Seo Ah’s face with both hands and kissed her firmly.
Whether it was tears or snot touching his lips, it didn’t feel unpleasant at all.
Seo Ah still stubbornly kept her lips tightly shut, squirming to pull away from him.
Part of it was because she could smell a stronger alcohol scent from him than the wine she’d shared with him—
as if he’d been so drunk he couldn’t see anything, coming back after having fun with his female friends just to take out his urges on her, even while she was crying.
On the other hand, it had barely been long since their wedding—this was supposed to be their honeymoon, a time to show the press a perfect couple—and yet seeing Ha Joon about to meet another woman made her feel she’d have to become bolder from now on.
It felt as though soon, he’d start staying out overnight and holding other women in his arms.
Yet her heart pounded wildly on its own. Though her mind told her to push him away, her body gradually lost its strength.
Her hands, which had gripped his wrists, and her lips, which had stayed firmly clenched,
relaxed—because right now, he was beside her, because he wanted her, because his warmth felt so incredibly good.
But just as she expected his breath to surge in, as if he’d been waiting for this moment,
his lips pulled away.
His warmth drifted farther.
Ha Joon sat up and picked up his phone.
“You said you didn’t eat dinner—what should I order for you?”
His body desperately craved her, and the urge to kiss her even more deeply rose inside him—but he couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d barely eaten lunch and skipped dinner entirely. Drinking wine on an empty stomach with no food at all…
He himself had skipped lunch, eaten a rushed, awkward dinner late with unpleasant company, and filled his stomach with hard liquor instead.
“If you don’t have anything in mind, it’s late—how about some abalone porridge? Simple and light.”
Seo Ah, still sniffling and confused by the sudden turn of events, just chewed her lips silently, and Ha Joon found her unbelievably cute like this.
She looked just like a baby rabbit with droopy ears—fitting, since she was wearing an oversized white hoodie with a bunny design.
Afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself if he kept watching her, he turned away and called Seok Hoon.
“Secretary Kim, please bring two servings of abalone porridge.”
Seo Ah’s eyes darted in surprise. Abalone porridge? Why two servings? Had he not eaten dinner either? Had he only been drinking like her?
Oh no! This wasn’t the time for that! She’d completely forgotten how messy her face was from tears and snot.
She bolted straight to the bathroom.
Ha Joon, who’d been standing with his back to her, turned around at the sudden sound of her running.
The bathroom door had already closed, but he couldn’t help smiling—somehow, he just knew she’d hopped away like a little bunny.
Soon after, the porridge arrived before Seo Ah did.
Ha Joon, now changed into comfortable clothes, stared fixedly at the bathroom door—Seo Ah hadn’t come out yet.
How long could washing your face possibly take? Was she crying again? He strained his ears, but it was oddly quiet.
Could she possibly be asleep? Given how sleepy she was, and with alcohol in her system, it actually seemed plausible.
He strode over to the bathroom. The door was made of translucent glass, and he could see her silhouette still standing near the sink—apparently still gazing into the mirror.
Her face had been swollen from crying so much; maybe that’s what she was worried about?
His shadow was clearly visible from inside, too large for her not to notice—yet whether she was unusually focused or just slow to react, he couldn’t tell.
“Hey. Porridge’s here. Come eat and let’s get some sleep.”
Hearing Ha Joon’s voice from outside, Seo Ah jumped in startled surprise, her whole body flinching.
Relieved to see his shadow quickly move away, she exhaled a deep sigh and stepped out of the bathroom.
Just as Ha Joon suspected, her face was still puffy. Splashing cold water hadn’t helped much.
She really wanted to skip dinner altogether and just crawl under the covers—but her stomach was growling. She could already imagine the embarrassing rumbling if she fell asleep hungry.
At least the island dining table was wide; that should be fine.
Yet, instead of sitting across from each other as she’d expected, the two bowls of porridge sat side by side.
Maybe that was for the best? She wouldn’t have to look at him while eating—and could hide behind her hair.
“Didn’t you eat dinner?”
Seo Ah asked, sitting down and pulling her hair forward to cover her face as much as possible.
“Didn’t really get to eat properly.”
“……”
Seo Ah wanted to ask why he hadn’t eaten properly, but held her tongue. Whether his answer was true or false, she knew she’d only end up hurting herself.
An awkward silence settled between them as they each focused on eating.
Ha Joon finished his meal in no time and now leaned on one hand, watching Seo Ah.
Honestly, he didn’t even need to eat—but he figured she’d only eat if they did it together.
As he reached out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear—since it kept nearly dipping into her porridge—
Seo Ah flinched in surprise, jerked her upper body backward, and lost her balance.
The chair had no backrest, so she instinctively tried to grab the table to keep from falling,
but Ha Joon was faster.
He stretched out one arm and caught her back.
“What are you so startled about? Making me feel embarrassed.”
Though her body regained its balance and steadied, her heart raced uncontrollably.
From the way he calmly handled these sudden moments—soothing her tears with a kiss, ordering dinner the moment he learned she hadn’t eaten—it was clear he’d definitely been with many women before.
Just as Ji Young had said—was he endlessly gentle with other women when alone with them? With her, even when it was just the two of them, he was usually cold; his tenderness was rare and fleeting.
“Your hair’s going to fall in. Either tie it up or tuck it behind your ears while you eat.”
“Oh, I’ll manage on my own.”
Not wanting him to see how flushed her face was, Seo Ah let her hair fall even lower than before.
“How’s your injured hand?”
“It’s fine.”
“Can you shower by yourself?”
Seo Ah nodded vigorously. Even if water touched her wound, she couldn’t possibly ask him for help.
“I could help if you…”
“No! It’s fine! I’ll manage by myself!”
Startled, Seo Ah widened her eyes like a rabbit and waved her hands frantically.
Ha Joon had expected this kind of reaction—but still felt he had to ask.
He was also worried: what if her wound got infected from the water?
“Alright then. I’ll shower first.”
Much later, Ha Joon emerged from the shower and sat leaning against the headboard, pretending to read a book—or rather, merely holding it.
The words weren’t registering at all. He wasn’t even sure if he realized he was holding it upside down.
Thankfully, the bathroom door opened into the bedroom but was made of translucent glass, so he couldn’t actually see inside.
Still, the sound of rushing water grated on him, and a dangerous heat began building low in his abdomen.
Ever since earlier, an angel and a devil had been battling inside his head.
It’s our honeymoon—we should naturally spend our first night together. No, wait—you should go slowly so Seo Ah doesn’t get frightened.
But if he chose the latter option, he worried about last night’s incident—her restless sleep habits.
If it happened again, he really wasn’t sure he could hold back…
Suddenly, he remembered what Seok Hoon had told him that morning about why cats knead.
– It’s an imprint from when they nursed—pressing their mother’s belly—and also a way to create a safe, comfortable space to sleep. It can also be a way for females to lure males.
– And they do it to mark ownership—so cat owners love it when their cats knead them.
If Seo Ah showed such behavior simply because she felt comfortable with him, he’d gladly accept it.
Even her tearful, lonely crying reminded him of a little kitten waiting faithfully for its owner.
“Heh.”
A smile naturally curved Ha Joon’s lips.
Just then—
Shhhhk. The bathroom door slid open.
He forced himself to focus on the book, pretending disinterest—but as he heard her approaching, his eyes instinctively drifted toward her.
Good heavens. She was wearing a shower robe.
Why? Had she forgotten to bring sleepwear inside? To get pajamas, she’d need to turn right toward the built-in closet—but she was walking straight ahead.
Soon, she reached the side of the bed and softly licked her lips.
“Since we’re on our honeymoon… let’s properly spend our first night together.”
Ha Joon’s heart hammered wildly. Suddenly? Could it be she’d been upset all this time about not having gone on their honeymoon earlier?
Thud. The book snapped shut.
Only then did Ha Joon notice the cover was upside down. Embarrassed, he quickly reassured himself she hadn’t seen it. Whenever he was with her, he kept becoming someone else entirely.
Normally terse and uninterested in private conversations, he now found himself full of questions and talking far more than usual.
“Why suddenly?”
While Ha Joon showered, Seo Ah drank more wine.
She’d already had two glasses before he arrived, but since she’d mostly sobered up, she poured herself another. Normally, even one glass made her mind hazy—now she’d had three.
She hoped the alcohol wouldn’t wear off while she showered. She was determined to spend their first night together no matter what.
Their honeymoon’s first night—there couldn’t be a more perfect justification.
It had been a bit awkward showering without getting water on her injured finger, so she’d washed more meticulously than usual.
She’d originally planned to wear only a slip—but it looked too odd, so she’d thrown on the shower robe instead.
Thankfully, the lingering buzz helped her deliver her rehearsed line more naturally than she’d worried.
“Since we’re on our honeymoon… let’s properly spend our first night together.”
“Why suddenly?”
It wasn’t sudden at all—hadn’t she already asked to sleep together before coming to Jeju? Could it be… he wasn’t interested in sleeping with her and was pretending not to hear, avoiding her?
She forced herself to sound calm as she continued her prepared excuse.
“…It’s about appearances. If there’s no sign of anything, what will the maids think when they clean? Everyone clearly knows we’re here on our honeymoon—what if Mother’s people are among them, or someone who wants to harm us?”
Of course, that wasn’t her real reason. She could never admit she simply loved Ha Joon too much and desperately wanted to be held in his arms.
“Then why were you crying earlier? You were pushing me away angrily—how can we make love with that uncomfortable feeling hanging between us?”
At the word “love,” Seo Ah’s whole body flushed hot. How could he say “love” so easily? Did even the most emotionless woman claim to be “making love” whenever she slept with someone?
“I was embarrassed. We’ve been married less than a week—it’s not an arranged marriage, we rushed into it because we genuinely liked each other, and yet on this trip we’re calling our honeymoon…”
Seo Ah clenched her fists tightly.
“…my husband was out having fun with other women.”
Ha Joon’s brows furrowed deeply.
“I understand—it’s something that benefits the hotel.”
He didn’t know why she had to bring this up all the way in Jeju, or why he’d needed both lunch and dinner—and drinks—but he especially didn’t understand why she was telling him this now.
“I just felt pitiful for a moment and cried. I wondered what the hotel staff thought of me. My pride was a bit hurt, too. If I’d known this would happen, I’d have come with my friends instead.”
“So you’re absolutely sure I was having fun with other women?”
Was he dodging? She’d expected honesty—disappointment clouded her expression.
“That’s disappointing. Your husband skipped meals all day and worked hard just so he could spend the whole day with you tomorrow.”
Skipped meals? Seo Ah’s mind spun in confusion. Was he telling the truth—or lying?
“And what do you mean by ‘something that benefits the hotel’? What exactly did you see or hear? Tell me straight.”
Now he was getting angry, too. Was he trying to shrink her down and brush off the situation?
“This morning, I ran into author Kim Ji Young at a café. She flat-out said she’d be having lunch and dinner today with Kang Ha Joon—lunch just the two of them, and dinner with his colleagues—all before she even left.”
“Ha.”
Ha Joon let out a dry laugh. Seriously? Was she naive or just foolish? Without even witnessing it herself…
He picked up his phone and called someone, putting it on speaker.
– What is it? Calling me at this hour?
Ji Young’s cheerful voice filled the hotel room.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
He is soon cold 🥶 why he can’t just be honest with her