Chapter 203 - On the Terrace
Can I really handle the love of six different women?
Is the affection I'm receiving more than I actually deserve?
As these questions swirled in his mind, Minseo felt like he was finally starting to find the answers, piece by piece, thanks to Chae-ryeong's sincere words.
'I feel a little lighter now.'
Having finished his meal, Minseo tilted his head, glancing around the mansion. It felt unusually quiet today.
Huh?
The executives, who usually would have been clinging to him or finding some excuse to approach him by now, were nowhere to be found.
It wasn't that everyone had vanished; it was just that the executives—aside from Chae-ryeong and Suhyeon—were missing.
They had all been together during the meal, but barely an hour later, they had disappeared like ghosts. Puzzled, Minseo went to Chae-ryeong's room and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock—
"Noona? It's Minseo. Can I come in?"
"Of course."
Opening the door, Minseo saw Chae-ryeong wearing her work glasses, her fingers flying across her laptop keyboard.
She looked completely buried in her tasks.
Looking at the mountain of documents piled on her desk, Minseo realized the situation.
The executives' workload had reached a breaking point.
"Noona, did the others go to handle work too?"
"Yeah... I've spent so much time playing with you lately that the work piled up like crazy. The lower-ranking members have been covering for us, but there are some things only we can handle. Looks like we're going to be slammed starting today."
Minseo nodded, understanding the weight of her words.
"When do I go back to work?"
"Hmm... probably in about a week. We need to finalize the sector assignments and reorganize the units first."
"I see. Should I bring you a cup of coffee?"
"I'd love that. An iced Americano, please."
Leaving Chae-ryeong to her documents, Minseo headed down to the kitchen.
The mansion had its own high-end espresso machine. While he was waiting for the coffee to brew, he ran into Suhyeon, who had come down to make some tea.
"Suhyeon. Are you making tea?"
"Yes, Oppa."
At her casual use of the word 'Oppa,' Minseo's face instantly flushed bright red.
He'd never had a younger sister, so being called 'Oppa' felt incredibly foreign and embarrassing.
'Wow... just hearing that makes my face burn.'
With his face heating up beyond his control, Minseo cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. But there was no hiding it from someone as sharp as Suhyeon.
Suhyeon narrowed her eyes playfully. She stepped into his personal space, leaning her face right up to his with a mischievous grin.
"What's this? Are you embarrassed because I called you Oppa?"
"No... it's not that..."
"Oppa. Oppa. Oppa. Oppa."
Suhyeon giggled, repeating the word over and over. Each time she said it, Minseo's blush deepened.
"Ugh... stop teasing me."
"But your reactions are so cute, Oppa."
Watching her laugh, Minseo realized once again how much she had changed.
When they first met, Suhyeon had been so cold and robotic that he'd wondered if she was even human.
Back then, he'd spent his days trying to hide from her, knowing she'd come looking to torment him the moment Hayoung left the house...
And now, here she was, giggling and smiling.
Life really was unpredictable.
Seeing him lost in thought, Suhyeon leaned in and gave him a light peck on the cheek.
Chu—
"Hey! You almost started a war doing that in front of the others last time!"
"So? Oppa is mine. If I don't want someone to steal him, I have to mark my territory."
Suhyeon shrugged, looking thoroughly satisfied with herself.
"Ugh. There's no stopping you, is there?"
Minseo let out a soft sigh, a smile tugging at his lips.
Even if he told her to be careful, she clearly had no intention of listening. Well, as long as she didn't start making out with him in the middle of a meeting, it would probably be fine.
Despite being the youngest and having a delicate appearance, Suhyeon was a monster in a fight.
Anyone foolish enough to challenge her based on her looks would find themselves on the floor before they could even blink.
"But aren't you busy, Suhyeon?"
Come to think of it, while Chae-ryeong was drowning in paperwork, Suhyeon seemed to have all the time in the world.
"Ah... you heard that I handled most of the work while you were unconscious, right?"
"I did."
"So Hayoung-nim told me to take a break. She said the organization only kept running because of me. Back then, things were a mess. We were all... struggling."
"Ah..."
Suhyeon's expression darkened slightly as she spoke.
"Then, do you want to go have some tea on the terrace with me? The view was really nice last time."
Minseo quickly tried to lighten the mood, draped an arm over her shoulder.
"Oh, I'd love that!"
Suhyeon brightened up immediately and nodded.
"Let me just drop this coffee off first."
"Mmm... this is nice."
A gentle breeze swept across the terrace. Looking out at the manicured yard and the lush trees made Minseo feel a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Right? Slurp—"
Suhyeon sat beside him, sipping her chamomile tea.
Surrounded by the beautiful scenery, the two of them began to talk, the conversation flowing effortlessly.
.
.
.
"I really didn't expect you to hand me an 'Ideal Type' test out of nowhere."
Minseo laughed, remembering how he'd nearly choked on his drink when she'd presented him with that ridiculous questionnaire.
"I thought you'd fall for it since you'd lost your memory... what a waste."
"I'd never fall for something that obvious."
"Oppa, do you actually have an ideal type?"
"No."
Minseo wasn't lying.
With six women as beautiful and unique as them around him, the concept of an 'ideal type' didn't even cross his mind anymore.
What was the point of an ideal?
Everything he could ever want was right here.
"Hey, Suhyeon. That kiss you gave me here... back then. Can I ask why you did it?"
As they talked, Minseo found himself curious about the reason behind that intense, overwhelming kiss on the terrace.
"You're curious?"
"Yeah."
Their eyes met as the sun began to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the terrace.
"Actually... when you were unconscious, I started having auditory hallucinations."
"Hallucinations...?"
Minseo's expression turned serious at the mention of her mental state.
"Yes. I hated myself so much. I had all this strength, but I couldn't protect you. You kept appearing in my head, blaming me... asking why I didn't save you."
"Suhyeon..."
Minseo began to realize just how agonizing those days must have been for her. His eyes filled with concern.
"If I wasn't doing something, the pain was unbearable. I had to stay busy just to survive. That's why I worked so hard."
Ah.
'So that's why... her hands were covered in scars. Because she worked herself to the bone without a single moment of rest.'
The realization hit Minseo like a physical blow. His heart felt like it was being shredded as he learned the truth of what she'd endured while he was asleep.
How much mental anguish must she have suffered to start hearing voices? Even though it wasn't her fault, she had carried that crushing guilt every single day.
'It must have been so hard for her.'
For someone as young as Suhyeon, those days must have been a living hell.
And she hadn't said a single word about it. She'd kept all that pain locked away.
She probably didn't want me to worry.
"But I'm fine now. See?"
Trying to break the heavy atmosphere, Suhyeon forced a bright smile, struggling to hold back her tears.
—Pull
Minseo reached out, pulling her into his arms and tucking her head against his chest. As he gently patted her back, Suhyeon's lips began to tremble.
She had tried so hard to act like she was okay.
She had forced herself to smile.
How could he do this...
This is... this is...
"That's... that's playing dirty, Oppa..."
Finally, the dam broke. The emotions Suhyeon had suppressed for so long came rushing to the surface. She clung to Minseo, hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner. It's okay to cry. You've been through so much."
Minseo spoke softly, holding her slender, trembling body tight.
"Hic... ugh... you're so mean... really..."
Suhyeon sobbed, pouring out all the sorrow, pain, and guilt she had been carrying. She wept into his embrace, the sound of her crying echoing on the quiet terrace.
She rubbed her face against his chest like a child, her tears and saliva staining his shirt, but she didn't care. She just cried and cried for what felt like an eternity.
And Minseo just held her, stroking her hair until the sobs finally began to subside.
"Sniff..."
"Do you feel a bit better now?"
"Sniff... yeah. Thank you."
Suhyeon looked up at him. Her eyes were red and swollen, but her expression was much lighter.
..
...
Suhyeon gazed at Minseo for a moment, wiped the moisture from her lips, and spoke.
"Oppa, can I ask for one favor?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Let's have sex. Right here."
"Cough!"
Minseo, who had just taken a sip of his tea, sprayed it across the floor at her blunt request.
"What...?!"
"I think I love you too much, Oppa."
Suhyeon stood up abruptly and slid her casual pants down to her ankles.
"Wait..."
There, her pink panties were revealed—completely soaked through with vaginal fluid, the damp fabric clinging to her skin.
Minseo was speechless. He stared at the explicit sight of her wet, erotic mound, his brain struggling to process the sudden shift.
I was just trying to comfort her, wasn't I?
Why is she leaking from both ends now?
Suhyeon hadn't just been crying in his arms.
In that warm, safe embrace... she had been overcome by an unbearable surge of lust and love.
And she was soaking wet because of it.
"Uh... Suhyeon... there's a giant glass window right there. The others will see everything..."
The terrace was separated from the house by floor-to-ceiling glass. Having sex here was basically putting on a show for anyone inside.
"I don't care. Let them watch us be intimate. They can just stay inside and masturbate in frustration."
Suhyeon's 'no-filter' personality was back in full force.
Just then—
Beep-beep-beep-beep!*
The sound of someone punching the code into the terrace door echoed from inside.
Suhyeon moved like a flash, reaching the door and locking it before anyone could enter.
"Suhyeon...?"
Sensing things were about to spiral out of control, Minseo called her name, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"You said you'd grant my favor, right? Thank you, Oppa."
Suhyeon began to walk toward him, her eyes burning with raw, unbridled affection.
Uh...
Hey...
Someone, please save me.