She finished showering. Tae Eun’s reflection in the mirror was a fair-skinned visage with the thick bridal makeup thoroughly wiped off. As if finding her own appearance, not even having properly dried off the moisture, quite unfamiliar, she stared at herself for a long while.

She had to go out, but her feet wouldn’t easily move. Even though it was something she could no longer avoid.

Something a married couple should naturally do. So it was something she had resolved herself for, but why wouldn’t her feet move? The kiss she shared with Woo Jin not only lacked any repulsion, it awakened new sensations within her. As a result, rather than fear, anticipation took precedence over sharing a bed with him.

But still, even so…

Tae Eun clenched the edges of the sink with her fingers and soothed her mind with deep breaths. To sweep away the dregs settled deep in her heart and turn away without lingering attachment.

However, it wasn’t very effective. Her heart was still troubled and delusions jumbled up her mind.

Nevertheless, unable to delay any longer, Tae Eun turned to open the bathroom door. Then seeing the dark shadow standing in the doorway, she was startled and instinctively stepped back.

“You weren’t coming out for so long.”

“……”

“Don’t tell me, you’re trying to go back in?”

He asked, looking at her desperately clinging to the doorknob as if it were a lifeline, half hiding her body behind the door. Feeling a bit embarrassed and sorry, Tae Eun shook her head.

“That’s a relief.”

He chuckled and took a step back to allow her to safely come out.

Now it really was something she could no longer avoid.

So Tae Eun mustered up courage and exited the bathroom. As she brushed past him, a refreshing woody scent flowed from him after his shower. A fragrance that felt good to smell anytime.

“I’m sorry. I was nervous…”

Though she tried to feign the most nonchalant voice standing before him, she couldn’t hide the trembling end of her words. It felt like the end of her heart was stretching tautly.

His gaze moved slowly, cutting through the air. Reaching out to tilt her chin up, he asks.

“Is this…your first time?”

This wasn’t the Joseon era, and reaching the age of twenty-eight without any experience wasn’t something to brag about. But that’s how tough her life had been. Forget love, she didn’t even have the leisure to enjoy dallying with men.

Then she met this man. This man who captivated her entire being with just a single glance. So she had no means to resist being shaken.

“I’m sorry, but it’s my first time too. Holding back this long.”

“……….”

“So I don’t think I can do it any longer. Therefore, today…you’ll have to understand.”

No, how can that first time be the same as this first time?

To begin with, the starting lines were different, but he nonchalantly uttered those words and swiftly approached.

Leaning his huge upper body, he instantly grabbed her chin and swallowed her lips. It was a kiss with incomparably deeper desire than any they had before. The desire piercing her tender flesh jumbled up her entire being. Unknowingly, as if swept by a wave, she too was swept away by his desire.

She didn’t even remember how she got to the bed. No, it seemed she was carried in his arms.

Only when she felt the bed sheet with a faint rose scent against her body and the huge bed sink deeply from his weight did her sense of reality return.

Her body trembled, but Tae Eun decided not to avoid it. She intended to maintain this marriage somehow, and to do so, the marital relationship was also essential.

With that resolution, her actions became a bit bolder. Feeling the weight of his body pressing down on hers, Tae Eun wrapped her arms around his neck as he lowered his upper body. His black eyes, already deeply sunken, had an even darker hue.

She learned for the first time. That his expressionless eyes held such a wealth of emotions. Moreover, she didn’t dislike how that color lightened and darkened with a single gesture of her hand. At least in this moment, she felt this man was entirely focused on her.

Woo Jin planted a light kiss and reached for the robe sash. Untying the knot, the front opened, fully revealing her figure that had been carefully hidden.

But seeing her body, he smirks.

“You were going to take it off anyway, so why did you put it on so carefully?”

Was he asking her or talking to himself?

“I…bought it that day. Together with Manager Song.”

“I must have told you. I prefer you not wearing anything.”

Before she could respond, he finished speaking and lowered his lips. From that moment on, Tae Eun couldn’t think at all. Sensations she couldn’t handle were guiding her to another world.

It was a world she was experiencing for the first time in her life. In that world, her already sensitive senses stood on edge even more sharply. If she deviated even slightly, she had to become a fleeting slave to the sensations that swelled up as if about to burst.

Tears welled up. But unlike usual, they weren’t tears welling up from sadness and loneliness.

They were tears welling up from the unparalleled satisfaction in the world this man before her eyes guided her to. In that hazy world, there were only the two of them.

Tae Eun quietly watched that sight through clouded eyes.

With a single motion, Woo Jin untied her robe sash and lowered his upper body to her again. Nibbling her earlobe, he whispers in a husky voice.

“Are you…ready?”

At his question, Tae Eun carefully nodded. At the same time, the world shook with another unfamiliar sensation, but Tae Eun didn’t cry. Instead, she quietly gazed into the eyes of the man before her, who had now become her husband.

His black eyes were carefully flickering. Those wavering eyes held only her.

Looking into those eyes of his, the existence of Park Seo Woo jumbling up her mind was completely forgotten. She had the illusion that only the two of them existed in the world. Perhaps it was her earnest wish, but at least in this moment, it was clear that Park Seo Woo’s existence couldn’t wedge between them. That’s how much this man who became her husband was entirely focused on her.

Her vision turned white. And in that white world, Tae Eun realized stars could rise even there.

As dazzling stars poured before her eyes and took everything from her, heat that was too much to handle pooled again. She thought she couldn’t get any hotter, that she had burned everything in that heat and turned into a pitch-black pile of ashes, but it seemed there was still heat left to flare up.

She simply liked everything about this man.

The unfamiliar feelings and the other world he gave her. There was nothing she disliked about any of it.

“Woo Jin…”

When she called his name, he reacted.

“Call me more.”

“Woo Jin…”

“More…”

“Woo…”

She couldn’t remember anything after that. How many more times she called his name or how many more times he urged her.

Everything felt like a dream. In that surreal space, Tae Eun burned up until her entire body turned into a black pile of ashes from the sparks Woo Jin ignited.

It was the beginning of a long night.

* * *

Dawn. But rather than bright energy, the energy of darkness was prevalent.

Woo Jin felt the soft body slipping away from his and instinctively opened his eyes. Tae Eun, whom he had been holding, had turned over and moved a bit away from him. He wanted to pull her back and hold her again, but refrained in case he woke her.

Turning his head, he checked the time on his phone on the bedside table.

It was almost five in the morning.

He was surprised. In the past few years, he had never slept so soundly, so waking up at five in the morning without stirring was almost a new record.

Was it because he was tired?

He thought so. Last night’s passion was too intense for even him to handle. The marital relationship that started early in the evening only ended after he held her in his arms twice. In truth, he wanted to keep going all night, but seeing that it was her first time, he held back thinking she may find it too much.

That’s how well-matched their time in bed was, beyond his imagination. It was an intense encounter, thrilling enough to make chills run down from his head just thinking about it.

He thought he was sick and tired of women’s bodies, but she was different. Her skin was sweet as if sugar had melted on it, and everywhere he touched burst with nectar, making his fingertips sweet. And everything that touched his tongue tip melted like cotton candy, emitting a sweet scent.

As a result, his thirst grew stronger.

He wanted to put that sweetness in his mouth and feel more of it, but it melted away, and he had no means to endure without going crazy.

He lost his mind. He desperately held onto his flickering reason, thinking that was the only way he could avoid hurting her, but in the end, he lost his grip on sanity.

An intense pleasure he had never felt before pierced through his entire body. Only after collapsing on top of Tae Eun’s body twice like that could Woo Jin barely grasp the mind that had left him.

And the reason that returned told him. To let her rest now. Are you only living today to die?

In hindsight, it was truly appreciated advice.

Right, there was no need to pressure her further when she was tired, especially as today wasn’t the only day. He wasn’t some beast in heat.

Consoling himself like that, he barely went to bed, and now he had woken up. It was early to get up, but he didn’t feel tired at all, perhaps because he had slept so soundly.

He sat up and looked at Tae Eun lying with her back turned. Seeing her shoulders where the slip strap was precariously hanging, it seemed the passionate heat was rising again. Muttering to himself that he was crazy, he pulled up the blanket to cover her shoulders.

Then he slowly got out of bed. It was too early to wake up but too ambiguous to fall back asleep, so he planned to do some light brushing, washing up, and exercise.

After washing up and heading to change into workout clothes, his phone on the bedside table lit up and vibrated. Worried Tae Eun would wake up, he quickly picked up the phone and frowned upon seeing the caller.

Jung Keun.

Those two syllables creased his brow. It was because Jung Keun was Park Seo Woo’s manager.

The phone vibrated like that once then stopped. But it started vibrating again.

At five in the morning, just what could be the matter for him to call at such an early hour? Knowing that Jung Keun rarely called directly unless it was serious, Woo Jin instinctively realized something was wrong.

So he left the bedroom and answered the call.

“Hello.”

[Excuse me. Vice President!]

Jung Keun’s urgent voice harshly brushed against his eardrum.

“What’s the matter?”

[Heuk heuk. Our Seo Woo…our Seo Woo…]

“What about Seo Woo?”

[She took pills. We need to go to the hospital now…heuk heuk.]

She took pills again?

His mind went blank. Woo Jin squeezed his eyes shut and whispered lowly.

“Go to that hospital from before. Right now.”

Murmuring in a low, commanding tone, he put on a suit instead of his workout clothes. Then leaving the bedroom, he glanced once at Tae Eun who was asleep.

He knew he shouldn’t do this. But he also couldn’t ignore Park Seo Woo’s safety. Because Park Seo Woo was the only blood relative his deceased Seo Jin had left in this world.

Damn it, why today of all days.

Out of all the many days, today.

Brooding like that, Woo Jin turned his heavy footsteps.

Click. As the door closed, Tae Eun’s eyelids, which had been shut the whole time, slowly lifted.

The passionate night was turning cold frighteningly fast.