The Price of Impulse (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
“Perfume? Yeah, I did spray some, but…”
Se Kyung brought her wrist to her nose and sniffed. She didn’t use much since she disliked strong scents, but now she wondered if the fragrance itself was just bad.
“Is it too strong?”
“No, not that.”
It wasn’t strong at all—in fact, the faint aroma drifting from her skin was so sweet it made him want to lick it. Had he ever smelled a women’s perfume like this before? He probably would’ve known if he’d ever bought any himself.
“I like the scent. What brand is it?”
“It’s not a branded perfume. I blended the fragrance myself.”
“You made it yourself?”
Se Kyung nodded.
“Yes. Last time I went down to Namhae for a break, I stopped by a perfume workshop.”
“So you made this perfume yourself at a workshop…”
If she made it herself at a workshop, that meant it was a one-of-a-kind scent, didn’t it?
Though the memory had grown hazy with time, the scent he’d caught at the hotel back then seemed similar to this one.
“Do you happen to have it with you now?”
“The perfume? No, I didn’t bring it separately…”
“…”
“Why? Do you like it?”
“Yeah. It’s nice.”
Se Kyung pressed her lips together tightly.
He must just mean he likes the scent. But because he’d left out the subject, her shameless heart had nearly started racing.
“You probably wouldn’t wear it yourself, right? But if you like the scent, should I make it into a diffuser for you?”
“Can you recreate it exactly?”
“Yes. When I first made it, I wrote down the formula. The workshop said they’d make it and ship it to me if I call them.”
“If I order it, will it smell exactly like the perfume you’re wearing now?”
“Well, since it’s made by hand, there might be slight variations. But it should still be pretty close—as long as I didn’t mess up the formula when I wrote it down.”
“Isn’t there a similar perfume available commercially?”
“A similar perfume…”
Tae Jo narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked down at Se Kyung. She tilted her head, lost in thought.
“There might be something similar out there somewhere. I’m not sure, though. It’s not like this is an especially unique scent.”
“Not unique?”
“No. Among the oils I blended were things like bergamot and citrus.”
She wasn’t quite sure whether it was “citrus” or “citron,” but was that really such a common note? To him, it had felt completely new the first time he smelled it.
“Should I order some for you too?”
“No need to go out of your way.”
“It’s not going out of my way. My own supply just ran out, actually. If you’d like, I can order another diffuser while I’m at it.”
A diffuser…
Tae Jo paused for a moment.
If it’s such a common scent, why bother worrying about it? He could just head to the perfume counter at a department store tomorrow and check for something similar.
“Do it. And while you’re at it, get the perfume too.”
But his mouth said something completely different from what his mind had just concluded.
“The perfume too?”
When Se Kyung asked for confirmation, Tae Jo gave a single firm nod.
“Planning to give it as a gift to someone?”
“Ah—do you dislike it being used by others? Even if it’s common, it’s still the only one you made yourself.”
“It’s not that. I was just wondering… whether the person receiving it would really like it.”
He hadn’t actually intended to give it to anyone.
He was simply worried the scent from the diffuser might differ slightly from the perfume Se Kyung had.
Watching Se Kyung’s oddly disappointed expression, Tae Jo tugged up the corners of his mouth.
If she didn’t like the idea, why not just say so? Instead, she was making up excuses with that face.
“Just kidding. Who would I give it to? I’ll keep it myself. There’s just something I’d like to check.”
“Check?”
What could he possibly want to verify using her perfume?
His sudden comment likely meant he’d smelled this scent somewhere before.
“…”
In an instant, a cold shiver ran down Se Kyung’s spine. Suspicious, she glanced up at Tae Jo.
“So if I place the order now, when would it arrive?”
“If I call them today, it should take about two or three days.”
“Faster than I expected. Oh, wait…”
As Tae Jo reached out his hand, Se Kyung flinched slightly.
When she lowered her head in confusion, his fingers brushed the nape of her neck and plucked away something white and feathery.
“Must’ve gotten stuck there from somewhere.”
Tae Jo twirled the feather between his fingers. Just then, Je Hoon stepped out of the break room, having grabbed his planner from the office.
“Unnie, what were you eating?”
Je Hoon gave Tae Jo a quick bow before calling out to Se Kyung.
“Oh, got your planner?”
“Yeah. Let’s go quickly—we’re going to be late for the shoot.”
“Right.”
As Se Kyung glanced toward Tae Jo to say goodbye, he gave a small nod of his chin, as if telling her to go with him.
Tae Jo pressed the down button at the elevator. Just then, the ascending elevator opened with a clear chime.
“Go on.”
As Se Kyung stepped into the elevator, Tae Jo waved. His gaze remained fixed on her clear eyes visible through the narrowing gap of the closing doors.
“…”
After watching the elevator descend, Tae Jo pulled his hand out of his pocket.
He uncurled his fist, and the feather he’d just plucked from Se Kyung’s coat fluttered down.
“…That’s strange.”
He tilted his head and muttered seriously.
The moment his fingers had touched Se Kyung’s neck, it had felt as if a scene from his dream overlapped with reality.
“Am I starting to dream with my eyes wide open now?”
Frowning, Tae Jo clenched and unclenched his empty hand.
This had to be some kind of sickness. With a crooked smile, he headed toward the rooftop.
***
The studio buzzed with activity since filming had started at dawn. Se Kyung sat in her dressing room, which somehow felt unusually chaotic, fiddling with her phone.
As she left the office earlier, she’d looked up the contact information for the perfume workshop she’d visited in Namhae and placed a call.
Fortunately, the owner remembered her and promised to make and ship both the perfume and diffuser the same day if she just provided the address.
“Should I send them to the hotel?”
After a brief hesitation, Se Kyung searched online for the hotel where she was staying. As she copied the address into a memo, Director Chae entered the room.
“What are you doing, Se Kyung?”
“Just writing down an address.”
“An address?”
Director Chae leaned over Se Kyung’s shoulder, glancing between her phone and the memo before tilting her head.
“Why the hotel address all of a sudden?”
“I’m expecting a package, and I’m staying at the hotel right now.”
“Oh right—you mentioned you were remodeling your place. What are you having delivered?”
“Perfume and a diffuser. I made them at a workshop before. I used up what I had, so I’m reordering.”
“You must really like that scent.”
“It suits me well. I wore it today—want to take a sniff?”
Se Kyung held out her wrist, and Director Chae gave it a quick sniff.
“What do you think?”
“It’s sweet—makes me want to take a bite.”
“Do you like the fragrance?”
“Yeah, I do. Not really my usual taste, though.”
Director Chae wrinkled her nose as she organized her makeup. Once Se Kyung sent off the address, Director Chae pressed a toner-soaked cotton pad onto her face.
“Director Chae, do you happen to know any perfumes with a scent similar to this?”
“Dunno. That kind of sweet scent doesn’t really suit me.”
As she squeezed foundation onto her hand, Director Chae replied.
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just because someone said they liked the scent… Once I run out of what I ordered, I might buy something similar.”
“Someone liked it? Hmm… I wonder who that could be?”
Director Chae grinned mischievously.
“A guy? Got yourself a boyfriend?”
“Boyfriend? No way. Nothing like that.”
“Are your standards too high, Se Kyung? Why don’t you date? I bet you get plenty of attention.”
Of course, she had received quite a few offers. People around her occasionally suggested blind dates, saying they wanted to meet her.
Her agency didn’t strictly prohibit dating either, so no one really pressured her about it.
The real issue was that her standards were just far too high—only for the person she truly liked.
“I’ve just been busy with work.”
“So you’re not even considering dating?”
“Not at all—I’d date if I met someone I liked.”
“What’s your type, Se Kyung? If there’s anyone at my shop you like, should I play matchmaker?”
Even as her hands moved quickly, Director Chae rattled off names of male celebrities who frequented her shop—
idol singers, currently popular actors, even athletes.
All were undeniably famous, yet Se Kyung’s reaction remained utterly indifferent.
“Wow, not even a blink! Your standards really are high, Se Kyung.”
Director Chae shook her head as she patted on powder. At that moment, a magazine staff member peered into the dressing room, arms full of items.
“Director Chae, is Se Kyung’s makeup done?”
“Yes.”
“Then wear this outfit. We’ll leave the shoes and accessories here—please change and come out.”
After the staff member left the clothes behind and departed, Se Kyung headed into the changing room. She hadn’t noticed before, but the top was cut deeply, revealing her collarbones.
Once Se Kyung changed into the outfit and sat back down, Director Chae’s expression turned oddly solemn as she looked at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Glancing toward the door, Director Chae leaned closer over Se Kyung’s shoulder.
“Se Kyung, you really don’t have a boyfriend, right?”
Ah—she must be reacting to the mark on my neck.
“Is it because of this?”
Se Kyung gently touched the faint mark left on her neck. She offered a flimsy excuse—“I must’ve scratched myself in my sleep”—but Director Chae shook her head.
“No, it’s not because of that.”
She scanned the vanity, then picked up a large handheld mirror.
Holding it to reflect Se Kyung’s back, even clearer marks—more vivid than the one on her neck—became visible through the main mirror.
“That’s definitely not from scratching.”
“…”
“Does your hotel have huge bugs or something?”
Se Kyung’s face, initially pale, quickly flushed crimson.
Though Director Chae joked about bugs, her teasing smile already revealed she knew exactly what those marks were.
“That…”
The shoot would start soon.
Se Kyung met Director Chae’s eyes in the mirror and whispered earnestly,
“Is there any way to hide it?”
***
After finishing the photoshoot and interview, night fell quickly.
Se Kyung sank into the car seat, burying her exhausted face in her hands. Thanks to Director Chae’s help, the shoot had gone smoothly—but she was too embarrassed to even lift her head.
“Seriously…”
It wasn’t like he had eyes in the back of his head—how could he have not noticed?
She’d assumed he’d only bitten her neck, but apparently, Tae Jo had left his marks all over her body.
“…”
Quietly, Se Kyung retraced that day in her mind.
A night tangled with both pain and pleasure, where she’d lost all sense of awareness.
Even though she hadn’t been drunk, she’d been swept up in the mood—just like him—and had clung to him without a clear mind.
So of course she hadn’t checked the state of her back. It had stung a little, but honestly—was that really the only place that hurt?
Click.
Hearing the door open, Se Kyung looked up. Je Hoon, having gathered their things from the studio, climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Good work today, Unnie.”
“You too. Thanks for your hard work.”
“Want to grab dinner? You only had that cup of soup I bought earlier and haven’t eaten anything else.”
Was eating really the issue right now? Her hunger had vanished long ago, erased completely by today’s humiliation.
“What about you? There was catering inside.”
“I grabbed a few pieces of bread. If you’re heading straight back to the hotel, maybe eat something first? It’s kind of an awkward time for dinner. There’s supposed to be a great kalguksu place nearby. If you’re not interested, at least take this.”
Je Hoon handed her a paper bag branded with a coffee shop logo—it was the croissant sandwich he’d bought along with the soup earlier.
“Let’s go to the kalguksu place. You’ll just be too lazy to cook when you get home anyway.”
“Then I’m all for it. Free meal on the company card.”
Cheered up, Je Hoon started the car. Se Kyung held the paper bag given by her manager and leaned back into her seat.
As the car pulled out of the alley, she stared blankly out the window.
Wait—there was something else bothering her earlier…
Trying to recall, Se Kyung waved her hand dismissively.
She was attempting to remember their wholesome conversation from today,
but her mind kept replaying the conversation their bodies had shared instead.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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