I stared at my phone screen, scrolling through a website that defined happiness. "Happiness is when you feel pleasure because something nice happened or you're satisfied with life," I mumbled, absorbed in my search.

"Are you happy?" I turned to the bartender, looking at him curiously.

He looked puzzled, "What do you mean, sir?"

"I mean, are you happy with your job and your life?"

He pondered for a moment. "Well, my life is good, I have family, friends, and my dog. But, you know, it's not always perfect."

"Why not?" I probed.

"It's not always something we can control, sir. Happiness comes and goes. People around you play a big role in it. Emotions are complicated."

"Good points," I nodded, sipping my drink, eyes returning to my phone.

"But, sir, why are you asking this? Are you not happy with your life?" he inquired, looking concerned.

I smiled back at him, "I don't know, really," taking another sip.

"Do you have problems at work?" he asked, noticing my demeanor.

I chuckled, "How did you guess?"

"Just a hunch, sir. Your outfit and your sigh when you sat down gave it away. Working in a big company is tough, right?" he said, sympathetically.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror behind the counterbar, realizing the subtle signs of stress were more apparent than I thought.

Working as the CEO was no walk in the park. Every day brought a barrage of problems—decisions about how to maintain and expand the business, ensuring it stayed at the top. The weight of responsibility pressed on me, and the thought of failure haunted my every step.

Ever since I was a kid, I never had a clear dream or ambition; I simply followed my parent's guidance. After studying abroad, I returned to Korea to work with my family company when my dad told me to. I accepted my role without complaint about what they had arranged for me. I’m just an obedient son to my good parents.

But I don't see it as a problem.

I'm fine. I'm fine with everything.

But am I really happy?

Is that happiness?

What am I trying to find?

"It's exhausting but I enjoy my job," I told to him, sipping my drink.

“YAH YOU JERK!”

“Pfttt!!!” I nearly spat out my drink when a sudden yell interrupted the bar's usual buzz.

*Cough! *Cough! I patted my chest, trying to control my cough.

“Are you okay sir?!” he handed me a brown tissue.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I managed between coughs, wiping my mouth. Glancing beside me, I saw a woman in a red dress at the bar, her head buried in her arms. Did she just yell? This is a bar, not a club.

I could hear her mumbling unclear words.

"Aish, my clothes," I groaned, noticing a brown stain on my white tee. Wiping it with a tissue didn't help. I got up and walked behind the woman, overhearing her continued mumbling as I headed to the restroom.

"Not everyone here is happy," I sighed.

…..

I returned to my seat, finding the woman still slouched over, and the bartender struggling to wake her. They'd close soon and needed to clean. She suddenly stood up, annoyed, flipping her hair and I could see her face.

Beautiful…

She grabbed her coat and purse, stumbling toward the exit. I don’t know whether she will manage to reach her home in that state. It was hard to find a cab at this time.

I fixed my blazer, ready to pay. "Thanks for today. I enjoyed our talk," I told the young bartender.

"You're welcome, sir. I enjoyed it too."

……….

As I stepped outside, the cold night air greeted me in Seoul. The late January chill made me shiver, so I buried my hands in my coat pockets.

*Sobs~*Sobs*

Surprisingly, I wasn't the only one lingering. The woman from the bar was nearby, crouched beside a plant vase, hugging her knees and sobbing.

No, don't do it

I clenched my fist, struggling with myself.

"Ugh... I hate myself," I sighed, then reluctantly approached the crying woman.

"Excuse me, miss?" I called, crouching in front of her. No response. Was she asleep? I nudged her shoulder. "Don't sleep here. It's cold. You might catch a cold."

Sobs~Sobs*
 

What? Is she crying?

“Miss-“ My words didn’t come out and I forgot how to breathe when the woman suddenly looked up and leaned her face closer to me, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato, and she looked so... beautiful.

*gulps*

I swallowed my saliva, our faces were just inches away and I could feel her hot breath. Her bangs were messy, covering her left eye. I don’t know why but my hands automatically rise, wanting to caress away her bangs from covering her beautiful eyes. But then….
 

*Pull!

"OWW! OWW! OWW! OWWW! OWW!" I screamed in pain as she yanked both my ears.

"Yah, you jerk!!!" She pulled harder, shaking my head, and my screams got louder.

“Yahhhh it hurts!!! Let go of my ears!!! You're going to tear them apart!" I held her wrists, struggling to break free, but damnnnn this woman is strong!

"How dare you cheat on me after two years together?! I will kill you, you jerk!"

“I’M NOT YOUR CHEATING BOYFRIEND! LET GO OF MY EARS! IT HURTS!!!”

“YOU THINK I’M STUPID!” She stood up, and I had no choice but to follow. “I STILL CAN RECOGNIZE YOUR FACE. I’M NOT DRUNK!”

“THE HECK YOU ARE NOT DRUNK, LOOK CAREFULLY! I’M NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND! OWWWWW”

She suddenly released my ears, covering .

“UGFH-“ Her hand gripped my shoulder for support.

No way, no way, no way! Don't tell me...

“YAH NONONONONONO!”

“UWEKKKKK!”

"NOOOOO." Did she just vomit on my Chanel coat that I bought in Italy which was so hard to get and then fall asleep on me?

YES, SHE DID!

…

Tiffany POV
 

“Ughhh… water…” I groaned while pushing the thick blanket over my body as my throat felt so dry.

"I put it on the stand beside you, so wake up now."

“Uhmmm Thank you daddy …” I mumbled, my eyes still closed, the lethargy clinging to my limbs. Stretching out my legs, I absentmindedly kicked the blanket away and turned to my right side. Slowly, I opened my eyes, attempting to make sense of my surroundings.

“….”

*Blink *Blink

“…..”

A guy was crouched beside the bed. Our eyes met at the same level, and I found myself staring into the eyes of a guy with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Your dad told you to wake up, so please wake up now”

“AHHHHHH!!!!”

My scream echoed through the room, startling him. I rose and threw the pillow on his face before pulling the blanket covering my body. The toothbrush fell, and he tumbled to the floor.

“ERT THEIF!!!”

“Yah!” He stood up, picking up the fallen toothbrush, making me scream louder.

"Don't come near! I know Jiujitsu!" I warned, standing on the bed, ready to hurl another pillow at him.

"Huh?" He frowned

"Who are you?! I'm gonna call the police for trespassing my apartment!" I yelled at him

"Why would you call the police?! This is my house!" He fired back with a toothbrush in his mouth

"What do you mean?! And why are you not wearing anything, ert?!!!" I scolded him, shielding my eyes with my hands.

He looked down, realizing he was shirtless, exposing his toned muscles.
 

“At least wear something ert!” My eyes were shut tightly, covering my face.

 

"Hey! I wear my pants!" he retorted before muttering, "Besides, who wears a shirt while sleeping?" He snorted, resuming his toothbrushing.

"Sleep?!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening as I took in the situation. "What happened? What are you doing in my room?"

"Excuse me, miss. It should be me asking you that. Wh