#cynicalwoo

There was always some sort of jealousy toward those with easy access to success and money. There was frustration on why could they be born into it, and you have to work so hard only to receive a slither of the life that they were living. At this point complaining about working wasn’t enough. You had to drown it out with alcohol too and seriously your bank account was going to burn along with your throat for the amount of alcohol you were consuming. You threw your head down onto the counter letting out a groan of frustration, nothing was calming right now. You picked up your head from the counter rolling your eyes because of your empty glass being refilled. The last thing you need is a guy who thinks that he could get any woman he wants.

You searched the bar trying to meet with someone else’s eyes. A certain man with wavy dark brown hair taking a sip of his drink met your eyes. You darted your eyes away from him, the intensity of his stare was too much. He only took it as an invitation to move from his spot to the empty seat next to yours. By the time you lifted your head, he was next to you causing you to have a confused look on your face. You were sure you had blinked a couple of times before he began to speak to you. He was so pretty too and maybe it was the alcohol talking, but you started to lean towards his face closer and closer until he stopped you. He looked down at you and smiled with a chuckle. Something along the lines of “How Cute” escaped his lips. That wasn’t something you took too lightly and even worse when you had less of a hold on your tongue. Your eyebrows furrowed and you looked up at him. You opened your mouth but at first, nothing came out. You closed it and licked your lips before opening it again to say, “Calling me cute isn’t going to get me in bed with you, sir.” The corner of his mouth irked up a bit higher as if he liked it. You huffed again now getting irritated with the stranger who spoke none to you but just acted. So you just pushed him again. “Seriously, just give me an answer! Stop being a coward and just talk to me!” You honestly didn’t understand why you said what you said. Maybe you were lonely and craved his attention. 

There he went again, starting to laugh at your short fuse. He made you feel so small and you weren’t quite sure if you liked it or not. The way he just stared at you intently riled up something hot between your legs. Your body was on fire and wanted to inch more toward him, but your mind said no. “Seriously, it's not funny!” You said again but it seemed not even to reach his ear. His grin grew again. “It is when you’re huffing over something that might all be in your head. And has anyone ever told you that you’re so pretty when you’re frustrated?” His hand caressed your cheek and slipped under your chin lifting it. You let him do that to you while watching his eyes the entire time. You lost a couple of breaths along the way.  

His eyebrow lifted as if he was expecting you to answer that question of his right before he decided to take your breath away. You wanted to smile or to laugh– if you were sober, but now everything just gave in to him. Your whole body gave into him. “No... no one’s ever told me that” Your eyes strayed didn’t away from his, still wanting more. “I could tell you so many beautiful things about yourself if you would just follow me.” He smiled and the hand that rested on your chin went down to your hand and held it. You nodded slowly. You barely knew him yet there was so much enchantment in this stranger. Following him wherever he went could be dangerous, but you didn’t care. You needed to see where this went. You told yourself that you couldn’t live without knowing what would come next. 

Your movements out of your car were hazy. You just remember it was a nice car. Something that you could never afford in your life. You clung to his arm the entire ride. He drove so fast that everything looked like a picture of a fast-moving moment. Your body is still hot and excited as his skin touches yours. His smirk stayed on his lips every time you looked over at him to make sure that he was still there.

He didn’t take you to his apartment like you thought he would. Instead, the two of you stepped into this fancy hotel you had heard of before, but now you couldn’t remember the name of. Everything was so sparkly—the hatred of those who had more money than you hadn’t quite hit you yet. Nothing to stick to your morals hit you yet. Just how much liquor did you have that you gained this wonder of living a fairy tale? Your arm is still attached to his, the two of you walked to the elevator and up to a suite.

Hongseok stood back and watched you as you walked into the suite. Your eyes lit up as you pranced around the room still not believing you were there. You felt like a kid in a fairytale, something you would have dreamed about as a little kid. You walked up to him and kissed him on his lips so softly. He kissed back, but there was more hunger in his kiss. His hands went from your shoulders to your elbows to your waist. He lifted you to carry you and your legs wrapped around him. He kept his hands under your thighs as he led you to the bed. His lips smoothly glided across your own. You smiled into the kiss letting your hand touch his hair. His curls felt so soft in your hands. 

He laid you on top of the bed and pushed you down. His lips went for your neck leaving wet open-mouthed kisses. It was sloppy, but it felt so good. How could you not take in this drug that he was offering you? You pulled his hair in your hand bringing him closer to you and kissing him harder. His attitude changed and he got only hungrier for you, his hands rushed to the buttons of your shirt and began to unbutton your shirt. 

You let out a gasp when the cold air of the room hit your bare torso. Your hands grasped Hongseok’s hair tightly. You pulled him closer as a way to tell him that you needed more of him. You couldn’t get enough of this man—his hair, eyes, and mouth, especially his mouth. You could only imagine what more he had in store for you. 

You tapped his shoulders getting him to look up at you with a slightly confused face. You stared into his eyes for a moment. They were so pretty and dragging you in as you could just pull him closer and kiss him. That’s what you wanted to do, so that’s what you did. You gripped his shoulders pulling his body closer to yours. You were unaware of where this amount of need was coming from. Maybe it was the built-up stress from work or the hate towards rich people you kept inside. Either way, there was a fire burning inside of you, and no way it was going to be put out so easily. Your hands reached down to his jeans to undo them. You swore that if he had them on any longer it was going to kill you. Hongseok stepped back to completely strip in front of you. He motioned you to do the same which you did. The attachment to this man came too fast. He closed the space between the two of you again. Lips attached and flew to what you would describe as heaven on earth. He laid you on your back and kissed your neck as your hand reached down to line him up. He pushed in and let out a deep breath. Your lips met again as he started a slow yet rough pace. His lips went back to your neck. His hands gripped your waist and your back arched trying to have all of the space between the two of you closed—body on top of body. One plus one equals one right? You bit his shoulder and whispered for him to go faster. 

He lifted his body from yours to your dismay and pounded into you. His right hand gripped the sheets while the other held your waist. You’d probably have bruises there in the morning. Your vision was blurring more and more as you felt a knot growing. Your nails dug into the skin of his arm earning a groan in response. That enough pushed you over the edge and your body shook as you came down from your high. Your eyes were closed and all you could see was darkness as  Hongseok pulled out and spilled his seed on your stomach. You drifted slowly to sleep listening to Hongseok move around the room. You swore it was the alcohol that made you sleep so soundly.

.

When you woke up you were in another man's arms. Nothing from the previous night stuck to your mind. You jumped up from his arms waking him up. You were panicking looking around the room. Why were you in this fancy hotel? How did you get here? Judging by the guy next to you it must’ve been him, but why? How could this rich guy take so much interest in you? 

You tried to move slowly out of the man's arms. The man tightened his arms around you leaving opened-mouthed kisses on your neck and shoulders. “You’re not leaving me that fast,” he said as he buried his face in your neck.

You shook him off of you, “I don’t even remember–” You turned around to meet his eyes. “You’re that cute guy from the bar!” You saw the guy chuckle. “That I am... My name is Hongseok since you don’t know.” He smiled at you. You nodded at him and slowly backed away.

“I don’t remember what happened last night either and I’m going to take my leave now. It was nice having this arrangement between us. Sorry, it couldn’t be extended, but I have somewhere important to be…” You got up covering yourself with an extra sheet while gathering your clothes, You avoided the man–Hongseok’s gaze that you could feel on you. You turned around and waved him bye before slipping around a corner and dressing. You were double-checking to see if you forgot something. You honestly didn’t want to have to come back here. You noticed you didn’t have your purse with the things you needed to get home. You really didn’t want to see him or ask him. Although you had no choice but to.

You groaned and came out from the corner tucking loose hair behind your ear. “Hey, uhm… Hongseok? Do you know where I put my purse?” You didn’t look him in the eye. “Your purse?” Hongseok kept his stare on you. He looked away while raising his eyebrows. You followed his gaze to where your purse was. It was sitting perfectly on top of a chair unlike how you found your clothes. You glared at him for a second before retrieving it. Something about it felt off, but you weren’t sure what. He couldn’t have stolen anything. Why would he when he had a lot of money to spend on this suite? 

You swing the purse over your shoulder. You were still unsure about his intentions but didn’t want to seem too curious in front of him. “Thank you for last night.” You put on your best smile before walking out.

That was it. He let you walk out, watching your every move with his cocky, yet admiring glare. You kept on walking until you caught a taxi to your apartment. You sighed and looked into your bag to notice a wad of cash. That ticked you off. First of all, you weren’t selling your body to him, and you were pretty upset he’d take you for that. Even if it was indirect it seemed like an insult. Either that or just that you thought every rich person was arrogant.  When you got home you put the money away in a drawer. “For safekeeping”, you told yourself. The truth? You were disgusted by how he gave it to you. That’s probably why he was staring at you so hard. Like you were a game to him. You shook your head. The guy's memory slowly came back as you went around the apartment doing small chores you neglected during the week. You swore to yourself you were going to stay away from the bar for now. 

.

That promise didn’t stick because you were back at the same bar by two weeks as if the interaction wasn’t that important– to you at least. Hongseok had taken his liking to you and that one interaction still didn’t seem enough for him. His time with you that morning didn’t seem enough for him and he had been checking around for you. Maybe he gave the bartender a little extra just to tell him when you had arrived. Was his attraction to you that bad? Yes, yes it was. And that’s why twenty minutes later after you arrived Hongseok was already in the seat next to you.

You were caught up in some thoughts, mad about something that happened at work. Even if it was minor it ticked you off and you found it better to drown it in alcohol. That somehow made problems seem less important to you. That’s why Hongseok became to you a less critical problem you had. You hadn’t noticed him right away and he wasn’t very patient. Or well to him, he had been patient for two weeks.

“Why didn’t you call? I left you my number after all. It’s not something I do to just anyone.” Hongseok leaned into you, so when you turned your head to look at him he was already so close. He stared into you like his eyes were begging for an answer and it was almost cute. 

Almost. 

“Didn’t feel the need to,” you said as you took a sip of whatever was in your cup. Just when you needed to cool off steam he came. He still made you irritated and it showed on your face. The crack of his smile when he noticed how pissed you were pissed you off even more. “You know I might actually have called you back if you didn’t insult me so by giving me money. Thanks, but I don’t need it.”

Now it was his turn to become cocky. “Well, I thought you might have because, darling, all this alcohol adds up.” He smiled so sweetly at you like you weren’t to be taken seriously. You rolled your eyes in response and mumbled asshole. 

His smile grew even wider. “Fine if you’re upset with what I gave you then why don’t you just give it back?” He raised his eyebrows with the last syllable. You pressed your lips together looking away. You didn’t have it on you and it’s in your home. “Did you spend it already?” He smiled.

“No, I didn't it’s just that it’s put away. It’s at my house. You’re not going there, don’t ask. Maybe I could give it to you sometime later. I don’t have that much on me right now.” He let you rant about how much you don’t want him in your home or to see him.

“Okay, so then can I have your number to set up a time when I can receive it back?” You nodded. You held out your hand to receive his phone, which he gave to you.

You typed in your number and preferred name. You gave it back to him looking up at him and glaring at him as to say “Don’t even think of doing something else with my number.” He ignored you and just took his phone. He left after that leaving you intrigued about what would happen next. 

.

The two of you met up at a rather fancy dinner. He insisted on taking you out while you insisted that it wasn’t necessary. Hell, you even saved up a little extra so you could try and pay for what you were going to have. When you met him at the table you slipped a white envelope back to him with the money inside. You gave him a demanding glare again. 

He took it, slipped it into his suit jacket, and smiled. “I honestly thought you wouldn’t show up and bail on me with the money.” You furrowed your eyebrows. “And why would I do that? I’m honest to my word, and I don’t want to be around you.” That was half a lie. Yes, you did want to be around him. Something deep inside of you loved all of these things. You had dreamed of going on a fancy dinner date, and here you were. It’s just that the circumstances were different from your imagination. You hate rich people because you want to be them. Now you have a chance to be like them. The wavering thought of being with Hongseok or at least meaning something to him was there. You wanted more of a taste of his life. You know he would give it to you with the way he was so eager to have his dinner. Thoughts on how you would bring this up were in your mind. The two of you ordered and you kept making glances at him. The atmosphere was primarily silent with awkward glances from you to him. Are you still debating on how to ask him for such a thing? You did not doubt that he would accept, but some part of you still wanted to keep your pride. You took a sip of the wine that he ordered still looking away from him. You hoped that this would give you a sliver of confidence that you needed to ask him. “Are you going to give up on me after this?” You wavered your wine glass in your hand looking him in the eye. You held your gaze strong at him. You were curious about it so it shouldn’t be too out of character. “In all honesty, I wasn’t going to stop here. You should’ve seen by now that I cannot let you go.” He smiled at you and you smiled back more condescendingly. That was perfect for you at least. “Then how about I propose an idea?” You batted your eyelashes at him. Cringey– but slightly buzzed. “I think that we could arrange a relationship. No ties. No money exchange just you and me in the bed. Not at your home and mine and no personal life. Maybe outings like this. That is if you want to keep me close to you.” You smiled and leaned back into your chair. 

Hongseok just nodded along with your idea. “I understand.” Those two words made you uneasy. His face was unsure and he was confused about the sudden change. Why now are you suddenly interested in him? Did that mean you were trying to get something else? Either way, he came this far to get you– even though it took three meetings– and he wasn’t going to pass it up now. “I’ll be setting everything up, so you don't have to trouble yourself.” he squinted his eyes studying you to see if there was an ounce of fear inside of you. You just smiled back at him making him more suspicious of you. 

You shifted in your seat at his gaze. The suggestion had made things more awkward between the two of you. It was making you a bit irritated on how he could push to pursue you, yet think you were going to do him wrong. Hongseok kept giving you the impression that you were a shallow person. “Just so you know, I don’t have any further intentions than sleeping with you,” you spat at him. 

Again Hongseok cracked a smile at you. “Good because it would be a shame if we had to end.”

“There is no we in this Mr. Yang.” You glared at him. He was in over his head thinking that he could make some sly remark without you being able to catch it. You tried to eat your food peacefully while not making eye contact. You were leaving after this. No drives home either because who knows what he would try to pull. 

There was tension building up from the silence and you couldn’t help but cough. “So what do you do for a living?” You pressed your lips together. It was inappropriate to ask that. This whole time you had been mean mugging him. If you were going to in fact be spending time with him and, you know, sleeping with him, then you would have to make this relationship enjoyable. A deep sigh came from you when it was still silent. “Hm?” “I work in business. I’m a team manager of a good company slowly working my way up through my family.” Hongseok didn’t make eye contact with you at all. It was disappointing that he was so cold now. You frowned as you watched him eat his food. Something inside you was waiting for him to ask you what you did, or to see if he even cared.

When no response came from him it was even more frustrating. Blinking a couple of times in frustration, you went back to your food. If he wanted you so bad why was he being so arrogant right now? Why were all rich people such assholes and why did he have to hold up to that stupid standard for them in your head? You smiled kind of irritated looking at your now empty plate. Stress eating wasn’t going to make it better, but you could at least enjoy the food and make him pay for it. Forget about now wanting to owe him anything. That didn’t matter now. The lack of attention from Hongseok was getting to you. Even if you were being childish now you didn’t care because to you he would look down on you anyways. 

You grabbed your purse and stood behind your seat. “I’m going to the powder room, so if you excuse me.” You gave him a halfhearted smile that may have come off as more sarcastic than intended. He watched you not saying anything in recognition– kind of what he did that morning. He kept acting like he didn’t care. You wanted him to care about you and to take notice of you. He had you wrapped around his finger in a way you thought you were still in control of everything. You lied to him and he knew it. He liked seeing you walk away from him. He liked watching you as you walked out of the restaurant. He was just sad he wouldn't see your face when you realized you were in his game now.

.

Did you enjoy lying to me and going home? 

How’s your bed? Is it comfortable?

If it isn’t I could always buy you a better one.You rolled your eyes. He really couldn’t be that full of himself, but he was. Why did it have to be that way? You left him on reading. You didn’t have time for him or his childish game– again ignoring what you had done yesterday. You stayed in your bed curled up in some blankets watching reruns of whatever was on. No, it’s not as exciting as being rich and spending money, but it comforted you. Even watching rich people be stupid on television annoyed you even more.  

Why was it always the bad rich people that you saw? Was it the money that had gotten to their head? There was a buzz next to you followed by an irritated groan.

Anyways I booked us a hotel this afternoon at four. Don’t be late. Dress nice, or don’t. I’ll have something picked out for you anyway <3

You scoffed at his message. He was full of himself.

.

You ended up not dressing up for him. What was the point if he was just going to have you change anyway? Instead of seeing him in the hotel room, there was a shopping bag with a note attached to it. Maybe Hongseok was respectful after all. You smiled at the little nite of “Try this on!” It was a black satin dress that went down to your ankle with a pair of lace-up heels and a matching bag. There was no reason for Hongseok to spoil you so well. You already loved it, and this was just the beginning, no matter how hard you tried to hate him. 

Hongseok was waiting outside of the room arms crossed in a black suit. Black to keep it classy. When he saw you he turned to you and held out his hand in front of you. You smiled taking his hand and following him to a black car. You two exchanged small talk about the dress and you ignored anything he said about you leaving him. You didn’t care and didn’t want to hear anything more about it. You had no idea where he was taking you, but judging by your outfit it was somewhere fancy. It had been what you always wanted a lavish life a lavish lifestyle. 

The car stopped in front of a building that looked like it was made in the early 20th century. Hongseok stepped out of the car to get to your door and held out his hand once again. You took his hand and followed him inside where he gave them the tickets. Your eyes searched around you, there were no posters for a musical. There wasn’t any information just decoration and mirrors. Your eyes caught on a mirror in front of you. It painted a rich couple on a date. He took you on a date. 

He led the two of you to a private booth claiming that his family had reserved this for them and that he had to go today to this opera to support a friend. In all honesty, opera wasn’t your thing and he admitted it wasn’t for him either, but to root someone on their debut? That’s what the two of you were for. Plus he said he didn’t want to go alone and you were in this deal with him. That had you thinking that maybe the gifts weren’t gifts at all and it was just something so he could seem fashionable. You were taking advantage as you were just being an accessory that he dressed himself up with. 

Instead of paying attention to the plot of the opera and the music, you were staring as Hongseok focused. His eyebrows were knotted together and ever so often he would break out into a small smile. You began a guessing game on whoever his friend was and then you noticed that he only smiled when one person sang. 

You flipped the playbill open and searched for the man. “Jo Jinho..”, you mumbled getting Hongseok to turn to you. You smiled to yourself “He has such a pretty voice, your friend.” 

“That he does.” Hongseok smiled and nodded. His eyes were glowing and he couldn’t be even more proud of his friend. By looking at him you could tell how high Jinho was on Hongseok’s list of people. You smiled to yourself for the rest of the night now appreciating Hongseok as a person and looking forward to meeting his friend. 

At the end of the night, you met Jinho. He came off as an incredibly sweet person. Hongseok kept his arm around your waist the entire time while the three of you conversed. You watched as Jinho’s eyes wandered to the arm around your waist. You could there was slight confusion about who you were, but he never acknowledged it. 

The rest of the night went by smoothly. Taking in too much alcohol was your thing, and it didn’t stop when you were with him. The disbelief of being with him was fueling your need to feel loose, and you were. Your body was leaning on Hongseok’s constantly. You were feeding him this relationship he wanted purely out of spite. You wanted to give him a taste knowing it wasn’t real. Was it getting to him? You didn’t bother to check if it was. 

Afterward, he got you a taxi back to the hotel that he had earlier. Presuming that you were going to give him the clothes back you followed along with him. Again the car ride was silent with Hongseok looking out the window. He was handsome and you would go for him– if he wasn’t a rich prick. Maybe it was you– or the alcohol but you just kept leaning into him. The moonlight on his skin was something so magical. “Can I kiss you?” Was it you? Perhaps it is. Perhaps there’s more attractive than you give off. Hongseok’s head turned your way and he blinked a couple of times to see if he heard you right. It was cute. Something in your stomach turned. You weren’t sure if you liked the way alcohol brought down your prejudice against rich people. No matter how ridiculous it is. 

“You can.” Hongseok fixed his posture in his seat. You could tell that he was caught off guard by your words. Too drunk to think anymore about it, you closed the space between the two of you. 

.

The next morning you woke up before him. This time when you moved off of the bed he didn’t wake and you got dressed and left. No text from him or anything the whole way back to your apartment. There was a little taste of disappointment that settled in the back of your mind. You wanted some attention from him. Even if it was just a small text. Last night was a blast and you wanted more of it.

Almost half of the day went by until your phone buzzed. You checked it happily thinking he was just going to tease you, but that didn’t seem to be the case. 

So we might have been spotted by tabloids last night

And we might have caught my parents' attention

And we might have to go out to dinner with them. 

You face palmed yourself. You didn’t know anything about him. Yeah, you knew he was rich, but had no idea exactly where his money came from how could you be that stupid? What if you were messing with someone you shouldn’t be? What were you even going to do when you met them? Your mind was racing places and you returned to the hotel room. 

Hongseok was still there– surprisingly. He was walking back and forth and didn’t seem to notice you. He might have been just as worried as you were about the situation. “Hongseok?” He turned to look back feeling a sort of relief. You gave him a soft smile and walked closer to him. “So what’s the plan? Family meeting as soon as possible?” 

He took a deep breath and turned to you. There was a sort of twinkle in his eye when your eyes met. “Yeah, I’m thinking about that. That’s also what my mom is requesting, but she’s very judgy and I don’t know If I want to put you through that, or not.” You could see him panicking again. “Hey it’s okay I’ll do my best to please them.” You gave him another smile. You don’t know what it was, but something inside of you just wanted to see him smile. It’s just human kindness. You don’t like him, why would you? He’s just insanely attractive and that’s it. There’s nothing more to it and even if last night had made you respect him more, it wasn’t that much. 

Hongseok looked up at you finally returning a smile. “Okay, so how’s Saturday for dinner? They would want to meet at their house. I could set some things up for you.” He grabbed his phone now scrolling through different websites of clothes– women's clothes to be specific. He wanted to find what would make his parents like you. It’s not that he didn’t trust your style– he didn’t trust his parents. He knew they could ruin the way you looked at yourself. If they didn’t like you– or found one thing “wrong” they would say it most bluntly and would take it far. 

This time you didn’t question what he was doing. Based on the dress he had picked out for you from before you could tell that he was looking out for you. If he could gain some ounce of trust, he had gained it with his fashion sense. You sat back on one of the chairs in the room and let yourself rest about the issue. The thought of leaving didn’t come to you. It seemed he needed the support, and you weren’t one to back down.

You ate dinner with him soon after by ordering room service. It seemed like he never left the hotel room. Now that you started to look around there were drawers opened with folded clothes inside, and his laptop– you guessed– was at a coffee table. Once again, it hit you that you didn’t know much about Hongseok and his life. You ate with him in silence. Trying to crack a conversation now wouldn’t help kill the awkwardness that you were eager to get away from. 

“When was the last time you saw your parents? So I know how the vibe will be.” Your eyes met his and he still looked uneasy to the subject. He swallowed putting his hand over his mouth.

“About two weeks ago. Things should be fine… they’re just very nosey.” You nodded. You were feeling pretty cool about the whole dinner. Things would be fine as long as Hongseok was there. You turned to him looking over his features again. Maybe he wasn’t that ignorant person you first took him for.

The day arrived, and you were a nervous wreck. Hands fidgety, palms sweaty, and legs shaky as you opened the door to the hotel room. Another bag this time placed on the table. It was a dress suit that was a plum color. Not as pretty as the dress he had given you before, but it was still nice. It was still a perfect fit. He left little gold accessories in the bag. Everything still felt so distant to you. It felt weird how there was no exchange of words between the two of you. Just gifts here and there plus outings. 

He was waiting for you down in the lobby wearing a black suit with a matching tie, so you had to guess his parents were formal people. He had his eyes on you watching you as you walked toward him. His eyes wandered the lobby hoping to meet someone else’s gaze. He pulled you in for a quick kiss when you reached him. It was quick and sweet– something just for show in case someone was watching the two of you. You hooked your arm in his and walked him to a car. You two had come up with some sort of fake story– “We met at university. We fell in love and you wanted to have a humble job at some company. I of course lied to you about my status. You didn’t know you were oblivious but sweet. When you found out it didn’t change much, but I felt the need to shower you with gifts as many chances as I got. You only accepted it that night because you wanted to support my friend whom you know I care deeply about. It was a one-time thing. Make sure to pay attention to anything I say. Read between the lines with me. Do not pay attention to what they say. Don’t let them break you. They’re just mean because they’re overprotective.”You looked out the window of the car. It was silent with you, Hongseok, and the driver. He kept looking over at you. His hand was so close to yours wanting to reassure you, but not sure if he could. To him the two of you– could he even consider the two of you close? You were going to meet his parent. That had to count for something, right? He caressed your hand smoothing the skin. He wouldn’t meet your eyes. He didn’t want to see your reaction afraid of rejection. You held his hand squeezing it as a thank you.

 Things were mostly unsaid between the two of you when it came to the way you felt about one another. There was a sense of adoration for the other person. It was the way you carried yourself for him. You were fierce with high self-respect, not taking anyone’s shit. For you, it was the way he flaunted but still, he had something in him that was sweet. You wanted to unlock it but didn’t know how. This dinner was a good way to change it, or show the potential the two of you had if you were in a relationship. He believed with all his heart that the two of you could work this out, why couldn’t you?

Hongseok helped the two of you out of the car wrapping his arm around your waist once again. He made sure that the two of you were close together as you went inside. He had close eyes on you and his parents. He didn’t let you talk at all. It’s not that he didn’t trust you. He just didn’t want to give his parents the chance to put you on the spot. You two made it to the dinner portion until his parents found some way to get your blood pumping. 

“Oh don’t you remember Laura? I miss her at our family dinners with her. She was such a sweet and proper girl.” His mom gave off a smile. You kept up the smile on your face, but you gripped your dress. Hongseok said they were nosey, not just plain rude. His mom reminded you of the reason that you hated rich people. The thick remarks were filled with passive aggression. You didn’t want to be here anymore and forgot the reason why you came. It wasn’t important anymore.

You shifted in your seat and a hand met yours under the table. You were still silent, you felt so out of place and distant. This wasn’t real anymore. The rest of the night became one of those moments that would be blocked out of your head forever, thankfully forgotten. You closed yourself off even on the ride back to that damn Hotel. So lost in your tired thoughts of going home you didn’t notice the grip Hongseok still had on your hands. He held them so dearly– so close to him. He felt bad for what his parents did, secretly cursing them out in his thoughts. He felt protective of you– and ashamed. What he was doing to try and make you smile or form some other relation between the both of you wasn’t working anymore. 

Rococo is an art style, a lifestyle. Organically shaped and covered in gold and pastel colors. Putting an innocent tone over paintings that aren’t so innocent, for tea rooms where women gossip. The high life of the French. 

You sat in the tea room with the other ladies. You had on your best fake smile. You were the youngest out of all of them. Recently, you married the high priest. It was arranged, of course, but he was quite handsome. His name was Kang Hyunngu. Unlike your husband, you grew up in a noble lifestyle. He climbed his way to the top. 

You hummed at one of the lady’s comments. You weren’t listening to what she was saying. You were staring at the paintings around the room. One caught your eye, a picture of naked figures on the sea with putti above them. 

“I see you like the painting I added to my collection.” She smiled at you. Her name was…. You could not seem to remember her first name. But her last name stuck out to you. You were still new to this group. Learning all of their names would take time.

“Ah yes, Mrs. Beaumont. What is the name of the painting?” You gained the attention of the ladies in the room. Most of them didn’t have an eye for art. You knew of some that would have their maids. 

“The Triumph of Venus by Francious Boucher.” She let out a slight smile while sipping her tea. You nodded back to her and let the conversation move elsewhere. 

.

The piece stuck with you throughout the day. It could be because of the erotic nature of the painting. She had planned a day to go to the academy to look at the new pieces. You took care of most of the finances in the relationship. It was the only task that you had that wasn’t mundane.  

When you went to his office, he barely looked at you when the two of you were talking about taking over the finances. He replied with one word and pointed at the finance books. You didn’t know him too well at that time. He didn’t know you too well either. 

You picked up the books and looked back at him. He hadn’t looked up from his papers to see you out. It seemed that he did not have even a bit of interest in you. You didn’t talk to him much after you left his office that day. The two of you had never sat down and had a proper conversation. With you, he was reserved and you were the same with him. Neither of you would open up. 

.

You had been home since the meeting at the Beaumonts' place. You were going over the spending for the month, what was in savings, and what were the allowances. You were in your own office, like a hermit. Most days you wouldn’t dare to come out ‘til supper. There was no reason to stroll, but now you wanted to explore art galleries. You were looking down at the finance book, how much money should be put away for artwork? How much did it cost to be a patron?

You could send a letter to some ladies, but you know how judgemental they are. You could ask your head maid to do some digging on others. You were reading about the art world, trying to get as much information as possible.

You had been alone for a while when someone entered the room. You didn’t pay it too much attention at first until a shadow had loomed over you. You looked up to meet the eyes of your husband. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you this late in my office?” You gave him a smile reaching out your hand. He took it and placed a small kiss. It was a flirty gesture you made at him, but a large smile reciprocated it. 

“I hope you will be this public for our upcoming ball.” You raised your eyebrows at his words. Hyunggu wasn’t a social type of person. 

“A ball? Us? We barely attend others, and you want me to host?” You added a bit of a playful tone in your voice even though the matter was serious. Your fake concern was seen, but not spoken on. Although it was true, you did not attend many balls when the two of you married. People didn’t see you and Hyunngy together outside in public often. This would be a first. “I was hoping for a change. I want to present our name as something grand. I am sure you can handle hosting”

You hummed for a bit. “I can handle hosting and planning, but can you handle all the aristocrats? They can be quite annoying.” No matter how much you wanted to add to a pet name, you held yourself back. He hadn’t gone that far with you, and you wouldn’t with him.

“I can’t wait to see how you pull it together. It is in a month. That should give you enough time.” He gave you one final smile before he left the room. He didn’t prolong the conversation, but you wanted him to. The conversation was a bit longer, and you thought you had kept the mood up. So why didn’t Hyunggu talk to you for just a little while longer? He seriously drove you crazy.

.

You were busy the rest of the week trying to design some theme for your home and party. You were still hung up on the artistic style of rococo and decided to go with that as a theme. It was a new and upcoming style. It would make the two of you seem more stylish than you gave off. And you had to budget the whole ball plus the gowns. To you– that was the most important part of the event. It would probably cost more than the catering and cake. 

You knew one thing for certain, you were going to be locked inside your office for the rest of the day. 

. 

The ball rolled around, and you were exhausted from all the planning. You had your maids help her get ready, the dress, the makeup, the hair. There was a sense of pride when you walked downstairs and saw the array of flowers and colors of pastels. Some of the paintings that you ordered have come and were displayed. 

Your husband walked up to you, “It looks amazing such as you do.” You smiled. You felt flattered. 

“Thank you.” 

You sat on a couch sipping tea while watching your husband converse with others. It was a big party with a large guest list. You thought that you were in over your head inviting people that were of a higher class than you. Especially this one noble family. Their son was best friends with the prince. You didn’t expect them to arrive, but it still was a way to get your name out there. 

Your made rushed to you whispering in your ear that they had arrived. You jolted up, the excitement was too much. You followed the maid to where. You were too stunned to speak just follow. It felt like there was no possible way that this man could be in your house right now. 

You walked up to him, still beaming with excitement. “Nice to meet you, Mr Lee. Thank you for coming to my event tonight.” When you looked up at him you could feel your heart beating faster. He had a sweet puppy-like face and was too handsome. Now you were glad he came to your event. 

“Now that I’ve met you, I can say that I’ve come for a good cause.” He reached out his hand to your own slowly bending down to kiss it without making eye contact. There was heat in your cheeks. “Why don’t you show me around your lovely home?”  There was a look in his eye, something of interest. 

.

You showed him around your house, ending up in your private library on a couch. The two of you were laughing. You had to say, he got some good conversation out of you. The more you two drank, the more handsy Hui had gotten. His hands hovering above your own and his eyes rarely broke contact with your own. You sucked in a breath before you took another sip of champagne. It had already been late when Hui arrived at the party, heavens knows what time it is now. 

The two of you were still in deep conversation when your maid slipped into the room looking a bit nervous. She tapped you on the shoulder. “Erm… I just wanted to (warn) tell you that your husband has been looking for you and is headed to the library. Most of the guests have left by now.” 

You brushed it off waving your hand in the air, “It’s probably about the clean-up and what to do next.” You had a smile on your face with a pink tint on your cheeks. It was Hyunggu and he didn’t talk much to you. He only spoke business because, technically, you were part of his business image. 

“Oh dear, does that mean I have to part ways with you already? I thought we were just getting started,” Hui added as he snuck his hand under your own and laid a kiss upon it once more. He had an enamored look in his eyes now like he got a taste of what he was looking for. 

The made to you two was once again a ghost, and nothing else existed but the sound of your voices and the heat between your bodies. The only thing that would break the trance would be two hands on your shoulders. Surprised, you looked behind you to find Hyunggu. “Oh, Dear! You have to meet my new friend. He says my home is lovely and–”

“I'm sure our home is lovely, you designed it after all, but shouldn’t I be the one to talk business with the man, I am the husband.” He didn’t leave much room for you to respond, tightening his grip on your shoulders. You spoke no more. 

“Ah, we should soon. Let’s make a date where I can come over again.” Hui had a smug look that anyone could mistake for liquor. But the way that Hui made a quick glance at you, made your heart skip a beat.

“You’re right. Tonight has already gone too far. I’ll walk you to the door.” Hui stood up and you watched him. Hyunggu had finally lifted his harsh grip from your shoulders. You stood up as well, but the men were already half out of the door. Hui looked back at you and gave you a wink with a soft smile. 

.

You had returned to your room undressing, bathing, dressing, and slipping into bed with a book. Hui gave you a recommendation from your library, and you promised to read it. You had walked around the library with Hui before sitting down and talking. Hui was an observer, the way he watched you talk, and the way he examined the room. While the two of you walked around the book collection, he suddenly pulled out a book and gave it to you. You smiled to yourself holding the book to your chest. There was a knock at your door that interrupted your flashback– or shall I say daydream. “Come in.” You said in a soft voice to the person on the other side of the door. 

Hyunggu opened it, only now you were able to see his eyes. Angry, almost, but for a reason that you don’t know. You only turned to him to see who walked into your room, then turned back to your book. 

Your husband bored you and to you, whatever he was going to say would not make it any better, so you went back to your book. You heard him sigh, maybe it was the stress from hosting such a huge party. You flipped the page. 

“Do you have any shame?” Hyunggu said in a slightly irritated voice. It was clear he was trying to hold himself back, but the venom slipped through the cracks. 

“What?” You said now putting your book aside. You looked directly at him. 

“You disappear for half of the night into some secluded room, and you don’t think people will talk. Especially with that man’s ties with the prince?!” There was urgency in Hyunggu’s voice. He ran his hands through his hair. He was still angry, now you looked at him, analyzing him. He hadn’t changed from his attire from the part. He looked like he had been sweaty. You were sure it had been some time since Hyunggu walked Hui out the front door. So what had he been doing since then? 

Either way, he was coming for you, almost accusing you of adultery. Sure, you didn’t like Hyunggu as a husband, but you did have some respect for the man. “So this is about image? Because if it is–”

“It’s not about image it’s about the fact that my WIFE was gone half of the night and I didn’t even have an answer as to where you were. God, I had to ask your maid for an idea. The event went well if people weren’t asking for your appearance half of the damn time.”

“You don’t like me by your side if you mind me reminding you.”

“And when I did seem to find you when everyone else was gone, you were with a man. A man? What do you think about how he thinks of me now? So oblivious that I can allow my wife to slip away? “ He didn’t even hear your statement. He was ignoring you just blabbering on and then he got to the part about Hui’s glances. “He was looking you up and down undressing you with his eyes. In my house! He was thinking of undressing YOU. IN. MY. HOUSE.” 

“Have you been drinking, Hyunggu?” You said without giving too much thought to what was coming out of your mouth. You were starting to become concerned. 

“THATS NOT IMPORTANT.” Hyunggu was pacing around the room now. He was in over his head angry. A part of you was scared. This normally quiet man of your husband was now yelling in your bedroom. 

“I think you need to calm down.” You said with a little more urge in your voice. You were ready for him to leave and didn't know how to calm Hyunggu down. He was still walking back and forth when you got up from your bed walking toward him. You cupped his face, “You need to calm down.” You spoke softly to him, looking into his eyes. “Okay?” He looked back in yours before he ripped his face out of your grasp, and stormed out of the room slamming the doors. 

You didn’t sleep that night, the book acted as a source of comfort.

. 

You had been avoiding meeting hyunggu ever since the incident in your room. Dinner was the only time that you couldn’t escape from him. Neither of you had spoken either. You avoided eye contact from him, or read your book at the dinner table. 

You awaited Hui’s return, but perhaps he did not mean it when he said he would visit again. You spent your time in your drawing room, embroidering, reading, painting, and anything to pass the time. Going on strolls in the garden behind your house was your new favorite pastime. It felt more and more empty with every day, and you asked for more flowers and asked for more statues. You needed something more than an empty garden.   

You searched for some type of fulfillment for your boredom. You frequented as many teas and balls as you could in hopes of running into Hui again. Especially at balls, since you had met him on your own. It was a new move trying to go to all of the events of the social season since you weren’t that high of a noble. You needed the connections, so you had the ball in the first place, but you didn’t see much of a chance moving up in the ranks. 

You did get the attention of many of the lady’s husbands, which got you somewhere in mentioning your husband. Even though you were not interested in Hyunggu as much, you still had to stick by him. Who else was going to support your endeavors in art? You could think of one person but still could not find him anywhere.

.

You were getting ready for another ball you frequented with or without your husband. Sometimes Hyunggu would “tag along” for the connections that were there. This ball in particular, Hyunggu did not fancy it at all. You didn’t hear anything from the staff about him getting ready or wanting to go.

You left your estate feeling free since there wouldn’t be someone’s (hyunggu’s) eyes on you all night. You walked into the ball, the lights were dim creating a sense of ambiance. You wandered about most of the ball. You weren’t much of a dancer, but more of a socialite. 

You were laughing with one of the ladies you usually have tea with when someone tapped you on the shoulder. You turned yourself around and met Hui’s eyes. You curtsied to him, and he took your hand again to kiss it. His lips left a small fire burning on your hand for the rest of the night. “I have not seen you in so long.” You smiled up at him. You wanted to say that you missed him, but it felt like too much. 

“I am not an easy man to come across.” He had a sly look on his face as if he had won something. He held onto your hand escorting you somewhere more quiet, like before. You could tell he liked his privacy. 

“I can tell, you never called when you say you would.” You remarked in a slightly pouty tone. You would not give him too much, not yet at least. “At this point, you are just... teasing” You looked up into his eyes looking for something, and was met with a soft smile. 

“I did not think even if I were to call, that your husband would accept it. I am glad you felt the same way I have.” His hands lingered on yours, holding them. The two of you were outside in the garden. The sky was clear and full of stars. 

“What feeling do we share?” You asked inching towards him. The moonlight only made him look more dreamy. 

“The feeling of something igniting every time your skin touched. The passion.” His hands holding your upper arm. “That is why you were looking for me again, is it not?”

“You looked down at your own hands, “That is why. I do miss your company and our conversation. Which is why I wish you could visit me in my garden. It is empty, almost like my house. Like my heart when you are not next to me.” 

He tucked a hair behind your ear as an excuse to hold your face. “Then I will meet you in that garden.” He leaned in to kiss you, and it was soft. You leaned more into him grabbing him by his waist, and he grabbed you by yours in return. You smiled into the kiss, as he ran his hands up into your hair. 

He pushed you up against the wall, as the two of you became breathless. His hands were still in your hair tugging at it making the kiss deeper. He pulled away after a few moments trying to catch his breath. “We both can’t continue this here nor today.” Hui was looking down at the ground. His hands were on his hips as he thought of a solution to both of your dilemmas. “I shall have to visit your garden sometime…” Hui said, looking at you with a smile. 

“We should get back to the ball now before we are missed.” You replied and linked your arm with his. The two of you walked back to the ball to enjoy the rest of your night dancing and talking with Hui. You enjoyed his company more than Hyunggu’s. You felt like you had known Hui for an entire lifetime. 

.

You spent more and more time in the garden. New flowers were blossoming, and your statues came in. There was one you put on a pedestal– an angel. He looked like he was sitting and had a finger in front of his mouth hushing. Two other statues sat on the ground. They were angels, one hugging the other. You smiled to yourself proud of the way you had decorated the garden, but it was missing something.  The trees around your garden looked overgrown. The biggest tree had a branch that seemed to curl into itself. You couldn’t put to your mind what you were missing just yet. You walked around more of your garden seeing where else you could put statues. You had a thing for putti, the little devious angles that were found everywhere. It was too cute and fitting for Hyunggu’s job. 

You smiled to yourself looking over at your garden one last time. You turned to head back to your estate when your maid ran to you with a letter in her hand. “A.. Letter… from Marquis Lee.” As soon as those words left her mouth you beamed and ran to her to retrieve the letter. Your two dogs barked in the back of her. One was a brown and white cocker spaniel who was perfectly groomed and a Coton de Tulear, who was more energetic. Coco, who was the white puppy, and Ava, who was the brown and white puppy both ran up to you before you could get your hands on the letter. You giggled playing with the puppies, for a moment before making sure to take the letter and shove it into a pocket of your dress for safekeeping. You continued to run around the garden playing fetch with the puppies. 

You had been out there for somewhat of an hour when you felt someone’s eyes on you. You turned around to see Hyunngu leaning on a pole of your veranda. He had a soft smile for a moment before he got caught. He made his way towards you, and you called the dogs to your side as you walked to meet up with him. “Did you need my presence?” You said as you curtseyed a little at him.

“No, but you can say it was missed. You are usually inside.” Hyunggu said as he looked around at your backyard. It had changed since the last time he had been back here. It bloomed with your taste and creativity. He allowed himself to smile, admiring what you did to the place. “I think I know what your garden is missing… I shall order it and have it installed.”

“I already have more statues on the way,” you said. You guessed earlier that the garden missed more statues. Your garden needed a story of itself to tell, and to you, statues would fix that. 

Hyunggu chuckled a little, “No not that. Something else. Exotic, but I think you will enjoy it.” He nodded to himself before looking down at the two pups following you. “Seems that you liked my wedding gifts as well.” He felt proud of himself with that one. 

“I have grown attached to them, yes.” You answered Hyunngu bending down to ruffle Coco’s soft white furr. Dogs were often a gift in marriage as a symbol of loyalty. Given to a woman for the expectation of her loyalty. You knew that and so did he. Coco and Ava were a symbol of what you were meant to be as a woman. Sometimes you loved them but hated them for the reason they were here. “I shall see you at dinner,” you said with a smile and a curtsey to excuse yourself. Once again, you called the dogs after you while heading inside. It was time to read your letter.

And write a new one you would send in secret.

.

You almost fell asleep at your desk with all of the drafts you had written to Hui. You wanted to sound smart and eloquent, but you could not seem to get the right tone down. You groaned in frustration, throwing yourself back in your chair. His words were so sweet and rolled off the page like melting wax with a cherry scent. How could you ever match up with that? How could you make him feel like he’d be melting off of a small piece of paper?

In the back of the garden, there lies a pathway leading to a woman with her angel of a child. Next to her is a pedestal of our own, where our love can grow taller than any tree in my garden. We will make the flora around us bloom continuously. 

At the end, you signed your name. You wished to meet him there in that spot, on that same pedestal. You wished to steal another kiss from his soft lips and feel the way he held you. You found yourself with your hands in your hair, soothing it and slightly tugging on it just the way he did. Your hands trailed to your lips, brushing your fingers across them softly. A smile fell upon your lips reminiscing the one kiss you shared with him, that made every fiber of your body burn even a couple of days after. You leaned back in your chair sighing from the satisfaction of your daydream. You stayed like that for moments upon a time, just thinking how it would be if Hui could have courted you. When you were satisfied with the tiny scenarios you opened your eyes. You still needed to seal the letter that sat on your desk. You melted the wax and bored it onto the folded paper before you pressed the wax seal on it. It was your old one– before you were associated with Hyunggu. It was personal and just… you. Just you and him. 

You hid the letter you had written for Hui in between a textbook, for safekeeping. The one he wrote you needed a special place in your room. You could go shopping the next day for boxes, but for now, the best place to keep the letter would be close to you. You crawled into bed, taking the letter with you, sliding into the covers, and sliding the letter under your pillow. 

.

You sat at the dining table dressed up ready to go get some more writing supplies along with a box for yourself. Something about it just made you feel so giddy about the idea of getting to exchange letters with Hui back and forth. Even though you prefer to speak to him face-to-face letters would have to do. You wouldn’t want Hyunngu to become as frustrated as he was the night of the ball. Nor would Hyunggu ever let Hui set foot on his property. Letters were still personal, but not as intimate. 

Hyunggu had been acting differently since the night he came into your room. He had been softer in a way, and trying to connect with you more. He would try and match up the time the two of you had meals, he would try to meet you in the library acting as if he needed a book, and the way he came in the garden the day before. The gift he mentioned, you wondered why he would possibly want to get you a gift and what even was the gift. Hyunggu was still three-quarters of a mystery to you. You broke fast talking with your maid about what stores you wanted to visit, and if there was anything new that you had not seen before. 

Hyunggu walked into the room, and you quieted down in front of him. You looked up to see him smiling so early in the morning. He walked up to you to where you were sitting, “I am going to have something being installed today. You are going to be out today, correct?” 

You nodded at him replying, “I am.” You took another bite of your food to postpone talking to him. Hyunggu stared down at you a small smile still on his lips. You looked up at him, there was something more that he wanted to say to you or wanted to do. You noticed the way his fingers twitched at the side of him. “So I suppose you better have it installed before I come home. So I should take my time out today.” 

.

You hadn’t checked the garden to see what was installed when you came home, not when you received another letter so fast. The rest of the afternoon was sent in your room drafting yet another letter. The day had gone by so fast that by the time you looked outside your window, it was already late at night and there was no use to go outside. Hui had mentioned how he would come by soon to that pedestal and how your love story would grow. 

There was a knock at your door in the middle of the night. You had called your maid to come retrieve the letter and have it sent off as soon as possible. Hyunggu peered his head through the door before a sound could come out of your mouth. You coughed a bit slipping the letter under other documents and books. You plastered a fake smile on your face sitting with your legs crossed. You were leaning against your desk wearing only a nightgown. Hyunggu let himself in your room, “You never visited the garden today… Did you catch something while you were out in town?” His head tilted to the side as he walked closer towards you. “You did not eat dinner either. I was worried about you.” Hyunggu’s hand fell upon your cheek and traveled to your chin lifting it. 

You cleared your throat once more. “I apologize, when I came home I was feeling too well. I retreated to my room for some rest. I hope you were not offended.” Hyunggu smiled. His hand left your chin and went up to your forehead. His other hand went up to his. 

“You do feel a bit warm. Shall I call our  physician?” You shook your head slightly. You could not be more of a bother to him, nor did you seek his attention. You used to try everything to get him to look at you. You had suspected that this had something to do with Hui. Ever since Hyunggu found you in the library smiling, laughing, and talking with Hui, something inside Hyunggu flipped. Hyunggu visiting you in the middle of the night is rare. He did visit you a few times on the topic of financial matters, but nothing more than business. “Alright,” He replied letting his hands fall to his side. “But you should rest nonetheless, so you can feel better in the morning. I will be there to break your fast with you as well.”  Hyunggu leaned in to kiss your temple before leaving your room. 

You felt stunned by the sudden affection from your husband. You touched the place he kissed on your forehead. You bit your lip and called in your maid to give her the letter. Your sentences were short, telling her to send the letter out and that you would spend the entire day outside tomorrow. When she left you could barely fall asleep drumming your fingers in your chest. Your head played back to the kiss on your forehead from Hyunggu, then to the kiss you shared with Hui in the garden.  

..

The next morning felt brighter than the rest. You would find a surprise in the garden, and hopefully have a surprise visit from your so-called lover. The day was quiet and bright with a subtle breeze flowing through an open window. You had eaten with Hyunggu earlier that morning, and you could still not get over how he smiled at you. He held your hand and walked you to the garden that bright morning. 

He showed you the swing, tied by a thick rope into the three. It was gold with a velvet seat. It almost looked like a throne he got only for you. Hyunggu had lifted you from your waist to sit you in the swing. He held his hands in yours gripping the rope and pulling you back on the swing. He pushed the two of you forward. It felt like a moment that could be frozen and displayed for eternity. The way you flew through the air was a different type of magic. The sound of his laughter rang in your ears. He sounded so pure, so childlike. It was different from the way you knew him before. Everything had changed so fast in such little time. You two stayed in that moment that could have been taken out of a fairytale before a butler called him into the house to work on some matters. He caught the swing to slow it down so you could get off. He helped you off, holding your hand and giving it a peck before bidding you adieu. 

A pinch of guilt was felt in your stomach, the feeling that you betrayed Hyunggu. Even though your vows weren’t genuine, they still existed. You strolled through the garden, fingertips grazing the blooming petals around you. The way Hyunggu kissed you by your hand, took you aback to the way Hui kissed your hand. And soon enough, you were thinking of the way he kissed your lips. Flashes of scenes of the past two to three weeks ran through your mind. You sat and thought on a ledge of a wall. You closed your eyes to feel the breeze and the way the sun made parts of your skin tingle and warm. The sun felt like there was a second embrace hugging you and comforting you through your thoughts. The warmth helped with the loneliness that you felt, till the warmth was gone and you were cast in a shadow. 

You opened your eyes slowly, slightly afraid of what your eyes would meet as soon as they were introduced to the outside world. Hui whispered softly, “I know this wasn’t the place we were supposed to meet, but I hope you don’t mind.” You smiled and scooted over patting a seat for Hui to sit.

“I don’t mind at all. I am grateful you saved me from loneliness on this beautiful day.” You laid your head on his shoulder, your smile growing by the seconds. The two of you were deep in the garden of your estate, hidden by the numerous flowers around you. The sweet aroma of the flora filled the two of you with romance. Hui had an arm around you, and his other holding your hand. “I read the book you recommended to me.” You said in a soft whisper.

“Do you think I have good taste?” The arm over your shoulder drew circles on your forearm. The two of you were looking ahead as if there was nowhere else to look, nothing else to do, and nothing more to say. 

“I think we both know the answer to that question”. You laughed a little, letting your eyes crease, relaxing and acting naturally with Hui. You turned your head to look at him and gave him a small peck on his cheek. The creases on the corner of his eyes soon mirrored your own. He leaned down trying to give you a proper kiss. Being playful, you quickly switched out your lips for a flower before running off. You threw the flower to the side once Hui realized what was touching his lips. You were on your feet, running around the garden while Hui sprung off of his seat behind you to chase you. The sounds of your giggles filled the air as Hui continued to catch up with you. He tackled you into a patch of grass, he nuzzled into your neck starting to peck you. Hui attacked you with kisses all over your face and neck while you squealed trying to escape him. 

The rest of the day went by quickly with mostly chatting, soft touches, and short kisses. It was a fever dream, an idea that you could escape your marriage in your magical garden. You had dinner with Hyunggu that night barely looking up to meet his face. There was guilt that beat the smile off of your face. You stared down at your food, watching it slowly get cold. You also couldn’t bring yourself to hold the fork to your mouth, not in his presence. “Was there something I did that was wrong today? I’m sorry that I could not stay outside with you. And because of that interruption, I have some news for you. I will have to leave the estate for some business out of state for a while– I shouldn’t be too long. Three weeks to a month.” You looked at him blankly, not knowing what to say. “I know this is a lot and sudden.”

There was nothing you could think to say to him. Guilt began to fill your mouth, trying to force its way out. “It is, I hope it goes well.” A nice quick reply would do for now. You didn’t mind him being gone when he was barely there initially. Only just recently did he start making an appearance in your life. Still, Hyunggu had the title of your husband, and that was enough to make you feel a bit of guilt. 

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By the next day, Hyunngu was packed up and gone from the estate. You made the most of the time having the place to yourself. More talks in the garden lead to talks in the library and many things behind closed doors. Carelessness filled your head as you let Hui inside your room, for a break from the sun. Really, it was so that you wouldn’t sweat under the layers of clothing when he touched you. You could be free from worry, and clothing. Hui held your face kissing you with passion he had not shown you before. He had nothing to hide anymore, not his passion for you. You held his shoulders for support as he kissed down to your neck trying to pry open your bodice. You helped him take off your dress, smiling and giggling with him. Hui took care of himself as you got comfortable on the bed. Who knew sex could be so fun when you add a bit of passion and the joy of eating the forbidden fruit? Hui’s lips were on you in an instant, his hand on your thigh soothing it. He made room for himself in between your legs, while his kisses trailed down your body. He worshiped you, every inch of your skin was left on fire after his kisses. When his face reached your heat he looked up at you. Hui’s eyes were glistening by the candlelight. “May I, my dear?”, he asked licking his lips.

“You may,” was all you needed to say before his lips were attached to your clit lapping and kissing like he wasn’t going to be able to do this again. His hands squeezed at your thighs, to keep you from closing in on him. His breath was hot against your cunt, as he gasped for air. You moaned as you felt his tongue enter you. You grasped his hair, whimpering as he sped up this pace. You were so close to your release, holding onto your sheets for dear life as your legs shook. You came with a screech, closing your legs around Hui’s head. He continued to lap up your cum, rubbing his thumb on your inner thigh. Your breathing was heavy as you ran your hand through your hair. 

     Hui detached himself from you, only to kiss you. He was murmuring something you couldn’t hear. You could feel Hui’s hard against your thigh. You helped guide him towards your entrance, needy for what more pleasure he would bring you. He pushed in with a deep kiss on your lips. He was slow at first so you could get used to him. He pulled back to look at you, and you stared at him with all of your combined beauty. You pulled him into a kiss with such passion urging him to quicken his pace. Hui bit at your lip pulling it while he quickened his pace. You could feel him drawing near as he began to let out moans of pleasure. You kissed his neck biting it and sucking at it trying to draw him closer. Hui came with a shaky moan, falling on top of you and leaving small kisses. The rest of the afternoon was a blur. 

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