Warm steam rose gently over the bowl.

Taking a spoonful of codfish soup into my mouth, I felt my insides melting.

“Mm, it’s really delicious.”

When Ina made a satisfied expression, Juwon chuckled.

“It’s hot, so eat slowly, one spoonful at a time.”

“Okay. You should eat quickly too.”

“By the way, when I saw them yesterday, your friends seemed like quite the drinkers. Do you meet often?”

“No, they live in Yeosu, so they only stay over at my place occasionally when they come to Seoul.”

“I see. But do you always drink like there’s no tomorrow every time you meet?”

Ina hesitated as she was about to bring the spoon to her mouth.

“No, it’s not always like that… Yesterday we met after a long time, so as we talked, we got in the mood… and ended up drinking a bit too much.”

Ina said, watching Juwon’s reaction.

“If you get in the mood twice more, Seo Ina, we’ll be preparing a coffin for you.”

When Juwon spoke with a displeased expression, the guilty Seo Ina put down her spoon and glanced at Juwon.

“Um, Juwon. From now on… I really won’t drink that much. I promise.”

Ina said, gently extending her pinky finger to Juwon.

Juwon looked at Ina and then chuckled, quietly taking her hand.

“I’m not scolding you. I’m blaming those friends of yours whose livers seem too optimized for alcohol.”

When Ina remained silent, Juwon placed the spoon back in her hand.

“Eat quickly. You need to settle your stomach.”

“…Okay.”

Ina brought the spoon back to her mouth.

Watching her, Juwon smiled with his chin resting on his hand.

“Actually, aside from drinking too much yesterday, our Ina… was extremely cute.”

Ina, who was chewing with her mouth full, looked at Juwon with round eyes.

“Hugging my waist and looking up at me with those pretty eyes, begging me not to go… I really had a hard time.”

Gasp! Did I even do a back hug?

I didn’t even hear this from my friends… Wow, I really did all sorts of things yesterday.

Embarrassed, Ina stopped chewing and bit her lip hard.

“That’s why I almost pounced on you at the entrance.”

“Pfft.”

With a single sound from Ina’s mouth, grains of rice shot out like from a popcorn machine.

The rice grains that flew out at incredible speed landed neatly on Juwon’s handsome face, and the surprised Ina quickly stood up.

“Oh my! What should I do! I’m sorry!”

Ina hurriedly pulled out tissues and wiped Juwon’s face.

Juwon took Ina’s hand, saying it was okay, and wiped his own face.

Still, as Ina looked on apologetically, Juwon smiled and told her to sit down.

“It’s because of me anyway.”

Having finished wiping his face, Juwon put down the tissue and gazed at Ina with a subtle look.

“But I’m serious, you know? I really wanted to send your friends away and pounce on you yesterday.”

Seeing Juwon casually saying he wanted to pounce on her in broad daylight, Ina’s mouth opened slightly.

“So I couldn’t sleep at all last night. Thinking about you.”

“…”

“So hurry up and eat to settle your stomach. Then we can at least kiss before I go today. Right?”

Ina nodded as if enchanted by Juwon’s words, accompanied by a magically sweet smile.

Then Juwon’s lips curved up into a smile.

“So let’s eat quickly.”

Ina nodded with a reddened face and resumed eating.

After the meal, Juwon stopped Ina who was about to clean up, and personally cleared the remaining food and even finished washing the dishes neatly.

“I feel so bad for making you do the dishes too…”

“What’s there to feel bad about? I’m doing it because I want to.”

Juwon tapped Ina’s cheek and then took her hand, leading her to the bathroom.

And once again, they amicably held their toothbrushes and brushed their teeth.

As they brushed quietly, a pleasant scent wafted from Juwon.

Whether it was fabric softener or cologne, it seemed Juwon always had a nice scent.

Ina opened her lungs wide to breathe in that scent and glanced up at Juwon reflected in the mirror.

He was just wearing black jeans and a brown knit, but why did he look even more handsome today?

This time, Ina subtly lowered her gaze towards Juwon’s thighs.

“…”

I know.

What Juwon is hiding inside these pants…

Those incredibly firm thighs like a horse’s muscles… I saw those thighs that night.

Suddenly remembering Juwon from that night, who seemed like a wild horse, Ina unknowingly swallowed her saliva and the toothpaste water went down the wrong way.

“Keck. Cough. Cough.”

As Ina suddenly grabbed her throat and coughed, Juwon quickly rubbed her back and handed her water.

“Are you okay? Quickly rinse it out.”

Ina took the cup and filled her mouth with water, then quickly spat it out.

After repeating this a few times, Ina’s face finally returned to normal.

Juwon stroked Ina’s back with worried eyes and said,

“See, why were you peeking like that? It’s yours, so you can look openly.”

“…Huh?”

When Ina looked at Juwon with a flustered face, Juwon lowered himself to meet Ina’s eye level.

“Did you like my body that much? Especially your gaze lingered on my lower body for a while?”

As Ina’s eyes widened like saucers, Juwon looked down at her with a secretive gaze.

Then Ina, with an expression like a cat caught stealing fish by its owner, hurriedly left the bathroom.

Juwon followed slowly behind, biting his lip to hold back his laughter.

When he came out, he found Ina sitting on the sofa with an incredibly awkward expression.

As Juwon sat down next to her, Ina quickly turned on the TV.

Juwon sat right next to Ina, put his hand on her waist, and pulled her close.

“Ahem.”

Ina made a sound like a stern principal clearing his throat and flipped through the channels.

Regardless, as Juwon kept staring down at Ina while hugging her waist, Ina rolled her eyes and said,

“Hey… Instead of just looking at me, why don’t you watch some TV too?”

“I don’t want to. I came here to see you, didn’t I?”

“I mean, even so, staring at me like that is a bit…”

“A bit what?”

“A bit… embarrassing.”

“Really? I liked it when you were looking at my body earlier.”

Hmph.

Ina looked at Juwon with a snort like a rhinoceros.

Juwon’s face was full of amusement.

“Really… Are you going to keep talking about that? Making me embarrassed?”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? You just looked at what’s yours.”

Really… There’s no winning against Lee Juwon’s way with words.

Ina gave Juwon a reproachful but not unkind look.

Then Juwon chuckled and kissed Ina’s cheek.

“Alright. I won’t tease you anymore, so let’s just relax and watch TV today. Your stomach probably isn’t feeling great either.”

“No, it’s almost fine now.”

“Still, you should rest well today so you can go to work tomorrow.”

“Hmm, then shall we watch a movie?”

“Sure. Let’s do that.”

Ina went to the movie channel and searched for a newly released film.

Then she clicked on a horror movie that had recently been released.

“Oh. This is out already? Have you seen it?”

“No. I haven’t.”

“Then shall we watch this?”

“Sure.”

Ina went to the balcony with an excited face and drew the blackout curtains.

“Why the curtains?”

“Horror movies are always more fun when watched in the dark.”

Ina came back to the sofa with an excited face and turned on the movie again.

Soon, the movie started with eerie music.

The faces of a young man and woman wandering in the forest were shown in close-up, both covered in blood.

The man’s face was filled with terror, while the woman’s face seemed resigned, as if her soul had left her body.

As the movie contrasted these two faces, it flowed back to the situation from a few hours earlier.

Ina, who had been watching the movie with an interested expression for a while, suddenly felt Juwon’s hand around her waist loosen.

Turning her head to look at Juwon, she saw that he had closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the sofa.

Seeing Juwon sleeping quietly, Ina picked up the remote and lowered the volume.

He said he couldn’t sleep at all last night… I guess it was true.

Knowing that she was the cause of his lack of sleep, Ina looked at Juwon with an apologetic expression.

As she quietly watched the sleeping Juwon, Ina turned off the TV.

Then she gently placed her ear against Juwon’s chest.

She could hear the regular sound of his heartbeat inside Juwon’s broad chest.

Listening to that strong heartbeat, Ina felt as if her own heart was beating faster too.

As she raised her gaze to look at Juwon’s sleeping face again, Ina gently reached out and touched his handsome nose bridge.

And as she was about to touch his lips below the nose bridge, she hesitated, but then seemed to make up her mind and carefully leaned in to gently press her lips against Juwon’s.

After briefly tasting those attractive lips, she was about to pull away when suddenly Juwon wrapped his arm around her waist.

Ina’s eyes widened in surprise as Juwon slowly opened his eyes.

And with a languid smile on his lips, he said,

“If you’re going to do it, you should do it properly.”

Whispering these words, Juwon immediately embraced Ina and placed her on his lap.

Looking at Ina with eyes that were clear as if he had never been asleep, Juwon pulled her neck close and kissed her sweetly.

After savoring her soft lips for a while, Juwon slipped his hand inside Ina’s t-shirt.

Ina flinched momentarily at that hot touch, but soon relaxed and gave herself over to Juwon’s caress.

And she too slipped her hand inside Juwon’s knit sweater.

Determined not to be as clumsy as last time, Ina gazed at Juwon with smoldering eyes.

“Honey.”

As she called out in a whisper, Juwon responded in a subtle voice.

“Yes?”

“Raise your arms.”

When Ina spoke in what she thought was a seductive voice near Juwon’s ear, he chuckled.

Juwon repeated “Raise your arms” and lifted both arms, and Ina quickly rolled up the knit sweater like rolling an egg omelet.

Then Ina pulled the sweater over Juwon’s head and threw it forcefully onto the floor below the sofa.

Looking at Ina with eyes that found her utterly adorable, Juwon whispered to her.

“Ina, raise your arms too.”

Ina quickly raised her arms.

Suppressing the laughter escaping between his lips, Juwon removed Ina’s t-shirt in one swift motion.

Looking at Ina’s flushed face, Juwon caressed her cheek.

“Are you really okay? Your head doesn’t hurt?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Ina nodded with a reddened face as she answered.

Then Juwon smiled gently and put his hands on Ina’s waist.

“Then, shall we move to the bed?”

Juwon stood up in one motion, carrying Ina.

Kissing Ina’s lips repeatedly as she wrapped her arms around his neck with a flushed face, Juwon walked to the bedroom.

Opening the door, Juwon gently laid Ina down on the bed and gazed at her with loving eyes.

Then he kissed her forehead, eyes, bridge of her nose, cheeks, and lips in order.

Ina also raised her hands to hold Juwon’s handsome face and gave cute kisses in return.

It was broad daylight, but their caresses for each other were no less passionate than the heat of the night at 3 PM in the afternoon.