Seulgi is nursing a minor hangover when she woke up the next day. However, she feels as if she deserves something worse, because she remembers completely and utterly vividly what had happened at the party.

She remembers breaking down and Jongin being there to hold her up. She remembers telling him everything. She remembers hearing him apologize a couple of times but it only made her cry more but the words sounded too much like goodbyes than actual apologies. It felt definitive to her that it all meant goodbye and so she cried even more, completely bearing her worst moment to him.

And then she remembers his kiss, and how she didn’t push him away. She knew it was wrong, her mind would never let her think otherwise; yet she still kissed back. She had become a selfish person in that moment. She believed there was no excuse for cheating and yet she had allowed herself and Jongin commit such act.

She’d never deny though that for that brief moment everything felt like the way it should be. Despite the tremendous guilt she’s feeling now, she won’t deny that during that isolated moment, happiness tugged at her heartstrings.

Unfortunately, the happiness went away as quickly as it came. The guilt of having with a man that is not committed to made her feel worse and so she ran away.

Jongin woke up with a terrible ache. He couldn’t pinpoint what part of him hurt or why but he knows it most likely had something to do with last night.

He didn’t know what came over him. He just knew that when the onslaught of tears came from Seulgi, he was desperate to take that away. He saw the pain she was in and he was desperate to save her from it once again. But now that he thinks about it, it will probably only do more damage to her. He’s still engaged after all.

If he were to be honest, he felt a sense of relief when Seulgi ran out after regaining her composure. He didn’t know what to say to her. He wasn’t ready to be questioned why he kissed her or why he went on. He most certainly wasn’t ready to see Seulgi looking at him with hatred if she starts to think that he only did that to lead her on.

In short, he is immensely grateful that it’s the weekend. He can lock himself up in his home and think things through. He doesn’t have to see Seulgi or Soojung today.

When thinking became too much for him, he distracted himself by watching TV or playing. At one point, he even called Chanyeol to tell him how messed up his situation is.

“Yeol hyung… What will I do?”

Silence followed the question. Jongin has been friends with Chanyeol for far too long to know that if the other is quiet then he’s answer must be something he knew Jongin would never like.

“I’ll have to choose won’t I?”

“You wouldn’t have had to if you only kept your pants on. Seulgi is your secretary. This would never be one of those issues you just sweep under a rag and forget.”

Now it was his turn to be quiet. He knows that Chanyeol is right.

“You know you’ll have to tell Soojung too, right?”

“But hyung… Soojung is the confrontation type of girl. And knowing Seulgi, she’ll only be accepting everything that Soojung might throw her way.”

“You won’t be able to blame any of them. Soojung most definitely has the right to go ballistic while Seulgi… She’s probably beating herself up already from the guilt. She won’t put up a fight against Soojung.”

Chanyeol didn’t say it out loud, but he feels very sorry for Seulgi. He knew her from the many times he’s visited Jongin in the office. The girl really is nice. Sometimes maybe too nice for her own good. She already lost the battle for Jongin’s heart. She will have to face Soojung’s wrath too.

When Chanyeol has had enough of the sighing from the other end of the line, he decided it was time to leave Jongin to his thoughts.

“Look Jongin… You should probably just take this time to decide on which relationship you will salvage. It’s not easy I know, but it’s necessary.”

By the end of the day, Jongin has made up his mind. Soojung is the path he chose to take and he must stand by that.

He spent the next day to prepare for how he was going to explain things to Seulgi. He planned out a speech for her.

“A momentary lapse of judgement.” He said to practiced. He refuses to listen to the voice within him however when it told him that he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself more than Seulgi.

Unbeknownst to Jongin, Seulgi has come to a decision herself.

Monday came too quickly for Jongin.

He didn’t know he had been holding his breath when he huffed out seeing Seulgi’s table empty. Seulgi had always arrived before him. No history of absences or tardiness.

He went into his office intent on calling the security to check if said woman has come in or if the chauffer had gone to pick her up already. But upon seeing the lone paper on his desk, he realized calling the security would be pointless.

Resignation letter. That’s what the paper was. The most formal one he’s ever read, actually.

No, no, no. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He’d planned everything out. He’d explain everything and perhaps even let her slap him if he wishes. He was not at all prepared for this.

He went out of his office, not knowing what to do. He just ended up staring at her empty table.

It looked so bare now. So lifeless. He spent the last two days preparing to let Seulgi down but never saw this coming. Now that he is in this situation, he realized he never prepared himself for the loss he’d feel.

Seulgi left an empty space in his heart now.

He was distracted from his staring when Joohyun entered the glass door that separated Seulgi’s table and his office from the rest of the employees on the floor. She waved her hand, the same hand she used to hold Seulgi’s office iPad. She had the smallest smile on, perhaps out of politeness for him. But the sadness in her eyes was more evident.

“We only found out this morning too. She stopped by to place the letter on your desk and hand me this.” Joohyun said as if she heard what Jongin was thinking.

“Even till the very last day, she was thinking of you.”

“Even till the very last day, she was thinking of me.”

The two said simultaneously.

“Reschedule everything and don’t let anyone disturb me.” Jongin added, not meaning to sound as icy as he did. “And I mean anyone.”

In that moment, Jongin made the quickest decision he ever made in his entire existence and that was to search for Seulgi. He has no idea what to tell her, or if he’s even going to show his face to her. All he knows is that he has to know where she is. Everything else will just follow after that.

The search for Seulgi lasted for days, weeks, months, and eventually years. Not even Soojung knew that Jongin had been searching for Seulgi for the past 3 years and a half. All she knew was that he was buried under paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.

“Sir, we should be on our way to the airport by now. That plane is leaving with or without us.” Seungwan said. She’s assumed the place of Seulgi because Jongin rejected anyone who applied for the position, no matter how capable the person is. Up until now he still considers Seungwan a temporary replacement.

Which Seungwan didn’t mind at all. It’s been 3 and a half years since Seulgi had disappeared and she still hasn’t forgiven Jongin for whatever Seulgi’s reason was for leaving. She still blames him and if it wasn’t for her sense of duty to the company and to her friend, she wouldn’t be here.

Jongin merely nodded at the reminder and then he was heading out, the girl following behind him. They were on their way to a business conference to Jeju.

Little did Jongin know that fate had other plans for him.

Seulgi walked into the luxurious lobby of Kensignton Jeju. She went straight to the front desk to check in. When everything was done, she was escorted by the bellboy to her room on the seventh floor.

She pointed the bellboy to the adjacent room, telling him to put the rest of the luggage there. After that she went back down to the lobby only to be faced with the person she least expected.

“S-Seul…” Jongin was frozen in place, voice hoarse, probably from having been quiet all this time. There wasn't really room for any conversation if you knew the person you're with loathed you. Wendy who was at the front desk, although surprised and happy to finally see her friend again decided not to intervene.

Seulgi wasn’t much better either. She stiffened at the sight and sound of Jongin. He’s invading her senses again like he did back then. Like they haven’t been apart for years.

“Eomma!” The sound of a child’s excited scream was what broke the tense moment between Seulgi and Jongin. Seconds later, a young child, Jongin wasn’t too sure what age he was because he was in an Ironman costume, had latched onto Seulgi’s left leg.

“Sorry. He got excited about the pool.” A man’s voice came, long legs striding towards Seulgi and the boy. Jongin knows that voice.

Jongin got over the double shock right away and set his expression to as stoic as he can. But he’s not fooling anyone.

“Sehun.” He regarded the new comer.

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