Chapter 10: Dating is a Hassle (2)

　　Yeonhui curled up under the sheets, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders. She’d mentioned she was nearly five-foot-seven, but she was so petite and slender that she felt tiny.

　　Seongbin pulled off the condom, tossed it into the trash can, and sat on the edge of the mattress. It was already past two in the morning.

　　Honestly, he was still wound tight, nowhere near satisfied. If it had been Juwon, he would have forced him to suck him off a few more times until he got what he wanted, but he didn’t feel like pushing a woman like that. Yeonhui had claimed she wasn’t a virgin, but she’d struggled so much with penetration that they’d had to tear open several packets of lube. In the end, they hadn’t even managed actual sex, settling for heavy petting and kissing instead. Her slender fingers traced light patterns on his bare back, drawing lazy circles and doodling against his skin.

　　“Oppa.”

　　“Yeah.”

　　“Oppa, are you really not interested in dating?” Yeonhui asked, looking up at him.

　　“Why do you ask?”

　　“I mean, you hang out with Hyena unni too.”

　　It was just playing around for Hyena and him. Apparently, it looked that way to Yeonhui, too. Seongbin smirked, the corner of his mouth curving up.

　　“Yeah. I don’t do relationships.”

　　“Why?”

　　“Just because.”

　　He’d seen too many people tie themselves down, only to end up obsessed, miserable, and constantly fighting. They called it a relationship, yet they spent all their time crying, struggling, and feeling lonely. You could have plenty of fun without the commitment, so why bother settling down?

　　Yeonhui’s expression tightened for a second before she bit her lip. She nodded once, accepting it.

　　“Hold me,” she whispered.

　　Seongbin lay back down on the bed, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in the crook of her neck. She smelled nice. He ran a hand down her back, stroking her long hair.

　　“When did you book this place?” she asked.

　　“I leased it. Just a place to crash whenever I want to clear my head.”

　　“But it’s not your actual place?”

　　“Yeah.”

　　“Are you rich?”

　　“Not really.”

　　“I heard your apartment is near Seoul Forest, though.”

　　“Yeah.”

　　“Can you see the Han River from there?”

　　“Why do you want to know?”

　　Seongbin let out a low, amused chuckle. Yeonhui hugged him tighter, their bare skin sliding against each other. She playfully nipped at his bottom lip before letting go.

　　“I love how tall you are… and handsome. You have an amazing body, and you’re so good in bed…”

　　“Is that so?” he murmured.

　　“That was the first time I’ve ever come like that,” Yeonhui whispered the moment her lips parted from his.

　　Seongbin let out a soft laugh. He adjusted his grip, pulling her closer as he stared quietly out the window. He must have gone home by now. Unless he’s a complete idiot.

　　“Let’s sleep…” she mumbled, her voice thick with exhaustion.

　　Listening to her drift off, he closed his eyes. He knew sleep wouldn’t come easily, but staying like this would at least let him rest for a bit.

* * *

　　The light sleep he’ed managed to drift into didn’t last. Sleep, which should have been a basic human function, was a constant struggle for Seongbin. It always took him forever to fall asleep, and even when he did, he’d wake up every hour or two. Tonight was no exception.

　　The insomnia was a familiar, unwelcome friend. He reached for his phone, which was lying face down on the nightstand, to check the time. Yeonhui’s soft, rhythmic breathing filled the quiet room.

　　3:12 AM. The harsh glare of the screen made him wince. He hadn’t even slept for thirty minutes, yet he didn’t feel tired at all. His mind was wired, buzzing as if he’d just downed a double shot of espresso.

　　He stared at the screen in silence.

　　He scrolled through his notifications, his eyes widening as he saw the stack of unread messages.

　　-Juwon: I’m waiting at the cafe right now. Around when do you think you’ll get here?

　　-Juwon: They said the cafe is closing. I’m going to move to another one. It’s near the main gate, so let me know.

　　-Juwon: You must be busy. It’s a 24-hour cafe, so don’t worry and just come whenever you have time.

　　-Juwon: Are you sleeping?

　　The last one had been sent just twenty minutes ago.

　　“Is he a fucking idiot?” Seongbin muttered.

　　The curse slipped out before he could stop it. What the hell was this guy doing? No matter how much Seongbin had insisted he wait, any normal person would have given up and gone home once it got late.

　　Who in their right mind waits outside from ten at night until three in the morning?

　　He sat up, dialing Juwon’s number as he threw on a robe and slid into his slippers. He paced over to the window, looking out at the dark, winding river below.

　　I hope he doesn’t pick up.

　　—“Hello?”

　　The low, quiet voice filtered through the receiver, sending a strange jolt through Seongbin. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. He frowned, biting his lip.

　　—“Seongbin.”

　　The background noise on the other end sounded bustling yet hollow. Even though Juwon had only said his name, Seongbin knew instantly. He was still waiting.

　　Seongbin let out a sharp, frustrated breath, adjusting his grip on the phone.

　　“Are you still waiting outside?”

　　—“Yeah. Were you sleeping?”

　　“Yeah. I fell asleep.”

　　He hadn’t fallen asleep, but just hadn’t cared enough to check. Not that Juwon would know. Or maybe he did, and just didn’t care.

　　—“Were you really busy?”

　　Juwon didn’t sound angry at all. He was completely calm, almost entirely devoid of emotion. It only made Seongbin feel more irritated.

　　“Yeah. Where are you right now?” Seongbin snapped.

　　—“I’m at a cafe. The twenty-four-hour one right by the main gate. Is it hard for you to slip away?”

　　Fuck. Seongbin pressed his palm to his forehead. He had only told Juwon to wait to be a prick, wanting to make things difficult for him, but now the guilt was blowing right back in his face.

　　He could have easily told him to just go home, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out. Frowning, he spoke with a sharp edge to his voice.

　　“I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Just stay there.”

　　—“It’s morning now, not evening.”

　　Was he out of his mind? Seongbin could hear a faint hint of amusement in his voice. He wanted to snap and ask if this was a joke to him, but he decided it wasn’t even worth the energy.

　　He hung up and quickly changed his clothes. Walking back to the bed, he placed a hand on Yeonhui’s arm as she slept soundly. Instead of shaking her awake, he gave her a gentle nudge.

　　“Yeonhui,” he murmured.

　　“Mmm…” she groaned.

　　“Let’s go. Time to head home.”

　　“Already?” she mumbled, blinking sleepily.

　　Curled up on the bed, Yeonhui could barely open her eyes.

　　“Yeah. I’m not feeling well.”

　　“Do you need to go to the hospital? Want me to go with you?”

　　“No, I’ll be fine after I drop you off. I just need to go home and rest. Let’s go.”

　　“I’m so sleepy,” she whined, burying her face in the pillow. “Do we really have to leave right now?”

　　“I’ll drive you home,” he insisted, his voice flat.

　　Yeonhui finally dragged herself out of bed and began pulling her clothes on. Seongbin watched her silently as she grumbled about not even having time to wash her face. He hated listening to her complain, but since it was his fault for dragging her out at three in the morning, he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he opened the closet and tossed a baseball cap toward her.

　　“Wear this.”

　　She took it, pulling her long, messy ponytail through the opening in the back. Seongbin, already fully dressed and ready to go, stared out the window. The usually congested city streets looked empty and desolate in the dead of night.