The nephew, barely a few days old, looked like a roasted sweet potato at best. His red skin was wrinkled like an old man’s, and the sparse hair that sprouted was as fine as its roots.

Still… perhaps because a few drops of blood were shared, Hae-som found him adorable. A video of him yawning with a cute sound made her smile without realizing it.

As she lost herself in his ten tiny fingers and toes wriggling, Jae-geon’s physical examination from a few days prior naturally came to mind. Her toes tingled for no reason.

Come to think of it, the man who had climbed on top of her the moment she opened her eyes and immediately put her to sleep was nowhere to be seen. Only the loud whirring of the washing machine could be heard.

Did he go to feed the cat?

Hae-som, borrowing Jae-geon’s robe draped over the wing chair, peeked out onto the terrace. Jae-geon was gone, and only the cat, eating the food he had left, was there.

The cat, sensing her presence, glanced at her with a sharp, aloof gaze before purring and acknowledging her. It seemed to have grown fond of her in just a few days.

Watching the cat turn its head abruptly and bury its nose in the food bowl, Hae-som soon collected herself and entered the bathroom.

She didn’t know where the homeowner had gone, but she couldn’t just wait around. She already felt guilty about imposing on him for free, so she decided to make a simple breakfast while she was alone.

She wasn’t sure if it would satisfy Jae-geon’s palate, but still.

As she brushed her teeth with a generous amount of toothpaste, she suddenly noticed the woman with a clear complexion in the mirror.

Her skin, usually dull, now had a natural glow, and her eyes, which had been reddish and dry, were moist.

She figured it was a natural result of sleeping and eating well for the past few days, but her face grew hot. The red blotches on her neck, flushed with blood, turned crimson.

Spreading her legs, embracing his slender neck like a deer, rocking her hips, urging him to thrust faster…

Fortunately, he seemed to be a professional in that regard and didn’t read too much into it. However, for Hae-som, who had now developed a physical connection along with the emotional one from their sleepovers, it was a truly awkward situation.

Sighing away the dizzying sensations, Hae-som rinsed her mouth and applied the lotion Jae-geon had bought her.

He had grumbled that nothing was more repulsive than a woman smelling like a man, and had chosen a subtle rose scent for her.

Dressed in a fragrance that suited his taste, Hae-som left the bathroom and entered the hallway. As she walked down the sunlit hallway, her eyes fell on the newly added furnishings.

A patio chair identical to Jae-geon’s outdoor slippers, just a different size. Between the two chairs placed side-by-side, there was also a table.

Why had he bought so many things when she would be leaving tomorrow? It was as if he wanted her to stay here forever.

Two sets of spoons on the drying rack, two sets of brass bowls, and two table mats.

Entering the kitchen, which would be perfect for a newlywed couple, Hae-som opened the refrigerator. Since she hadn’t gone grocery shopping, there wasn’t much to eat. Just then, she thought of a perfect dish for this situation.

Hae-som spread the leftover rice from the night before thinly in a frying pan and made nurungji.

She calculated that the nurungji, paired with dry side dishes, would be a breakfast she often made at Hunamsa, and Jae-geon would surely like it.

As she was gently seasoning spinach that had been hiding in the refrigerator, the washing machine finished its cycle with an alert sound, and at the same time, Jae-geon entered through the front door.

In his left hand was a coffee tray with the logo of Inwangsan Choso Bookstore, and in his right index finger, he carried a black plastic bag.

Which hand did he use to open the door? Lost in such a random thought, Jae-geon, who had placed the coffee tray down, asked.

“What are you doing?”

It was an unwritten rule in this industry not to touch a chef’s knife carelessly.

Hae-som flinched, pulling her hand away from the knife she was using to chop green onions, and fiddled with the seasoned side dish in her cheek. The savory scent of sesame oil wafted out.

“I’m making breakfast.”

“So, why? Not sleeping more?”

Jae-geon’s gaze shifted to the watch on her wrist, as if implying she hadn’t had enough sleep.

Knowing she’d be dragged back to bed to sleep more if she stayed, Hae-som pulled her shoulders up to her ears and shifted her stance.

“I feel refreshed because I slept so well yesterday. Also, I’ve been receiving favors from you, Chef, and…” Mmph.

Her lips, searching for an excuse, were swallowed by his. Something soft in the black plastic bag landed on the island with a splat, and Hae-som’s buttocks landed beside it.

His hand, reaching through her loosely tied robe, squeezed her soft, tofu-like breast.

“If we’re talking about favors, I owe you more.”

“What?”

As he spoke, his lips met hers.

“Seong Hae-som’s lips, breasts, and this place. I tasted them like a madman.”

Unable to push Jae-geon away with her sesame-oil-covered hands, Hae-som was helplessly consumed by him. The scent of pine intertwined with Hae-som’s breath, which carried a minty aroma.

He moved his lips, making a sound as he licked the fluid Hae-som secreted.

As if tasting a delicacy, his face brightened with satisfaction, and he buried his face completely, savoring it.

Hae-som, watching her trembling legs spread wide, suddenly tensed her vulva. Only when her soft flesh stiffened did Jae-geon turn his attention back to her.

“Why?”

His lips, as he asked, glistened with bodily fluids. Hae-som, her face burning with embarrassment at his state, barely managed to break free from his grip and closed her legs.

“Please taste the side dish, not me.”

Even as she changed the subject, Hae-som felt proud of her own growth. In the past, she would have been flustered and simply gone along with Jae-geon’s desires.

But as her fingers, which had been hovering in the air, were sucked into Jae-geon’s mouth one by one, she felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy, realizing she was far from catching up to him.

“You’re quite skilled, but not as much as Seong Hae-som.”

The sensitivity of her nerve endings was exceptionally acute, and the feeling of his smooth tongue wrapping around them made Hae-som moan.

Still, she hadn’t lost consciousness to the point of orgasm, so she was able to offer a defense.

“The nurungji is burning.”

Jae-geon chuckled as if he could see right through her thoughts and sucked on Hae-som’s left hand, which was free of side dish seasoning.

“Tell me if you smell burning. I need to turn off the fire.”

Her sense of smell had long been numbed by the intense stimulation. It probably would have been perfectly toasted if she flipped it now, but Jae-geon gave her no chance to stray from his focus.

Instead of nurungji, Hae-som’s body was flipped over. Leaning her upper body completely against the island, her tiptoes swayed. The unfamiliar sensation of her rear opening made her insides ache.

Jae-geon took out condoms he had hidden somewhere in the cabinets and, after penetrating Hae-som, muttered with difficulty.

“Ah, I need to leave by 10.”

“Hhht, where, Hhaang!”

“Field trip.”

Even though he said he’d be late, he didn’t withdraw his deeply inserted penis. Instead, he felt the sensation of the rear entry, a first for him, and gently moved his hips.

“So don’t take naps, Hae-som.”

As if it were that easy.