Prologue

The scorching sun poured in through the transparent greenhouse window. With a watering can in my hands, I leisurely bathed the plants that exuded fresh energy.

“Noona, why don’t you hug me anymore?”

I choked at the unexpected question, coming so suddenly.  In the end, I had to hear this coming from that person. I tried not to show the helplessness I was feeling that my efforts to avoid him throughout the day were rendered futile.

“What?”

I slowly turned around and asked calmly. He approached me at a pensive pace, bringing with him the scent of flowers, and faced me.

‘He’s too close.’

I cautiously averted my eyes.

Seeing my reaction, he took a step closer. The sun’s rays crowned and shone dazzling over his brilliant blond hair fluttering right before me.

I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent the word ‘pretty’ from leaking out. You were too dangerous a man for me to lower my guard and have such careless thoughts. You, the villain destined to lead this novel’s ending to its destruction. I was someone who will vanish without any role in this novel, and you could leave me anytime.

‘How could I accept you into my heart?’

“Why don’t you hug me, why don’t we sleep together, why don’t we bathe…” 

He didn’t finish, looking me directly in the eyes. As I was ensnared in those eyes that resembled a midsummer sea, I could feel my face slowly heating up.

‘It’s still awkward… facing him now as an adult.’

So as usual, I couldn’t make eye contact. Noticing my hesitation, he spoke again.

“So you won’t do it with me anymore?”

“That was when you were a kid—!”

“Why can’t we do it now? Is it because you have bad thoughts?”

He smiled. My entire body burned in response to the sudden warmth that caught me off guard.

I could feel my heart pounding wildly. I tried to control it and not let this unruly heart get trapped.

‘I don’t think he can hear it. I hope he can’t hear it.’

Yeah, I hope so. I didn’t want to get caught, so I exhaled as if nothing had happened.

‘After all, you will abandon me too.’

I didn’t want this feeling to become my weakness, so I tried to suppress it over and over again. If not for his hot breath digging into my neck as his arm wrapped around my waist, I would have rid myself of it long ago.

“Those bad thoughts. Whatever it is, you can do it to your heart’s content.”

Thump! The watering can fell to the ground as my grip loosened. The dull sound was unusually loud, perhaps because it wasn’t just the watering can that fell at that moment.

When I came to my senses, his hot lips were already touching the nape of my neck.

Aah, how did the cautious little boy I had raised become such an obsessive man? And how did I end up so helpless before him?

I closed my eyes tightly.