Gasping for air, Yul Li punched his chest playfully to break free. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks and heavy breaths.

“Phew, I prefer clear transactions. It’s less awkward for me.”

“As you wish. But remember, I’ll collect in my own way.”
As Je Ho was about to lean in again, Yul Li, startled by the memory of yesterday’s events on the kitchen island, hastily stepped back. The kitchen, unlike yesterday, was now cluttered with various ingredients.

“Hurry and change your clothes and wash your hands.”

Yul Li pushed him towards the bedroom with her hands, and Je Ho, smiling, willingly headed there. It had been a long time since he had come home to someone waiting for him with a cooked meal. The feeling was peculiar.

Entering the dressing room, he noticed another one of Yul Li’s suitcases in the corner. She must have stopped by her house before coming here. Her clothes were neatly hung in one corner.

The sight of her clothes hanging alongside his made his heart flutter. Waking up to find her there in the morning was as thrilling as seeing her clothes now, almost like a newlywed couple.

He was almost scared of how much he didn’t want to be apart from her.

After changing into comfortable clothes and washing his hands, he found the kitchen tidied, except for the dishes.

As Je Ho sat down, Yul Li served the grilled soy sauce mackerel she had taken out of the oven. Alongside it were various dishes like shrimp tempura, seafood pancakes, and jellyfish salad.

“How does it taste?” Yul Li asked cautiously as Je Ho tried the food.

“It’s good.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to say it’s good.”

“It really is good.”

“You can’t eat spicy food, right?”

Je Ho looked surprised. All the food he had prepared for her before was non-spicy, including abalone porridge, chicken noodle soup, cream-based pasta, and clam chowder.

He recalled their trip to Geoje, where he hardly touched the spicy grilled cod, mostly eating the accompanying side dishes.

Details he hadn’t paid much attention to before were now coming into sharp focus – anything related to him.

Yul Li silently watched Je Ho enjoying her cooking.

Their eyes met briefly, causing a small ache around her heart. It felt different than before – more like a piercing pain than just a flutter.

She was getting scared, seemingly falling for him more deeply than her first love.

Yul Li smiled back at Je Ho, but couldn’t do so comfortably. Her feelings were tangled in a complicated mix in her head and heart.

The meal, concluding with vanilla ice cream decorated with blueberries and mint leaves, was perfect.

“I’ll do the dishes.”

Once the meal was over, Je Ho stood up to take the dishes, but Yul Li quickly snatched them from him.

“No, let me finish up today.”

Yul Li nudged him aside and began stacking the dishes. As she was disposing of the leftovers, Je Ho came up behind her and embraced her.

“Then let’s finish up together.”
Yul Li pushed Je Ho away with her shoulder and began stacking the dishes towards the sink. As she was disposing of the leftovers into the food waste dehydrator, Je Ho quietly came up behind her and embraced her.

“Then let’s finish it together.”

Her back was pressed against his chest.

“A little exercise for good digestion.”

Je Ho, while hugging Yul Li from behind, rinsed the dishes with water and started placing them carefully in the dishwasher.

Yul Li, caught between the sink and Je Ho, couldn’t move a bit, being fully embraced in his arms. This situation didn’t really give her a reason to insist on doing the dishes…

“Don’t do this. I’ll handle it.”

“We’re almost done.”

He didn’t seem to have any intention of handing over control. After placing the last dish into the dishwasher, his large hand encompassed hers.

“Now that we’re done, let’s wash our hands.”

Continuing to embrace her from behind, he poured liquid soap into Yul Li’s hands and lathered them up. They washed hands interlocked, slowly and sensually. Why did it feel like more than just hands were overlapping?

As he lowered his head, his warm breath was felt near her cheek, still carrying the minty scent of the vanilla ice cream they had for dessert…

“You’re dangerously sweet. Always driving me crazy.”

Je Ho whispered lowly, nibbling on Yul Li’s earlobe. Yul Li tensed her shoulders at the sudden sensation. Yesterday it was the kitchen island, and today the sink? She tried to wriggle out of his embrace.

“Last time and now. Didn’t you say you’d be careful about the place?”

“In my house, I don’t have to.”

His arms tightened further around her waist.

“Who does that?”

“Don’t you like it?”

Not really. It was too thrilling. When he blew hot air into her ear, her legs lost strength, and she nearly buckled at the knees. If not for his arms around her waist, she would have fallen. His touch became more explicit, and Yul Li had to restrain his wrist.

“Stop it, let’s watch TV.”

At Yul Li’s words, Je Ho obediently let go and stepped back. But it felt somewhat disappointing. Was this some kind of conditioning?

They sat side by side on the sofa, watching TV for just about 10 minutes, when Je Ho reached out and had her sit in front of him. Like before, he embraced her tightly, her back against his chest. The intensity of the embrace was so strong that Yul Li struggled to free herself.

“What are you doing now?”

“Just stay still for a moment. I’m recharging.”

He whispered, pressing his lips to her nape. He had wanted to do this all day, barely holding back. He wanted to throw everything aside and rush to her house. Even while receiving advice from Woo Kyul, he felt the same.

In a word, he was crazed for her.

“Je Ho.”

Then Yul Li called him. Concerned by her subdued voice, Je Ho released his arms, and Yul Li turned to face him.
As their gazes met, she asked cautiously.

“Do you want to be with me?”