Chapter 41: A Fateful Departure

The moment I reached to touch my slightly distended lower abdomen, a belated, intense pain surged through me, followed by a rush of something hot that filled me from within.

“What in the world…”

The sheer volume was far too substantial for a simple climax, making me momentarily believe Han Jung-woo had lost control and relieved himself inside me.

Otherwise, such an immense amount would have been utterly impossible.

I frantically attempted to pull away, yet our entangled lower bodies remained stubbornly locked, as though ensnared by an unseen force.

“Right now, inside— Hmph.”

“It likely won’t come out.”

His voice, so unnervingly calm it sounded as if he were merely stating tonight’s dinner menu, only intensified my spiraling confusion.

Even the slightest movement sent the liquid sloshing within my belly, yet he implied I had to remain exactly as I was.

For how much longer?

“No, please— Hmph.”

He pressed down on the nape of my neck, silencing my struggles, and abruptly captured my lips. His thick tongue, forcing its way into the narrow opening, wantonly plundered the depths of my mouth.

I clenched my fists, pushing and striking his shoulders, but he remained utterly unyielding.

Only when I was on the verge of suffocating did he release me, allowing my head, which had been strained toward the ceiling, to finally slump against his shoulder.

Gasping for air, I sagged against him like a deflated balloon, utterly devoid of strength to resist.

Amusingly, the pain began to recede once the tension in my body finally broke, a consequence of his forceful kiss.

With every breath, his pheromones filled the air, and unlike before, they almost seemed to be attempting to soothe me. Though, of course, that was an absurd notion.

“Is there truly no way… to hold onto Yoo Seo-jin?”

Han Jung-woo, still clinging to a desperate hope, reiterated his question. I couldn’t fathom why he was so intent on keeping Yoo Seo-jin, even to the point of behaving so unlike himself.

After all, he would abandon me the moment he reunited with Jung Hee-soo.

“Even if I promise to grant Yoo Seo-jin every single one of their wishes—”

“Keep your promise.”

I cut him off before Han Jung-woo could even finish his sentence. Though my voice was terribly hoarse and fractured, my message seemed to have been delivered with undeniable clarity.

“Yes, that’s how it should be.”

He murmured to himself, then let out a low chuckle. In short order, he laid me back onto the sheets and resumed the rhythmic thrust of his hips.

Someone once said that s*x, too, is a language of the body. By that measure, we were merely performing the crude act of thrusting and being thrust into.

There was no exchange, no connection whatsoever.

As time wore on, the parts of me tightly interlocked with him grew numb, as if all sensation had vanished. Yet, with every jolt, the distinct sloshing within my belly remained acutely perceptible.

‘I’m tired, so sleepy…’

The initial pain had faded into a dull familiarity, replaced now by an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. My eyelids were already drooping, half-closed against my will.

“Yoo Seo-jin…”

Bending deeply at the waist, he pulled me into an embrace so tight there was no space between us. His weighty presence was slightly cumbersome, yet not uncomfortably so.

Each breath drew in a familiar scent—Han Jung-woo’s pheromones. I knew I had encountered it before, yet the memory remained frustratingly indistinct.

“—I shouldn’t have.”

Though I yearned to know what he had cut off, the overwhelming tide of sleep muffled everything. It was as if I had been submerged underwater, and then my memory simply dissolved.

****

When my eyes fluttered open once more, the first thing I registered was a long, outstretched arm, serving as my makeshift pillow.

Turning to identify the owner of that familiar hand, I found Han Jung-woo’s sleeping face exactly where I expected it to be, inches from mine.

While an arm pillow seemed rather intimate for a one-night encounter, I simply dismissed it as another one of Han Jung-woo’s eccentricities. I had no desire to dwell on complex thoughts.

‘It’s dark.’

The faint moonlight filtering through the expansive window offered little illumination, shrouding the room in dimness. Still, the fact that Han Jung-woo and I lay on a proper bed confirmed we had returned to the resort.

It was a profound relief not to be confined to the car any longer. A cramped vehicle was hardly an appropriate place for two grown men to sleep.

‘So, we really did it.’

The timing had been delayed, the location altered, but ultimately, I had indeed slept with Han Jung-woo. It was nothing more than a mechanical act of penetration and reception, devoid of any genuine affection, yet it had occurred. Surely, Han Jung-woo was satisfied now.

With yesterday marking the conclusion of our three promised encounters, there was no longer any reason for me to see him. And certainly no reason to lie here, face to face.

“Ugh…”

A mere twitch sent a dull ache, originating from my lower back, shooting all the way to my toes. Biting down hard on my lower lip to stifle any sound, I gingerly distanced myself further from Han Jung-woo.

My body, once slick with sweat and semen, felt surprisingly clean, leading me to believe Han Jung-woo had washed me after I’d passed out. Why he hadn’t bothered to dress me, however, remained a perplexing mystery.

With a surge of annoyance, I cautiously peeled back the blanket, only to discover Han Jung-woo was in a state no different from my own. Only then did understanding dawn on me.

‘Will I even be able to walk?’

A little apprehensive, I gingerly placed my foot on the floor. It ached, but thankfully, it wasn’t an unbearable pain, nor did it prevent me from walking. This much, I could endure.

Reassured, I fully descended from the bed. As I took my first steps toward the bathroom, an unsettling sensation immediately emanated from between my legs.

My gaze dropped, and I discovered a white, viscous fluid tracing a path down my thigh. I instantly understood what it was.

‘Why did he leave *this* untouched?’

If one bothers to wash a person, shouldn’t they also attend to the mess below?

It was common courtesy to clean up after ejaculating without a condom, yet Han Jung-woo seemed utterly oblivious to such etiquette.

Then again, it was highly improbable that someone who had only ever pursued casual encounters would possess commendable bedroom manners.

‘Instead of an arm pillow, he could have at least cleaned this… No. What did I expect?’

Suppressing my simmering anger, I consciously ignored the unpleasant stickiness and moved as silently as possible, careful not to rouse Han Jung-woo.

The moment I stepped into the bathroom, my immediate priority was to wipe away the fluid still trickling down my leg with a towel.

The sheer volume was astonishing; the semen had flowed all the way down to my ankle. I barely managed to stifle the curse that threatened to erupt from my lips.

‘I’ll just put this on.’

Having finished cleaning myself, I donned the shower gown hanging in the bathroom. Knowing Han Jung-woo’s meticulous nature, he surely wouldn’t have left my clothes, soiled with sweat and sand, lying around.

If he had sent them for laundry service, they wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Yet, I needed something to cover myself if I was to return to my own room, making the shower gown the most viable option.

‘This will do.’

Tying the gown’s belt securely, I exited the bathroom. My phone and wallet were already in hand from the dresser, leaving only the quiet escape from the room. However, a small, persistent thread of regret held me captive.

‘You utter fool.’

After silently cursing myself, I returned to Han Jung-woo’s side. My gaze settled on his sleeping form, his body angled toward the empty space beside him.

Knowing I would never see him again, I wanted to imprint his image into my mind, to ensure I would never forget him, even though I knew he wasn’t the person I truly sought.

My lips parted soundlessly, whispering a farewell that no one would ever hear. ‘Goodbye.’

With that final, silent goodbye, I fled the room as if escaping. The instant the heavy door clicked shut, my legs, which had been holding me upright, buckled beneath me.

Mercifully, I managed to brace myself against the wall, but my heart was another matter entirely. With every ragged breath, my chest tightened with an agonizing squeeze.

‘This is the right thing to do.’

I swiftly severed any lingering, futile attachments. I knew the truth, after all: Han Jung-woo was not Seon Woo-jung.

He might desire me now, swayed by a fleeting whim, but he was ultimately someone who would leave. And I, in turn, would be powerless to do anything but watch him go.

It was imperative to end things before my desires grew any stronger. As Yoo Seo-jin, a future with Han Jung-woo was simply impossible.

‘Calm yourself.’

I steadied my erratic breathing, then fumbled for the card key tucked inside my wallet. All that remained was to return to my room, gather my belongings, and depart from this place at once.

Just as I opened the door and began to shed my shoes, my phone erupted with a clamorous ring. I silenced the jarring sound before checking the name displayed on the screen.

[Mother]

I had been so consumed by Han Jung-woo that I had completely forgotten. It had, astonishingly, been an entire week since I last exchanged messages with my mother.

Even with me being an adult, she was a mother who worried intensely for her Omega son, so it seemed she could no longer bear the wait and had called first. However, I was in no state to speak with her just then.

Yet, outright rejecting her call would be a clear giveaway, so I simply waited for her to give up first.

I finished removing my shoes and walked into the darkened living room, settling comfortably onto the sofa. By then, my mother’s call had switched to missed. Then, a message arrived from an unknown number.

I initially dismissed it as spam, but the brief glimpse of the message content on the screen struck me as ominous. Unlocking my phone to read it, I shot up from the sofa.

[Your madam has collapsed.]