It was Friday morning in New York City. Joon Pyo headed into the boardroom, his face was as usual: somber, cool, and unsmiling. He walked in to view the sea of middle aged businessmen, along with a few older women. The group was largely American, with a few Koreans. Joon Pyo was the youngest at the company and frequently among the youngest in most business settings. Despite his young age, Joon Pyo had come into his own as a businessman and had quickly earned a reputation for his aggressive business style. He wasn't ruthless, though. He once possessed such a personality and most likely would have been that type if not for his experiences and most of all, Jan Di. He cared now. This made him all the more appealing in the business world.

Joon Pyo greeted his colleagues with a bow. He continued to retain his Korean customs. However, he frequently spoke English and easily fit in with Americans. Joon Pyo began his presentation immediately. He had always been one to get right down to it. He was confident, decisive, and highly capable. He easily fit into the world that he'd been groomed for his whole life.

After finishing his presentation his colleagues clapped respectfully in unison. Mr. Shim, the manager of this branch of the company, stood and gave Joon Pyo a clap on the back. "Thank you, Joon Pyo."

Joon Pyo gave a nod and a bow. He took a seat beside Mr. Shim. Mr. Shim rose to make an announcement. "Ladies and gentleman, it is my pleasure today to announce a new business associate to you. Her father is the distinguished and renowned Mr. Chin-Hwa Lee. She is a Korean American who has been working with her father for the past five years. She will be assisting us with our upcoming business endeavors, including the impending merger with the Gyoh Group. It is my very great honor to introduce to you, Ms. Lee Ji-Min."

Ms. Lee walked in, dressed in a white button-down shirt, short black jacket, black pencil skirt, and heels. She was tall and thin, with long dark brown hair worn down, and ivory skin. She had a Korean look, but she appeared only half Korean.

Joon Pyo glanced at her. She gave him a smile before addressing the group. "Thank you, Mr. Shim for that wonderful introduction. Good morning, colleagues! My name is Ji-Min Lee, but I go by Alex here. I'm so pleased to be here, and I look forward to working with each of you. I am very excited about all that we are doing here at Shinwa, and I believe that I can bring a lot to the table. I think you will all soon agree." She gave a bow for her Korean colleagues, glancing at a skeptical Joon Pyo. She spoke vivaciously and carried herself with an air of determination and experience.

Joon Pyo was looking down at the papers before him on the table. This had been a surprise to him. He thought about Lee's company. It was a large conglomerate, similar to Shinwa. They had been competitors at one time. It concerned him slightly, but he had no intention of allowing Lee's company or Ms. Lee to take over.

Mr. Shim spoke, interrupting Joon Pyo's pensive state. "As you all know, we have been planning a merger with the Gyoh Group for some time now. I don't need to tell any of you how huge of an endeavor this is! The Gyoh Group is largely based in Europe. I've arranged a meeting with the representative of the Paris branch of the Gyoh Group, Monsieur Bernier. This meeting will be taking place a week from Monday to discuss initial dealings with them."

Mr. Shim turned to Joon Pyo. "Joon Pyo."

Joon Pyo responded. "Ne?" He looked up from his deliberation.

"I'd like you and Ms. Lee to travel to Paris for this meeting. You and Ms. Lee will be partners on this deal. I expect that both of you will do the company proud."

"Mwo?" Joon Pyo responded with a look of bewilderment.

After the meeting Joon Pyo sipped a cup of coffee, which he had become quite accustomed to drinking in the United States, and leaned back in his leather chair.

Going to Paris…a business partner…Ms. Lee…

Joon Pyo didn't like surprises such as this. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of having a partner either, especially one such as Ms. Lee, who he could already tell would be troublesome. He set his cup down and rubbed his temples. There was a knock at the door. "Come in."

Ms. Lee entered his office. "Well, if it isn't the famous Goo Joon Pyo! I've been eager to meet you for a very long time."

Joon Pyo huffed, unimpressed. "Have you?" He made no eye contact.

"Of course. My father has always greatly admired Shinwha and the Goo family."

"Is that so?" He scoffed and took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes." She answered matter-of-factly. "Though our company was a competitor for a period of time, I feel that us partnering is a great idea! My father thinks so, too, obviously."

Joon Pyo looked up at her distrustfully.

"I sense that you aren't thrilled that I'm here, or about us being partners." She cocked her head slightly, giving a wry smile.

Joon Pyo continued to lean back casually and took another sip. "Am I thrilled? No. But I'll do what is best for Shinwha."

"How do you feel about having a partner? You strike me as the solitary type." She bluntly inferred.

Joon Pyo was already irritated by her brashness but answered her sincerely. "I am. But as I said, I'll do what needs to be done for the company."

"Excellent. I'm glad to have your compliance. I typically work alone myself, but I'll do as Mr. Shim has asked for the good of the company, as well. She walked to his desk and reached out a hand. He shook it reluctantly, noting the strength of the grip behind such small, soft hands.

Ms. Lee released. "I'd like to meet with you a few times prior to leaving for Paris. We need to prepare for this. Meet me at the coffee shop on the roof at 7PM Sunday. I'm very busy until then. Don't be late."

Joon Pyo opened his mouth to speak, but Ms. Lee abruptly turned and walked away before he could do so.

"Ya!" He called out to her, highly bothered that she had apparently deemed herself in charge.

She didn't turn and continued to walk out, with a grin.

Joon Pyo frowned and mumbled lowly. "Who does she think she is?"

Ji Hoo sat reading in his chair, attempting to take his mind off Jan Di. There was a knock at the door. Ji Hoo put his book down and went to the door. He could see Jan Di standing outside through the large windows that comprised the main portion of his home. She appeared to be shaking lightly.

Ji Hoo answered with a look of concern. "Jan Di, what…?"

"S-Sunbae...can I come in?" She asked, stuttering slightly, a serious look upon her face.

Ji Hoo guided her to enter and take a seat. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

Jan Di took a breath, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment. "Sunbae, I…I wanted to talk to you about the other day."

Ji Hoo nodded and sat beside her, wringing his hands. "Would you like tea?"

"No, thanks. I just want to say this." She said matter-of-factly, looking at her hands in her lap.

He nodded. "Ok. Go ahead." He waited patiently as she appeared to be mentally preparing for what she was about to say.

She cleared . "Sunbae, you know how much you mean to me, right?"

Ji hoo looked at her, uncertain and apprehensive.

She continued, as if the question had been rhetorical. "You know that I care for you a great deal, and…you've always been there for me…you're one of my closest friends. Probably my best friend these days…" He knew all of this. He wondered where she was headed with it, but he decided to be patient and hear her out.

He nodded. "Jan Di, are you alright?"

She looked at him, as if she would begin to cry. He moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder, unwittingly rubbing her shoulder lightly with his thumb.

"Whatever you have to say, you can just tell me. It's OK." He had meant to instill confidence, but he found himself fearing the worst.

She appeared contemplative for a moment. "Sunbae, this is really hard for me to say…but I felt this strange feeling when I thought that you could be interested in Hye Jung….I felt….I felt…" It was as if she couldn't seem to say the word or look at him.

Ji Hoo felt his heart flutter softly. "Jealous?" He asked delicately.

Jan Di sighed heavily and glanced up to see him gazing at her tenderly. She nodded, embarrassed.

"What's wrong with me, Sunbae? I'm a terrible person." She berated herself, still bowing her head in shame.

"You're not, don't say that!" He pulled her into his chest and felt her go limp, shaking softly against him.

He d her hair and held her tight to his chest. "It's OK. Feelings aren't something that you can control. We all have feelings that we don't understand or don't want to have sometimes…" He continued to her hair as he reflected upon his own feelings. "I know what I'm talking about, so you have to trust me. I know jealousy well…I…" His conflicted feelings were surging within him, as he felt her begin to shake more heavily and release a soft cry. He squeezed her tighter in response.

She broke the hug and looked at him with moist eyes. "But it's not right…I don't know what's wrong with me? I'm not sure why I'm even telling you this…"

"There's nothing wrong with you, Jan Di. And you can tell me anything. I would never think badly of you." He sighed and looked at her. She was looking down once again, a few tears had rolled down her pretty face. He raised his hand to wipe her tears but hesitated, remembering how she'd stopped him the last time. He continued regardless and gently wiped them away.

She took a deep breath and garnered her courage. "I wanted to tell you this because…maybe it's not such a good idea for us to spend the day together Sunday. I….don't think we should spend time together anymore...it's not fair to you…and I feel guilty…" She sniffled and stood up, turning from him. "I'm sorry, S-Sunbae… I…should go." She struggled with the words.

Ji Hoo had held back many times before and let her walk out the door more times than he cared to remember. His chest felt tight and ached at the thought of letting her leave like this.

Mustering his courage, he spoke. "Jan Di, wait! Don't go!" He caught her arm as she made her way toward the door and pulled her to him once more. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried her in his chest. He felt her quiver slightly. He d her hair once more, as she surrendered and put her arms around him, too.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as he held her. "Jan Di, you don't have to do this. I can't let you do this. You don't have to worry. I'm not expecting anything from you. I just want to be here for you and protect you…"

She broke free once more and looked at him. "But that's just it. I don't want you to protect me."

He looked at her, stunned.

"That's not what I want. You've been doing that for three years now, and I can't let you do that anymore."

"Jan Di." He looked into her eyes.

"Is that how you see me? As someone who needs protecting?"

"No, it's not that. I want to take care of you…I want to be with you…always. I know that it can't be the way that I want it to be exactly, but I can't let you walk out on me forever." He didn't know why he was speaking so fervently.

"Sunbae…" She met his eyes, seeing the sincerity and pain. "But maybe it's better this way. We can both move on with our lives…"

"No," he said blunt, simple, and full of emotion. He grabbed her shoulders roughly.

"Sunbae…" She looked at him dumbfounded. It was not like him to use such force on her.

"Is this really what you want? You want me gone from your life?" He clenched her shoulders tighter and looked down to gaze upon her face, which she'd turned from him. When she failed to look, he turned her chin toward him and waited intently for a response.

Jan Di felt limp within his arms again. She appeared unable to speak. He was breathing more heavily now, and her breath began to speed up to match his. She looked at him, shocked by the intensity in his gaze and his sudden boldness.

"How do you see me?" He urged. "You know how I see you...tell me what I am to you." He moved closer to her, resting his hands firmly upon her shoulders, as if refusing to let her escape. She could neither stay nor run, so she remained still, nearly pinned against the wall.

She pleaded with her eyes for reprieve but could only muster a timid, "Sunbae…"

"Jan Di," he whispered her name in response as he leaned in closer. He absently ran his hands lightly down her arms and continued to lean in. He could feel her heart pounding against him as he moved in, touching her forehead with his. Any thoughts of Joon Pyo or consequences had flown out of his head; he was simply acting upon raw emotion now.

He was so close to her lips now, and she hadn't stopped him. The lips he'd yearned to kiss once more for so long… He hesitated, expecting her to shout no or shrink away, but still she didn't. She simply stared at him with parted lips. He brought a hand to her cheek. "Do you feel anything for me besides friendship? I need to know."

She looked down and simply said, "Joon Pyo..."

"Ahh, I know…" He sighed heavily, turning from her, his frustration at its peak.

"But…I do…feel something…" She whispered softly as if to herself.

He wasn't sure if she'd meant for him to hear, but he had regardless. He turned quickly and took her face in his hands, unable to maintain control any longer. He'd been controlling it for too long now. Without thinking he pressed his lips to hers, lightly at first, surprised that he had achieved contact. Pent up emotion took over and he deepened the kiss, surprised at the familiarity of her soft lips upon his. He continued to kiss her as he ran his hands down her neck, then to her back, and rested his hands upon her small waist. He held her tightly to him. She was kissing him back! His insides felt as if they would burst, and he didn't want the moment to end.

Ji hoo awoke with a jerk in his armchair, the book he was reading lying in his lap. It took a moment to realize he'd fallen asleep and that his interaction with Jan Di had not actually taken place. His heart was still beating rapidly. He exhaled sharply and leaned forward, covering his face with his hands and lightly rubbing his temples.

I suppose I'm not over her after all… He slumped back into his chair with a heavy sigh.