Flowers Are Bait Novel - Chapter 57

Dawn, with no moonlight.

A wobbly gait crossed the backyard.

“…”

The way she slowly dragged her slippers made her look like someone limping. It was Yiyeon, who had secretly slipped out after Kwon Chaewoo had finally fallen asleep in the early morning.

The end of pleasure wasn’t orgasm, but muscle soreness. Especially since something so large had been sickeningly in and out of her down there, the area around her opening still ached. The lingering foreign sensation, as if he were still inside, kept bringing back the moment of their first sex.

Kwon Chaewoo’s gaze, his suppressed groans, their rubbing skin, the squelching sounds of friction, the humid air… If she wasn’t careful, all her senses would return to that moment.

“Phew…”

Sitting on a wooden stool, she sighed and shook her head.

‘I messed up… I really messed up.’

Only now, alone, did Yiyeon collapse and rub her face. Her dark-rimmed eyes showed extreme fatigue, and her tear-stained face was pale.

Kwon Chaewoo weighed heavily on her mind, but the feeling wasn’t entirely joyful. No, she couldn’t be joyful. It felt more like walking into a trap.

“…”

Yiyeon turned on her phone screen and stared intently at a name displayed on it.

Kwon Giseok. A man she had called dozens of times, but who had blocked her calls.

A thousand fires erupted within her, but strictly speaking, it wasn’t Kwon Giseok’s prank that had escalated things this far.

Only after having sex with Kwon Chaewoo did she understand why Chooja had glared at her with fiery eyes and slapped her back then.

As Chooja had worried, emotions had already become entangled in this deception. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

‘Mr. Kwon Chaewoo, just one promise. Never, ever, look for your memories. Never.’

Then I’ll do the same.

I won’t remember it again, I won’t recall it.

When she opened her eyes again, a twisted resolve was firmly set. Yiyeon pulled out a white handkerchief from her pants pocket.

Gulp, she swallowed dryly and unfolded the handkerchief, revealing a thin gray string. An object she had hidden deep in a drawer for two years. The only possession of Kwon Chaewoo she currently had.

“…”

It was the cold, stiff string he had used when he attacked Yiyeon in the mountains.

The thing that had almost killed Yiyeon.

‘Is it used in a factory? It’s thin like an aluminum wire, but hard and elastic…’

However, the moment Yiyeon lit a lighter, any lingering curiosity vanished without a trace.

I’ll do the same. I won’t remember it again.

Her heart pounded violently as if it was the wrong path, but there was a vine that tightly bound her.

A somewhat fierce but utterly devoted Kwon Chaewoo to Yiyeon. The pitiful Kwon Chaewoo who couldn’t wake up without her. The absurd Kwon Chaewoo who hunted excitedly and then watched his owner’s reaction. The Kwon Chaewoo who worried he would be abandoned forever. The comatose Kwon Chaewoo she had come to care for. Each of these strands tied Yiyeon’s wavering heart.

She threw the string, which had blackened and shriveled from the fire, onto the ground and covered it with dirt.

“…You promised.”

It was the night the woodcutter finally burned the celestial maiden’s feathered robe.

“Ms. Yiyeon, it’s time to wake up.”

A gentle voice roused her weary body. But today, she especially didn’t want to get up and buried her face in the blanket, when a fragrant coffee scent wafted from somewhere. A rough yet delicate hand gently smoothed her stray hairs.

She barely opened her eyes to see coffee and a sandwich on a tray, and Kwon Chaewoo.

“Did you sleep well?”

When their eyes met, his lips subtly curved into a smile.

“Uh…”

The morning sunlight streaming through the window illuminated the two of them past the chiffon curtains. After an odd silence, Yiyeon’s face flushed crimson.

She was mortified to face him in the bright light, so Yiyeon pulled the blanket over her head again and hid inside.

Kwon Chaewoo was very displeased with her behavior of immediately running away to avoid the situation, but habits ingrained in one’s body couldn’t be shed overnight.

The sex that had begun when the sun was up finally ended at night.

According to Chooja, a woman’s first experience was eighty percent hype. No matter how much effort was put into it, it would all end absurdly. But Yiyeon had blacked out in the middle.

‘…Ms. Chooja, was this a case where I ended it absurdly?’

When the exhausted Yiyeon fainted and then woke up again, many things had already changed.

Her body, sticky with semen, was now dry and clean, and she was wearing pajamas instead of torn clothes. The soiled bedsheets had neatly disappeared, and the clothes scattered on the floor were also gone. The chaotic scene of sex was nowhere to be found, only an utterly ordinary bedroom, like any other day.

In the face of such contrasting atmospheres, Yiyeon genuinely wondered if she had dreamt it all, tilting her head. Kwon Chaewoo, sleeping soundly beside her, further fueled her suspicion.

However, an indescribable pain that started between her legs instantly shattered that innocent thought.

When she realized that he had taken care of everything afterward, Yiyeon’s face burned with unbearable heat.

“Ms. Yiyeon.”

With a strong pull, the blanket was swiftly pulled down. Her messy, disheveled hair obscured her vision.

The moment her eyes met his, as he leaned over, supporting himself on the mattress, Yiyeon’s idiotic mouth once again opened unnecessarily.

“Thank you so much for yesterday! I owe you a great debt last night…!”

Then, his expressionless face tilted slightly.

“This feels strange. If I lift the blanket, it feels like there’d be money, like for bus fare when I leave.”

“…Huh?”

“Do you always say things like this the day after sex, Ms. Yiyeon?”

“Ah, no…”

“That’s surprising. You didn’t touch me at all, so I was so upset I thrust harder.”

“…”

“You must have liked that, Ms. Yiyeon. What debt are you talking about?”

As Yiyeon gaped, annoyed, Kwon Chaewoo skillfully changed the subject.

“Are you in any pain?”

“Don’t you think… I wouldn’t be?”

She spoke grumpily, hating the man who was irritating her first thing in the morning. Yiyeon cleared her throat. Kwon Chaewoo bit his lips, trying to suppress a smile, and needlessly tensed his eyebrows.

“There was something I really wanted to say to you, sober, when I woke up this morning.”

“…What is it?”

Yiyeon pulled her neck back like a turtle and looked at him.

“The lie you told me yesterday, Ms. Yiyeon.”

“…”

She dropped her head, feeling ashamed. Kwon Chaewoo subtly twisted his face, pitying her expression, but Yiyeon, unaware of this, merely rubbed her innocent eyebrows with her palm.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was unforgivable for a legally married woman to be introduced to another man. Initially, it wasn’t a problem that would escalate this much, but with Kwon Giseok’s involvement and the appearance of astonishing documents, Yiyeon instantly became a sinner.

And in the worst possible form, almost following in her biological parents’ footsteps. Self-loathing swarmed beneath her skin like insects.

“Let me say it again, no matter what you do, Ms. Yiyeon, it’s useless. With those tiny hands, you’ll never be able to pry me off, even if you die and come back to life. You’ll only get hurt.”

The moment Kwon Chaewoo reached out to touch Yiyeon’s hair, she flinched and pulled her shoulder back.

“…It seems, Ms. Yiyeon, you’re the only one who doesn’t know that.”

Suddenly, Kwon Chaewoo’s face hardened, and he continued his sentence a beat later.

It felt as if accusations of “blood will tell” were pouring down on her. Yiyeon buried her face completely in her hands. A stinging pain spread from deep within her throat, and her stomach churned.

“Ms. Yiyeon.”

He called her name, scolding her in a voice several degrees lower. Then, Yiyeon, shrinking back, heaved her chest and mumbled.

“…That, that was really my fault.”

“…”

Her trembling voice was unusual. Kwon Chaewoo narrowed his brows and watched her intently.

“I really didn’t mean to. It wasn’t because I had other intentions. I was just… curious. How other men are different from Mr. Kwon Chaewoo. If my heart would pound like it sometimes does with Mr. Kwon Chaewoo, even in front of other men. I had to confirm.”

“…”

“Because, I really… really… Mr. Kwon Chaewoo is…”

Yiyeon had to take some time to find the right words, and Kwon Chaewoo stared at Yiyeon persistently, without blinking. However, his Adam’s apple frequently bobbed, and the way he licked his lips was quite amusing.

“If I think of you as a human, it’s scary, but if I think of you as a dog, it’s a bit better, and when you’re asleep, you’re like a plant, so I’m drawn to you…”

Kwon Chaewoo’s eyebrows twitched for some reason, but Yiyeon’s gentle voice continued.

“This is the first time I’ve been this bothered by one person. Every day is so hectic because of Mr. Kwon Chaewoo, it’s really annoying.”

“…What did you just say?”

His low voice created ripples. Then, Kwon Chaewoo’s eyes seemed to widen slightly, and a peculiar light flashed across his deep pupils.

Why are your ears red while saying such things?

#58. He moved the tray from his lap to the side table and leaned low to meet Yiyeon’s eyes.

However, Yiyeon, braced and tense like a hedgehog, rarely showed her gentle, timid eyes.

“I didn’t think I’d get caught, no, no, that’s not it, I didn’t think things would turn out like this.”

Kwon Chaewoo carefully grasped her trembling wrist.

“Ms. Yiyeon. Look at me.”

As she stubbornly shook her head, he suddenly kissed her hand. Yiyeon visibly flinched. Kwon Chaewoo found even that small movement so endearing and delightful that it made his heart ache.

“If you want to hide, then hide properly in a trench.”

The blanket, which had been taken away, now warmly enveloped Yiyeon’s body again.

Kwon Chaewoo lifted her up, trapped her between his legs, and hugged her deeply from behind. Kwon Chaewoo’s weight and warmth gave her a strange sense of relief.

“So, what was your impression after comparing me to other men? I’d like to hear the result.”

His voice resonated through their touching upper bodies.

Yiyeon squirmed inside the blanket, stalling for time, but Kwon Chaewoo waited patiently. As the position gradually became more comfortable, she opened her mouth.

“I just didn’t think anything. I saw Mr. Kwon Chaewoo outside the window then.”

Yiyeon recalled the man who had caught her eye even from a distance. The pouring rain, yesterday’s humidity, Kwon Chaewoo’s drenched body—these things gradually erased the lingering images of her biological parents.

“I just wanted to go home quickly.”

“…”

“With Mr. Kwon Chaewoo.”

Yiyeon closed her mouth tightly again, and Kwon Chaewoo hugged her so tightly she felt crushed.

“You wanted to pick me up too, Ms. Yiyeon, so why do you keep treating me coldly? Look at me.”

It felt incredibly awkward to face him in the light, but Yiyeon slowly turned her head.

“Don’t I seem different somehow?”

Kwon Chaewoo saw my… there. Kwon Chaewoo licked my… there.

She couldn’t meet his eyes for long, too embarrassed by those few lines that were hard to accept. A hot steam rose from somewhere on her face like a shimmering heat haze.

Does everyone feel such a distinct difference between day and night? Yiyeon began to wonder about things she had never been curious about in her life. Until now, there had been no particular meaning for her to distinguish between day and night. It was truly a new experience.

“Uh…”

Yiyeon looked at Kwon Chaewoo intently at the sudden question.

Unlike yesterday, when he was half out of his mind, his eyes were a calm, light brown, having regained their color. His clothes were neatly buttoned up to his neck, his hair was tidily combed, and his gaze, seemingly innocent, was exactly as Kwon Chaewoo usually looked, only staring at her.

However, over that image, the sight of him completely disheveled, veins protruding, and opening her up, overlapped. Her face flushed, and she quickly fluttered her eyelids, clearing her throat.

“Uh… You look a little more handsome…”

At her uncertain voice, Kwon Chaewoo suddenly parted his lips slightly. Noticing that his expression had subtly changed, she hastily changed her words again.

“No? Oh, then… has your skin improved?”

Kwon Chaewoo couldn’t hold back and let out a chuckle. His gaze, full of affection, staring at her intently, was deep and fervent. For some reason, Yiyeon felt that his gaze alone was more embarrassing than being naked.

“Thank you for the compliment, but when I woke up this morning, the area around my eyes was clean.”

“…Huh?”

Her wide, round eyes were beautifully glistening. Kwon Chaewoo suddenly lowered his head and sucked on her lips. The moment he wrapped around and rubbed her heated flesh, the man melted right there. His tongue, already hot from the start, immediately softened like warm cream wherever it touched.

“There were no traces of tears.”

“…!”

Looking back, she hadn’t heard Kwon Chaewoo sobbing even when she secretly left in the early morning. She looked truly surprised, her forehead furrowing tightly. As she unknowingly broke into a wide smile, Kwon Chaewoo gazed at her expression intently.

“What do you think the reason is, Ms. Yiyeon?”

“…I wonder?”

As Yiyeon pondered with a serious face, he smiled meaningfully.

“I think I know.”

After wolfing down the sandwich under Kwon Chaewoo’s watchful eye, she hastily fled to her office and stayed cooped up inside for two straight hours. From outside the door, she could faintly hear Kwon Chaewoo washing dishes or vacuuming.

Even without seeing him, his movements were clear in her mind. The outside bothered her terribly, but Yiyeon still didn’t have the confidence to face him calmly.

“It seems even nightmares avoid sex.”

His mischievous voice seemed to have stuck right to her ear.

Fortunately, the man didn’t burst into the office, and Yiyeon rubbed her ears freely, trying to divert her thoughts.

It was an unusual day, one day before the second tournament.

After spending such a suffocating morning, Yiyeon finally went out to the garden to tidy up the flowerbeds.

She was pulling out annoying weeds first and then coolly watering them with a hose when—

“Is Director So Yiyeon here—!”

The gate of Spruce Tree Hospital swung wide open. There was no trace of her sophisticated appearance from the party hall. Joo Dongmi, once again buried in a baggy jacket, stepped into the garden. A smile spread across her face as her eyes immediately met Yiyeon’s.

“Hello—!”

Her eyes, mature yet playful; her tone, disciplined or perhaps swaggering, it was hard to tell. The monotonously flowing stream of water momentarily faltered.

“…Hello. But Ms. Joo Dongmi, what brings you here…”

Yiyeon trailed off, turning off the faucet.

Sure enough, Joo Dongmi, looking around, seemed to be searching for someone. Yiyeon’s face unconsciously darkened, but she didn’t forget that this was also part of social life.

“Is that employee still not in yet?”

“No, they’re inside, but…”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Joo Dongmi’s expression brightened like a summer day.

“I have business with them, so I’ve taken the liberty of coming to find them.”

Yiyeon needlessly squeezed the soft hose.

“Then, may I step inside for a moment?”

While Yiyeon couldn’t answer immediately, Joo Dongmi scratched her temple as if in a dilemma.

“No matter what, I have to win them over today…”

Yiyeon’s face stiffened slightly at her low murmur.

“…Excuse me, Ms. Joo Dongmi.”

As Yiyeon spoke softly to catch her attention, Joo Dongmi’s gaze naturally turned towards her.

“There’s something I didn’t tell you clearly back then.”

Clutching the side seam of her pants, she painstakingly parted her lips.

From trivial matters to important ones, Yiyeon was always afraid to tell the truth.

That her biological parents had run away in the middle of the night. That the family she lived with didn’t love her at all. That her birth was something to be condemned. Even that no one in the small town would associate with Yiyeon.

All those reasons made Yiyeon vague, prone to equivocation, and hesitant to genuinely confront people. She had to hide to live even somewhat normally. But no matter how hard she tried, the unchangeable past was heavy, her shoulders hunched, and her palms became sweaty.

Nevertheless, Yiyeon didn’t want to helplessly lose something she had for the first time, like in the past.

Her bothersome cousins, who had obstructed her at every important turning point in her life, suddenly came to mind.

“Actually, that person isn’t my employee. They’re not employees, but…”

As she took a short breath, Joo Dongmi’s eyes widened.

“Wait, not an employee? Not an employee of Spruce Tree Hospital?”

She flinched at Joo Dongmi’s sudden intensity, her face thrust close to hers, meeting her eyes. Her nostrils flared, and her burning gaze was overwhelming.

“…Yes, not an employee, but instead, my… my husb… is.”

As Yiyeon lowered her head and mumbled, Joo Dongmi asked back in surprise.

“What… A penis?”

“Huh?!”

Yiyeon snapped her head up at the bizarre question.

“That person, is Director’s penis? Wow—!”

“…”

Yiyeon was completely overwhelmed by the other’s energy. As she stared blankly, Joo Dongmi jumped up and down in place.

“Director, you look so innocent. Turns out you’re my kind of person? I really didn’t see it, but I’m so happy!”

Joo Dongmi scanned the utterly harmless Yiyeon, then extended her hand for a handshake. Yiyeon, taken aback, shook her hand, only blinking slowly like a turtle.

“Indeed, a woman of this era should have at least one penis.”

“…!”

Yiyeon gaped, then quickly closed her mouth as if to recover. What, what is this person? Is she Little Chooja?

“You don’t keep men around. Just keep them in your pants.”

Yiyeon, overwhelmed by her forcefulness, blankly nodded, then quickly shook her head, repeating the gesture.

Joo Dongmi was similar to Chooja, yet fundamentally different. If Chooja was a siren who attracted men even when she did nothing, and ultimately took men into her arms even at the cost of pain—

Joo Dongmi seemed to be a four-legged female who went hunting herself to knock down males, but didn’t take responsibility.

“Does our Director drink well?”

“No. Not very well…”

“Wow—! So you do that sober? I don’t get excited without alcohol.”

Now Joo Dongmi clapped her hands, delighted.

“I was lonely on this tiny island because there was no one my age who thought like me, but to have someone like a Director so close by, who openly talks about having a penis… Honestly, I’m touched. I can drink water like alcohol, so I’ll match you. Let’s pick a day and twist our wrists right away.”

Joo Dongmi mimed twisting a soju glass and subtly winked. Yiyeon, awkward with such affectionate advances from someone her age, stiffened even more.

Then Joo Dongmi said something exasperating again.

“Then, can I borrow that man? Please. Director, please give him to me!”