39 Hot 'n Cold

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Hey. It's been a while. Life's got a bit more manageable. While this story won't get back to a steady update rate, it will still see an increase in the update frequency. The next chapter's all planned out, in fact.

Sorry for ghosting y'all for so long.

Here's a Tifa illustration. ---

Oh, and for those wondering. I've published the first chapter of two new upcoming series on my discord server.

Here's the link:

https://discord.gg/JnncKYxHAg

Without further ado, on with the chapter!

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Numbness spread through my right arm. From the joint down to the wrist. A faint ache was all that was left from the harsh, powerful moment I had just accomplished.

In front of me, lay the tattered left side of a torn punching bag, its filling spilling out — a gutted victim bleeding all over the floor.

The rope that used to hold it was still swaying left and right, its tip flayed. 'This…is not normal…' I stared at my closed fist. The knuckles were slightly red, but the extent of the bruise was negligible considering the damage it had done.

It was supposed to be an experiment.

And it just so happened that I found an old punching bag in the garage — did Yeong Gu do boxing? Didn't seem like it, but appearances could be deceiving. Then again, maybe he wanted to get back in shape.

Either way, I tried my hand at it.

"Maybe it has been left unused for so long that it was already damaged." I rationalized. What else could I do? Believe that I was some sort of budding superhero?

I looked up at the hook in the ceiling. There was a crack around it. The concrete had given in, and chips of white paint peeled off and rained down.

I briefly considered punching the wall, just to clear up the confusion once and for all.

However, that would just be plain stupid. If it worked, I would have to explain why there is a hole in the wall. If it didn't, I'd have to explain how I broke my hand.

I shook my head, cleaned up the mess, and walked back inside.

The weather had cleared up considerably compared to the previous days. I wondered if releasing another video so soon was a good idea, or if I should have left my subscribers simmering in anticipation.

'I still have to meet up with Tifa; I promised her.'

It was not the right timing. Not with Mia and Eun Ha coming to terms with our new relationship status. Tifa didn't mean anything to me, but going out to meet a girl, regardless of the reason or circumstances, wouldn't really be one of my most level-headed decisions.

'Yes, let's keep her waiting for a bit more…'

The sound of rushing water and rustling paper reached my ears.

I walked forward.

A cheerfully humming Eun Ha glanced at me. Her eyes lingered for longer than what should have been a simple 'passing glance'. Yeong Gu was there, but the love she projected easily bypassed the man and reached me under the guise of a smile.

A ripe blush surged to her cheeks.

We had yet to upgrade our intimacy in bed. And there was no doubt what kind of thoughts were running through that pretty, little head. Patience is a virtue – or so they say. Eun Ha had it in spades, but this time, she looked like she was about to throw caution to the wind and dive headfirst into my arms.

I passed by them both and slowly made my way up the stairs.

"Huh, where are you going, honey?" I heard Yeoung Gu's voice overlap with the swift footsteps of Eun Ha. Tip-tap. Tip-tap. I could easily make out those dainty feet paddling fast and hard.

"Umh, I forgot… to… to hang the clothes outside!"

"But… they're already hung…"

"..."

The footsteps grew louder and quicker.

I turned around the corner before stopping. Eun Ha had caught up to me. She had her rubber gloves on, water dripping from the wet extremities.

"He can't hear us." I said with a smile.

Eun Ha's eyes briefly flickered towards Yeong Gu, who was still engrossed in his news outlet.

"No… he can't." She breathed out, finally looking back at me.

"Nervous?"

"A bit." She admitted, scratching at her cheek with a gloved finger. Instead of relieving her of the itch, or the awkwardness, all it did was leave a wet trail on her skin.

'She's too cute to be real.'

"Yeong Gu might catch us at any moment." I used the knuckle of my finger to brush her hair out of her eyes. She was sweaty, flushed, and breathing raggedly.

She looked like a mess. A beautiful mess. 'My mess.'

Eun Ha's lips curved slightly into a guilty smile. "I know."

"I'd be concerned if you didn't know."

Her smile widened into a beautiful, amused arch.

"Do you care?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

She was shy, anxiously bouncing on the heels of her feet. It was odd to see Eun Ha like that. So youthful and in love. Was she like that when in high school? An awkward, yet stunning, woman coming to terms with her feelings.

I inched forward, my lips anchoring on Eun Ha's. She bobbed her head, lips shifting sideways, as did my head. She melted into my arms, hands grasping roughly at my hair, pulling slightly. My hands roamed her body freely.

They slowly eased down towards her plump rear. My fingers sunk into the pliable flesh, squeezing those mounds for all of their worth.

"Dae… Ho…" Eun Ha breathed into my mouth, her tongue rolling around mine, dancing in my mouth. "Haaaah…"

When we pulled back, a cloud of vapor billowed out of her mouth. A thin, flimsy bridge of saliva connected my lips to hers. She flicked her tongue out and licked it off.

"Auntie." I said, in a low vibrato. "Tonight, let's go out. Somewhere special. Just me and you."

Her eyelashes fluttered.

"Special…?"

"Somewhere beautiful… somewhere private." I explained, using my thumb to draw circles around her plump lips. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"

She nodded, quietly. Her forehead inclined towards my chest, whereupon she rested there, devouring my scent with each labored breath. A smile quirked her lips up. "I'm looking forward to it, Dae Ho."

"Of course you are. We'll be stealing Yeong Gu's car, after all."

"Huh…?"

──⇌ ⋆★⋆ ⇋──

Su Ah's POV:

'Domineering' or 'Threatening' were not words Su Ah would ever use to describe Dae Ho. But as he stepped into the room, the air seemed to change.

"I'm not here to pick a fight."

She had never seen him like this before. His usual laid-back nature was replaced by a sharp one. She had to admit it made her slightly uncomfortable.

Dae Ho closed the door, quietly. The shifting of the gears, though, were quite loud. In the brief silence, it echoed across the room like the hammering of an anvil.

"I would hope so. You have a lot of explaining to do." Su Ah crossed her arms, chin tilted up. 'As if I would ever be intimidated…' A vain, wishful illusion on her part.

She was already intimidated. It was not as if she thought Dae Ho was going to harm her, but it was the discrepancy in the 'current' Dae Ho and the one in her mind that triggered some unpleasant emotions.

"It sure looks like it." He shrugged, sitting quite haphazardly on her bed. "Let me ask you one thing first. What are you going to do with that knowledge?"

She lifted one eyebrow up, swinging one bare leg over the other. "What do you mean?"

At this, Dae Ho leaned forward, his lazy stare clearing up into an intense one. It nearly stole her breath. For some reason, there was a powerful and magnetic charm to his eyes.

"Tip-toeing around like that doesn't suit you, Su Ah Noona."

"As if you would know what suits me or what doesn't."

"More than you can imagine."

He smiled.

She faltered, looking away with a scowl.

"I won't babble it to father — if that's what you're worried about." Su Ah said with a drawn-out sigh. "Not after what I've heard about him."

"I appreciate it." She could see the tension leaving his body. He ran a hand through his well-styled hair — it was a little shorter than she had ever seen him wear, and it suited him incredibly well. "The situation is quite complicated as you've no doubt seen."

"..."

Su Ah stared at him, unblinking. "That's one way to put it." Her voice was as cold as ever. "You're screwing my mom and sister. Separately, I hope."

"Yes. Yes. And we intend to keep it that way."

"..."

She didn't believe him. For some reason, she just didn't.

"Listen… I'm not trying to seek acknowledgement from you, or a blessing. Or even acceptance. What I want is… cooperation." Dae Ho mulled over his words carefully. Su Ah was glad that he was taking it seriously, at least. "I don't want to sour your relationship with either of them, or with me."

"I'm not that petty." She said, curtly. "What they do beyond the walls of their bedroom is none of my business."

"Even if I'm the one in their beds?"

"..."

Hmm. Perhaps she was a little petty.

"It's not like I can make a scene on how utterly wrong it is, now, can I?" She loosened out a deep breath, fingers playing with her short hair. "Besides… father was in the wrong. I guess this is just karma getting back at him."

It was amusing to see Dae Ho getting slack-jawed at her answer.

"You're not going to protect him?"

"Why should I?" She tilted her head — the adorable action caused her neat, black bangs to fall over one side of her pale face.

Dae Ho breathed out. "He's your father…"

She scoffed. "So what?"

"..."

It was his turn to go completely silent. An interested glint flashed in his eyes.

"Nothing… I guess my perception of you was slightly wrong. Now I can see you better. The kind of woman you are, Su Ah Noona. Cold and warm. You shift between either extreme polarity with such ease."

"..."

The way he cocked his chin down, with a curl of dark hair falling over one eye, was probably done on purpose. It had to.

Su Ah would never admit it — especially under the current circumstances — but she had to mirror her sister's thoughts.

Dae Ho was truly getting too damn handsome for his own good.