Chapter 4

She took a deep breath, looking back at Ryeon and their friends, taking a moment to observe the thousands of people around them. Ryeon separated himself from the others and walked over to her, sitting silently by her side and remaining that way.

"It was my mom," Lucy said without him asking, wanting to express the reason for her potential change in posture. She was fully aware that every time she talked to her mother, she couldn't keep her feelings to herself. In that moment, her lowered shoulders, teary eyes, and hands gripping the phone tightly indicated her hurt and desperation. "I think she's coming back home."

"That's good," Ryeon replied softly.

Lucy smiled faintly and looked at him. Ryeon also looked back at her, their gazes meeting in a silence that wasn't uncomfortable.

She was the one who reached for his hand and held it, leaning closer and resting her head on Ryeon's shoulder.

"I'm sorry if I frustrate you or waste your time. That's not what I want," she said.

"What? You don't. I've been waiting for you for a long time, you know? I can wait a little longer, it's not a problem for me," Ryeon assured her, squeezing her hand even tighter. "I playfully call myself your 'almost boyfriend,' but I'm not pressuring you for an answer. I enjoy what we have, the way we're doing things, and it works for us, doesn't it?"

"It does... I like it too, oppa. I always feel good when we're together."

"So everything is fine, beautiful. I'll wait for you, okay? And when you're ready, we'll get married and have a bunch of cats."

"No kids yet?" Lucy chuckled.

"No kids yet."

Lucy nodded within his arms and felt the tight kiss Ryeon planted on her cheek. Their friends called them, suggesting they finish their outing with an iconic karaoke session.

And of course, they all went. They had fun singing and even dancing.

Mark even tried to sing a romantic song while looking at Jaesun, but his boyfriend could only laugh, causing Mark to laugh along and mess up the lyrics. Lucy didn't attempt to sing, even though Ryeon insisted, so she watched her friends singing and occasionally off-key, while indulging in potato snacks.

In the end, it was almost 2 a.m. Each of them ordered a ride through a ride-sharing app, and Lucy followed Ryeon to his house.

"Your mom must be sleeping by now," Lucy commented as she once again rested on Ryeon's shoulder.

"She's not home, she's spending Christmas with her almost boyfriend. I think they're having dinner or something."

"Is it still the security guard?" Lucy laughed, seeing Ryeon nod.

Soon, they got out of the car, and Ryeon paid for the ride. He walked alongside Lucy to the front door and opened it, allowing her to enter first.

The house was partially dark, with only the light from the kitchen illuminating their immediate surroundings. Ryeon closed and locked the door, as they would need to go upstairs. He took off his shoes and left them in a corner.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked Lucy, walking to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator.

"Just water, I think," she replied, taking off her boots and joining him. Ryeon grabbed a glass and poured water, handing it to her and watching her as she drank. She blushed shyly but thanked him when she finished and handed him back the glass.

"Let's go upstairs," he said.

Lucy felt her hand being gently pulled and followed Ryeon as they climbed the stairs, passing in front of Rosé's room and entering Ryeon's room.

It was even darker there, with only a partially open window blind allowing the streetlight to cast a dim glow inside. Ryeon took off his coat, throwing it onto his desk, while Lucy undressed and folded her clothes, placing them neatly in the same spot.

She looked around, noticing that the place wasn't completely messy. There was a faint smell of floor cleaner, leading her to deduce that Ryeon had swept and mopped the room. She chuckled at the thought, causing Ryeon to look at her from the center of the room.

"What's wrong?" Ryeon approached, laughing as well.

"You cleaned the room?"

"I did say I had plans to bring a girl here tonight, didn't I?" Ryeon hugged her around the waist. Lucy shook her head, laughing softly, but leaned into Ryeon when he moved closer to kiss her. It was their first real kiss of the night, complete with intertwined tongues and lingering sighs, with unique sensations and others not so much. Ryeon pulled away slowly from her body, not to startle her.

"Your gift," he said. "Come."

Lucy walked over to the bed and only then noticed the box there. Ryeon sat down, making her sit right in front of him, as she looked at him with wide eyes. Ryeon smiled widely when he saw her pick up the lamp from inside the box.

"Now you'll always have me close to you in Seoul," he said, then stood up and went to his wardrobe. From there, he retrieved another identical lamp.

Ryeon sat back in front of Lucy, moving the box aside, and she observed him. Ryeon smiled and touched the lamp in his hand, causing the one Lucy held to light up a second later, making her gasp in delight.

"Every time I miss you, I'll touch the lamp, and yours will light up at the same time," Ryeon explained.

Lucy felt her heart fill with warmth. She touched her lamp, watching Ryeon's also light up.

"I'll miss you a lot too, Ryeon..."

The boy quietly watched her, capturing every second of Lucy with him in his mind, knowing that in a few days she would be far away, and it would be weeks until they could see each other again.

Ryeon finally stood up, placing his lamp on his desk, and Lucy put hers back in the box, although she continued to look at the gift fondly.

Ryeon took the box from her hands and placed it next to his own lamp. Lucy laughed as she saw him turn on the little sound device inside the box and connect it to his phone via Bluetooth.

"Higher" by Clean Bandit ft. Iann Dior started playing. Lucy laughed and watched Ryeon start to move, as if he wanted to dance. But then he turned to face her, and finding her laughing, he approached and pulled her to her feet, making her spin around and stop close to him, with his hands on her back and lower back, holding her tightly.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Ryeon's shoulders and kissed him while still laughing. The music filled their ears, seemingly invigorating them more and more. Ryeon hummed softly as he redirected his kisses to Lucy's neck, but stopped when he saw her flinch and her hairs stand on end.

"Do you like it?" he whispered, his tone intended to be playful, but it made Lucy shiver once again.

Lucy sighed and tilted her head to give Ryeon even more access. He didn't hesitate and took the opportunity to kiss her more, feeling her fingers running through his hair.

The music ended, another song began, but they didn't even notice. They were completely intertwined in the center of that room.

Ryeon slowly moved his hand, trying not to startle her, but still wanting to feel her. He touched her waist with both hands, gripping it firmly, and that was enough for Lucy to feel lost.

Her mind started to sound the alarm, telling her to stop. She understood that the touches were already going beyond their usual limit, but she wanted to feel it. Just once, she wanted to...

That's when she moved her hands down, causing Ryeon to pull away, but when he tried to see what she was doing, she laughed and only placed one hand in his hair, pulling him closer for a kiss, while her other hand unclasped her belt.

Her heart was racing, but she knew that if she wanted to stop, Ryeon would listen to her. However, she also knew that she didn't want to be left with the feeling of kissing Ryeon only in her imagination. So Lucy approached and kissed him, feeling his body react to her touch. Her fingers grazed his waistband, and Ryeon closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. Lucy could tell he was responding, and she liked that. Her fingers trailed over Ryeon's body, reaching his neck and making small circles, tempting her to kiss the exposed skin.

She didn't want to have regrets afterward, but she also didn't want to keep the feeling of kissing Ryeon restricted to her imagination. So Lucy leaned in and kissed his neck, hearing Ryeon let out a low, surrendered moan. Lucy chuckled softly.

"I'm trying to control myself," Park said, also laughing. His short nails lightly scratched her skin. "But it's hard... You're perfect..."

"You know I still have boundaries, right?" Lucy broke the kiss and whispered. She still touched Ryeon, but she wanted to look him in the eyes as she spoke. "And they'll be there for many years, Ryeon..."

"That's okay," Ryeon assured her.

"It's okay for you to live years without sex? Because... I won't be able to have sex until I resolve my insecurities."

"Sex isn't everything, Lu," Ryeon touched her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I like you, and I respect you. There are so many ways we can experience pleasure together. When we're ready, we'll feel it without fear, okay?"

"You're perfect," Lucy laughed and kissed him, then playfully tapped his bare chest. "It's frustrating."

"Is it frustrating that I'm perfect?"

"It is!" she pouted. Ryeon kissed her. "I wanted to experience so many things, and you make me feel a part of them. I feel like a silly girl in love..."

"But you are," Ryeon said. "Actually, we both are. But that's the good part."

"If I ask you something, promise not to give me a weird look?" Ryeon nodded, and Lucy bit her lip, gathering the courage to ask. "Can we continue?"

"The kisses?" Ryeon clarified.

"Yeah. I... I was enjoying it. But I want us to go with the flow. I want to know my limits."

"Are you sure?" Lucy nodded, smiling as she looked away, melting Ryeon's heart a little more. "Okay."

Ryeon kissed her again and felt Lucy's hands move to his back. As the kiss deepened, it became more passionate, and their bodies pressed together as if they couldn't get close enough.

"I might be pushing the boundaries here if I take you to my bed," Ryeon whispered.

Lucy chuckled.

"Maybe."

But she was the one who pulled Ryeon toward the bed, taking small steps and sharing a conspiratorial smile as she looked at him.