"I heard from Joonha that y/n has been practicing skating lately, did you know about it?"

"Skating?" she expresses some astonishment as if those were news for her. "I didn't. I didn't know about that."

"Oh, you never saw her skating?" I frown, getting an opposite version, and she shakes her head. "No, and I'd certainly not let her bring a skateboard in the house. She'd ruin the parquet floor," she tells me, not knowing that her daughter said otherwise to my son. "But I'm surprised to hear that. I never saw her skate at all."

"Oh alright, well, now you know," I smile but take a spoon to eat some ice cream, and I decide to go for the main matter that made me come here. "Will you be busy this weekend?"

"I don't have any plans yet, why?" she takes a spoon of ice cream while staring into my eyes, and I maintain the contact. "I'm curious," my lips curve up. "I have the right to see you whenever I want to since you are not taken, right?"

"You do," she instantly responds like I expected her to, showing no reticence. "Won't your ex-wife be against it though?" she smoothes the way for me, and I lean back to slide one hand in my pocket, never taking my eyes off of her for the connection to linger and deepen. "Why would she? And even if she was, she doesn't have anything to say about what I do with other women, so no need to worry about that."

"It's good to hear," she touches her hair to comb some strands behind her ear, feeling flattered and attempting to flirt with me. "Do you ask me that because your ex-husband will not like to know I'm close to you?"

"My ex-husband won't know anything," she glides her hand down her neck to brush her collarbone with her fingers, getting my eyes to peek down at it for only a short second. "Really?" I slide my hand over my thigh and move forth, hoping for this talk to go the way I want it to. She nods to me, and I gaze down at her lips. "He isn't here anymore, and he wouldn't have cared anyway. He never cared about me."

"Did you have to deal with this type of guy?" I ask for more information about him, seeing how easy it is to get the words out of her mouth but wondering if she is telling the truth and not making up a story. "Yes, he was never there for y/n and me, he never really cared about us, and one day, he left us in the middle of the night without ever saying anything. He wasn't a caring husband at all."

"He disappeared overnight?" I express some indignation, and she affirms. "He always neglected her. I...I'm going to tell you something I never talked about with anyone before, but promise you won't ever tell y/n about it," she grasps all my attention, my heart beating hard out of apprehension. "I promise, Harin. You know I'll keep it to myself."

"Well," she sharply breathes out, and her gaze lowers. "Until now, I always hid from everyone the fact that y/n is not my biological daughter," this first sentence already strikes me with stupor. "And I met him when I was in Japan. We both got along pretty quickly and realized that we were both traveling in the same country but coming from the same one as well. So some months later, we both went back here together, that's when I met y/n. It was difficult at first because I was like a new mom, and I guess this is always very complicated for a daughter to accept seeing their dad with another woman. Nonetheless, everything went well after some time. I married him, we lived together for some time, and that's how I got to know about y/n's past. He wasn't very sober, so I think he let out more than he should have, and he told me everything. He told me how much hatred he felt for his ex-wife for giving birth to y/n because he never wanted a child, and that once y/n was born, he was horrified, he didn't know what to do anymore, he couldn't love her, and it was having a toll on him. After all the things he said..." she shakes her head, sounding and looking less emotional than I am. "I understood that he didn't love her, he never did, but never let her know about it, and I decided to keep that to myself because I know this would hurt y/n to hear that. She wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Gosh," I sigh, feeling empathy for y/n. "He's lucky I wasn't there, otherwise, I would have made him regret it. I do not get how a man can be careless about his own child."

"That's why, no matter how much it pained y/n, I felt like his departure was not a bad thing," she tilts her head, her eyes glistening. "I love y/n as if she was my own daughter, so this is so hard to live with this secret because I know she misses him, she wishes he would come back, and she has no idea what her dad thought of her since she was in her mother's womb. I felt so much hatred for him that I was happy when he was gone..."

I did not expect to hear such a story, but now I know that she is y/n's stepmother. I also have the evidence that she is lying to me because from what y/n said to Joonha, both of them are not on good terms at all, and she does not show love to her as if she was her own daughter, as she said. This is obviously suspicious.

•••

11 pm.

< hey, is everything alright? When are you coming back? ]

My eyes running over my son's message, I rub them to try to get rid of the blurriness of my vision, feeling a bit drowsy. "Would you like some more wine?" Harin comes back from the kitchen with a new bottle, but I refuse, kindly. "No, thanks. My head's aching, and I'm going to go back home."

"Go back home?" she sits down next to me, puts the bottle down, but runs her fingers through my hair. "You don't seem alright. You drank a bit too much, I don't think this is a good idea."

"I'm still conscious enough to know what I'm doing," I do not believe myself to the full, and I lock my phone, not answering my son's message since I am not sure she will not read over my shoulder.

"You don't seem to feel okay though," her hand slides over my arm to end on my thigh. "Do you want some water? Or go out for a minute?"

"Yeah, some water, please," I turn my head towards her to gaze at her, and she rubs her thumb over the sensitive spot of my body that she is touching. "Alright, I'm coming back with it," she rises and fixes the bottom of her tight dress, and I do not know why, I cannot control myself but look at her hips and exposed legs while she is walking away.

I should not feel that way after only a few glasses of wine. I am used to drinking more without being so affected by the alcohol it contains. I am feeling weird, and this is not an effect that wine can have on me, not even whiskey would do that.

"I need to go to the restroom, I'll be back in a minute," I stand up from the sofa to leave with my phone. "Alright," she answers, and I head up to the only room where I can be alone.

I step inside and lock the door behind me to answer the text.

[ I'm fine. I'll be home in a few minutes >

I drop my phone on the cabinet right next to the sink, not knowing what is happening to me. I am dizzy, hot, and my heart is beating quite fast.

I lean forth on the cabinet and glance down at my crotch, knowing I am feeling uncomfortable in my trousers that feel tighter than earlier. At the sight of an erection I do not have out of arousal, I swear under my breath and bite my lips.

Why did I want to touch her? Why do I want to do it and have sex? I have never felt that way for a random woman before. I do not like or want to have sex with someone I do not love, so what am I doing?

To try to clear my head from all those forbidden thoughts, I pretend to have used the toilet and flush it, then open the faucet, wash my hands, and pass some water over my face.

At the sound of my phone vibrating, I stop and read the text I received.

< why are you staying there so late? ]

[ I'll didn't see what time it is >

[ I* >

< okay. Come home now don't stay with her ]

< are you sure you're okay? It's unusual to see you make a typo ]

[ I am, stop worrying >

I grab some paper towel to dry my skin and throw it out, then I take hold of my phone and get out. I close the door behind me but nervously touch my belt, knowing what is visible, what I am uneasy about. I put my phone in a pocket of my trousers and slide both of my hands in them to go back to Harin, who is waiting for me on the sofa.

She smiles at me once I am at her level, but I do not sit down, I take hold of the glass of water and drink. "I have to go, Harin. It's really late."

"Alright..." she makes it as obvious as she can that she is not pleased by it, but I do not give in to that behavior, I get the glass down on the coffee table, and she stands up. "I hope you had a good night here," she smiles at me, and I nod. "I did, the meal was amazing," I push my hair back and step towards the front door to put my shoes back on.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" she does not forget about what I said during dessert when this was just a way to lead the topic to her ex-husband. "Yes," I tell a lie, and I turn around to face her once my shoes are on. "Good, I can't wait. Tonight was great with you, Jungkook. I love having you near."

I smile but glance down at her red lips. "I feel the same way, Harin," the remorse caused by my dishonesty fills me up at the speed of light, but she steps forth and presses her lips on my jawline. Not knowing what to do, I smile at her and seize the door handle. "Take care—" I stop myself at the feeling of her hands on my abdomen. "Wait...Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" she holds her hands too close to my crotch, my heartbeat increasing in speed. "We can..." she drifts them to my waist to stick her body against my hard one, and my erection gets squeezed on her. "You can sleep here. Y/n is away for the weekend."

"Harin," I place my hand on her arm to grab it and not succumb to the temptation she is making strong. "My son is waiting for me. I'll come back tomorrow," I let my fingers go down her arm, and she sets her eyes on my lips. "Alright. I'm sorry," she steps back, realizing she went too far.

"Don't say sorry. Have a good night, and thank you for everything you did," I do not leave without trying my best to release the tension. "Have a good night."

I get out to not have to stand the awkwardness anymore, and I make my way to my car, eager to go home.

30 minutes later...

I step inside the house after losing myself in my mind for too long on the road, I open the door, making as least sounds as possible in case they are sleeping. I take my shoes off, not seeing or hearing Choco. I heave a sigh now that I feel more at ease, and I walk through the dining and living room put together. I unbutton my white shirt while heading to my bedroom, not hearing anything and believing that they are asleep.

Once it is fully opened, I get inside my room and take my phone out but notice I received a text from Harin.

< I sincerely apologize for what I did, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable ]

[ No worries, you didn't make me uncomfortable >

I drop my phone on the bed to undo my belt, but someone knocks on my door. I turn around and open, wondering who it is.

I lay my hand up on the door frame to pull the door back, and the small figure of y/n comes within sight. "Mister Jeon...I'm..." she clears her throat as I caught her peeking down at my torso, reacting the same way she did when I left the gym room the other day. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry for bothering you already—"

"Hey," I cut her off. "I told you to stop saying that," I remind her in a gentle manner to not sound rude, and she smiles, softly. "Yes. I just wanted to ask you something because Joonha fell asleep, and I need a painkiller, but I don't know where they are..."

"Sweetheart, why didn't you text me or wake him up?" I step forward to leave my room and close the door so that I can lead her to the kitchen while buttoning a part of my shirt, and I close my belt. "He seemed tired, and I didn't want to...bother you," she cannot use another word, but this time, I do not say anything but smile. I walk towards the kitchen and open the cabinet in which the medications are. I get the small basket out. "What kind of pain is it?" I lay my eyes on her before picking a box, but she holds her hands together, seeming ill at ease. "Some...physical pain. Like...normal."

"Okay," I take some Tylenol, I get a pill out for her and take a glass. "And do you have some ointment cream, please?"

"It depends what kind," I fill the glass with water, feeling like this is about the bruises Joonha saw on her body. It is evident she does not want me to know. "For...I need some Arnica, so something like it if you have."

"Hm, I think I do," I put the glass down to let her take the pill, and while she is doing so, I look for the cream. "Did you hurt yourself or something?"

"Yeah..." she answers, and after the night I had, after all the things that I found out about her and her dad, I cannot help being curious. "What happened?" I get the tube out and leave it on the counter, but she acts weird. "It was...I fell, I was trying to practice skating at my house..." she forces a smile as if this could help me to believe her, and I feign surprise, knowing she is lying to me. "Oh. I hope it's not too bad then."

"No, don't worry," she drinks some more water, sounding very nervous about something so simple, I put the basket back in the cabinet now that she has the stuff she needed, and I lay my eyes on her, still having on my mind what I know about her dad.

"Are you okay?" I ask out of the blue, and she grabs the tube of Arnica. "I am, and you? Did it go well at my mom's house?" she gazes into my eyes with her innocent ones, and I do not tell her how I feel with sincerity. "I'm fine, and yes, it did. I ate well."

"Great, I'm happy you had a good time," she smiles. "You must be tired, aren't you? You look exhausted..." she notices the change through my features, the drowsiness still affecting my entire body with nausea, and the stuff I do not even want to think about anymore. "Not that much, and it's the weekend anyway, I love to go to bed a bit later to enjoy some more chill time at home."

"Oh, I see," she drifts her look to my hand, and I cannot even hold back from glancing down at her nighty, wearing nothing underneath and revealing her curves with this silk, red material. "Do you like my mom...?" she snaps me out of my thoughts, but for a few seconds, I remain speechless, giving her enough time to look into my eyes, inquisitively.

"I do, as a friend and colleague," I answer with the truth, but she maintains the contact between us. "Do you like who she is?"

Not understanding why she is suddenly asking those questions, I frown at her. "What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know, I'm just curious about what you think of her..." she hides the real meaning, so I give her the most honest answer.