The next day she was scheduled to meet her sister for a magnificent viewing of the city, as Minji boasted. Minji wanted her to see the cityscape at dusk from one of the tallest buildings in Seoul. They arrived at the site and were headed to the elevator to take them to the viewing deck. Her her younger sister practically dragging her inside Elevator 3 all giddy and intent on letting her see the cityscape from the rooftop. 

Jiyong rushed in and caught the elevator just moments before it closed. He mumbled a quick apology saying something about running late for a meeting at the 48th floor. Jiyong moved to the right side of the elevator and noticed a blond young woman standing across him. The side profile looked familiar. Aha, it’s the young lady he saw by East Lane Street. He smiled and was about to greet her when the elevator suddenly jerked, stopped and plunged a few floors down from the 43rd floor, the lights inside going out. The slide was quick but it was enough to make your insides turn, your mind going wild, unsure if the elevator would stop somewhere or if it will continue plummeting to its end. The elevator suddenly stopped and the younger female inside found her voice letting out a piercing shriek.

“Unni,” Minji screamed groping in the dark for her sister.

“Shh, stay where you are, I’ll find you,” Chae rin said going straight from where she was remembering that Minji was facing her left. She felt Minji’s shoulders and went to her stand by her side. 

“I’m right beside you, here take my hand.” As Minji held her right hand she gasped when another hand clamped on to her left. 

“Yah, let go of my hand,” she said loudly.

Minji let go of her hand, wondering why she asked her to hold on to her hand in the first place. 

“Not you, Minji,” she assured the young girl, “You on my left, will you let go of my hand? You’re gripping it so tightly you’re cutting off the blood supply to my poor fingers.”

“I’m sorry,” Jiyong murmured and loosened his hold of her hand but did not let her go. Was it a mere reflex that made him held her hand or was it something else, perhaps a familiarity that comes out of hiding when faced with such a frightening situation? He didn’t know, all he knew was it felt safe to be holding this particular stranger’s hand. 

It was dark inside, but Chae rin could sense him paled from the shock too, his breathing was somewhat labored. If they were anywhere but inside this crazy and frightening elevator, she would have burst out laughing. The way she was standing, in between a whimpering Minji and stony silence of a frightened CEO, is quite comical, I mean, I was laughing looking at them. 

The lights came back on and the elevator seemed to have steadied itself. The three looked at each other, and Chae rin raised her left hand wordlessly telling Jiyong he can let her go now. Embarrassed, Jiyong released her hand and immediately pressed the emergency call button. 

Chae rin shook her head in disbelief he still has a tight grip he almost, just almost, made her lose the function of her left hand. She clenched and unclenched her hand a couple of times to let the blood circulate then she turned to check on Minji. Cupping Minji’s face, she checked for any injuries her sister may have, “Relax, Minji, we’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you, araso? You feel anything painful in your legs, arms?”

Minji shook her head and just stayed in the embrace of her sister. 

“Anyone there? This is Kwon Ji Yong, we are trapped in passenger elevator three. Get us out of here immediately!”

“CEO Kwon, right away, Sir. Is there anyone in need of immediate medical assistance?”

He inquiringly looked back at his two other companions and both shook their heads assuring him they were fine.

“No, but I have a meeting that I badly need to get to.”

“We apologize for this, Sir. Maintenance and security are on their way, Sir,” the frightened security officer stammered into the emergency speaker.

“Oppa,” Minji called out to Jiyong, “How soon will they get us out?”

“Don’t worry we’ll be out soon enough. Just like you I can’t wait to get out of this contraption. I really never liked elevators, now I know why,” he calmly assured the still frightened girl. 

Jiyong looked at her two companions in the elevator, seeing the slightly taller girl resting comfortably in the protective embrace of this petite, strong young lady made him imagine a modern version of a mother and child. 

“Perhaps name it ‘Sister’s Love’?” he shook his head clearing his mind from the images and captions coming on to him. He used to think that way, seeing things in a different way, not simply in numbers, profit margins or bottom line. What made him forget? Ah, but more importantly, what’s making him remember?

After a minute the speakers crackled and the security officer spoke, “Sir, we are told that the elevator is stuck in between two floors, the 37th and 38th floors. We have shut down the power at the equipment room, the fire department has been informed as well and has arrived to assist in opening the hoist and car doors and pull you out from the 38th floor.”

10 minutes passed, the rescuers finally had both hoist and car doors pried open from the 38th floor and pulled out the three passengers from the malfunctioned elevator. Chae rin and Minji were then taken through another elevator escorted by two of the rescuers and sent down to safety. Jiyong meanwhile was escorted up to the 48th floor for his meeting. 

The cityscape view forgotten, Chae rin went back to Beanery with Minji the two desperately wanting to escape the harrowing experience of the day. Sitting by her favorite corner, Seungri came over and brought them each a cup of the special hot chocolate he constantly claims to this day that he personally make. 

“Here’s something to perk you up. Minji-ah, you look scared to death,” he noted. 

Minji stared blankly at him for half a second before rattling on her narration of what exactly happened on their little trip. 

Chae rin, meanwhile, was in deep thought, “So, he’s a CEO now? Is he married?”

I can vouch that he is not, Chae rin...