When I opened my eyes, the room was dark. I blinked in the darkness, trying to remember where I was. The unfamiliar texture of the bedding felt stiff and awkward. It wasn’t until my slow hand reached the edge of the bed that I remembered.
“Ugh…”
Both my body and head felt heavy, as if they’d been beaten. With dry fingers, I groped around to find the switch for the bedroom lamp. A yellow, serene light filled the room.
On my phone, now fully charged, the time read seven-twenty in the evening, and there was a message waiting for me.
[Call me when you wake up.]
Leaning against the headboard, I blinked a few times, then unplugged my phone from the charger and pressed the call button.
As the signal beeped repeatedly, I stared at the dimly lit hotel room. The exotic view that had been visible through the window had now transformed into a glittering cityscape of high-rise buildings.
– Have you rested?
His voice, when he answered the call, was quiet.
Feeling vulnerable, as if the shell around my heart had been peeled away while I slept, I hesitated, aware that he wasn’t even in another country, yet my throat still tightened with habit. To sound normal, I had to take the phone slightly away from my ear and swallow.
“I’m awake now. Is it okay to talk?”
– For a moment, yes. What are your thoughts on dinner?
“I’m not sure. What about the Team Leader?”
– I think I’ll have dinner with the team here. Lee Seodan can also rest and have something to eat. There are instructions for ordering room service under the phone next to the bed. Or you can go to the hotel restaurant.
The voice in the unfamiliar and dark hotel room sounded even softer and more charming than usual. I sat up, pulled my shoes toward me with cold toes. The short carpet tickled my toes.
“Don’t worry and finish your work before you come. If I get bored, I’ll go out.”
– If you go out, dress warmly. The temperature drops at night.
“Okay.”
– If you get lost, call me.
“…Okay. See you tonight.”
– Alright.
After ending the call, I turned on the bedside lamp on the opposite nightstand. Next to it was the phone, and as he said, there was a detailed instruction sheet for room service and a menu.
Glancing briefly at the menu, I put it down. I didn’t feel particularly hungry after just waking up.
After washing my face and drawing the curtains, I changed clothes. Because I packed my suitcase hastily, there were a variety of clothes mixed inside. There were clothes he bought and also shirts I brought to wear during my stay at his place.
I put on a new black sleeveless shirt, light-colored jeans, grabbed a thin jacket, and sat on the bed. After a quick search on my phone, I grabbed my wallet, passport, and key card, and left the room.
The hotel lobby was busier than when I entered. The lighting seemed brighter, and the volume of the background music had increased to match the bustling chatter.
Even outside, separate lighting seemed to be installed, as the pool and the palm trees next to it were brightly lit in the darkness. People were still visible on the deck chairs outside.
As I stepped out of the hotel, the street outside was completely different. There were many cars on the road under the white streetlights, but there seemed to be hardly anyone walking on the sidewalks.
As he said, the air was chilly. I put on my jacket and quickened my pace. I passed brightly lit hotels, restaurants, and shops. The palm trees, which looked thin from a distance, were much thicker and more stable up close than the streetlights.
I continued walking without checking the map. The roads were not complex, and they were laid out in a grid-like pattern, so finding my way wasn’t difficult. I arrived at the store I had searched for just before closing time, after exactly fifteen minutes of walking.
Looking at the partially lowered shutter, I felt anxious and peered through the bright displays. There were many names printed on small pieces of paper that I didn’t recognize.
In the end, I grabbed the store attendant behind the counter and awkwardly asked in broken English,
“What’s… not sweetest?”
The bearded clerk seemed to understand my English. His finger moved across the glass and confidently pointed to a cake. It was a cake with carrot-shaped icing on top.
When I nodded, the waiter hesitated again, then pointed to the other side of the display shelf this time. It was a cute cake covered with white cream icing. Although I couldn’t understand what was written on the small sign in front of it, the atmosphere inside the store was welcoming, and the waiter behind the counter was waiting for me.
In the end, I nodded, and the waiter carefully took out the cake as if handling a baby, and put it into a paper box for me. I took out my wallet and handed over some crisp bills, receiving back some change. Various shapes of candles were hanging next to the counter.
After some thought, I bought two thin candles. The waiter separately wrapped the candles and handed me the box containing the cake and a plastic bag.
With the cake that I wasn’t sure if he would like and the candles that I knew he wouldn’t particularly care for, I headed back out onto the street.
Perhaps my body had somewhat adapted, as this time, I suddenly felt hungry to the point where my stomach ached. Thinking about the room service menu, I stopped on the street instead of returning to the hotel.
In Korea, going into a restaurant alone didn’t feel comfortable, but strangely, wandering the streets alone in a foreign country made all the worries I had seem insignificant.
I impulsively turned towards a nearby restaurant, opened the door, and entered. Momentarily taken aback by the crowded and noisy interior and the old, shabby decor, I regained my composure and sat at an empty table.
Successfully placing my order at the counter where I could see the kitchen, I neatly finished the chili hotdog with two sausages, a plate of thick fries, and a large cola in a tumbler.
After finishing, it wasn’t as if I had gone to a famous restaurant or had a great adventure, yet my steps back to the hotel felt lighter. Seeing the surroundings sparkle as if everything within reach was shining, it seemed that I indeed liked traveling.
I placed the cake in the small minibar in the hotel room. After turning on the TV briefly but finding no interest, I grabbed a book and my phone and went down to the hotel lobby.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The lobby was quieter than before. I chose a seat I liked and ordered coffee from the lobby cafe. It was almost half-past nine.
Aera qjra afc, P gfmflnfv j wfrrjuf ogbw tlw rjslcu tf kjr jiwbra atfgf.
[Have you had dinner]
[I had a hotdog. What about you, Team Leader?]
P rfca tlw j qtbab P tjv ajxfc fjgilfg. Dfmjerf bo atf vlw ilutalcu lc atf gfrajegjca, atf mbcafcar bc atf qijaf ibbxfv ilxf j yieggs iewq gjatfg atjc j tbavbu.
[Did you go out?]
[Yes, to have dinner.]
[Are you back at the hotel now?]
[Yes. I’ll be resting until you arrive. Take your time!]
P vlvc’a wfcalbc atja P kjr lc atf ibyys, offilcu la wluta rbecv ilxf P kjr egulcu tlw. P mibrfv atf tjio-gfjv ybbx jcv qea la vbkc. P rajgafv ab kjamt qfbqif mbwlcu lc klat atflg relamjrfr atgbeut atf yglutais ila fcagjcmf ijaf ja cluta.
Most of them were wearing suits and looked tired. They stopped by the front desk, then passed by me holding their key cards, walked through the lobby, and took the elevator up without stopping. There were also people who passed by me without stopping, not going through the front desk. It felt like I had been watching him for the past two weeks.
As I focused my gaze on the long glass window next to the door, I saw the hotel driveway illuminated by bright golden lights and cars passing by.
So, before Han Team Leader could open the door and come in, I could tell he had arrived.
I watched as he stepped out of the car, his silhouette turning towards the driver’s side. His silhouette was wearing a suit jacket on one arm. The sleek black luxury shoes stepped silently on the lobby carpet. It was a fast and precise gait.
I peeked at him from afar, at his remarkably handsome face, his shirt and pants still crisply creased even after wearing them all day. It felt like meeting a stranger, encountering him in the lobby of a hotel I traveled to by chance. His tightly closed lips, neat forehead under the perfectly combed bangs, sharp eyes, and high nose bridge all made him seem too cold and sophisticated to imagine him smiling. It seemed impossible to speak up, and it looked like he wouldn’t give his heart to anyone.
With a sensation that I couldn’t determine if it was chilly or exciting, I stared at his approaching steps, watching him pass by without seeing me. At the last moment, as he was about to pass me completely, I stood up and reached out my arm.
The fingertips that brushed his arm grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. The man who was pulled back turned back towards me with furrowed brows. His lips, which had been tightly closed with annoyance, slightly parted and turned red with blood as he looked at me. In his previously indifferent eyes, there was a momentary astonishment and warmth.
“What are you doing here?”
“…Team Leader.”
For some reason, thinking he might not recognize me, I murmured while still holding onto his sleeve. After approaching, he looked down at the table with the empty coffee cup and the book, then tousled my hair lightly with one hand.
“What are you doing in the lobby?”
“…Just because I like it here.” I wanted to take his briefcase for him, but he didn’t allow it. Instead, he took my book. I stood beside him, waiting for the elevator, and we rode up to the 16th floor together, stepping on the carpet of the hallway.
When we arrived at the door, as I took out the key card, he suddenly said out of the blue, “It feels like the first time we’re entering together.”
“…That time, during the Lunar New Year, we entered together, remember? When you were late, Team Leader.”
“…Ah.”
That day was indeed the first time we waited outside together and entered together.
As he listened to me, Han Team Leader furrowed his eyebrows slightly and took the key card from me to open the door. With a click, the darkness inside the room was revealed.
Then, impulsively, I said, “Please, Team Leader, go in first.”
“Why?”
“I’ll knock. Please open the door when I do.”
He looked at me with an expression of not understanding, but he obediently entered the room. The heavy door closed neatly.
In the quiet and dim hallway, I wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs. I thought about him on the other side of the door. Like the times when he was more terrifying and resented than anything else. My heart was pounding so much that my lips felt dry.
Then, slowly, I raised my hand and tapped the solid surface of the wood.
The door opened, revealing his face with an unknown expression. I entered and closed the door behind me, kneeling in front of him.
“Lee Seodan.”
“Please don’t…”
Avoiding his hand trying to stop me, I reached for the front of his pants. With slightly trembling hands, I quickly undid his buckle and unzipped, revealing his underwear. I lightly kissed the bulge under the thin fabric.
He only let out a short breath, no longer trying to push me away. Standing on my knees was painful, so I grabbed his firm thighs to support myself. Before pressing my lips again, I brushed my cheek against the fabric of his tight underwear, which was becoming tighter. Heat emanated from it.
“Why now, today?”
His words were rough. If there hadn’t been evidence of excitement in front of me, I might have thought he was angry.
Without replying, I explored the shape of the sturdy pillar with my lips, then licked it a few times with the tip of my tongue. It might have felt ticklish due to my inexperienced movements, but his posture wavered momentarily.
“Let’s do it on the bed if you’re going to.”
“…Okay.”
It seemed uncomfortable for him to stand, so I gracefully stepped back on my knees.
Han Team Leader exhaled shortly, unbuttoning his sleeve and tie as he sat at the edge of the bed with disheveled clothes. He spoke quietly.
“Come here.”
“…You need to spread your legs…”
I approached him on my knees, but there was no space between his legs to sit. When I raised his legs and looked up, his lips clenched tightly as if losing color. His extended arm grabbed my shoulder and lifted himself up.
“Hmm!”
I wriggled on the bed, tightly clasped in his arms. It felt like filling the empty gaps in my body like a puzzle, and my body was immersed in a familiar scent. Forgetting my determination to put his penis in my mouth, I hugged his back tightly. I entwined my legs with his and nuzzled my nose against his firm chest.
“If you don’t want to hurt your throat, do it later. I don’t trust myself after just two weeks.”
“…But still.”
“I’ll go take a shower and get something out of the bag if you brought anything.”
He slithered off me. As I lay still in disappointment for a moment, when I sat up, the bathroom door was already closed. Soon, the sound of the shower started.
When he came out wearing a bathrobe, the table by the window was already set with two candles stuck in a white cake. I, who was sitting beside it, stood up as I saw him.
He looked at me after drying his hair with a towel, raising his eyebrows. There wasn’t much surprise on his face.
“Not very fancy.”
Trusting the words of the staff entirely, I said, “Do you have a lighter, Team Leader?”
“…”
Without answering, he turned away from me and opened the minibar, taking out a bottle from inside. Two thin flute glasses appeared from somewhere. Holding a glass between his fingers, he walked towards me. The scent of water and unfamiliar soap emanated from his body wrapped in a bathrobe. There was still moisture in his hair.
“I wanted to congratulate you.”
“…”
“I thought about having a glass of champagne.”
Putting the glass down next to the cake, he sighed.
“As long as it’s just the candles, let’s not sing. Please.”
“…Just one verse-.”
“No.”
“…Okay.”
I quickly gave up and seated him on the opposite sofa. While he poured golden champagne into the slender glasses, I lit the candles with the lighter he gave me. One candle was pink, the other green. Two elegant and beautiful flames rose above the white cake.
“Why two candles?”
As I fumbled to turn on the phone camera, he asked with a tilt of his head.
“It has nothing to do with age.”
“…Still, I thought two would be better than one…”
Finally, the camera turned on. I took consecutive photos of him with the two candles burning on the cake. Wax was slowly dripping down onto the cake.
“Now blow them out.”
Switching to video mode, I said. He glanced at my face, then eventually gave up with a smile. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, neatly blowing out the two candles.
I captured everything from his softly curved lips to the white smoke rising from the candles on the screen. If possible, I wished I could also capture the subtle scent of champagne and the unique smell of extinguished candles.
“Are we done now?”
As he mercilessly pulled out the two completely blackened candles, he asked. There were holes punctured into the white icing of the cake.
“Sit down. How long are you going to take pictures?”
“…Just one more.”
“Even though it might be the homeland of the paparazzi, sit down and have a drink.”
He pushed a champagne glass toward me. I reluctantly stopped filming and sat down. Facing each other, we lightly clinked our glasses and touched the cold glass to our lips.
A sip of champagne felt like sunshine. The bubbles bursting in my mouth were sweet and refreshing.
“…Happy birthday.”
Realizing that I forgot to say those words, I spoke.
Han Team Leader nodded now, as if he had become accustomed to it. He even leisurely drank champagne, as if inviting me to a party.
“It’s for you.”
He gestured towards the small package next to the cake. With that, I snapped out of my trance and held out the gift with both hands to him.
“I got it for you, Team Leader.”
“It’s such a nice birthday, and I didn’t even know about it until now.”
He said with a face that I couldn’t tell if it was joking or serious as he took the package from me. With a swift motion, his long fingers pulled the red ribbon, and as I focused my gaze on the cake, I let it fall onto my lap.
The rustling sound of tearing paper, the clinking sound of opening a box, and then a long silence followed.
“…Do you like it?”
He barely lifted his eyes and remained silent, staring into the opened box. I cleared my throat.
“I know you have many expensive things, but still…”
“…”
“Sometimes, please use it when you feel like it.”
Without a word, he took out a wristwatch from the box, removed the protective cushioning of soft leather inside, and unclasped the loop. On his left wrist, the watch I carefully selected filled the space. Just as I imagined countless times, the metal watch with a straight, thick dial suited his wrist perfectly.
“I also have something for you.”
He stood up from his seat. My gaze followed his hand like a magnet. Han Team Leader pulled out a black briefcase from under the desk and unzipped it. A leather box emerged from an inner pocket.
“Open it.”
Not knowing English, I took the box. Han Team Leader leaned back against the pushed-back office chair, watching me intently.
“It’s not my birthday…”
“I bought it for my birthday. You can consider it a travel gift.”
The box exuded the feeling of something expensive. I ran my fingers over the smooth leather a few times before unlocking the elegant patterned clasp and slowly lifting the lid.
Inside the entirely white box lay a wristwatch with a brown leather strap, a silver bezel, and a white dial. It had a simple and natural design, like flowing water.
“I thought it would suit you, Lee Seodan.”
Instead of just staring into the box, he pulled my arm, holding my wrist from behind, and fastened the watch. The cold leather and metal sensation wrapped around my wrist heavily. It felt firm, almost like being tied up.
“It looks good on you.”
After observing for a moment, he concluded. His voice sounded satisfied.
“Wear it from now on.”
“…Thank you.”
It was a chain-like gift. The weight around my wrist felt like a promise that I belonged to him.
As he returned to the sofa and picked up the champagne glass again, I felt a fierce possessiveness surging within me.
It was the first time I felt so attached to something I saw for the first time. I wanted to put it back in the box to preserve it, yet at the same time, I didn’t want to remove it from my body even for a moment. If someone were to steal this watch, I felt like I could chase them to the ends of the earth to retrieve it.
“Thank you.”
Looking up at him, I said it once more.
Pouring champagne into the glass, he smiled subtly.
“I should be the one thanking you. There’s a warranty in the box, so check it later. Aren’t you going to eat the cake?”
“Huh? Oh…”
As I looked down at the cake at his gesture, I realized I didn’t have a knife and fork. If I had thought ahead, I could have borrowed them from somewhere in the hotel. It was evident that this was my first time congratulating someone on their birthday. My clumsiness seemed to show in the small details.
“I’ll go downstairs and borrow them.”
Surely there would be a cafe or bar in the lobby. As I tried to hurry up, he grabbed my arm.
“It’s fine. It’s not like we’ll eat a lot.”
“But still…”
As I pondered if there was any other way, he casually reached out and smeared cream from the surface of the icing. He then extended his hand to me.
“Eat.”
Considering his usual dining etiquette, it was an outrageous suggestion. I looked at his face once and then bowed my head toward his long, slender fingers being offered to me. I stuck out my tongue and licked the icing off his fingertip. The sweet taste hit my tongue like a bolt of lightning.
“There’s still some left.”
As I tried to pull away, he said. His face was smiling. I couldn’t say anything and put his finger, which still had a little icing on it, back into my mouth. The surface of his firm nail pressed against the roof of my mouth.
“Is it delicious?”
