With only two weeks passing, Yewon already had clients lining up after Solar’s red carpet event. Her announcement on who designed her dress had Yewon’s phone ringing like there was no tomorrow. People ranging from billionaires to celebrities tried their best to contact the said designer, but it was difficult. Making a dress for one person could take up to a month or so, and the list came from a first come, first serve basis. 

Yewon was thankful with the amount of clients that requested her services, but fame never came alone. She was beyond exhausted, barely getting enough sleep during the weekdays. Even on some of her days off, she had to come in so she could finish before a deadline for her clients. 

Busy days also meant less time seeing Eunbi, but Eunbi was busy with things of her own. Was the lack of time putting a strain on their relationship? Most people would assume so, but it was the opposite. Yewon and Eunbi talked every night over the phone no matter how short the conversation was. Hearing their voices was enough to keep them both going. Having someone cheering you on everyday was a privilege they shared, but naturally, they couldn’t help but miss one another. 

With their schedules clashing, they could only see each other through FaceTime. The last time they actually had any physical touch was on their anniversary, but they couldn’t complain. At least they tried their best to work out the obstacles they’ve gone through so far. 

Like a timer going off at the perfect moment, Yewon’s phone began to ring, pulling her out of her thoughts. The screen showed Eunbi’s name with a sun emoji just beside it and the first picture they took together at her apartment. Without missing a beat, Yewon swiped right to answer the call, her eyes showing obvious exhaustion. 

“Hey baby,” Eunbi hummed. “You’re still at work?”

“Yeah,” Yewon sighed. “I have to finish these drawings since I need to present them to a client early tomorrow morning.”

Eunbi glanced at the clock on her wall. 

1:26 AM. 

“Yewon,” Eunbi whispered softly. “It’s so late... Can’t you guys move the meeting to a later time tomorrow so you can just finish it when you wake up?”

Yewon glanced at her digital clock as well. She didn’t realize how late it was, but that became an everyday thing now. Time always flew by when she was busy and it took a toll on her meal times. She knew if she told Eunbi, she’d get scolded until sunrise so she decided to keep it a secret for now. 

“I want to, but I can’t,” Yewon sighed even heavier this time, positioning her phone so it was resting against her bottle of water to continue sketching. “I’m almost done with it though. I want to finish it tonight and then, I promise, after my meeting tomorrow I’ll take a nap to catch up on sleep.”

Eunbi didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t want to push her girlfriend any further. She knew how annoyed she could get due to lack of sleep. 

“Alright...” Eunbi nodded. “You know I just want what’s best for you.”

Yewon smiled slightly, sparing Eunbi a quick glance. “I know, babe, and thank you. I just have a lot of responsibilities.”

“Is Byul making you work too much? I swear if she is, I won’t hesitate to lay a h—“

“Eunbi.” Yewon’s tone was firm this time around. “Byul has nothing to do with my sleeping schedule. She allows me to work freely, okay? I can come in whenever I want and set up my own meetings. She trusts me, so relax before you hurt yourself.”

Eunbi had to clench her jaw to prevent herself from rolling her eyes, but she listened to Yewon nonetheless. Stubbornly, she nodded. 

“Fine.”

Yewon’s eyes landed back on her phone screen, noticing that her girlfriend wasn’t in her usual penguin pajamas. 

“Are you heading somewhere else? I thought you’d be ready for bed by now.”

“I am,” Eunbi pursed her lips. “I’m picking my dad up from the airport. I told him to just ask his driver, but he said he wants to spend time with me. How stupid, right? He only wants to spend time with me in a brief car ride.”

The lead on Yewon’s pencil continued thinning with the amount of shading she was working on. She listened to Eunbi intently, finding her voice soothing to help her throughout her tiring night. 

“What if he means it?” Yewon rose her eyebrow curiously. “It’s been about... a year? Since you’ve seen him? What if he genuinely wants to see you first before anyone else? You always did tell me you favored your dad.”

Eunbi’s eyes lowered. Inwardly, she knew she missed her dad like any other daughter would, but how could she admit it? She was angry — too angry about the fact that he always left her alone to work for their company. Most importantly, she was angry that he allowed her mother to take total control of her life. 

“Eunbi?” Yewon called out, ultimately snapping Eunbi out of her trance. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Eunbi smiled again. “We’ll just see how it goes, but I have to head out now. I’ll talk to you when I get back home, and you better be home by then too.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Yewon giggled. “Drive safe. I love you.”

“I love you more.” Eunbi blew her girlfriend a kiss before hanging up. 

Yewon, on the other hand, released a soft exhale. She knew she missed Eunbi a lot, but what could she do?

“There she is, seems like you’ve grown since the last time I’ve seen you.”

Those words were what Eunbi’s father knew too well since they were the same words he greeted his daughter every time they came face to face. 

Eunbi sat in silence and looked up ahead instead. The car shook slightly with the bodyguards loading the luggages into the vehicle’s trunk. 

Mr. Hwang cleared his throat awkwardly as his guards sat comfortably in the back seat. Eunbi began driving, able to feel her father’s eyes staring intently specifically on the side of her face 

“Eunbi,” Mr. Hwang muttered. “Are you still angry at me?”

Eunbi was still silent. As much as she wanted to talk, she just couldn’t. Too much anger filled her heart to even spare her own father a glance. 

“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I know you’re upset, but you know I have to leave for the sake of our company.”

“Bull,” Eunbi scoffed. “We make about $10,000 a day because of what I do for the company. What reason do you need to leave the country for, dad? We’re filthy rich, we don’t need to earn more money from international revenue.”

Mr. Hwang shook his head this time. “You don’t understand. Continuing our partnerships out of the country will keep us going for years. Our legacy will pass down to your children and your children’s children. Don’t you want them to live in comfort?”

Eunbi could feel her eyes watering, but still, she couldn’t face her father. Within only a few seconds, she could feel the dampness of tears running down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother wiping them. Her hands were wrapped firmly around her wheel. 

“I live under your success and for that I have the privilege to own beautiful homes and the most expensive items.” Eunbi sniffled, not allowing her tone to waver. “But have you ever asked if I was happy?”