Jong Kook is driving his white Porsche Cayman down the Seminyak Beach with the windows down. His dark sunglasses go either too well or not at all with his black suit. The few girls at the sidewalk whose heads turn to watch him drive by certainly agree with the first option, but Jong Kook doesn’t even seem to notice them. Loud music surrounds him from the radio and he sings out loud, banging on the steering wheel.

Feeling good, like I should
Went and took a walk around the neighborhood
Feeling blessed, never stressed
Got that sunshine on my Sunday best

Even when he’s singing aloud, he’s not really paying attention to the lyrics.

The ride to the company isn’t long. Jong Kook parks his car in his exclusive lot and enters the building. It is an old looking building with white walls surround it, and yet the inside is beautiful and modern. The building is near the busy street that makes him can access essential needs easily.

Jong Kook crosses the hall towards his office and greets his secretary. “Good morning, Arini.” He greets with the fluent Indonesian language that he has been learning for the past three years.

Arini is on the phone.

“Oh, Mr. Kim has just entered the building, can you hold on a second while I pass on the call? Okay, thank you.” It seems that Arini is on the phone with someone foreign since she's talking in English. She holds a hand over the speaker. “Good morning, Jong Kook-nim, it’s Mr. Tan Hao Rui from the Beijing Branch.”

“Is there anything he needs?”

Arini shows off her note. “I’m writing all of them down on the note. I’ll give it to you as soon as possible.”

Jong Kook nods. “Any other calls?”

“They’re all put down on your desk.” Arini answers, motioning with her thumb.

“Okay, thanks.” Jong Kook thanks her which gets replied by a polite bow by Arini.

Jong Kook enters his office and throws his briefcase on the couch, quickly checking on the post-its that have been put on his desk. Scanning thoroughly to decide which one is the most important, he picks up his phone to do some phone calls. Another busy day at the company.

It is a beautiful sunset to be admired at the beach. Jong Kook doesn’t want to go home yet, so he drives his car for 5 minutes to the Legian Beach and parks his car there. He then walks along the sand to get closer to the sea. He loosens up his tie and hangs his head. Why has he been feeling so low lately? It has been almost two years since she left, it should have eased up the pain, even slightly.

Only it never does.

Every time he thinks things are looking better, he somehow manages to feel worse. Nothing has to happen. His mind just drifts away, sometimes a bit too far.

Jong Kook entered his office closed the door after himself. He was exhausted by the end of the second meeting. Though being a manager in a multinational company seemed like a good idea at first, after many years it seemed like he couldn’t take it anymore. Almost every day he had to put up another presentation, he had to do some research to present to the investors, he had to check up any small details that might’ve gone unnoticed by other employees. He did like to nag, but this job was tiring him too much. However, the pay was really good that his family could leave comfortably.

Now, Jong Kook hopelessly looked at a couple of stacks of papers in front of him that hadn’t been checked. He didn’t want to be there anymore.

Ji Hyo had decided to quit her job two weeks after she found out she was pregnant for the second time. She felt that she had saved enough money to maintain herself and her children, which was encouraged by Jong Kook. It must have had taken a lot of guts from her. And he had to admit that turn around had inspired him to do the same. He had enough savings that he could quit his unfulfilling job and found another one that made him happy. But the simple thought of doing the same quickly filled his belly with nervous butterflies and he felt rather nauseous.

He was the sort of guy who needed stability. Who needed certainty. Besides, he had a family to think about, a family to support. He couldn’t allow himself to make mistakes, to be careless.

But at the end of the day, would misery be the way to achieve responsibility?

He started taking a couple of papers that were scattered around his desk, still merged into his questions in his head. “Hell, I should just approve all of this and call it a night.” His carelessness scared himself.

“Kim Jong Kook-ssi?”

Jong Kook quickly turned around and was surprised to face Yoo Jae Suk, his boss and one of the directors of the Seoul branch. Had Jong Kook secretly learned how to perform telepathy? He was so deep in thought he hadn’t even heard the door open. It was a surprise though, he had only met Yoo Jae Suk at a few gatherings thrown by the company to celebrate their successful years.

“Oh, annyeonghaseyo, Sajangnim.” Jong Kook bowed politely. It was not usual Yoo Jae Suk came directly to one of his subordinates.

“May I sit down?” Jae Suk motioned at the seat in front of him with a warm smile on his face. What could this possibly be about?

Jong Kook awkwardly invited him to sit down and he sat down behind his desk as well. Jae Suk’s eyes quickly wandered around Jong Kook’s neat office that was dominated by black. He spotted a framed picture and picked it up.

“Your wife, right?” Jae Suk asked, still looking at the picture in his hand.

“Ne, Sajangnim.” Jong Kook answered.

“Song Ji Hyo. She’s truly beautiful.” Jae Suk added a comment.

Jong Kook raised his eyebrows quizzically. He didn’t even know that his boss knew his wife’s name.

“All the other employees around here have an eye on her. I’d be careful if I were you.” Jae Suk and Jong Kook smiled.

He did often ask his wife to accompany him to the gatherings and she met a couple of his friends around the company. “Nothing to worry about, Sajangnim. She’s got enough lecturing to be bored for a century with me, I don’t think she’ll look around for any more of that.” Jong Kook answered with a joke himself.

Jae Suk laughed, before putting the picture down, but not taking his eyes off of it. “And the boy, what’s his name again?”

“Ah In. Kim Ah In.” Jong Kook replied, starting to get confused by where this small talk was leading them to.

“Right, little Ah In.” Jae Suk nodded his head. He looked up before giving a knowing smile. “I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here talking about your lovely young family.”

Jong Kook couldn’t help but chuckled awkwardly, amazed by the simplicity he never expected from Yoo Jae Suk Sajangnim. Whatever was going on, it didn’t seem like it was going to be a bad thing. Yet, who had decided upon a definition for that?

Jong Kook turned off the engine of his car and stared straight ahead into the parking lot for a few minutes. So many questions. Snapping out of it quickly, he got out of his car but had no hurry on gathering up his things. He fought it, but couldn’t help but smile. He chuckled audibly and shook his head, feeling embarrassed for his silly behavior, alone in the parking lot.

He entered the lift to his apartment before exhaling deeply. He had to calm down his nerve. What was he even thinking?

After he took his shoes off and changed into his inside Adidas slippers, he entered the kitchen to see Ji Hyo was finishing setting the table for dinner. She looked up to see him and gave him a small smile.

“Oppa, dinner will be right out. Go Eun made us a kimchi bokkeumbap, sort of a way to thank us, really. Her children are here because she and Dong Hoon Oppa had to attend an event and their parents were not available.” Ji Hyo motioned at the children in the li