New Normal - Chapter 63

Shin Jisoo’s hand froze in midair, and for a moment, silence hung between them. She didn’t know why, but suddenly felt awkward. Composing herself, she brushed Chae Juwon’s bangs once more, then looked away as if nothing had happened and sipped her coffee.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Juwon tilted his lips into a crooked smile.

“Shin Jisoo.”

“…What.”

“You like me that much?”

Jisoo almost choked on her coffee and hurriedly set the cup down. She stared at him with wide eyes, but instead of answering, her gaze darted around. Her flustered expression made Juwon’s face light up with amusement.

“Do you like me so much you could die? Am I just irresistible to you?”

“No! That’s not it at all.”

Her curt reply came with an averted gaze. Juwon’s eyes turned mischievous as he studied her, clearly enjoying her discomfort. He leaned in, tilting his head until he caught her eyes despite her looking down.

“Then why do you like me?”

“I told you, I don’t. Go away.”

His grin stretched so far it looked like it might split his face, and instead of backing off, he came around the kitchen island toward her.Before she could react, he scooped her up in a light embrace, making her let out a startled yelp.

“The coffee’s going to spill!”

“So what if it does?”

The moment she set her mug down, he lifted her effortlessly onto the countertop. With his arms braced wide on the table, their faces ended up at the same level.

“Shin Jisoo.”

“…Yeah.”

Her sulky tone made him frown slightly. What now? she thought, glancing up at him, only for him to immediately fire off questions like he’d been waiting for this moment.

“What exactly do you like about me? Since when? Was it from the first moment you saw me? Love at first sight?”

Unable to take it anymore, Jisoo reached out and pinched his lips like a clamp. When he blinked at her in surprise, she narrowed her eyes.

“Stop teasing me.”

Releasing his lips with a prim little scold, she watched him blink slowly—then suddenly burst into laughter. He doubled over, shaking with it, while she stared, baffled.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

When she frowned in confusion, he slowly lifted his face. His brows drew together as he looked at her like he didn’t know what to do with her. Finally, he cupped her slender jaw and pulled her closer.

Their lips met softly. The unexpected kiss made Jisoo just blink in a daze. Then he tilted his head slightly, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Who kisses with their eyes open?”

With that brief chiding, he closed his eyes first and kissed her again, deeper this time. His hand slid to the back of her neck, his lips catching her lower one until her trembling eyelids finally lowered. As her mouth opened, he slipped his tongue inside, tasting her.

Coffee and mint—like the taste of morning. …Even if, technically, it wasn’t morning.

The kiss deepened, and Juwon adjusted his stance, parting Jisoo’s knees as she sat on the counter. His hand moved from her neck down to her back, pulling her closer as he angled in, his tongue exploring.

Her hands, which had been gripping his shoulders, hesitated before sliding up to wrap around the thick column of his neck.

Once she’d settled into a more secure position, his right hand wandered to her thigh, gliding from the outside in. The touch made her flinch, a shiver running through her as the thin fabric brushed against her bare br3asts—no bra.

Her n1pples stiffened, and the cool air brushed over her between her legs.

…Are we really going to do this here again?

Half guessing, she threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him in as they kissed deeper—until suddenly, he pushed her back slightly. The pressure made her upper body sway.

“Ah—!”

He caught her before she could topple.

“Safe,” he said with a grin, giving her cheek a quick peck like it was some kind of ceremony.

Startled, she awkwardly leaned away, but he just chuckled low and caught her face in his hands.

“I like it when you make that clueless face,” he murmured, rubbing his nose against hers before sucking on her lips again.

Tilting his head this way and that to find the perfect angle, he kissed her like he might devour her whole.

“Mmph… mm…”

The resumed kiss was fierce, his tongue skillfully sweeping her mouth, pressing so deep it felt like it might reach her throat. Breathless, she tried to keep up with his pace.

Then, he pulled away—

“…Ugh.” —only to move straight to her neck.

He pressed kisses beneath her jaw, sucking at the sensitive skin like he meant to leave a mark, his other hand on her thigh.

Slipping under her hoodie, he caressed her stomach, then moved lower, cupping her between her legs.

“Mmh…”

Her soft moan was all the signal he needed. He caught the hem of her hoodie and peeled it over her head. In an instant, she was bare before him, and his dark brown eyes flashed.

Sunlight streamed in through the living room window—too bright, almost painfully so. Jisoo hunched her shoulders, embarrassed by the light washing over her skin.

She fidgeted with her fingers, waiting for him to continue… but he didn’t move. He didn’t kiss, didn’t touch—just stared.

The tension gnawed at her until she finally lifted her arms to cover her chest, but he gently pulled them down, leaving her exposed.

The silence between them was soft and warm, like sunlight through glass. She swallowed hard, her skin tingling under his gaze—her br3asts, the hardened peaks, even the faint throbbing between her legs.

His own arousal was obvious, tenting the front of his pants, but still he didn’t move.

“…Why aren’t you doing anything?” she asked hesitantly.

He licked his lower lip. “Because I like this.”

The sudden confession made her inhale sharply. He leaned in, voice barely above a whisper.

“I want to keep this image of you in my eyes forever.”

Everything else faded, his words ringing in her ears. Those dark eyes held heat, but also an unmistakable seriousness that made her breath catch. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might climb into her throat.

She wanted to hear it again. “…What?” she asked softly, pretending she hadn’t caught it.

But instead of repeating himself, the air between them shifted. He simply stared at her, his gaze sweeping her face, sharp enough to make her fidget with her fingers.

Had she given herself away too much? The sound of her own heartbeat was too loud in her ears.

As if reading her thoughts, he smirked faintly, cupping her chin and tilting it lightly.

“Don’t you know? The moment before something happens is the most exciting.”

What the hell. Feeling unfairly teased, she shot him a glare, but it only seemed to amuse him more.

The thrill in his small smile made something flutter deep inside her again.

“…You’re such a pervert,” she muttered.

“Only just figuring that out?”

She let out an incredulous laugh, shaking her head. When she tried to close her legs, he pressed her knees apart with a firm hand.

“Ah-ah. Where do you think you’re going?”

Holding his gaze, she suddenly reached out and flicked the bulge in his pants. His pupils wavered for a split second at the unexpected move. When she smoothed her hand over him again, he blinked as if snapping out of it.

“Well, well…”

The sly curl of his lips made her heart race even faster. Keeping her composure, she lifted her chin.

“…Condom?”

Clicking his tongue like he’d expected this, he pulled a flat square packet from his pocket.

“When did you even grab that?”

“When you were in the shower.”

She rolled her eyes, but before she could comment, he had her pinned, one hand lowering his pants. His c0ck sprang free—thick, flushed, the tip glistening faintly.

…God, it’s big. In the daylight, it almost looked like a weapon.

Catching her staring, he quirked a brow. “What? Still satisfied after a second look?”

His cheeky wink made her want to retort, so she flicked his forehead instead.

“They say twitching eyelids mean you’re low on magnesium.”

He laughed, eyes crinkling, then exaggeratedly winked both left and right eyes in turn.

“These are called winks, you know.”

When she didn’t react, he tackled her with a barrage of kisses all over her face.

“Hey—cut it out!”

“Nope. I’m gonna keep kissing you.”

“Ah—stop messing around!”

“Not messing around.”

When her laughter turned into squirming, he pulled back just enough to glance down at his straining erection.

“Well, it’s already up… we should probably do something, right? Just kissing feels like a waste.”

Instead of answering, she leaned back on her arms, legs loosening in invitation.

“…Hurry up.”

The glint in his eyes turned wicked. Tearing the packet open with his teeth, he slid the condom on with practiced ease.

She swallowed hard in anticipation as he positioned himself, pushing slowly into her.

“Ah… Juwon…”

The sensation of him filling her, hot and alive, made the back of her neck tense.

“Feels good…”

“Yeah… me too.”

He bit at her earlobe, pressing deeper until she felt completely filled. Her arms wrapped around his neck, face buried against him—

Beep. Beep. Beep.

In the quiet house, the sound of the front door opening was unmistakable.

“Oh—”

Footsteps paused mid-step.

“Guess the young master hasn’t left for work yet. Big Young Master, are you home?”

The voice of a familiar middle-aged woman floated in as the inner door slid open. Half inside her, they both froze, eyes locking in mutual horror.

Five seconds.

That was all it took for him to pull out, tuck himself away, toss her hoodie back, and for her to yank it on and scurry toward the bedroom.