Work Text:
AT LUNCH
When Attorney Woo returned from the bathroom, she was noticeably quieter and more reserved than before. Jun-Ho watched her face with concern, worried that she was overwhelmed or suffering from anxiety. She responded to questions politely but didn’t interrupt or offer any more random outbursts like before.
He suspected her earlier comments were recited verbatim from what her friend Geurami had told her. They sounded rehearsed and awkward.
"Compliment the house, eat the food without complaint, tell the chef it’s delicious, don’t talk about whales."
Attorney Woo had clearly been given a list of rules which, as always, she’d interpreted in the most literal sense. And while Jun-Ho found it sweet that she was obviously trying so hard to do the right thing, he knew his sister was a bit taken aback. Her earlier comments while Woo-Young was in the bathroom sat heavy in his heart. He wished that others could see her the way he did. Attorney Woo could be a bit alarming at first, but anyone who really took the trouble to get to know her saw her for what she really was. Incredible. She was sweet, sincere, fiercely intelligent, passionate, and determined. She had no artifice or ulterior motive. She was just pure and good with every fibre of her being. He'd never know anyone like her. It made him light up just to be near her. She made him want to be good.
If his sister had bothered to show some patience and understanding, then she might have understood this. But instead, just like everyone else, she’d judged her and jumped to conclusions.
He was fairly certain that Attorney Woo had detected some hostility, or she’d been made to feel uncomfortable by his sister’s scrutiny, because she’d become so unsure over the course of the afternoon, retreating back inside herself to avoid embarrassment and attention. He spoke pleasantly with the couple across the table for a while longer, catching up on what he’d missed. But then it was time to leave, and he could almost feel Young-Woo let out a sigh of relief.
But, as usual, Young-Woo surprised him as they said their goodbyes. She had a way of sneaking past all his expectations and saying or doing things that touched his heart like nobody else could. While his sister was stiffly thanking Young-Woo for coming, her face showing little to no warmth, the younger woman dropped into a low bow, twisting her fingers together nervously, her mouth twitching from side to side.
“Jun-Ho Ssi is the nicest, most warm-hearted person I have ever met,” she blurted out in a rush, “The spade toothed whale is the rarest whale in existence as there have only been two reported sighting in the last 100 years. Jun-Ho Ssi is like a spade toothed whale.”
Jun-Ho felt his chest seized with warmth and he stared at her in disbelief for a moment, too moved by what she’d said to respond or even speak at all. His sister was also struck a bit dumb by the comment. Eventually she just nodded and said ‘okay’, bowing slightly once more in goodbye.
The two of them left at a slow, meandering pace, and still his mouth felt dry and there was a lump in his throat. As they reached the car, he opened the door for her respectfully and helped her to get settled. When he returned to the driver’s seat, he found himself counting down from four like she always did as he lowered himself into the seat.
“You made me blush, Attorney Woo,” he told her eventually as they did up their seatbelts and he started the engine, “do you…er…would you tell me more about the spade-toothed whale?”
He knew that focusing on the whale would help to ease the tension and make her relaxed once more. And he was right. Woo-Young’s eyes lit up and she smiled as she launched into an explanation about all the things that made the rare whale so special. Jun-Ho listened happily, wondering what it was that made her so sweet, so kind that she perceived him as this magnificently unique animal, a scientific marvel even. No other girl he’d dated in the past had ever been able to disarm him so easily with such ingenuous kindness. Any words of praise were always mired with intent and the fickleness of flattery. Not Young-Woo. She was so completely genuine that it choked him up inside.
And so he drove and listened to her happily, asking questions here and there and basking in the warmth of just being with the girl he was crazy about.
His sister was wrong. He felt like he could stay by Young-Woo’s side forever.
……
……
BY THE SEA
The cloud of happiness he’d enjoyed these last few weeks came crashing down around him in a way he hadn’t seen coming. The shock to his system was so great that the breath vanished from his lungs in a painful rush, like he’d been kicked in the gut and left to bleed on the shores of Je Ju Island.
“Jun-Ho Ssi-”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think you and I should date.”
Heart pounding so hard he thought it would rip a hole in his chest, Jun-Ho lowered his binoculars and turned to face Young-Woo. She looked terrified, her face tense with nerves and her hands fidgeting restlessly.
“What?” he asked dumbly, not sure he was understanding her properly, “Why would you say that all of a sudden?”
Young-Woo didn’t have an answer for him. Either that, or she didn’t want to reveal the reason she thought they should end things. He tried to guess, tried to think of anything that would explain this. Something in her brain was working overtime and second-guessing things. Something he couldn’t conceive of. But he tried, grilling her for a reason until her thoughts were re-directed back to the case and he saw that light switch on that meant she had gone into work mode. He knew rationally that she couldn’t stop her mind from fixating on a new piece of information or an idea that could blow the case wide open, but his heart wouldn’t listen. It hurt for her to dismiss him and then forget what they were even talking about the next second.
As she spun away to leave, he finally snapped, yelling at her back. She quickly returned to face him, visibly shocked by his outburst. He almost saw her flinch, but then he yelled some more, and her expression eventually fell into one of pained regret. Her eyes swam with tears and a couple fell in slow motion, rolling down her cheeks. Even when he was furious with her, he wanted to wipe them away. He hated seeing her cry.
Rather than give him the explanation he was demanding, Young-Woo dropped into a very low, respectful bow that conveyed her shame and sadness better than any words could. When she rose up, she looked distraught and the words “I’m sorry” escaped her so pitifully that he couldn’t bear it.
She certainly didn’t come across as someone willingly instigating a breakup. Something was off here. On some level he knew that she had some ridiculous reason swirling around in that tremendous brain of hers, but her lips were also pursed with determination.
He let her go, feeling the stinging of desolation behind his eyes. He furiously wiped away his tears before following slowly after her. He couldn’t just let her walk around the island by herself. But inside he felt sick, feverish and shaking. He just didn’t understand, couldn’t fathom why she was doing this. They’d been happy, right? He’d tried his best to be patient with her, to not pressure her or make her uncomfortable. They’d kissed a few times, but he’d always been a perfect gentleman, even if a fire raged secretly inside him. He’d left his hands respectfully on her shoulders, back or arms and touched his lips to hers so tenderly he'd felt his heart melting into hers.
So what had he done wrong?
Feeling numb and not himself, he stumbled back towards the car, silently driving them back to the villa while his thoughts spun in circles.
This couldn’t be over before it had even begun.
Please tell me it isn’t over.
……
……
ON THE NEWS
When the group returned from Je Ju Island, they threw themselves back into their work with a dedication that surprised everyone. With Jun-Myeong Seok’s surgery schedule soon, they were all picking up the slack at the office to get by in his absence.
It had only been three days since they got back, and Jun-Ho was going crazy. He puzzled and puzzled over it every minute of the day and couldn’t focus on anything. In his mind he kept going over and over every interaction they’d had to see if he’d made her unhappy but couldn’t think of anything.
Maybe Min-Woo was right. Maybe meeting his family had put too much pressure on her and she’d freaked out. It was the only thing that made sense. Meeting his sister had come too soon. She was right to be more hesitant than him. He’d stuffed everything up.
Jun-Ho stumbled around in a daze for those first few days. He still treated everyone politely, but the forced distance between him and Young-Woo was killing him. With Su-Yeon quite busy on a case, he watched Attorney Woo eating by herself every day in the cafeteria and thought how lonely and sad she looked. He desperately wanted to go over and sit with her, hear her talking about dolphins with her face lit up and her gaze warm. But every time they were in each other’s presence she just appeared so uncomfortable. She couldn’t even look at him.
And then the story hit.
Jun-Ho was standing in a café around the block on a cloudy evening shortly after their return. He was waiting for his coffee order to give him a boost for working overtime and idly looking at the television screen in the corner. That’s when a news story came on with a breaking story live on air about the famous Tae-Su-Mi and her bid for the new justice department position.
It turned out she’d given birth to an illegitimate child over twenty years ago and abandoned the baby, hiding her existence from the world.
People started muttering around the coffee shop, blown away by the shocking story.
And then suddenly she was there. Her picture plastered on the news screen, a shot taken outside the courtroom of Young-Woo exiting after a case, her face happy as she spoke to her colleagues.
"We can reveal the identity of this illegitimate child as a rookie attorney who was employed at rival company Hanbada less than a year ago. Suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tae-Su-Mi’s daughter has raised questions about the political game fought between-"
Jun-Ho ignored the barista calling his name. He stared up at the television, his heart pounding and his eyes wide with horror.
It couldn’t be true…
She wasn’t…
He swallowed the painful lump in his throat and launched into action. He didn’t have time to ponder over whether the story was correct or not. If this was breaking news, then that meant that Young-Woo…
She was in trouble.
Bursting from the coffee shop at full speed, he sprinted down the footpath back in the direction of the Hanbada offices.
When he arrived, he could barely see the entrance to the building, as it was completely swarmed by reporters and photographers surrounding the doorway like a vicious pack of animals.
He couldn’t even get close. The noise suddenly increased and flashing lights were going off everywhere. People were yelling and pressing closer to the doorway.
He managed to catch a glimpse of Attorney Woo in the centre of the crowd. Her expression was panicked, and she had her hands lifted to her ears in distress as she screwed her eyes shut tight. Then Su-Yeon was there, wrapping a protective arm around her and shoving reporters out of the way as the two of them fought through the crowd. Jun-Ho tried to get closer, but people kept pushing him and getting in his way. He saw a car screech to a halt by the curb with Min-Woo driving. The three attorneys made their getaway within seconds, leaving the crowd of journalists and Jun-Ho standing bereft on the side of the road.
But at least she was safe now. He knew Su-Yeon would take care of her.
Jun-ho couldn’t believe what he’d just heard and witnessed. Could it be true? The woman who’d abandoned Young-Woo as a baby was one of the most wealthy and powerful women in Korea? It defied belief.
Poor Woung-Yoo. As if her life wasn’t hard enough already, now she’d been thrust into the spotlight against her will. Probably as part of some devious scheme in which she was just a pawn on a chess board.
Jun-Ho dropped onto a nearby bench, resting his head in his hands and trying to calm the anger coursing through his body. Attorney Woo had never done anything malicious in her life. She didn’t deserve this. And even though his heart still stung from her rejection, he knew she had not intended to hurt him. She wasn’t capable of it.
He didn’t know how long he sat there for, but eventually he was roused from his thoughts by a persistent buzzing from his phone.
He glanced down to see Su-Yeon’s name flashing on the screen. His mouth dry and his chest clenching, Jun-Ho answered hurriedly.
“What happened? Is Attorney Woo alright?” were his first words, not even pausing to greet the attorney on the other end.
“Jun-Ho. You have to come. She needs you,” she got straight to the point, her tone anxious and brittle.
“What? What is it?”
“We’ve all tried to calm her down. Even her father. But she’s having this anxiety attack and keeps pushing everyone away and now she’s shut herself in her room and just keeps crying and…and…”
Su-Yeon took a shaky breath while Jun-Ho’s heart shattered. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his nerves while his eyes pricked with emotion. Eventually Su-Yeon continued.
“She just keeps repeating the same thing and saying your name.”
“Huh…?” he exclaimed in disbelief, not expecting her to want him there when she’d broken up with him less than a week before.
“Yeh. She keeps babbling about some hug chair in France and then saying your name and asking where you are.”
Jun-Ho’s gut dropped and he understood instantly what she needed. He’d promised to be her personal hug-chair and she’d looked so sweet, so happy, when he’d suggested it. In her current frantic state, it was probably all she could focus on.
“Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“Her father’s house. I can send you the address-”
“I don’t need it. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Jun-Ho hung up without another word. He sprinted towards the road and desperately waved down a passing taxi. He told the driver where to go with a tone of urgency, and luckily the man just nodded sharply and pulled out into traffic, making his way efficiently to their destination.
Fortunately, she didn’t live too far away from the office building, and it only took ten minutes to get there through the busy streets of Seoul.
After hastily paying the driver, he jumped and raced up the alley towards her front door. Climbing the stairs he saw Min-Woo sitting outside staring morosely into the distance as if he were deep in thought. The man looked wrecked and only just peered up in surprise at his roommate’s arrival.
“Where is she?” Jun-Ho asked hurriedly, feeling a bit awkward entering her father’s house alone having never even met the man. Especially after Young-Woo’s revelation that her dad had witnessed them kissing that night only a couple of weeks earlier.
“This way,” Min-Woo muttered, opening the door and leading him inside. Su-Yeon jumped to her feet when she saw him, nearly spilling a cup of tea as she greeted him with a look of relief. Geurami just looked depressed, cradling her own cup in one corner and not even acknowledging his arrival.
He didn’t need any further guidance on where Young-Woo was. He could hear her moaning and crying from the room beyond. Her father was standing sentry by the door, an air of hopelessness and sorrow hanging over him. As Jun-Ho approached, the man’s eyes shot up warily, looking at him with open suspicion.
Jun-Ho hastily bowed, shifting his backpack a little higher as a lump formed in his throat.
“I’m…er…”
“I know who you are,” the man interrupted a little coldly, looking him up and down, “my daughter’s been asking for you every two minutes.”
He swallowed, gesturing towards the doorway behind them.
“Uh… may I…?”
The older man reluctantly stepped back, nodding his head in permission. Jun-Ho moved forwards nervously. He reached up his hand to knock, leaning closer to see if he could hear her more clearly inside.
“Attorney Woo?” he inquired gently, knocking again, and repeating himself when he got no response. Just when he was about to grasp the handle and let himself in, he felt the door give way as it was flung open from the other side.
Young-Woo’s face appeared before him. Her skin was pink and splotchy, and her lips were almost blue from trying to gasp for breath. Her eyes were wild as she took in his appearance. She looked a mess, but even so his heart lifted seeing her, like it always did.
“Attorney-Woo-” he began softly, but she interrupted him, her words frantic and her breathing broken by terrified whimpers.
“Jun-Ho Ssi! You need to hold me. Tightly. Tightly. I don’t need a hug chair from France. I need Lee Jun-Ho.”
He nodded his understanding immediately. With steady, reassuring movements, he reached around her, wrapping her up closely in his arms and hugging her from behind, just like he’d done after that car accident.
Jun-Ho squeezed her tightly, clutching onto her as she fought for breath. The rest of the room watched them as he bent over and rested his cheek gently against her hair, muttering calming words into her ear.
“It’s alright, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’m not letting go.”
Young-Woo visibly began to calm down. Every person watching them appeared relieved as her body relaxed and her breathing evened out. She stopped moaning and melted into him, letting out just a few soft whimpers every now and then.
“That’s it. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
He held her for a very long time, not even stopping when his arms grew stiff and tired. Eventually he gave her a soft nudge and whispered,
“Would you like to sit down?”
She just nodded and let him guide her back into the bedroom. He glanced around curiously, feeling weird standing here in her inner sanctum when her father was just outside. Her room was just as cute as he’d always imagined. But he quickly turned his focus back to the young woman sitting on the bed rocking herself in a soothing motion. He sat down next to her, not touching her anymore, just sitting there in case she needed him. It took a while but finally Young-Woo had calmed herself down, matching her breathing to his as he guided her through each steady inhale and exhale.
“Jun-Ho Ssi,” she stammered at last, her hands twisting together in her lap, “thank you. I… mmm… I didn’t know what else to do, all I could think about was you holding me last time. It made me feel so safe.”
Jun-Ho nodded, licking his lips and reaching up to pat her shoulder softly.
“It’s alright. I promised I’d always be your personal hug chair, didn’t I?” he told her with a tremulous smile, “and I meant it. Even if you… you don’t… like me anymore. I haven’t stopped, that is… I…”
He didn’t really know how to finish, and Young-Woo looked so ashamed as her eyes dropped to stare unseeingly at the ground.
“I do like you,” she told him so softly he almost didn’t hear her, “I like you so much I feel sick inside.”
He blinked in surprise at her words. She was parroting back to him exactly what he’d said the first time he confessed his feelings. A swooping feeling of hope warred with the crushing disappointment in his gut.
“Then… then why…?”
Young-Woo’s mouth twitched back and forth, and she raised her eyes to meet his. They were tired and bloodshot, and he knew he shouldn’t be pushing her to talk about this, not now.
But before she could answer or he could reassure her that it was the wrong time, they were interrupted by a knock on the doorframe.
“Young-Woo,” her father called her name affectionately, his expression concerned. His eyes flickered dubiously over at Jun-Ho before he entered the room with a plate of Gimbap and a glass of water.
Young-Woo’s eyes lit hungrily on the food, and she hummed thoughtfully, her hands moving to her stomach.
“Let me give you both a moment alone,” Jun-Ho stuttered nervously, rising to his feet, and dropping into a respectful bow directed towards her father.
“You’re… you’re leaving?” Young-Woo asked in a worried tone, but Jun-Ho managed to muster up an encouraging smile for her.
“Of course not, Attorney Woo. I’ll just be right outside here.”
Young-Woo nodded swiftly, obviously calmed by his reassurance. She relaxed back onto the bed as her father moved further into the room and Jun-Ho left with another bow on the way out.
He closed the door behind him to give them some privacy. As soon as he emerged into the living room, Su-Yeon and Geurami stood anxiously from where they’d been sitting. Min-Woo must have remained outside.
“How is she?” Su-Yeon asked, her brown eyes wide with worry.
“Better. She’s calmed down now and she’s going to eat something.”
“Awww my poor Young-Woo!” Geurami exclaimed in a horrified tone, “swarmed by those insects from the news all because she’s related to that bitch from hell with a face like rancid pork.”
“Did she know?” Su-Yeon asked hesitantly, looking between them, “that Tae-Su-Mi was her mother?”
Geurami flopped back onto the couch with a dramatic sigh.“Mister Woo says she found out a few weeks ago. Apparently, she was so shocked she fell down some stairs and went to the hospital with a neck injury.”
“WHAT?” the two lawyers asked, horrified by the revelation. Her best friend nodded sadly, pouting her lips forward.
“She never said anything. Not to me, anyway. Just kept doing her job and living her life as far as I can tell. She was happy. You made her happy,” she said that last part with a nod towards Jun-Ho. He blinked and frowned, looking at the floor. His heart hurt and his stomach was tied up in knots.
“I thought she was happy,” he murmured in response, “I… I thought I was making her happy. But…but she… Damnit, I don’t know! I screwed up. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I failed her somehow.”
He dropped his head into his hands, hating the dry feeling in his mouth as the emotions swelled within him.
“It wasn’t you,” a voice muttered, and they all turned to see Woo Gwang-Ho returning to the room, closing Young-Woo’s door behind him carefully. He walked slowly into the room, his face strained with exhaustion and regret. Wearily he dropped onto the couch there and let out a long breath. “Young-Woo called me a week ago from Je Ju island. When I asked her about that punk she was dating,” Jun-Ho winced at the term, wondering what the older man thought of him after catching him kissing his daughter right out the front of their house without an introduction. “She told me that you were the kind of man who could take care of her and make her very happy.”
“Really?” Jun-Ho asked hopefully, delight warring with confusion.
“She said that wasn’t the problem. The problem was her. She could never make you happy. That you’d always be lonely with her, and you deserved better.”
Jun-Ho stared at the older man for a long moment in total shock. That was it? That was the reason she’d broken up with him? Because she thought he wouldn’t be happy with her? Jun-Ho’s mouth was hanging open and he was shaking his head in total disbelief, not sure what to say.
How could Young-Woo not make him happy? She set him alight just with her presence. All she had to do was walk in a room and he felt like he was floating. Her warmth and sweetness filled the empty spaces until it was impossible to feel lonely when he was around her. Even when she was completely focused on something else, like in that arcade, he would still experience the tenderness of her affection, the honour of being by her side.
I’ve never thought of something constantly like this, she’d told him once. Nobody had ever made him feel so special, so cared for. And when she’d blushed and smiled bashfully after kissing him, he’d never felt more like a man, butterflies and all.
Only Woo-Young Woo could break up with someone for such a ridiculously stupid, selfless reason. She’d broken his heart, sure, but she’d only meant to save him from a life she thought would make him miserable.
Suddenly he was laughing, but it wasn’t a joyful sound, it was choked and painful. Everyone stared at him as tears filled his eyes.
“Ay Young-Woo! For an honest-to-god genius she can sure be a total idiot,” her friend Geurami exclaimed, scoffing and shaking her head in disgust.
But everyone ignored her as Gwang-Ho sat upright, leaning forwards on the couch towards him.
“Was my daughter right, boy? Are you the kind of person who will make her happy?” he asked sternly, and Jun-Ho met his eye with solemn intent.
“I don’t know. I…I just know that…I’m crazy about her. I can only smile when she’s smiling. I’m only happy when she’s happy. I want to try.”
The other man scrutinised him for a long moment, deliberating. Eventually he jerked his head in the direction of the bedroom.
“What are you waiting for then?” he finally sighed, “go make her smile.”
Jun-Ho blinked and felt a swelling of elation in his gut. He shot to his feet with a nod, bowing once, low and respectfully, before striding towards the bedroom again.
He paused at the door and reminded himself to go carefully. Raising his hand he knocked, warning her before he entered.
……
IN HER ROOM
When Jun-Ho entered, he noted that Young-Woo was sitting in the same spot as before, though now there was an empty plate beside her. She looked up immediately, a happy smile tugging at the corner of her lips when she saw him. But then it suddenly disappeared as quickly as it came, and her eyes widened a bit, dropping to the floor, as if she only just remembered that they’d broken up.
“Young-Woo,” he breathed, kneeling down in front of her on the floor, resting his hands on his thighs in supplication.
“Jun-Ho Ssi?” she questioned, surprised by the position.
“Young-Woo,” he said again nervously, gathering his thoughts as he watched her twining her fingers together, “I’m sorry.”
“What?” she questioned; the confusion clear on her face.
“I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry I pushed you and made you meet my family before you were ready. I’m sorry I took so long to tell you that I like you, even though I knew I was lost the first time I met you at those revolving doors. I’m sorry I didn’t just tell you in words that I wanted us to be a couple more than anything, rather than assuming that you’d figure it out.”
“Jun-ho Ssi…”
“If I had just been clearer then you never would have doubted me. I failed you.”
“Fail me? No, Jun-Ho-”
“It’s true. I like you so much. I think about you every minute of every day. I dance our waltz when I leave work through that stupid entrance, I count down from four before I go through doorways, and I hate seeing dolphins in aquariums. I am so happy when we’re together. You’re not a burden. You make everything lighter. Better.”
“My father says that being with me can be lonely-”
“And if I ever start to feel even a tiny bit lonely, I promise I’ll tell you.”
Young-Woo’s lip twitched as she considered what he was saying, her brow furrowing in that way that suggested her thoughts were swirling rapidly in her head.
“I heard what your sister said. That you should bring home someone who makes you happy-”
“I could kill her for making you feel like that. It doesn’t matter what she said. She’ll get to know you like I did. They all will in time. Then they’ll see how happy I am when I’m with you. They’ll see I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Happier than you’ve ever been?” She repeated in surprise, and he felt a twinge of triumph that he was gaining ground. He leaned in closer to her, reaching out slowly to put a hand on her forearm. He did it carefully so she could prepare herself for his touch.
“I’m going into this with my eyes open, Woo-Young,” he told her seriously, “so please… let me decide what makes me happy.”
“Mmm… You… you’re happy?”
“Yes,” he told her, “I was happy right up until you told me we shouldn’t be together. Do I make you happy?”
She nodded hurriedly, her expression sincere. With a sudden rush she darted around him and grabbed her little gavel from a shelf, kneeling down in front of him. It’s the same one she’d used in the car that day.
“In the spirit of chum chum chum…”
“Chum chum chum,” he nodded in agreement, bowing his head closer as she raised it between them. She looked right into his eyes, and it made him lick his lips nervously.
“Woo-Young-Woo makes Jun-Ho happy,” she declared.
He smiled at her, none of the usual signs of lying evident in his features or body language. “True.”
She considered him for a long moment, before lowering the gavel and staring at him in wonder.
“I cannot detect any symptoms of falsehood. You must be telling the truth.”
His smile widened and he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“I can think of another way to prove it,” he told her with a tender smirk tugging at his lips. She cocked her head to the side curiously.
“Oh?”
Jun-Ho leaned closer very slowly, making his intention clear. Young-Woo looked a bit startled at first. But then, just like the last couple of times they’d done this, her eyes fluttered shut and her lips parted in expectation. That look of excited anticipation on her face was something he cherished every time.
Jun-Ho brushed his lips against hers gently at first, then with slightly more pressure. He felt Young-Woo’s breath on his cheek as she exhaled, and he had to stop himself from groaning as she melted into him. He kissed her for a few moments, caressing her lips softly with his own to convey the depth of his affection. When he drew back, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and smiled warmly.
“I’m the daughter of Tae-Su-Mi,” she explained anxiously out of the blue, as if worried about his reaction.
“I know.”
“Things are going to become very complicated,” she informed him shyly.
“I know,” he repeated, running his hands soothingly up and down her arms, “we’ll get through it together.”
“We’ll get through it together,” she repeated in the exact same tone of voice, a smile twitching at her lips as she nodded.
Jun-Ho smiled at her again, his heart pounding with a mixture of relief and love.
There on the floor of her bedroom, they’d finally made it.
“Are we dating now?” she asked curiously, and he laughed, brushing her cheek and nodding.
“Yes. Now we’re dating.”
He leaned in to kiss her again but was stopped by her gasp.
“Then before we kiss again you should meet my father,” she commented seriously, her eyes wide. Jun-Ho laughed again and shook his head.
“Alright. I don’t want him to think I’m some punk.”
Young-Woo chuckled to herself as she rose to her feet, Jun-Ho following her compliantly back into the living room.
No matter what came next, he would stick by her side. He was her boyfriend now.
Boyfriend, he repeated to himself with a grin that warmed him from the inside.
And together they could overcome anything.
……
……