How to Escape the Seduction of the Second-Ranked 104

# Chapter 104

I carefully packed my luggage into the carrier while ignoring the blatant stares from behind. After a deep conversation with Kwon Dojin, we decided to go on a one-night, two-day trip.

Actually, Kwon Dojin had strongly insisted on two nights and three days, but since I didn’t think my heart could survive spending two nights alone with someone I liked, this was the result of my desperate opposition.

“Habin, you’re really going with a friend, right?”

“Who else would I go with if not a friend?”

I finally answered my dad’s question, feigning nonchalance. Information like ‘Yes, a friend, but one I have a crush on’ wouldn’t do any good if I shared it.

“Do you really have to stay overnight? Can’t you just go for the day?”

“The distance is quite far, so it seems we need to stay overnight to properly enjoy ourselves.”

“Then the way you’re going—”

“Habin must have thought this through.”

I brightened at my mom’s voice interrupting my dad. It was a saving grace that ended the endless questioning that had continued since dinner.

“Have you packed everything?”

“Yeah… I think I’ve packed everything, but I was double-checking because I felt uneasy.”

“Let me take a look.”

The meaning behind mom’s gesture of patting dad’s waist was clear. Since dad must know what I already knew, he went to the bedroom with a gloomy face.

“Goodness, I wonder what he’ll do when Yumin says she wants to go on a trip.”

The sigh my mom let out as she plopped down beside me was filled with sincerity. I could completely understand, considering how dad had been pestering me all day.

“You packed well. Taking more would just be extra baggage. You can close the carrier now.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“What time did you say you’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Nine. My friend said they’d pick me up, so I’m going to wait in front of the complex.”

I closed the wide-open carrier and zipped it shut. Maybe it was because someone else had checked for me, but the anxiety of ‘Did I forget something?’ had subsided.

“Is your friend’s parent driving you? That’ll be comfortable.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

According to Kwon Dojin, a chauffeur would be driving us, but since the fact that we’d be traveling comfortably remained unchanged, I just nodded.

“Pocket money? Do you need some?”

“I still have some left, so I’m fine.”

“Then if you need anything while you’re there, contact mom. Don’t contact dad—who knows what he’ll say.”

“I don’t think I’ll spend much money— but I’ll contact you if I run short.”

Since it was Kwon Dojin’s villa, there was no accommodation fee, and the chauffeur was driving us, so there were no transportation costs either. I even heard that food had been prepared.

In such a situation, would there be anything to spend money on? Even if I did, it would probably just be snacks, so I didn’t think I’d need much money.

“Alright. Have fun and come back safely. Make sure to call if anything happens, okay?”

“Of course.”

As mom patted my shoulder a couple of times and left, it finally hit me that the vague trip was actually approaching.

Tomorrow I’m going on a trip with Kwon Dojin. Just the two of us.

* * *

I got up early in the morning and finished preparing. The hat I was wearing for the first time in a while felt awkward, so I was repeatedly putting it on and taking it off, when I jumped up from the bed, brightening at the notification I’d been waiting for.

[I think I’ll arrive in 5 minutes.]

If it was 5 minutes, I should probably leave now. I sent Kwon Dojin a reply saying I understood, grabbed my carrier, and went outside.

Clack, clack. With the sound of the carrier wheels turning earnestly in time with my walking pace, I headed to the place we’d agreed on in advance. In the distance, I could see a black sedan parked on the shoulder of the road, making me wonder if that was it. As I was tilting my head and checking, the back door opened just then, and Kwon Dojin got out of the car.

“Habin, you’re here?”

“Kwon Dojin! Good morning.”

My voice naturally rose because I was in a good mood that my expectation was right. He quickly approached me and completely took the carrier I was pulling.

While I was stunned by his smooth action, Kwon Dojin went ahead of me toward the car. By the time I gathered my wits and quickly followed him, the luggage had already been loaded into the trunk.

“Let’s get in. It takes about two to three hours to get there.”

Kwon Dojin, who had opened the door, tilted his head as if telling me to get in first. Since I couldn’t just stand there, I moved according to his wishes for now.

“Hello—”

“Hello.”

I moved cautiously to settle in the inside seat. I slightly bowed my head to the driver who greeted me back with a faint smile. Meanwhile, with a thud, Kwon Dojin settled in and half-turned his body to look at me.

“Have you been well?”

“I’ve just been studying at home, so there’s nothing to not be well about.”

My intention to distance myself from Kwon Dojin during the vacation hadn’t changed, so I deliberately avoided meeting him for a week. But since I don’t usually go out much anyway, and I study hard, he hadn’t become suspicious yet.

“It’s good to study hard, but play with me too, okay?”

Thanks to Kwon Dojin, who overlapped his hand on mine resting on the seat and smiled with his eyes, I needlessly cleared my throat. Was it because we were meeting after a week? My heart was beating twice as fast as before.

“That’s why we’re going out together today.”

“That’s not enough. I’ve been sad because I couldn’t see Habin for a whole week.”

“That’s nothing—”

Even as I rolled my eyes, I was secretly pleased. To hide my twitching lips, I deliberately turned my gaze to the window. I bit down hard on my lower lip to calm my emotions as much as possible.

“So you’ll meet with me often now, right?”

Kwon Dojin interlaced his fingers with mine and gently pulled. His softly whispering voice contained subtle anticipation. I almost reflexively responded with a yes, but I couldn’t lie, so I barely held back.

“We’ll see.”

“How cruel.”

Kwon Dojin, with an attitude contrary to his own words, burst into light laughter and soon backed off. Of course, he didn’t let go of our interlaced fingers.

Anyway, I didn’t have time to be conscious of Kwon Dojin’s attitude. I was just relieved that I spoke without trembling. I needed to be careful because Kwon Dojin was quick-witted, but lately it had been precarious. It was because I was busy being swayed by his actions, which became more bewitching and skilled with each passing day.

Was it the aftermath of overcoming one hurdle? Or was it the aftermath of getting up early and preparing diligently because I couldn’t contain my excitement? A yawn escaped without warning, and I covered my mouth.

“Sleepy?”

“Mmm, not that sleepy.”

“How about taking a short nap since we’ll need to play when we get there?”

“Should I?”

It was an appealing suggestion, so I subtly prolonged my words, and Kwon Dojin, as if he’d been waiting, patted his thigh.

“…What. You want me to lie down with my head on your thigh?”

“That’s comfortable, isn’t it?”

“It is, but that—”

I wanted to say, ‘It doesn’t seem like a normal situation,’ but I closed my mouth as I recalled what I had done before. I mean, hadn’t I leaned on Kwon Dojin’s shoulder in a taxi because I was tired?

That wasn’t a normal situation either if you think about it. Since we wouldn’t act so intimately as 17-year-old friends.

Once again trapped by my past actions, I held my forehead. My past self was a villain to my present self. Damn it, couldn’t you have endured even when tired? It wasn’t like you accidentally leaned on him; you consciously leaned on him?

“Habin?”

“I— think it might be hard for you. You said it takes two to three hours.”

When I politely declined, coming up with an excuse just in time, Kwon Dojin shrugged as if he didn’t mind.

“Habin is too light to say that would be hard for me.”

“I’m average.”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

I felt upset again at his attitude of letting it go, but I tried to calm myself down, telling myself that wasn’t the important thing right now. If this keeps up, I might end up lying with my head on Kwon Dojin’s thigh.

“Anyway, forget it.”

“Why?”

Kwon Dojin tilted his head as if genuinely curious and looked at me with eyes full of questions. When I met his clear eyes, as refreshing as a clear sky, I was at a loss for words.

Clearly, there were words I wanted to say spinning around in my head, but they wouldn’t come out of my mouth. I even had the illusion that someone was choking me.

After just moving my lips for a while, I eventually lowered my head without being able to say anything. Kwon Dojin slowly blinked his large eyes, then immediately curved his eyelids and smiled.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I really don’t mind. So lie down comfortably, okay?”

Kwon Dojin whispered softly. Leaning his upper body, he reached out and carefully cupped my cheek. The voice tickling my ear and the warm touch made all strength leave my body.

In this state, I hesitated, wondering if there was any need to resist further. I clearly thought it would be harder to bear the closer I got to him, but it seems it would be equally overwhelming either way.

“…Okay.”

I felt like a monk who had let go of everything. At my powerless affirmation, Kwon Dojin, as if he had been waiting, reached out and gently laid me down.

The feeling of his thigh against my head was surprisingly firm. No, considering he exercises regularly, I guess it’s not surprising.

Was it because the distance was incomparably closer than usual? A different scent wafted from Kwon Dojin. Maybe he had sprayed on cologne.

I could smell fresh and refreshing grass, followed by a sharp lemon scent. It was a cool scent that somehow reminded me of the sea. I liked the scent so much that I unconsciously rubbed my cheek against his firm thigh.

At the same time, Kwon Dojin laughed quietly as if it tickled. Thanks to that, I realized what I had just done and shifted my body, but he wrapped his arm around my waist.

With my movements naturally blocked, I twitched my fingers, then realized my shoulders were tense. I let out a faint sigh and relaxed my body comfortably, deciding to tear down the boundary I had carefully built.

It’s already over.