Chapter 5

“Breathe,” he said as their eyes met. Yiseo couldn’t understand. She was freezing from the cold water and her eyelids felt so heavy.

“Why?”

She had just gathered herself as another wave came upon them. The high ocean started to tower over Jae Yeol’s shoulders. She suddenly awoke from her illusion that she just wanted to let go and end it all.

Her ears popped and when she was able to focus again, all her senses pierced her acutely.

She desperately wanted to run away from death, away from this man who always made her feel small.

“Hold on.”

He grabbed her arm and put it around his neck.

Unlike her icy body, his body was hot. The unfamiliar heat flowing from his long neck penetrated Yiseo’s skin and pierced through her body. She shuddered at the feeling but could not push him away.

She didn’t hate being in his arms, or the heat that he gave off.

This scared her and she was frightened. The unfamiliar sensation made her want to cry. The wave was now towering over their heads.

She stretched out her arms and wrapped them tightly around him. It was the first and last time she had ever held on to someone for dear life.

***

It was six-thirty in the morning.

Yiseo stood in front of the mirror in her hotel suite and busily gathered her hair into her hands. She neatly put her waist-length hair into a ponytail, and her silk blouse and black pencil skirt was crisp and smooth.

She applied sunscreen and put on a coral-colored lipstick, giving her a rosy look.

Considering that she had only slept three hours, she didn’t look too bad.

This was how it had been since she had started working at DL. No matter how late she worked or how she felt after a night of drinking to entertain clients, or after the endless hours of waiting for her boss, Jae Han, to finish his meeting, Yiseo woke up every morning at six-thirty and prepared for the day ahead. She washed away all remnants of the day before and readied herself anew.

Therefore, nothing will change. The memory of almost dying, Jae Yeol, who saved me, or his sturdy embrace. It is just a part of my past.

Lastly, Yiseo made her bed and picked up the camera on her nightstand.

The door clicked closed and the day, like every other day, had started.

***

“Good morning, Director.”

“Ms. Chae?” Jae Han paused on his running machine to turn around. He had been sweating it out in the hotel gym to loosen up his stiff body.

He pressed a few buttons on the machine and slowed down to a walk. Then he jumped off the machine.

“Why didn’t you sleep in? Didn’t you check the schedule?” he asked.

At 6:20 in the morning, Manager Kim had sent a group message. Their last schedule in Turkey had been pushed back to the afternoon. This allowed the exhausted team to take a little break.

“My eyes just opened. Have you eaten?”

Just like Yiseo woke up early out of habit, Jae Han habitually skipped breakfast. It was as if he believed that even the time spent on eating was time wasted. Whenever this happened, Yiseo would carefully choose a light menu and prepare it for him.

“Why don’t you go wash up, and I will have room service bring something up.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” An odd grin spread on Jae Han’s face.

He wiped the sweat off his brow as he headed to his room. As soon as they arrived, Yiseo had prepared the suit, tie, and cufflinks that Jae Han would wear today.

“I told you, I can dress myself,” Jae Han said disapprovingly as he came out of the shower.

“And I told you, this is my job.”

Some might judge and ask why a secretary has to do such things, but it was something that obviously had to be done if one was the secretary of an executive.

But Jae Han was different. He didn’t want a secretary that waited on him hand and foot but rather someone he could trust and depend on. Three years ago, he had asked her to be just that.

“Ms. Chae… no, Yiseo,” he called her the way he did when they were young.

She paused in the middle of tying his tie and looked up.

He grinned and let out a sigh.

“Can’t you just treat me like you used to when we’re alone?”

Yiseo kept quiet and busily moved her hands. She tied the knot and straightened out the ends. She took a step back and looked up at him, saying, “It looks good on you.”

At her formal tone, Jae Han could not help but let out a laugh.

Jae Han! Jae Han!

It was shocking enough to see the little girl who used to follow him around, screaming his name, all grown up, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at seeing her standing in front of him with such a mature expression.

“Fine. Perhaps one day you’ll say my name comfortably again.”

He knew why she never let her guard down.

She was concerned about besmirching his name. Worried that people might gossip, she was nipping it all in the bud.

“What would you like for breakfast?”

“It won’t kill me to skip a meal.”

“But as soon as we finish our afternoon schedule, we have to go straight to the airport.”

They walked out of the room and standing in front of the elevator, he gazed at Yiseo’s reflection in the door.

“What about you?” I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet, since I haven’t eaten. So I prepared a little something.”

Yiseo tilted her head and looked at him.

“Now, you look at me,” he teased.

He looked into her eyes and smiled.

The elevator door dinged open. While Jae Han entered with ease, Yiseo couldn’t move.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you. I asked Jae Yeol to join us.”

Jae Yeol stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the mirrored wall.

He was dressed quite differently than last night—simply attired in a black turtleneck with black slacks and his ankles showing. Jae Yeol raised his gaze to look at Yiseo. His look was as indifferent as it had been in her dreams.

***

The Sky Lounge that Jae Han had reserved had a spectacular view. The Topkapi Palace and the surrounding ocean dazzled in the sunlight.

A wonderful-looking breakfast was set in front of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat.

“It’s been about nine years since we’ve eaten together, right?” Jae Han started.

Yiseo turned her gaze and saw Jae Yeol drinking his coffee as he looked down at the view.

It was an unexpected encounter. With the morning schedule moved to the afternoon, she had thought that their dinner plans had been canceled.

Perhaps it was her fault for letting her guard down—that was the problem. She could not take her eyes off of him. Seeing him in the bright light, the man she sat across from had broader shoulders and a larger frame than she remembered him to have nine years ago. But as before, he still had the figure of a man.

What also had not changed was his black hair and the mysterious, ash-colored eyes. Whenever she looked into his hazy yet clear gray eyes, she felt like she would be sucked into his orbit.

This was why she had missed her chance to look away.

“Do you remember Yiseo?” Jae Han asked.

Jae Yeol turned to look at her. As their eyes met, she felt herself squeezing her hands into a fist.

“You know there was that high school girl staying with us when you came home for that visit? That was Yiseo.”

She had stayed less than half a year in their home. Even though Jae Han had insisted she could stay longer, she had left, as if she was running away.

“Oh…” Jae Yeol put down his coffee.

“I don’t remember,” he answered, without emotion.

Jae Han asked quizzically, “We even ate together. You really don’t remember?”

“Did we?”

Jae Yeol momentarily looked at Yiseo. He was nonchalant. She knew in that instant that she was nothing to this man, just like in the past.

“But, then again, nine years is a long time. I lost touch with her, too, and we reconnected three years ago.”

The indifferent eyes narrowed. He looked confused. It appeared that he had assumed that they had kept in touch all these years.

“She had a lot going on in her life. But we randomly met at work. As a new recruit in my department, no less. It was a miracle for me.”

Yiseo could not bring herself to look at Jae Han. Jae Yeol’s eyes were still on her. It was the same chilly stare as last night.

The sunken gaze slowly trailed from her forehead downward and stopped at the camera on the table.

Jae Yeol’s warning flashed before her eyes. She remembered him saying,

/“Why, she even has the trust of the president and does his personal bidding.”/

He crossed his arms and tilted his head. His low chuckle rang in her ears as the smell of coffee wafted over to her.

“You’re hopeless, as usual.”