Cinderella's Curfew

"Im Ji-su. Get out. Now."

"Mom, what are you talking about? We've been out walking all day—your room and mine are the one we just checked into."

"Are you seriously going to be like this?"

"Like what?"

Ji-su asked in a sullen voice. She was sitting on the sofa, drumming her fingers against her swollen legs after hours of walking for the first time in ages.

Ji-su, her mother, and Jae-gyeom—the little group looked for all the world like a "happy family of three"—had checked into the hotel, then strolled together through the Gyeongju Tourist Complex for an afternoon walk, enjoyed a splendid traditional course dinner, and finally made their way back to the hotel. The plan was for Jae-gyeom to have a room to himself, while Ji-su shared one with her mother.

"Take those socks off this instant, you little rascal. Put them back on—no wait, change into a fresh pair and go to Jae-gyeom right now. No, actually, why don't you change your whole outfit? You don't dress like this when you go on dates with him, do you? Put on something pretty!"

"Why are you suddenly nagging me? My clothes are fine, and... we were literally together just now. Where am I supposed to keep going with him?"

"Together, my foot! All three of us were together!"

"Hold on a second, Mom. You're telling me to go to Yoon Jae-gyeom's room? Are you actually my mother? Where did conservative, old-fashioned Oh Hye-sook go? Wow, I didn't know a person could change this fast."

Her mother gave her a light, painless whack on the shoulder.

"You're one to talk—what are you imagining? Nobody's telling you to go do anything naughty. Go on a date, the two of you. Don't leave Jae-gyeom all by himself."

"......"

Honestly, Ji-su was reluctant too. It was only just slipping from evening into night, and she was supposed to say goodnight until tomorrow? It was true that when they'd gotten off on the elevator floor and headed toward their separate rooms, she'd found herself gazing back at Jae-gyeom with a wistful ache, careful not to let her mother see. Even though his room was right next door.

"I'm the one who told him I want to marry you two off, and yet when I first heard the news you were getting married... I kept turning it over and over in my head, and my heart just felt hollow and empty. It was hard. But then I actually saw Jae-gyeom, and... no, it wasn't like that at all."

"...What was it like, then?"

"I thought, 'I need to hurry and marry her off, and then take him in and love him like my own son.' That was the very first thing I felt. If I think of you leaving to become someone else's daughter-in-law, it stings, sure—but the joy of gaining a son feels like it's going to be bigger."

Her mother spoke as she pulled her things out of the suitcase and readied herself to wash up, her face brimming with ease and a warm smile.

"I saw a pamphlet down in the lobby earlier—they're doing some kind of drone and LED laser show at night near Cheomseongdae, starting tonight. Go on a date and come back. I'm going to wash up and rest."

"Did you want to see that? Then let's go together right now."

"Are you really determined to turn your mother into a clueless third wheel? Go enjoy it with Jae-gyeom, just the two of you! I'll just take some photos and show you later."

"It's not like I especially wanted to go, but... hmm. Well, if you insist, then I... I suppose I could..."

"Kids these days rush through everything, I know, but even so, I still can't bring myself to tell my daughter to spend the night out. You're sleeping with me tonight."

"Mom! Obviously! Gosh, seriously! Before midnight! Okay? I'll be walking right through that door! Don't worry."

To her mother's eyes, her daughter rising awkwardly to her feet, a faint flush coloring her cheeks, was simply adorable. Even the sight of her back as she made a show of reluctant compliance—out of politeness and face, of course—loudly declaring her curfew like some Cinderella was a thoroughly lovable daughter indeed.

Ji-su knocked on the door of the room right next door. It had been less than twenty minutes since they'd parted, but there was no sound of movement from inside, which struck her as a little odd.

She sent the message too, but it went unread, so this time she tried calling. The phone rang and rang with no answer, and she began to worry.

Only after knocking again a few moments later were the two finally able to face each other.

"Why didn't you— oh. You, uh... you've already showered. I guess you couldn't hear me over the water. Haha."

Seeing Jae-gyeom in a shower robe with a towel in his hand, Ji-su laughed awkwardly and took a step back—but Jae-gyeom ushered her into his room. The door clicked shut, and the moment they stood facing each other in the sealed, close quarters, longing and something more dangerous flickered in the eyes that met.

"Once you went into your room with your mother, I figured I wouldn't see you again tonight, so I just went ahead and showered."

"Ah, that... Mom told me to go on a date with you. She basically kicked me out..."

"Your mother is a truly wonderful woman. I intend to be a devoted son to her for the rest of my life."

Taking the word "date" in the most agreeable possible sense, Jae-gyeom covered her lips as though he'd been waiting for exactly this. His damp hair and the moisture still lingering on his skin mingled slickly with his desire, stealing Ji-su's breath. As their bodies pressed together and moved against each other, the knot of his robe came loose, baring his bare skin entirely.

"No, we can't. Outside, tonight, there's— ah... we have to go. The drones..."

"I'll buy you a drone."

"No! That's not the point. My mom said—"

Though she felt guilty toward her mother, the truth was Ji-su couldn't have cared less about drones or airplanes. This moment, spent with Jae-gyeom and no one else, simply tasted sweeter and shone brighter. She stopped resisting and laid her hands on his bare body. As if that were a signal of consent, Jae-gyeom swept her up into his arms, opened the door to the nearby bedroom, and gently laid her down on the bed. Every movement between them was on the very edge of tipping into something feverish—

Knock, knock. Two polite raps split the air and shattered the mood.

"Jae-gyeom, someone's here."

"No one's coming."

His robe hanging on by the barest thread, Jae-gyeom's hands were busy trying to reduce Ji-su to the same state. But Ji-su, sprawled on the bed, couldn't seem to focus. Knock, knock. The sound came again.

"Yoon Jae-gyeom. Move over. Let me go see. It might be my mom."

"Ugh..."

Several minutes had passed since the first knock at least. If it were a mistake or something trivial, the visitor would have given up and vanished by now—but the knocking kept coming, steady and patient, and it occurred to her that it really might be her mother. Jae-gyeom finally stopped what he was doing and tied his robe closed.

"I'll go."

He rose, giving Ji-su time to straighten her rumpled clothes.

When he opened the door, a middle-aged man in a perfectly pressed suit bowed deeply to Jae-gyeom with a pleasant smile. The gold nameplate pinned to his chest identified him as an employee of the Gyeongju Daeyun Hotel.

"Good evening, sir. I am Park Sun-dong, General Manager of Customer Service here at the Gyeongju Daeyun Hotel. I've come to prepare your room service."

"I think there's been some mistake. I didn't order anything."

"Ah, no mistake, sir! I received instructions from the Chairman's office—Director Jin Song-hwa, or rather, the Chairman's wife, gave special orders from Seoul. We were also asked to look after you and your party with particular care, to ensure your stay is entirely without inconvenience."

The heat that had wrapped around Jae-gyeom until that moment froze over in an instant the second he heard the words his stepmother's orders.

Jae-gyeom had stayed at Daeyun Hotels many times over the years, domestic and abroad, alone during every holiday—but never once had there been room service like this. And more than that, he found himself wondering about the nerve of the woman, referring to him as her "son" to a stranger and revealing that she knew a "party" was traveling with him.

"The Chairman's wife specifically instructed us to prepare a light champagne and finger foods, so that you might enjoy them with your companion."

Jae-gyeom felt not the slightest discomfort at having his private life known. He had never once been ashamed or apologetic about who he was or what he did.

And he had already made his position unmistakably clear: he would not be going through with the marriage she had spoken of. Even if he were somehow pressed into one sooner or later, the person across from him would be Ji-su, currently inside the bedroom, busy pulling her clothes back on.

That his stepmother had learned of Ji-su's existence didn't trouble him much either. If anything, it was a good thing, he thought. She would hardly bother propping up some pointless stand-in candidate now.

"Thank you. Report to the Director that I enjoyed it very much. Consider it eaten, and give it to the staff instead. I'll be going out shortly."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. Then... shall we prepare it again tomorrow?"

Jae-gyeom made his refusal clear once more, but the man before him couldn't bring himself to leave, visibly squirming where he stood.

"Young Master, please, I beg you..."

"You needn't use that form of address. Treat me as an ordinary guest."

"F-forgive me."

For a general manager—someone long removed from the hands-on business of room service—to deliver the tray himself, and then plead like this, stooping to an absurd form of address no employee should use, said everything about how terrifying the reach of his stepmother's influence truly was.

"Ha... There's really no need to apologize that much."

Jae-gyeom swept his wet hair back and let out a small sigh.