Chapter 1: What Happened Last Night?

The faint sound of running water vibrated against Jiheum’s eardrums.

Jiheum’s closed eyelids fluttered.

As she tossed and turned at the sound of the water, the smooth sheets brushed against her skin, wrapping around her body.

The soft sensation felt so good that she was about to let a smile slip onto her lips when a voice suddenly intervened.

‘Ah. It hurts…’

An erotic whisper brushed against her ear.

The auditory hallucination was clearly Jiheum’s own voice.

‘Wait, wait a minute, sl-slowly. Go… slowly.’

‘Relax. You’ll get hurt.’

The low, flowing voice was as seductive as a snake’s temptation.

She had tried to relax, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

She couldn’t do anything because of the man who filled her completely.

She could only cling to his forearms as if they were a lifeline.

‘Look at me. That’s it. Just like that.’

At the memory of the man’s lips curving into a satisfied smile, Jiheum’s eyes snapped open.

Jiheum blinked under the light of a floor lamp positioned against one wall and scanned the room.

Everything in the space, which was far larger than her own room, was unfamiliar.

She wondered where she was and what time it was, but nothing came to mind immediately.

A splitting headache surged within her, instantly chasing away the remnants of sleep.

Jiheum furrowed her brows and pressed firmly against her temples.

Abrupt thoughts began to chain together, pulling out fragments of memory like a string of candies.

Her twenty-ninth birthday.

The woman she called her mother.

Money.

Several glasses of whiskey.

A few words exchanged.

Eyes full of desire.

And…

A one… night stand?

Gasping, Jiheum bolted upright, unable to close her gaping mouth.

Her bare upper body, the aches blooming everywhere, and her throbbing head, her entire body was screaming, proving that the memories she recalled were nothing but the truth.

Jiheum shook her head, desperately wishing the memories had been fabricated.

She even held her breath for a moment, focusing all her senses on organizing her thoughts.

‘Let’s go up. I’ll make sure you get drunk.’

The man’s voice intruded again.

She remembered following him up to the room and the frantic movements as they explored each other’s bodies.

Even if she tried to deny the memories, her body had left honest traces.

The sensation of trembling at the peak of pleasure resurfaced, making the hair on her arms stand on end.

“I’ve lost my mind!”

Jiheum’s low cry echoed in the quiet room.

A chill ran through her as if the blood were draining from her body. Her head spun.

As if to wake the pale, terrified Jiheum to reality, a faint sound drifted from the bathroom.

Thud, drip, drip.

The sound of water? That meant… surely, her one-night stand partner was still in this room?

Jiheum jumped in shock and threw back the sheets.

Her naked body, without a single thread on it, was revealed before her eyes.

“Oh, the wig!”

Starting to get up, Jiheum flinched and reached for her head.

It felt slightly askew, but fortunately, the wig was still in place.

Exhaling a deep breath, she whipped her head around.

She found her underwear and bra scattered near the bed.

Standing up like a lightning bolt, Jiheum stepped into her underwear and snatched up her bra in an instant.

With practiced, quick movements, she hooked her bra and scanned the surroundings.

A shirt and trousers, seemingly belonging to the other person, lay strewn about.

After confirming that none of her other clothes were there, Jiheum stepped out into the living area.

She picked up the stockings draped over the sofa, but they hung limp and lifeless.

Looking at the stockings, which had died a glorious death with ladders running through them, she was left speechless.

‘We really went at it…’

Tossing the stockings into the trash can, she searched the living area.

The dress she had been wearing and her bag were nowhere to be seen.

Jiheum activated her hearing and vision to their full capacity.

The sound of water no longer echoed in the silent space.

Every fine hair on her body stood up at once, trembling slightly.

She pricked up her ears and glanced toward the bathroom.

She was on edge from head to toe, terrified that the door might open at any second.

Whirrrr— Whirrrr—

The faint sound of a hairdryer drifted out.

“Phew—”

As if released from a game of freeze tag, Jiheum breathed a sigh of relief and dashed toward the suite’s entrance.

She felt ridiculous, wandering around a hotel room in nothing but her underwear.

I certainly had a hell of a birthday.

As she approached the entrance, she saw her dress hanging precariously off a hallway table.

It was a tight mini-dress she had bought on impulse.

Once she had bought it, she regretted it because it wasn’t like her, but at this moment, she was immensely grateful it was a one-piece dress.

She didn’t even want to imagine a situation where she had more pieces of clothing scattered around than she already did.

Jiheum slid her arms into the dress and felt around for the zipper, her eyes darting busily.

She hunted for her coat and handbag, which were still missing.

The coat had been dropped near the entrance along with what appeared to be the other person’s coat.

Her killer heels, which she was wearing for the first time, and a pair of men’s dress shoes were sprawled at the end of the hallway as if they had been kicked off in every direction.

“Ha… Yoon Jiheum.”

Summoning her patience, she clenched her jaw to suppress the rising anger.

“You really want to end your life early, don’t you?”

Her smoldering eyes glared at the innocent killer heels.

Fiddling with the zipper of her dress, she approached the fallen heels.

“And what’s wrong with you?”

The zipper, which should have slid up in one go, got stuck halfway.

It seemed it had been damaged after being practically ripped off the night before.

Jiheum repeatedly pulled the zipper up and down, her frustration mounting, when something she shouldn’t have touched brushed against her fingertips.

Jiheum flinched in surprise and froze.

She felt a large hand take hold of the zipper.

“It’s broken.”

The man’s nonchalant voice fell over Jiheum’s smooth back.

Her white spine stiffened, every nerve on edge.

She didn’t have the courage to turn around.

“…It’s… fine.”

Jiheum managed to respond while staring at the door.

“You must have eyes in the back of your head.”

The man’s languid tone flowed into her ear.

He didn’t seem to be expecting an answer, but the weight in his voice made her feel pressured to respond.

“Pardon?”

“Shouldn’t a conversation happen face-to-face?”

‘If you were in my shoes, would you want to show your face?’

Jiheum swallowed the words she wanted to say and pointlessly toyed with the broken zipper.

As if that were the best she could do right now.

In the face of the man’s massive presence behind her, her hands moved fruitlessly.

Thinking back to the moments they were entangled, he certainly had a tall, muscular build.

But more than that, the mysterious aura radiating from him naturally made a person shrink back.

Last night, the very flow of the air had changed the moment he appeared.

It was also true that she had been drawn to the powerful pressure he exerted.

But that was strictly last night’s story.

Now, at the very least, she just wanted to avoid this man by any means necessary.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for us to talk. So, I’ll be going now.”

Jiheum tilted her head slightly to the side with a nod and made a break for the entrance.

“Planning to run away?”

Her head throbbed at the words that flew at her along with the man’s chuckle.

“I’m leaving because my business here is finished.”

“Is this that ‘hit and run’ thing I’ve heard so much about?”

The man folded his arms and whispered lowly.

Despite the incredibly deep bass, his voice pierced clearly into her ears.

“You’re crossing the line.”

Jiheum’s voice rose slightly without her realizing it.

“And why is that?”

The man asked back, as if Jiheum’s reaction was amusing.

“It was consensual. We had a consensual one-night stand, and since it’s over, I’m leaving.”

“A one-night stand?”

“One night of fun is enough, isn’t it?”

Jiheum grabbed her coat and shoved her arms in.

She absolutely did not turn around.

She didn’t want to show him her face, which surely looked like a mess.

Since she had fallen asleep as if passing out while drenched in sweat, she couldn’t even guess what state her face was in.

“Well then, goodbye.”

Jiheum spoke with a firm tone as if delivering a final farewell and stepped into her killer heels.

Her height increased significantly, but even then, the crown of her head barely reached the man’s nose as he stood behind her.

“Wait a moment. I’ll give you my number.”

“That’s quite alright. Last night was more than enough for a bed partner.”

Jiheum shot back quickly.

“I’m glad you were satisfied. But I prefer things to be clear-cut.”

A smile spread across the man’s lips.

It seemed Jiheum was the only one who found the situation awkward and wanted to escape.

Just as she was about to take another step, the man’s words brought her to a halt.

“Don’t go. Wait. I’ll compensate you for the clothes.”

“I don’t need it.”

Jiheum refused flatly and headed for the entrance.

She picked up her handbag, which had been lying on the cold floor waiting for her.

“I don’t like leaving things lingering.”

“……Lingering?”

The expression on Jiheum’s face was strange as she repeated his words like a monologue.

Was he doing this because he was afraid she might go to the police station and file a false report?

“There won’t be any… ‘lingering’ business from my side.”

“Exactly. So let me pay for the clothes so neither of us feels uneasy.”

Jiheum found the man’s stubborn insistence on compensation offensive.

Even if it was just for the clothes, hearing it in this situation didn’t allow her to take it in a positive light.

“Is this… payment for my services?”