5.1

“You’re late.”

After she got off Seungju’s car, Sunghee was walking towards her apartment building when someone snuck up on her. She knew who it was immediately, so she didn’t jump in surprise. Pressing the elevator button, she asked,

“How long have you been waiting here?”

“Well, I obviously went back home to eat dinner and came back. I didn’t wait for you all day here if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Sejin frowned and approached her. Sunghee looked up at him and sighed.

“From now on, just call before you come over. Don’t be waiting here. What if I stayed out all night?”

“If you get that brave and outgoing, then I will bow out without a fight. But I’ll bet you won’t ever do something like that.”

Angry at the belittling tone of his voice, Sunghee glared at him and got onto the elevator. Sejin followed her quickly.

“How can you know that? Maybe I’ll get drunk again and drag some random guy to a hotel.”

“Well, then you better practice a lot before you do that. But didn’t you say you dreamt of the man who was willing to try everything you wanted to do? I’m volunteering for that position, so do your worst. I will even agree to S & M.”

Sunghee frowned and narrowed her eyes, but Sejin only smiled and shrugged. But although he was smiling, his eyes didn’t become narrow like they usually did when he grinned. Wondering why, Sunghee asked,

“Did you have a bad day or something?”

Sejin raised his eyebrows.

“No, why do you ask?”

“Well, it just looks like you’re unhappy about something.”

After a brief silence, she added,

“I went to see a musical with Manager Min. He’s a very interesting man.”

“Oh, that’s what I thought.”

He expected this? Was she that predictable? No woman liked to be seen as predictable and easy. She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Are you suggesting  the manager is the only man who would want to date me?”

“That’s not what I meant. I just figured that if you went out on a Saturday, it must be for a date with a man.”

A date. Seungju called their night-out a “date”  on the phone, but Sunghee wasn’t sure if it really was that. But then… What else could it have been? She supposed going out and having dinner together is indeed a date. 

Then… Was sleeping together considered dating too? If not… What was her relationship with Sejin? An ADULT date?

“Argh, I just don’t get it.”

Sunghee grabbed her head and murmured. Sejin tilted his head in confusion and asked, 

“Don’t get what?”

“It’s nothing. It’s none of your business anyway. After all, it is you who’s making me feel confused.”

“Hmm… I can tell you a sure way to eliminate all your problems.”

She turned towards him and glared.

“You mean doing something that’s hot and heavy?”

“Exactly.”

He grinned widely. Giving him an annoyed look, Sunghee turned away. When the elevator door opened, she quickly walked to her apartment door. Sejin followed her from behind leisurely. He asked teasingly, 

“So you know what I’m talking about?”

“What is it? No, I don’t want to hear your dirty talk. Don’t say it.”

Sunghee shook her head and unlocked her front door. Sejin followed her inside as if he was entering his own home. He watched her throwing her jacket and purse on the floor as he replied,

“Dirty talk? What are you talking about? What did you think I was gonna say?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Considering what you did to me in the office washroom recently… You called ‘that’ a sure way to cure drowsiness, right?”

When she glared at him, Sejin grinned shamelessly. He took off his glasses and put them in his shirt pocket.

“But you liked it too, Sunghee.”

“I admit that no woman would dislike a man who is skilled in bed. Now that I think about it, this really isn’t fair at all.”

She sat down on the sofa and rested her legs on the coffee table. Sejin sat down next to her and asked, 

“What isn’t?”

“When a man is skilled in bed, people think he must be an attractive guy who must’ve had a lot of girlfriends. Such a man is affectionately called a playboy. And no woman would dislike a man like that. But if a woman is good at sex, men treat her like she is a whore. An easy woman or a ‘slut’. Don’t you think this is unfair? Women have the right to enjoy sex just as men do. And women are obviously smart enough to learn to be good at it. Isn’t it better to be a seductive woman who knows how to enjoy herself than a girl who has no techniques and is naive?”

When she turned towards him angrily, Sejin frowned and raised his hands as if to surrender.

“I didn’t say a thing, so why are you getting upset at me?”

“I don’t need to hear it to know you’re thinking it. All men are the same.”

“But having lots of experience doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get good at it. Also, you could become skilled even if you haven’t had many lovers. For example, you could’ve had just one lover all your life, but  you practiced a lot with that person to get better. Or maybe a person can get skilled by learning from books.”

Sejin grinned and continued, 

“Did you know that boys in all-boy school practice by kissing each other?”

“Huh? Seriously?”

When Sunghee’s eyes widened in surprise, Sejin chuckled.

“It’s partly true. I’ve seen it happen. Don’t girls do that too?”

***