Chapter 116
Doubt (7)
“So, did you give it to him?”
“W-What do you mean…?”
The girl with a delicate appearance and a tear mole beneath her right eye, Kwon Yuri, sent a sly look toward Seoyeon.
Her face was already flushed from the effects of alcohol.
“The candy. Did you give it to your fiancé?”
Baek Seoyeon turned her head, pretending not to understand, but Kwon Yuri persistently clung to her, pushing the issue.
“Our sweet little Seoyeon wouldn’t let an event like this pass by, would she…?”
As Seoyeon’s close friend, Kwon Yuri knew all too well about her affection for her fiancé.
Although her question was playful, it also hit Seoyeon’s nerves precisely.
Indeed, it was unthinkable for Seoyeon to let the Festival of the Falling Star go by without doing something special.
It was, after all, one of the things she had always dreamed about.
“I… I gave it to him a few days ago… So can you stop asking now…?”
“Hmm…”
Even though Seoyeon admitted it, Kwon Yuri showed no signs of backing off.
Rather, the smile on her face grew even more mischievous.
“Did he like it?”
“O-Of course, he liked it…”
Seoyeon’s cheeks turned red as she gave a slight nod.
Though shy, her movements were filled with confidence.
She recalled the efforts of the past few nights, staying up late to make the candies.
It would be a lie to say it wasn’t exhausting, but the completed candies had been worth all the effort.
She had carefully adjusted the sweetness to suit his taste, knowing he didn’t like overly sweet things.
She had fun pressing the dough into cute molds and even enjoyed the meticulous task of wrapping them one by one.
Th i s w a s cop ie d f r om k i n gm t l.o r g
She was confident that if he took just one bite, he would be hooked.
Though she regretted that she couldn’t reveal she was the one who made the candies, just imagining him eating the ones she had made filled her with happiness.
For now, that was enough.
She still had a long way to go on her journey.
T h i s w as c o p i e d fr om k i n g m t l .o r g
“So?”
“So, what?”
Kwon Yuri still wouldn’t let it go.
“You went through all the trouble of making candy for him, and he just let you leave?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
Seoyeon shook her head left and right frantically.
“Even you know that doesn’t make any sense, right?”
Kwon Yuri whispered, her expression sultry, contrasting with her innocent appearance.
“You didn’t apply for an overnight pass this week, did you? So, after taking care of business…”
“S-Stop it! Nothing like that happened…”
“Huh? I didn’t say anything yet. What exactly didn’t happen?”
“Hng…”
Seoyeon squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head even lower.
“Yuri. Leave Seoyeon alone. You’ve had way too much to drink.”
At that moment, the girl wearing glasses, Choi Ireh, who had been sitting nearby, reached over and pulled Kwon Yuri’s neck back.
“Ugh… I haven’t had that much… I’ve only had three glasses…”
“Three glasses? You mean three bottles…”
T h i s was c o p i e d f r om k i n gm t l .o rg
“It’s the same thing…”
As Kwon Yuri and Choi Ireh bickered playfully, Seoyeon, still bowing her head, blushed deeply.
Kwon Yuri’s provocative teasing had stirred a particular train of thought within her.
Before she knew it, she started imagining him holding her tightly and roughly in his arms.
It was a vision of the future she longed for.
“Guys, stop… okay?”
Just as Seoyeon finally managed to calm her heated thoughts and tried to stop her friends,
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her eyes suddenly caught sight of something across the banquet hall.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Seoyeon stood up abruptly.
Her expression hardened, becoming completely rigid.
“Seoyeon? What’s wrong?”
“I… I think I drank too much. I’m going to go get some fresh air…!”
“What? You didn’t even have a single drink…”
Before Choi Ireh could finish, Seoyeon hurriedly ran off, chasing after someone.
***
“Give you something…? I don’t have anything like that…”
Startled by Lee Hyun’s sudden question, Yeon Minha stammered.
“H-Have I ever left anything with you? What are you talking about all of a sudden…?”
“…”
It wasn’t until after she spoke that she realized her slip of the tongue.
His slightly slumped shoulders were all the answer she needed.
Even though she couldn’t see his face, she knew for sure what he was thinking.
After agonizing for a long moment, she finally spoke, albeit with great difficulty.
“Actually… I do have something…”
Yeon Minha fumbled through her coat pocket before pulling out a small bundle and handing it to Lee Hyun.
Her slender fingers trembled the entire time.
He accepted it without a word.
“It’s… nothing special. I just made it when I had some free time…”
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Yeon Minha, though no one had asked her to, began offering explanations.
“They look a little strange, but… that doesn’t mean I made them carelessly…”
Lee Hyun continued to fiddle with the small bundle in his hand.
Then, looking back at her, he asked,
“…Can I open it now?”
“Why are you asking me…? Do whatever you want…”
Upon hearing that, Lee Hyun wasted no time unwrapping the package and gently flipped it over into his palm.
Soon, two or three misshapen lumps, hard to describe, fell out weakly.
“Ah…”
Yeon Minha let out a small gasp and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
She shouldn’t have given it to him.
The alcohol-fueled courage had ruined everything.
She could already envision the disappointment on his face without even looking.
Once again, the image of that beautifully crafted box of treats, so different from her own, floated into her mind.
Her heart pounded wildly, and tears started to well up behind her tightly shut eyelids.
-Crunch!
“Huh…?”
But in the next moment,
a sound echoed through the night air, bringing her back to her senses.
Yeon Minha slowly opened her eyes.
One of the lumps that had been in his palm had completely disappeared.
Yeon Minha raised her head.
Lee Hyun was biting into something, chewing it thoughtfully.
Sensing her gaze, he spoke somewhat awkwardly.
“I usually chew my candy. It’s been a habit since I was little…”
“…”
Yeon Minha watched him in a daze, and then, stammering, she asked,
“I-Is it… edible…?”
For some reason, there was a hint of hope in her voice.
Lee Hyun swallowed the candy and nodded slowly.
“It’s delicious.”
“L-Liar…”
“I’m not lying. It really suits my taste perfectly.”
His voice was filled with genuine satisfaction.
Before she knew it, Yeon Minha’s heart was pounding, not in nervousness but in joy.
What he said next, after a brief hesitation, sealed the moment completely.
“And to be honest, I was waiting.”
“For what…?”
“For the candy you would give me, Sunbae.”
“Hmph…”
At his reply, which seemed so natural, a strangled sound escaped from Yeon Minha’s lips.
She bowed her head, unable to hold back the rush of emotions any longer.
He clearly didn’t understand the concept of embarrassment.
His lack of self-awareness made him even more infuriating.
After standing there blankly for a while, Yeon Minha suddenly made a firm decision.
The night was still young, and the strong liquor hadn’t worn off.
It was the perfect time for her to act on the surge of boldness swelling within her.
Yeon Minha immediately put her impulsive thought into action.
“…Sunbae?”
“S-Stop talking…”
Moving even closer, Yeon Minha lifted one leg and placed it on his lap.
The long skirt she wore shifted, revealing her white stockings.
The moonlight reflected off her exposed skin between the skirt and the stockings, giving it a soft, gleaming glow.
She pressed her thigh more firmly against him, closing the distance between them.
Her unfocused red eyes, her warm, slightly labored breaths, and her flushed cheeks, surely from the alcohol, were all clearly visible to Lee Hyun.
“What are you doing…?”
“…Open your mouth.”
At some point, Yeon Minha had snatched one of the candies from his palm and brought it to his lips.
“I’ll eat it myself. Also, can you get off…”
“Quickly… It’s a tradition for the person who made the candy to feed it during the Festival of the Falling Star…”
“…”
Th i s w a s c op i ed fr om k i ng m tl . o r g
Though Lee Hyun looked visibly conflicted, Yeon Minha’s determination remained unwavering.
She pushed the candy even closer to his mouth.
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Lee Hyun had never heard of such a tradition during the Festival of the Falling Star.
And there definitely wasn’t any need for her to be in this compromising position.
But the intense passion and stubbornness burning in her eyes were undeniable.
It was clear that she wouldn’t back down on this.
Lee Hyun quickly came to a conclusion.
Letting her have her way would be the fastest and surest way to resolve the situation.
“Hurry…”
“…”
After a brief moment of contemplation, he finally parted his lips slightly beneath his mask.
Seeing that, Yeon Minha’s trembling fingers moved closer.
She could have just dropped the candy into his mouth.
But instead, influenced by her drunken boldness, she made a daring choice.
She pushed the candy into his mouth with her fingers.
“Sunbae… This is a bit… Mmph.”
His final protest was cut off by the sweet sensation that filled his mouth.
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The dual sensation of her soft fingers and the hard candy spread inside his mouth.
Yeon Minha didn’t pull her fingers out right away.
She hovered, as if she would withdraw but then didn’t.
Teasing him with playful, delicate movements that gently tickled his tongue.
Only after what felt like an eternity did she finally roll the candy onto his tongue.
“Ah…”
Yeon Minha let out a quiet moan as the sensation of his warm mouth against her fingertips reached her.
This wasn’t something she did out of intention, but rather an instinctive reaction.
After all, in her drunken state, she had become something closer to a creature of her impulses than a person.
Slowly, she withdrew her fingers.
As they reemerged, her slender fingers were coated with a slightly sticky, glistening fluid.
“Oh…”
Now free, Lee Hyun let out a slightly flustered sound.
But the overwhelming stimulation had finally pushed Yeon Minha’s alcohol-soaked brain to its limit.
Her body collapsed forward, but a firm and warm presence quickly enveloped her gently.
The steady thump of someone’s heartbeat echoed in her ears like a lullaby.
In a voice filled with a mix of intoxication and hesitation, Yeon Minha mumbled her final confession before drifting off to sleep.
“Next year… I’ll make them even prettier for you…”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“On Foundation Day… it’ll be your turn, right…?”
“Understood.”
“And you… really know how to brush hair… Do it for me again… every day…”
“I will.”
“And you… You promised… right? That you’ll always stay by my side… and never go anywhere…”
“…”
“Snore…”
Her voice, which had been growing weaker, finally ceased.
Lee Hyun glanced down to check on the now slumbering Yeon Minha in his arms.
She was breathing softly, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
Having no choice but to endure the emotional outburst caused by her loneliness and intoxication, Lee Hyun quietly watched over the sleeping girl.
Gently, he reached out and brushed the strands of hair that had fallen over her face, tucking them behind her ear.
Then, with both arms, he carefully lifted her up, rising to his feet.
Without a word, he walked off into the night, cradling her securely in his arms.
It was the moment the long banquet finally came to an end.
***
“N-No more… I can’t drink anymore… huh?”
As the banquet reached its peak,
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k ing m t l . o r g
Kwon Yuri, who had been drinking straight from the bottle, turned her head, sensing someone’s presence.
A black-haired girl was stumbling through the entrance of Hwayangkwan.
Her head was lowered, and with one trembling arm, she clutched her opposite shoulder.
“Our Seoyeon… Why did it take you so long~?”
“…”
But Seoyeon didn’t respond.
Without a word, she walked to her seat and gathered her belongings with fatigue-laden hands.
“Sorry… I’m not feeling well. I’ll head in early…”
She barely looked at Kwon Yuri, muttering her farewell in a distracted manner, before staggering back out of Hwayangkwan.
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A chilling sense of loneliness and a gnawing cold enveloped her as she walked away.
***
“Huh?”
At the break of dawn, Yeon Minha’s eyes abruptly opened.
She shot up, her upper body rising reflexively.
Her head whipped around as she took in her surroundings.
She was wrapped in a warm blanket, lying on a familiar bed, looking at a familiar ceiling and window.
However, as a pounding headache quickly followed, she grimaced in pain.
“Ugh… My head… What the hell…”
The throbbing pain was enough to start bringing back the memories she had forgotten.
Realization dawned on her as she froze.
“…Wait.”
And soon, memories from just a few hours ago rushed back into her mind.
“Oh… Oh no… Aaaaaah!”
Yeon Minha let out a howl that was more beastly than human.
End of Chapter