A daylight like light had them engulfed in their comforting embrace. 

∞

4:21 pm

The sun hid beneath the gray clouds covering the heated daylight; a heat down the cityscape of Seoul, as if waiting for the halted rain to pour down for the ones in need of it to be in the embrace of a warm daylight. 

The building of The One stood tall under the darkening sky as the faint murmurs of the two people inside gathered for a professional conversation continued while seated across on the plushy couch of the main cabin. 

“Why do you think I'd have to worry about any loss when I'm working with you?”

The personable man uttered; attired in a casual outfit yet highlighting his chic personality as Yoon Seok-ju lifted his eyes from the iPad to glance at the woman in front of him and Iseul nodded with an upside-down curve of her lips at his answer. “Alright, so shall I consider this a positive deal?” 

Yoon Seok-ju, the man same age as her; her high school classmate, and turns out he was her mother's friend's son, that she had set her up with on a blind-date without her acknowledgement, and Iseul was furious about it, yet not wanting to tarnish her mother's reputation in front her friend, she had met him with a disinterest, and affirmation of not interested in dating or marriage but in her work, however, her interest had taken over the moment she was aware of him being a designer, and for the shoes specifically. 

Iseul had made a work deal instead of a date. 

“Hundred percent.”

“We'll have a meeting with other designers at B&J company.”

Seok-ju nodded. “Alright.” His eyes glanced at her hand. “Is that okay?” 

“Nothing concerning.”

Iseul maintained her professional posture as Seok-ju nodded, understanding it, just like before; good at keeping things professional and that might have been the reason for his liking towards her but not lucky enough to be returned with the same feelings from her. 

“I'll take my leave now, Mrs Jeon,” He stood up; an anticipation on his face as he shook her hand with a smile. “Can't wait to meet your husband, Mr. Byun Baekhyun as well; must be a great guy that you couldn't refuse to get married; how lucky of him.”

“Sure; meet him and reflect on your behavior.”

Iseul snapped, pulling her hand back to herself as he frowned, “What's wrong with my behavior?” He paused, and she gave him a sharpening look. “You're chatty considering that you should have been gone by now.”

“So mean.”

“That's me.”

Iseul beckoned him towards the door; a look toward her from him, and he had left her cabin. 

Iseul had taken her seat again; leaned back, and sipping her coffee, as she stared ahead to the sight of darkening clouds through the glass wall of her cabin, a heaviness in her heart, before her eyes glanced at her bandaged hand with her silver ring, and her mind crossed to the happenings from last night; the realization of her wrong doings to the one who always had been right for her; to her. 

But she couldn't be; she wronged him in the most brutal manner.

The fact that her wound was tended by him; she was sleeping comfortably because of him was enough to put her more into the guilt, and regret she was carrying last night, enough to not to meet his eyes, and look at him the first thing in the morning and he was considering enough to let her; he didn't call nor came in front of her as if giving her the space she was in need of for her mingling thoughts but that was putting her heart more heavier with guilt. 

He shouldn't be this considering; he shouldn't be kind to her despite her doings to him. 

The chaos of her heart was in a piercing pain. 

“Lucky, my foot.” 

Iseul mumbled; tightened as she gulped down her lump while her eyes closed, her head thrown back on the headrest to hold back her tears as the outburst of the confrontation with her mother crossed her mind like a painful pierce, with her father's face flashing adding more pain in her burdening heavy heart; she felt like drowning into an exhaustion, and never wake from it.

The sight of snowfall pouring in the beautiful white was being sighted through her eyes; the almond shaped, but once had a sparkle was nowhere to be seen, it was all empty and silent, before Iseul's eyes looked around to the sight of the other patients, gathered in the backyard of the hospital, smiling at the sight of the white snow pouring down in the coldest warmth of a November night. 

She had none. 

Her figure seated on the wheelchair; the bandage from her right temple was long gone but her right leg was still not in use till her physiotherapy was finished; she felt useless. 

She hated being useless; she felt suffocating in it enough to want to be out of it and from the world. 

There was nothing; the happiness of hers was in a form of bandaged knee and unable to twirl again, while her heart was broken from a love yet was in a need of it, the memories of him and theirs didn't feel like a facade but she couldn't ignore the sight of the changed reality either; that broke her more, where the glimpses of her father's smiling face, and cheering to her dream but never be able to see it shattered her more. 

Her heart was heavy; he wasn't here because of her for only if he hadn't urged to come on her graduation day then he might have been alive even if it would have been him scolding her for letting the world know something dreadful he hadn't done. 

Glimpses of the particular boy flashed again; her heart in a crumble of pain and anger yet deep inside something was there that she couldn't push his glimpses away. 

Her hands on her thighs fisted; her emotionless eyes holding a pain through the glassy vision, and her heart welled up in a pain, and with an urge to end everything yet the glimpses of his soft brown eyes, and silver hair flashed in her mind as if unable to do so as her lips trembled to stare at the sight of the beautiful white snow until the glimpses of her splashed in red flashed like a jolt of fear and the beautiful white didn't appear beautiful anymore. 

It felt painful and frightening and cold. 

The feeling of hot burned against her bandaged hand through her wound, and Iseul's eyes opened, feeling the stinging sensation on her palm as her head lifted to look at the glass wall through her blurry vision as she immediately sat up straight; gulping down the lump as her eyes glanced at her hand without any expression of pain. 

The feeling of pain in her heart was more to feel any physical pain. 

“Now I understand,” She mumbled, her swollen eyes covered by makeup yet teared up again at his glimpse. “Why I couldn't forget you; why couldn't I stop feeling hurt because I had hurt you,” Her heart welling up. “You never did, Baekhyun.”

“And I don't deserve to be forgiven.”

She had sighed deeply trying to compose herself because she couldn't lose her posture during her office hours as she blinked her tears away while fixing herself quickly. 

The knock on the door erupted, and Iseul was quick to permit the person inside who was Hae-Jin as she leaned her elbow on her thigh to open her rolled bun until Hae-Jin was standing before her. 

“Mr. Lee called; he informed about Mr. Byun hiring the pending employees and Ms. Kim Yoorim has emailed the designers.”

“Alright,” Iseul nodded. “Anything else?” 

“Mr. Lee also informed about the jewelry designer, Park Hayley, has worked with Mr. Byun for two years in LA, and she will arrive tomorrow from LA to work with B&J.”

Iseul heard it attentively; she hadn't put much interest in other designers besides that had her interest, but she had to put interest now as she nodded, until, Baekhyun's glimpse had went through her mind, and heart like a jolt; a kind of anguished yearn. 

“Is my husband still there?” 

“No; he left for his company a few minutes ago.”

“Okay,” Iseul nodded, standing up as she walked to her desk; feeling bitterness within her as she rubbed her chest, until she had settled on her chair where Hae-Jin placed a file in front of her. “This is a restock document of the sold-out shoes from Style Central mall; your sign is needed for the restock.”

Iseul wore her frames; her eyes reading the document with a focus until she had signed the papers, “Mr. Jung,” She paused, taking off her glasses as she uttered her words without looking at him. “Prepare the car; I'll have a quick visit to the Style Central.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

The next moment, Iseul had slipped her arms through her blazer, fitting it with the buttons as she grabbed her purse before her heeled feet walked out of her cabin with Hae-Jin behind her while calling one of the man to prepare her car for a drive; a few minutes afterwards, Iseul was already pacing down the lobby of her building with her authoritative demeanor with a reciprocation of the employees greetings as she checked the time on her wristwatch; it was almost time to get off the work. 

She was in a mood to do more work; a distraction from the world. 

It was another thing that she didn't want to go home yet; she wasn't feeling confident, and brave enough to meet his eyes. 

“Have you prepared for an umbrella, Mr. Jung?” 

“Yes, ma'am.”

Iseul nodded; seated on the backseat as her eyes stared at the dark clouds resembling her state at the moment, while the clouds gave an indication of a heavy rain like it was threatening from her eyes but she wasn't letting it pour down because she was used to burying it inside her heart; her anguish of pain was buried deep inside and she was comfortable with it. 

Yet it felt heavy to be poured out but unable to do it or there was someone being yearned in her heart who could do it. 

Unknown yet known to her. 

“Why is there no signal in my phone?” 

Iseul mumbled, scrolling through her phone to find no service until she heard her secretary informing the reason. “The sudden power cut that night had damaged a lot of metallic towers; the one in this area has been in the repair session until tomorrow so there might be no signal or service in the phone, ma'am.”

“I see.”

Iseul understood; kind of concerned about it, as the road leading to the mall was a bit empty, rather having a teeming sight of cityscape since the whole area was already bought to let another building be built; relieved to have a safe ride with herself. 

“We have arrived, ma'am.”

Iseul had stepped out; her eyes traced the building of the mall, as the next minute, she was pacing inside while checking her phone to find the signal back with a relief as her pace continued to the particular shop where her shoes were being kept in; sold or sold-out, as she walked inside to be greeted by the manager of the shop for her to greet back politely as they stared her in an admiration. 

Iseul had her arms behind her back; her eyes looking around the shop to find a few customers pacing around her brand shoes as her eyes twitched in an observation, and curiosity until a deep frown of disturbance to find a customer checking the price to leave the shoes back there; Iseul tilted her head, and forwarded to the position as she stared at the price to find it doubled from the price she had declared in the contract with the shop. 

Her eyes hardened. “Mr. Jung?” 

“Yes, ma'am?” 

“Check through the prices; if there's anything opposite of the contract, let me know.”

“Right away, ma'am.”

Iseul stood still; her eyes narrowed at the sight, as she remembered clearly putting the decent price for the shoes to have it affordable for people but the sight here had believed that only the rich ones were getting the benefit along with the shop ones; it included her but she was against the discrimination happening behind her back without her awareness. 

She felt angry; it was a betrayal in a way and she hated it. 

“The prices here are against the clauses, ma'am.”

Iseul had her jawline hardened; her eyes sharp and her heeled feet walked to the reception as the male labeled as the manager smiled but seeing Iseul's hardened expression had his smile drop nervously. 

“Stop the sale of The One's right now; call your owner in an instant.”

Iseul demanded; her tone sharp as the next minute she was seated on the couch with her usual position enhancing her authoritative demeanor where the man standing there in a shock looked at Hae-Jin who only gestured him to work on the order given by the authority but the man had stood before Iseul with a nervous smile. 

“Is there any problem, Mrs. Jeon?” 

“There is.” Iseul crossed her arms; leaned back as she sharpened her eyes at him. “Call your owner if you don't want more problems.”

The next moment, he handed the phone to Iseul with a nervous system, “Mrs. Jeon Iseul here,” Iseul trailed off, a stoic expression, “I'm just going to inform you about the cancelation of our contract right now; you don't have to meet me since I'm not interested in talking because my lawyer will do the rest,” She paused, looking at the manager with a hardening gaze enough for him to panic. “I should let you know what I can do to the people who dare to discriminate me behind my back, Mr. Cha; that's it.”

Iseul handed the phone back to the manager as she stood up, “If I found out my brand's products are being sold even after this,” Her eyes sharpened in a rage. “I'll burn down this shop, understand?” 

“Yes, ma'am.”

Iseul paced past him towards the exit of the shop only to almost collide with the least person she wanted to meet; Song Hong-Ju, the woman stood in a dress with a smirk on her face that Iseul wanted to slap her face right there; she was this much enraged at the moment after the clashes in her life from the last night, and from the past nine years were overwhelming her. 

“Good to see you, Ms-” 

“Mrs. Jeon.”

Iseul cut her off; her eyes in a sass as her head tilted, “Just because I didn't invite you to my wedding, doesn't mean it wasn't in the articles to tell you about my marriage,” A smug expression twitched in her eyes. “I remember you have seen me with my husband, Ms. Song.”

Hong-Ju scoffed. “That much attitude for getting a man?”

“Yeah,” Iseul's eyes held a pride. “That's how much my man is worth.”

“Still couldn't stop your cheap actions?” Hong-Ju raised her eyebrows. “I mean, it's just a high price tag, do you have to act like you're going to go bankrupt?” She scoffed, flipped her strands away. “No wonder, Yunha, chose me for the branding.”

“I know right,” Iseul nodded, her arms behind her back, “I thought Yunha store's owner had a good taste despite the other branding, but looking at you,” Her eyes looked from up to down with a disappointed nod. “No wonder, their taste stoops this low; glad I'm safe.”

Hong-Ju's eyes glared. “Listen-” 

“Stop.” Iseul had her forefinger lifted as her eyes sharpened towards the woman. “I'm not in the mood, nor do I have time to waste on your little games,” Her eyes twitched in a threatening rage; she was aware of the woman's secret doings. “If you want to play; find someone of your place,” She paused, as her jaw hardened. “Don't mess with me because you will regret doing it, Song Hong-Ju.”

“That's my only warning for you.”

Without waiting for her words; Iseul had walked away with Hae-Jin behind her who had a smile on his face at his boss's actions of never letting anyone degrade her; he felt grateful to work for her, where Iseul kept her pace beneath her high heels aloud in an authority yet an enrage in her system. 

“Have you submitted the restock papers?” 

“Not yet, ma'am.”

“Cancel the contract; call the lawyer tomorrow to handle the rest and get the shoes back to the shops where they are needed and this time recheck the whole thing, Mr. Jung.”

Iseul ordered; furious by the whole thing while Hong-Ju adding more fuel to her fire as her bandaged hand fisted again with a sting pain yet she endured it; Yunha mall, the one Iseul wanted to have her brand stocks be sold, because the mall is one of the popular mall, and strangely enough, Lee Kang-min's father; Lee Jeong-Ho was the owner of it that Iseul came to know about it through Choi Myung-Soo on the fashion event night. 

But her brand couldn't be promoted there; Hong-Ju was fast enough. 

Iseul sighed as she checked the time; it was six in the evening as in it was off hours now but Hae-Jin was still with her until her pace halted by a clothing boutique to find her person inside through the glass door; Ji-eun was choosing dresses as Iseul stared at her for a moment with a warm feeling as her held back emotions were coursing through her system. 

The next moment, Ji-eun met her eyes with a sparkle in her eyes and a pout afterwards of her actions from last night, and the last night reminded her of the painful moments with a welling up heart to immediately pass her a soft expression. 

“Mr. Jung.”

“Yes, ma'am?” 

“You can go home,” Iseul handed him her car-keys, “Take my car for the ride; park it in the lot, and I'll grab it tomorrow.”

“Are you sure, ma'am?” 

“Yes; I got myself a ride.”

Hae-Jin glanced at Ji-eun who bowed at him for him to greet back; the next second, he left the place with goodbye greeting to her. 

The time struck half past seven; the gray clouds were in a shade of dark now after the sunset, yet the slight lightning kept indicating the rain as under the dark sky was a car being driven by Hwang Ji-eun, beside her was Iseul seated silently, staring outside the window to the cityscape teeming with people and lights as she drove ahead of the mall towards the restaurant. 

Their one hour passed with their shopping that Ji-eun had done while Iseul let her do it. 

Yet she could sense a distress through her best friend; her silence felt like it, and she appeared to be holding her emotions again. 

“Is there something wrong, smarty?” 

“Mom got into an accident last night.”

Ji-eun's heart sank with a shock. “What?!” She gripped the steering; continued to drive with a quick concerned glance towards her. “Is she hurt? Why didn't you call me?” 

“She didn't call me either.”

Iseul uttered, her eyes staring outside with a pierce of sorrow in her heart, “I finally asked her if she thinks of me as a daughter and not a mistake,” She paused, feeling a tightness in as a scoff left her lips. “Can you guess what she said?” She turned to Ji-eun with a sad grace of her lips. “She didn't mean it; it was all in the heat of the moment.”

“Iseul.”

Ji-eun's heart pained at her painful expression and Iseul leaned her head back against the headrest; her vision of the bright cityscape was in a watery blur. “How can people be so cruel? They just say what they want and say they never meant it even if their words had destroyed a person's whole world in a teeming lie and facade,” She paused, as the glimpses of her own harsh words to him echoed like a painful piercing in her heart. “But then again, I'm also one of those cruel people.”

Ji-eun frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“He never betrayed me; Baekhyun didn't do anything,” Iseul paused, her voice cracking as her chest tightened enough to tighten her fist in a stinging pain; her jaw hardened as she held her emotions in. “It was all my messed up emotions to blame,” She trailed off, sniffling as she leaned her elbow on the window to hold her fisted hand against her temple to stare outside through her teary eyes. “He kept pleading that he didn't but I was so drowned into my fear of a fake world that I didn't trust the only person who was right all along to me.”

Ji-eun's hand was quick to rub Iseul's arm gently. 

“Don't be so harsh on yourself, Iseul; you are also suffering from cruelty.”

“Nine years.” Iseul stated, her system heating up as her heart welled up, “Do you know how long nine years are? He suffered from my harsh words for nine years for something he didn't do,” She bit her trembling lip hard as she pressed her temple in a hazy sensation. “Yet he didn't say anything last night to me, and it makes me feel more guilty and so ashamed of myself,” She let out a deep breath. “I don't know how to face him anymore.”

“If only I can just rewind the time; the time he hadn't met me or I hadn't asked him to be my ally,” She closed her eyes; the tears halting on her eyelids yet her heart in a pain. “He wouldn't have to suffer from my harsh words; he was already surrounded by the agony in his life and I hurt him more; better if I hadn't been born; dad would've been alive, nothing would have happened, and I wouldn't be having this much heaviness in my heart.” 

A sad grace of smile on her lips. “There's a saying; you suffer from your actions in this world, I must be getting punished,” She sighed, unable to get off the heaviness almost suffocating her heart, “That is why everything happened; my dream, and my dad, and Baekhyun.”

Ji-eun's heart sank; she did see it coming but she didn't expect it to be this painful for her because she was already in an agony but was adding another heavy burden to her painful heart; how much more she had to suffer? 

 “Stop it, Iseul.”

Ji-eun pulled the car by the restaurant, and the next second, Iseul was faced to her as Ji-eun held a fury in her. “Mistakes happen,” She trailed off, caressing her hair with a welling up heart at her teary sight. “You were in a position that you did; it was unintentional, and you have already gone through so much to hold another one again; don't hold so much pain inside that might ruin you, Iseul.”

“It already has; I have ruined it myself.” Iseul concluded; her eyes barely holding an emotion for herself. “I'll just survive with it like how I have been for nine years.”

The next thing Iseul stepped out of the car; Ji-eun sighed deeply, her best friend was drowning in guilt, and pain, and regret, but she needed to let it out, and cry for it to see how her own pain was above everything else. 

The one she had been holding inside her. 

It struck eight, and the women found themselves inside the restaurant, with Ji-eun having a meal of her life while Iseul was trying to gobble the food yet didn't feel like eating it because her mind, and heart was in a mess to have an appetite for her to continue with the sips of red wine. 

“Did you dig your flesh again?” 

Iseul followed Ji-eun's angry eyes towards her bandaged hand, “Yeah, I did,” It reminded her of Baekhyun again, the one who had tended it, and a guilt in her heart that she gulped down with the bittersweet taste of wine, “Have you thought about hiring a bodyguard?” 

“Yeah,” Ji-eun gobbled her food. “I overreacted last night; I think it's safe if I do but only if the bodyguard is handsome,” She paused, with a toothy grin at Iseul's rolling eyes expression until she uttered her words, “Lee could've been an excellent choice but he's busy with his own job; I doubt if he'll be jealous about a man tailing around you all the time but not him.”

“You're teasing me?” 

“Precisely.” Iseul discerned Ji-eun's flushed cheeks; her forehead creased. “Things between you two looked good, am I correct or right?” 

“You're so annoyingly, both.”

Iseul rolled her eyes at Ji-