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“Shall we go to the airport now, President?”
At Secretary Song’s suggestion, Dojun scrolled through his chat history with Haejoo.
He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know which airport Haejoo went to.”
When he was in Hong Kong, his only contact with Haejoo was late-night calls from his hotel. Most of the time, she would answer while sleeping, making long conversations difficult.
Then, he had to go to the United States for business, and after finishing his work, he had rushed back.
“I’ll contact GN Entertainment and ask.”
“Leave it. Haejoo will call when she arrives...”
Just then, a car stopped outside the house, and he heard the sound of a door opening.
The noise, which had a certain weight to it, was different from that of a regular sedan.
Just as Dojun’s eyes narrowed, a clear voice rang out.
“Dojun-ssi!”
Unbelievably, it was Haejoo.
Outside, Hyun-sung and another manager who had driven were waiting.
“Weren’t you going to the airport?”
“I left my phone in the living room. By the way, when did you get here?”
“Just now.”
“How could someone who was supposed to be in America...”
“It just happened.”
There was no need for further explanation.
Dojun strode forward and pulled Haejoo into a tight embrace.
He inhaled the scent he had longed for from her slender neck.
The powdery fragrance brushed his nose, vividly bringing back the memory of the night before he left Korea.
“You have to leave right now, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“Dojun-ssi, you look so tired.”
“I rested on the plane.”
“Look in the mirror. You’ll collapse.”
It was true that Dojun had been pushing himself throughout his business trip.
He had to let Haejoo go, especially since she was pressed for time to catch her flight.
“......Okay.”
Haejoo went into the living room and brought out her phone herself.
Outside, Hyun-sung urged her to hurry.
As she was about to step out the door, Dojun called out to her.
“Haejoo-ya!”
His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably, indicating the words he was about to say.
At his deepened gaze, Haejoo let go of the doorknob of the front door.
“This is our romance.”
“Excuse me?”
“You and I, we’re dating.”
“Dojun-ssi...”
The very air surrounding them seemed to change, transcending time and space.
Nothing around them was visible, and they forgot to breathe.
Was what Haejoo was currently feeling truly the emotion of romance?
The month she had spent apart from him had been like a blank page. Only the occasional chat messages they had exchanged had served as points of connection.
[The air in Hong Kong is stuffy.]
[It rained here too.]
[Is the divorce after one year still valid?]
[We don’t know what the future holds.]
[There’s something more urgent than divorce.]
[What is it?]
[I want to hold you.]
Most of their conversations hovered around a delicate line.
Dojun relentlessly knocked on Haejoo’s heart, and Haejoo was endlessly swayed.
Every day felt like being drunk, to the point where she couldn’t concentrate on work. In response, Haejoo deliberately put up a wall between herself and Dojun.
[I can’t chat today. I’m sleepy and tired.]
She had gone on like this for several days, but during their last call, she had left a lingering feeling.
-I almost wish the backup generator would break down.
Dojun’s reply had been, “Knowing you, you probably do.”
And now, this man was again uttering the word “romance.”
Even though it was a word like a code to Haejoo, Dojun clearly defined their relationship.
“Whatever you do, only think of me. Only remember what I told you, and in the end...”
Haejoo unknowingly swallowed hard.
Outside, Hyun-sung, tired of waiting, knocked on the front door.
Yet, she focused solely on Dojun.
“You will accept me.”
“......I don’t know how to date.”
“Who told you to date? Just accept it.”
Dojun opened the front door for her himself.
Sunlight poured in, brightly reflecting off Haejoo’s face.
Unable to manage her expression at all, she walked awkwardly outside. Only then did Hyun-sung get into the van, and they departed for the airport.
“It’s Gimpo Airport, so we’re not late. But Noona!”
“Huh? Oh?”
“What’s wrong with your expression?”
“Why? What about it?”
“You look like your soul’s flown away.”
“It’s nothing like that.”
During their conversation, a chat message arrived on Haejoo’s phone.
Tapping the screen, she saw a message with Dojun’s usual tone.
[Be careful of men, awake or asleep.]
Haejoo, who was out of her mind, involuntarily let out a dry laugh.
Considering it was nagging directed at her, an actress, it was too direct, so she sent a reply.
[There are no men for me to be careful of.]
[I shouldn’t be one of the men you’re careful of.]
[Why?]
[Because if you’re careful, I’ll want to do more.]
[Do more of what?]
[What only married couples do.]
Haejoo’s face flushed red as she held her phone.
Hyun-sung, who had no idea what was going on, asked urgently, “Noona, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Haejoo felt like her bodily senses had broken down.
Flustered, she typed a message on her phone, but it was full of typos.
After writing and deleting several times, she finally managed to send a reply.
[The weather is nice today.]
She deliberately changed the subject with an irrelevant answer. Then, looking out the car window, she saw a sky that looked like it would rain any minute.
Sure enough, Dojun sent a sharp message.
[Changing the subject.]
Haejoo exhaled a long breath from her chest.
She didn’t know why she always became a fool whenever conversations like this came up.
Haejoo leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
She had managed to weave a sticky atmosphere well with Jun-woo, her co-star, as written in the script.
But in front of Dojun, she was just shy like this.
“Hyun-sung-ah, you have a girlfriend, right?”
“Yes.”
“What did it feel like when you first started dating your girlfriend?”
“I was crazy about her.”
“For example?”
“How can I explain that in words? When I saw her, I wanted to touch her, hold her, and... anyway, like that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Why the sudden question?”
“It’s nothing. Thanks for telling me.”
Haejoo, having accessed the internet on her phone, tapped the search bar.
She typed ‘dating’ and slowly began to read the posts that came up.
________________________________________
Dojun retraced the past month, wondering if he couldn’t have come to Korea any earlier.
He had handled a schedule no different from his previous business trip and had contacted many entrepreneurs and related parties.
For him, it felt like walking a tightrope every day.
Even so, he had desperately clung to work to return to Haejoo as soon as possible.
The night he had to board the plane after spending a night in bed with her had been like torture for Dojun.
“Should I get rid of the backup generator?”
That night, feeling particularly empty, Dojun had secretly wished for a power outage.
Perhaps at that moment, he had used the power outage as an excuse to move to Haejoo’s bed.
Thankfully, there wasn’t a single light on in the house that night, and he was able to lie down beside Haejoo.
Yes, that night...
Dojun had been in a maddening conflict, wondering if he should just hold Haejoo right then and there.
Despite that, he had held back, thinking he needed to wait for Haejoo.
He wondered if there was even an end to this waiting...
He already missed Haejoo.
“Tired.”
President Park, after being diagnosed with dementia, had called Dojun, saying he had something important to tell him.
When asked what it was, he had revealed something unbelievable.
Before Lee-joon died, he had registered his marriage with Haejoo under Dojun’s name.
He had said that she was a good girl and asked if he would bring her to live with him.
Dojun had believed that it was over with Haejoo forever. He would never see her again, so he had wanted her to be free, wherever she was and whatever she did.
But Lee-joon had committed a terrible act and passed away.
Marriage without dating? He had denied it countless times, saying it made no sense.
‘Father, this will cause big trouble!’
‘What can we do now?’
‘Why are you telling me this only now?’
‘You’re happy about it, so why are you complaining?’
‘This isn’t something to be handled emotionally.’
‘You just need to do better.’
Dojun’s first impression of Haejoo was beauty and extremity itself.
After observing her, he realized that she was clumsy in emotional communication, often misunderstood or taken advantage of.
Because of this, Haejoo was wary of people and always tense.
‘Haejoo is different from ordinary people.’
‘Stop talking nonsense and treat that child well when she comes.’
Leaving behind President Park, who only spoke in riddles, Dojun threw himself into business.
His innate sense for money and what he had naturally learned while helping President Park were helpful.
The problem was people. In the early days of his business, he had no real foundation, so he had to catch the eye of the so-called big players.
He worked like a dog and nurtured his ambition. He poured everything he could within the bounds of the law to build his business.
Even so, he occasionally felt an overwhelming emotion that stirred his heart.
<I’m Haejoo’s husband.>
Haejoo had said in an interview that she felt nervous every night.
But Dojun went further; every moment was thrilling, and it was no different now than it was at the beginning.
“Hoo.”
Dojun, having eaten a simple dinner, filled a glass with ice and whiskey.
As he rested, looking out at the garden, he received a call from Secretary Song.
“Yes.”
-Reporter Choi In-ho just posted an article.
Dojun found and read the article Secretary Song had told him about.
The content was a vague questioning of Haejoo and Dojun’s married life.
The article itself wasn’t particularly sensational.
If he had to guess the intention, it seemed like a kind of timid declaration of war.
-Will you sue Reporter Choi In-ho for kidnapping and stalking?
“Leave him alone for now.”
-Wouldn’t it be better to nip it in the bud from the start...?
“For the final moment, it’s better to still hold the leash.”
-Understood.
Dojun had Secretary Song find out the motel where Yura was staying.
And he had told Choi Young-sook the location of the motel, asking her to keep a close eye on Yura.
Currently, Yura was said to be working, held captive on Choi Young-sook’s farm. With her shallow patience, there was a high possibility she wouldn’t last long.
There was a high chance of a war once, so he had to gather as many weapons as possible.
“And Secretary Song.”
-Yes, President.
“Book a ticket to Jeju Island.”
-As you command.
Dojun missed Haejoo.
If he missed her, he should see her.
Soon.
________________________________________
It was around sunset when Haejoo arrived in Jeju Island.
Unlike Seoul, where the sky was cloudy, here, intense twilight unfolded between layers of clouds.
“Hyun-sung-ah, this is my first time in Jeju Island.”
“Really?”
“I’ve never traveled. I never had the chance.”
A man wearing sunglasses waved at the two of them as they came out of the airport. He was dressed casually, unlike at the company; it was Jinhan.
“Haejoo-ssi, welcome.”
Today, Jinhan looked relaxed, as if he were a traveler himself.
Holding the keys to a rented car, he shared the burden of Haejoo’s luggage.
“When did the director arrive?”
“I came yesterday.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’ve been having terrible headaches lately, so I took a vacation.”
“You did well.”
“We rented an entire pension for accommodation and decided to share it with the staff. How does that sound?”
“It’s good with me.”
Since Yoonji was also there, the company seemed to have paid attention to various aspects.
As they got into the prepared car, Jinhan took the wheel himself.
“It’s close to the movie filming location, so let’s go there tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s have a barbecue party for dinner.”
A while later, the car drove along a cool, open coastal road.
Haejoo, who had opened the car window, shouted in excitement.
“Wow!”
Hyun-sung captured the moment with a photo, and Jinhan also smiled brightly for the first time in a while.
As the sunset created a spectacular view, they slowed down at an unnamed beach.
No sooner had they parked the car than they spent time taking pictures of each other.
“Shall we go eat quickly?”
The pension rented for accommodation was a place that harmonized with the sea.
It wasn’t as luxurious as a five-star hotel, but the interior was clean and quite cozy.
Several company members, including Yoonji, had arrived at the pension earlier and were in the middle of preparing dinner.
They greeted Haejoo and Hyun-sung warmly and began to eat.
“The meat is good today.”
Everyone was busy eating and drinking.
In that gap, Haejoo secretly slipped out and called Dojun.
-Yeah.
“I’ve arrived.”
-How’s Jeju Island?
“It’s really wonderful here. It’s my first time.”
There was no reply from Dojun.
Just as she thought the call had been disconnected and was checking the screen, he spoke.
-If I asked you out on a date, would you accept?
“A date?”
-Yeah.
What was this? Her face flushed red again.
She hadn’t even done anything, but this was how it was whenever Dojun said something.
“I haven’t thought about that.”
A soft chuckle could be heard from the other side of the phone at her unsophisticated answer.
Haejoo grumbled at his teasing.
“I have to go now.”
-Okay, rest well.
Haejoo took a deep breath, looking at the Jeju sky where night was falling.
She felt a dreamy sensation in the air, different from Seoul.
________________________________________
At the same time, Hyun-sung held up his phone with the internet on and whispered to Jinhan.
“Reporter Choi In-ho has published an article.”
“Let me see.”
Jinhan’s expression hardened as he read the article Hyun-sung had found. It seemed hastily written, but analyzing the content, it wasn’t something to be easily dismissed.
Returning to the accommodation, he called the number of Choi In-ho, which was left as a missed call.
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