The Rules of the Night

The memory of that day, which she thought she would forget quickly, didn’t fade easily even after several days had passed. What remained strongly imprinted in her mind, as intensely as the smooth feeling left in her mouth and the breath that tickled her nape, was the wounded look in his eyes behind the elevator door.

Every time Jian thought of him, she felt both an uncontrollable desire and a cold emotion at the same time.

“Am I frustrated?”

She couldn’t understand how she could be so affected by a man she had met only once. In order to escape these thoughts, Jian immersed herself madly in her research. It was actually a relief that it was winter break and she had more time to dedicate to her work.

Knock knock.

Jian, who was reading a paper in the lab, lifted her head at the sound of the knock. Through the slightly open door, Taehoon peeked his head inside. It was the first time she had seen him since they had parted ways on the night of the company dinner.

“Professor Song, do you have a moment?”

“Yes, come in.”

He entered with two cups of coffee in hand and offered her the one in his right hand.

“Americano with two shots, right?”

“Yes, thank you. I should have bought this for you….”

“It’s fine. Buy me a meal next time.”

“Okay.”

Her discomfort with his kindness, knowing his perfect understanding of her preferences, was hard to shake. Jian knew all too well that approaches like his rarely stemmed from mere human affection.

“Did you get home okay that night?”

“Yes, I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you.”

“Then where the hell did you go that night? Do you know how much I had to struggle with the taxi driver to find you? I finally convinced him to turn around, but I still had no idea where you went. You didn’t even answer your phone….”

“I just… had some personal business.”

Taehoon’s words brought the thoughts of Jae-hee back to the surface once again, thoughts she had desperately tried to suppress. Jian savored the coffee in her mouth as if she were replaying the kiss from that night.

In her imagination, she always merged with him. She imagined hanging onto his strong shoulders, kissing him passionately, and feeling the weight of his energy that had brushed against her skin. She longed for that soft sensation that had filled her mouth to touch her delicate skin.

Suddenly, it was as if she had become a slave to her desires, and her imagination ran wild.

Taehoon, silently watching Jian, who was only staring at her coffee cup, spoke up.

“Did you not sleep well? You look tired.”

“I slept enough.”

“Starting next semester, you should get a research assistant. I know graduate assistants aren’t much help for microeconomic theory, but handling administrative tasks would make things much easier for you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Taehoon stubbornly kept his gaze on Jian, his lips slightly pressed together. Whether it was about her research or her personal life, Jian never compromised. She was always thorough and cold.

But in the past few days, something had changed in her. She seemed off, like a screw had come loose. She didn’t even notice that one side of her shirt collar had rolled up.

He absentmindedly reached out to straighten the collar around her neck. At that moment, Jian pulled away, arching her body to avoid his hand.

“No, it’s just the collar…,” she said.

“Oh… I must have forgotten after washing my face to get myself together.”

As he pulled the collar back out, a button on her shirt came undone, and the delicate skin along her collarbone and chest was revealed in a somewhat provocative manner.

Taehoon instinctively turned his head. Heat rushed to his face, and he swallowed hard, the sound of his dry throat reaching Jian’s ears. To him, Jian’s every breath, every subtle movement, was an intoxicating stimulus.

She casually buttoned up the shirt and looked at him.

“Senior, I should get back to the paper….”

“Jian.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Taehoon cut in.

“Yes?”

“Do you want to have dinner with me?”

“Ah… I’m in the middle of this paper right now.”

“Still, you have to eat. Stop just saying you’ll buy me a meal all the time and actually buy me one today.”

He was the youngest son of the chairman of a major company in South Korea, a man whose name was recognized by everyone. In terms of his profession and financial power, there was absolutely no reason for him to feel inferior to anyone. Even the older professors who challenged Jian would be completely subdued by Taehoon.

But strangely, whenever he stood in front of Jian, he felt incredibly small.

“Senior.”

Jian, who had put down the coffee cup she was holding, spoke.

“Yes?”

“Do you like me?”

The question caught him completely off guard. While he thought Jian probably already knew, he never imagined she would ask so directly. Taehoon was so flustered that he couldn’t confirm or deny it, only staring at her blankly.

“Senior, you know this about me, right? I have no interest in relationships, and I don’t have the time or energy to give to anyone else.”

She was a person with big ambitions. But for Taehoon, Jian was the only person he wanted, someone he would give everything up for.

Since meeting her, no other woman had crossed his mind. He was consumed with wanting to see her cling to him, intoxicated by pleasure. If her shirt buttons ever came undone like earlier, he didn’t want to turn his head away. He wanted to be the one who could slip his hand inside.

Taehoon took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“I know you don’t like me as a man. But you must have some human affection for me, right? Am I wrong?”

Jian responded with silence, her way of acknowledging him.

“I think that’s enough to be worth starting something. We’re not in our twenties anymore; in our thirties, there are more important things than passion.”

Taehoon decided to focus on practical matters rather than emotions, hoping this would shake Jian’s resolve. In his mind, this was the only way to persuade her.

“I know you’re ambitious about your research and don’t have the time for relationships. No one understands that better than me. I know exactly how you’ve lived and how driven you are.”

“……”

“So come to me. I’ll help you live the way you want.”

“I’m already living the way I want.”

Taehoon, trying to soothe her like a child, looked into Jian’s eyes.

“Ever since your father collapsed and you came back to Korea, you’ve been struggling under the professors, unable to do the research you want. The research environment in Korea isn’t great either…”

“……”

“You’re always on edge because you have no time to relax. Let me take care of that for you. I’ll make it so you don’t have to worry about things like that. I’ll help you live freely, and if I back you up, you’ll achieve great results in your research.”

He thought this was the best way to move her, but as soon as he finished speaking, Jian’s face went cold.

“Are you saying I won’t be able to achieve anything on my own anymore?”

“It’s not that…”

“Do you, like everyone else, think my career is finished?”

“No, it’s not that. You’re a capable person. But it’s a shame that you can’t fully use your abilities because of reasons unrelated to your talent.”

“……”

“I’m telling you, marry me and come to the U.S. I’ll support all the research you want to do, and you won’t have to deal with those professors who throw around their authority. I’ll make sure your father can receive better treatment too.”

“Why do you care about my father?”

Her lips trembled.

“Jian.”

“Do you not realize that if I accept your suggestion, you’ll just go around saying that I succeeded in life because of you, no matter what I achieve? And right now, it’s not that I can’t go to the U.S.; it’s that I choose not to.”

“I know, I know…”

“……”

“Moreover, what you’re saying is not a proposal for marriage, it’s a transaction. Do you realize you haven’t even told me once that you like me?”

“……”

“If I gain something from you, what am I supposed to give back? My body? Am I supposed to just give you the same things you give me?”

Jian’s eyes, which rarely revealed her emotions, shook as if they were on the verge of breaking down. Taehoon finally realized the huge mistake he had made.

“Jian, I’m sorry. I acted impulsively and made a mistake.”

“If you really liked me, you should have thought about what I want and what I value. You should have recognized and respected my abilities as a researcher that I’ve built up over the years.”

“Of course I respect you. That’s not what I meant…”

Taehoon tried to explain, but Jian turned her head away.

“Please leave now.”

A red hue spread across her lips, which had been pressed tightly together. Eventually, Taehoon had no choice but to stand up and leave.