A Symphony Of Home

Twelve (Tae Ho's POV)

(Edited)

I couldn't get the image of Elysia in the bedroom out of my mind. I'd caught a glimpse of her panties and let her think I'd seen more than I had. Just seeing that sliver of skin stirred something in me—something I'd never felt with just a look. The way she flirted back, teasing me, only made the temptation stronger, like wanting to taste forbidden fruit.

During our warm-up run, I couldn't resist holding her waist, wanting to tease her, but her competitive spirit took over. That fiery look in her eyes was exhilarating. It was clear we both enjoyed the challenge, and for a moment, I thought we'd get along just fine.

We reached the finish line first, and Mr. Lee informed us that we could choose a prize. The options were varied: a night out in a VIP section, a meal with someone from the group, picking the menu for next week, immunity from the next task, or assigning a task to someone else.

I waited for Elysia to make her choice. Ladies first, after all. She chose a date with someone from the house. Interesting. I wondered who she had in mind. As for me, I opted for the last option.

"You're sure about that?" Elysia asked after we untied our legs.

"Of course. No hesitation," I replied confidently, though the truth was, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted.

"What's your assignment, then?" Mr. Lee interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to hold onto that for now. I'll decide when I'm ready to use it."

"Fair enough," Mr. Lee said with a shrug.

As the others arrived at the finish line, the rain started coming down harder. A few people muttered about the weather turning colder.

By the time Yeong and Dina, the last pair, finished, it was practically pouring.

"We'd better get back to the mansion before someone catches a cold," Mr. Lee suggested loudly.

"We have cars here; we'll drive you back. No need to jog in this weather," he added, motioning toward the parked vehicles.

Once we reached the cars, we all climbed in, grateful to get out of the rain. We were soaked through by then.

"Lucky for us there are cars, or you'd be sick, Elysia," Chan Woo teased, glancing over at her.

I felt a pang of concern and turned sharply toward her. "Are you ill?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral, even though my chest tightened. I didn't want anyone to notice I was worried about her. "If you're sick, you should claim a different room until you're better. I don't want to catch anything."

She shot Chan Woo a glare before replying, "No, I'm not sick. I didn't feel great this morning, but it's probably just lack of sleep."

A strange sense of guilt washed over me. Was I the reason she hadn't slept well? Why did I feel responsible?

Once we got back to the mansion, I headed to the bathroom for a hot shower, wanting to shake off the chill that had seeped into my bones. I hadn't realized how cold I was until the warm water hit my skin.

As I dried off and dressed, I couldn't stop thinking about Elysia. Was she getting sick? Had I caused it somehow? I finished getting ready quickly and decided to check on her.

When I opened the bedroom door, she was by the wardrobe, choosing dry clothes.

"The bathroom is all yours," I said, turning away to give her some privacy, though I couldn't help but notice her pausing, seemingly caught by surprise. I turned around to find her staring at the tattoos on my arms.