NOVEL NEXT Chapter 96: Against the Current
The clock on the nightstand glowed faintly—just past three in the morning. Madam Seo stirred, her body protesting as she tried to shift. A dull ache throbbed across her waist and thighs, the unmistakable afterburn of wild, relentless sex. She hissed softly under her breath, then let herself settle back, eyes tracing the room.
Beside her, Harin was curled up small, her arm draped across Joon-ho's chest, her breathing soft and steady. Joon-ho's face was relaxed in sleep, the same calm that had soothed her more than once tonight. For a long moment, Seo just lay there, watching them—these two warm, quiet presences pressed close on either side of her. Something in her chest eased at the sight.
Her lips curved into a smile she rarely wore. Peace. She hadn't felt that in years.
Careful not to wake them, she slid out from the sheets. The air brushed against her bare skin, making her nipples stiffen under the chill. She grabbed Joon-ho's shirt from the floor and slipped it on. It hung loose over her frame, the fabric brushing against her breasts and teasing between her thighs where she was still sore and damp.
She padded softly into the kitchen, bare feet against the cool floor, and reached for the barley tea she'd spotted earlier. Pouring herself a cup, she moved to the dining table and sat, facing the wide window. The city outside glimmered in muted colors—streetlamps, the faint glow of neon, the occasional car drifting by. Seoul's chaos felt far away here, sealed out by glass and silence.
Seo lifted the tea to her lips, inhaling the warmth, letting it seep into her chest. A breath slipped out of her, softer than she meant. "How peaceful…" she murmured to herself. Peaceful compared to the suffocating noise of her life. Compared to her husband's endless demands, her family elders' constant manipulations. Here, in this modest apartment, she could just… be.
She didn't hear him until he was already at her side.
"Can't sleep?"
Joon-ho's voice was low, husky from sleep. He stood there in nothing but his boxers, hair messy, eyes half-lidded but steady on her. She blinked, then smiled faintly as he sat beside her.
"I could," she said. "But I woke up… and didn't feel like going back just yet." She swirled her tea, then added with a wry chuckle, "My waist is reminding me of what you did to me earlier."
His lips quirked into a small smile, but he didn't tease. He only asked, "Feel worse… or better?"
Seo exhaled, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Better. Much better. Lighter than I've felt in weeks."
For a while, she didn't say anything more. She just listened to the sound of their breathing side by side, sipping tea slowly, resting against the solid warmth of him.
When she did speak again, her voice had changed. Softer, stripped of the steel she usually carried.
"My whole life," she began slowly, "I've been fighting the current. Always pushing against something, always being told what I could or couldn't do." Her fingers tightened around the warm porcelain, her knuckles whitening. "My family elders arranged my marriage for 'our benefit'—to that useless man I call my husband. They thought he'd elevate our family. But all he's done is chain me down, make me carry his incompetence, and try to drag Lumina through the mud."
Her jaw clenched. She stared into the tea, the faint light trembling across its surface, her reflection rippling with every small movement.
"I managed the company in spite of him," she went on, voice lower now, edged with bitterness. "Every expansion, every contract, every victory—they were mine. But I was never allowed to take the credit. To the public, I was just the quiet wife supporting her husband. To my family, I was just fulfilling my duty." She exhaled sharply, a humorless laugh escaping. "In reality, I've been cleaning up his failures, covering for him, running myself into the ground to protect Lumina from being destroyed by the very people meant to uphold it."
Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the cup again, then lowered it without drinking. "It's been… exhausting," she admitted, her voice breaking faintly at the edges. "Do you know how many nights I stayed awake in empty hotel rooms, wondering if this was my whole life? A cage of silk and glass, polished on the outside but rotten at its core."
Her eyes flickered, distant. "There were times I thought about running. Retiring early. Taking my savings—god knows I've hidden enough from him—and disappearing. Paris, Tokyo, maybe even some nameless seaside town where no one knows my face. Just living quietly. No elders. No boardrooms. No husband. Just… peace." Her lips curved bitterly. "I even had flights bookmarked once. I almost pressed purchase."
The words hung between them, heavy. She realized her hand was shaking and gripped the cup tighter to steady herself.
Joon-ho stayed silent. She knew he would. He had that kind of stillness—steady, grounding. He didn't fill the space with empty comfort or platitudes. He just… listened. And in that silence, she felt something loosen in her chest.
Her lips twitched into the faintest smile, grateful despite herself.
"I can't keep living like that," she whispered at last. Her voice wasn't shaking now. It was sharper, steadier, as though saying it out loud had solidified the decision inside her. "After Seoul Fashion Week, I'll make my move. I'll find a way to divorce him, no matter how messy it gets. I'll cut ties clean. And maybe…" she paused, exhaling slowly, "maybe I'll finally tell my father and mother the truth. That I'm done. Done being a puppet for our elders. Done being used as their bargaining piece."
Her shoulders eased back slightly, the smallest release of a weight she'd carried for too long.
At that, Joon-ho finally spoke. His voice was calm, even, but firm enough that she felt it down her spine. "Whatever you decide, I'll support you. You were there for me when I needed it. Now it's my turn to stand with you."
Her throat tightened. She tilted her head, looking at him, searching his face. There was no hesitation in his expression, only steady certainty. It struck her deeper than she expected.
"You'll take care of me then?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips. "After I cut everything off, after I walk away from it all… you'll take responsibility for me?"
Joon-ho didn't even blink. "Yes."
Simple. Direct.
Something bloomed warm in her chest, a heat that wasn't lust this time, but something heavier. She smiled fully now, the kind of smile she'd hidden for years. Leaning in, she kissed him—slow, unhurried, her lips lingering on his. A kiss that wasn't about release, but about promise.
When they pulled back, she chuckled softly, her forehead resting against his. "Then I'll hold you to that."
He slid an arm around her, and they sat like that for another quiet minute, the city lights painting them in muted color. Then, wordlessly, they rose and returned to the bedroom. Seo slipped between Harin and Joon-ho again, curling into the warmth of their bodies. Her eyes fluttered shut, this time with no thoughts weighing her down.
Sleep came easily.
Sunlight leaked gently through the curtains, painting the dining room in soft gold. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread lingered in the air. Madam Seo was already seated at the table, dressed sharply in a cream blouse and tailored skirt, her hair styled neatly, a faint trace of perfume drifting when she moved.
Joon-ho sat opposite her, in a plain T-shirt and shorts, sipping his coffee while quietly watching her eat. There was a calm intimacy to the moment—their eyes meeting from time to time, small smiles exchanged without words.
A shuffle broke the quiet. Harin stumbled out of the bedroom, her hair tangled, eyes barely open, wearing only a bra and panties. She yawned shamelessly, scratching her side before plopping down at the table beside Seo.
"You two are so… civilized in the morning," Harin mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep. "I feel like I'm crashing a board meeting like this."
Seo's lips curved faintly. "You're crashing, all right. At least put on a shirt."
Harin grinned, leaning onto the table with her cheek resting on her palm. "Why? Joon-ho doesn't mind. And you already saw everything last night, unnie."
Seo pinched her nose lightly, making Harin squeak. "Cheeky girl. You'll need proper discipline if you keep tempting me so openly."
Harin stuck her tongue out, unfazed, then reached for a piece of toast. "So, are you coming over again tonight?" she asked between bites.
Seo shook her head with a small sigh. "I'll be busy. Fashion Week is only days away, and everything needs my attention. I may not have time to breathe until it's over."
"Then can we help?" Harin pressed, glancing between her and Joon-ho. "I mean… anything, errands, running things—whatever."
Seo softened a little at her earnestness. "If I need something, I'll contact you. But for now… just stay out of trouble."
A pause, then Seo added, her eyes glinting as she looked at Harin: "Though I should admit… I let myself fall into your temptation last night. That makes me the main wife now."
Harin almost choked on her toast, then burst out laughing. "Then I'll be your little wife." She made a mock bow, playful and proud.
Seo chuckled and reached over, pinching Harin's cheek this time. "Naughty little wives have responsibilities. You'll need to take care of the other women too. And if you slack off, I'll have to punish you properly."
Harin lifted her chest proudly, smirking. "I'll take care of them all. Equally. And we'll have fun equally, too."
Through it all, Joon-ho just ate quietly, smirking into his cup, watching the two women banter as if this balance had existed all along.
Seo stood after finishing her meal, brushing down her skirt, gathering her blazer and handbag. "I have to head to the office." She leaned down, tapping Harin's cheek softly before glancing at Joon-ho. "I'll call if I need you."
Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she left, the door closing behind her.
Harin stretched long, yawning, then glanced at Joon-ho with a mischievous smile. "You know, oppa… you'd better take care of us properly. If not, I'll just complain straight to the main wife and let her sort you out."
Joon-ho shook his head, amused, and took another sip of his coffee. Harin laughed and dug into her breakfast with fresh energy, humming as if the whole world belonged to them now.