WAK 13

Chapter 13

Everything felt unreal. Lying under the night sky as if it were a ceiling, resting her head on Jeonghan’s arm—it all felt strange. The most unbelievable thing was that she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Her heart raced like it was out of control. She thought she heard ringing in her ears. Hana held her breath and slowly looked down. Then, she saw his lips, tightly closed.

Strangely, she felt thirsty. She licked her dry lips with her tongue. Maybe that was a signal. Suddenly, Jeonghan twisted his body and half-sat up. In an instant, Hana ended up lying in his embrace.

> “Huff! Why, why, why?”

> “Stay still.”

Hana’s eyes widened at his rough command, and she forgot to breathe.

What is this man doing? Did something get into the ramen?

He’s not trying to kiss me, right?

Her position was perfect for a kiss…

She shook her head, trembling slightly as all sorts of thoughts ran through her mind. Even though the atmosphere was romantic, kissing here was too much.

Jeonghan’s hand moved closer. Hana’s eyes followed its motion.

The hand that had come near her face suddenly flicked, like snapping her temple. From that moment, she felt confused.

Jeonghan was aiming precisely at the side of her face. Very carefully.

> “Why are you doing that…?”

> “Shh!”

When Hana closed her mouth again, he flicked something next to her ear with sharp precision.

A clear *thud* hit her ear. Goosebumps ran all over her body.

Jeonghan shook his hand and sat up. He frowned, as if something dirty had touched him.

> “What was that just now?”

> “It’s probably better not to know.”

Another shiver ran through her whole body.

> “It’s not a bug, right?”

He only gave a vague smile. Apparently, a disgusting bug had been right next to her face.

Hana shivered and jumped up. She frantically shook her shoulders and face. For some reason, she felt bugs crawling on her body.

> “There’s nothing there.”

> “Still… ugh! It didn’t crawl onto my face, did it?”

> “Let’s hope not.”

Hearing his answer, she went pale and opened her mouth in shock.

Jeonghan took Hana home past midnight. She got out in front of her apartment, holding his suit jacket.

Whether she had dropped it while covering herself while sleeping, or when she jumped up realizing the bug, dirt had marked the end of the sleeve.

He offered to take it, but she insisted on washing it herself, feeling guilty.

Hana watched his car leave for a while before going inside.

After showering, she got a sparkling water from the fridge and went to the sofa.

Half-drinking it, she unlocked her phone and leaned back. Jeonghan’s coat brushed her elbow. Her gaze naturally turned to the left.

Hana narrowed her eyes and stared at his coat.

It felt strange to have a man’s belongings in her home.

> Even Jeonghan’s coat… her feelings were complicated.

She kept recalling what happened at Hangang Park. The scent she noticed when he moved over to chase away the bug came to mind.

It was fresh but masculine.

> Could that be a man’s scent?

She didn’t know what perfume he used, but it made her heart flutter.

She looked around the empty house and slowly moved closer to Jeonghan’s coat. She sniffed it once more.

> “Sniff sniff…”

The faint perfume mixed with Jeonghan’s scent tickled her nose. Her heart raced as if reliving the moment he hovered over her.

Startled, Hana threw the coat to the floor, then quickly picked it up, shocked at herself.

> “Oh! Why did I throw this?”

She shook the coat and placed it carefully on the sofa arm, nervously pressing her palms in the air repeatedly.

Taking a deep breath, she sat upright, swallowing dryly.

> “Why am I so thirsty…?”

Even after drinking half the sparkling water, she still felt parched. She gulped it down while glancing at Jeonghan’s coat.

It was his coat, but it felt like he was there with her.

Hana grabbed the empty bottle and stood up. She felt a bit annoyed at the coat blocking her space but decided to go to bed.

Lying on the mattress, her back relaxed. She turned off the light and closed her eyes, but her nose kept tingling.

> “Sniff sniff…”

For some reason, the scent from Jeonghan’s coat lingered. She wrinkled her nose, wiped under it with her finger, but the smell remained.

> “There shouldn’t be a scent…”

Hana finally covered herself with the blanket, pinching her nose, trying to sleep in a suffocating situation. Luckily, she fell asleep quickly.

But a bigger problem began in her dreams.

She was at Hangang Citizens Park again, with Jeonghan.

The difference? He wasn’t shooing bugs away but holding her tightly and kissing her passionately.

Every movement felt vivid, electrifying, and relentless.

> Even in the dream, Jeonghan’s desire was clear. Hana’s body reacted completely.

When she woke up with a scream, it was already 6 a.m.

> “I must be crazy… what kind of dream was that…”

Hana checked herself, noticing her pajama and underwear were wet.

She got up, feeling her whole body tingling from the lingering sensations of the dream.

After freshening up, she dressed brightly and neatly, tying her hair in a ponytail.

Before leaving, she glanced at Jeonghan’s coat on the sofa.

> “I need to get this out of my house quickly.”

She packed it into a large shopping bag and went out. She took it to an unmanned collection box near the office to have it cleaned, sneaking one last sniff before leaving it behind.

> “Now it’s gone from my hands, so I shouldn’t feel uneasy…”

But her dream continued to haunt her all day.

Later, after visiting the family court, Hana returned to her office. She answered a call from a client she had met earlier.

> [Lawyer, it’s me.]

> “Yes, tell me.”

> [Thank you. I wanted to thank you again.]

Hana smiled and pressed the elevator button.

> “It feels like a weight has been lifted. All thanks to you.”

The long legal battle with Jin Suyeon’s abusive ex-husband, Hwang Juncheol, had finally ended. Hana felt a sense of relief and accomplishment.