Chapter 10: You're Using the Love Hotel Wrong

I never imagined I'd run into her the same day I thought I wanted to see her.

Of all places, though… It had to be there.

The flashing neon lights were obnoxiously bright, and the giant price board was made to be seen from blocks away. A concrete wall partially hid the entrance, but from certain angles, everything was plainly visible.

I was waiting at a red light in a dim, narrow alley when my eyes caught sight of Serina—coming out of a love hotel with another woman at her side.

“… Serina.”

The name slipped out before I even realized I was speaking.

It wasn’t loud, but she froze mid-step and turned in my direction, startled. As soon as she spotted me, she hastily stepped away from the woman beside her.

The woman gave me a quick once-over, then smirked as she looked between Serina and me. Something about her expression unsettled me—arrogant, almost predatory—but there was a shadow behind her eyes that made me wonder what their relationship actually was.

Serina stammered, her words coming out in fragments: “Um… It’s not what… I mean…”

Her wide-eyed panic struck me as oddly funny, and I let out a short laugh through my nose. I twisted the throttle and started the engine.

With a deep growl from the exhaust, I let the clutch out and guided my bike into the intersection, the light now green.

In my rearview mirror, I watched her figure shrink into the distance… Until she finally disappeared into the night.

The night wind rushed past me as I sped through the city.

What was that, even?

Serina’s intentions, my own feelings—what I thought was right next to me moments ago had lost all shape and drifted far, far away.

I left everything behind—every tangled thought, every unanswered question—as I rode on into the night.

◇◇◇

I was exhausted.

My back had stiffened painfully, and I slowly climbed the stairs to my apartment, trying to work out the tension.

Riding always helped clear my head.

Just the wind, the world flying by behind me, and nothing else.

The emotions that had started to spread like a dark stain across my chest had finally settled back into silence.

It had always been like that for me. I rode through every season—the frozen winter air, the dappled sunlight of spring, the clear blue skies of summer, the vibrant colors of fall. I’d felt them all on my skin, all alone.

I never needed anyone. I could go anywhere by myself, carry just a small bag, and feel like I could travel the world on my own terms.

But Serina had made me wonder if maybe… There was a different kind of world out there.

A world where you weren’t alone.

Everyday life alone, and days spent together—both had their charm, and I hadn’t been able to let either go. I guess I’d known for a while now.

That Serina was starting to become something different than everyone else.

Not in a romantic way. Not necessarily love.

I just wanted to talk to her more.

To hear what kind of life she’d lived, who she’d spent it with, what she’d thought along the way. The kind of personal, soul-close stories you don’t share with just anyone.

I climbed the last few steps, the chill of the concrete clinging to my ankles and making me shiver.

I turned the corner and passed the row of identical apartment doors.

It was all familiar—the stain on the wall, the crooked little piece of molding—but the person sitting in front of my door stood out so much that it felt like they didn’t belong to this reality.

A mix of I knew it and why are you here swirled inside me.

“… You’re late,”

Serina murmured, still crouched on the floor, her voice dry and hoarse.

I passed by her without a word, unlocked my door, and slipped inside before quietly shutting it.

“Wha—hey! You’re not gonna let me in?!”

“Haha.”

Her panicked shout made me laugh out loud.

I opened the door again and invited her in. Then I turned on the light and heater.

“Take a bath first. You’ll catch a cold.”

Her fingers were icy to the touch—she must’ve come here right after I saw her.

Honestly, she was being an idiot. But I didn’t dislike it.

I ran the bath, handed her a towel and a pair of old orange sweats I’d worn before.

“… Huh?”

“If you want to, you can stay the night.”

She blushed slightly at my offer and nodded hard.

After she finished, I took my own bath and changed into my usual gray sweats.

I made us some non-caffeinated herbal tea, pouring hot water slowly into the teapot. Thin tendrils of steam rose, spreading a sweet, tangy fragrance through the room.

“… Aren’t you gonna ask?”

“Do you want me to?”

“… Maybe.”

Serina sat at the low table, staring down at her hands.

“She’s my ex,”
she finally said.

“You got back together?”

She shook her head.

“No. We just… Still live together. Like roommates. I’ve been planning to move out, but the conversation got messy, so I figured I’d go somewhere we could argue without disturbing anyone…”

“You told me you were living alone when you got sick.”

“She’s the type who can’t take care of others. I figured it was easier to say I lived alone. I didn’t have the energy to explain everything back then.”

“Fair enough.”

“Do you believe me?”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t think it’s sketchy?”

“Why would I? Sounds like a hassle.”

She squinted suspiciously at me, so I waved my hand.

“What would be the point of lying?… So, where’d you meet her?”

“University club.”

“Was she older?”

“Two years.”

“She looked popular.”

“Oh, she was.”

“So you stole her?”

“She confessed to me.”

“Well then.”

“Can you not make that face?”

I grinned until she reached over and squeezed my cheeks to stop me.

“It wasn’t that romantic. It was already a love triangle when I got there.”

“Interesting. Tell your big sister all about it.”

“What is that voice? Ew.”

“Ouch, that stings.”

I clutched my chest dramatically and flopped over. Serina sighed and pulled me back up.

“I was in a phase, okay? Everyone liked me for some reason.”

“You’ll probably be in that phase forever.”

“What are you even saying? I couldn’t get you to like me.”

“That’s unrelated.”

“Oh? Sounds like you’re dodging.”

“I’m not dodging.”

“Then prove it.”

She spread her arms with a grin.

“Come here.”

“… Why?”

“It’s cold. Is your heater broken?”

“I’m practically sweating.”

“You’re annoying!”

She grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward her, wrapping me up in her arms. I landed between her legs, held tightly.

“Caught you.”

“I’m not a beetle, you know.”

“I hate beetles. They’re shiny and look like cockroaches.”

“You just declared war on the entire beetle-loving population.”

“I’ll fight them all.”

“You’re weirdly aggressive for someone so scrawny.”

I relaxed into her arms and leaned back on her.

“… What do you like about me, anyway?”

“You’re cute.”

“That’s it?”

Her simple answer made me snort, my shoulders shaking. Her body swayed against mine.

“And cool.”

“Sounds like something a kid would say.”

“It's true though.”

“Okay, sure.”

“… I want to hear about you too.”

“Me? There’s nothing to tell.”

“How many people have you dated?”

“Two guys.”

No point going into how I felt about them.

“Any girls?”

“Zero. Wasn’t into them.”

Wasn’t, huh?

“I see… Past tense?”

“Uh—I mean—I’m not?”

“You don’t have to force it.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Annoyed by her smug expression, I slapped her thigh.

“Ow!”

“Isn’t the tea cold now?”

“Don’t change the subject!”

I stood with a stretch while Serina reached for her cup. I poured her tea, then my own.

“You like herbal tea?”

“Just a gift.”

“From who?”

“My ex.”

She instantly scowled and set the cup down.

“… Why would you serve me that?”

“You care?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then overwrite the memory.”

“… Do you even hear yourself right now?”

The air shifted in an instant.

Her brows pulled together, her gaze sharpened.

“Not like it’s my first time or anything.”

“You really said that _now_?”

“Are you turned off?”

“Not even a little.”

I stood and turned off the lights.

Darkness fell. The silence made every little worry start to creep in again.

I dove under the covers to shake it off.

It was the same bed as always—but it felt different tonight.

A moment later, something warm slipped in beside me.

The metal frame creaked under our combined weight, the single-size bed too small for two grown women. Our bodies naturally pressed together.

Fingers brushed through my hair, tickled my ears, stroked down my neck.

Her eyes—familiar and yet so different—bore into me, no longer hiding anything. No restraint, no hesitation.

“… Are you sure about this?”

“You’re seriously asking _now_?”

I laughed, and her face came closer, then lips met lips.

Soft and tentative.

A playful nibble.

A slow taste, tongue brushing—

A shared breath escaped, hot and ragged.

Her hand slipped under my sweatshirt, warm against my back, untangling the tension there.

Her mouth traced my cheek, my jaw, my neck.

Fingers slid up my skin, and I instinctively pulled her in closer.

_This feels good_, I thought.

Every touch, every breath, every sensation she brought was slowly unraveling me.

“… Serina…”

When I whispered her name, she looked up.

Her eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed.

Then something inside me snapped.

The heat drained from my body in an instant—faster than thought. I gave a wry smile at my own reaction.

As she leaned in again, my hand reached up to stop her—