KMH – Chapter 20
by Peach MooseJugyeong began drafting the contract.
At first, she’d been flustered, unsure how to even start—but as time passed, she found herself oddly absorbed in the process. It wouldn’t have legal force, of course, but with every clause she added, a strange sense of calm returned.
Like the moment at the peak of a roller coaster—heart clenched, waiting to plummet—when, out of nowhere, safety bars descend one by one and lock you firmly in place.
Even if there were an unavoidable crash, at least the airbags would deploy.
That kind of reassurance.
There were several advantages to writing a contract without emotion.
For one, she no longer felt the urge to run away somewhere without warning. She didn’t lie awake retracing every step she’d taken. Even realizing she’d left her useless stress ball at home didn’t faze her.
Reading became enjoyable again. So did exercise. Housework. She ate properly. She focused on work.
With almost unsettling ease, her life returned to its original orbit.
This was what she’d wanted—to go back to the days when each day was clear and diligent and orderly.
After work, Jugyeong watched a drama on OTT while eating salad with chamoe melon and arugula, along with cucumber sandwiches spread with cream cheese.
She brushed her teeth, wrote in the journal her therapist recommended, then put on her glasses and opened her laptop. Pulled up the questionnaire she’d made alongside the contract.
[FWB Relationship Sexual Preferences & Boundaries Questionnaire]
Staring at the blinking cursor in the Hangul window, she tilted her head to the right, then to the left. Then placed hands on the keyboard.
- Overall Preferences & Safety
- Safe Sex & Hygiene
- Preferred Activities & Hard Limits
- Relationship Boundaries
Both parties agree to answer honestly and to respect each other’s preferences and boundaries.
This much should be fine…
In a way, the questionnaire was more for Seju than for her. She had no experience; from now on, she’d be discovering what positions she preferred together with him.
Just as she began filling in details—
Bzzz. Bzzz.
Jukyeong reached for the phone lying face-down on her desk.
Cheon Seju.
Glanced at the time after seeing the name on screen.
10:30 p.m.
After a brief hesitation, she answered.
“Yeah, Seju.”
―“…What, ahem—what’re you doing?”
“I’m drafting the contract right now.”
She slid the phone from between her cheek and shoulder and switched to speaker, scrolling down with her mouse.
―” Didn’t you say you were writing the contract the day before yesterday, too?”
“Ah, today it’s not the contract—it’s the questionnaire.”
She decided to start with the section that would probably matter most to him.
[3. Preferred Activities & Hard Limits]
She created checkboxes: Love / Like / Dislike, and added a blank space to explain reasons.
―” How much money are you trying to hoard, working this late? Quit that damn company. Even if you quit, I…”
[3.1 Kissing & Foreplay
3.2 Oral Sex
3.3 Roleplay or Scenario Play
3.4 Preferred Positions
3.5 Light BDSM (Bondage, Spanking, etc.)]
There was nothing you couldn’t find online.
Just as she moved to the next item, she noticed his sentence had trailed off.
“If I quit, you what?”
―“…Wasn’t it kind of hot today?”
“It was normal. And this questionnaire is for both of us to use.”
―“For what exactly?”
She typed briskly—
[3.6 Sex Toys]
Cheerfully hit Enter—then backspaced rapidly.
[3.6 Sex Toy Usage]
“Figured it’d be good to know beforehand, before we get in bed together.”
―”…What?”
“Do you want to use sex toys with me?”
―” Hey! What the hell kind of person are you…!”
The near-disgusted yell made Jukyeong burst into small laughter. Whenever Seju reacted like this, she felt like she’d truly become someone utterly shameless.
The feeling was fresh and exhilarating. Most new experiences lately have been enjoyable for Jukyeong. So she laughed for a while before belatedly noticing the other end had gone suddenly quiet.
Feet up on a chair, hugging knees, Jukyeong spun the chair in circles and spoke.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy it together—fun and safe?”
―”…I get what you mean, but you’re so serious about this it’s overwhelming for me.”
“Don’t you like it?”
―“Who said I don’t?”
“Then are you the type who gets hard the moment you hear a woman moan? Size preference? Ah, about this much? Or ah, this much?”
“….”
“What about dirty talk?”
“….”
“…Hello? Did it cut off?”
Jukyeong tapped the darkened screen. Call time is still running. Tilting her head in puzzlement, she finally heard a somewhat suppressed voice leak out.
―“…Is this…”
“……”
―“Are you trying to have phone sex or what?”
Phone sex?
“Should add that as an item too.”
As she pulled her chair closer to type, he protested instantly.
―“Don’t. Don’t add that.”
“Did you try it and not like it?”
―“…Ha.”
She drummed her fingers lightly on the desk.
After a long sigh, he asked,
―“Be honest.”
“……”
―“You’ve been thinking all day about fucking me, haven’t you?”
Jugyeong lowered herself onto the desk, resting her chin on folded hands, eyes drifting to the ceiling.
“Mm. Not particularly.”
“……”
“But since you asked…”
“……”
“Going forward, probably regularly?”
He laughed sharply.
―” Ah fuck, seriously.”
Jugyeong bit her lip to hold back another smile.
She decided to stop there for the night. She shut down her laptop, turned off the lights, and lay on her bed.
“Seju.”
―“…Yeah?”
“I’m lying down.”
―“Oh. Uh. Yeah. You should. You must be tired.”
“I’m going to sleep. And…”
She thought she heard him swallow.
Turning toward the wall, she said quietly,
“My period’s almost over.”
Click.
The line went dead.
Not imagination this time.
Why did he hang up?
Since that day at the hotel, work had kept them from seeing each other for over a week. Then he’d sent a message asking how the contract was going. When she hadn’t replied, he’d called.
—“Has your phone been broken for the last ten years or what?”
“I’m drafting the exclusive, sole-use period clause.”
—“Exclusive… sole use?”
His voice had hitched faintly.
Strangely, that sound comforted her.
Talking to him wasn’t purely awkward anymore.
They’d spoken occasionally after that. Then her period started.
Now, staring at her glowing screen, she set her alarm. She had an early yoga class tomorrow.
The phone lit up again.
[Sleep well.]
She didn’t reply.
He’d hung up first.
***
The next morning, a message arrived.
[Did you sleep well?]
In the pantry, pouring coffee into her tumbler, Jugyeong pressed the hold button.
By the time she finished lunch, there was a longer string of messages.
[Don’t skip meals.]
[We work our asses off to eat and live.]
[Right?]
[And text me back.]
[Do it.]
As she stared at the screen, debating whether to reply—
“Attorney Ha, something good happened?”
“Yeah, you’ve been glowing lately.”
She dodged the playful nudge and smiled.
“What would happen?”
In the restroom, squeezing toothpaste onto her brush, she caught her reflection.
…Do I look like I’m glowing?
She looked the same as always.
Yet her cheeks felt warm.
***
At the same time, Seju stepped into a medical building under gentle spring sunlight.
He entered the elevator and pressed the button beside the plaque reading Top Men’s Clinic.
Ding.
The doors opened.
Wearing sunglasses, he strode into the urology clinic and approached reception.
He handed over his ID without a word.
“Mr. Cheon Seju, correct?”
He lowered his sunglasses with one finger.
The receptionist compared the ID photo to his face and passed him a clipboard.
“You have a procedure scheduled at 2:10 p.m. Please read the consent form and sign here and here.”
Clipboard in hand, he turned, drawing the gaze of nearly every man in the room.
He was accustomed to attention—from women especially—but perhaps even more to sidelong looks from men.
Sitting down, he found himself wondering whether Jugyeong had eaten.
As he clicked his pen and signed the consent form, he wondered what she might have eaten.
“….”
Mid-signature, he unlocked his phone.
He’d meant to savor this strangely melancholy mood for a moment—
But his lips twitched upward.
He couldn’t help it.
Jugyeong had replied.
[Yeah. You too.]
He rubbed at the faint heat spreading across his chest.
“…Fuck.”
It was nothing special, really.
Yet his body reacted anyway.
Today, Cheon Seju had come to the urology clinic for a vasectomy.