On Her Way Up

"Someone's been laying the Photoshop on a little thick, don't you think?"

Min Sa-ra blew a dismissive snort at the photos of Yun-seul splashed across the internet article. Whether the reporters had been paid off or what, the pictures were far, far too flattering compared to the real thing.

There's no way Min Yun-seul could actually look that pretty.

But then a number on the large panel Yun-seul was holding caught her eye.

"Oh—fifty million won?"

She zoomed in, and the letters grew sharper, clearer—and the sight twisted her stomach into knots. It was unbearable.

"You have got to be kidding me."

If she had stolen the final version properly, that money would have been hers, all of it. The crushing sense of loss over the fortune that had slipped through her fingers curdled into a seething, burning rage.

"The bitch rakes in fifty million and shakes me down for a measly two?"

The moment Sa-ra walked through the front door, she flung her bag into her room and headed straight for Yun-seul's. She threw the door open with a bang, and Yun-seul, who had been sitting on her bed reading, looked up.

"Hey. I heard you won fifty million won in that contest of yours?"

"So what if I did?"

"Pay me back for the laptop I bought you. Someone comes into that kind of money, the decent thing is obviously to return it. Don't you think?"

Sa-ra held out her palm, shameless and brazen, not a shred of embarrassment on her face.

"Fine. I'll pay it back—as soon as you apologize."

Yun-seul said it with her chin held high, and Sa-ra's eyes twitched.

"……Have you lost your mind?"

She had stolen from Yun-seul, taken things from her, countless times over the years. But Yun-seul had never once demanded an apology like this, never once glared at her with eyes that cold and sharp.

And now, suddenly, she'd turned a complete one-eighty.

As if she'd become someone else entirely.

"So you win one little prize and suddenly you're too good to look at me? You've completely lost your mind."

"If you're not going to apologize, leave. I have no intention of returning the money either."

"What……?"

Sa-ra's eyes darted back and forth. Her pride was screaming, wounded beyond bearing—but when she ran the numbers, it wasn't a bad deal. One word of apology in exchange for two million won back? No loss there.

"……Fine. I'll apologize, okay? I'm sorry. Happy now?"

It was an apology with less sincerity than a stranger bumping into you on the street.

"Apology accepted. Now send two million to my account, right away."

"I will."

Yun-seul nodded obediently. That's more like it, thought Sa-ra, the corner of her mouth just beginning to curl—when Yun-seul, in a low, quiet voice, flipped her stomach inside out all over again.

"In return, I'm going to tell Mom about how you smashed my laptop trying to steal my contest entry. I only kept quiet because you bought me a new one—but if you take the money back, then buying it was really my money, wasn't it?"

"Hey! Min Yun-seul, you—!"

Sa-ra's face flared scarlet as she sputtered. If it came out that she'd acted on her own without consulting anyone, on top of the plagiarism scandal, she'd be in for a world of trouble.

"You got your apology, so we're done here. What are you, going to go tattling to Mom like a spiteful little—?"

"I said I'd send the money, didn't I?"

A creepy, crawling sense of wrongness washed over Sa-ra as she stared at the girl in front of her.

……What is this? That's not how she's supposed to be.

"Whatever! Enjoy the money, see if I care!"

Prickling with irritation, Sa-ra shoved Yun-seul's shoulder hard and stormed out of the room. Her insides were boiling.

Beep-beep-beep-beep, beeeep.

Sa-ra punched in the door lock code and pushed open the officetel door—and the moment she spotted Tae-kyung walking out of the entryway, she devoured his lips. She drove her tongue deep into his mouth and savored the sweet slick of his saliva, and even her wretched mood seemed to lift a little.

Tae-kyung answered the fierce kiss in kind, pressing her down onto the sofa. His hand slipped under her T-shirt and seized her breast in a tight grip.

"Min Yun-seul is driving me insane. She wins one little award and now she's got no eyes for anyone. That means big money from here on out, huh."

"Big money? The contest prize was that big?"

"Fifty million won, apparently."

"Fifty million?!"

He'd been sucking at her collarbone, thumb rubbing insistently over her nipple—and his movements stopped dead. Sa-ra shot him a sidelong glance.

"What? Getting all interested now that you hear fifty million? Must be nice, Mr. Woo Tae-kyung, having such a capable girlfriend."

"Nice my ass. You're the one I like. I was forced out to see her again last weekend, and the whole date I couldn't stop thinking about you. I got scolded for it, Sa-ra."

"Really?"

Only then did Sa-ra's stiff, stubborn pride feel satisfactorily full.

What did it matter how much money she earned or how many prizes she won? Once Tae-kyung married Yun-seul, all of it would flow straight into her hands anyway.

Go ahead and earn it like a dog, Min Yun-seul. I'll spend it like a queen.

In high spirits now, Sa-ra let out a suggestive little laugh and slowly, lazily rubbed her palm over the front of Tae-kyung's training pants. She could feel him swelling to full size almost instantly.

Just as the two aroused beasts were about to devour each other—

Zzzing. Zzzing.

Tae-kyung's phone on the coffee table rattled violently.

Tae-kyung frowned at the caller ID, but Sa-ra's face lit up with a sudden glow. A delightfully wicked little game had just occurred to her.

"Answer it. Let's do something fun. Pick up, quick."

Urged on by Sa-ra, Tae-kyung reluctantly pressed the call button—and the instant he did, Sa-ra yanked his training pants and boxers down in one swift pull.

Then she lowered her lips.

"Hello?"

The moment Yun-seul's voice came through, Sa-ra took the head of his cock into her mouth. And in that instant, Tae-kyung understood exactly what kind of "fun" she'd meant.

"Oh—uh, hey, Yun-seul. What's up?"

He was doing his best to sound casual, but the cock standing rigidly upright told the whole story of just how excited he was.

Sa-ra took him fully into her mouth and sucked, slow and thorough, like she was savoring a piece of candy. Then she stiffened her tongue and licked at the hypersensitive spot where the head met the shaft.

As Sa-ra's tongue moved with bold, shameless skill, Tae-kyung squeezed his eyes shut against the maddening stimulation that made him feel like he was about to burst.

And then Yun-seul's voice drifted into his ear.

"I was thinking about you, Tae-kyung, so I called."

Fuck. This is so fucking hot.

It felt like he was having sex with two women at once.

Sa-ra, of course, knew nothing of what was going through his head—to her, hearing Yun-seul's voice made it feel like the girl was standing right there in front of her.

She wanted to lean in and whisper it right into the ear of that Yun-seul from earlier, the one who'd glared up at her and declared she'd tell her mother everything.

The Tae-kyung you can't live without is fucking me right now.

Just imagining how Yun-seul would crumble when she heard it sent shivers of electricity down Sa-ra's whole body.

Sa-ra tightened her lips and swallowed his cock deep, deep into her throat.

At that moment, Tae-kyung couldn't hold back any longer and let out a short, choked moan.

"Ugh—!"

"Tae-kyung? What's wrong with your voice? Are you sick somewhere?"

Yun-seul's worried voice came through the phone. But far from pulling away, Sa-ra sucked even tighter, working her tongue against him until even the head was stimulated, and Tae-kyung couldn't take it anymore.

Ah, fuck it. Whatever.

Click.

He hung up and tossed the phone aside. Put out the fire first—he could cook up some excuse for Yun-seul later.

"Open wider. Sa-ra. I'm going to fuck that mouth so hard."

Gripping the back of Sa-ra's willing head with both hands, Tae-kyung drove his hips without mercy. Every time he thrust into the burning heat of her mouth, the sensation of her throat clenching around him made his mind go white.

"Ha—fuck……. Min Sa-ra."

Eyes shut, blinded by arousal, Tae-kyung focused on nothing but the act of driving his cock into that hole.

Startled, Sa-ra's throat convulsed hard, trying to push him out. He paid it no mind and buried himself to the root, forcing her throat open.

That hot, wet, soft throat suddenly clamped down on him, sucking him in with a ferocity that felt like it would swallow him whole.

The feeling was so good he fucked into her like a man possessed.

Gulk.

Only after emptying himself into Sa-ra's mouth did Tae-kyung snap back to his senses.

"You okay?"

Seeing Sa-ra's face streaked with tears, a belated worry bloomed in him—had he been too rough?

But then—

"Delicious. Oppa."

Sa-ra blinked up at him with those wet, glistening eyes, wanting more.

The corner of Tae-kyung's mouth twisted upward.

"This is why I can't quit you. Min Sa-ra, you're a drug."

Properly roused now, Tae-kyung stripped off Sa-ra's stockings and panties one after the other—and just as he was about to drive his cock between her glistening, soaked thighs, the phone rang again.

"Ugh, she has zero sense of timing. None."

Tae-kyung tilted his head back and groaned in irritation. But if he didn't answer now, it would only stir up pointless suspicion.

Just answer fast and hang up. With that thought, he pressed the call button.

"Tae-kyung? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No, nothing. The call must've dropped—I tripped over the sofa."

"You're not badly hurt, are you?"

"Just a fall. Don't worry about it."

Tae-kyung answered in a flat, distracted voice as he squeezed a handful of Sa-ra's hip, focused on kneading the soft flesh—

"Oh good. Then you're home right now, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm home."

What the hell is "good" supposed to mean here?

Tae-kyung was just trying to wrap up the call when the sky fell on his head.

"Perfect timing. I'm in the elevator on my way up right now."