Swallowed - Chapter 35

“I didn’t mean for you to hear that… I just thought you couldn’t speak,” Hyun-jin said, flustered. Bo-mi elbowed her in the side, clearly signaling her to stop, but Hyun-jin waved her hands in defense, claiming she didn’t mean any harm. She even apologized to Seyoung, though it was half-hearted.

Seyoung just stared silently at her. She had heard similar comments countless times before. Whether she used text-to-speech or sang, people always reacted with curiosity and gave her strange looks.

“When people say ‘aphasia,’ the first thing that comes to mind is someone who can’t speak at all, like, you know, the Little Mermaid. But it seems like you can speak? It looks like you can talk just fine…” Hyun-jin continued, clearly unaware of the discomfort she was causing.

“Enough, Kim Hyun-jin,” Min-jun interjected, unable to stay silent any longer. Hyun-jin looked shocked, as if she couldn’t understand why she was being scolded.

“Why? Did I say something wrong? I was just trying to say it’s a relief…” she muttered, her face filled with feigned innocence. Min-jun, now irritated, was well aware of her manipulative tendencies. Despite her usually loud personality, she always played sweet and innocent when trying to impress someone. Min-jun felt the urge to expose her, but Seyoung beat him to it.

“No problem in making a sound, and it’s none of your business. So no need to worry,” Seyoung said calmly in perfect English.

The entire group fell silent, the air growing thick with shock. All eyes were on Seyoung, who had just spoken in clear, albeit slightly slow, English. Her accent might have been a little unusual, but the message was perfectly understandable.

She glanced once at Jaeha, then stood up, lifting her tray. The message was clear—she was ready to leave. Jaeha quickly caught on, standing up after her. Ignoring the stunned looks from around them, he thanked Min-jun politely.

“Thank you for the meal. We’ll be heading out now,” he said, addressing everyone before turning to follow Seyoung.

As they walked out of the cafeteria, the tension finally broke, and Min-jun let out a small chuckle. “Wow. She’s got some fire in her.”

“What just happened? I thought she couldn’t talk! What kind of aphasia is that?” Hyun-jin gasped, still reeling from the shock. Her pride was stung by the sharp retort, but mostly she was confused. It seemed to her that Seyoung had been hiding her ability to speak all along.

“Hey, Kim Hyun-jin, do yourself a favor and Google ‘Broca’s aphasia.’ You’ve got more than just the Little Mermaid in that brain of yours, right?” Min-jun said, half-joking but also clearly annoyed.

“Do you want to die? I’ve put up with you because you’re Bo-mi’s boyfriend, but don’t push it,” Hyun-jin shot back, her tone growing sharper.

“Did I say anything wrong?” Min-jun teased, but Bo-mi sighed, stepping between the two to break up the bickering once again. The first-years exchanged glances and quietly decided it was time to make a discreet exit.

Meanwhile, Seyoung was practically glowing with a sense of accomplishment. She had done it. For the first time, she had responded clearly and without hesitation, and in English no less. Her heart pounded in her chest, excitement bubbling up within her. She clenched her fists tightly, barely able to contain her emotions. She had been so focused on practice at the multimedia room that she hadn’t realized how naturally the English words would come to her in a real-life situation.

“I was so proud of you, sunbae,” Jaeha said, his admiration clear, which only solidified her success. Seyoung’s tense expression softened as she turned toward him, throwing her arms around him. He hesitated, noting how sweaty he was, but Seyoung didn’t care. His scent wasn’t overwhelming, especially after he’d changed clothes, and she felt nothing but comfort in his embrace.

She looked up at him, not caring that others were around. “It was my first time…” she whispered.

“You did great. Your pronunciation was good, and they understood you perfectly. All that practice paid off,” Jaeha said with a smile. Tears welled up in Seyoung’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead.

As they walked hand-in-hand back toward home, Seyoung couldn’t help but take deep breaths, still trying to calm her racing heart.

She had always been terrified—terrified of speaking, of what people would think, of the way her friends might change their opinions of her. She had practiced and prepared enough to take speaking exams, but trying to speak casually with friends had always been too daunting. The memories of being mocked and ridiculed had been too fresh, holding her back.

But when that girl from another department had made that comment about her voice, something deep inside her had snapped. Instead of retreating, her fear had given way to determination, and the words had flowed out more easily than she’d expected.

Seyoung knew why—because Jaeha had been by her side. No matter how harshly the world might judge her, she knew there was one person who would never ridicule or mock her. As long as Jaeha was there, the opinions of others seemed much less painful.

“You didn’t finish your meal. You must be hungry. Want to grab something? I heard there’s a good mala restaurant nearby,” Jaeha suggested, his voice gentle.

But Seyoung shook her head. The hunger she felt wasn’t something food could satisfy. Without a word, she unclipped the speaker from around her neck and placed it into her bag. Jaeha’s eyes widened in surprise. She beckoned him closer with a soft gesture, and though curious, he leaned down toward her.

Bringing her lips to his ear, she whispered slowly and deliberately, “I love you, Baek Jaeha…”

***

Jaeha knew then that he would be wrapped around Han Seyoung’s finger for the rest of his life. But somehow, that thought didn’t scare him—it made him feel complete.

As soon as they stepped inside, they collided into each other, their hands desperately exploring as they kissed with urgency. They crashed against the shoe cabinet, barely managing to take off their shoes before sinking to the floor. Seyoung straddled Jaeha, who leaned back against the cabinet, receiving her fervent kisses.

It was clear that Seyoung was still high on the excitement of speaking earlier in front of everyone, her confidence boosting her desire. Her elation was infectious, and Jaeha felt it too—excited and happy for her. But at the same time, his heart ached. Now that she’d shown she could do it, it meant the likelihood of her passing the interview and leaving for her exchange program was almost certain. He believed in her, but witnessing her success up close made the impending separation feel all the more real.

“Haa…” Seyoung breathed heavily, resting her cheek against his as her hot breath washed over his skin. Jaeha gently stroked her hair, sending shivers down her spine as his fingers lightly grazed her scalp. She trembled at his touch, and then leaned in again, planting soft kisses from his cheek to his ear, her lips trailing over his skin.

“Let’s shower first… I won’t be able to stop if we keep going,” he murmured, his voice low and thick with restraint.

“Mm…” Seyoung acknowledged, but instead of stopping, she bit his earlobe, sucking lightly, making it hard for Jaeha to either laugh or groan. Her hands slipped under his sweater, her fingers brushing against the bare skin of his back. Unable to resist any longer, he responded by grabbing her firmly by the hips, his fingers digging into her flesh.

“Ugh…” Seyoung gasped, her body trembling as he held her tighter, deliberately making her feel his strength. Flustered, she clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“How worked up are you, hmm?” Jaeha teased, taking her earlobe into his mouth in turn, whispering playfully as she shivered in his arms. The way she trembled against him, not knowing what to do with herself, was irresistibly beautiful to him.

Knowing that things would quickly escalate if they didn’t stop now, Jaeha scooped her up, easily bearing her weight as he stood. Surprised, Seyoung wrapped her legs around his waist, holding on as he carried her toward the bathroom. He gently set her down and turned on the water. Cold at first, but soon the warmth began to fill the space.

Before stepping into the shower, Jaeha removed his sweater, revealing his muscular body, still pumped from the game earlier. Seyoung fumbled with her blouse, but her hands were shaking from excitement, making her clumsy. She dropped the buttons multiple times before Jaeha, now fully undressed, stepped in to help. His strong hands unbuckled her pants, pulling them and her underwear down in one smooth motion.

“Look at this… your underwear’s soaked, sunbae. You’re really excited,” Jaeha remarked, his eyes darkening with arousal as he touched the wet spot in the center of her underwear, running his fingers over it.

Embarrassed, Seyoung instinctively tried to close her legs, but it was no use. She had known how wet she’d been, ever since she succeeded in speaking earlier. The exhilaration of finally voicing her thoughts combined with the steadfast presence of Jaeha by her side had her heart racing, her body responding without restraint.

Under the warm spray of water, their bodies pressed together once again, hands roaming each other’s skin. Their hearts pounded, the rapid beats of their chests syncing as their kisses deepened. Their breaths mixed, and the heat between them grew more intense.

Seyoung’s back hit the cool tiles of the bathroom wall, the chill doing little to cool the fever running through her body. Jaeha’s hand slipped between her legs, his fingers teasing the wet folds despite the water washing over them. He stroked her sensitive clit with practiced ease, making her grip his strong shoulders for support. Her body reacted instinctively, hips shifting toward his hand, seeking more of the pleasure only he could provide.

With his lips near her ear, Jaeha blew softly and traced the inside of her ear with his tongue before speaking in a deep, husky voice, thick with desire. “Say it again… You said you love me, didn’t you?”