The onslaught of flashes blinds her as people with cameras corner the first lady as soon as she exits her car. Su Ryeon is trapped between the reporters and her people. 

She puts a hand to cover her face when a man sticks his phone at her face and screams at her. Her security detail remove him before he touches her and usher him away. 

The news of Dan Tae's taking money from foreign consulting firms broke off this morning and everyone is furious with the president. Protesters have camped outside the blue house, demanding their pensions back and mourning for their children's stolen future. Police attack them viciously, not influenced by the legitimacy of their anger. 

It's not the first time Dan Tae's actions have caused an uproar, but it's the first time their ire is targeted at her. More than the money, people hate to be deceived by those in power. Her bejeweled face has become the symbol of corruption overnight. 

Everyone freezes. The man who asked it smiles slyly, knowing he turned her world upside down with a few words. How can he know about the thing she hid all these years? Her past forces its way into her present, breaking the carefully constructed image of a perfect first lady like a fist breaks a mirror. 

The crowd processes the information and fires back question after question, until she has no way to go but back towards the car. Unless, she thinks as she looks on the road. She can't take the scrutiny anymore, her chest tightens, her legs itching to run free. From everyone. She gazes at the cars passing and disappearing into the jungle of the city. 

"Don't even think about it", comes a stern voice behind her and a hand on her shoulder stops her. Her bodyguard gives her a warning look and she turns to meet his fiery gaze. "You're not safe here. Get in the car". 

His tall build, always in a black suit from the day he was assigned to be her head of security, blocks the reporters from approaching her. He sneaks looks around and his body looks tense, assessing the danger. He motions to the car and she knows he'll get her back home safe, even if he had to fight a horde of men to do it. 

Logan was always like that. 

That's why she can't do this. A car honks and for a split second everybody looks away. It's her only chance. She runs through the road, the screeching of the tires marking her escape. 

The crowd goes wild, Logan chases after her, but a car is already taking her away. 

___

The bomb threat in the parliament was prevented, but Su Ryeon is upset nonetheless. Logan intercepted the communication and found out the culprit, an ex mob hitter who wanted to ruin Dan Tae's conference. Chaos is the ultimate weapon. A bomb kills, but chaos festers. 

That's why she's in the home gym, kicking a punching bag to release tension. Everyone's asleep, already put the bomb threat behind them as life at the president's house keeps on. 

"Aim lower" a voice startles her and the bag bounces back at her with force. Before it hits her face, Logan catches it without looking. He's suddenly very close to her, still in the shirt of his uniform, which tightens on his forearms, carved from endless hours of fighting. "In a fight you want to hit the weak spots. Throat, stomach, solar plexus." He points at his body, standing a few inches higher than hers. He leans and whispers "Or, you could let me handle the threats, as it's my job, and you go back to bed". 

Her heart does a weird twisting at his proximity, all solid body that can kill and kind eyes. Which are always aimed at her, cataloguing her moves to protect her. She's sweaty and without makeup, absolutely no one ever sees her like this. 

"I want to take care of myself. Do you think I like needing ten people to be safe? I'm the first lady, not a child."

"It's about what happened today". He takes her hand and unlaces the boxing glove. "It's been taken care of", he means I took care of it for you, "he was arrested. You have nothing to fear. I'm always behind you". He pulls out the glove and gazes at her slightly swollen hand. He puts some pressure on her knuckles and it feels so good she wants to close her eyes and drink it in. 

"You're not behind me now". He takes note of his proximity and laughs. It's only a second, but his face lights up nervously. Back in his first days as her main bodyguard, she was convinced he couldn't smile. He was scanning the rooms, a sweep of his eyes securing wherever she walked to. He was giving orders to his intercom and only bothered her for important calls. When the interns joked and poked his pecks, calling him Man of Steel or Captain Hunk, he stared them down until they stopped doing it in his face. 

He kept that facade, until one rainy day she was speaking at a university and then visiting families of distinguished alumni. She didn't sit down for a minute, she even skipped her meals in order to greet every student personally, and by the end she was so tired and hungry, she left her staff and sprinted for the vending machine as soon as they finished. She waited to hear the sound of her favourite cherry candy hitting the tray, but it never came. The candy stuck, blocking the mechanism. 

"No, no, no. Not now, sweet candy. Come to me, I will eat you well. I'll nibble your sugary crust and then your heart of syrup." She pleaded in a sing-song voice, like a kid with its toy. 

When she turned around defeated, Logan was looking at her with the most precious smile. Her craved candy wouldn't be as sweet as his expression. 

It only took a sharp kick and then they were sharing her bag of cherry bites in the hallway. It only took one moment to decide that his smile made her feel brave. 

__

"Teach me."

Logan stops untying her glove. The lights of the gym are low, but she can see his surprise. 

"You stopped that man with one move." Logan didn't show off, opting to handle things discreetly, but his prowess was never questioned. She remembers her chief of Staff Oh Yoon Hee handing her his CV, urging her to hire him. 

She went to one of his practices and hired him on the spot. 

It's her chance to fortify herself, the threats won't stop as long as she's the First Lady. 

"Show me how to defend myself. Three moves". Her tone is firm, but her pleading eyes are telling a different story. 

He huffs, and acquiesces. "Two moves and then I'm taking you to bed". 

She bites back a smile and he registers what he said. A flush climbs his cheeks and something like warmth fills her chest. 

"Not that kind of moves", he rushes to explain. "I meant, we're going to your room. Oh god, that's not better". She laughs at his rambling and puts him out of his misery. 

With her gloved fist. 

The punch hits him right on his chest, and he stops. 

"Whenever you're ready", she says, smiling. 

His face is surprised, but way too bright for someone who just got punched. In a move that makes Su Ryeon avert her eyes, he s his shirt, revealing a tight black undershirt and the glorious length of his arms, veins threading lean muscle like rivers flowing through land. 

She's not ogling, of course. Not then, nor when Logan's patiently showing her the correct stance for a high kick, how to not lose her balance after a hit or how to strike faster. He's not the best teacher, the moves come so natural to him after perfecting them for decades that he forgets she's not trained. Still, her excitement carries her through and soon she's flowing through the air and avoiding his attacks. It's an empowering feeling, training your body to protect itself, striving to be stronger and faster. She doesn't care that her hair is in disarray, that she's far from her pictures in magazines complimenting her elegance. She's free and capable and her body buzzes with vitality after such a long time. 

After she barely manages to break a particularly tight grip, she lies down on the mat, exhausted but content. She nods off Logan's worried face, mouthing that she's done for the day. She tries to catch her breath, when a water bottle touches her shoulder, cooling her overheated skin. 

When she doesn't move, he wordlessly lies on his back beside her. Sneaking a look at him, he hasn't broken a sweat. They gaze at the ceiling in silence, her breath returning to normal. But as her body calms, her mind turns on and every worry she's been pushing down the last hours floods her thoughts. She could have been killed, and she'd die next to her estranged husband, doing a thankless job she was groomed into. She will-

"This isn't about fighting". She swivels her neck at his words. He turns to her too, and his eyes are understanding. "You needed a distraction from what happened". Her eyes widen and he continues. "You can't fool me, that's exactly what my little sister did when she was worried. Picking fights with me or locking up in her room. You're doing both". 

"Is she into martial arts too?" 

"Already black belt and #2 in the girls division", he says fondly. "When we adopted her she made fun of me for wearing the same thing to work every day". Su Ryeon sees the girl's point, even though she secretly approves of Logan's tight suits. "Then she got into some trouble at school, they were bullying her and no one did anything about it. I brought her to the gym with me once and she hasn't missed a day since. She's gonna surpass me one day". 

"Maybe she should teach me". She says, silently appreciating the glimpse in his personal life. 

"Am I so easily replaceable?" He fake pouts. It's adorable. 

"No". Her tone is suddenly serious. 

"Then tell me why you're upset", he lifts himself up to sit beside her. She does the same. 

"I don't want to be the first lady." He blinks. She hasn't allowed herself to even think that, but now the words are out of , the truth always finds a way. "I've tied my life to that man. I have three political degrees and have worked to help all these children but all I'm seen as is the wife of the president. I have ideas and skills, I should do something more. If that bomb had exploded, I would have died without ever living". 

Her voice breaks in the end, the weight of her words hitting them both. But there's nothing in Logan's face except understanding. He doesn't try to change her mind, he only rubs her shoulder gently. The weight of his big palm grounds her to reality. 

Of course he gets her. He forfeited his rights on his family's business empire to protect people. His job often goes unnoticed, but he bears the physical demands and little sleep to keep people safe. She hopes she's brave enough to follow her purpose too. 

"Then you know exactly what to do".

She glances at the presidential seal on the wall and then back at him. 

She says the words. 

He smiles at her conviction. He helps her up and escorts her to her bedroom. It's on the opposite wing of Dan Tae's quarters. 

When they reach her door, she turns around. 

"Next lesson tomorrow?" He nods and comes closer to her. 

"If you really do it, you know I'll be with you, right?" He spots a lock of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead and he moves it with his thumb tenderly. "I'll keep you safe, you just follow your plan". 

"It's risky and I don't know if it will work. So take some time to consider if you're siding with me. You don't owe me anything". 

"There's no one else I wanna protect". 

She lifts herself to her toes and something passes across his eyes. Her hands come to circle his neck and she pulls him down in a hug. There's a pause and she wonders if her post workout body isn't meant for close contact. Dan Tae always liked her manicured and pristine, like a doll. 

Logan's arms close around her waist and she lets out a breath on his chest. He brings her closer, burying his head on her shoulder. The material of his shirt is soft under her cheek. He smells like the forest. Peaceful, fresh, safe. She lets herself bash in his comfort, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the back of his neck. All this warmth and soul, hidden from the outside world by a pair of black sunglasses. But she gets to see his eyes, gets to be pulled inside their depths. 

When she relaxes her grip, he doesn't. She finds it endearing, how he's putting everything in what he does, including in hugs. This morning he was feral at the bomb threat, now he's soft in her arms. 

When lets go, she misses the contact instantly. He doesn't move away. She wonders what would happen in another life, if she was any other woman. What would happen if they met at a bar and he walked her home. 

He'd be looking at her like he's looking at her right now. 

Intensely, greedily. With a fire in his eyes that makes his pupils dilate until they're two round drops of ink. 

"I should get in", she whispers. It's far from what she wants to do. 

"You really should". The veins on his arms from the effort to keep them on his side. 

But neither moves. 

When they do move, it's to clash their lips together in a passionate kiss. 

She doesn't know, or care, who leaned first, Logan's tongue finds hers and leaves tiny explosions of warmth as she opens more, devouring him. 

His hand buries in her hair and he deepens the kiss with an intensity that makes her body melt under him. He finds the sliver of exposed skin at her waist, hot to the touch by the fighting and by what he's currently doing and pulls her flush towards him. Her soft curves finding a refuge between his hard lines, his hard torso nesting a soft pounding heart. 

She traces a burning path with her tongue, over his and ends it with a bite over its pink flesh. He couldn't silence the groan at her action, sounding almost wounded from the pleasure of the sting. Her back hits the door and every inch of him is pressed on her body. Everywhere, all at once. 

His lips are digging their way through her body, aiming for her heart. She can't let him into it yet. With a small push on his chest, he retreats a step and shuts his eyes closed. 

"We can't." She says and his eyes reveal hurt but not surprise. "If I wasn't the first lady…"

"One day you won't be". 

____

"You imbeciles! What do you mean she's gone?" Dan Tae shouts at the security team, hitting the mahogany desk. They're all scared standing behind Logan, who tries to hide his growing frustration. 

"Mr President, she ran through traffic and stopped a car and disappeared. We're trying-" Mr Jo attempts. 

"Trying? You have one job: guard the first lady. She's one woman and you're twelve men. How did you manage to lose her in front of the press?"

"The press wouldn't be there if you hadn't caused a scandal", Logan finally breaks. 

"What did you say?" Dan Tae narrows his eyes at him. 

"You heard me. And instead of wasting time having this pointless conversation, I'd like to go find the first lady". He does the hastiest bow and ignores the daggers thrown at him by the most powerful man in Korea. 

He has someone to find. 

___

Su Ryeon runs. 

It's the first time she hitchhikes, the first time in many years she is unaccompanied and with no fixed arrangements. No schedule is governing her escape. 

She tells the driver to leave her outside a car rental place. Horrified, she realises she doesn't have money to give him for his trouble, a first lady never carries cash. And her card is traceable. She gives the old man her gold bracelet and gets out, tightening the scarf to hide her hair. 

___

___

The sound of a motorcycle engine turning off meshes with the waves. Su Ryeon is watching the sea, crushing hungrily to the rocks and pulling back, regaining its strength, only to engulf them again in water, in an eternal cycle. 

Overnight, she became the most wanted person in Korea. This deserted coast is the last place they'll look, but outside it, every eye in the nation will scrutinize her moves. Her next step will be the most important in her life. 

She shudders from the sea breeze hitting her skin, lifting her dress to flow in the rhythm of the wind. 

A leather jacket with mutton lining is thrown on her shoulders and when she looks up, dark sunglasses hide Logan's eyes. 

"How did you find me?" She asks worriedly. 

"It's my job". 

"Have you notified the others? Did the president-"

"Do you think I give a damn about what he wants?" His voice cracks with anger. "How could you do something that dangerous, catching the first car that stops and running away?" 

"Didn't you hear what they said to me? They wanted a piece of me". 

"I'd never let that happen!". He puts a hand through his hair roughly. He takes off his sunglasses, and his eyes glister. "Do you know how worried I was?" 

She takes in his tired appearance and the line between his brows that forms under pressure. 

"Do you know how it feels to be unable to protect the person you care about the most?"

"Logan…" she can't find words. How does she tell him that the scandal won't go away? And that she can't have what she wants, even if it's standing in front of her. 

He cups her face, his thumbs brushing her cheeks. 

"Su Ryeon ssi". Not Madam, not First Lady, just her name. "There's no place you go where I won't find you. So stay". 

She closes her eyes and leans on his hands. He presses a kiss on her forehead and her heart squeezes. 

"I'd love to stay. Like this, forever. With you", he smiles and she lets it bloom before the inevitable blow. "But I can't. This scandal won't go away. Dan Tae was the one leaked to the press about my daughter, to divert attention from his corruption. He wanted me to take the fall, so he'd be clean". 

"That bastard. Of course, he was the only one to know". 

"Except you". He pulls her closer by the lapels of the jacket. "I'm cornered. I don't know what to do". 

"Remember that night in the gym?" He lowers his voice and blushes.

As if she could forget. 

"You said exactly what you wanted to do. So, do it now. Tell the people the truth and they'll see you as you are". 

"They hate me, it's the worst time"

He takes her by the shoulders. "It's the best time. They you because they think you've been lying to them. Prove to them you've been serving the people all along. That you're the best person to do it". 

She considers it. The scandal can be an opportunity to show who she really is. And it's the best time to sever her ties to Dan Tae and his mess. She owes it to herself, and to the people. 

"If I do this, will you be with me?" 

He holds her eyes and cups the side of her face, the wind blowing her hair. His thumb stops in the dimple her smile creates and he pulls her closer. His lips find hers, petal soft and glide on top of each other. He kisses her like a man who's counted down the seconds until he finally tastes . 

It's all the answer she needs. 

"Always", he reaffirms with another kiss until they're both breathless, nuzzling their noses together and their foreheads touching. 

She takes a breath. 

"Then I'm going to be the next president of South Korea".

When lifts her off her feet, she has already won. 

___

She shuts her eyes, taking relaxing breaths. It's only the most important speech of her life so far, and her nerves climb her back like claws. 

She's going to reveal Hye In, expose Dan Tae's corruption and reaffirm her dedication to public service. She's asking the people to trust her to lead. From now on, she's going to show who she really is. 

Her eyes open and Logan enters the green room. 

"They are ready for you", he takes her hand leading her to the stage, "future Madame President". 

A crowd of people is waiting for her behind the curtain. This is her moment. 

Logan kisses her and the velvet curtain starts to lift. 

___