Chapter 11

A sweet, flowery scent surrounded Hye as his eyes first blinked open on a new morning. His fingers rested on something strangely soft, moving with ease across its surface.

His eyes pretended to open and quickly closed again as Hye gently slid his fingertips over the smooth surface until encountering an obstacle.

Drowsy, Hye slowly raised his hand, gripping what felt round to the touch. His repeated movements squeezed the strangely appealing object until a brief moan beside him snapped his eyes open.

Instantly, Hye sat up, sleep vanishing as an angelic figure met his gaze.

Long golden hair cascading over the white pillow contrasted with starry eyes watching him. Yet, none captivated him as much as the perfectly sculpted naked body.

"So, you're not satisfied yet?"

His mind struggled to process the whirlwind of information, leaving him only to admire the beautiful woman sitting on his legs, tossing her hair aside.

"Now, seriously, this will be the last time. After this, I'll go home, okay?"

Hye hesitantly nodded as his hands instinctively traced her slim, firm waist.

"The last time..."

Her soft lips welcomed him, making him feel like floating as instinct guided his body, repeating what seemed familiar from the past hours.

"Since it's the last time... let's do it properly, shall we?"

Fully immersed in kisses, Hye felt something pushing his chest, too easily for him to resist.

Alyia sat on his belly, smiling, and resumed kissing him.

As their excitement gradually escalated, Hye's mind held one thought amidst the pleasure: 'So those weren't dreams...'

Their moment stretched, seeming to bend time to their will. Unexpectedly for Alyia, but in line with her own actions, the end didn't come swiftly.

"Now it's over, right?" Alyia said, heading to the bathroom. "Do you want to shower too, or will you do it when you get home?"

Confidently, Hye rose from the bed, but his knees buckled as he knelt on the floor.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... it's nothing, I'm fine..."

Using the bed for support, Hye rose again, legs trembling under the shower's water.

"I'll be busy for the next few hours," Alyia said, dressing from her wardrobe. "But I'll call you when I get home."

"I'll be heading back to the US now. Can't we go together...?"

Alyia turned, smiling at Hye, who sat on the bed, putting on his shoes.

"Already missing me?" she teased, approaching. "We haven't even parted yet."

With hands on their waists, Hye lifted his head to see her clearly.

"Didn't you say that would be the last time?"

"And it was..." Alyia replied, sitting on his lap.

Their lips met, and Hye found himself immersed in pleasure. His fingers traced her soft skin under her clothes, moving towards an inevitable conclusion.

Moments turned into hours with their kisses; unfortunately, the hours passed faster than any he had experienced.

"That was just a goodbye kiss." Abruptly pulling away, Alyia stood, heading to the door while fixing her clothes. "Are you ready? Let's go?"

Hye hesitated for a moment. He was close to undressing her again before she stood up and moved away. Clenching his fists, he had only one certainty: he didn't want to end it like this.

"...Yeah..."

But it didn't matter. Those weren't dreams; it's real, they're officially dating now, and just remembering that fact warms his heart in a way he's never experienced before.

"...Let's..."

Closing the door behind him, Hye felt genuinely happy for the first time in years, carrying his warmest memories with him. Glancing back at the room, he smiled brightly, knowing these were only the beginning.

*****

Standing in front of his apartment door, Hye was sure Alyia still had some effect on him. His hands shook as he approached the handle, sweat beading near his ears despite not feeling hot. Surely, his aunt's presence had never seemed so dark and frightening; this was definitely... fear.

Opening the door, Hye found Samantha in distress, chewing her nails on one hand while trembling, holding her phone with the other.

As she saw him, the phone dropped, and Samantha swiftly enveloped him in her arms.

Sobs continued for a while, stirring something new in Hye, an emotion he couldn't name, something that tightened his throat and squeezed his heart gradually.

"Before we go back..." he murmured, returning her embrace. "Could you come see them with me?"

Samantha pulled back, staring into Hye's eyes. Despite the smile on her face, for some reason, she could tell it wasn't true... despite trying to mask it with a smile as she always did, this time it didn't work, and she could read it perfectly, for the first time, before her eyes, she saw another completely new scene; Hye was clearly sad.

Her response came in a silent nod, easily understood.