“What do you mean there’s only one room available?!” Ji Won exclaimed.

“We’re extremely sorry, but there’s been a mistake in the system and unfortunately, all the other rooms have been booked out.” The hotel receptionist explained. “We can offer you a full refund if you’d like. But then again, it’ll be difficult to find a room elsewhere. A popular idol group is holding a concert tonight, causing a high influx of people to Jeju Island.”

“We’ll take the room.” Je Hoon said, ignoring Ji Won’s flabbergasted expression, which she now directed at him.

Ji Won’s bewilderment developed into frustration as they took the lift to the 28^th floor where their room was located. Why did he seem so unfazed about sharing a room together? Did he not see her as a woman? The thought of this wounded her pride. “What on earth were you thinking? I hope you realize you’re about to share a hotel room with a woman.”

“Should I be worried about my safety?”

“Don’t blame me if I pounce on you tonight.” She warned him in a very matter-of-fact way, attracting astound looks from other people on the lift.

“You’ve got your gender roles mixed up”

The feminist within Ji Won sat uncomfortably with his statement. “If guys can pounce, why can’t girls?” An elderly man beside Je Hoon choked on his drink. “You’re completely delusional if you think all girls are sweet and innocent.”  

“Look, if you’re trying to make me regret my decision, it’s not working.”

“I will make you regret.” She declared in a staccato voice, snatching the room’s keycard from him then storming onto the 28^th floor and over to their room. She knew her vexation was childish and uncalled-for, but she couldn’t help it. Just as she pushed the door open, Je Hoon pulled the door shut from behind her and she spun around to face him with a glare.

He leaned in towards her. “If you do anything stupid,” he began, then in the same staccato voice she used on him, he counter-attacked: “I will make you regret.”   

She scoffed, “I don’t know what you’re imagining, but I’d like to see you try, Director.”

Did she think he was a coward? Did she think he wouldn’t do anything to her just because he was her superior? He eyed her with a predator’s gaze. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. Come here."

Je Hoon grabbed her hand and led her into the room, closing the door behind him. He held her waist and pressed her against the wall. As they tried to read each other, neither of them hinting any desire to stop, a silence crept in between them and time seemed to have frozen in place.

"I sure hope you become an official employee.” He muttered under his breath, then he reluctantly let go of her and took a step back.

What was he saying? What did he mean by that? An audacious curiosity started to well up from within and nipped at the tip of her tongue. Although Je Hoon was her superior, she wasn’t going to let that fact stop her from questioning his unknown motives. She wasn't going to let him freely lead her on then leave her in the dark when she was expecting a . And she most definitely was not a toy he could play with.

“Is it…because office romance is prohibited?” She carefully studied his facial expression, but when he gave nothing away, she continued to question him further, aware that she was now treading into dangerous territories. “Is it because…I’m just your intern?”

Je Hoon wanted to somehow turn his ears off, to somehow block her out. The responsible side of his consciousness beckoned her to cease the interrogation. He was holding ever so desperately to his very last strand of self-discipline and control, which became extremely fragile at this very moment. And he knew his robust ability for self-restraint wasn’t going to last much longer if she continued vulnerably like this.

“How do you resist it?” She whispered, her voice piercing through his tangled thoughts even though it was barely audible.

He met with her soft hazel eyes, which seemed to have expressed a mix of multiple emotions; fear, daringness, desperation, hunger… At that moment, he knew he had already lost himself.

“I can’t.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, their interacting body heat charging the room with an invisible electric buzz. He locked his lips onto hers, kissing her desperately. In his mind, he punished himself for his lack of discipline. But when she returned his kiss, synchronizing the movement of her lips with his, he started to lose all his mind. He was now letting it all out, all those torturous weeks of trapped passion released through their very first kiss together. He didn’t know whether to be overjoyed or concerned, but he could feel that she was also daringly following him along.

Je Hoon had lost all sense of time. How long have then been kissing for? Why was it that whenever it comes to her, his strong sense of self-awareness became so distorted? Why did he feel so confused but free at the same time?

No, pull yourself together. The voice inside his consciousness screamed out at him. Je Hoon opened his eyes, as though awakening from a long wistful dream. It took all of his might to finally tear his lips away from hers, and he forced himself to take a few steps back, fighting his unwillingness to do so.

“I’m sorry.” He said all out of breath, avoiding her stunned gaze with his downcast eyes. He stepped further back, the sudden disconnection of their bodies allowing an awkward coldness to steadily devour their very fleeting passion. “This was a mistake.”

It wasn't. Nothing has ever felt so right to him.