The small butt resting on the kitchen island moved around. Her expression, clearly showing she hadn’t come for this, was evident on her small face.

Jae-geon was searching through the pantry-like shelves for ‘unsweetened sweetness,’ so it seemed he decided to wait and see for now.

Acacia honey, hunamsa syrup, balsamic reduction, coconut sugar, scorched rice…

As he pointed to each ingredient occupying the kitchen island, Jae-geon added explanations.

“There are different kinds of sweetness. Some have a sharp sweetness that hits you fast and then disappears, like sugar, while others leave a lingering sweetness, like honey or syrup. Some sweetness follows acidity, while others come subtly from grains.”

Interest finally flickered in her dull eyes. Hae-som’s ears perked up like a rabbit’s.

“Ah, I understand now. When you said ‘unsweetened dessert,’ you didn’t mean to remove sweetness entirely!”

“If the sugar content is too high, the original flavor of the ingredients fades. Therefore, the fig dessert you made was the worst. It just tasted like sugar.”

“But I don’t think that’s a problem that can be solved by simply replacing it with a different sweetener. The fig flavor is too weak. Wouldn’t it be better to change the menu entirely?”

Give her one thing, and she understands five; give her five, and she grasps ten. He had no idea at what pace he should proceed.

Doesn’t realized the man’s anxious inner turmoil, and with no intention of considering it, Hae-som happily dangled her feet and pondered.

“What kind of dessert can I make that highlights the unique sweetness of figs? Tarts are for the summer menu, so that’s out. If I make a sorbet, it’ll be too bland. Should I make a fig crumble and turn it into a soboro bread? Would that be too much for the last course? Sigh.”

Actually, Jae-geon had a different dessert in mind. He would simmer the figs for a long time, like making syrup, to create a paste-like filling, then mix it with grain powder and press it into dasik molds.

Fig dasik, jujube dasik, pine pollen dasik.

By coincidence, the trio of dasik seemed to pair well with Eun-seop’s sujeonggwa granita. For an alcoholic option, moju would be good.

He didn’t know why he wanted to inject his own idea into Hae-som’s head… but Jae-geon didn’t ponder deeply and placed the syrup jar he felt within reach into Hae-som’s arms.

“Doesn’t anything come to mind?”

“With syrup, I think of garaetteok… You’ll just scold me again for not having chef potential, right?”

She understood immediately

Lowering her gaze, which she had raised as if in protest, Hae-som mumbled hesitantly.

“I really don’t know, Chef. Can’t you give me a hint?”

Through her thick eyelashes, those familiar sparkling eyes twinkled. At her innocent request to know, he felt, yet again, the blood rush to his core.

Jae-geon lunged forward, as if ambushing, into the space between his legs spread wide. Pressing his lower body tightly against hers, he let Hae-som feel the heat raging within him.

“It’s more bland than Seong Hae-som’s lips, and stickier and more cloudy than the fluid Seong Hae-som secretes.”

Her cheeks flushed, and her pupils darted around. And yet, she said.

“It’s Friday today.”

It wasn’t a remark intended for playing hard to get, but Jae-geon felt helpless.

As he slid down his pants and briefs, the accumulated heat gushed out onto the island.

Hae-som’s slender shoulders jumped at the faint scent of his body. Burying his lips on her convulsing shoulders, he whispered.

“Let’s put out the immediate fire first. I’ll give you hints later.”

“That’s unfair.”

“Aren’t you actually here because you wanted this, Seong Hae-som?”

Jae-geon’s index finger traced her lips, which couldn’t deny it, then slid down along the curve of her breasts, finding the buckle below her navel and twisting it.

The pants, clearly the smallest size, had enough room for his hand and more. His fingers, entering the ample space, brushed over the thin underwear. His fingers came away wet.

“Why are you so wet?”

There was no foreplay. They had only exchanged model questions and answers. What had stimulated Seong Hae-som to become like this?

“Huh?”

As his hand rubbed the wet crevice, it finally pulled down her pants. Somewhere on the island, her phone began to flash like an air raid siren.

[Mom]

At the two characters displayed on the screen, the blood vessels in Hae-som’s neck pulsed. Without hesitation, Jae-geon pulled the phone closer, pressed the green button, and gently placed it by her ear.

Daughter. Are you coming home?

As if asking what she was doing now, Hae-som furrowed her delicate brow. Rubbing his index finger in the groove, Jae-geon found another groove hidden between her smooth buttocks.

“I was just about to leave.”

His erect penis leaned into the groove. The night honey-like vaginal fluid that had dripped down soaked his member

Your sister’s water broke. Your brother-in-law is on a business trip overseas, and they say it’ll take him four days to return.

Slap, the sound of the glans reversing the flowing honey water. Hae-som tensed her thighs, but of course, she couldn’t overcome Jae-geon’s strength.

Slap-slap again!

Hae-som squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to control her trembling lips.

“Already? She’s more than a month past her due date.”

Maybe the kid is impatient, like her aunt. You were like that too, Hae-som.

At the nonchalant voice, a strange competitive spirit ignited. Jae-geon parted her labia with both hands, revealing the wet path, and hooked the glans over her exposed clitoris.

Anyway, Mom and Dad are going to the hospital. It’ll take days for the admission and discharge procedures, and to get her settled in the postpartum care center. Can you be alone?

Squish. That was all Hae-som managed to say.

If you’re scared to be alone, you can stay a few nights at your friend’s place where you crash every Saturday. Mom will send you money.

“No. I’m not a child…”

At the warning from his penis, which had lifted as if to penetrate, Hae-som quickly changed her words.

“I’ll ask.”

Yes, that way Mom can focus on your sister without worrying. You said you sleep well there, right?

Jae-geon chuckled and withdrew his penis, which he had been about to insert. The junction was smeared with vaginal fluid

The urge to thrust in like this, even breaking his principle of no sex without a condom, was overwhelming.

With a final, affectionate “Sleep well,” the call ended. Jae-geon, easily lifting her limp body, headed straight for the bedroom.

He threw her onto the bed without even taking off her T-shirt and was putting on a condom when Hae-som suddenly asked, her tone cautious, as if seeking permission.

“Is that okay?”

Of course, fuck.

With that vulgar curse, the fuses he had held back finally snapped

Realizing the night would be long, Hae-som, like a good child, closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around Jae-geon’s neck.

The long night had begun.

---

Sunlight streamed through the window, the blinds completely drawn. Following the long rays of sunlight, her consciousness, which had been completely black, gradually returned.

… He made her even more anxious by showing unnecessary consideration, like rubbing the glans on her vulva or thrusting only halfway and moving his hips.

Eventually, unable to bear the ticklish stimulation, Hae-som climbed onto his waist and began to grind. When she squeezed his hips until her buttocks cramped, he finally showed the reaction Hae-som had been waiting for.

Veins stood out on his smooth forehead, free of any scars or wrinkles. His grumbling curses and the sight of him squeezing her breasts were sexy. Just before orgasm, the bulging veins on his forehead made her mouth dry.

Like someone with a perverted libido…

Perhaps it was a completely normal reaction that she simply hadn’t experienced before. Maybe she had been brainwashed by a man whose standard was five times

Even though it wasn’t that intense, considering the number of times they had sex, she felt too weak to move a finger. It was natural. Jae-geon, holding her, had her hands clasped as he held her, bundled in the blankets.

“Ten fingers, ten fingernails.”

He was examining Hae-som’s body, as if performing a newborn’s physical examination

Ten fingers, thin for a chef, and ten fingernails trimmed so short that the nail bed was visible. Ten wriggling toes. And ten toenails, so small they were barely noticeable.

“Toes also pass.”

As if recognizing Hae-som, who had vaguely woken up, he gently turned her by her shoulders. Then, tracing the line of her body, his index finger moved up, carefully touching her lips, nose, and swollen eyelids. His touch was careful and gentle, like handling a small animal.

Pushing back her bangs that fell like curtains, he asked.

“How did you get the scar on your forehead?”

“I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know the scar on your own body, who would?”

“I probably got hurt playing when I was young.”

“You must have been quite the tomboy?”

She wasn’t exactly the demure type. But why was he asking such trivial things?

Even though they were just a relationship based on need.

Hae-som felt awkward about these casual conversations with him. Moreover, she was completely naked, while he was in his everyday clothes. That made her feel awkward and embarrassed.

“I have to go to work.”

“It’s not even 8 o’clock yet.”

“That’s why.”

8 o’clock was Hae-som’s usual work start time. Jong-woo would arrive soon, and then the ordered goods would start pouring in, led by him.

Everyone would be looking for her, having boasted that she would personally inspect the ingredients, even if it meant sacrificing sleep. For some reason, though, she couldn’t find any clothes to change into.

“Where are my clothes?”

“In the washing machine. It’ll take two hours for the drying cycle.”

It was clearly a scheme to keep her naked until then. The ‘Fairy and the Woodcutter’ strategy, perhaps?

Hae-som tucked the blanket under her arm and sat up straight. A Sizzling Summer Edition magazine on the bedside table caught her eye. It was a different issue from the last one.

“Chef.”

Jae-geon, who had been playfully nibbling on her shoulder blade, responded with an “Mm?” without lifting his lips from her skin.

The ticklish sensation made Hae-som barely suppress a groan rumbling in her throat. Her gaze remained fixed on the magazine.

“How many people have you dated?”

She had no idea how childish and ridiculous the question must sound to him. Still, Hae-som wanted to know.

How many women had he dated for his foreplay, sex, afterglow, and even his manners the next day to be this enchanting?

Five? Ten? Could it be more than that?

Jae-geon’s answer far exceeded her expectations.

“Well. It depends on the criteria.”

Kiss, caress, sex. Was it a one-night stand, or just a simple partner? The criteria were broader than she thought.

Hae-som’s delicate brow furrowed. Jae-geon, giving her a peck on the furrowed brow, asked without care.

“Then what should be the criteria?”

“What else? The heart.”

“Ah.”

He responded casually, as if it were a cliché thought, and easily sat up on top of Hae-som.

He put on a condom, lowered her hips, and then, after fiddling for a while, tightly inserted his fingers between hers.

“Then how many have you dated, Seong Hae-som?”

His skill at deflecting the difficult question by returning it as a question was fluid.

Well, she had liked Eun-ho, but could she define dating him as having dated him when they never even held hands?

Jae-geon narrowed his eyes into slits and nudged his chin against her breasts, urging her for an answer.

“How many are in here?”

He spread his intertwined fingers and counted.

“One? Two? …… Three?”

“I don’t know.”

“She says she doesn’t know anything.”

Jae-geon thrust his penis deep to the base without warning. He caught her pelvis, which had bounced up, pulled it against his own pubic bone, and ground Hae-som’s triangle against his pubic bone

The orgasm was just beginning, but Hae-som was already out of breath. The faint sounds of Jae-geon’s voice were indistinguishable, whether they were real, imagined, or delusional.

“Only one.”