There are Many Flowers in Seoul

Chapter Fifty-Five

Love was a terrible affliction – a beautiful and destructive force – to be desired and feared all at once. It was a feeling men and women chased like a grand prize and once they held it firmly in their hearts they clung to it possessively and obsessively, addicted to the highs and lows which made their blood race through their veins and their heads spin with dizzy delight. And when that feeling was torn from them – ripped from their still beating hearts with cruel and callous intent – they were left empty shells, hollow creatures who'd forgotten what it was to live without love and had to learn to be human all over again.

Love was the force that could build or topple a civilisation – could start wars between countries – and could bring even the Gods to their knees.

Love was a frightening, wonderful thing, and it had entirely consumed Rose and Tae-won.

It hadn't been Rose's intention to stay the whole night. She'd hoped she could sneak out once he was settled and asleep and head back to her own department. Although Tae-won had claimed that Yuta had approved her staying with him for the night, she had a sneaking suspicion that her fake-cousin had assumed Deok-su would be present to ensure nothing happened between the pair. Had he not been such a spineless manager, he might have called Yuta to tell him about the change in their plans, but Rose couldn't imagine the man finding his courage while he waited out in the corridor staring at a closed door.

That night, one kiss had turned into another, and they never made time for tea with honey. Instead, they'd tumbled onto the sofa and she'd tasted Tae-won's breath hot with fever and passion, felt his fingers caress her skin and brush through her hair with such tenderness that one might have thought he was afraid to break her like a porcelain doll. His illness was at the back of her mind – it was impossible not to notice that he wasn't quite himself – and Rose had expected him to stop for the sake of his recovery. But his desire was more powerful than the sickness, and Tae-won had soon shed his shirt and jeans, giving Rose the opportunity to see his beautifully sculpted, powerful body again. It'd felt wrong for her to lust after him while she'd been pressing a cold flannel to his skin, but when they were entwined and seized by their love for one another there was nothing more natural.

Dawn arrived much too soon, the sunlight streaming through the enormous windows and filling the apartment like liquid gold. It touched Rose's bare toes first, warming her skin as it crept up over their bodies wrapped in a warm, soft blanket. The soft caress of daylight was upon her cheek, and Rose shied away from it, pulling the blanket up and curling sleepily up against Tae-won, nuzzling his bare chest. He responded by holding her close, enclosing her in his powerful arms and placing a clumsy, tired kiss atop her head.

For perhaps the first time since she'd arrived in Korea, Rose's mind wasn't running at a million miles a minute. Normally she'd wake with a head full of worries for her future, for her feelings for Tae-won and Si-woo, about what Yuta might think if he found out that her heart was so torn, and how her parents would react if she finally replied to one of their pestering emails about her activities in a foreign country. Now, her head was full of him, just like her heart. This wasn't necessarily a good thing; Tae-won had said himself that it would never work between them. Rose was supposed to be thinking about her own future – an achievable, productive future – and not a life in which she would briefly rely on a celebrity for all her happiness and would have nothing to fall back on when he inevitably left her. Tae-won was a player by reputation, and there was nothing to say that he'd treat Rose any differently than his previous girlfriends.

But she wanted to believe in him.

She wanted to believe in them.

For once in her miserable life, Rose wanted to believe that a man was genuinely in love with her, and that it was safe for her to love him in return.

'You're thinking too much,' Tae-won said.

'You can't see me thinking,' Rose replied groggily.

'I can feel it. You're tense.'

'Maybe I just regret sleeping with a third-rate actor.'

'Third-rate actor?' he asked with a smirk. 'I could've sworn you slept with me...'

'Regretting it even more, now.'

Tae-won laughed softly and shifted onto his side to hold her more comfortably. There was a spark in his eyes she hadn't seen except when he'd been toying with her, when he'd shown his joyful, mischievous nature which was at odds with the indifferent and arrogant mask he wore for everyone else. Even before the feelings between them had deepened into something genuine and unbreakable, a part of Tae-won had wanted to show Rose that secret version of himself rather than continuing along his lonely path in life, never allowing anyone to touch his heart again.

'We should get up,' she decided. 'If Deok-su calls Yuta –'

'Who is Yuta to you, anyway?' Tae-won asked. 'I know he's not really your cousin.'

'How could you know that?'

'There is something called the internet. I looked you up. I had to be sure you really were who I thought you were. Obviously, I searched for him, too. I like to know who I'm working for.'

'Well, you're the only person who thought to do that.'

'Everyone else is too trusting.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing.'

'It is. So, why are you living with a man you're not related to?' he pressed.

'Jealous?'

'Concerned.'

'He might as well be my cousin. I mean,' Rose paused, not willing to tell Tae-won that she'd been in love with Yuta for most of her life and only now those feelings had dulled, 'we've known each other since I was born. Our parents are friends, and he works for my mother, but you already knew that.'

'And he's here as your chaperone?' he asked. 'He's not doing a very good job. How many times have you gotten into trouble?'

'Almost all the times I've been in trouble have been your fault,' Rose reminded him. 'But, you're right, I'm making him look bad. I should go home and behave.' She sighed dramatically. 'I guess that means I won't be able to stay here overnight with you anymore.'

'Then, I should make the most of this while I have you,' Tae-won practically purred the words, making Rose giggle as he pulled the blanket over their heads and proved that he was well and truly on the way to regaining his strength and energy.

One thing was certain; Rose wouldn't be home anytime before noon.