How to Escape the Seduction of the Second-Ranked 106

# Chapter 106

Nothing changed dramatically even though I finally accepted the fact I’d been avoiding. We just exchanged small talk as always, took in the scenery, and ate the food placed on the table.

We just took a long time to finish eating, becoming as languid as the hot summer air. The refreshing lemonade, tomato pasta, and gorgonzola were so delicious it was hard to believe they were homemade.

“Was the food okay?”

“Yeah. It was delicious.”

“Good, I’m glad.”

And now we were heading to the room with our luggage to change clothes before going to the beach. Actually, since we went straight to the garden for lunch before even looking at the rooms, I didn’t even know which room was mine.

“It’s the room you see right after going up the stairs. I’m in the room next to it.”

“We’re using separate rooms?”

“Do you want to share one?”

I reacted with surprise when he said the rooms were different, as I had vaguely thought we would share a room, and he jumped right in as if he’d been waiting.

“Ah, no.”

It was just a thought I had before I knew the villa was this spacious. With so many rooms available, there was no reason to share a room with Kwon Dojin. I wasn’t sure if my heart could handle it either.

“Really? But you can always come over if you want to, okay?”

“Mmm.”

I turned my head while giving a halfhearted answer. Unless something special happened, I wouldn’t be going over. Anyway, my first impression of the room I entered following Kwon Dojin was “it’s really spacious.”

Even with a bed large enough for two or three adults to sleep in taking up a good amount of space, the room didn’t feel cramped at all. A vanity table and a decently sized table adequately filled the room that might otherwise have looked empty.

Though the room was unfamiliar, the sunlight pouring through the large window made it feel cozy. I exhaled deeply, feeling at ease.

“I’m glad you seem to like it.”

“How could I not like a room like this?”

“Then would you be willing to come again next time?”

“Hmm, I wonder.”

I smiled with my eyes at Kwon Dojin, who was digging into the gaps as if he’d been waiting. As I trailed off and delayed my answer, he chuckled and put his arm around my waist, leading me to where my carrier was.

“Change your clothes. I’ll change too and come get you.”

“Don’t I need to pack anything?”

“I’ve already prepared everything.”

I nodded at his thorough preparation. So Kwon Dojin left the room to prepare, and I opened my carrier to take out the clothes and sandals I’d packed for the beach. After changing clothes and finishing the simple preparations, my eyes went to the bed.

More precisely, my gaze was naturally drawn there. The large bed looked so comfortable that I couldn’t help but look at it. So I decided to sit down for a moment until Kwon Dojin came.

“Wow, it’s really soft.”

As I plopped down, the mattress gently reduced the rebound. I’ve never been picky about where I sleep, but the bedding was so soft that I thought I could sleep really well.

Knock knock.

While I was lying back and rubbing my cheek against the blanket, I heard a knock at the door. I quickly sat up, grabbed the sandals I’d thrown under the bed, and headed to the door.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah! We can go right away.”

I carefully opened the door in case Kwon Dojin was behind it, and saw that he had already stepped back a couple of steps. Kwon Dojin, who had changed into a sky-blue shirt and white shorts, emitted the scent I had smelled in the car, only stronger.

I guess he must have sprayed cologne, I thought as I approached him. I wondered how he found a scent that suited him so well.

“You don’t look dressed for playing in the water at the beach.”

“You don’t look dressed for playing hard in the water either, Habin.”

As he said, my outfit wasn’t very suitable for water play, but it was still better than Kwon Dojin’s denim pants. Well, thanks to the large tube over his shoulder and the picnic bag in his hand, there was a sense that we were going to play in the water.

“I plan to float around the sea on the tube.”

“You’ll be in big trouble if you get stranded.”

“No way.”

We headed to the beach, exchanging idle conversation. As if it had been intentionally made as a side path, the width of the road was just right for two people to walk side by side.

“You’ll save me, won’t you?”

“…Looks like we’ll have to play in the shallow water.”

“That’s fine too.”

Rather than playing enthusiastically in the sea, my preference was to splash around in the shallow water or aimlessly float on a tube. Kwon Dojin probably guessed that, which is why he wore nice clothes even though they might be uncomfortable.

“What’s in that bag?”

“Water, snacks, and towels.”

“It’s simpler than I expected.”

“Since the villa is close by, there’s no need to carry heavy stuff.”

“That’s true.”

Sunlight penetrated through the dense trees. Though two people could walk side by side, it wasn’t spacious, so the distance between Kwon Dojin and me was very close. As a result, our arms naturally brushed against each other more frequently.

No, perhaps he deliberately narrowed the distance so our skin would touch. My fingertips twitched every time our hands touched, but I pretended to be calm and continued the conversation.

“How much further do we have to go?”

“We’re almost there.”

“When we get there—”

“When we get there?”

Finally, our hands became deeply intertwined. When his smooth, firm fingertips touched the back of my hand, I stopped talking without realizing it. At his questioning voice, I quickly collected my thoughts and continued.

“No, I was just wondering if there would be many people there.”

“There won’t be many. It’s easier to think of it as a beach that only certain people know about.”

“Hmm, in other words, there’s a high chance no one will know if something dangerous happens?”

“It also means we can do whatever we want.”

Thanks to Kwon Dojin returning the joke in kind, I burst out laughing and squeezed our interlocked fingers.

“That sounds somewhat dangerous.”

“Well…”

I glanced sidelong at Kwon Dojin, who was subtly trailing off. He must have clearly felt my gaze, but he pretended not to notice and just looked ahead.

“Ah, we’re here.”

It was clearly an attempt to change the subject, but since I was also at a loss for what to say, I decided to go along with it. When I turned my head forward, I saw a sandy beach where light shone strongly, unlike the path we were standing on.

“Let’s go quickly.”

Now that I saw the sandy beach, excitement gradually filled me. I pulled Kwon Dojin and quickened my pace. At my action, Kwon Dojin smiled faintly and matched his steps with mine.

“There’s not a single person here…”

“Right. Seems like no one’s here today.”

Unlike Kwon Dojin, who responded as if it was nothing, I felt a small excitement as I first set foot on the beach. It was the bluest sea I had ever seen, and the cliffs surrounding the area gave a sense of being adequately enclosed, making it feel like a secret place.

Maybe that’s why I had the dangerous illusion that anything would be permitted here. I was about to clench my hand painfully to snap out of it, but I stopped when I realized we were still holding hands.

“Come here, let’s go.”

Kwon Dojin took the lead as I stopped in momentary confusion. I was surprised to see a parasol in the direction he was heading.

“Why is there a parasol?”

“I asked them to prepare it in advance. You get dizzy if you stay under the sun too long.”

“Mmm. I see.”

I just nodded, as his manner of taking others’ service for granted seemed like it belonged to a different world. It wouldn’t change anything even if I found it hard to understand. Rather than that, I decided to enjoy the beach that I hadn’t visited in a long time.

While Kwon Dojin was putting down the luggage, I let go of his hand, intending to at least dip my feet first, but he pulled my arm and intertwined our hands more deeply.

As I stumbled from the rebound, Kwon Dojin wrapped his arm around my waist as if he’d been waiting. Finding myself unexpectedly in his embrace, I blinked blankly.

“…What’s this?”

When I looked up at him quizzically, Kwon Dojin casually grinned. His eye corners curved in a gentle arc, forming a pretty line even up close.

“Let’s go together.”

“That’s perfectly fine to say with words—no. Okay, I’ll wait.”

Though I was flustered, I didn’t dislike it. While watching Kwon Dojin’s arms as he skillfully put down the luggage while holding me in his embrace, I looked up at the sky. I fidgeted with my awkwardly positioned hands as I continued to ponder.

He’ll probably let go of his arms soon. This posture would be uncomfortable to walk in, so I think that’s what will happen. After finishing various calculations in my head, I hesitantly reached out and embraced Kwon Dojin’s waist in return.

The distance I had deliberately created by bending my arms disappeared. I rested my chin on his shoulder, which was right in front of my face, and idly tapped the tube that rested on Kwon Dojin’s other shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Are you done?”

I grabbed the gently swaying tube to stop its movement and lifted my chin. When I looked up at Kwon Dojin, he was already looking at me and nodded.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

I released my arms and stepped back, but Kwon Dojin didn’t release his arm from my waist. Since he seemed to have no intention of letting go, I just stood beside him.

“The waves are calm.”

“It’s perfect weather for enjoying a ride on the tube like an immortal at leisure.”

“Shall I push you?”

“Were you not planning to?”

When I looked at Kwon Dojin with deliberately wide, surprised eyes, he chuckled and shook his head. As we approached where the waves were rolling in, my sandal-clad feet got slightly wet. Originally, I had planned to take off my sandals to play, but since it was already like this, I decided to just go in as is.

“The water is colder than I thought. I don’t think I can stay in for long.”

The sea water was now tickling my ankles. The rippling water, shimmering as it caught the light, was beautifully dazzling yet cool to the point of being cold, as if trying to steal my body heat.

“How long were you planning to play?”

“I was hoping to see the sunset over the sea from the tube.”

“Hmm. That would definitely be difficult.”

Thanks to Kwon Dojin, who didn’t even pretend it was possible, I pouted and needlessly put strength into my legs to slice through the water. Despite the splashing sound of cutting through water and the spray of water droplets, he smiled and patted my waist as if telling me to calm down.