A child who looks like me

“You seem a bit too drunk.”

The handsome man sitting next to Eunbi looked at her with concern.

Eunbi, who had come to the bar alone and ended up chatting with him, shook her head and waggled a finger.

The bartender, sensing the atmosphere, refilled Eunbi’s glass. She drank it all at once, smiling in satisfaction. The man next to her looked even more worried.

“Stop drinking,” he said.

As she tried to order more from the bartender, the man intervened.

“Who are you to stop me?” Eunbi challenged him with her flushed face.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he replied gently. Her fierce glare softened, and a single tear slipped down her cheek—not forced, but one that truly came from her heart.

In that moment, her years of waiting and hoping for Jeong Jiheon wavered because of this man’s simple, caring words. It was shockingly easy to falter.

Had anyone ever truly cared for her well-being?

Before she knew it, Eunbi was crying in front of this man she’d only just met.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

In his steady gaze, Jeong Oh could see his desire to completely possess her.

His intense gaze, focused enough to notice every tiny detail, made her feel shy. The way he just looked at her without a word felt almost like teasing.

Everything she once knew felt distant, like it had been erased. As he blocked her view of the scar beside his defined abs, she didn’t know where else to look.

Her breath quickened, her chest rising and falling.

He shared his breath with hers, as if to steady her. There was a tremor in it. Only then did she realize he was nervous too, which comforted her.

But that comfort was fleeting.

His large hand, resting on her back under her blouse, moved tentatively. As her fingers brushed over his, the restraint between them broke.

She felt herself leaning into him, yet a subtle sadness tinged her heart at his practiced touch. It hurt that she couldn’t express it.

He laid her gently back onto the sheets and let his warmth envelop her. She couldn’t resist. When he pressed her wrists, her waist, her strength slipped away.

Every place his lips touched left a faint red mark on her fair skin. At thirty-three, he knew things he hadn’t at twenty-six. That difference sent shivers through her, bringing tears to her eyes.

With her vision blurred by gentle sensations, she gazed up at him.

He held her close, as if reigning over the air above them, sighing in awe at the sight of her.

After a long wait, he could finally take in the most beautiful woman in the world.

It felt just like the first time they’d met, his eyes stinging, his heart clenching. It was more than simple pleasure; it was the reverence of facing a cherished soul. His heart raced, and his mind was overwhelmed.

Although he knew she wasn’t really going to run away, some primal instinct compelled him to hold her tightly, not letting go.

I hope you want me as much as I want you.

“Tell me.”

“…”

“If you don’t want this, say so.”

“Are you ready to accept me?”

The way he looked at her, as though he’d never let her go, seemed almost unfair while asking for permission. Yet Jeong Oh knew that this was his sincere heart.

She reminded herself not to give her heart completely, that one day she might get hurt again. She had a purpose, and she came here for that purpose. Until it was fulfilled, she had to stay clear-headed, keep her emotions steady. But every time he spoke, every breath, every gaze, and gesture made her feel like she was completely ensnared, unable to move.

Whether or not I remember, Jeong Oh, you’ve always been mine, and you always will be.

His intense gaze, like an unspoken whisper, seemed to say just that.

The light fell on his sculpted muscles, casting shadows across his body, making it impossible not to be captivated. He was beautiful yet maddeningly frustrating.

There was no turning back now. Just as he had, she replied with a complaint rather than an answer.

“You really are terrible.”

“Am I?”

Did her words sound so trivial under his firm grasp?

Jiheon grinned lazily, accepting her critique with a smirk.

An undeniable weight slowly settled over her.

She wanted to act composed, to accept him as if she knew exactly what she was doing, but her nervousness only grew. When their hearts touched, she felt hers beat twice as fast.

As he studied her expression, Jeong Oh tried not to cry; she didn’t want him to pause in concern.

Her vision blurred, white and then black, as waves of emotions crashed over her. At the end of a faint ache, a fullness filled her heart, warmth rising to overwhelm her.

He seemed determined to leave an indelible mark, as if wanting her to know how immovable he was. And eventually, unable to bear it, a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Turn to me.”

“No…”

“Look at me.”

Even as she stifled her sobs, unwilling to show her tears, he gently held her chin, guiding her gaze to him.

Jiheon lowered himself, following the path of her tears with soft kisses, brushing back her hair as it lay strewn across the sheets.

He wanted to comfort her, yet the tremor in her gaze only drew him in further.

Her labored breaths, held back but finally released, spurred him on.

What he saw and heard satisfied him deeply, yet what he hadn’t seen or heard drove his desire for her even more.

The more he got to know her, the more captivated he became. She was the perfect woman, so much so that even the time it took to blink felt too precious to waste.

It was as if he had found his long-lost other half, the one he’d spent a lifetime searching for. Erasing the past and starting anew—all of it felt worth it, as long as he had her.

Yet Jiheon knew well that Jeong Oh was someone who could be loved by anyone. That awareness filled him with a restlessness even as he held her in his arms.

He needed constant reassurance that she was his.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

The early morning light turned blue.