Chapter 87: Dream or Memory?

Do Yun’s eyes, clouded by medicine and fever, were radiating unmistakable desire. No matter how much I tried to rationalize it by telling myself this was just a cute puppy acting out, I couldn’t reverse the sticky atmosphere that had settled between us. My lips were practically being devoured by him. I was gradually running out of breath.

“Hmph….”

And right then, Do Yun stroked the back of my head with his long fingers. The feeling of him caressing something precious made goosebumps break out across my entire body. The next moment, something that absolutely shouldn’t have touched me brushed against my inner thighs. I was so terrified I forgot to breathe.

‘Wh… what is this?’

I froze, my mind going blank. Do Yun pulled back slightly and smiled with joy. His glistening lips were far too erotic. Immediately after, he did something even more shocking. He began to press his body even more firmly against mine. Even though my mouth wasn’t blocked, I couldn’t utter a word.

‘Is that even a human size?’

It even felt like it was still growing. I swear, I did not want to learn about the male lead’s greatness in this manner. Before I knew it, Do Yun’s hand, which had been stroking the back of my head, was hugging my waist tightly again. I gasped for air and spoke.

“It hurts…!”

“…You’re being well-behaved today.”

In that instant, my mind snapped into focus as if I’d been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

Is this punk… confusing me with someone else he’s been with in the past?!

Simultaneously, the heat and embarrassment that had dominated my body turned into rage. I glared at him, my eyes wide.

“…Stop it, you. I’m seriously going to get angry.”

“Haha. You’re pretty.”

However, hearing my stern warning, Do Yun smiled contentedly as if he were admiring a great show of affection. Then, he buried his face in my chest and exhaled hot breath.

“……!?”

This was a situation I had never even imagined! I tried to push his head away, but Do Yun wouldn’t budge. To make matters worse, I felt something damp.

“Heeu…!”

Then, I heard the sound of him chuckling against my chest. I found this guy absolutely detestable. He naturally pinned me down, crushing me from above.

He crawled over me like a giant serpent breathing lava. From head to toe, his entire body was overlapping with mine. Do Yun used his weight to keep me from moving an inch, repeatedly sucking and licking my lips and tongue. It felt like my entire mouth was being ransacked.

“Mmph… ugh!”

The kissing was one thing, but I honestly felt like I was going to die from the weight. This is crazy! I came here to nurse him, and I’m being treated like this by my brother?! More importantly, Choi Do Yun, is this kind of bedroom manner okay? Weren’t you supposed to be the gentle type! But what really made me mad was that, in the midst of this, I was actually feeling pleasure from his touch.

When I pushed against his shoulders with all my might, he pulled his lips away for a brief second to look at me. Seeing me gasping for air, he gave a seductive smile and spoke.

“…What, are you going to cry today, too?”

My eyes flashed.

At the same time, I swung my free left arm with all my strength like the wind. Immediately after, I struck Do Yun’s neck with the edge of my hand, using a powerful force. The sudden impact made his pupils shake.

“Uh…?”

He looked at me with a betrayed expression before losing consciousness and slowly collapsing onto my body. At the same time, Do Yun’s leg… no, something touched my lower abdomen without any filter. Is he insane? Just how surreal is that size? My heart hammered wildly.

‘…I almost died.’

I shoved the guy—who boasted a terrifying weight—aside like a piece of luggage, narrowly escaped the bed, and gathered myself. Perhaps my attack had hit the mark, because Do Yun didn’t wake up at all, even as I pushed and shoved him.

I stumbled out of his bedroom as if fleeing. I locked myself in the bathroom and looked in the mirror; my face was burning red and my lips were swollen. My dark hair was disheveled like someone who had just woken up, and the neck of my light sweatshirt was stretched out. Moreover, my pants were hanging low, down to my hip bones.

In other words, I looked like someone who had just finished “the act” to anyone who saw me.

“Choi Do Yun, you crazy bastard….”

I covered my mouth and sank to the bathroom floor. My pride was utterly wounded. The physical gap was one thing… but the self-loathing that came from actually feeling pleasure despite being caught off guard like this was no joke. After all, he just confused me with some other woman in his dream…. Anger surged within me again.

‘Just how messily did he play around in America?’

Of course, it might not have been messy. He could have just dated and broken up gently. With about 200 people.

However, I felt like I finally understood why female readers preferred men without a past. Even though I wasn’t Bae Ji An, I felt a massive sense of betrayal. Besides, what on earth was that “Are you going to cry today, too?” bit? What the hell have you been doing until now?! What kind of terrible manners are these?

‘Sigh….’

The post-event clarity hit me hard.

After crouching on the cold floor for a while to let the excitement die down on its own, I wobbled out of the bathroom. I crept open Do Yun’s bedroom door; he was lying in the exact position I had knocked him down in. I quickly grabbed my coat and bag, went into the living room, and called his private doctor.

I hid in a corner of the kitchen and whispered into the phone, terrified Do Yun might open his eyes and chase me.

“Yes, Doctor. I think Choi Do Yun fainted from exhaustion. Yes, they say he collapsed. Please give him an IV or something. Please go quickly. I’ll send the address. Me? No, I’m outside. Yes, yes, thank you.”

After hanging up, I let out a long sigh. The reflection of myself in the glass window looked far too unfamiliar. I caught my breath. I tried to list every emotion currently flowing through my veins. Shame, anger, embarrassment, arousal—okay, that much was fine.

But… feeling jealous of Do Yun’s unknown former partner was going too far.

I’m nothing more than a supporting character in the original work.

My head was a mess. I wished someone would strike me in the neck and knock me out, too.

The next day, Do Yun returned to the office with a perfectly fine face. I don’t know what was in that IV, but he looked much healthier than he did before the workshop. I crossed my arms and glared at that glowing face. When A Young asked how he was doing during lunch, he answered with a smile as if it were no big deal.

“I guess the fatigue just caught up with me after the business trip and the rainy sports day.”

“I’m glad you recovered quickly.”

“Yes, I slept so well it was like I was knocked out.”

I flinched involuntarily. That’s when Gwak Seon Woo chimed in.

“Sleeping is the best medicine.”

“Yes, and I had a good dream, too.”

Then, Do Yun suddenly looked at me and smiled. I immediately went on high alert. What, does he know something? I snapped my head away, but then I felt indignant that I, the victim, was the one acting suspicious. That’s when Ji An, who was next to me, spoke.

“That’s a relief, Director. I was worried when I heard you were sick.”

I was inwardly surprised. I had no idea when Ji An had started speaking so warmly to Do Yun. Come to think of it, the atmosphere seemed quite good when Ji An and Do Yun were talking in front of the vending machine a few days ago. They were definitely awkward around each other until the sports day….

‘Well, the mood wasn’t bad when we were eating sashimi a few days ago, either.’

…But seeing them appear even more friendly felt strange. Suddenly, a very plausible hypothesis flashed through my mind.

‘Wait, did the two of them go on a date the day I took off because I got drunk and sprained my ankle?’

Do Yun took off exactly the day after—yesterday—because he was sick. If that was the case, maybe he got sick because his stamina was drained even faster…!? Thinking about it, everything clicked into place. Marveling at my own chilling deduction, I spoke to Ji An with a serious face.

“Ji An…. If you’re ever on a date and a guy suddenly loses his manners and lunges at you, straighten your hand like a blade and strike the side of his neck hard. Got it?”

“Pardon?”

“The carotid artery passes through there. If you hit it hard, it shakes the brain and can temporarily knock them out. You said you used to do shot put, so you’ve got strong hands—it’ll work well. Practice it every now and then, just in case.”

“Ah…. Okay? Thank you?”

The other three people stared at me. Gwak Seon Woo asked:

“Is something wrong?”

“No. It’s just a dangerous world out there.”

I said this while glaring at Do Yun. He pointed at himself and mouthed, –Me?– But no matter how innocently he asks now, it won’t work on me. You fraud.

You did that to me, and the day before, you were on a date with Bae Ji An?

Even though it was just a groundless assumption, my heart flared up with a sudden fire. Of course, it’s just because I’m angry about being treated so ungratefully by my brother. There is absolutely no other reason.

But no matter how much I tried to control my mind, the most infuriating part was that the man himself thought what happened with me was just a dream. The fact that I couldn’t even tell him the truth made me even more annoyed. Eventually, Do Yun asked while checking my complexion.

“Hyung? Are you not feeling well today?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine.”