Chapter 115
Even after finishing the meal, the two of them stayed seated on the balcony for a long while. They couldn’t take their eyes off the spectacle of the blue Alps being dyed in golden sunset light.
Standing before a view she never would’ve seen if she hadn’t lived this entire day following impulse at every moment, Hyeji felt an unexpected sense of fullness. Every day of this trip had been satisfying, but today would probably remain the most vividly etched in her mind.
She’d always lived as a J type, so even when taking time off to rest, she couldn’t feel at ease unless every schedule was planned out in advance. That was probably why travel had felt more like a hassle than a rest until now.
From now on, I should travel like a P type.
Up until now, for Noh Hyeji, having no plan had meant anxiety. But when she actually tried living without a plan, what she felt wasn’t anxiety, but ease.
The elderly couple next door were enjoying that ease too. Sitting side by side at the end of the dock in front of their house, feet dipped into the lake as they watched the evening glow, their affectionate backs made it hard for Hyeji to look away.
It was the moment she realized a dream she hadn’t noticed before.
Hyeji leaned her head against Kanghyeon’s shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her and looked in the same direction. Like the elderly couple by the lake.
* * *
Forever Single Noh Hyeji’s dating bucket list, the long-awaited final item.
Not leaving the bed all day with her boyfriend.
This was achieved in Milan, the day before boarding their flight back to Korea.
That day, the rain fell in a gloomy drizzle. Perfect weather for staying in bed all day.
The moment they opened their eyes, as if by prior agreement, they overlapped their lips, layered their bodies, and locked together below the waist to become one. After that, they ordered room service and ate breakfast in disheveled states, wearing nothing but bathrobes.
As the meal was ending, Hyeji untied the towel she’d wrapped around her hair and swept up her wet, tangled hair. Her slender neck was revealed in a long line. Below that, between the deeply parted lapels of her robe, the curve of her round b*****s stood out. Each time she moved her hands to fix her hair, her pale flesh swayed from side to side.
She tied her hair up, then picked up her toast again and bit into it. She licked the strawberry jam from her lips with the tip of her wet tongue, then froze. Only then did she realize how suggestive she looked, with one side of her robe slipping down past her shoulder.
A sigh leaked out between Kanghyeon’s parched lips.
“The real monk was me.”
To think he’d endured sleeping next to such a sexy woman for six years.
Hyeji, who had been pulling her robe back up over her shoulders to cover the chest that already bore unmistakable marks of his teeth and mouth from all morning, stopped and tilted her head in confusion. In that gap, Kanghyeon’s hand plunged inside her robe.
“Ah! Ahh… wait, what is that between your legs? No, again? Why?!”
Monk Kanghyeon was now an excommunicated monk.
“We said we wouldn’t leave the bed today, but we’ve been out of it way too long already. Right? Isn’t that so?”
“That’s not it… this feels more like Han Kanghyeon not leaving Noh Hyeji’s body, ah, mmm, ahh…”
Having s*x just from making eye contact in the middle of a meal. Their newlywed certification passed.
They spent the day devoted only to the desires above and below the waist. Drunk on the drowsiness that came with fullness, they dozed off, then woke to find that the sun was already setting between the rain clouds.
Hyeji lay on the bed, the sheets scattered in disarray, using Kanghyeon’s arm as a pillow as she admired the peaceful view outside the window.
The sun was setting beyond the gray rain clouds. Church spires tinted purple and orange-tiled rooftops spread out beyond lush greenery. Milan’s sunset was another picture-like scene that would linger in her memory for a long time.
Pitter, patter.
As she listened to the monotonous sound of rain, she realized something. The rain that had been hitting the window in the morning was now falling onto the balcony. It meant the rain was still there, but the wind had stopped. Even if she opened the window, the rain wouldn’t blow inside.
Hyeji tried to sit up, then hesitated. She was still naked.
Since they were on the top floor, even if she went to the balcony window like this, no one would see her. But the man propped on one elbow, looking up at her with questioning eyes, would see everything.
And Kanghyeon himself was lying there half-naked too, with only a blanket wrapped around his lower body. Just moments ago, Hyeji had been pressing her bare body against that same place.
Now she was fairly used to lying naked side by side. But walking around nude was still awkward.
The puzzlement faded from Kanghyeon’s eyes. He’d read her thoughts completely. She expected him to feel hurt and ask why she was still being shy, but instead.
“Put this on.”
