New Normal - Chapter 21

Losing his pace and acting so awkward — it wasn’t like him at all, and Juwon quietly sighed through his nose. He set down the new shots the staff had brought: one in front of himself, one in front of her.

“…Okay, so you make a fist, then sprinkle a little salt between your thumb and index finger.”

He demonstrated first, licking the salt off his own hand. Jisoo, following him obediently, flinched at the salty taste, her brow furrowing as her red tongue darted out to lick her skin.

…and for some reason, he got turned on at the worst possible moment.

The heat pooling low in his stomach was familiar, but still too sudden. He casually crossed his legs to hide it. He wasn’t fully hard yet, but he could feel it coming — just in case, he shifted position, but the front of his pants was already starting to bulge. He glanced down, cleared his throat awkwardly.

“And then, just down the shot in one go.”

The sharp burn of the alcohol ran hot down his throat, lighting a fire in his chest. A faint sweetness lingered in his nose as he bit into the lime wedge. The tangy juice cleared his head, cooling everything down just in time. Thank God.

Next to him, Jisoo copied him step by step. She bit into her lime too, scrunching up her nose as the sourness hit.

“Not bad, right?”

Juwon smiled like nothing was wrong. Jisoo narrowed her eyes, then nodded slowly — clearly not used to sour things.

“It’s good.”

“Not a fan of sour stuff, huh?”

“A bit. But I like the vibe.”

She shrugged, downed her glass of water, and Juwon rested his chin on his hand, twisting a little toward her. Even when she could feel his eyes on her, Jisoo kept staring straight ahead.

Was she really that indifferent, or pretending to be? Either way, it hooked him deeper. He narrowed his eyes, studying her.

In the classy lounge, under the soft music, the clean lines of her profile were striking. Her smooth forehead, the elegant slope of her nose, the soft curve of her full lips, the slightly pointed chin — she looked like a figure painted on a traditional scroll.

“You’re right. It’s a good vibe.”

He agreed with a lazy grin, then waved a bartender over to order another round. Like her, he rested his elbows on the bar, pretending to watch the front — but he couldn’t resist sneaking glances at her.

Jisoo sat with her chin propped on her hand, half her eyes closed, the hint of a small smile on her lips. Since he’d met her, she looked the most relaxed she’d ever been. Maybe it was the drinks — or the music.

“Do you like house music?”

“I don’t really know genres. I just… like this kind of chill mood.”

Her honest answer made him smirk, crinkling his eyes. He was the only one glued to the other person tonight, but for some reason, he didn’t mind at all. Actually, he kind of liked it.

“Do you like this kind of music, Juwon?”

It was the first time she’d asked him something first. He looked straight at her.

“Stuff like what’s playing now?”

“Yeah.”

“Mm. Not really. I don’t love trance or house, to be honest.”

“Why not?”

She tilted her head with genuine curiosity. He paused. Now that he’d said it, he realized he didn’t feel like launching into a big explanation. But he didn’t want the flow to die either, so he answered around it.

“I once heard in a forensic science lecture that people with trauma about death hate music that’s just repetitive beats or melodies — like the stuff they play at clubs.”

“…Oh. Interesting.”

Jisoo blinked at him with those curious eyes, but didn’t press further. She just turned her gaze away, leaving a pleasant silence behind.

Juwon stole another glance. He’d just hoped she wouldn’t dig in, but now that she didn’t, he weirdly felt let down. Not a hint that she’d start talking more. So again, he threw out another topic.

“So, what kind of food do you like? You don’t seem to care much for these snacks.”

He gestured to the roasted cashews and marinated olives they’d been served. Jisoo finally turned to look at him directly.

“Salty and spicy.”

“Like what exactly?”

“Hmm…”

“Tteokbokki? That’s every girl’s soul food, right?”

“You’re sharp.”

She shot back playfully. Just as he let out a laugh at her tone, Jisoo’s hand suddenly touched his cheek. He froze like a rookie caught off guard. But she stayed calm as ever.

“Juwon, you’ve only got a dimple on one side, huh?”

“This?”

A bit flustered, he pointed at his right cheek. Jisoo nodded.

“It’s funny how it’s only on one side.”

Her clear black eyes stayed fixed on the spot, oddly academic for a bar at this hour.

“Got bit by a dog.”

“It’s a scar?”

“Yeah. A little one.”

“Huh.” She frowned lightly.

“Too pretty to be a scar, though.”

“…Pretty? Never heard that one before.”

He straightened up a little, mumbling. Jisoo’s eyes went wide.

“Really? I thought you’d hear ‘pretty’ from women all the time.”

She threw his own line right back at him, and he couldn’t help but laugh, covering his smile with his hand as he looked at her. She narrowed her eyes, flashing him a sly grin like she’d caught him.

“Huh? Juwon, what’s that look for?”

“Nothing. Just… now that I think about it, maybe someone said it when I was a kid. But this is the first time since puberty.”

“You’re pretty. So I guess that’s the second time you’ve heard it now.”

Jisoo smiled, soft and clear — a smile Juwon had never seen on her before. Without realizing it, the corners of his own mouth curved up.

“You really smiled just now.”

“Hm?”

She tilted her head like she hadn’t heard him. He just shook his head, pretending it was nothing.

It was strange — all of it. He couldn’t take his eyes off this woman. He couldn’t explain why every little thing she did pulled him in deeper.

He absentmindedly took a sip of his drink, rested his chin in his palm, then just stared at her, bold and open.

“Jisoo, when do you smile?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“No reason. I just do.”

“When something’s fun. Or makes me happy.”

“And what makes you feel that way?”

He kept pushing, question after question. Jisoo frowned slightly, as if genuinely thinking it over.

“…When I save money?”

Juwon burst out laughing, shaking his head.

“I really can’t figure you out.”

He laughed again, then watched her with a curious glint in his eyes. It was pure impulse, the words that came next.

“So, are you having fun with me right now? You’ve been smiling a lot tonight.”

He waited, a bit excited to hear what she’d say this time. Jisoo mirrored him, resting her chin in her hand and meeting his eyes straight on. Her dark eyes were deep, and for a moment, he felt a pleasant, blurry buzz in his head — maybe from the alcohol, maybe from her.

“Yeah. I’m having fun.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m with my ideal type?”

For a second, Juwon forgot how to speak. He wanted to think she was teasing him, but there was nothing playful about her face. She looked dead serious, her gaze unflinching — and it dragged him in even deeper. For a moment, he felt dizzy, like there was no way out now.

He clamped his mouth shut, not wanting her to see how thrown off he was. He couldn’t even come up with a lame joke to play it off. For the first time in his life, someone’s casual confession or compliment knocked him completely off balance.

His chest tingled in a way that was almost irritating. He didn’t know why — or maybe he just didn’t want to admit it. One thing was clear: her sudden confession had torn down every bit of calm he’d built up.

He tried to clear his throat, but nothing came out. He ended up just staring at her helplessly. That’s when Jisoo gently pushed her cocktail glass toward him.

That small gesture made Juwon realize just how obvious his flustered face must have looked. He coughed and raised an eyebrow, as if to ask what she meant. Jisoo just smiled that soft smile again.

“I’d rather stick to straight shots. You have this.”

And with that one line, she swept away the tension she’d just caused. Juwon, still reeling, muttered under his breath,

“…You’re gonna get drunk fast.”

His voice cracked a bit, rough from trying to hold himself together. He pushed aside his own tequila shot and took a sip of the cocktail she’d given him instead.

Jisoo tilted her head, watching him like she was studying something curious.

“Isn’t that the point of drinking? To get drunk?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

He trailed off as he set the glass down because she grabbed his hand.

“Wait, was this how you said to drink tequila?”

Meeting his eyes, Jisoo leaned down and flicked her tongue over the skin between his thumb and index finger — the same spot he’d shown her earlier. Heat exploded through him like someone had struck a match.

She didn’t look away, didn’t rush. He flinched as her warm tongue traced over his skin again, a little slower this time, a little longer. His breathing turned ragged. A sharp jolt ran through him, heat pooling low in his body like he’d just been set on fire.

“Like this, right?”

In his eyes, a hot, raw hunger flickered — but Jisoo’s gaze stayed wide and curious, annoyingly innocent even now.

“It’s good. I wanna taste more. But…”

“…But what?”

His voice came out stiff, his expression frozen. He couldn’t even tell what he looked like anymore. He couldn’t tell what she’d see on his face if he did.

Jisoo slowly reached out and cupped his cheek, her dark eyes calmly sweeping over him like she was reading a page of text.

“Chae Juwon, you’re kinda… bland, huh?”