One day in Seoul 🇰🇷

🇰🇷: 49 (R-18) ⚠️

As we stumbled into the room, laughing and teasing each other, I felt light, happy, and carefree. This night had turned out better than I'd expected. Sure, the frustration of not revealing everything to Nathan and John still lingered somewhere at the back of my mind, but right now, it felt like it didn't matter. What mattered was that Katarina and I were here, together.

"Sige, I'll just take a quick shower," I told her, pulling my shirt over my head. "Ikaw, check mo muna si Sarang, ha? Para tuloy-tuloy na 'yung pahinga."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, huling tingin kay Sarang bago tayo matulog."

I watched her as she left the room, the door clicking softly behind her. The way she carried herself, the warmth in her eyes-it was all too much sometimes. I couldn't believe she was here, with me, after everything we'd been through.

I headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the steam rise around me. For a moment, all the tension I'd been carrying-the frustration about earlier, the pressure of what John had said about Anna-melted away under the stream of water. But then, another thought crept in, a more nerve-wracking one: tonight, Katarina and I would be sharing the bed.

What if...?

I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away, but it was impossible. We were tipsy, but not enough to blame anything on the alcohol. This wasn't just about sleeping beside each other-it felt like something more was building up.

As the warm water hit my skin, I realized I'd turned the knob too far to the hot side. The sudden blast of heat made me flinch, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Shit," I muttered, smiling at how ridiculous I must've looked-standing there like an idiot, grinning at the thought of her.

I was still laughing to myself when I heard the faint click of the doorknob. My heart stopped.

I looked over and realized I'd made another stupid mistake. I hadn't locked the door.

Before I could react, the door slowly creaked open, and there she was-Katarina, standing in the doorway with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. My mouth went dry as I froze, staring at her, completely stunned.

She gave me a playful smirk, tilting her head slightly as she stepped inside the bathroom. "Mind if I join you? We should save water by showering together, right?" she teased, her voice low and sultry.

My brain short-circuited. I couldn't even form words. All I could do was watch as she walked closer, the steam from the shower swirling around her. Her skin glistened under the bathroom light, and I knew I was in trouble.

Big fucking trouble.

Katarina reached up, undoing the towel from her body in one smooth motion, and let it fall to the floor. I was paralyzed. My eyes traced every curve, every inch of her, and all I could think was how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

"Tangina," I breathed, barely able to stop myself from swearing out loud.

She smiled at my reaction, stepping closer into the shower, the water now running over both of us. "Francis," she whispered, her voice playful, yet laced with something deeper, something that made my blood race.

I tried to look away-God, I should look away-but I couldn't. I was a man, after all. And here she was, offering herself to me. My hands itched to reach out, to touch her, but I hesitated. This was Katarina, the woman I loved, the woman I wanted a future with. I couldn't mess this up.

But my body was betraying me. My pulse was quickening, and I could feel the heat rising through me-not from the shower, but from the tension building between us. She was so close, so near, I could feel her warmth through the steam.