“It’s a long and tough day. For this time, please . . . just for this time . . .” Min Ho can’t help himself from bursting out the words. His mouth betrays him as his mind telling him to not coming closer, to not holding her, to not pulling her in his arms. He inhales her soft scents as his nose rested on her head. Her scents somehow makes him feel calm and sooth. He’s not sure for how long he and Shin Hye in the position. Five minutes, maybe, ten minutes. He know the moment can’t last forever before he reluctantly, slowly pull his head away as he looks down, looking down their awkward position, as their arms still wrap around each other. His heart beating faster the moment Shin Hye look up and her eye met him. For seconds he lost in her deep stares.

“I’m sorry.” He manages to say at last, slowly stepping apart, loosen his arms before completely parted himself. “I . . . I –“

“No. I understand.” Shin Hye cut off as she look away.

He notices her blush face and her fidgeting fingers as she try to hide her embarrassment.

“We should go. I think.” She chimes in just before he’s able to say anything, as she walk away.

He pursed his lips, watching her carefully pad through the woods, before he hurriedly following her.

As they head back to the hotel, neither of them speaks.

 

“Shin Hye.” He says as they nearly to the hotel. “I . . . I means –“ He breaks off when his phone suddenly buzzes. He pursed his lip as he look at the screen and reluctantly pick up the call. “Yes, Jin Kyung.”

She keep her eye on him, though she stay in silent.

“Yes. I’m here.” He says as his eye on her, before tenderly grabbing her arms, and heads into the hotel. “I know. Yes. I know how to handle it.”

And just like that, the night over, without him has the time and chances to talk to her.

 

Because they’re so many people who wants to talk to him and need to talk to him at the moment.

 

#   # 

 

Min Ho exhales heavily as he hang off the phone, and now looking at the person next to him. ‘It’s a long tough day for you too. Sorry to drag you together.’ He says silently, before slowly pull Shin Hye head that leans on the window, and rest it on his shoulder. He too immerse with the phone conversations, texts and emails, to realize she’s already sleeping.

He felt sorry to have-to-ignore her since they’re in the flight and arrived at the airport from Jeju. There are so many things he need to attend through his phone at the moment. “I’m sorry.” He utter softly, still with his eye on her. He do feel bad to drag her in his situation, even though she’s willing to help.

“Sleep well!” He says as a tiny smile curl on her lip. He don’t understand, but somehow he feel much better with her besides him, especially in this mess situation in his life.

Not sure for how long he’s watching her, a bleeps from her phone suddenly interrupts him. He look at the phone on the seat, glances at her, and back to the phone.

Second later, the phone already in his hand, as he stares at the screen, to the name appear. He glance back at her, and later, without hesitation he slides his finger on the screen.

And, that’s how he spend his time with the phone through the drives back.

 

#  #

 

“Shin Hye. Shin Hye.”

 

Shin Hye heard her name been called, as she slowly open her eye, to found she’s inside unfamiliar space. ‘Where am I? This is not my bed.’ She twitch her eye before realizing her head was rested on soft-comfortable spot. On impulse, she look up and startles when her eye meet Min Ho.

“Oh.” She scramble into sitting position, after realizing her head was rested on Min Ho chest. “I’m sorry. Why don’t you wake –“

“It’s OK.” Min Ho cut off. “Is this your apartment?” He asks, gesturing to the outside.

She peer blearily out of the window. They’re indeed in Itaewon. Precisely, they’re outside her apartment’s building. She glance at her watch to found it’s gone midnight.

“Yes.” She says in disbelief, turn back to him. “But, how do you –“

Min Ho nods at her phone on the car seat. “Your address was in there.”

Her brow creases as she look at the phone. “Oh.” She suddenly feel blank, hardly to complain about him invading her privacy.

“I didn’t t want to wake you up.” He gently says, like he can read her mind.

“Oh. No. of course, that’s fine. Thanks.” She nods.

And as she just want to pick the phone, Min Ho picks it up first. He seems about to hand it to her, but then hesitates. He stares at her, tenderly and yet with concern.

“I read your messages.” He say at last. “All of them.”

She instantly look up at him, stares in puzzled.

“Oh.” The only word she manages to say. “It’s . . . ermm . . . well.” She clear . “That’s a bit much . . . don’t you think?” She pause, not sure how to react. “I mean, I know I read your emails, but . . . you didn’t need to –“

“It’s Eun Hye.” He cut her off.

“What?” She stare at him dumbly.

“Eun Hye, your girl.” He repeats, stares into her eye, to tell her he’s not lying.

“Eun Hye?” She utter confusingly. “What. But . . . why?” She can’t put her question rightly.

 

Min Ho inhales softly, watching her. “She’s been lying to you. Consistently. She couldn’t have been in all the places she says she has at the times she said. It’s not physically possible.” He can’t stop from saying it out.

“Actually . . . I noticed it too.” She admit. “But, I thought . . . she was trying to bill me for more hours, or something –“

“Does she bill by the hour?” He cut her off again.

Her brow furrow as she thinks, before she pursed her lip and slowly look down on her lap. “No. its all-inclusive fee.” She weakly says, just realizing the fact.

“Have you ever noticed that Soo Hyun and Eun Hye invariably text you within ten minutes of each other?” He adds.

She look up at him again, surprise with the question, before slowly shake her head. “Why would I notice that?” She says after a few minutes. “I get so many texts every day, from all kinds of people. My friends, family, patients –“

“I started off life as an analyst.” He cut off. “This is my kind of thing.”

“What’s your kind of thing?” She asks in puzzled.

He stares at her, before inhales softly and produces a piece of paper, showing it to her.

She gasp in shock as she sees it. Her hand clap over as she examines a drawn chart on the paper, stating the date and times of calls, texts and emails. She can’t believe what she sees just now. “You . . . you’re doing this while . . .” She unable to finish her words as her eye meet hm.

He looks slightly guilty as he nods. “I analysed your messages. I’m sorry. But, you’ll see what’s going on.”

“Analysed my messages?” She seems puzzled.

He hands the paper to her, like telling it’s the answer, but she just blink at it.

“What . . .” She pause and stares blankly on the paper.

“You see the correlation?” He ask firmly, noted that she’s not get it.

“Erm . . .”

“OK, take this date.” He points at the paper. “They both email at around 6 p.m asking how you’re doing, being chatty. Then at 8 p.m Soo Hyun tells you he’s working late at the Seoul Metropolitan Library.” He trails his finger on the paper. “A few minutes later Eun Hye tells you she’s working on garters for the bridesmaids at a fashion warehouse in Ahyeon-dong. At eight at night?” He makes an annoying expression.

She silent a few moments. She remember it, the garters thing. ‘It seemed a bit odd . . . but . . .” She sighs silently, staring on the paper. “Who asked you to analyse my messages, anyway?” She asks, sound prickly. “Who said it was any of your business?” Her finger plays with her skirt’s edge.

He eyeing her in silent, capturing her expression and realizing her sad tones. “No one. It’s just me. And you were asleep.” He spreads his hands. “I’m sorry.” He gently says. “I just started looking idly and then a pattern built up.”

“Two emails aren’t a pattern.” She still don’t want to believe.

“It’s not just two.” He gestures at the paper. “Next day, Soo Hyun has got a special evening seminar which he ‘FORGOT’ to mention. Five minutes later, Eun Hye tells you about a lace workshop she attend in Ansan. But she was in Gangnam an less than an hour ago. Gangnam to Ansan? In the rush hour? That’s not real.” He pressed on the fact. “My guess is it’s an alibi.”

‘Alibi?’ She feel a bit cold as her ears capture the word.

“Two days later, Soo Hyun texts you, cancelling your lunch date.” He continue. “A moment later, Eun Hye telling you she’s frantically busy till 2 p.m. She doesn’t give you any other reason. Why would she need to let you know that she’s frantically busy over some random lunchtime?” He looks up, waiting for a reply, at the same time examining her. He notices her swallow and blankly stares on the paper.

“I . . . I don’t know.” She say helplessly. “I don’t know.” Her tones goes weak as she repeat.

‘Soo Hyun and Eun Hye.’ She mutter inside. ‘What a bad joke!’ She hard to accept. ‘One is organizing my wedding. The other one is supposed to be in my wedding. To me.’ She clench her finger tightly into her skirt.

‘But . . . who sent me the anonymous text?’ Her head jerks with a though. ‘It wouldn’t have been any of Soo Hyun’s friends. And I don’t know any of Eun Hye’s friends. So who on earth-‘

 

“Remember when Soo Hyun told you he had to counsel some PhD student? And Eun Hye suddenly pulled out of your drinks meeting? She sent Yubi along instead?” Min Ho voice pull her back from her thought. “If you look at the timings . . .”

‘Yubi.’ The name suddenly brings her another thought. She now remember Yubi always have problem with spelling. She noticed it in her past texts and emails, there must be at least one word that she spelled it wrong. ‘So . . .’

On impulse, with her shaking fingers she grab her phone, ignoring Min Ho talking, as she quickly find the text send by the unknown number. She read it over. And now, she can hear the words in Yubi’s sweet, anxious voice. ‘It feels like her. It sounds like her.’

She understand Yubi. She wouldn’t invent something for no reason. She must believe it’s true. ‘She must have seen something . . . heard something . . .’

Shin Hye sag back against the car seat. Her limbs are aching, feel parched and worn out. And, she feel a little like she want to cry.

Min Ho noticed, keeping his eye on her. “Are you OK? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to . . .” He hesitates. “Anyway, I mean . . . it’s just a theory, that’s all.” He says in guilt but yet can’t help from telling it to her.

Shin Hye stay in silent, watching him folds the paper. And as he just want to slide the paper into his pocket, she take it.

“Thanks.” She manages to say. “Thanks for doing that.”

“I . . .” He shrugs, a bit awkward, exhaled deeply. “Like I said. It’s my thing . . .”

 

For a while both of them stay in silent.

 

But, they feel like they still communicating to each other, as though their thoughts are circling above their heads. Interweaving, looping, meeting for a moment then diverging again.

At a point she feel she want to tell him about Yubi and the text. But at another point she think she shouldn’t. He already have such a crucial situation to handle. It’s nothing if to compare with her stupid matter of issue.

‘He has his own path. And me, too, has my own path.’ She hesitantly tell herself, grabs the paper tightly in hand.

“So.” She exhale at last. “I should let you go. It’s late. Thanks for –“

“No.” He interrupts. “Don’t be ridiculous. Thank you.”

She nod simply. She don’t want to drag them into long speeches. They’re too drained after all the things happened the whole day.  “It’s been . . .”

“Yes.” He cut her off again.

 

She look up and make the mistake of catching his eye, silvered in the light from the street lamp.

And, the moment in the wood suddenly comes again, which she feels he’s think the same.

He keep his gazes on her, as he reading her all over.

 

She immediately break the stares. “So. I . . .” She reach for the door handle, trying to force herself back into reality. Rationally. “I still need to give you this phone back –“

“Shin Hye.” He cut off tenderly. “You know what . . . have it. It’s yours.” He clasps her fingers over it and hold them tight for a moment.

She quite surprised with his sudden action, but she don’t refuse. Or maybe don’t have the energy to refuse.

“You earned it.” He says. “And please don’t bother to forward anything else. As from tomorrow all my emails will go to my new PA. Your work here is done.” He look at her with assurance and concern expression.

She nods as she tighten her clench on the phone, and she feels his thumb caress softly on her hand. “Well, thanks.” She pulls her hand off, and open the door.

But, on impulse she turn around. “Min Ho . . .” She says. “I hope you’re OK.” She keeps her gazes on him.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” He flashes his wonder-smile. His eye do the talking to her much than he wants to say.

She’s not able to move her eye from him, examines his expression. ‘Lee Min Ho why are you like this? You’re about to lose your job! And . . . you can still smiling like that. Pabo!’ She has the urge of hugging him tight, but she can’t. She shouldn’t.

“I hope you’re OK.” He says it back to her. His expression changes a bit, worried in his eye can be tell easily. “I’m sorry about . . . it all.”

“I’ll be OK!” She give a brittle laugh, even though she have no idea what she even mean by saying it. Too many things jumbles in her mind at the moment. ‘My husband-to-be is possibly shagging my wedding planner. How can I be OK?’

“Bye, Min Ho.” She says as she force herself to get out and bang the door shut. She glance at the driver, bow slightly as to say her thanks, before she head inside her apartment building, walking as fast as she can towards the lift as she know instinctively Min Ho won’t drive away till he’s seen she safely in.

 

After a moment, she come back out, and stand on the pavement, at the entrance, watching his car drive away.

As the car rounds the corner, she check her phone. Half-expecting . . .

But, it’s dark and silent. And it remains dark and silent.

And for the first time in a long while, she feel utterly alone.

 

#  #

 

It’s in every single paper the next morning. Front-page news. There are pictures or Mr.Cheon, picture of Prime Minister, pictures of Min Ho, pictures of Dong Gun, even a picture of Jin Kyung in the newspaper. The headlines are full of ‘corruption’ and ‘smear-attempt’ and ‘integrity’. The memo is printed in full, everywhere. And there also an official quote about Mr. Cheon, considering his position on the government committee. There also two different cartoons of Mr. Cheon holding up bags labelled ‘Happiness’ stuffed full of money.

Shin Hye breath heavily looking through of that. This early morning, she headed out to the new’s outlet as soon as she wake up and bought every paper they had.

“Min Ho was right.” She utter helplessly, still going through the papers. There’s an air of confusion about it. Some journalists obviously think Mr. Cheon did write the memo. One paper has run editorial about how Mr. Cheon is an arrogant bighead and of course he’s been taking bribes all along. But, another has written that Mr. Cheon is known for his quiet integrity and I couldn’t possibly be him. “Question mark over story.” She repeats the words Min Ho mention in the text last night.

 

Reminding over the text, she look at her phone on the table. Silent and dark. She texted him this morning:

Are you OK?

 

But he didn’t reply. “He must be busy.” She say, more as to reasoning herself. After their dismissed last night, it took her hours to get to sleep. And then, she woke up at six, sitting up bolt upright and already grabbing her phone.

 

There’s a text she received from Soo Hyun, with only four words:

Having a great time.

She’s don’t get it what’s he means through the four words.

Her crazy mind telling:

He congratulating himself on how she has no idea about his secret mistress; He congratulate himself for having a great time innocently looking forward to a life of faithful monogamy - with no idea that Yubi somehow got the wrong end of the stick about him and Eun Hye; or He congratulate himself for having a great time deciding that he’s never going to be unfaithful again and regrets it hugely and will confess everything to her as soon as he gets back.

 

She can’t cope with all that. All she needs is Soo Hyun to be here, right in front of her. So that, she can ask him and see what he says and then they can move forward and she can work out what she’s going to do.

 

“Argggggghhhhhh!” She yells stressfully, as she walk towards the kitchen to make another cup of coffee, and catch a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror. She wince nastily seeing her messy hair. She look down at her hand that covered with newsprint from all the paper. She assume her stomach is full of acid and her skin looks drawn. And, she didn’t even take her make-up off.

“A bridal to be me.” She mutter fruitlessly.

At this time she should doing her wedding preparation, but every time she think about it, her insides clench and she feel like crying or shouting at someone – exactly Soo Hyun.

“Arggggghhhhhh!!!!” She screams one more time, with both hand raking her hair. “OK Park Shin Hye, there’s no point just sitting here all day, though. You have to go out!” She tells herself as she walking to the kitchen and boil the water. “I have to do something!” She marched to her bedroom and settle herself for shower.

 

#  #

 

“ . . . and in today’s front page story, we’re talking possible corruption at government level.”

The presenter’s voice attract Shin Hye attention. “Here in the studio, a man who has known Mr. Cheon Ho Jin for thirty years, Mr. Choi Sang Hun . Mr. Choi, this is a confusing business. What’s your take?”

“I know that guy.” Soo Jin says self-importantly to Shin Hye, as Mr. Choi starts talking. “He used to work in the same building at my last job.”

“Oh, really.” Shin Hye turn to her when suddenly the sight of Min Ho appears on the screen. She can’t look. Just the sight of him shooting pains through her chest, which she don’t even know why.

‘Is it because he’s on trouble? Is it because he’s the only other person who knows about Soo Hyun? Is it because last night I was standing in a wood in his arms . . . and now I’ll probably never see him again?’ She battle inside.

 

“He’s quite good-looking.” Soo Jin voice pull her back to reality, as she’s squinting at Min Ho critically. “Is he Mr. Cheon Ho Jin whatsit?”

“No!” Shin Hye answer more vehemently than she means to. “Don’t be stupid?”

“All right!” Soo Jin scowls at her. “What’s it to you, anyway?”

She can’t answer.

“Are you OK? By the way, what are you doing here, anyway?” Soo Jin ask confusingly. “Though you had the day off.”

Shin Hye look at her with kind of ‘I’m-not sure why I’m here’ expression. “I wanted to get ahead with stuff.” She grab her denim jacket. “But maybe it was a bad idea.” She winks at her as she takes her steps towards the door.

The door suddenly bursts open, So Ra and Krystal bustle in

“She’s here! We were just talking about you!” So Ra says, looking surprised. “What are you doin