On the night the first snow fell, Sujin caught the unfamiliar drift of eau de cologne rising from her husband Jeong-min’s neck.
"A company dinner that lasted all night?"
"Yeah. Our manager’s farewell—got pretty boozy."
Sujin nodded, but she already knew. At three in the afternoon a friend had forwarded the clip: Jeong-min, smiling, taking a motel key. Still, she drew the blanket to her chin and let her leg slide gently across his under the covers.
Why can’t I leave this bed right now?
The Scent of First Snow and a Stranger’s Perfume
From Jeong-min’s T-shirt draped across the headboard came not the crisp note of perfume but the raw smell of skin. Breathing it in, Sujin felt her chest tighten. The hand that had circled an empty glass on the sofa all night was, by morning, back on his pillow.
Dissection of Desire
The true terror of an affair is silence. Jeong-min moved cautiously, unsure whether Sujin knew. Sujin herself couldn’t decide if she wanted to be deceived. The thicker the double silence grew, the closer the couple on the mattress became.
I know you slept with another woman. You don’t know that I know.
That delicate exchange became an immense stimulant.
True-to-Life Stories: Two Couples, One Bed
1. Sujin & Jeong-min, 32nd-floor apartment
Christmas Eve, December 24. Watching Jeong-min’s back, Sujin whispered, "Late again tonight?" Instead of an answer, he pressed his lips to her hair. At that moment she understood: I’m becoming an accomplice to this affair.
2. Mira & Hyun-woo, basement villa
After thirty-six hours of silence from her husband, Mira went to Hyun-woo’s studio. A woman’s laughter leaked from behind the door. Mira never knocked. She waited outside for three hours.
I didn’t want to see him leave. Seeing him come back was fine.
Why Are We Drawn to This?
Infidelity is less a taboo than a conspiracy. Allowing a spouse’s affair—while knowing—turns into a new kind of game. Esther Perel observes, "It isn’t the affair that destroys a couple; it’s the way the affair comes to light."
Sujin and Jeong-min embodied her words. Throughout December they desired each other more fiercely, intoxicated by the sting of guilt in the blind spot of their affair.
December 31, the Final Night
At two a.m. Sujin glanced at Jeong-min’s phone.
[Latest Message]
Jisoo: I want to see you tonight too. Let’s keep going next year…♥
She felt no flash of rage. Instead she curled up and slipped beneath his arm. Jeong-min opened his eyes.
"Why aren’t you asleep?"
"No reason."
No reason—except that I’m amazed you still haven’t left me.
A Last Question
Do you still crave something ordinary, or do you want to burn inside a relationship where everyone is lying—most of all to themselves?