You Are My Future

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38829099.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/M
Fandom: Start-Up (Korea TV)
Relationship: Han Ji Pyeong/Original Female Character(s)
Character: Han Ji Pyeong
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama,
Korean Characters, Canon Compliant, Angst with a Happy Ending,
Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Canon - Korean
Drama, Falling In Love, Business, Fix-It, POV Alternating, Idiots in Love,
Han Ji-pyeong Deserves Happiness, Team Han Ji Pyeong, han ji
pyeong - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-05-06 Completed: 2022-11-15 Chapters: 21/21 Words:
194307

You Are My Future

by CeciliaTallis

Summary

I know I am two years late but I just finished Start Up and I have a lot of feelings!! Han Ji-
pyeong deserves so much more than that story offered. And so I am going to do my best to
give it to him and just before his fictional birthday seems like a good time to start.

Notes

See the end of the work for notes

 Chapter One

New York 2023

“Don’t be lonely, Ji-pyeong.”

It was the last thing she had ever said to him in that damn hospital room. And it had torn at his
heart all over again. How could she have said that to him when she was the one leaving this
world?

Grandmother had been gone for over three months. And Han Ji-pyeong now sat at a hotel bar at
midnight, alone. Her good boy was halfway across the world from where he had felt her hands on
his face for the last time. It did not feel far enough.

Ji-pyeong swirled his glass around and around. A solitary piece of ice chased the sides of the glass
in a never ending circle.

Just like me.

He had jumped at the opportunity to come to New York to oversee the acquisition and merger of
two biotech start ups as soon as Seo Yi-sook proposed the idea. Ji-pyeong suspected that it was a
mercy cloaked in a demand anyway. It was not that he did not notice how everyone looked at him
as he went through the motions at Sandbox in the weeks after the funeral. It was that he did not
know how to talk about it. Dal-mi and In-jae did not know how to broach the subject and so made
infuriatingly trivial small talk instead. Even Do-san had been unbearably kind to him after the last
board of directors meeting. Grief had even stolen the right to be annoyed at his former rival.

Ji-pyeong knocked back the rest of the bourbon and signaled to the bartender for another.

He appreciated their concern but it sometimes rang hollow. They all had each other. He had no one.
Not really. Would they continue to include him in their holiday celebrations now that she was
gone? Maybe this year. But what about the next? Even the letters — his hard won consolation—
now reminded him more of Grandmother than the wife of another man. Ji-pyeong preferred to
remember her warm presence at a table guiding his hand rather than dwell on the indifferent gaze
of the woman who chose the man who did not write them.

And so he might as well be a stranger in a strange land than one in his own life in Seoul. Thanks to
his investment in Cheongmyeong, Han Ji-pyeong was richer than ever. The newly promoted Vice
President of SH Venture Capital was in New York to close a deal that could be worth billions. That
he knew how to do alone. Even if Grandmother’s entreaty still echoed in his head as cruelly as it
did four years ago.

The bartender returned with another glass. Ji-pyeong welcomed the renewed burn down his throat.
He would chase a different kind of numbness tonight. The bar was nearly empty despite the hype
of the hotel staff about its renowned cocktails. Ji-pyeong studied the warm dark glow of the bottles
behind the bar. The oak paneling all around him beckoned to a bygone era. But Ji-pyeong was not
interested in dwelling in the past. That was for men who could look back on it fondly.

“Pardon me, sir?”

He took another swig of bourbon.

“Sir?”

He turned around with a start, surprised to be the subject of the entreaty. The waitress was petite
and barely twenty five. She seemed to grow increasingly nervous with every second that ticked by
on his watch. Ji-pyeong lowered his head to meet her gaze as she chewed at her lip.

“Yes?”

“I was asked to bring you this note by a woman over there.”

Ji-pyeong jerked his head back in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m so sorry but … well she already took care of your tab and asked me to bring you this.”
Ji-pyeong turned his head slowly in the direction of the waitress’ gaze. On the other side of the
lounge, he saw the back of a woman’s head. Her hair cut a sharp, dark swathe just above her
shoulders. A bold white jacket drew an elegant line across her shoulders. She was seated across
from a man. He was crowned with a mass of dirty blonde hair that curled just under his ears and
the buttons on his shirt which lay beneath a black blazer were aggressively under utilized. His
expression could only be described as leering. Ji-pyeong’s teeth involuntarily set against each other
as he watched the man lean towards her. The woman’s posture was rigid. Ji-pyeong could tell from
where he was sitting that she was not interested. Why couldn’t that asshole do the same?

“Er, thank you.”

He accepted the small piece of white paper and turned it around and around between his fingers.
The waitress glanced back at the table and then walked away.

Ji-pyeong unfolded the note. He blinked hard upon realizing that it was unexpectedly in his native
tongue. The handwriting was precise yet clearly rushed.

“Dear Sir,

I have tried to extricate myself from this drunken fool for an hour to no avail. So I am throwing
myself on the kindness of a fellow countryman.

A proposition: I have paid for your tab in full. In exchange, I ask that you pretend to be my
boyfriend until he leaves. The risk is low, the reward has already been paid. Thank you in advance
for your consideration.”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head in disbelief at the bold request. The business-like tone and the brazen
proposal were so at odds with one another that he read it over again to ensure his understanding.

That takes some nerve.

He looked again at the woman. Her back was still turned to him but her unwanted companion was
now reaching across the table. A bolt of anger coursed through him.
Ji-pyeong stood up swiftly and squared his shoulders. Then he tightened the knot of his tie and
buttoned his navy pinstripe suit jacket.

This is going to be fun.

He strode across the room, glass in hand. Ji-pyeong didn’t know whether it was the absurd
challenge or the bourbon that had served as his silent companion, but he felt alive for the first time
in months.

He approached the table in the corner like a shark circling its prey. The woman glanced over her
shoulder as he drew close. Her ebony hair curved into a swooping crescent moon. Ji-pyeong could
not yet see her face but his eyes followed the curve of her hair all the way to the point of her chin.

He took a deep breath and assumed the role of an imposter.

“Hello darling, sorry I’m late. Did you make a new … friend?”

He spoke in English at first so as to put an end to this unwanted suitor’s hopes. The man stared at
him, mouth agape.

Then the woman looked up at him. Ji-pyeong’s hand curled around his glass tightly just as his feet
simply stopped moving.

My god.

She was stunning — all at once elegant yet striking in her features. Bold eyebrows raised up as if
asking a question while her brown eyes widened. Her gaze was intelligent, penetrating even. The
woman’s face was shaped like an almond; yet her delicate cheekbones were challenged by a
defiant nose.

But then he was drawn to her mouth. Her lips were red like an exclamation point; their sharp peaks
a stark contrast to the pillowed lower lip below. The bright shade of crimson subverted her crisp
professionalism. As if something wild lurked below her exquisitely tailored suit.
“Thank you for your help.” She answered him in Korean. Her tone was light but her eyes were
filled with gratitude. Those lips curled into a smile so lovely that Ji-pyeong blinked to regain his
bearings. Then the woman tucked her hair behind her ear smoothly and turned back to her
unwanted companion.

“Oh I’m so pleased you can finally meet my boyfriend,” her voice cooed in English. “Teddy,
please meet …”

Ji-pyeong stepped forward but slid his free hand into his pocket.

“Nam Do-san.”

It’s as good a name as any for an imposter.

It seemed absurdly subversive to reclaim the alias. And that felt good.

“And you are?”

The man’s brow furrowed.

“Teddy Hamilton.”

Ji-pyeong sat down on the plush velvet lounge. He made sure to inch a bit too closely to Teddy
Hamilton. The man sank back into the cushions in retreat as his eyes slowly ticked back and forth
between the two of them.

“I’m sorry, I — I didn’t realize …well when you said you had a boyfriend I just assumed you
were…”

“Lying? Now why would I do that?”

The woman raised one eyebrow as she took a sip of her champagne. Ji-pyeong’s eyes narrowed at
her double meaning wrapped in such a show of confidence. It was thrillingly attractive. Then he
crossed one leg across his thigh and turned to the man.

“It seems to me… Teddy, is it?”

Teddy nodded, blinking rapidly at the sharpness of Ji-pyeong’s tone despite his polite veneer.

“Well. Teddy. It seems to me that either you are the kind of man who hits on a woman who has a
boyfriend or the kind who doesn’t know how to take a hint. Either way, I think it’s time you move
along.”

He steeled his gaze and lowered his head.

“Pleasure to meet you though.”

Ji-pyeong folded his hands to make sure he knew that was a lie too. Teddy scoffed and drained his
drink.

“Uh, okay then.” He shot the woman a withering look as he set the empty glass back on the table.
“You’re a piece of work.”

Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw but the woman shook her head imperceptibly.

“Good night.” Her voice was even but her eyes darted quickly at Ji-pyeong.

The man stood up, his face now red with anger.

Get out of here before I make you.

Teddy walked away briskly, looking around the lounge as if to ensure no one had witnessed his
ejection. Ji-pyeong watched until he disappeared into the lobby. When he met the woman’s gaze
again, he realized that she had been watching him. Ji-pyeong swallowed hard.
Why the hell do I feel nervous all of a sudden?

“Thank you so much for that. It’s humiliating that I had to even ask but he just gave me a very bad
feeling. Some men have to be handled that way unfortunately.”

Ji-pyeong inched forward. He felt a maddening need to keep the conversation going.

“I was happy to help. I’m so sorry.”

As she waved off his concern, Ji-pyeong’s curiosity got the better of him.

“But how did you know that I am Korean? Or that I wouldn’t just be another asshole?”

“Are you another asshole?”

Her reply cracked like a whip between them. Ji-pyeong answered immediately without even
thinking.

“I am trying my best not to be.” His old nickname echoed in his head. “But never about …that.
That’s not how a man should act. It’s not right.”

The woman looked at him, her fingers turning the stem of her champagne glass around and around.
Then she nodded toward the bar.

“I heard you speaking on your phone when you got here. So I took a chance on someone from
home and feigned a work emergency to get the note off quickly. And you looked so …”

Her voice trailed off as Ji-pyeong cocked his head awaiting her assessment. Ji-pyeong inched
forward in his seat as her eyes searched his face for a moment.

“Well, I figured the chances that a man who could look that sad and be an asshole were slim.”
His mouth opened and then shut wordlessly. She could see right through him. And that made him
want to run.

“Ah.” He bowed his head and nodded slowly. God I’m pathetic. “ Okay well I’m happy to have
helped but. ..”

“Stay.”

Her hand fluttered towards her face but then stopped midair to gesture toward his glass.

“I mean … I paid for that drink. You should at least have the courtesy to finish it, Mr. Nam.”

A surprised puff of air escaped from his lips. His sudden panic at her keen observation dissipated
with the flirtatious admonishment.

Mr. Nam.

It felt profane to be called that. But a beautiful woman calling him by the wrong name and looking
only at him was not something from which he could walk away easily. Ji-pyeong leaned back and
felt the velvet give way to his body.

“You’re right.” He raised his glass to her in thanks.

“I’m Kim Mi-rae.” She laughed softly. “This is certainly an odd way to meet.”

She looked away for a moment, embarrassed. It was a glimpse beneath her confident exterior. And
it was adorable.

“I’ve met people in stranger ways, believe me. How do you write it?”

“未來”
Future.

It was a bolt of lightning. And in the next second it made a man as jaded as Han Ji-pyeong want to
laugh out loud.

Of course her name means “future.” I bet a gentle breeze will blow next.

But then Mi-rae smiled so prettily that Ji-pyeong wanted to believe that this was a sign more
trustworthy than those empty prophecies plucked out of the ether by his AI. She was exquisite.
And fascinating. And she wanted him to stay a little bit longer.

He cleared his throat and leaned forward.

“And what do you do, Ms. Kim? Do you live here?”

“I’m a lawyer.” She sighed like it was a curse. “And yes I live here. I went to university in the U.S.
and then decided to stay for law school. I always found myself debating with everyone so I decided
I might as well make a living at it.”

She smirked and raised a glass to her lips. Ji-pyeong’s mind went blank as the lush scarlet shape of
them closed around the rim. He suddenly found himself imagining what else they could do; what it
would feel like to …

What the hell is wrong with me. Get a grip Ji-pyeong .

“How about you?

Fuck, what did she just say?

“Pardon?”

“What do you do?”

He shook his head at himself.

“Oh I’m in …”

He trailed off as rebellion rose up inside of him. Everything was always about work. Ji-pyeong did
not want to talk about anything so mundane with her. She was the most exciting thing that had
happened to him in years. He shifted in his seat and took a leap.

“So I looked that pathetic at the bar, huh?”

Mi-rae blinked hard at the sudden shift.

“Yes.” She seemed to consider something for a moment. “To tell the truth, I almost came over to
buy you a drink just to see if you needed someone to talk to before I was cornered.”

“A pity drink? Ouch.” He folded his arms and leaned back defensively. “Guess it’s good I got an
even exchange instead.”

It came out more harshly than he intended. Pity was a bitter taste in his mouth. And this woman
was unnerving him. Ji-pyeong had no idea why he had even brought the topic up again. Words just
seemed to just be tumbling out of his mouth. He took a large gulp of bourbon anyway.

Mi-rae dipped her head and gave him a look of admonishment.

“No.” She said it slowly, a soft reproach. “More like a ‘I miss home and he looks like he could use
someone to talk to’ drink. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in being sad, Mr. Nam. I am too, most
of the time.”

She looked so vulnerable for a moment that Ji-pyeong felt like the wind was sucked out of his
lungs. How can she be that brave? He felt like a coward in comparison and could not think of what
to say next.
Mi-rae finished her glass of champagne and then leaned her elbow on the table. Her head dropped
slowly into her open palm.

She might be a little bit drunk. I might be too.

Ji-pyeong watched as her hair swung forward into her face. His fingers extended involuntarily but
he forced them to clasp and stay rooted firmly in his lap.

“So why are you sad, Mr. Nam?”

Her voice was soft now. Her eyes warm. This corner of the bar felt dark and intimate. Like they
were the only ones there. It made him want to tell this stranger all of the things that he told no one
at home.

Ji-pyeong leaned his arms onto the table and nodded his head once to himself.

Fuck it. Why not?

“The only person who cares about me in the whole world died three months ago.”

He waited for her inevitably uncomfortable reaction. Yet Mi-rae did not flinch.

“I’m so sorry.” She worried at her lower lip. “But I’m also pretty sure the part about her being the
only one is not true.”

A bitter laugh escaped from his lips before he could stop it.

“I’m pretty sure that it is.”

Mi-rae looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Then she called over to the waitress.
“Another round please.”

Excitement tinged with awe coursed down his spine. Ji-pyeong thought of all the times that he had
desperately wished for Dal-mi to speak to him with the depth of how she had written as a teenager
to no avail. Instead, doe eyed silence often met his heart’s deepest confessions. But this stranger —
this thrillingly assertive woman with a mouth that made his cheeks feel warm— wanted to hear
more right now. Ji-pyeong’s hand closed into a fist to try to remain calm.

“This round is on me.”

Mi-rae held her hand up in protest.

“No, this is the pity drink.”

She tried desperately to keep a straight face but a bubble of laughter escaped from her lips. Ji-
pyeong had to bite his lip and look away to keep from laughing too. When he met her gaze again,
Mi-rae’s eyes were dancing with amusement. He acquiesced and nodded to the waitress.

“Fair enough.”

Mi-rae settled back in her chair, pleased.

“Tell me more.”

Right now, she could ask him to jump off the roof and he would.

“Well, I’m an orphan.” Ji-pyeong paused. Mi-rae did not even blink at his bluntness. The waitress
returned with their drinks and slinked away wordlessly.

He took a sip of the fourth bourbon of the night against his better judgment. His belly felt warm.
Mi-rae took a long draw of champagne and then leaned forward expectantly.

“When I had to leave the orphanage I wasn’t old enough to—

“Actually live legally as the adult they were forcing you to be?”

His throat tightened at the compassion in her eyes. Ji-pyeong was a man who actively tried to curb
his tongue and yet this was the second time she had left him speechless in less than an hour. It did
not make him feel weak. It made him feel known.

He took a deep breath and continued.

“A woman took me in for a time and… well, she cared . I don’t know if my life would have ended
up as it has without her. Her granddaughter was my first love. We all found each other again seven
years ago. It’s all complicated but …her granddaughter married someone else. I never doubted that
Grandmother loved me but…. Well, no matter what else happened, I know that . But now she’s
gone. And I’m back to having no one.”

Mi-rae sucked in her lips sharply. Ji-pyeong sat in silence stunned at his own honesty.

“What do you miss most about her?”

Her voice was now a whisper. It felt like a caress.

Ji-pyeong's eyes took refuge in the wood grain of the table as he tried to steady himself. He felt like
his chest was going to break open talking about Grandmother out loud. Everyone so walked on
such eggshells around him that he had not done so since she died.

“I miss …” His voice broke and he chased the lump in his throat with fire. “I miss her bringing ten
side dishes to my apartment even though I live alone. I miss being annoyed at her calling me ‘good
boy’ when I felt like I didn’t deserve it. I miss … I miss sitting with her and … how it felt to be
with someone who actually chose me.”

There was a silence between them heavy with his grief. Mi-rae’s hand slid across the table and then
stopped. She withdrew it quickly to her lap. Then she drained the rest of her glass in one gulp.

“My mother died when I was three. I don’t remember a thing about her. So I can’t even miss her.”
Ji-pyeong’s head snapped to attention. He leaned forward on his elbows and waited for her to
continue. Suddenly words started crashing into the silence in waves.

“My dad was a mess growing up. I don’t blame him. He did the best he could.” She paused and
sniffed. “But he’s dead now. I hadn’t been home in over a year before he died because I thought
that I was too busy. What a shitty daughter.”

He bristled at her harsh self reproach.

“I’m sure you weren’t a—“

“If you are all alone, then I was a shitty daughter.”

Her words were sharp but her tone was not.

“We’re strangers. And strangers don’t have to lie.”

She said it quietly, like a vow. Ji-pyeong felt his stomach flip at the raw truth of her words.

“Two years ago I walked in on my husband in our bed with one of his associates.” Mi-rae looked
away and then down at her drink. “Now all I do is work so I don’t have to sit in my apartment
alone. Better to eat at a desk and pretend it’s because I have to.”

A strange kinship welled up within his chest as she struggled for composure. The idea that a man
could take such a woman for granted made him feel irrationally angry. Ji-pyeong had only known
her for an hour but he already knew the worth of her ex-husband.

Finally, Mi-rae forced herself to smile. It did not reach her eyes.

“See? It’s a pity drink for both of us. Now you can pity me.”
“I don’t pity you.”

He spit out each word like venom. Then Ji-pyeong leaned forward, his voice low. He demanded
her full attention. She swayed toward him as if he had pulled on a tether.

He lowered his head to ensure that she would hear every word.

“I pity him.”

Mi-rae stared at him.

Then those red lips parted. And Ji-pyeong was in a free fall.

Alcohol, her startling honesty, and the intimacy of the late hour curled seductively into want within
him. There was a pull between them. He knew it. He felt it. It was electric. And he did not want to
be alone tonight. He wanted to be with her.

Ji-pyeong wondered wildly if he should just ask her to come upstairs to his room. There was a pain
in her eyes that felt like looking in a mirror. His fingers curled into the lush velvet. He wanted to
stamp out the memory of that betrayal — and his rejection — by kissing her senseless until dawn.

Then why haven’t you told her your real name?

Before he could react to this voice of caution, the waitress appeared again.

“I’m afraid the lounge is closing now.”

The waitress slid the leather billcase onto the table apologetically. Mi-rae closed her eyes for a
moment and let out a shaky breath.

“Thank you.”
Ji-pyeong felt his nerve slipping away as Mi-rae focused resolutely on signing the bill. He glanced
up at the bartender who gave him a sympathetic grimace as he wiped down the copper bartop. The
lights of the lounge grew brighter and Ji-pyeong squinted to adjust his eyes.

What am I doing?

All of a sudden he felt self conscious of sharing so much with someone he had just met.

Mi-rae pushed her chair out and cleared her throat as she stood up. Ji-pyeong looked up at her.

“Well, Mr. Nam. I thank you for your help. And for the conversation. I’m going to get them to hail
me a cab home.”

She was immaculate in a white double breasted pantsuit. But it now looked like armor. And he
knew that all too well.

“Thank you for the drinks.” Ji-pyeong stood up hastily. “Let … let me walk you out just in case
our friend Teddy is still lurking about.”

Mi-rae opened her mouth to say something but then appeared to think better of it. She nodded and
then smoothed her hair as she turned to walk out of the bar.

Ji-pyeong sighed and slid both hands in his pockets. He already felt cold with regret. But the
moment was gone. It had slipped right through his clenched fists.

They walked through the lobby in silence. It was still bustling with guests despite the late hour. Mi-
rae’s heels rhythmically marked the final seconds of their time together. Ji-pyeong felt his stomach
drop with each echoing strike against the polished marble floor. It was an irrational despair.

The doors to the street opened in a woosh. At her signal, a valet immediately began blowing a
whistle to hail a cab. A splattering of rain stopped them short just under the awning with half a
dozen other people also surprised by a sudden shower. Ji-pyeong felt a clawing panic to ask for her
number but could not think of what to say amid so many bystanders.
Mi-rae turned to face him.

Her eyes searched his. And for a moment, everyone around them melted away.

A gust of wind signaling the storm to come mischievously played with her hair. And then she
smiled at him, wistful.

Just ask her. Get her number.

Ji-pyeong’s hands flexed within his pockets as his mouth went dry.

“M’am! Taxi!”

A yellow cab pulled abruptly before them. Ji-pyeong’s heart thudded against his rib cage.

Mi-rae looked down at the sidewalk as she turned to go. Then she turned suddenly and touched
him. He watched her fingers tentatively sink into his arm. It forced the breath from his lungs.

“Don’t be alone for too long okay?”

Ji-pyeong wanted to scream.

“You too.”

She nodded ruefully and then ran out from under the awning into the awaiting taxi. Gleaming
yellow disappeared into a sea of red tail lights as the sky cleaved open all at once.

Ji-pyeong stood there as people around him gasped at the fury of the rain. His fingers closed
around the slip of paper in his pocket, crumpling it in frustration.

He had hesitated. Again.

The staccato of the rain filled his head as it released the pungent smells of the city. It shook him
from his stupor. Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw as he pulled out the piece of paper. He stared at the
jagged ball of white in his palm.

She had been a thrilling equal — in pain, in willingness to speak the truth. He knew nothing about
her and yet was more like himself with her than someone he had written to for years. Ji-pyeong
wanted to throw himself onto her sharp edges. To blot out her loneliness. To sit with her and talk
endlessly until the lights came on again.

Ji-pyeong carefully smoothed the edges of the paper in his palm.

“The risk is low, the reward has already been paid.”

He smiled at her careful balancing of risk. She sounded like him. And yet right now he felt like
jumping off a cliff.

You know her name. She’s a lawyer. You can find her. Be different this time.

He folded the paper carefully and tucked it inside his jacket pocket. Ji-pyeong took a deep breath
and watched the traffic lights change from red to green. Cars hurtled forth recklessly in the driving
rain. He could feel his shoes getting splattered as he stood at the edge of the awning.

Kim Mi-rae.

Her name was either a promise or a taunt.

Han Ji-pyeong turned and strode back into the hotel. This time he would not wait for the future to
find him.
 Chapter Two

A shock of dark hair fell across his forehead as his eyes flashed with want. He was all that she
could see; all that she could breathe.

Her heart raced as his jaw clenched with determination. And then he closed his eyes and leaned
in.

God how she wanted him to.

Eyes open, she seized his tie with a fist and pulled him closer. Anything to make their lips crash
together faster…

And then a shrill noise suddenly tore between them.

What the … Dammit.

Kim Mi-rae buried her head deeper into her pillow as she groped blindly for her phone. Finally her
hand met hard plastic in the depths of the duvet. She seized the offending device and flipped over
onto her back with a heaving sigh.

Snooze. Snooze! Snooze!!!

She jabbed at the screen in desperation while trying to blink through the clumps of dried mascara
on her lashes. Finally, the harsh reminder that morning had come too soon was silenced.

“Fuck.”

She rasped the word to the indifferent ceiling yawning above. Her head felt thick. Her mouth was
dry. She had fallen asleep without washing her face next to her phone.
And it was a workday.

Mi-rae rubbed her face furiously and then dropped her arms to her sides in a huff.

Even in my dreams nothing happens.

Mi-rae had fallen asleep thinking about him. Then she dreamed about him. And now she was
thinking about him again. She felt like she was going crazy.

She picked up her phone and stared at the screen.

Nam Do-san, Associate Professor of Literature, Sogang University…

Nam Do-san, Chief Technology Officer, Cheongmyeong, A Leader in Self Driving Car
Technology…

Nam Do-san, Electric & Plumbing, Busan….

Nam Do-san, Chung Nam Little League, Boxscore…

Daniel (Do-san) Nam, Certified Public Accountant, KPMG, Atlanta…

Mi-rae had scoured the internet from the darkness of her bedroom for hours all to no avail. Judging
by his attire, he was a successful man. Yet none of these Nam Do-sans matched the man in the
pinstripe suit. It was like he existed only in her imagination.

Why didn’t I just ask for his damn number?

Then her stomach dropped.

But he didn’t either.

It had seemed like they were on the precipice of something. And then everything suddenly became
irrevocably awkward. She silently cursed the waitress again for bringing the bill at that very
moment. Mi-rae was thirty five years old and had never had a one night stand. But if Nam Do-san
had asked her to stay last night, she knew that her answer would have been yes.

Instead, he had walked her to hail a cab. And even after she worked up the courage to ask him not
to remain lonely, Nam Do-san said nothing about ever seeing one another again.

Take a hint, Mi-rae.

It was a familiar battle between hope and self doubt. Mi-rae flopped back onto her stomach in
frustration.

But he told me things.

The unshed tears in his eyes —the way his voice broke while opening up to her —were real . And
it could not be a coincidence that she had met him last night of all nights. Mi-rae had gone to the
bar as a maudlin ritual of marking the anniversary of her divorce with champagne. It somehow
seemed less pathetic than drinking wine alone in her apartment as usual.

But then he walked into the bar.

Hearing him talk on the phone in her native language in the middle of New York City had caused
her to look up.

And then she could not look away.

Nam Do-san looked like a man that Mi-rae had made up in her head. He was all bold lines and
angles — the sharp turn of his jaw, the sleek dark sweep of his hair, the cut of his jacket across
shoulders so broad that she had to stop herself from staring. His navy pinstripe suit adorned with a
hint of a white pocket square signaled excellent taste and a flair for the dramatic. The long stretch
of his legs made her mind wander far beyond sartorial concerns. He claimed a seat at the bar with
the determined stride of someone used to commanding a room. And then with every drink, he
seemed to slowly fall apart.
Mi-rae sat drinking in silent companionship as Nam Do-san drowned himself in bourbon after
bourbon. He looked exactly how she felt. Her mind raced with what could possibly make a man so
strikingly handsome that miserable. And just when she worked up the courage to approach him,
that lecher had cornered her instead.

It felt weak to seek the help of a man to extricate herself from such a situation but none of the usual
defensive strategies had rid her of the unwanted advances. And the pit in her stomach signaled
danger. So as much as the partner at a major New York law firm despised having to resort to
slipping a note to a stranger from home, Mi-rae chose being safe rather than sorry.

And he came . To help a stranger. Nam Do-san had dispatched her harasser with a swagger that
was intoxicatingly attractive. Normally she would have rolled her eyes at his cavalier confidence.
A ten year career in the law had rendered her beyond impatient with male bravado. But he had
employed it only at her behest and evericerated that asshole.

And then he stayed. And smiled at her. And seemed to delight in her sharp tongue while other men
shrank from it. And held her gaze as if he did not want to look at anything else in the world. The
last thing she expected last night was to feel good. But when her teasing coaxed the smooth
contours of his face to reveal a disarming set of dimples, Mi-rae felt like she was discovering a
new world.

God that smile.

She sighed into her pillow at the memory. But while Mi-rae was undoubtedly first drawn to him
because he was an impossibly attractive man, it was what he shared that had left her thunderstruck.
Their one hour conversation had more depth than most of her marriage.

When Nam Do-san’s eyes filled with tears as he spoke of his adopted grandmother, it was all that
Mi-rae could do not to clasp his hand in hers as she thought of her father. She knew what it was to
lose someone who was the last barrier between you and the void. When he spoke of his first love,
she envied the lack of bitterness in his voice. Perhaps it was better that this woman had chosen
another rather than make promises she could never keep. Living through broken promises was a
different kind of hell.

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut to force the images of her ex-husband’s betrayal away from her
mind. It was a torment that played over and over. But then a new voice pierced the usual spiral of
shame.
“I pity him.”

No one had ever said that to her before. Pity was usually reserved for Kim Mi-rae in the soft “I’m
so sorry’s” that trailed off into silence and the awkward “so how are you doing’s” that did not truly
seek an honest answer.

Nam Do-san’s low growl tore through her like a bolt of electricity. For the first time since as long
as she could remember, Mi-rae felt wanted. And the look in his eyes made her want desperately in
return. Wild thoughts of inviting Nam Do-san into her bed had nearly tumbled out of her mouth.
Her cheeks felt flush even now. She covered her head with the pillow.

The alarm once again intruded - a stark reminder that this was all a fantasy.

Mi-rae sat up and silenced it for good.

“Fine. I’m up!”

Only her cat was there to acknowledge her surrender. He jumped up onto the bed, purring
expectantly.

“Whatever Loki, you just want to be fed.”

He kept his distance. Wide yellow eyes stared at her skeptically.

“You’re right. I’m obsessing.”

Mi-rae scratched under his neck and then resolved to begin her day with a sigh. She shuffled into
the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. A woman with black smudged eyeliner and
ridiculous hair in a rumpled Mets jersey was staring back at her.

“Get your shit together, Mi-rae.”

Loki slipped between her ankles and jumped up onto the counter. He sat and cocked his head at
her. A laugh escaped her lips at his droll expression.

“Judge away. I deserve it.”

Mi-rae tossed back three Advil in one handful and turned on the shower.

As the water hit her back, Mi-rae forced herself to focus on work. Today she would lead a day of
new client meetings for the first time. It was an opportunity to demonstrate her readiness for such
responsibility in front of a senior partner at her firm. The “firsts” for a woman partner never
seemed to stop coming. And so she needed to stop obsessing over some guy she was never going to
see again and start thinking about how to impress the client she was going to meet in three hours.
Mi-rae nodded her head firmly to herself and then began reciting her prepared talking points as she
washed.

Her morning ritual proceeded resolutely focused on work. Mi-rae mulled over the key issues she
had prepared to brief a team of associates conducting the due diligence review while drying her
hair. She clenched her mascara wand between her teeth as she jotted down notes regarding the
importance of independently assessing the clinical trial data. She gulped down coffee as she fired
off emails to confirm enough associates with a background in biology and FDA regulations were
staffed on her team.

By the time she reached her closet, Mi-rae was sure that she was past her earlier fleeting madness.
She stared down the row of suit sleeves like a soldier choosing armor for battle. She would likely
be the only woman in the room this morning. And it would be her job to say the kinds of things that
men do not want to hear when they just want to get a deal done.

So do I stand out or blend in?

Her fingers trailed wistfully down the length of a deep red sleeve before retreating to a black suit.

Better to play it safe.

She sheathed herself in black and assessed the results in the mirror. Mi-rae looked every bit the
role of the voice of caution. But then her navy pinstripe suit hanging closest to the mirror caught
her eye. The straight lines led her in only one possible direction: Nam Do-san. His face as he was
trying not to laugh at her offered pity drink unfurled in her mind. Deepening dimples were
momentarily obscured by a hand hovering near his mouth in amused disbelief at her teasing.
The memory was annoyingly adorable. Mi-rae sank against the doorframe.

“ Fuck.”

Her head fell back with a gentle thud.

It’s not that there had not been men in her life since her divorce. She had been on several second or
even third dates. A few decent hook ups here and there. But then work would inevitably flare up
and Mi-rae would make excuse after excuse until the guy stopped texting. And it was always a
relief. Then she could stop imagining how he would inevitably disappoint her. But now she was
standing barefoot in a suit thinking about a man she had talked to for an hour instead of the meeting
she was about to lead.

But maybe that means something.

Hope flickered. She had opened up to Nam Do-san about things that she barely talked about with
friends. And he had listened with empathy and compassion. Was that not worth going after? Maybe
this madness was how it was supposed to feel when you liked someone for the right reasons.

Mi-rae looked down at her cat.

“What if I leave a message at the hotel for him with my number? Then I’ll know I gave it a shot
but the ball is in his court. If he doesn’t call, then he doesn’t call. And that will be the end of it.”

Loki stared back. His tail twitched in agnostic reply. But now that the idea was in her head, there
was no choice but to see it through. Mi-rae hurried over to the nightstand and picked up her phone.
The line was ringing before she could change her mind.

“The Carlyle. How may I direct your call?”

She swallowed hard.

“Hello um … yes, I’d like to leave a message for a guest.”

“Would you like me to connect you to their room directly?”

Panic tore through her chest.

“No! I mean … no, thank you. Just a message is fine.”

“One moment.”

Ambient music filled her ears. It mocked the erratic pace of her heart.

“Guest Services. How may I help you?”

Mi-rae took a deep breath and began again.

“Good morning. I’d like to leave a message for a guest.”

“Name?”

“Do-san Nam.”

She held her breath as a keyboard clicked rapidly on the other end of the line.

“I’m sorry, m’am, but I am not seeing a Mr. Nam in our system. Could you please confirm the
spelling?”

“Last name n-a-m. First name d as in dog, o, s, a, and n as in north.”

Her foot tapped nervously against the floor. Mi-rae glanced at her watch. It was 6:55 am. Could he
have checked out already?

“I am sorry but we do not have anyone staying with us by that name.”

“Can I … can you perhaps forward a message to his contact information if he’s checked out
already?”

“M’am I don’t see that name at all in our system. Can I help you with anything else?”

Her stomach dropped.

“Are you sure? I was just there with him last night…” Mi-rae winced at how that sounded. “ I
mean… at the bar.”

There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity. A spiral of embarrassment made her neck feel
hot.

“I’m not seeing that name at all in the last year.” She could hear pity in the woman’s voice on the
other end of the line. “Perhaps I could try a different spelling? Or —are you certain that he was a
guest?

That last question stung.

No. I’m not certain. Because I actually don’t know anything about him.

Tears pricked behind her eyes. She felt irrational and stupid.

And then Mi-rae simply hung up.

***********

“Alright, as you both know it’s our first engagement with SH Venture Cap. This will be their
biggest investment in the US so far and if we nail this, there could be a lot more work in it for us.”

Mi-rae smiled at the way her mentor’s eyebrows raised excitedly like a child about to open a
present. Chris Baxter was always thinking about the next matter to add to a client identification
number and that is why he was the head of the firm’s venture capital group.

“Mi-rae, you’re on point as we discussed.” He looked at her like a proud parent before leaning
back in his chair. “I don’t think this deal closes unless both companies are acquired. The merger is
very smart strategically but it’s our job to make sure SH understands the big picture on the
regulatory front. Sam, that’s where you come in.”

Sam Martinelli flashed Mi-rae a grin and nodded. They had started on the same day as first year
associates and spent much of the last ten years complaining over takeout since. This was their first
matter as partners together.

“How’s staffing?”

Mi-rae edged forward in her seat.

“Generally we are in good shape. We have twenty five associates ready to begin as soon as we start
receiving the documents. I’m trying to poach two or three more with technical backgrounds from
IP to help with the clinical trial review.”

“Good, good. SH is sending their VP of Investments, Han Ji-pyeong, ahead of the rest of their team
for the due diligence stage. From what I’ve gathered from our conversations so far, he’s a hard
man to please. Mi-rae and Sam, I’ll introduce you all and stay for the first hour but then it’s your
show.”

Chris paused and looked over his glasses at both of them.

“This deal is not going to happen unless Ji-pyeong Han says it is. We need to hit the ground
running and keep him happy.”

Great, a difficult client. Just what I need today.

“Understood.”

There was a knock at the door. It was her secretary, Kate.

“Pardon me.”

“Come on in, Kate!”

Kate nearly jumped out of her skin. Chris’s voice was always booming whether he intended it to be
so or not.

“Everything in the conference room is ready. Um, Mi-rae,…there is someone on the line waiting to
speak with you. I told him that you were in a meeting but he was kind of … insistent.”

Mi-rae tilted her head, curious about Kate’s hesitant tone.

“Who is it?”

“It’s a Mr. Han?”

Chris smacked his hand on the desk.

“Ji-pyeong Han! Jesus, he’s an hour early.” His brow furrowed for a moment. “I didn’t even tell
him about you all yet…huh, guess he did his own research on us. This one is going to be a handful.
Kate, is he downstairs now?”
Kate glanced at Mi-rae. She looked unsure of herself.

“I think so but …”

“Okay, well then let’s not keep him waiting. Get him a badge and show him to the conference
room. We can do a breakfast meet and greet before we get started. Kate, has the food arrived?”

“Yes, everything is set up.”

“Thank you, Kate. We’ll be there momentarily.” Chris stood up and started putting his suit jacket
on. “Mi-rae and Sam, get your racing shoes on.”

Kate froze for a moment and looked anxiously at Mi-rae. And then she hurried out of the room.

It was strange that the client had called her an hour before they were to be introduced. Chris had
been the point of contact for the engagement so far. And her normally implacable secretary looked
off. It filled Mi-rae with dread.

Ugh. He’s going to be such a pain in the ass.

Mi-rae audibly sighed as she walked out of Chris’ office.

“You’re going to rock this, Mi-rae.”

Sam bumped her shoulder as they walked down the hallway to the elevator bank.

“Oof, but an hour early? And demanding to talk to me before we’ve even met? Not a good sign,
Sam.”

She laughed nervously as Sam rolled his eyes.

“Hey, his reputation is that he asks tough questions. I’ll take a client who’s actually careful over
one who doesn’t listen to their lawyers any day.”

Mi-rae scoffed.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind when we are here until 3 am every night all summer.”

Once they were alone inside an elevator, Sam gave her a knowing look. His mop of brown curls
were no more tame than when they had first sat next to each other at new associate orientation ten
years ago.

“Hey. You okay?”

Sam always remembered. Her husband was their colleague before moving to San Francisco with
his new wife. Sam had spent the night after the divorce became final singing karaoke with her in
Queens until 6 am. And then he had taken her home and tucked her into bed as she sobbed after
singing too many Taylor Swift songs. Mi-rae felt a pang of affection at the concerned look on his
face.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She sighed as she buttoned her jacket. “To be honest, I drank a little too much
by myself last night. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Mi-rae felt a faint throbbing persist at her
temples. “So starting an hour early with an overeager client is not exactly what I needed this
morning.”

Sam clucked his tongue in sympathy.

“You should’ve called me. I was here anyway. I would’ve drank with you.”

But another face flashed through her mind.

Enough.
Mi-rae forced Nam Do-san from her mind and tilted her chin out defiantly.

“Thanks Sam. I will next time. You’re the best wingman. And I promise no more Taylor Swift.”

She winked as he chuckled and motioned for her to exit first.

“I don’t ever want to hear ‘All Too Well’ ever again, Mi-rae. It haunts me. Just give the fucking
scarf back, asshole.”

Mi-rae laughed and punched at his arm before tucking her leather bound folder under her arm.
Then she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Her heels rang out singularly amid the
many male associates scurrying into the war room on their left.

“Mi-rae, I’ll plan on just giving him a quick overview of the FDA process whenever you kick it to
me, okay? I don’t know how much he is going to want to get into the weeds on the regulatory stuff
today. But I’m ready if he goes there.”

“Sounds good.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way down the long hallway to the conference room. Mi-rae
pressed her lips together to blot her lipstick and smoothed her hair. As they reached the doorway,
she felt butterflies violently take flight in her stomach. She pulled down on the edge of her jacket
and tried to make the most of her five feet and five inches.

Sam stopped her before entering. His face was suddenly serious.

“Listen. This guy may think he’s all that but SH hired us for a reason. And Chris picked you for a
reason too. You’re going to be great.”

Mi-rae nodded at his encouragement and managed a half smile in reply before walking in.

Chris was already talking to a tall man in a black and white houndstooth suit. He cut an imposing
figure against the floor to ceiling glass of the conference room. The back of his head was so
precisely groomed that his hair nearly gleamed in the bright sunshine. His presence loomed larger
than the skyscrapers stretching endlessly beyond the windows.

Mi-rae was about to greet them when she suddenly stopped short. There was something oddly
familiar about the nearly straight line across his shoulders and the assured way he was standing.
She suddenly felt disoriented in a room where she had stood hundreds of times.

Then a klaxon went off in her head. And the ground shifted under her feet.

The man turned around.

It was Nam Do-san.

 Chapter Three

Han Ji-pyeong was out of breath by the time he got back to his room after stalking his way through
the lobby of the hotel. He yanked at his jacket and tie until he was free of the constraints. And then
he flipped open his laptop and sat down at the desk.

The empty search bar stared back at him as he ran a hand through his hair.

“What are you going to do? Just call her office tomorrow and ask her out?”

It sounded ridiculously lame out loud. But then the memory of a jewelry box clenched tightly in
hand as Nam Do-san walked back into Sandbox after three years flashed through his mind.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

And then Ji-pyeong began typing.

“Mi, Rae, Kim, attorney, New York…”

His index finger hovered over the “enter” key for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and
plunged it down. Ji-pyeong folded his arms and squinted at the screen awaiting the results.

All of a sudden she was staring back at him in black and white.

“Mi-rae Kim, Partner, Burke, Zucker & Maltese LLP, New York…”

He fell back in his chair and let out a puff of air.

“Who looks that good in a corporate headshot? Come on.”

He could feel himself grinning at the screen. Ensconced in a black suit and pearl earrings, attorney
Kim Mi-rae was the portrait of professionalism. But the way she was smiling made him think back
to how she had mischievously teased him about a pity drink. And he could tell that the color of her
lipstick was red even if it was a black and white photograph. Ji-pyeong looked away for a moment,
giddy.

Then he hungrily consumed her biography: Order of the Coif, law review, multiple publications
listing her as the first author, a seat on the board of directors for a domestic violence nonprofit, and
a newly promoted partner within ten years of graduation at a major New York law firm.

She was beyond impressive. He could feel his crush dangerously intensifying.

“What is this? Competency porn?”

“Competency porn is a term invented by American television writer John Rogers. It describes the
thrill of watching…”

“Young-shil, shut up! Why did I even bring you?”

“Because I know you better than—-“

“Shut. Up.”

Young-shil’s blue light faded slowly as if the feelings that it did not possess were wounded. Ji-
pyeong clucked his tongue and then scrolled back up in search of her phone number.

As his eyes quickly scanned back over what he had just read, a thought suddenly flickered in the
back of his mind. And then it slowly lodged deeper like a splinter under the skin.

He stared at the screen, frozen.

“Burke…Zucker…and Maltese.”
Ji-pyeong started shaking his head slowly.

No no no no.

His heart was racing. Ji-pyeong picked up his phone and opened his calendar in desperation.

And there it was.

10:00 AM EST, Offices of Burke, Zucker & Maltese LLP, 101 E 50th Street, 35th Floor, Contact:
Christopher J. Baxter, Senior Partner, Emerging Company and Venture Capital Group

Ji-pyeong stared back up at the words swimming before his eyes just underneath Kim Mi-rae’s
name and title: Emerging Company and Venture Capital.

“What the fuck.”

He buried his head in his hands for a moment. Then Ji-pyeong stood up and started pacing.

“She’s a lawyer at the firm we hired? And works in the venture capital group?”

Ji-pyeong thought back to the moment that he almost asked her up to his room and his stomach
flipped.

“What were the chances… of all the lawyers in New York City?”

“There are approximately 117,850 attorneys working in New York City. The probability of …”

“Young-shil. Stop.”
But his mind was ready with an answer anyway. Ji-pyeong stopped pacing in the middle of the
room.

Probably about the same as when San Dal-mi walked into Sandbox that day.

He rubbed his face with his hands in disbelief.

“Why does every woman I like have to be connected to work?”

The blue light of Young-shil’s display caught the corner of his eye and he braced himself for the
answer.

“Work should not keep us too busy for ourselves, but nudge us evermore towards ourselves.”

He scoffed.

“Oh yeah? Who said that, Young-shil?”

“Henry David Thoreau. He is as member of the 19th century Transcendentalists…”

“Yeah yeah.” Ji-pyeong waved his hand in the air impatiently. “Well I don’t think this is exactly
what that guy had in mind.”

Panic then quickly turned to rationalization. Ji-pyeong had talked to Christopher Baxter twice
before arriving but he had not yet mentioned who would be working on the deal. He sat back down
at his laptop and flexed his fingers. Then Ji-pyeong’s mind started doing what it did best:
collecting data and assessing risk.

“Maybe it’s not that bad. It’s a huge firm.”

He searched for how many attorneys were in her group. The answer made his mouth go dry: thirty
lawyers total, only five partners. Christopher Baxter was listed as the senior member of the venture
capital practice group. Which must make him her boss. Ji-pyeong rubbed his temples. Then he
called Park Dong-cheon who answered on the fist ring.

“Is there a list of the attorneys working on the GenOne and Minerva merger yet?”

“Well hello, sir! Oh it’s almost 2 am your time! How is New York?”

“I know. It’s fine. Well?”

“Um…one second ….I’m looking now … Ah here it is. I see only one name on the engagement
letter, Christopher Baxter. I believe you’re supposed to discuss and approve staffing tomorrow.”

Ji-pyeong rubbed his forehead.

“Okay.” He glanced at his watch. Then he felt a pang of guilt for how abrupt he had been. “Hey,
don’t stay late tonight. I got an email at eleven pm your time when I landed. Get out of the office
and eat with people, okay?”

He hung up and resumed pacing.

“I have to talk to her before these meetings. If she sees me at her office first …” He stopped in his
tracks and his head fell back in frustration. “God why didn’t I tell her my name?”

Ji-pyeong realized that he was talking too loudly for being alone in a hotel room at two o’clock in
the morning. He grabbed his phone off the desk and flopped back onto the bed. The mattress sank
under him as he stared blankly at the ceiling. But he could not stop his mind from racing.

Ji-pyeong googled her name again.

The Kim Mi-rae in this photograph looked so accomplished and confident. It was surreal to think
about what she was like outside of their dreamlike last hour. Yet even in the short time that he had
spent with her, Mi-rae had already shown him other sides of herself. His mind stilled for a moment
as he remembered feeling like he could say anything to her. She had shaken him like no one else
from a stupor of grief and loneliness with her vulnerability and wit.
Ji-pyeong’s thumb traced the photograph gently. His heart clenched as he remembered the way
Mi-rae fought her emotions while admitting that her husband had cheated on her. It was
extraordinary that she had shared that with him. But then a knife slid under his rib.

Strangers don’t have to lie.

But he did. Ji-pyeong pulled his hand away as she stared back at him in silent judgment.

He initially had not wanted to share his name with two perfect strangers given the odd
circumstances. That he could explain. But then he should have told her his real name immediately
when she shared hers. Laying here now, Ji-pyeong could not even fathom why he had not.

Because you liked using his name for a change. And then she was so amazing it scared the hell out
of you. So you froze like you always do. Then it was too late like it always is.

Ji-pyeong’s cheeks flushed with shame. He could not be another one of her disappointments. He
clicked on the link in her biography to send an email and began typing.

“Re: Tonight

Dear Ms. Kim,

Please excuse me emailing you out of the blue. We met this evening and I —- “

This is her work email. Be careful.

Ji-pyeong frowned at the screen. He deleted everything and began again.

“Re: Following Up
Dear Ms. Kim,

It was a pleasure talking to you. I wanted to follow up on our conversation about Nam Do San—-“

He scoffed at the absurdity of the last sentence and finished the email out loud.

“… I used the name of the husband of my first love but here’s my real name. And yes, my
company is a client of your law firm. I really enjoyed talking with you. Can I take you to dinner?”

Ji-pyeong deleted the draft and threw his phone down in exasperation.

“Ugh!”

He flipped over and buried his face in the pillow. He had to explain this in person.

“Would you like me to set an alarm, sir?”

Ji-pyeong turned his head and laughed incredulously. Maybe he should just stick to hanging out
with an AI. He seemed to be better at it than interacting with humans.

“Yes, Young-shil. Set an alarm for 7 am…. thank you.”

He exhaled deeply knowing that sleep would not come.

*********

Ji-pyeong straightened his shoulders before narrowing his eyes at his reflection in the bathroom
mirror.
“I hope this isn’t too presumptuous that I’m here. Last night when I wasn’t sure about the situation
at the bar I didn’t use my real name. I should have clarified that and I’m sorry. It’s Han Ji-pyeong
and I’m here to meet with a colleague of yours. I really wanted to clear this up beforehand….”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers froze in the midst of slipping the long end of his silk tie through the loop. He
grimaced. Then he pulled on one end so that the black silk collapsed like a ribbon in his hand.

But maybe I should lead with the positive first? It sounds like I’m just clarifying this all for work.

He took a deep breath and wrapped the tie around his neck and began again. He raised an eyebrow
at himself and tried to sound more flirtatious.

“You must be surprised to see me here. I hope this is okay. I had a really good time talking to you
last night and regretted not asking for your number. I was wondering if we could grab coffee
together?”

Ugh I sound like a stalker.

He pulled on the tie so hard that it snapped in the silence. His chin dropped to his chest. After
considering scores of variables and scenarios, Ji-pyeong had decided to go to her office first thing
and then call her from downstairs. He wanted a chance to explain in person but did not want to put
her on the spot in case —unlike him — she had never thought about their conversation again.

Just be honest. Apologize. Explain. Then take it from there.

Ji-pyeong took a deep breath and faced the mirror once again. Then he finished tying the knot and
straightened his tie.

A half hour later, his cab was pulling up to the corner of 51st Street and Park Avenue. Ji-pyeong
peered out the open window. A beautiful morning seemed intent on mocking his turmoil. The long
stretch of cement sidewalk before him glittered under the bright sunshine. Hordes of people were
filing into the building like ants. His eyes scanned the crowd for Kim Mi-rae to no avail. Then he
glanced at his watch. It was 9:00 am.
“Right here is fine, thank you.”

He stepped out onto the curb and buttoned his jacket. Ji-pyeong glanced down at the black and
white houndstooth pattern and his black tie. He had agonized over what to wear like a teenager
before a dance between approximately 3:00-3:30 am. He had settled on a bold choice. Now, Ji-
pyeong tried to draw on the confidence that it projected as he walked around to the far side of the
fountains adorning the entrance to the building.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had rehearsed what to say countless times.
Then he squinted at the sliver of sky peeking out among the jutting towers all around him. If the
conversation went well, he could look forward to spending more time with Kim Mi-rae. If it did
not, then he would simply bury himself in the merger. Either way, it would be over. He felt a rush
of adrenaline.

Just do it.

He held his breath and dialed Mi-rae’s direct line.

“Ms. Kim’s office.”

Oh.

Ji-pyeong stared at the ground.

“Er, good morning. May I please speak with Ms. Kim?”

He sucked in his lips nervously.

“I’m sorry Ms. Kim is in a meeting right now. May I take a message?”

He glanced around him as if the answer for what to say next could be found there. He was
supposed to be upstairs in an hour.
“Actually, I’d rather just call back when she is available.”

“I’m sorry but Ms. Kim will be in meetings all day today. Are you sure I can’t take a message?”

Meetings all day.

Ji-pyeong’s stomach did a somersault. His meetings with the firm were scheduled to last until three
o’clock in the afternoon and there were only five partners in the practice group. The chances that
she was not working on his merger just plummeted. He had to take decisive action or risk meeting
her for the first time as Han Ji-pyeong in a conference room.

Be bold Ji-pyeong. Do whatever it takes just to be able to explain this to her first.

He steeled himself and stood up a bit straighter.

“It’s actually quite urgent. This is Han Ji-pyeong of SH Venture Capital. I am downstairs because I
will be meeting with your firm today but it’s imperative that I speak with Ms. Kim as soon as
possible. Could you please pass along that message and I’ll hold?”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

I sound like such an asshole.

“Oh. Um, Mr. Han, hello. Certainly, I will let Ms. Kim know right now.

“Thank you so much.”

“One moment.”

Ji-pyeong exhaled and sat down at the edge of the fountains. He tried to concentrate on the
movement of the water as his heart raced with anticipation. But rather than follow a pattern, the jets
of water pierced the air at random — as if being surprised by the unexpected was the point. It
made him feel even more anxious. He jerked his head back in annoyance and stood up.
“Mr. Han?”

He swallowed hard.

“Yes…”

“Ms. Kim and Mr. Baxter are delighted that you are already here. They asked that I bring you up
now for a welcome breakfast.”

Oh no.

He pulled the phone away from his ear as a cold pang of dread reverberated throughout his body.
Ji-pyeong was utterly speechless.

This is a disaster.

“Mr. Han?”

He blinked rapidly and tried to gain his bearings.

“Yes, I’m here. Um…”

“I will meet you in the main lobby and bring you up.”

He closed his eyes, resigned.

“Yes thank you.”

Ji-pyeong hung up and cursed so vehemently that a man walking by stared at him askance even
though he most likely did not understand the word. Ji-pyeong looked away in embarrassment and
quickly walked off in the opposite direction. He stopped at the edge of Park Avenue and looked up
at the yawning expanse of the urban canyon. The cacophony of the morning commute whizzing by
echoed the erratic pace of his heart.

What the hell am I going to do?

How could this have gone so abominably wrong already? He had come early precisely so that she
would not be blindsided. And now this was the worst case scenario. Ji-pyeong tasted the salt of
bile in his mouth.

A large bus pulled up directly in front of him with a hiss. Suddenly he found himself staring at a
giant ad for an online degree program. A smiling woman shouted at him in bold yellow writing
“Your Future Begins Today!”

You gotta be kidding me.

A puff of incredulous laughter escaped his lips.

The universe truly has a fucked up sense of humor.

And then he laughed even harder. It was all Ji-pyeong could do at this point. The bus groaned as it
pulled away. Then he turned around to face an uncertain future of his own making.

As soon as he walked through the revolving glass door, Ji-pyeong spotted a woman in her mid
twenties in a gray suit looking anxiously around her. He took a deep breath and walked towards
her.

“Mr. Han!” Her kind smile momentarily eased his nerves. “Welcome! I am Kate Vizcaya and I’m
Ms. Kim’s assistant.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Vizcaya. I apologize for showing up so early.”

In the elevator, Ji-pyeong tried to listen to her pleasant explanation about how they had arranged
office space for him for the next several weeks and that breakfast would be followed by meetings
until 3 pm. But as they ascended each floor, all he could think about was that he was about to see
Kim Mi-rae again under circumstances that he could not have made up if he had tried. Ji-pyeong
caught his reflection in the mirrored doors. He looked terrified despite the designer suit he had
donned like a shield. He took a shaky breath and tried to steady himself.

“Mr. Han?”

He looked at Ms. Vizcaya with a start.

“Yes?”

“This is our floor.”

His daze gave way to a rush of nerves.

Get your shit together, Ji-pyeong.

“Ah, thank you.”

His shaking fingers sought refuge in the knot at his neck and tightened it as he stepped off the
elevator. Ji-pyeong’s eyes darted in every direction as he followed the assistant of the woman who
had consumed all of his thoughts down a long hallway. When they reached their destination,
Christopher Baxter was waiting for him with a broad smile and a greeting that boomed throughout
the empty conference room.

“Mr. Han! Welcome to New York! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I’m so glad that
we’ll have a chance to have breakfast before our meetings today.”

His shortly cropped salt and pepper hair and navy suit projected elegant professionalism. But his
toothy grin and the impish look in his eyes suggested that Christopher Baxter could be an
enthusiastic drinking companion. Ji-pyeong liked him immediately.

“I apologize for my early arrival. I …” He paused trying to rack his brain for a plausible
explanation. “I just arrived yesterday and my sleep schedule is still off so I…”

Chris waved off the apology and gestured to the coffee.

“No worries! We just have more time to chat before reviewing the due diligence plan. My
colleagues, Mi-rae Kim and Sam Martinelli, are on their way. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

A flutter percolated within his chest upon hearing her name out loud. Ji-pyeong cleared his throat
and tried to act like a vice president of one of his country’s most successful venture capital groups
in charge of executing a trillion won merger and not a man about to have a nervous breakdown
over a woman he had only met last night.

“No thank you.”

“Where are you staying?”

“The Carlyle.”

He could hear himself making small talk as if it were someone else speaking.

“Ah, classic. Their bar still makes one of the best Manhattans in the city. Well, we’ve assembled a
great team, Mr. Han.” Chris folded his arms as he leaned against the conference table. “Sam has a
great relationship with the FDA and will be invaluable on the regulatory piece as we dig in. And
Mi-rae will be running the team. She’s the brightest star in my group. We know SH expects the
best and you’ll be in good hands.”

Ji-pyeong stared at Chris and then forced himself to nod.

How is this actually happening.

“Ah speak of the devil, here they are!”

Chris looked past him and smiled. Ji-pyeong felt his heart slam against his ribs as his breath left his
lungs.

And then he turned around.

Kim Mi-rae was staring at him with a strange look on her face. Then her eyes widened as those red
lips pressed together in silence. It was like watching an accident in slow motion. Ji-pyeong’s heart
pinched as her brown eyes flashed with confusion.

“My name is Han Ji-pyeong.”

The simple statement just spilled out in Korean before he even knew what he was saying.

Mi-rae took a step back as her companion glanced at her and then moved forward to greet him. Ji-
pyeong dragged his eyes away from her and bowed slightly.

“Sam Martinelli.” The genial man who seemed to be about Ji-pyeong’s age bowed a bit
dramatically. Ji-pyeong found him endearing even as Sam shook his hand too tightly.

“It’s great to meet you, Mr. Han.”

“It’s good to meet you.”

Then Ji-pyeong swallowed the lump in his throat as he once again met her gaze. It felt as if his soul
was leaving his body.

“Ms. Kim, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Her eyes searched his face. Mi-rae was so lovely as her cheeks flushed that Ji-pyeong perversely
felt as if this was all worth it just to be in her presence again. But he also hated being the cause of
her discomfort. And he could not bear the thought of her thinking ill of him.

“Han… Ji…pyeong.”
His name came out of her mouth slowly as if she was saying each syllable out loud for the first
time. Then Mi-rae narrowed her eyes and stepped forward.

“Why didn’t you tell me your real name last night?” She was now speaking in Korean. Her slight
bow and the friendly smile fixed on her face belied the meaning of her question for everyone else.

Ji-pyeong’s mind raced as he bowed in return and extended his hands to shake hers.

“At first it was because of that man. I didn’t know what I was walking into.”

Her hand slipped tentatively into his. It felt like trying to hold onto a live wire. Ji-pyeong glanced
down at their joined hands. Butterflies took flight within his chest even as he fumbled for the right
words. No amount of practice had prepared him for this. He lowered his head to better meet her
gaze.

“I should have explained right after he left. I am so sorry that I did not. I regretted it immediately
and I offer my sincerest apology to you now. When I figured out all of this...”

Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow meaningfully as he ran out of words to describe this absurd situation.
Mi-rae’s eyes fluttered rapidly.

“But how did you …”

Her mouth suddenly snapped shut.

Yeah. I looked you up online.

Mi-rae withdrew from the handshake and took a step back again. His hand was left suspended in
midair. It quickly retreated to his pocket. Ji-pyeong fought desperately to keep his tone even.

“I came here early to talk to you … to explain but….”

“Oh.”

Her face softened for a moment. Then she looked away and smoothed her hair. He bit his lip at the
now familiar gesture.

That is what she does when she does not know what else to say. God I don't know either.

His hand flexed within his pocket, still tingling.

“Well let’s help ourselves to breakfast, shall we?”

Chris’s voice cut through the awkward silence but Ji-pyeong caught the questioning look that he
threw at Mi-rae. She smiled a little too brightly and walked past him toward the buffet.

As Mi-rae passed, her perfume filled his head like a drug. He could not but help watch her as she
busied herself with pouring a cup of coffee. Her hair swung forward and obscured her face so he
drank in the sharp angles of her black suit. A delicate gold bracelet encircled her wrist. It slipped
down towards her hand as she picked up the coffee cup. It was mesmerizing.

“We were hoping you’re free for dinner tonight? I took the liberty of making a reservation.”

Ji-pyeong exhaled and forced himself to focus on what Chris was saying.

“Oh yes, that would be great. Thank you. I will admit that I haven’t really made the most of my
time here on previous trips. Too much work unfortunately.”

Chris nodded knowingly.

“I know how it is. But you’re here for a few weeks and we’d love to show you around. Do you like
baseball, Mr. Han?”

Ji-pyeong’s mind flashed to the looks of pity he had endured while attending a game once with his
orphanage. He had never gone to a stadium again.
“Sure.”

“Great! I can’t use my box at Citi Field this weekend because my daughter has a soccer tournament
but I know Mi-rae is a huge fan and Sam … well I guess he can come too even though he’s a
Yankee fan.” Chris winked at the curly haired man sitting down with a full plate of eggs and
bacon. “We all have our flaws.”

“Some of us just enjoy winning, Chris.” Sam grinned at them. “Mr. Han, we’d love to take you if
you’re available.”

Ji-pyeong glanced at the back of Mi-rae’s silent head. He felt guilty accepting the invitation
without knowing how she would feel about it. At the same time, he would jump off the roof for a
chance to spend more time with her.

“I’d be happy to go but you all are not obligated to entertain me. I don’t want to trespass on your
weekend.”

Mi-rae turned around and sat down at the conference room table with only a cup of coffee. She
looked at him with an inscrutable expression on her face. Then she smiled at Sam. Ji-pyeong
irrationally wanted nothing more than to have that smile directed at him instead.

“Sam is such a huge Yankees fan that I bet he doesn’t even know that it’s a subway series this
weekend. There’s no way I’m not going if it’s free box seats.”

She did not look at Ji-pyeong. Just as her answer skirted around the subject of him.

Oh man.

He sucked in his lower lip as he considered the vagueness of her acceptance. She probably felt
obligated to do so. But she also did not say no. Ji-pyeong concentrated on keeping his face placid.

“What’s a subway series?”

“It’s what we call it when the Yankees and the Mets play each other because you only need to take
the subway to travel to an away game.”

Sam answered his question while Mi-rae busied herself with meticulously arranging her binder and
a legal pad.

“Ah. Well I would love to go.”

Calm down. That sounded over eager.

Ji-pyeong walked over to the buffet to seek a moment away from their observations. He leaned
onto the table to catch his breath.

I have to find a way to talk to her alone after this or I am going to lose my mind.

Ji-pyeong glanced at his watch. That would be over five hours from now. Somehow, he was going
to have to get his emotions under control and focus on work while sitting across from her and
trying not to agonize over everything she did.

She is Attorney Kim and you are Vice President Han. This is a trillion won investment. Do your
damn job and let her do hers.

It was the only part of his life over which Ji-pyeong had ever felt control. He would hold onto it
tightly with both fists right now.

He filled a glass with water and drank the entire thing in one gulp. Then he clenched his jaw and
returned to the table in better command of himself.

Ji-pyeong unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat at the table across from Mi-rae. He was surprised
to discover that she had been watching him. But he dared not hope. Instead, he forced himself to
look at Chris and Sam.

“So.” He finally met Attorney Kim’s gaze. “Tell me your honest thoughts on this deal.”
And then Vice President Han leaned forward and awaited her answer.
 Chapter Four

“So those are the main regulatory pitfalls we are going to be keeping an eye out for. We’ll also
want to make sure we have access to all of Minerva’s …”

Sam was wrapping up his portion of the due diligence overview.

Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him.

But Mi-rae did look at him. Again.

Han Ji-pyeong’s chair was tilted in Sam’s direction. He was listening to her colleague intently. Mi-
rae, on the other hand, was not.

Instead, her eyes traced the curve of his profile with a rebellious will of their own. His hair was
brushed over his forehead and to the side today. It had an alarming effect of making her wonder
what it would be like to slip her fingers into the layers that so perfectly curved around his ear.
Next, her eyes roved down the bold straight line of his nose and then slipped up along the curve of
his jaw.

Why does he have to look like …that.

Han Ji-pyeong looked so good in the kind of suit that mere mortals could not pull off that it made
her want to throw her pen. Mi-rae yearned to be the one talking again so that she could keep her
train of thought in check. That would be preferable to staring at him.

He works for your client, Mi-rae. Stop.

The initial shock that Vice President Han of SH Venture Capital and Nam Do-san from the bar last
night were one in the same had dissipated in the last five hours. Mi-rae had struggled to maintain
her composure throughout breakfast. Then she freaked out in a bathroom stall by herself after the
first break. A rare benefit of being the only woman on the senior deal team today was her assured
privacy while mumbling with her head in her hands.
But when Chris had asked her if everything was okay in the hallway before they reconvened, icy
fear shot through her veins. Her career had already weathered an affair and divorce among
colleagues. She had made partner in the wake of that humiliation. This was the first billion dollar
deal for which she would run point. Its progress was regularly covered by the Wall Street Journal
and the Financial Times. Mi-rae had worked too hard for too long to falter now.

And so she forced herself to focus on what she did best: anticipating risk and thinking through
hypotheticals. She marched through the day’s presentation never more grateful for the refuge of
Powerpoint and corresponding binder tabs.

The rigor of Vice President Han’s expectations had not been oversold. He had asked them question
after question all day. No detail escaped him. Vague answers were not tolerated. The associates
around the table struggled just trying to keep up as they furiously recorded all of the follow up
points that he requested be chased down. Han Ji-pyeong was exacting and relentless.

The problem was that she enjoyed it.

He was smart as hell. And more prepared than any client for whom she had ever done a deal in ten
years of practicing. Once most clients got past an initial offer they approached their counsel as a
necessary stumbling block to what they had already deemed strategically necessary. But Han Ji-
pyeong did not assume that he was right. Rather, he wanted to anticipate everything that could go
wrong. He was everything that a person in his position of responsibility should be but few were. It
was thrilling to spar back and forth as they considered future pitfalls together.

But the last thing that Mi-rae needed was to like him even more. That seemed to be the one detail
that he disregarded. Everything Han Ji-pyeong did seemed to worsen her predicament. Right now
he was rubbing his mouth in an absentminded way while reading over something that Sam had just
pointed out in an initial GenOne disclosure. She watched, spellbound, as his index finger dragged
seductively across the plush pink of his lips.

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut and swiveled her chair decisively towards Chris before opening
them again. Then she exhaled slowly as Han Ji-pyeong asked Sam yet another follow up question.

Han Ji-pyeong.

How quickly that name now came to mind despite searching for another all last night.
Mi-rae already knew in her heart that she was not as upset about him withholding his real name as
her indignant head wanted her to be. Rather, she understood why Han Ji-pyeong had been initially
skeptical. From his perspective, being called all over by a random woman in a bar to intercede in
the unwanted advances of another man while abroad was certainly a cause for discretion. She was
someone he had only met for an hour. Just because she had built a fantasy in her head did not mean
that he owed her anything in real life.

And yet she could not help but feel a little wounded. They had shared things — personal things.
Why had he not explained it then? Did sharing such stories with a fake name somehow make it
easier? Regardless, Mi-rae wished that he had just told her the truth before the circumstances
required it.

Sometimes I hate being a lawyer.

The recurring debate in her head had made it difficult to be mad at Han Ji-pyeong today. And that
was unfortunate. Because it would be easier right now if she was mad. Yet three pieces of
information mitigated against judging him too harshly.

First, she knew that everything that he had shared with her was true. Ji-pyeong’s raw vulnerability
and grief matched the depressed demeanor that Mi-rae had observed when he was alone at the bar.
There was no doubt in her mind that was all true.

Second, the connection she had felt was not one sided. Chris had never told him that she was on
the GenOne/Minerva deal. So the only way that he could have figured it out before today was if he
had been curious enough to look her up online and deduce the coincidence on his own. It was a
perverse relief to know that he may have felt a modicum of what she did.

And finally, Han Ji-pyeong had come early to explain who he was before the meeting. He cared
enough about correcting his mistake to make that effort despite his position as their client. His face
looked so earnest and stricken as he apologized that Mi-rae instantly believed him. The ever
present voice of doubt that reigned in her head since the night her marriage ended chastised her
naïveté.

But as always, logic then pierced the tumult of her thoughts.

All of this was beside the point.

Han Ji-pyeong is the vice president of a company that you are representing in a billion dollar
merger and acquisition. And that is a murky ethical line that you simply cannot cross.

Mi-rae set her pen down carefully just as Sam finished talking and prepared herself to heed this
edict. Then Han Ji-pyeong looked directly at her. There was an endless moment of silence. Mi-rae
dug her nails into her thigh under the table.

Finally, Han Ji-pyeong smiled so broadly that her breath caught in her throat.

It was like looking at the sun.

Dear god.

“This was an excellent presentation . I am so pleased with the plan for moving forward. Great
work.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked at everyone gathered around the table. She glanced at Chris who raised an
eyebrow and grinned.

We nailed it.

Chris clapped his hands together.

“Terrific! Why don’t we adjourn and let everyone catch up on their emails. Vice President Han,
we’ll reconvene in the lobby at 7 to head out to dinner. Sound good?”

Everyone murmured their agreement and began gathering their papers. Mi-rae was immediately
surrounded by five associates asking for clarifications and due dates. She waded through their
frantic questions patiently. The adrenaline of the day now was seeping away and leaving fatigue in
its wake. Finally, Mi-rae held her hands up.

“Alright guys, I have to head out. Great job on prepping the materials. Please get me that summary
of questions and any relevant research right away.”

She looked up and saw Sam scrolling through his phone while waiting for her near the doorway.
The associates filed out past them quietly debating what to order for delivery later in the evening.

Sam looked up and smiled.

“Hey.”

Mi-rae leaned against the wall and exhaled.

“Hey.”

“You were phenomenal. Well done.”

“You too. That…was a lot.”

Sam chuckled.

“Yeah, Han did not come to play. But you were so ready for all of it.”

Sam folded his arms and looked behind him quickly before continuing.

“Mi-rae, what was up this morning? You don’t have to tell me but I just want to make sure you’re
okay.”

Her chest tightened. Sam was a good friend. But she could not talk about this with anyone, not
even him.

“Oh…it’s … He just reminded me of someone from back home at first and it took me aback. I’m
sure being a little off after last night didn’t help either.”
Sam looked at her for just a second long enough for Mi-rae to know that he was not quite buying
what she was selling.

“Got it.” He nodded slowly as they walked out of the room. “Okay, well I’m gonna head up to my
office. See you in a few hours. And Mi-rae...”

She turned her head and looked back at Sam.

“Remember when we were those guys?” He nodded his head back toward the junior lawyers
walking down the hallway behind him. “It’s pretty damn cool watching you run this thing.”

A surge of pride and awe washed over her. The day had been such a rollercoaster of emotions that
she had not stopped to take in that this was a milestone in her career. She was grateful to her friend
for the reminder. Mi-rae smiled fondly at him as he walked off engrossed in his phone.

As she walked towards the elevator bank, Mi-rae scrolled through her emails to ensure there were
no immediate fires to put out. Her thumb swept down over and over through the scores of messages
she had received since lunch.

“Attorney Kim.”

Mi-rae almost dropped her phone.

Han Ji-pyeong was seated in an armchair across from the elevator bank. His elbows were resting
on the arms and his fingers were tented in front of him. A silver watch glinted in the afternoon sun.
He looked absolutely determined.

Oh god. He was waiting for me.

Panic and excitement wound their way inside of her in equal measure.

“Oh um… Vice … Vice President Han.”

Han Ji-pyeong uncrossed his leg and stood up to greet her. As he buttoned his jacket, Mi-rae
wondered why he now seemed even taller than before. She swallowed hard as he came to a stop.

“I was wondering if we could talk for a few minutes.” The expression on his face suddenly
softened as his brows lifted toward one another. “Away from here.”

Instinct screamed yes. Logic cautioned against it.

Mi-rae looked down at the ground.

But you can’t just ignore him.

When she raised her eyes to meet his, Han Ji-pyeong took a step back and cleared his throat.

“I just …wanted to better explain … This morning was not what …”

He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his forehead.

The sudden turn in his demeanor from assured confidence to embarrassment was so endearing that
Mi-rae could not bear to say no.

“Okay.”

His eyes flew open.

“Okay?”

“Yep. Let’s grab a cup of coffee.”

She nodded emphatically to herself as much as to him. The corners of Han Ji-pyeong’s mouth
turned up slightly. Then he slid his hands into his pockets and pivoted to face the elevator with
her.

Mi-rae punched the button and forced herself not to look in his direction as they waited.

I stayed up half the night looking for this guy. And now we’re going to coffee. That’s fine. This is
fine.

The elevator doors sprung open and Han Ji-pyeong motioned for her to enter first. They again
stood next to each other among others in the elevator. Mi-rae looked down rather than ahead for
fear of meeting his gaze in the mirrored doors. Instead, her eyes drifted to her right and followed
along the crisscrossing lines of Han Ji-pyeong’s suit. They led her in opposite directions; much like
the tug between her head and her heart every time she was around him.

Finally, her gaze arrived at his hands folded over one another in front of his waist. They were large
and yet surprisingly smooth and graceful. They gave the impression of tender command. Her eyes
lingered on the fascinating dichotomy.

Then the doors opened and five more people clamored into the elevator. Everyone shuffled to
accommodate them and suddenly Mi-rae found her shoulder flush against the wall. Han Ji-pyeong
was now standing immediately behind her. She glanced ahead and their eyes met briefly. Her
mouth went dry at the startling intimacy in the midst of so many. Han Ji-pyeong cleared his throat
and looked away..

A hand stopped the doors from sealing shut and two more people crammed in without apology.
One of the late arrivals stepped abruptly right in front of Mi-rae. She swayed backwards to try to
make room, staggering slightly. Her back met a solid wall of chest behind her. Then a hand gently
steadied her arm. A bolt of electricity coursed through her as she found her footing. Then Han Ji-
pyeong immediately let go.

Mi-rae sucked in a sharp breath. Her head flooded with his scent. At first it was a crisp citrus but
then rich note of sandalwood followed. It was a hint of something far more complex than an initial
impression. And it was intoxicating.

She stared at the elevator indicators rather than risk meeting his eyes again. With every numbered
light that illuminated during their descent, Mi-rae tried not to think about how good he smelled. Or
how close he was standing behind her. Or how substantial his chest had felt against her back. Or
how his hand had gently steadied her. Or what he must look like beneath all of that precise
tailoring…

Mi-rae, what the hell. Stop.

As soon as they reached the ground floor, Mi-rae shot out of the elevator as quickly as she could.
She breathed in deeply and tried to clear her mind. This kind of spiraling had to stop.

This is not last night. He is not just the guy at the bar. This is work. And he is the vice president of
your client.

She turned around and forced a bright smile. Han Ji-pyeong looked at her curiously.

“Where to?”

“There’s a coffee shop where we can sit outside just two blocks away.”

He nodded and followed her through the revolving doors. Mi-rae blinked in the bright sunshine.

“It’s hotter than I expected.”

“Yes.”

God this is awkward.

Han Ji-pyeong’s hands were back in his pockets and he was walking slowly to keep at her pace
despite every step swallowing twice the length of her stride.

“So, have you always lived in New York since coming here?”

“Yes. I went to college here and then stayed for law school.”
“What do you like about it?”

He glanced down at her quickly and then looked straight ahead.

“Hmmm. Well the food is amazing and there’s endless things to do. I love that there are people
from all over the world but each neighborhood feels like a small town. When I first came here it
was a little bit of culture shock but … but it’s a much friendlier place than you’d think. I like that I
can just be me. People are very direct here — it suits me.”

Han Ji-pyeong smirked as if she had just told a joke.

“Yeah…” He cocked his head to the side. “I’m pretty direct too.”

“Well… sometimes.”

Han Ji-pyeong stopped walking and looked at her incredulously. It made Mi-rae burst out
laughing. She tried to wave it off but the release of tension felt too good. Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes
lingered on her face even as he slowly looked away to hide a smile. Then he chuckled and
loosened his tie.

“I’m sorry,” She gasped a final laugh. “But … you set yourself up for that.”

“That’s fair.” His shoulders sank in self reproach. “I deserve it.”

“You do.”

Mi-rae smiled at him to soften the assessment as she turned the corner to the coffee shop. Han Ji-
pyeong stepped quickly ahead of her and stopped.

“What do you want? Let me get it.”

“What, no! I’m supposed to take the client out.”

Han Ji-pyeong paused and squinted as he took in her words. His lips folded in on one another as he
looked off in another direction.

Then he took one step towards her.

“How about —just for now — we let that go?”

Mi-rae’s stomach flipped.

“Okay.”

Her answer came out before she even knew what she was saying or what it meant.

“What would you like?”

“A latte please. I’ll grab us a table.”

Mi-rae tried to gather her thoughts as she sat down and smoothed her skirt. She was wildly
attracted to him. And he seemed contrite and genuine. Yet she had no idea why she was about to
have coffee with him alone after swearing to herself to shut this down since this morning.

She sighed and hunched over in her chair.

This is the first guy I’ve liked since who knows when and he works for my client. It’s not fair.

Mi-rae flicked a piece of straw wrapper off the table in frustration.

Han Ji-pyeong pushed the door open with his hip and walked towards her. She watched silently as
he placed both coffees on the table and then removed his jacket. As he hung it carefully on his
chair, the crisp bright white of his shirt was pierced only by the bold black stripe of his tie. Mi-rae
had never seen him without a jacket. It both made him more approachable and yet underscored just
how unhelpfully handsome he was.

Han Ji-pyeong sat down across from her.

“How do you take your coffee?”

“Oh you don’t have to…”

“I want to. Sugar?” He laid out three white packets. “Sweetener?” Two yellow ones took their
place next to the others in a straight line. He laid out a napkin and carefully placed a stirrer on top
of it. Then he looked at her, awaiting a command.

Mi-rae blinked at his expectant expression. He had just grilled her for five hours. And now he was
offering to make her coffee.

“Two sugars please.”

A small smile played on Han Ji-pyeong’s lips as he nodded and took the lid off one of the coffees.
Mi-rae watched him prepare her coffee like a sacred ritual. He gingerly poured two sugars in and
stirred. A warm buzz spread throughout her body as she watched his lovely hands work in service
of her.

Han Ji-pyeong looked up from his task just as he picked up the lid. Their eyes locked. Even here in
the bright sunshine and absolutely sober, Mi-rae felt that inexplicable pull between them — an
undertow that made her want to be carried away.

Han Ji-pyeong fumbled with the lid and then it dropped to the ground.

“Oh!”

He stood up quickly and then his hands paused in the air as if to steady himself.
“I’ll get you another lid.”

He looked so flustered that Mi-rae was overcome with confusing waves of empathy and giddiness.

He is as nervous as I am.

Han Ji-pyeong disappeared back inside of the coffee shop. The idea that he could feel as conflicted
as she did made her feel breathless. Mi-rae looked all around her in a mix of excitement and
trepidation. When he returned, Han Ji-pyeong flashed her an embarrassed smile before he finally
secured her coffee with a lid. His dimples inconveniently deepened.

Okay but you really have to stop being so adorable on top of everything else.

Han Ji-pyeong apparently had no intention of obeying her silent command. He ducked his head
shyly as he offered her the coffee. His dimples found a sly accomplice in a rebellious lock of hair
which fell across his forehead as she accepted the cup. Her other hand balled into a fist under the
table.

Come on.

“Thank you.”

Mi-rae took a sip as her eyes dipped to the button now undone above the knot of his tie. The hint of
skin leading to the indentation at the base of this throat made her shift in her seat and look away.

Then she heard him take a deep breath. Mi-rae braced herself.

“Thank you for making this time.”

She looked at him as he paused before continuing. Han Ji-pyeong pulled his chair forward and his
hands began moving in concert with his words.
“I have learned that it’s better just to lay everything out rather than leave things unsaid. But I also
appreciate the delicacy of this situation.”

He nodded to himself once and then continued.

“I want to apologize again that I did not tell you my real name. I deeply regret that you were
blindsided. It’s the exact opposite of what I intended. Nevertheless it was a mistake entirely of my
own making.”

She studied his face. Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes were wide. His forehead was creased with worry. Mi-
rae’s instincts were confirmed. It was an apology without excuse or qualification. Mercy spilled
from her lips before she even could think it through.

“I understand why you did.”

He stared at her, frozen.

“I put you on the spot. It was a really weird request. Anyone in their right mind would have been
wary.”

She paused and gathered the strength to be honest.

“I do wish you had cleared it up last night. But, I appreciate that you went to that effort to try to let
me know. The rest of it was nothing that we could have anticipated and that’s not your fault.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s teeth sank into his lower lip. His regret was palpable.

“I accept your apology. Please don’t beat yourself up about it anymore.”

Relief flooded his face. It was the look of someone who had been doing exactly that. It made Mi-
rae like Han Ji-pyeong even more.

And then curiosity got the better of her.

“How did you figure it out?

His adam’s apple plunged down just above the opening in his collar. Mi-rae’s fingers gripped the
cup tighter.

“I —- I really liked talking to you last night.” His gaze was piercing as he confessed the truth. “That
kind of conversation is rare. At least for me. So I wanted to see you again. I looked up your name
to find your phone number because ….”

Han Ji-pyeong played with his coffee cup as he trailed off. Then his jaw clenched and he met her
gaze once again.

“To be completely honest, I had hoped to ask you to dinner.”

They stared at each other in silence.

It was exactly what she wanted to hear. And what absolutely could not happen. Yet she could not
help but let him know how she felt in return. This was a fleeting window. Mi-rae felt a selfish
impulse to claim what she felt out loud even if she could not act on it.

“I tried to find you too.”

His head snapped to attention. Then Han Ji-pyeong leaned forward. She never wanted the way he
was looking at her to stop. For a moment, Mi-rae forgot what she was going to say. Then the
confusion of this morning bubbled up.

“But there was no Nam Do-san that was… you. Where did you get that name from anyway?”

The man who was not Nam Do-san looked back down at his coffee. Then Han Ji-pyeong sat back
in his chair as his fingers hovered in front of his lips. They fell away and the explanation came
tumbling out quickly.
“The short version is that it’s the name of the husband of the woman that I told you about. He once
used my identity and that is how he met her. We have, um, a complicated history. The bottom line
is that I was being petty. But then … I stopped thinking about that and got caught up in the
moment.”

He took a deep breath.

“With you.”

All of a sudden Mi-rae was back with him just before the lights turned bright.

In the moment. With you.

Her heart stammered with each precious word. She too knew what it was to be stuck in the past and
then have everything change in a moment.

“Last night was the anniversary of my divorce being official. That’s why I was there alone...”

“Drinking champagne.”

Han Ji-pyeong said it matter of factly. As if he finishing her sentences came as second nature. His
eyes were full of the same understanding as last night. It made Mi-rae want to tell him everything
about how she felt now before this had to end.

“But then you walked in. And …I don’t talk about things like I did with you normally either. I
wanted to see you again too. I…”

Mi-rae looked away, embarrassed. Then she decided to say it anyway.

“I even called your hotel this morning to leave you a message.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened with surprise. Then his mouth quirked as if he relished the
discovery. Mi-rae felt herself sway closer as he looked at her in wonder. A tingling excitement
coursed up her spine.

It was real. What I felt. He felt it too.

Mi-rae wanted to drown in this pull between them — to lose herself in the depth of emotion in his
eyes. To go to dinner with him and talk again until the lights came back on. To tell him every dark
secret and hear his in return. To close her eyes and tremble with the anticipation of a first kiss.
Here, with him, Mi-rae felt like a new version of herself; like someone who knew what it felt like
to be wanted and breathless with hope again. For just a moment longer she wanted to linger in the
possibility that the world could be like this for her.

But you can’t.

The reality of their situation shuddered through her. And then Mi-rae’s head finally held her heart
in check.

“Vice President Han.”

His brow furrowed and he tilted his head.

“You work for my client. That is a line that we cannot cross.”

It was the answer to the silent question hanging between them. And as soon as the words came out
of her mouth Mi-rae felt like crying.

Han Ji-pyeong closed his eyes for a moment as his head dropped slightly. Her hands twisted
together in her lap as she watched him. Then he placed his coffee cup carefully on the table and
smoothed his palms on his pants. His beautiful mouth stretched into a grim straight line.

“Of course. You’re right.”

His voice sounded different now — lower and stiff. Then Han Ji-pyeong sat up straight and rested
his palms flat on the table.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. You are an excellent attorney and SH Venture Capital
needs you on this deal.”

He sniffed and assumed the formal demeanor of their meetings.

“I’ll return to Seoul and send my secretary Park Dong-cheon here in my place for the day-to-day.
He is extremely capable and I can monitor everything from home.”

“No.”

Mi-rae caught herself and stopped. Her voice sounded entirely too urgent. She cleared her throat
and began again.

“I appreciate the consideration but we didn’t do anything wrong. And we are both adults. So please
do not do that on my account. It isn’t necessary.”

Han Ji-pyeong eyed her carefully as he absorbed her answer. Then he nodded silently. Mi-rae
could not read the expression on his face. It was like a window had been closed. She clamored to
reach him anyway.

“I think we can make a great team.” Mi-rae grimaced at how lame that sounded. She quickly
retreated to teasing. “Everyone thinks that I am a pain. Rumor has it you are too but so far I think
those people just aren’t used to someone actually doing their job well. ”

Han Ji-pyeong’s lips curved into a small smile as he considered her appraisal. Then he raised an
eyebrow.

“So far, huh?”

Mi-rae felt a wave of relief at his joking tone. She had to put a lid on what she was feeling and yet
she could not stand being cut off from him.
“We’ll see.”

They smiled at one another and then he stood up. Han Ji-pyeong gathered their empty cups and
threw them away. Then he assumed his jacket and buttoned it. They began to walk back in silence.
But Han Ji-pyeong suddenly stopped and faced her.

“It’s so nice out that I think I’m going to walk back to the hotel and get organized for a bit.”

He tipped his head in the opposite direction as he scrunched his nose in tacit acknowledgement that
his recusal had nothing to do with getting organized. Her heart clenched in her chest.

“I’ll meet you all at the restaurant. Gallagher’s right?”

Mi-rae nodded as she felt a sharp pang of disappointment to which she had no right.

He is doing what you asked. You can’t have it both ways.

“Vice President Han.”

“Hmmm?”

He slid his hands in his pockets and lowered his head waiting for her to continue.

“I am glad that we talked.”

His eyes searched hers. The wistful look on Han Ji-pyeong’s face tempted chaos within her. Mi-rae
almost wanted him to tell her that she was an idiot to manage this risk like she did everything else.
Instead, he looked down at the sidewalk and nodded.

“Me too.”
And then Han Ji-pyeong turned and started walking. Mi-rae felt a gnawing pit in her stomach as
she watched him disappear around the next corner.

If this is the right thing to do then why does it feel so terrible?

She chewed at her lip. He had been the opposite of what that dark voice expected. Han Ji-pyeong
apologized. He told the truth. He went out on a limb about his feelings. And then he respected her
decision with grace. All of it made that choice feel even worse.

Mi-rae took a deep breath and started walking back to her office in a daze. The city buzzed all
around her but all she could see was his face before he walked away.

When she finally reached her desk, Mi-rae kicked off her heels and collapsed into her chair. She
stared at the ceiling as her toes pushed the chair around and around in listless circles.

Their conversation played over and over in her mind. She imagined different endings. One where
he told her that life was different than a deal and pulled her close. One where she was meeting him
for dinner alone instead of with colleagues for work. Or one where she did what she wanted and
went back to his hotel with him.

Her office phone rang. It was Sam. She let it go to voicemail. The email notification pinged on her
computer a dozen times. She closed her eyes. But over and over Han Ji-pyeong disappeared just
around the corner.

Finally, her toes dragged across the carpet to a halt. Mi-rae stared at a photograph of her and her
father the day that she graduated from law school. She had made so many choices and trade offs to
get here. Now she had to make the most of what was left.

Mi-rae sat up and faced her computer screen. If this was the way it had to be then she had better
get back to work and stop thinking about something she could not have.

She searched her email intently.

Ah there we go.
“GenOne/Minerva Merger Kickoff Strategy Meeting: Follow Up Questions from Vice President
Han, May 17, 2023.”

Mi-rae opened the document and scrolled down the summary compiled by her associates. It was a
list of over one hundred questions with multiple subparts that Han Ji-pyeong had asked during the
course of today’s meeting. An amused puff of air escaped her lips as she shook her head at the
screen.

“You sure are something, Vice President Han.”

Then Mi-rae squared her shoulders and began typing.

 Chapter Five

God it’s hot.

Han Ji-pyeong had been walking for almost two hours. He could feel the sun burning the back of
his neck as a bead of sweat slid under his collar. He had just kept walking since leaving the coffee
shop with no thought to where he was going. It was better than stewing alone in a hotel room
yelling at an AI.

Now he found himself in the middle of Central Park. He stopped and looked around at this hidden
green world surrounded by skyscrapers. Han Ji-pyeong had not noticed the lush peace that it
offered until now.

“What the heck am I doing?”

He said it a bit too loudly. A man walking his dog shrugged and then gave him a sympathetic look
as he hurried by.

Yeah I don’t know either.

Han Ji-pyeong shuffled over to a bench and slumped onto it. While rolling up his sleeves to seek
relief, he spied a plastic bottle on the black lacquered wood. He wrinkled his nose at it and tossed
it towards the trash. It bounced off the side and spun to a stop on the path in front of him.

Han Ji-pyeong fumed and kicked it away petulantly.

Why can’t it be me?

It was the defining question of his life: a constant drum inside his head even if the melody
changed. As a teen it fueled him with jealousy every time he saw a child with their parents at a
restaurant. Or longing whenever a someone else from the orphanage packed their suitcase never to
return. Or discomfort when he watched Dal-mi smile at Do-san on the rooftop. Or despair when he
said those words out loud to Grandmother only to be told to stay silent. Or, finally, sad resignation
as he opened the invitation to Dal-mi and Do-san’s wedding.

Now he was asking it again alone on a bench in the middle of a strange place. Yet this time it did
not quite fit. And that was the damndest thing about it.

He let out an exasperated breath and threw his jacket to the side.

Kim Mi-rae had flat out told him that she looked for him too. She even called his hotel!

Han Ji-pyeong tilted his head and stopped the conversation replaying in his mind right there. He
wanted to stay in that moment forever. Her brown eyes were wide and vulnerable. And full of
emotion. For him. Even now his heart raced just thinking about it.

She likes me.

It was not his imagination. This afternoon had offered an exquisitely painful revelation. Han Ji-
pyeong knew better than most what it was to look into a person’s eyes and realize that they did not
feel the same way. No woman had ever looked at him like Kim Mi-rae. It filled him with
breathless wonder. Last night he had harbored an intense crush. Now Han Ji-pyeong was in a free
fall.

Kim Mi-rae was the most astonishing person that he had ever met. All day long she floored him
with her intellect, her poise, and her precise command of the intricate details of a sprawling merger
across two industries and three continents. She never once hesitated in response to a single question
that he asked. Rather she seemed to enjoy debating with him. No one ever reacted to him like that.
Han Ji-pyeong did not have to hold himself back with her — indeed he clamored to impress her.

And after, she did not shrink from the awkwardness of their situation. Instead of avoiding him or
papering over the morning’s debacle, Kim Mi-rae faced their misunderstanding head on. She
offered him the grace of trying to understand what had happened in lieu of judgment. Nor did she
pretend that their attraction was not mutual despite the circumstances.

He winced at the memory of dropping the lid like a clumsy fool in front of her. And yet Kim Mi-
rae still looked at him like she would choose him if she could. It had given him courage like he had
never felt before. For a moment, all of the complications had just melted away. In the middle of the
afternoon over coffee in paper cups, Han Ji-pyeong felt everything that he had in that dark corner of
the bar last night. His mind ran wild with the possibility of taking that beautiful face into his hands
and kissing those red lips. He had dared to hope again.

But hope is a fickle thing.

You work for my client. That is a line that we cannot cross.

Every sensible word that came out of her mouth was a kick in the stomach. Because she was, of
course, right.

Han Ji-pyeong could only imagine the rules governing her professional conduct. And they were
responsible for a high profile negotiation with significant financial implications under an
international spotlight. It was madness to think that they could have a personal relationship. His
cheeks grew hot with shame that he had professed his desire to a woman with whom he had a
professional connection with again.

I should just go back to Seoul. This is impossible.

His head fell back against the bench with a deep sigh. Han Ji-pyeong had told himself that a
hundred times while aimlessly wandering. But it was a pointless refrain. He knew that he was not
going anywhere. If the decision hinged only on his will then he would do anything just to be in a
room with her. Even if that was all it could be.

A group of children ran by fighting over a frisbee and pierced the spiral of his thoughts. He slid up
the back of the bench and leaned his elbow on the armrest. A man jogged by with headphones
blaring music. A dog walker sped by with at least ten dogs in tow. Han Ji-pyeong’s chin dropped
into his hand as he watched people happier than him go about their day.

Then an elderly couple strolled by, hand in hand. The man was wearing a derby despite the heat
and the woman a flowered dress with pearls and a giant, brimmed sun hat. They were both at least
over eighty and unmindful of the faster pace of everyone around them.

Han Ji-pyeong lifted his head off of his hand. They walked in silent but comfortable
companionship. It was the opposite of being alone. And it made his chest hurt.

I tried, Grandmother. But maybe that’s just the way it’s always going to be.
Han Ji-pyeong sighed and looked at his phone. It was half past five o'clock. He had wallowed for
long enough. He shook his head vigorously as if he could rattle the course of his thoughts that way.
Then Han Ji-pyeong stood up dragging his jacket with him. As he turned to walk in the opposite
direction, the errant bottle caught his eye once again. He grudgingly picked it up and threw it
away. Then he walked a solitary path back to the hotel.

When he reached his room Han Ji-pyeong immediately unplugged Young-shil. Then he turned on
the shower and stripped off his clothes. He felt a wave of relief as the water hit his shoulders. Then
he began his ritual with mechanical precision. He scrubbed his scalp roughly determined not to
think about her. Then he carefully combed in conditioner with his fingers, confident that his
discipline was working. Next, Han Ji-pyeong poured the contents of the small bath gel tube onto a
cloth with far more determination than the task required.

But as he began washing his chest, his mind wandered back to the elevator. For just a moment, he
had felt what it was like for their bodies to touch. His shoulders caved and he leaned forward until
his forehead met cold marble. He remembered the way the sharp lines of her suit softly gave way
against his chest. Chaos had swirled inside of him when their eyes locked as if no one else was
there. He got lost in the fantasy of her as his hands kept moving.

But then a klaxon sounded in his head.

Stop it.

Han Ji-pyeong threw the washcloth on the ground. Then he turned the water to cold and shivered
under the self imposed reprimand. Rinsing as quickly as he could, he grew more and more angry at
himself. Then he turned the water off with a snap of his wrist.

With a towel wrapped tightly around his waist, he braced against the counter and faced himself in
the mirror.

“Enough.”

He clenched his jaw and let the command sink in.

Han Ji-pyeong would honor her by respecting the line that she had drawn — and that included even
when he was alone with his thoughts. If he could get over his first love surely he could overcome a
wild infatuation with a woman he had known for less than twenty four hours.

“You have to.”

Han Ji-pyeong nodded to himself in the mirror. He brushed his hair back and stalked his way to the
closet. He donned pale blue linen pants and a fresh white button down shirt. Then he fastened the
buttons as if they could control his feelings like a spigot. He slipped his feet into his calfskin
loafers and took stock of himself in the mirror.

“Good enough to have dinner with our lawyers.”

He cut off any further thought as he grabbed his phone and strode out of the room.

********

Han Ji-pyeong ducked his head under the red awning. He stopped just before opening the door to
the restaurant and steeled himself with a simple reminder.

Don’t act like a loser.

He stretched his neck back and forth. Then he yanked the door open and walked in.

Soon Han Ji-pyeong was following the attendant across a black and white floor that seemed to
stretch into infinity. Frosted glass lamps glowed and the paneled walls seemed capable of
whispering secrets if only he would ask. He glanced briefly at a garish display of cured meats; a
gruesome reminder of how fate had already turned out for creatures less fortunate than him. A
jumble of signed photographs from famous visitors taunted him with their joviality from either side
of the hallway. As they wound their way down the dark corridor, Han Ji-pyeong felt as if he was
walking towards an uncertain end just like a character in The Godfather .
Finally, he was led to a small room with a table draped in a red and white checkered cloth. Chris,
Sam, and Mi-rae were already seated and deep in conversation. It was the kind of room where
people made deals that they never talked about again. Han Ji-pyeong took a shaky breath and
steadied his nerves just before they noticed his arrival. Then he forced himself to look only at Chris
as he stood to greet him.

“Vice President Han, hello!”

Han Ji-pyeong shook his extended hand and then bowed his head slightly to greet Sam and Mi-rae
who were sitting on the opposite side of the table in a glossy red leather booth.

“Oh please call me Ji-pyeong.”

He tried to affix a smile onto his face that projected nonchalant friendliness. Then Han Ji-pyeong
smoothed the front of his shirt and took a seat.

“We apologize for still being in suits. We came directly from the office.”

Han Ji-pyeong laid a napkin onto his lap and turned to face all of them.

“I ended up going for a run. Central Park is lovely. I can’t believe I had never been.”

It seemed like a necessary white lie to give the impression of normalcy. The waiter came by and he
ordered a glass of red wine as Chris looked at him.

“Oh are you a runner, Ji-pyeong?”

He took refuge in the innocuous question.

“You know at home I’ve always stuck to a treadmill but I enjoyed getting some fresh air today
after all that traveling. Maybe I’ll make more of a habit of it.”

He could feel Mi-rae’s eyes on him as he plowed through this small talk. Han Ji-pyeong quickly
decided to meet her gaze head on.

She had taken off her jacket and an elegant black silk shell clung to her narrow shoulders. He
refused to allow his eyes to wander any further. It was a solemn vow he had sworn before arriving.
Instead, he tried to convey that she should be at ease by smiling at her. Her red lips parted in relief
as she returned the greeting. Han Ji-pyeong then resolutely turned his attention back to Chris.

The waiter quickly returned with his drink.

Chris raised a glass.

“To the start of a long and fruitful relationship with SH Venture Capital.”

Regret twinged within Han Ji-pyeong’s chest. Their success would be a death knell for his
personal hopes. He forced himself to smile anyway and clinked his glass silently.

The conversation swiftly turned to business. It was a respite after the last several hours of
emotional torment. Chris regaled him with war stories as Sam poked holes in some of his grander
exaggerations. Ji-pyeong tried not to think about how Mi-rae was quietly nursing her drink.

By the time their steaks arrived, Chris steered the conversation to his pristine track record as an
investor.

“So I read that you recently cashed out of the self driving car industry. Cheongmyeong turned out
to be one hell of an investment.”

Ji-pyeong stopped cutting and placed his knife on his plate. He glanced at Mi-rae whose eyes
widened with recognition.

So you really did look up all of those Nam Do-sans.

Han Ji-pyeong felt a pointless surge of elation. Then Sam eagerly leaned forward across from him.
“But why did you get out now just as Cheongmyeong is poised to go global?”

He picked up his glass and took a large gulp. Mi-rae finally spoke up.

“Well, a few small cities domestically is one thing. But globally it’s a huge risk. Potential massive
liability as the first in the industry across so many jurisdictions at once with no precedent and, from
what I’ve read at least, no discernible strategic plan.” She shook her head. “I mean, they’re just
sailing off without a map.”

Han Ji-pyeong choked violently on his wine.

He quickly pushed his chair back and turned away as he fought through the burning in his throat
and nostrils. All three of them clamored with an urgent chorus of “are you okay’s” as he waved
them off. Finally, he pulled his chair back flush against the table as he cleared his throat. Han Ji-
pyeong took a long drink of water.

You have got to be kidding me.

Then he raised his hands in front of him to signal that he was alright.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat again.
“But yes, Mi-rae is correct. I made a 200% return on my investment and then decided to cash out
before they take on that kind of risk. I think they’re expanding too quickly. I guess we’ll see.”

Chris nodded thoughtfully.

“Makes sense. Perhaps we should alert our litigation department.” He winked impishly at Mi-rae
and Sam. “I feel like I read about a different self driving car crashing into people every week. It’s
wise to let somebody else chart those waters first. No way I’m giving up my baby anyway.”

Han Ji-pyeong turned to Chris, intrigued.

“What do you drive?”

“A Porsche Panamera. My wife gave it to me to take the sting out of turning fifty. She even sent
me down to the Porsche race course for a week. I know I’m a walking cliche but it’s so fun to drive
that I don’t even care. You?”

“I bounce around but I’m back to a Mercedes S Class convertible.”

A low whistle escaped Chris’s lips.

“That’s a flex. Sam, you should get a car like that. Imagine taking a guy out in that the next time
you go out to Fire Island. That’s how you do it.”

Sam chuckled.

“Okay Chris.” He flashed a sardonic thumbs up. “I’ll be sure to take dating advice from the
straight guy who’s been married for twenty years with three kids and lives in Connecticut.”

Oh.

Han Ji-pyeong immediately felt childish for his fleeting jealousy this morning at the obvious
closeness between Mi-rae and Sam.

Chris held up his hands in retreat.

“I’m just saying it’s a good looking car. Mi-rae, do you still have that old relic of yours stored
somewhere in New Jersey or something?”

Mi-rae gasped with indignation.

“‘That old relic?’” She set her wine glass down emphatically and turned to face Han Ji-pyeong.
"That is what he calls my beautiful 1980 red convertible MG. She’s a lady and you should speak
about her with respect, Chris.”
Han Ji-pyeong could not help but grin as she passionately defended her vintage car.

Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?

He sucked in his lips as he tried to contain his glee. Then he leaned forward, intrigued.

“Why a 1980 MG?”

Mi-rae looked down at her plate for a moment and then back up at him.

“I lived in California for a few years when I was little.”

She was now talking to him like Chris and Sam were not even there.

“My dad bought a red MG convertible second hand because driving a red convertible in LA seemed
like something out of a tv show. He loved that car so much. He always talked about it even years
after we went back home.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened as she seemed to drift far away inside a memory. There was so
much wrapped up in what Mi-rae had just said that he both recognized and did yet not know. Han
Ji-pyeong had a sense of the pathos underlying this tribute to her father. But he was still learning
basic facts about her life.

Mi-rae sniffed and took a sip of wine.

“Anyway, after I paid off my loans I found one just like the car he used to drive. It is in a garage in
New Jersey because it’s silly to keep it in the city but… sometimes I like to drive it on the
weekends to remember him.”

“I’d love to see it sometime.”

The words came out before he even knew what he was saying.
Mi-rae stared at him, her eyes soft in the candlelight. She opened her mouth to respond but then
Chris interjected.

“Mi-rae! I never knew that’s why you got it.”

Chris’s voice was quieter than normal and gently apologetic.

“Nobody’s ever asked before.”

She bit her lip and quickly looked away. Han Ji-pyeong felt a sharp pang inside of his chest as she
smoothed her hair. He clenched his hand under the table as he dragged his eyes away from her.
Then he forced himself to smile at Chris and Sam.

“Well I guess questions are kind of my thing.”

He kept his tone light and raised an eyebrow to poke fun at himself. But as they laughed Han Ji-
pyeong desperately hoped she realized that his intent was to offer cover. Mi-rae excused herself
from the table as Chris and Sam quickly filled the silence with chatter about the cars that they grew
up with. Han Ji-pyeong watched her walk away until she disappeared into the restroom.

“So, Ji-pyeong, I was thinking of hosting the senior team at my place in the Hamptons over the
long weekend that’s coming up.”

Han Ji-pyeong froze.

The senior team.

“Oh?”

“Our associates will have finished the initial review of documents by then so we will need to dig in
together on the big picture. My wife is taking the kids to visit my in-laws in Florida since we’ll
have to work all weekend. I figure we might as well get out of the city to focus. What do you say?”
Han Ji-pyeong swallowed hard.

“Are you sure you have room? I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

“Trust me, he has room.”

Sam raised his eyebrows meaningfully over his wine glass. Chris shrugged sheepishly and grinned.

“It’ll be the four of us and a few of the senior associates. It will be good for everyone’s morale
after grinding through those docs and the best ideas always happen that way.”

Mi-rae was making her way back to the table. Han Ji-pyeong swirled the remaining wine around in
his glass, unsure of what to say.

Chris looked up as she sat back down.

“Mi-rae, tell Ji-pyeong that he should come out to my place over Memorial Day weekend.”

Her wine glass paused in mid air. Then Mi-rae slowly raised it to her lips. When she set it back
down, she straightened her back and looked directly at him. It felt like a dangerous game of
chicken. His disobedient heart leapt into his throat.

“Of course you should come.” Mi-rae looked around at her colleagues before looking back at him.
“Why be on a conference call with us all weekend from the city when we will all be there?”

Han Ji-pyeong admired her composure for he could not share in it. Mi-rae’s tone was cool and
detached — as it should be for a company’s lawyer to merely propose a retreat to focus on strategy.
But his mind was racing with all of the reasons why he should say no.

This is a terrible idea.

And yet Han Ji-pyeong knew that there was only one answer.

“Okay.”

Mi-rae’s eyes darted in his direction and then quickly away before taking a large gulp of wine. Han
Ji-pyeong triumphantly noted the break in her calm facade. The temporary victory filled him with
anxiety and yet he coveted every hint that she felt something for him.

“Terrific!”

Chris clapped him on the back a little too enthusiastically. Han Ji-pyeong found himself smiling
despite such boisterous liberties and the emotional tightrope of the evening. He enjoyed the way
they teased each other and were so gregarious. He had only been here a day and it already felt like
they were a team despite his rampant attraction to one of its members.

The waiter cleared their plates and refilled their glasses with what was left of a two hundred dollar
bottle of wine. Chris leaned back in his chair.

“So, Ji-pyeong. Tell us about you.”

His head jerked back surprised.

“Me?” He laughed nervously. “There’s not much to tell.”

“Oh come on, that’s hard to believe. Do you have a—”

Mi-rae cleared her throat and cut Chris off gently.

“Ji-pyeong, what do you do for fun when you’re not working?”

Han Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly. She was pointedly moving the conversation past the typical
questions about family. He was grateful. And he liked the way that his name sounded on her lips.
But he had no idea how to answer.
“When I’m … not working?”

Mi-rae nodded encouragingly.

“Um …well um um…”

Oh my god stop stuttering.

“To be honest … work is pretty much what I do.”

Mi-rae let out a puff of air and fell back against the booth.

“Well we’re going to have to change that. At least while you’re here.”

Sam laughed.

“Yeah right. Like you’re one to talk. What do you do for fun, Mi-rae? Write law review articles?”

She punched his shoulder.

“Shut up. I have fun.”

“List three things that you do for fun on a regular basis.”

Sam turned to face her defiantly. Mi-rae glanced self consciously at all three of them.

“I — I go to Mets games. I see music… sometimes.”

Han Ji-pyeong mentally recorded yet another new fact. Sam folded his arms and waited for her to
continue while trying to hide his amusement.

“Mmhmm. And ?”

“I watch a lot of television.”

Sam lost his struggle. He burst out laughing.

“That’s not a hobby!”

Mi-rae dropped her hand on the table emphatically.

“Yes it is! TV is like reading a book now!”

“Yeah right.”

Her eyes narrowed like he had insulted her.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about because all you watch are procedurals and true crime!
Sorry if I don’t want everything figured out within forty five minutes.”

Han Ji-pyeong cocked his head and watched Mi-rae as they continued to debate. But soon their
voices sounded strange — like he was watching something with the wrong audio input. He could
not stop thinking about what Mi-rae said last night as he watched her smile and laugh now.

All I do is work so I don’t have to sit in my apartment alone.

She had shared that with him. Here with her friends and colleagues, Mi-rae was joking about what
she did in her spare time. Yet, even after one day, Ji-pyeong again knew something that they did
not. Beyond ambition and work ethic, Kim Mi-rae worked so hard because she was lonely.
Just like me.

Han Ji-pyeong's hand tightened around the stem of his wine glass. Their attraction to one other was
not the only thing that was real. She was real with him last night. He knew more about what
motivated her to drive that red convertible than the people who worked with her every day for ten
years. And he could see that beyond this genial talk about baseball, concerts, and television, Kim
Mi-rae ate at her desk every night because it was better than eating at home alone.

How am I supposed to just walk away from this?

His eyes searched the checkered squares of the tablecloth for answers that they could not offer.

“Alright, alright enough of that.” Chris waved his hands in the air calling for silence. “Look, none
of us have much room to talk when it comes to work life balance. That’s what we signed up for.
But at the end of the day, you gotta have something outside of this.”

Han Ji-pyeong nodded silently at the simple wisdom and then finished his wine. The crushing
weight of that truth made him feel tired. Every time he tried to reach for more, fate pulled it just
beyond his grasp.

He glanced at his watch.

“This was really great, thank you. Delicious meal. But I think the jet lag is catching up with me.
We start getting the materials in tomorrow, right?”

Mi-rae nodded. She was studying his face but he turned away.

“Alright then, I’m going to go back to the hotel and crash. Chris, thank you for the invitation to the
Hamptons. I'm looking forward to it. Sam, if you want to have some of this fun that you speak of
let’s test drive a Mercedes while I’m here so you can up your game.”

He winked as Sam laughed. Then he braced himself to address her. He inhaled and made sure his
face was smoothed by indifference.
“Mi-rae, I look forward to my first lesson in ‘fun’ at the game with you all this weekend.” He stood
up. “Alright all, I’ll see you in the morning.”

There, that sounded normal right?

Han Ji-pyeong could feel her eyes on him as he stood up. But if he had any hope of holding himself
together he could not look back at her right now. He gritted his teeth with effort as he dipped his
head in thanks. Then he walked out of the room at a deliberately leisurely pace.

He quickly hailed a cab. His cheek fell against the seat as he let out a long breath. He was
exhausted. Was this really the same day as when he had arrived at her office building hoping to
smooth over a misunderstanding and ask out a crush?

But I got through it. And that could’ve gone worse.

Han Ji-pyeong turned and looked out the window as the taxi barreled up Madison Avenue. It was
dark now and the bright street lights passed over him like a kaleidoscope of colors. Glossy store
fronts promised a better version of life if one could just pay at the register. But all of the city’s
luxurious offerings could not distract him from one inescapable conclusion.

I am so fucked.

Everything she did and said tonight only made Han Ji-pyeong like Kim Mi-rae even more. She had
made an effort to make him feel comfortable. She was funny and adorably passionate about
everything that she talked about. She was shrewdly insightful —instantly concluding why he had
pulled out of his investment in Cheongmyeong when to this day Seo Dal-mi and Nam Do-san still
questioned his judgment. And yet their shared approach to risk was exactly why he was in the back
of this cab absolutely miserable.

If his instincts were right, she was just as conflicted about this line that they had drawn. Yet despite
it, Mi-rae was still sharing parts of herself with him. Tonight her friends of over a decade learned
something new about her because he had asked. And she was barreling toward every chance to
spend time together just as much as he was. There was something lonely and broken inside of her
that he recognized. It was inside of him too. And he could not help but feel that the only way to
bind it was together.

The cab soon approached the hotel. Han Ji-pyeong stared at where they had said goodbye the night
before. Maybe if he had not been such a coward they would have already crossed a line and things
would be different.

That’s insane. At least this way we can maybe be friends.

He rolled his eyes at himself. It was a paltry consolation. As he waited for the driver to pull up
behind a black town car, Han Ji-pyeong pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was morning now in
Seoul and he might as well distract himself with work.

His text messages had a red “1” waiting for him.

It was from “Question Bomber.”

Han Ji-pyeong sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. Then he tapped it with his index finger.

“Hope you arrived safely in NYC. And that you’re doing ok. ”

All he could do was laugh bitterly.

“Yeah I’m actually pretty fucking far from okay, Dal-mi.”

He said it out loud in Korean.

“Pardon?”

The driver looked back at him from the rearview mirror as the cab pulled up to the Carlyle. Han Ji-
pyeong squeezed his eyes shut with embarrassment. He slid his phone back into his pocket.

“Sorry, just talking to myself. How much?”

As soon as Han Ji-pyeong strode through the lobby he knew that trying to sleep was pointless. The
tumult of his thoughts had wound him up all over again. He slowed down as he passed the cocktail
lounge. His hands slid into his pockets as his shoulders went slack.

I don’t even know what okay means anymore.

Han Ji-pyeong walked in and took the same seat at the bar. The bartender smiled at him.

“Good to see you again, sir. Bourbon on the rocks?”

He recalled Chris’s recommendation.

“Actually, how about a Manhattan?”

The bartender nodded approvingly.

“Coming right up.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked back at the table where they had sat last night. It was empty now except for
the flicker of a single candle.

How can I miss someone I only met yesterday?

In the last twenty four hours, Han Ji-pyeong’s life had been turned upside down. And yet nothing
had changed. He was right back where he started.

The bartender returned with a coupe glass garnished with a black cherry. Han Ji-pyeong nodded his
head in thanks and took a large sip. He welcomed the warm burn down his throat.

“How long are you staying with us, sir?”

“I’ll be here for a few weeks so you’ll probably be seeing a lot of me. I’m Ji-pyeong Han by the
way.”

The bartender smiled and shook his hand.

“Javier Ibanez. Good to meet you.”

Javier leaned back and folded his arms.

“Mind me asking about that whole situation last night?”

Might as well since it’s all I’m going to sit here and think about anyway.

Han Ji-pyeong folded his arms onto the bar and lowered his voice conspiratorially.

“It was pretty weird, right?”

He tilted his head to request an honest assessment.

Javier huffed a laugh.

“Yeah but I’ve seen weirder, believe me. That guy comes here a lot and he’s always sketchy. I was
about to go over there myself before you did. It was fun to watch you handle him though.”

Han Ji-pyeong raised his eyebrows, pleased, and then raised the glass back to his lips.

“So what happened? I felt bad when I had to shut things down in here but my manager is a pain in
the ass. It seemed like things were going well?”

Han Ji-pyeong shook his head ruefully.

“Nothing. I chickened out.”

Javier winced sympathetically.

“That’s a shame. I was rooting for you, man.”

“I’m glad somebody is, Javier.”

A couple walked into the bar and Javier dipped his head apologetically before turning his attention
to them.

Han Ji-pyeong watched as the man pulled out a stool solicitously for the woman. She looked up at
him fondly as her arm brushed against his hand. Han Ji-pyeong speculated that they would
probably leave together to go upstairs after one drink.

He finished his and signaled for another.

It’s not fair.

This time, Han Ji-pyeong had tried to do things differently. After his initial hesitation, he went out
on a limb over and over. He found her. He went to her office. He waited for her at the elevator. He
was honest about wanting to ask her out. And he could swear she liked him back just as much. But
none of it had mattered. Fate would always have its way. He was still a loser drinking alone at a
bar.

Javier slid another glass over to him and took the empty one. He offered a silent half smile as if he
realized Han Ji-pyeong was no longer in the mood for conversation.

I’d better answer Dal-mi or she’ll worry.

Han Ji-pyeong pulled out his phone. He started to reply.

“In NYC. All good here…”

He stared at the bold faced lie. And then he grew annoyed and deleted it. Han Ji-pyeong opened
his email instead.

The message at the top of his inbox was from Kim Mi-rae.

His eyes grew wide and he sat up straight. Han Ji-pyeong checked the time stamp. She had just sent
it.

A shiver of anticipation went down his spine. Then he opened it.

Ji-pyeong,

Thank you for joining us for dinner tonight. We had a great time.

Attached please find a memo answering your questions from today’s meeting.

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

Mi-rae

His mouth quirked at her tongue in cheek humor. And then he clicked on the document.

Han Ji-pyeong scanned the document in amazement as he scrolled through until the end. It was a
forty page, single spaced memo answering every single question that he had posed to the team
today. It was replete with footnotes, case law, and hypothetical examples.

His hand flew to his lips in delight. Han Ji-pyeong leaned back slowly as he grinned at the screen.

And then he began reading.

 Chapter Six

Mi-rae smoothed her hair as she lifted herself up onto her toes to survey the crowd. There was no
sign of him amid the sea of orange and blue pouring into the stadium. She checked her phone. No
messages. Then she pressed her lips together to confirm that the lipstick she had just applied a
moment ago was still fresh.

This is not a date.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Mi-rae had told herself that all day.

But then why do I feel like it is?

Nothing could quell the bubbling feeling inside of her chest. Nervous excitement was now her
constant state of being. And after this past week Mi-rae was beyond trying to deny it. Instead of the
dull monotony of eighteen hour days shuttling between her office and apartment, she actually had
something to look forward to: seeing Han Ji-pyeong.

Mi-rae bartered with herself every day. It was okay to go to coffee with Han Ji-pyeong if Sam
came along. It was okay to invite Han Ji-pyeong for lunch if Chris joined them. It was okay to
meet Han Ji-pyeong in the conference room for take out if the associates were also there. If it
passed the test of an activity that she would normally engage in with a client, then Mi-rae was
allowed to be with him.

And yet Mi-rae was painfully aware that she was losing this war of rationalization. Because it was
not normal to wake up every morning excited to see a client. Or feel a rush of adrenaline when she
caught his decisive walk out of the corner of her eye. She took twice as long as usual to get dressed.
An email from him made her heart race. She was filled with anticipation for every meeting. Her
eyes sought him out in the hallways, the elevator bank, and the lobby no matter what her brain
commanded.

And the more that Mi-rae learned about him, the worse it got. She relished how his mind worked
— the way he could turn a problem around in his head and immediately focus on the crux of the
issue. She chased the way his eyebrows quirked when challenged. Mi-rae was addicted to how his
dimples deepened when he laughed. She had grown fond of the rebellion staged by his hair every
night as he restlessly poured over financial statements.

But ever since Monday, Mi-rae was acutely aware that she was now walking this emotional
tightrope alone. Han Ji-pyeong had been implacably calm ever since she had drawn a line between
them. His nervousness of their first coffee had vanished. The lingering glances were gone. Always
a friendly and collaborative colleague, he accepted her invitations but never initiated one. And why
should he? Han Ji-pyeong was a wildly successful and impossibly handsome man. He was sensible
and pragmatic. Of course he had moved on. As often as Mi-rae wistfully replayed their fleeting
moments of connection, his indifference was freeing. She was privately wagering her own stubborn
heart. That was the only risk that Kim Mi-rae was willing to take.

And so she had made a new deal with herself. She may not be able to act on how she was feeling,
but she would allow herself to enjoy the time that she had. Soon Han Ji-pyeong would be half a
world away until the next transaction. It was less than what she wanted. But it was still more than
she had before he walked into that bar nearly a week ago. Every time he smiled, Mi-rae told herself
that it could be enough.

Now outside of Citi Field, Mi-rae was doing what her senior partner had asked: she and Sam were
entertaining the new client whom the firm was hellbent on retaining. It was well within the
boundaries of work. But work had nothing to do with why she was nearly vibrating with
anticipation. The prospect of spending hours with Han Ji-pyeong was both thrilling and terrifying.

Thank god for Sam.

Mi-rae would cling to their unwitting chaperone like a life raft. She sent Sam a message asking
why he was not yet at their agreed meeting place. When she looked up, Mi-rae caught a flash of
Han Ji-pyeong’s striking dark hair in the crowd. He did not yet see her. And so her eyes greedily
roved up and down his tall frame.

He stood out from the fans around him in their jerseys, t-shirts, and baseball hats. Han Ji-pyeong
was wearing a black button down and white linen pants. She mused that his hands were in his
pockets because at some point he must have realized that it made women feel insane while looking
at him. The only thing moderately relaxed about his appearance was that his hair was brushed
across his forehead. He was devastatingly attractive even if adorably out of place in this raucous
crowd. Her shoulders involuntarily rose to her ears in delight as she drank in the sight of him.

But then Mi-rae glanced down at her bright blue vintage Mike Piazza jersey, jeans, and black
converse sneakers. It had seemed a safe bet as the only woman attending a baseball game with two
men. But Mi-rae had failed to adequately take into account that one of them was Han Ji-pyeong.
She bit her lip and instantly regretted the decision to dress this casually.
“Mi-rae!”

Their eyes met and his hand thrust into the air with an awkward half wave. She quickly walked
over to him.

“You made it!”

As she drew closer, Han Ji-pyeong immediately looked up at the stadium.

“So this is new but designed to look old?”

“Yep! It’s an homage to Ebbets Field where the Brooklyn Dodgers played before they moved to
LA. It’s pretty isn’t it? I love the red brick.”

Han Ji-pyeong nodded and then looked down at her. An amused smile tugged at the corners of his
mouth.

“I like your jersey.”

Mi-rae could not stop herself from grinning in relief.

“Thanks.”

Han Ji-pyeong took a step back and looked around.

“Isn’t Sam joining us?”

“Yes! Let me check where he is.”

There were still no messages. She dialed Sam’s number. He picked up on the third ring.

“Where are you?”

“Mi-rae…”

His voice cracked. Her heart raced.

“What’s wrong?”

Han Ji-pyeong was clearly curious but pretended to look at his phone. Mi-rae turned to the side.

“Max broke up with me this morning.”

Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. Sam had been so excited over the last six weeks. It made
her throat tighten with hurt for him.

“What happened?”

“He said he wasn’t ready to be exclusive.”

“I’m so sorry.” She tried not to think about the prospect of being alone with Han Ji-pyeong all
evening. “Don’t worry about this. Just take care of yourself. Do you want me to come over after?”

“No no…I’m pulling myself together. I’ll be there but I’ll be a little late.”

Her mind raced. As soon as this call ended Mi-rae would be alone with the man that she had been
obsessing over.

“Ok, no worries. Do you have your ticket?”

“Yep. See you in a bit.”

Mi-rae bit the side of her mouth hard and then spun around.

“Sam’s going to be a little late. We should head in.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked at her questioningly.

“Everything ok?”

No. Because now this really is like a date.

Mi-rae tried to smile as brightly as she could.

“Oh absolutely. Come on!”

She started walking, her eyes frantically searching the sidewalk for calm.

You can do this. Just talk about baseball. Sam will be here soon.

In an instant, Han Ji-pyeong was walking next to her. Mi-rae looked up at him and felt an
insurgent thrill. They had not been alone since Monday afternoon. He glanced down at her and
then looked back ahead.

Mi-rae took a deep breath and assumed the role of eager tour guide to manage her nerves.

“Did you know that the blue and orange of the Mets is a tribute to the two New York teams that
left, the Dodgers and the Giants?”
Han Ji-pyeong shook his head.

“No. I didn’t know that.”

Mi-rae swallowed and tried to think of the next thing to say.

“So while this is going to be a great atmosphere because they’re playing the Yankees, it might not
be quite as entertaining as home. Americans are a little basic when it comes to their games but the
actual baseball will be great.”

Han Ji-pyeong was about to say something when they arrived at the entrance. They navigated their
way through security and then presented their tickets. The attendant put on their box seat
wristbands and directed them to the stairs down to their seats.

Mi-rae paused at the top of the stairs when she realized that Han Ji-pyeong was not with her. She
turned around to find him fidgeting with his wristband. His brow was furrowed in frustration.
Something about this tall, elegantly attired man struggling with a small scrap of plastic made her
want to giggle. It steadied her.

Mi-rae walked back to him. He looked up, sheepish.

“She didn’t put it on properly.”

Han Ji-pyeong frowned. Mi-rae fought a smile at his pathetic expression.

“Here, let me.”

She gently took a hold of his wrist. His hand slowly unfurled within her own. Suddenly Mi-rae was
tingling all over. What had seemed natural was suddenly intimate. She swallowed hard and focused
on carefully adjusting the circumference of the band around his wrist.

Then she looked up and met his gaze.

“Is this too tight?”

He shook his head silently.

She snapped the bracelet closed. Then Han Ji-pyeong abruptly pulled his hand back as if he had
touched something hot.

They stared at each other. Han Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw and stepped closer.

“Do you want to get a drink first?”

Her stomach flipped.

“Yes.”

His question and her immediate answer tumbled into the silence between them so quickly that they
both burst out laughing.

Han Ji-pyeong slid his hands into pockets and ducked his head. When he looked back up at her his
eyes were dancing with amusement. The polite distance was suddenly gone. It made her absurdly
happy. And something wild in Mi-rae wanted to keep it that way.

“Beer is this way.”

Han Ji-pyeong followed her lead to stand in line. He looked around them and then down at her
again.

“This is actually my second ever baseball game.”

Mi-rae’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“What? Wait, do you not like baseball? Oh no!”

Han Ji-pyeong chuckled and shook his head.

“No, no I like it. And I follow it a little but …I don’t know. I just never make it to games.”

There was something a little sad about his expression. The look in his eyes took her back to the
night that they met. Mi-rae instinctively knew that there was more to his answer.

The only person who cares about me in the whole world died three months ago.

Mi-rae leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.

“To be honest I usually come alone. So I appreciate the company tonight. And I’m honored to take
you to your second game ever, Han Ji-pyeong.”

His mouth quirked adorably at her proffered solidarity.

“Next!”

The command to order startled her.

“Two drafts and … do you want a hot dog?”

Han Ji-pyeong nodded.

“And two hot dogs please.”

The cashier held his hand out.

“IDs please.”

Han Ji-pyeong handed the cashier his driver’s license. The man peered at it carefully until he found
the birth date. Then his eyebrows shot up.

“Hey! It was just your birthday! Hope it was a good one.”

Han Ji-pyeong silently plucked the card back from the cashier’s hand. Mi-rae turned to him with a
start as she handed over her driver’s license next.

“When is your birthday?”

“May 7.”

“Well, happy late birthday.”

“Thank you.”

His mouth was a straight line. And then it hit her.

It was his first birthday without the grandmother.

Mi-rae wanted to say something but could not think of a tactful way to do so. The cashier returned
with a pair of hot dogs and a pair of glasses spilling over with beer. It was an unfamiliar feeling
seeing objects side by side again after being divorced for two years. She handed Han Ji-pyeong his
glass and hot dog and tried not to think about how everything about this was indeed like a date.

“Okay, so you can do this however you want. But I strongly recommend that for your first New
York baseball game hot dog you do brown spicy mustard, onions, and sauerkraut.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked at her, bemused.

“You seem really serious about this.”

“It is serious. Ketchup on a hot dog can be very controversial here but if you go there, I’ll do my
best to protect you.”

He burst out laughing again. Those wondrous dimples reappeared and Mi-rae felt giddy that she
was the reason.

“I trust you. Let’s do this right.”

Han Ji-pyeong handed her his hot dog with mock solemnity.

“Smart man.”

He smirked in agreement. Mi-rae prepared both hot dogs according to orthodoxy and then they
made their way down the box. A warm breeze was blowing as she took in the buzz of the crowd
and the emerald green of the field. This was her happy place and she was unreasonably excited to
share it with him. When they arrived at their seats they both silently busied themselves with
settling everything that they had been carrying.

Mi-rae leaned back in her chair and looked at Han Ji-pyeong. His back was rigidly straight and his
palms were flat on his thighs. He was watching the players warm up as people filed into the rows
around them. The box was close enough to the field that she could smell the freshly cut grass. The
pregame music blared with a propulsive beat and the neon lights of advertisements flashed garishly
just beyond.

But all Mi-rae could look at was him.

His eyes darted in her direction. Then Han Ji-pyeong slowly turned towards her.

“It’s good to be here.”

His voice was quiet; his eyes soft. It was exactly what she was thinking. A strange sort of peace
washed over her.
With you.

Her heart finished the sentence for them both.

Then the announcer asked the audience to stand for the national anthem. They stood up as
everyone around them also began rising from their seats. After, Mi-rae plucked a scorecard and
pencil from the holder in front of her. She began writing in the starting line up for both teams.

“What's that?”

Han Ji-pyeong’s now empty glass was suspended in the air and he was staring at her scorecard.

“I’m keeping score.”

He leaned in closer to peer at the page. Her fingers gripped the pencil tighter as citrus and
sandalwood filled her head.

“I want to do it. Will you show me?”

Han Ji-pyeong looked up at her from underneath his jet black hair. Her mind flashed to the dream
of him leaning in to kiss her against a wall. Instead of trying to stop the trajectory of her thoughts,
Mi-rae allowed her eyes to indulge in the curve of his jaw which was now just a few inches away.

“Mmhmm.”

Her voice sounded strained. Mi-rae blinked rapidly and then immediately signaled to the beer
vendor making his way up the stands. Han Ji-pyeong pulled a scorecard and pencil from the pouch
hanging on the seat in front of him and began studiously copying the names of the starting line up
for both teams from the scoreboard.

Once another round of beer was procured, Mi-rae steadied herself and began her lesson.
“Okay, you know K is for strike out, right?”

He nodded as his eyes poured over the chart with laser focus.

Oh my god he is so adorable.

Mi-rae began pointing out the details of the scorecard.

“For an out, you write down the numbers of the player position in the order of the way the play
was made.”

She leaned over and quickly sketched a baseball diamond and numbered each position.

“A single is 1B and so forth. You can follow along with me until you get the hang of it.”

“Wait, what’s a walk? W?”

“Nope, it’s BB.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked at her with an astonished look on his face.

“Where did you learn how to do this?”

She felt a pang in her chest.

“My dad taught me. We used to go to a lot of games together. He always made me keep score.
Looking back, it was probably to keep me busy as a kid and stop asking for stuff.”

He nodded along with her self deprecating assessment but his eyes searched hers.
“Was he a Mets fan too?”

She shook her head in disbelief.

“How come you always know what to ask?”

Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes narrowed and he cocked his head at her.

“Do I?”

It was a shockingly loaded question. He raised an eyebrow as he took another drink. They were
dancing closer to an edge and he was daring her to jump. Mi-rae dragged her eyes away from him
and took a long sip of beer.

Do not go there.

“Yes. He was a Mets fan. It was always a little random. He fell in love with them in ‘86 when they
won the World Series.”

“Huh. You would’ve thought it would be the Dodgers after living in LA.”

She turned quickly to look at him.

“You have a good memory.”

He looked out at the field as the first batter approached the plate.

“I just pay attention.”

Her eyes traced the precise angles of his profile as if they now knew where to go by memory. Han
Ji-pyeong made a notation as the batter was thrown out at first base. Then he caught her looking at
him instead of the game. She did not look away.

He turned back to face her.

“What do you miss most about him?”

Her mouth opened but at first no sound came out. It was the same question she had asked him.

“I think probably this. It’s the best we ever got along because we just talked about baseball. And I
miss having someone to sit with.”

His eyes searched her face for a moment. Then he held up his scorecard for her review.

“Did I write that last play down right?”

Mi-rae felt her eyes prick with emotion. Then she took the scorecard from him and reviewed it.

“Yes. Well done.”

Han Ji-pyeong smiled at her as she handed it back.

For a time they fell into a comfortable silence of watching the game and comparing scorecards.
Han Ji-pyeong was impatient with himself whenever he wrote down the wrong code for a play. He
was always adorably focused on his task. Mi-rae’s belly felt warm with his company and the
growing buzz of alcohol as they moved on to their third round of beers.

When there was a pitching change, Han Ji-pyeong finally picked up his hot dog and took a bite.

“Huh, that’s actually delicious.”

She joined him and nodded enthusiastically.

“Told you.”

He leaned back in his chair and took stock of the stadium thoughtfully.

“I hated the only game I ever went to.”

Mi-rae froze and looked at him in surprise.

“Why?”

Han Ji-pyeong cleaned his hands carefully with a napkin and then turned his body to fully face
her.

“When I was a kid, somebody sponsored my orphanage to see a game at Jamsil Stadium.”

His face grew hard and his eyes darkened.

“We of course sat up in the nosebleed seats. We each got one soda and a corndog. People looked at
us with pity or … worse. I remember seeing kids getting whatever they wanted with their parents or
the people in the luxury seats eating their full. I could barely make out who the players were on the
field we were so far away. I guess I should have been grateful. Instead it felt humiliating. I hated
everything about it.”

Mi-rae’s eyes wandered from the way his jaw was set defiantly down to the expensive silk of his
shirt and his crisp linen trousers. Han Ji-pyeong came into sharper focus.

Then he huffed a bitter laugh.

“I remember there was this one asshole in particular. He was behind us in the ticket line and
complaining about how our group was taking so long. He argued that he should be able to jump the
line because he had more expensive tickets behind home plate.”
Mi-rae gasped.

“Why didn’t you go back and sit in the best seats possible once you could?”

Han Ji-pyeong nodded to appreciate her sentiment and then drank his beer as he considered her
question.

“I pay for the orphan nonprofit I sponsor to sit behind home plate on opening day at Jamsil
Stadium every year. I buy out the whole section right in front so that they’re on national television
and no one else can sit there.” He squinted as he framed the imaginary image for her. “They can
order whatever they want for the whole game. And that asshole— if he’s still alive — will just
have to sit somewhere else. That’s my revenge.”

Mi-rae marveled at the contradictions in the man beside her. He was still angry. But he did not
allow it to twist who he was. She knew what it was to battle against that. Mi-rae was heady just
sitting next to Han Ji-pyeong despite the dark voice that whispered she should never trust a man
again.

“I always hated the zoo.”

Han Ji-pyeong jerked his head back in disbelief.

“What? I love the zoo! How can you hate the zoo?”

Mi-rae took another bite of her hot dog and chewed as she shook her head.

“I hated it. We went every school year as an end of the year field trip. Everyone else’s moms
always chaperoned. My dad never could because he couldn’t get off work. So I always just
wandered around alone and all the moms looked at me whispering “poor girl.” But it’s not like
they ever invited me over to sit with them during lunch. Anyway, I’ve never gone to one since.”

She looked down and picked at the bottle label. Mi-rae had never told that story to anyone —not
even her ex-husband. He had not been the sort of man to whom you could share those parts of
yourself. And yet with Han Ji-pyeong it just came pouring out.
She looked back at him. He had been watching her. Mi-rae rushed to fill the silence.

“Anyway, I hope that rich asshole stews over the kids sitting behind home plate on opening day
instead of him every year. Fuck him.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes went wide and then he burst out laughing. He lifted his beer bottle towards
her in salute.

“That’s right.” He nodded emphatically. “Fuck him. And fuck those moms too.”

Mi-rae gasped in laughter as he suddenly looked around to make sure no one understood him. They
both laughed even harder. She reveled in the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and his nose
scrunched as he laughed. The endearing way that transformed Han Ji-pyeong from an elegant man
to endearingly boyish made Mi-rae impulsively want to grab his face with both hands.

Finally, Han Ji-pyeong sighed happily and his head leaned back against the seat. His eyelids were a
little heavier now and his smile broader. He looked like Mi-rae felt. She did not know if it was the
alcohol or being with him, but she could happily float away right now. His gaze lingered on her
face.

“I think I might be becoming a Mets fan.”

His voice was deeper now. It pulled her closer as if he had tugged on an invisible tether.

Mi-rae dropped her chin into her hand and leaned towards him on her elbow. Her tongue felt
dangerously loosened by three drinks.

“Is that right?”

She raised an eyebrow at him flirtatiously. A corner of his mouth pulled up into a small smile as
his eyes ticked up and down her face.

Now she was daring him.

“Hey guys! I’m so sorry I’m late!”

Sam.

Her eyes squeezed shut. Mi-rae had forgotten that he was even coming. When she opened them,
Han Ji-pyeong glanced at her quickly as if they had been caught doing something wrong.
Something inside of her rejected the premise.

Then why did it feel right?

Han Ji-pyeong turned to greet Sam as he took the seat next to him.

“Sam! Hey! Everything alright?”

Sam looked terrible. His curls were wild and he was unshaven. He was wearing a Yankees t-shirt,
shorts, and flip flops. It was obvious that he had been crying.

Oh god he’s such a mess.

“Oh sure, yeah.” He sighed heavily. “Just had some stuff come up. No worries.”

Han Ji-pyeong set his empty bottle down emphatically.

“That’s bullshit. Come on, we’re all the same age. You guys don’t have to act weird around me.
What’s wrong?”

Sam blinked at Han Ji-pyeong in surprise. And then the dam broke.

“I got dumped today.”

Han Ji-pyeong immediately sat up and his hand went to Sam’s shoulder. Mi-rae watched in
amazement as alcohol continued to break down the distance from which he usually held himself
back from other people.

“That sucks. I’m sorry. I’ve been there…” Han Ji-pyeong bobbed his head to the side as he
wrinkled his nose questioningly. “Kind of.”

Then he lowered his head dramatically as Sam looked at him with wide eyes.

“You know what we’re going to do?

Sam shook his head, spellbound.

“We’re going to get really drunk.”

Sam glanced at Mi-rae.

“We are?”

She did not know what to say. Han Ji-pyeong nodded emphatically as he slapped him on the back.

“We are!”

He immediately stood up and hailed the closest vendor.

“We’ll take three of those … those things.” Han Ji-pyeong pointed to the absurdly large margaritas
in long test tube-like glasses in the vendor’s tray. “And three beers, the big ones please.”

Mi-rae’s mouth dropped open.

This is going to be a trainwreck.

Han Ji-pyeong distributed all of the drinks and then sat down while holding up a comically large,
fluorescent green margarita in the air.

“Sam, what was this guy’s name?”

Sam winced.

“Max.”

Han Ji-pyeong turned to Mi-rae.

“Mi-rae, what do we say to Max?”

She huffed a laugh. Then Mi-rae held up her glass.

“Fuck. Max.”

Sam almost dropped his glass in shock. Then he cracked a smile and held it up.

“Fuck Max.”

“That’s right. Fuck Max.” Han Ji-pyeong nodded approvingly and clinked both of their glasses.

It did not quite taste like a margarita. Mi-rae drank it anyway. Han Ji-pyeong then leaned back in
his chair and turned to Sam.

“Alright, tell us what happened.”

Over the next two innings, Mi-rae watched as Han Ji-pyeong listened attentively to Sam’s tale of
heartbreak. He nodded sympathetically or exclaimed in disbelief at all the right places while
simultaneously keeping attentive score and ensuring that the drinks kept coming. He eviscerated
the retelling of every one of Max’s excuses. He argued against all of Sam’s self reproach. Han Ji-
pyeong was so patient with Sam even though he had only known him for a week that Mi-rae felt
overwhelmed with a different kind of feeling: affection. This confoundingly beautiful and
complicated man not only made her feel dizzy and excited. He was something else that was far
more important: Han Ji-pyeong was kind .

God I like him so much.

Mi-rae drained the rest of her beer and excused herself to the bathroom.

As she washed her hands she took stock of herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed. Her lips
were bare.

You’re drunk Mi-rae.

But then the voice that always got shouted down wound its way to the forefront of her mind.

So? For once just have fun.

She sank against the sink remembering the way that Han Ji-pyeong had looked at her just before
Sam arrived. It made her want to be reckless. Mi-rae pulled her lipstick out of her pocket. She
concentrated as hard as she could on following along the shape of her lips. Then she smoothed her
hair and walked back out to the breezeway.

As she passed the merchandise store, Mi-rae slowed to a stop. Her eyes lingered on a pristine white
pinstripe Mets jersey featured under a bright pendant light.

I remember seeing kids getting whatever they wanted…

On an impulse she went inside.

Twenty minutes later, Mi-rae was walking down the stairs to her seat with a bag swinging from her
hand. When she arrived, Sam got up to excuse himself for the bathroom. He staggered slightly as
he stood up.

“What have you all done to yourselves?”

They laughed and shrugged as if they were not both significantly more drunk than before she had
left.

“We sang ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’!” Han Ji-pyeong gestured dramatically as he
enthusiastically explained everything that she had missed. “And then Mr. Met came by and
everyone was dancing to this song in Italian and we chugged our beers! It was amazing!”

Then his shoulders caved dramatically.

“But then the Yankees scored a run in the top of the eighth, dammit.”

Han Ji-pyeong held up his scorecard as if additional proof was needed.

“I told you, if you don’t want to lead a life of frustration don’t be a Mets fan.”

Han Ji-pyeong waved Sam off as he headed up the stairs. Then he leaned on the armrest and
looked at Mi-rae.

“I feel bad for Sam.”

She sighed. “I know, me too. I thought this one was a keeper.”

Han Ji-peeing shook his head in solemn agreement as if he had known about Max’s existence
before tonight. Then his brow furrowed.

“But where did you go? I kept waiting for you to come back.”
Mi-rae sucked her lips in with delight at how adorably tipsy he was. He was looking at her like he
had missed her for far longer than a half hour.

Maybe this week he was feeling the same that I was all along.

It was a revelation that made her dizzy.

“I got you something.”

Han Ji-pyeong blinked hard as his head bobbed forward in surprise. Then he sat up straight.

“You did?”

She offered the bag to him with both hands.

“To commemorate your very first Major League Baseball game.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked at her in wonder as he gingerly accepted the bag. But as soon as it was in his
possession he opened it with the enthusiasm of a child at a birthday party.

“Whoa.”

He held the jersey up and gazed at it in awe.

“I got deGrom’s jersey because he pitched tonight. Plus he’s their best player and has great hair so
it seemed perfect…”

“Wait.” The jersey immediately collapsed into his lap. He seized on her words urgently like a dog
with a bone. “Are you saying that I have great hair?”

A bubble of laughter burst from Mi-rae. Han Ji-pyeong looked so eager to extract a compliment
from her that she felt tingly all over.

“No.” She said it slowly while fighting a grin. “I said Jacob deGrom has great hair.”

He squinted at her dubiously until she looked away in embarrassment. Then Han Ji-pyeong
hurriedly unbuttoned the jersey and put it on over his button down. He held his arms out to show it
off.

The jersey looked both absolutely absurd and impossibly cute over his designer silk shirt.

“I love it. I’ve never — .” He lost his train of thought and then his lips broke open into a beautiful
smile. “Thank you, Kim Mi-rae.”

He was absolutely beaming at her. It made her chest feel like it was going to cleave in two.

I want to always make him look like that.

“You’re welcome.”

But how can I do that when this is what it is?

All of a sudden the opening notes of “The Final Countdown” pierced the air. Mi-rae looked down
at the field as the Yankees’ closer strode to the mound. It was the bottom of the ninth and the Mets
were still down 1-0. Everyone around them started cheering and rising to their feet. Han Ji-pyeong
smiled excitedly at Mi-rae and she pushed all other thoughts away.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. For a moment, he did not let go. His grasp was strong and
warm. She squeezed his hand as the air rushed from her chest. The frenzy of the crowd, the
operatic crescendo of the music, and being this close to Han Ji-pyeong while he was holding her
hand made her feel like she was falling off a cliff.

Then the announcer’s voice blared over the loudspeaker.

“Tomas Nidoooooooo”

Han Ji-pyeong looked startled and softly dropped her hand as the first batter’s walk up music
crackled through the stadium. Mi-rae let out a shaky breath as she tried to stop her heart from
racing. Then Sam returned. Han Ji-pyeong cleared his throat and repositioned himself exactly
between them.

“Three more outs!”

“Shut up, Sam!”

Mi-rae rolled her eyes but she was grateful for the distraction. The Mets were down one run in the
bottom of the ninth to the Yankees and all she could think about was how close she had come to
throwing her arms around Han Ji-pyeong in front of forty thousand people.

Sam winked and started chugging his beer. Mi-rae and Han Ji-pyeong followed his lead.

The batter cracked a hit straight into a pocket in left field. The crowd roared as he rounded first
base to second.

“2B! 2B!” Han Ji-pyeong jumped up and down with Mi-rae. The stadium was now electric with
the tying run on base. He turned to her, breathless.

“I love baseball!”

He shouted it over the crowd. Mi-rae threw her head back and laughed. She bumped his shoulder
with her own as he looked down at her gleefully.

The next batter immediately popped up to right field. Sam clapped loudly prompting Han Ji-
pyeong to defiantly yell “Let’s go Mets!”. Mi-rae could not stop looking at him. He was so
animated and joyous. And while it was undoubtedly fueled by alcohol, it could not be more
different than the man whom she had watched drinking alone.

The next batter struck out.

“Not looking good.” Sam folded his arms. “Lindor always chokes.”

Mi-rae shot Sam a dirty look. Han Ji-pyeong looked down at her with a concerned look on his face.
But she could not assure him otherwise.

On the first pitch, Francisco Lindor got caught looking.

Strike one.

The stadium grew quiet for a moment before building again into hopeful cheering.

“Don’t be a faint hearted batter.”

Han Ji-pyeong said it with a quiet urgency. Something about it sounded strange. Mi-rae stared at
him and missed the second strike.

“Come on! Don’t just stand there. Swing at it!”

He yelled with surprising intensity. The pitcher shook his head twice while exchanging signs. The
shouting and clapping all around them made the ground feel like it was vibrating underneath Mi-
rae’s feet. She dug her fingers into her palm. Then the pitcher wound up and hurled the ball to the
center of the strike zone.

The batter lunged toward it. His bat snapped around uselessly in the air. A painful silence hung
over the stadium which was then lanced open by jubilant Yankees fans. The game was over.

A disappointed murmur rippled through the crowd. And then the first notes of Billy Joel sounded
to confirm that it was time to leave as the players walked off the field.

Mi-rae turned to look at Han Ji-pyeong and Sam. Han Ji-pyeong was still staring at the field. Sam
leaned over to talk to them over the music.
“I’m sorry guys, that was a tough one. But the night is still young! Where to next?”

Sam looked so eager that Mi-rae could not bear to even look at her phone to check the time. Nor
did she want this magical window of being with Han Ji-pyeong to end.

He turned and looked at her.

“Where do you want to go?”

Anywhere with you.

Sam clapped his hands together excitedly.

“Let's go to Karaoke Shout! We’re close by.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s head snapped to attention.

“Karaoke?”

A flash of singing Taylor Swift while sobbing until three in the morning flashed through her mind.
The idea of singing in front of Han Ji-pyeong was a non-starter.

“Absolutely not.”

Han Ji-pyeong spun around. He grinned impishly and pointed his finger at her.

“You promised me a lesson in fun.”

Mi-rae huffed an incredulous laugh. Sam sensed her resolve collapsing and moved in to close the
deal.
“Come on! I went with you. Now it’s my turn. Please?” His eyes were pleading behind his tortoise
shell glasses.

Mi-rae narrowed her eyes at Han Ji-pyeong.

“You honestly want to go to karaoke?”

He nodded emphatically.

“Yes! People at work always go and no one ever invites me.”

“Yeah, I can see that actually.”

Han Ji-pyeong gasped and Sam immediately looked remorseful.

Mi-rae chewed at her lip. But she was not ready for this night to end.

“Ok.”

Sam let out a whoop and Han Ji-pyeong grinned. Mi-rae knew that she would agree to just about
anything for him to smile at her like that.

As they walked out of the stadium, Mi-rae felt the full buzz of everything she had drank over the
last several hours. She kept looking at the jersey hanging from Han Ji-pyeong’s broad shoulders as
he debated the Mets prospects for the rest of the season with Sam.

He put it on right away.

Mi-rae was drunk enough to admit the fact that was staring her in the face: Han Ji-pyeong had only
been distant because she had asked for it. Yet tonight he had not shied away from her. And she
loved the way that it felt. She loved just sitting next to him and talking. She loved the way he
asked her questions and listened as if he deeply cared about the answers. She loved the way he had
taken her friend under his wing. She loved the feeling of giving him something and watching his
face light up. And she loved how he had grabbed her hand and, for a moment, not let go.

I don’t want to let go either.

Sam became engrossed in the status of their Uber. Han Ji-pyeong looked over at her as if to make
sure that she was still walking beside him. A shy smile played on his lips as he then looked down
at the ground. Mi-rae could not drag her eyes away from him. It felt as if they had made a silent
pact to push against the line as much as they could. She felt delirious with joy as she then allowed
her arm to brush against his. Her hand played restlessly at her side for she wanted nothing more
than to tangle her fingers with his.

They walked a few blocks away from the stadium like this. Sam tried to be a magnanimous victor
and prop up the Mets’ chances for making the playoffs. He yelled at the Uber app every time it
added two more minutes to their driver’s arrival time. He cheerfully accepted the grumbling of
other Mets fans who jeered his Yankees t-shirt as they walked by. And yet despite every quip and
comeback Mi-rae offered to their conversation, it sounded to her ears as if someone else was
talking. The only thing that she could focus on was how Han Ji-pyeong was still by her side and
stealing glances at her.

“That’s it! The Honda with Jersey plates.”

Sam ran over to the car and then stopped short at the passenger side.

“He has a bunch of crap in the front seat. We’re going to have to pile in the back.”

Sam walked around to the opposite side of the car. Han Ji-pyeong stepped in front of her and
opened the door to the backseat.

“Do you want me to…”

“No, let me go in the middle.”

He nodded.
Mi-rae climbed in and then watched as a long leg clad in white linen stretched into the car
immediately next to her. Han Ji-pyeong carefully lowered his tall frame into the small space next
to her. His hand flew up to the handle above his head to brace himself.

“We’re headed to Karaoke Shout on Steinway, thank you.” Sam turned to both of them and
grinned. “Are you gonna drop some T Swift on us tonight, Mi-rae?”

She narrowed her eyes at Sam.

“Don’t make me regret this.”

But her friend was now smiling. And she would sing Taylor Swift in front of Han Ji-pyeong if it
would keep him that way.

“Do you guys go to this place a lot?”

Before either of them could answer Han Ji-pyeong’s question, the driver began yelling.

“Idiot drunk!”

The car suddenly swerved a hard right to avoid a fan riding a Segway in the middle of the street.
Mi-rae slammed into Han Ji-pyeong’s chest. His arms immediately closed around her and held her
tight as a torrent of profanity from the driver filled the car.

Mi-rae blinked hard at a fold of pinstripe fabric in front of her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

She could feel the rumble of his voice against her ear as his chest rose and fell under her cheek. His
arms fell away as soon as the car began moving once again.
Mi-rae sat back up straight, dazed. Sam touched her shoulder.

“Mi-rae, are you alright? Jeez, that guy was crazy.”

“Mhmm.”

She turned back to Han Ji-pyeong, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I’m sorry I — thank you.”

He swallowed hard and nodded. Then Han Ji-pyeong shifted in his seat and looked out the
window. Mi-rae tried to take a deep breath but every nerve in her body felt like it was firing at
once. Her eyes sought refuge in front of her but all she could see was Han Ji-pyeong’s thigh within
an inch of her own.

“This night has been so much better than the rest of my day. Thank you for putting up with me.”

Mi-rae exhaled and turned to face Sam. Then she closed her hand over his.

“You did much more for me .. back then. Of course.”

She could feel Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes on her.

The car soon slowed to a stop.

“Ah, hello old friend.”

Mi-rae giggled at Sam’s nostalgic greeting of the karaoke bar. Han Ji-pyeong immediately sprung
from the car even though he was exiting on the street side.

“We need shots.”

He strode into the bar without looking back.

Sam laughed and shook his head.

“Wow this guy is on a mission tonight. You know, I wasn’t sure about him at first but he’s
actually a really good guy don’t you think?”

Mi-rae’s lips folded in on one another.

“Mmhmm.”

Then they followed Han Ji-pyeong into the bar. Soon they were led to an absurdly appointed
private room rich with red and gold metallic wallpaper and bright purple velvet couches. The video
screen loomed large and the low pulse of ambient electronic music filled the air. A silver bucket
filled with a dozen beers and a tray of six shots were immediately brought in. Mi-rae watched as
these instruments of chaos were laid out in front of them.

Sam distributed the shots and then raised his in the air. Mi-rae looked at the two shot glasses in her
hands as if she did not know how they had gotten there.

“Wait. Why do we need two each?”

Sam ignored her.

“To Ji-pyeong’s first real night out in New York.”

Han Ji-pyeong dipped his head in thanks and then both men threw back each shot in quick
succession. Mi-rae’s throat burned and her eyes stung after only one.

“Alright I’ll start us off. Let’s see what we got here.”

Sam started scrolling through the screen of song choices as Han Ji-pyeong looked over his
shoulder curiously.

“Perfect. This one’s for you, Mi-rae.”

All of a sudden the screen lit up the whole room and Taylor Swift was lying on the ground in the
middle of a desert. Mi-rae burst out laughing.

“Ha! Pretty sure this one is for that asshole who made the biggest mistake of his life today.”

Sam picked up the microphone and saluted her with it. Then he turned to face Ms. Swift to share in
her tale of woe. Han Ji-pyeong was suddenly sitting right next to her and handed her a beer.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

She looked at him and nodded. Mi-rae was unreasonably happy just to be close to him again.

“I have no idea what I’m doing. And I have a terrible voice.”

Mi-rae tried to stop herself from giggling. But he was looking at her with such wide eyes as if he
had just confessed the biggest secret of his life that a bubble of laughter escaped from her lips
anyway. They swayed toward one another laughing.

Then Sam’s voice grew louder and he spun around to face them.

“I knew you were trouble when you walked in…”

Mi-rae jumped up and sang along with him at the top of her lungs.

“So, shame on me now!”

Sam cheered and she hurried over and put her arm around him. Together they belted out the
knowing ode to heartbreak. Mi-rae caught Han Ji-pyeong leaning back and just watching her with a
grin on his face. She gave into the dizzying freedom that this dark little world offered and
welcomed his gaze with abandon.

“That you never loved me

Or her

Or anyone

Or anything

Yeah!”

Sam’s deep baritone drowned her out and she hugged him closely as they barreled through the final
chorus together. As Taylor Swift dropped a necklace to the ground, Han Ji-pyeong sprung to his
feet with wild applause. Sam bowed and handed him the microphone.

“Your turn.”

Han Ji-pyeong suddenly looked so terrified that Mi-rae rushed over to him and pulled at his arm.
He followed her instantly as she backed them towards the monitor.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

He nodded at her in awe. She leaned in and whispered.

“I am fucking great at karaoke.”

He threw his head back laughing. Then Mi-rae began searching through the song titles.

“You need a wingwoman for your first one. Hmmm, duets …duets…”

And then her finger landed on a song so deliciously perfect that she gasped.
That is a crazy choice, Mi-rae.

Chaos ruled. She stabbed at the song defiantly with her finger.

Human League it is.

The video began loading. Then she put her hand on Han Ji-pyeong’s shoulder.

“Okay, get ready. I’ll take the first part and then you follow when the words change to a different
color.”

Han Ji-pyeong stood up a little straighter and nodded with hilarious seriousness.

A scattering electronic beat began as car headlights mysteriously made their way through the night
on the screen. Han Ji-pyeong cocked his head, confused.

“Mi-rae, I don’t think I know this…”

The first dramatic keyboard notes reverberated throughout the room. Mi-rae assumed the aloof
persona of the woman ensconced in a fur coat on the screen. Then she began to sing the words
being mouthed by the man in red lipstick.

“You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I met you…”

Han Ji-pyeong slowly turned his head towards her as his mouth dropped open in shock.

“I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around…”

Mi-rae winked at him as the “o” formed by his lips slowly turned up into a sly smile. Then she
turned around dancing in a circle as Sam whistled. Mi-rae looked back over her shoulder at the
both of them as the chorus dangerously spilled from her lips.
“Don't. Don't you want me? You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me...”

Sam jumped up onto the couch to shout the chorus with her.

“Don’t you want me baby! Don’t you want me ohhhhh!”

Mi-rae jumped up and down and cheered.

The font on the screen turned a different color as Han Ji-pyeong took a swig of beer. He stretched
his neck as if he was preparing for battle. Then he spun around dramatically and started singing
back to her.

“I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar… that much is true…”

Mi-rae’s hands flew to her mouth as he started stalking towards her. Sam laughed riotously and
clapped his hands.

“I knew you had it in you!”

Han Ji-pyeong bent over trying not to laugh and missed the next few lines. Mi-rae was about to
resume her part when he then bowed his head in determination and stepped even closer to take over
the chorus.

“Don't. Don't you want me?” He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow provocatively. “You know I
don't believe you when you say that you don't need me.”

Oh my god.

Butterflies took flight inside her chest and she staggered back. His eyes took note triumphantly. Mi-
rae wanted to kiss that smug look right off of his face.

Then Han Ji-pyeong turned and pointed to Sam as he belted out the next line with little concern for
pitch or harmony.
“You think you've changed your mind, you'd better change it back or we will both be sorry!”

Sam screeched and jumped off the couch. All three of them yelled out the crescendo of the chorus
together as the room spun wildly in streaks of red, gold, and purple.

When it was over, they laughed and tried to catch their breath. Sam glanced at Mi-rae and raised
his eyebrows as a knowing smile played on his lips.

Crap.

Sam took command and immediately punched in a series of songs. Mi-rae did not have a moment to
think because suddenly the opening beats of “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” filled the room.

Are you kidding me Sam.

She surreptitiously flipped Sam off as Han Ji-pyeong stared at the yellow sports car Kylie Minogue
was driving on the screen. Sam winked at her and began singing “la la la la la la….” as a taunt. Mi-
rae drained her beer and then joined in hoping that Han Ji-pyeong would not notice how hot her
cheeks were.

Sam propelled them through a dizzying set of songs as the beers in the bucket dwindled and the
order to who was singing what gave way to a chaotic group chorus. As the heady euphoria of
alcohol and music took over, Mi-rae danced as she had not in years. She felt sweaty, boneless, and
breathless. Han Ji-pyeong always stayed right by her side no matter the wild antics of Sam.

As the end of “Bad Blood” trailed off into silence, Sam walked over to the screen to make another
selection but then stopped and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He froze and looked up at them.

“It’s Max.”

Mi-rae exchanged a worried glance with Han Ji-pyeong.

“Do not answer it.”

Sam looked at her, distraught.

“But …”

“No. You cannot talk to him tonight. Why the hell is he calling you in the middle of the night when
he had all day? That’s bad news. No, Sam.”

Sam looked down at his phone pitifully and his shoulders sank in defeat. Then he looked at her
sadly.

“But …but I think I’m in love with him.”

Her heart clenched. Mi-rae set down her beer. But Han Ji-pyeong walked over to him first.

“Talk to him tomorrow.” His voice was quiet and steady. “You have to have a clear head to talk
about something this important.”

Sam looked at him and then nodded slowly.

“Give me your phone.”

Sam complied and Han Ji-pyeong began typing. He stopped and cocked his head as he considered
something. Then he resumed. When he was finished, Han Ji-pyeong held up the phone for their
review.

Mi-rae and Sam read it side by side.

I just saw that you called. I am tied up right now but I’d like to meet to talk tomorrow. I’m glad that
you reached out.
Han Ji-pyeong handed Sam his phone and slipped his hands into his pockets.

“If you like this guy as much as you say you do, don’t play coy. But you have to also draw your
lines. He can’t just call you at 2 am. But he did call. Maybe he’s miserable somewhere tonight too.
If that still means something to you, be honest about it. And talk to him in person so you can really
take stock of whether he’s sincere and worth it.”

He steadied Sam’s shoulder and then walked over to the table to set his beer down. Mi-rae bit her
lip at his wisdom. Han Ji-pyeong was not the sort of person to play games. Nor was she. If they
were both acting this way tonight then the alcohol was merely an excuse. She suddenly felt very
sober.

“You’re right.” Sam let out a shaky breath and rubbed his head. “I guess I should probably head
home. I’m so sorry that I took over this whole night with my drama.”

Han Ji-pyeong quickly cut him off

“What are you talking about? I had the best time.”

Then he touched his forehead and stepped closer to Sam.

“Look, this is a little pathetic to admit but I don’t actually have a lot of friends. So thank you for
letting me tag along tonight.”

Sam nodded gratefully. Then they began walking out of the room together while comparing the
Uber and Lyft wait times back to Manhattan. Mi-rae walked behind them lost in thought.

They stood in silence as they awaited their ride. Mi-rae convinced herself that both men were
considerably more drunk than her. They were both swaying like reeds in the wind as they looked at
their phones.

“Max texted back! He said tomorrow is good.”

Han Ji-pyeong slapped him on the back.

“There you go!”

The car pulled up and Sam swung the front passenger side door open and stumbled in. Han Ji-
pyeong motioned for Mi-rae to go first but she demurred. She needed another moment of fresh air
to clear her head. As Han Ji-pyeong opened the back door and began to lower himself in it instantly
became clear that he was misjudging the low ceiling of the car.

“Ji-pyeong!”

Mi-rae rushed forward and grabbed his arm. He looked back at her, startled. She steadied him with
both hands.

“You almost knocked your head.”

A puff of air escaped from Han Ji-pyeong’s lips as he looked at her a bit dazed. Then Mi-rae
guided him inside the car and lifted her hand above his head to ensure that he would clear its
height.

They drove back in silence. Mi-rae looked out at the black depths of the East River as they crossed
over the Queensboro Bridge. She did not know whether to be ashamed of her behavior or feel
liberated by it. She had acted on her feelings all evening not knowing where they could lead.

Her eyes inevitably came to rest on him. He was leaning against the window staring out at the
approaching lights of Manhattan. Light and shadow passed over him in equal measure as the car
rumbled over the bridge. There was still so much that she did not know. And yet, her eyes traced
over his face with a tender affection that made her throat tighten.

What are you thinking about Han Ji-pyeong?

Mi-rae knew that something had changed between them tonight. She did not know what to call it or
where it was going or how it could work. But what Mi-rae did know was that she could not go
back to the polite indifference of the last week. Tonight was the happiest she had been in years.

Her eyes darted to her lap as if Han Ji-pyeong could hear her thoughts. The reality of what this
could mean for them both made her head begin to pound. But it was a truth that she could not deny.
Indeed, it felt almost freeing. Mi-rae lowered the window. Then she leaned her head back and
closed her eyes as she breathed in the warm night air.

They stopped at Sam’s apartment first. Han Ji-pyeong sat up with a start and lowered the window
to say goodbye.

“Thanks again guys.”

“Good luck and let me know how it goes.”

Mi-rae made a heart with her hands at Sam so that he would smile. He complied and then patted
the door.

“Ji-pyeong, thanks man.”

“You’re welcome. And thank you.”

He gave a little wave in goodbye.

Han Ji-pyeong waited until the car began moving again and then turned his body to face her. His
eyes were full of questions that she was not ready to answer. Han Ji-pyeong opened his mouth to
say something but words were already tumbling out of her.

“Thank you for talking him through that. And for being so kind to him all night.”

Han Ji-pyeong gave a small nod. Then he cleared his throat and a bolt of panic tore through her. If
he was about to ask Mi-rae to jump off this cliff with him, she knew that she would say yes —
consequences be damned. But she was suddenly overwhelmed by a need to stall for more time.

“I’m worried about him. Max can’t just jerk him around like that and keep changing his mind.”

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Mi-rae realized their import and her heart stammered
in her chest.

Oh god. I’m Max.

The cords in Han Ji-pyeong’s neck tightened. Then he narrowed his eyes. Her stomach dropped.
They were drunk enough to say what they actually meant now.

“Maybe Max just freaked out and now he is reconsidering. That’s allowed isn’t it?”

Mi-rae was speechless. But his eyes demanded that she not look away. Han Ji-pyeong was not
finished with what he wanted to say.

“No matter how complicated it is, Sam has his head on straight.” Han Ji-pyeong lowered his chin
to convey his meaning. “He can handle it.”

Mi-rae’s hand fluttered to her hair and smoothed it nervously. She had to choose her words very
carefully.

“That may be true.” She took a breath as her hands started to shake. “But it’s not fair to Sam if it’s
not clear where it can go.”

Her words were met with silence. Han Ji-pyeong tilted his head as if he was weighing every single
word that she had just said very carefully. Mi-rae clutched the door handle tightly for mooring. It
felt like her entire existence hinged on whatever he said next.

Han Ji-pyeong moved a little closer.

“Maybe he doesn’t need to know that right now. Maybe for now…”

His eyes ticked down to her lips and then back up again.

“This is enough.”
Leaning towards him was the only choice that Mi-rae could make. As she drew closer, she watched
in amazement as his jaw clenched and then his lips parted. He lifted his hand to touch her face just
as the car stopped at a red light.

A car horn blared and then an ambulance screamed past them. They stared at each other as the
sounds of the city pierced the sacred silence between them. Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes darted to the
back of the driver’s head and then his hand dropped back down to the space between them.

They both quickly looked away. Mi-rae gulped the air from the open window as Han Ji-pyeong
returned to his side of the backseat and coughed. Then the light changed and the car began moving
again.

Mi-rae felt at sea in the awkward silence that followed. With every minute that ticked by it became
harder to think of what to say next. She wished that he had kissed her even as her mind raced
imagining what would have happened next.

But what if this was all fleeting? What if come Monday the wall was back up? This could be her
only chance to say what she was feeling out loud. Mi-rae remembered his words in the bar about
honesty and was filled with self reproach. As they turned up 72nd Street, she grew anxious that she
was running out of time looking out the window for an answer that did not exist. She had to make a
choice.

You’re a coward Mi-rae. He’s telling you that you don’t need to have all the answers right now. Be
honest like he was.

She took a deep breath and worked up the courage to face him again.

But Han Ji-pyeong’s head had dropped forward and his eyes were closed. A tiny sound escaped her
lips at the sight of him passed out. In an instant Mi-rae moved towards him and carefully took his
head in her hands. She leaned his head back slowly against the seat. But his head willfully slid
down until it came to a gentle stop against her shoulder.

Mi-rae looked up at the ceiling of the car as she sharply sucked in a breath. Then she shifted her
shoulder down so that he could rest more comfortably.

How is this actually happening?

His hair was soft against her cheek as the scent of citrus and sandalwood once again filled her head.
She let out a shuddering sigh as the warm weight of him made her body tingle all over. Then she
froze as Han Ji-pyeong stirred slightly.

“At least he went down swinging.”

His voice rumbled against her collar bone. Mi-rae lowered her head to try to see if he was awake.

“Who?” She furrowed her brow in confusion. “Lindor?”

Han Ji-pyeong mumbled something unintelligible as he snuggled into the crook of her neck. His
eyes were still closed.

He really took that strike out in the bottom of the ninth tonight hard.

Mi-rae bit her lip in amusement and then let her head fall softly against his. She had not been able
to speak her heart. But he was not yet gone.

Mi-rae looked down at Han Ji-pyeong’s hand. It was lax and open in his lap. The way his long
fingers were unfurled somehow seemed vulnerable. Something inside of her yearned to protect him.
She tenderly slipped her hand inside, marveling at the feel of her skin gliding along his. Then she
closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the feeling of being this close to him. He was warm
and safe. Her head felt heavy with drink and soon sleep came for her too.

******

“M’am? Sir? Excuse me.”

Mi-rae opened her eyes slowly, disoriented. She had not realized that she had fallen asleep.

“We’re at the second stop. The Carlyle Hotel, right?”

Han Ji-pyeong was still asleep on her shoulder. Mi-rae squeezed his hand to rouse him.

“Ji-pyeong. Time to wake up. We’re at your hotel. Ji-pyeong. ”

Han Ji-pyeong woke up with a start. His head jerked away and he jumped back from her with a
gasp.

“Oh god. I’m so sorry.”

His hands flew up to his mouth in shock and he shook his head violently in disbelief. Mi-rae
scrambled to calm him down.

“It’s okay! We both fell…”

The car door was opened by a valet.

“Welcome to the Carlyle!”

Han Ji-pyeong blinked his eyes rapidly as if trying to gain his bearings and then immediately got
out of the car without another word.

Mi-rae clamored over to his side and called out to him from the open window.

“Han Ji-pyeong!”

He froze and turned to look at her. His face was wrought with panic.
“Ji-pyeong.” Mi-rae smiled at him to steady her nerves as much as his. “I had an amazing time
tonight.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked back and forth as he slowly absorbed her assurance. Then he slid his
hands into his pockets and turned to face her fully. A strange expression passed over his face - as if
he was wistful and hopeful at the same time. He made her feel brave. She took a deep breath. He
was worth the leap.

Mi-rae’s fingers curled over the edge of the window as she leaned out of it further.

“Actually, I had an amazing time with you. We… we should do this again.”

Han Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened. Her breath hitched in her throat as she awaited his reply.

“Yes. We should.”

A wondrous smile curled up his lips as the car lurched forward. Mi-rae did not stop looking at him
until a van pulled between them and blocked her view.

She flopped back against the seat and slid down as a small exclamation escaped from her lips. Mi-
rae felt so happy that her feet stamped the floor involuntarily and her hands flew to her mouth to
stop from embarrassing herself in front of the driver.

What did we just do?

Mi-rae’s cheek fell against the hard leather of the seat as she sighed remembering how she had
almost kissed Han Ji-pyeong. She closed her eyes to relive the moment again. When they opened,
Mi-rae spotted a small white square on the seat next to her. She reached for the piece of paper.

As she unfolded it, Mi-rae realized that she was holding the scorecards from the game. One was
written by her hand. The other was filled out until the top of the eighth inning in Han Ji-pyeong’s
meticulous handwriting.
They must have fallen out of his pocket.

Mi-rae was overcome with emotion that he had kept this for himself. Her fingers touched where he
had erased a mistake and written in the correct code in even darker pencil. Then they slipped across
the page to a notation in the margin with an arrow pointing to the seventh inning. “Ask Kim Mi-
rae: how to score an error at shortstop?”

A lump formed in her throat even as fear gnawed away at her stomach. Mi-rae’s hand began to
tremble as she reverently traced her name written so carefully in his hand. The wave of feelings
that washed over her was undeniable.

I am falling in love with him.

Her eyes pricked with tears. How could something that made her so happy be so complicated?

Mi-rae carefully smoothed the papers. Then she pressed them against the ache in her chest.

Like him, she wanted to keep them forever.

 Chapter Seven

“Housekeeping!”

It was as if the loud staccato of knocking was coming from inside of Han Ji-pyeong’s head. He
burrowed deeper into the pillow seeking relief.

“Housekeeping!”

He forced one eye open.

“Please … “ He croaked one word and then tried to swallow. “Come back later, please…”

The noise mercifully ceased. Silence coaxed his other eye to take in the golden light streaming into
the room

What time is it?

His hand grappled for his phone across the nightstand but found only the hard edge of a lamp and
the hotel landline. Han Ji-pyeong accidentally knocked the receiver to the floor. Once again his
head was assaulted with unwelcome noise as the dial tone pierced his temples.

Dammit.

Han Ji-pyeong groaned as he leaned over to retrieve it and place it back in the cradle to stop its
bleating. Then he rolled over onto his back.

I had an amazing time with you.

Han Ji-pyeong sat up with a bolt.

“Ow!”

The sudden movement made his brain feel like it was slamming against his skull. He clutched his
head but his mind was already racing.

“She said that we should do ‘this’ again. This… ”

Han Ji-pyeong trailed off and raised his hand to his lips.

“But did it mean what I thought it meant? Did she change her mind? Does that mean that I should
ask her out?” His eyes darted around the room. “But what if that’s not what she meant. Should I
wait and see?”

A blue light caught his eye and he squeezed his eyes shut to brace himself.

“May I suggest applying Occam's razor? It is a scientific and philosophical rule requiring that the
simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex.”

Han Ji-pyeong glared at Young-shil.

“Oh yeah? Well what if she just tried to make me feel better about passing out on top of her?”

His knees pulled towards his chest as he cringed at the memory.

How could I have done that?

The shame of waking up on her shoulder drove his hands into his hair. It had been horrifying to
find himself slumped over on top of her.
And I was holding her hand. What must she have thought of me?

His fingernails scraped his scalp trying to rid himself of the embarrassment. But then Han Ji-
pyeong remembered how Kim Mi-rae had smiled at him from the window. The end of the cab ride
was like a puzzle with missing pieces. He tried to assemble hazy impressions with the moments
that were seared in his mind for a clearer picture.

“Wait, but did she let me hold her hand?” Han Ji-pyeong had been so mortified at the liberties his
unconscious body had taken that he had nearly fallen out of the car. But he distinctly remembered
having to pull his hand away from hers. It was not the other way around. Kim Mi-rae must have let
him do it just as she had at the stadium. His fingers flexed at the memory of her squeezing his
hand.

But then a coil of self doubt wound its way around his heart. He had been here before; looking for
signs that ultimately led in the wrong direction. Flashes of jumping up and down and dancing with
Mi-rae and Sam made him stop and cock his head as he considered another option.

“Or did she mean all of us hanging out as friends with Sam? Because technically that’s all that we
did…”

His heart rebelled.

She said with you.

Han Ji-pyeong replayed almost taking her face into his hands in slow motion. His stomach flipped
all over again just thinking about how she had leaned towards him. And Kim Mi-rae had said “that
may be true” when he had implicitly suggested that she could change her mind about them. She did
not cut him off like she did on Monday.

He shook his head despite the pain that it caused.

“I know I was drunk but it really felt like she meant …more .” He folded his arms and squinted
skeptically at the blue light. “So what does Occum’s razor have to say about all that, Young-shil?”

His question was met with a beat of silence.

“I am sorry but I am having trouble finding that.”

Han Ji-pyeong scoffed.

“Yeah, no kidding.”

There was no logical explanation for why she would have changed her mind given that it was still
the only prudent course of action. And yet, all night it felt like that is exactly what Kim Mi-rae had
done. Goosebumps raised on his arm at the memory of being a mere inch away from her lips.

“I swear she wanted me to kiss her.”

Han Ji-pyeong seized the pillow next to him and buried his face in it as the moment agonizingly
played over in his mind.

I should have just done it.

Then he threw the pillow away in frustration.

“I always fucking hesitate!”

The force of the exclamation made him wince in pain. His head fell into his hand as he sighed
pitifully. Then Han Ji-pyeong gingerly leaned back and rested it against the headboard. He stared
at the ceiling hoping against all reason that she had meant what he thought that she meant.

From the moment Kim Mi-rae walked up to him with a giant smile on her face he knew that he was
in for it. Han Ji-pyeong had struggled all week to do as she had asked. But even within the confines
of work he had just barely managed to contain his ever growing attraction. Being in the office with
her while pouring over the details of the merger was a constant reminder of the stakes underlying
the line she had drawn. But it was also impossible to stop the way his heart quickened whenever
she walked in the room. Or the way he felt a rush every time she sparred with him. Or how he
chased every opportunity to see her no matter how much work he had to do. Han Ji-pyeong had
done his best. And Javier was always waiting with a Manhattan and a sympathetic ear around
midnight.
But in a moment, all of his carefully calibrated control had evaporated. The instant Kim Mi-rae
took his wrist in her hand she might as well have taken a hold of his heart too. Han Ji-pyeong was
plunged back into why this had all begun in the first place.

Her.

And then she never let go. In a place that he only associated with pity and humiliation, Han Ji-
pyeong felt happy . It was an unfamiliar state of being. They seemed to implicitly trust one another
to say the things out loud that they did not with anyone else. And yet just locking eyes with her
could make his heart hammer in his chest.

He looked down at the rumpled Mets jersey that he was still wearing. His fingers pulled it away
from chest so that he could survey the looping letters of the logo.

Han Ji-pyeong had not received a single gift on his birthday. Text messages and emails had been
the extent of acknowledgment of the day that he was born. It was not that he needed anything. Han
Ji-pyeong long ago had learned to claim material things with his own hands. But in the wake of
Grandmother’s death it had been a stark reminder of how little the seventh of May meant to anyone
left in this world. But a woman he had known for only one week had given this to him on a whim.

That was the best date of my life.

He did not care if it was not really a date. It felt like one. And Han Ji-pyeong loved everything
about it. Kim Mi-rae was adorably meticulous about food and how to score a baseball game. The
way she looked at him when they were walking next to each other made him feel like he was
floating several inches above the ground. Kim Mi-rae was so much fun that he sang karaoke at the
top of his lungs for the first time in his life. And then she had dared to ask him if he wanted her
over her shoulder. The challenge in her eyes made his mind race with possibilities. It took
everything he had not to grab her hand and show her just how much.

In the back of the car, Han Ji-pyeong felt dizzy with wanting her. And as much as was unspoken
between them, he was positive that she felt it too. He had desperately tried to seize that glimmer of
hope with both hands — to tell her that he would be happy with whatever she could give him. Their
conversation maddeningly felt like shadowboxing. Yet her uncertainty had taught Han Ji-pyeong to
hope as he had not in days.

He sank into the depths of the pillow and sighed.

So what do I do now?

His mind roiled as blood violently coursed to his temples. Han Ji-pyeong felt an overwhelming
urgency to seize this chance. But he was also worried that it would prove ephemeral in the sober
light of day.

Suddenly there was a buzz against his thigh. Han Ji-pyeong realized quickly that his cell phone
was still in his pocket from last night.

Please don’t let that be Yoon Seon-hak. I just can’t deal right now.

He fumbled for it and squinted at the screen.

646-334-7189

“That’s a New York number….”

A bolt of urgency tore through him. He shot up again and stared at the number. Then he cleared
his throat and answered it.

“Hello?”

He grimaced at how hoarse he sounded.

“Ji-pyeong? Hi, it’s Mi-rae.”

His mouth dropped open. Then Han Ji-pyeong tore the duvet away and stood up so quickly that he
staggered. He put a hand out to balance and took a deep breath away from the phone.

“Hi!”
He flinched at how eager he sounded.

Calm down.

Han Ji-pyeong started pacing.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m calling you on a Sunday…” He felt a tingle of excitement. “Your number
is in our system so I …”

He stopped as soon as Mi-rae trailed off. Then Han Ji-pyeong felt himself fighting a smile as he
heard the same nervousness in her voice that he too was feeling. His hand went to his hip and his
legs felt steadier.

“Of course it’s okay. I’m happy to hear from you.”

He tilted his head waiting for her to respond.

“Um, have you eaten?”

His eyes closed as his fist shot up in the air. Then Han Ji-pyeong quickly yanked it down as if Kim
Mi-rae could see him.

“No, I haven’t. Would you like to meet up?”

His teeth sank into his lower lip.

“I was hoping that you would say that. Can I meet you outside your hotel in an hour?”

I was hoping that you would say that!

Han Ji-pyeong’s hand flew to the back of his head as he looked around the room wondering if this
was actually happening.

“Yes, absolutely.”

He held his breath.

“Okay then I’ll see you at noon.”

It’s 11 am?

“Great.”

He paused, not sure if he should hang up first. There was silence on the other end.

“Um, okay… well… I’ll see you soon. So um …bye?”

His hand flew to his mouth to quell the sound that he was about to make because of how adorably
awkward she was being. This woman had eviscerated every question he had ever asked her about
American corporate law. Now Kim Mi-rae sounded like he felt on the inside.

“Okay, see you then.”

Han Ji-pyeong dropped the phone onto the bed as if it had the power to take it all back if he held
onto it for one second longer.

Oh my god.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins. He started to tear off the jersey and then stopped. Instead,
Han Ji-pyeong carefully slid each arm out, folded it, and placed it reverently on to the desk.
She called me the very next day.

His hand flew up to the doorframe of the bathroom to brace himself. The idea that she had actually
picked up the phone to ask to see him not even twelve hours later was the kind of emotional
earthquake he had never experienced before.

Han Ji-pyeong’s whole body leaned in giddy disbelief as he covered his mouth with his hands.
Then he turned towards the bathroom and recoiled at what he saw in the mirror. His hair was a
mess. His black shirt was untucked. His white linen pants were wrinkled beyond recognition and
had a beer stain on one leg.

“I have to get my shit together.”

He drank four glasses of water in quick succession. Then just as he was about to undress, Han Ji-
pyeong remembered the scorecards he had slipped into his pocket last night. His fingers reached
for them until they hit the seam.

Oh no. I must have lost them.

His shoulders sank in disappointment. Han Ji-pyeong had hoped to keep that piece of a perfect
night. He sighed and then peeled everything off with the desperate hope that a hot shower would
prove miraculously restorative.

By the time he was facing his closet after thirty minutes of trying to hydrate his hungover body by
osmosis, Han Ji-pyeong faced the daunting prospect of what to wear. His tongue clucked against
the roof of his mouth as he considered this confounding sartorial dilemma.

It’s a Sunday in the middle of the day. I don’t know where we’re going. And I have to look as good
as possible.

He shook his head at the row of jackets.

Nope, trying too hard.

His fingers trailed along the array of trousers until they lingered on a pair of powder blue linen
pants.

Yes, those. But with what?

He tried to picture himself standing in front of her in a T-shirt and shivered at its failure to live up
to the moment.

Absolutely not.

Then a tease of pink beckoned to him. Han Ji-pyeong’s fingers grasped the fabric and pulled it out
for closer inspection. He squinted at the pale pink button down, unsure.

It’s the opposite of work. That’s a good thing.

He liked the idea of encouraging Kim Mi-rae to continue seeing him beyond the office.

How about with the sleeves rolled up?

Han Ji-peeing nodded slowly as he imagined greeting Kim Mi-rae downstairs.

“Young-shil, what time is it?”

“It is currently 11:45 am.”

His head jerked in a panic. Then he got dressed and scrambled over to the mirror. He took stock of
himself.

Well I guess I could look worse for being this hungover.

But then a bubbling feeling percolated in his chest and he could not help but grin. Han Ji-pyeong
had spent every morning this week steeling himself to keep a lid on everything that he was feeling.
Now Kim Mi-rae was on her way over and there was no reason for it other than she wanted to see
him . It felt like a twist of fate that usually happened to someone else.

“Do not hesitate this time.”

He nodded at himself and clasped his watch. And then Han Ji-pyeong strode out of the room.

*****

There she is.

Han Ji-pyeong stopped a few feet from the glass doors to the street.

She is waiting for me.

It was obvious. And yet it felt impossible. Han Ji-pyeong allowed himself to just look for a
moment.

Kim Mi-rae was standing with her feet pointing out like an expectant ballerina. She was holding
two cups of coffee and a large canvas bag was hanging off of her shoulder. The bright sunlight of
midday illuminated the pristine white of her sundress. Its gentle curves were so different from the
sharp angles of her suits or the playfulness of last night’s jersey that he cocked his head in wonder.
He watched the breeze play with her long billowing skirt as she watched the revolving door. Han
Ji-pyeong swallowed slowly as he realized that she must have put on that dress for him.

Kim Mi-rae bit her lip and then looked down at the sidewalk. Han Ji-pyeong felt a strange pang in
his chest. She seemed somehow softer now. He suddenly wanted to rush out to her. He straightened
his collar and then took a deep breath. In a moment, Han Ji-pyeong was through the revolving door
and in front of her.

Kim Mi-rae’s eyes widened and then her lips folded in on one another as she suddenly turned her
head to the side. An amused puff of air escaped her lips.

“What?”

Her mouth quirked as she met his gaze.

“Nothing … I just…I just thought you’d be as hungover as me, that’s all.”

He felt himself instantly smiling at her.

“I am! My head is killing me!”

She nodded slowly.

“Mmhmm.”

Her tone dripped with skepticism. Then Kim Mi-rae’s eyes dropped lower for a moment before her
head tilted coyly.

“I like your shirt.”

He felt a thrill course through him.

“Well.” Han Ji-pyeong slipped his hands into the steadying safety of his pockets and took a step
closer. “I like your dress.”

She bobbed up on her feet for a split second.

“Thank you.”

Han Ji-pyeong could not stop himself from grinning at her until Kim Mi-rae finally looked away
with a smile also on her red lips. It felt different between them. The sun was shining brightly. They
were painfully sober. And he was almost vibrating with a deliciously nervous energy. Han Ji-
pyeong could not force his lips to do anything else.

Then Kim Mi-rae’s arm shot out straight in front of her and offered him a coffee.

“Latte, two percent milk, no sugar.”

He blinked rapidly at her precision.

“Thank you. You have a good memory.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I pay attention too.”

A tingle went down his spine as she recalled what he had said last night. Kim Mi-rae was not
running from it.

“So where are we going?”

Kim Mi-rae bobbed her head to the left.

“This way.”

“What’s in the bag?”

“You’ll see.”

Her eyes were twinkling with a hint of mischief that excited him. Han Ji-pyeong took his place
walking beside her once again.

Don’t hesitate.

“I’m really glad that you called.”

Kim Mi-rae immediately looked up at him. He marveled at how happy those few words seemed to
make her.

“I am too.” Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment and then she slowly looked back ahead. “If
you felt anything like I did this morning ….well I couldn’t stand the idea of you alone in your hotel
room feeling so bad.”

Han Ji-pyeong took a sip of coffee rather than allow a high pitched noise of delight to escape from
his lips.

When they reached Fifth Avenue, Kim Mi-rae stood at the corner as if she planned to continue
walking straight ahead. Han Ji-pyeong stared at the vibrant green of Central Park.

“Are we going to the park?”

She turned and faced him.

“The other day you said you liked the park.”

She really does pay attention.

He nodded.
“Do you know that I’ve lived in New York City for seventeen years and I have never just gone to
Central Park on the weekend? I run through it all the time but I never just …go there.”

Han Ji-pyeong thought of all the parks in Seoul that he never went to. There was always work to
do. And wandering around such places usually just made him feel more alone. He stayed silent and
waited for her to keep talking.

“Do you want to eat first before we get to where we are going?”

He stepped closer to her intrigued.

“Where are we going?”

Kim Mi-rae fought a smile.

“I think we should eat first.”

“That’s not an answer.”

A bubble of laughter escaped her lips. Han Ji-pyeong decided that it was now his favorite sound in
the world.

“Well this is one question you’re just going to have to live with me not answering yet.”

She raised an eyebrow at him playfully. Then the walk sign illuminated and she began briskly
crossing the street. Han Ji-pyeong tossed his now empty coffee cup away and hurried to follow
her.

As soon as they reached the park, Han Ji-pyeong let out a deep breath. It was cooler in its leafy
shade. He could not believe the turn of events since the last time he had stalked its paths in
frustration. Now Kim Mi-rae was walking next to him.

“Right up here we’ll stop, ok?” She reached into the depths of her large bag and pulled out a bottle
of water, a sports drink, and a coconut water. “Sam swears by coconut water for a hangover but I
wasn’t sure what you’d like.”

Han Ji-pyeong stopped and looked at her in amazement.

“You’re taking very good care of me, Kim Mi-rae.”

He did not care if it sounded too direct. It was true.

Kim Mi-rae tried not to smile. Then she held up the options expectantly.

“It’s important to hydrate.”

“I’ll try the coconut water, thank you. How is Sam by the way?”

She continued leading him as she answered.

“I haven’t heard from him this morning. I don’t know if he’s talked with Max yet or not.”

“I hope it goes well.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Me too.”

They soon came upon a small pond. There were model sailboats skimming along its placid surface
like tiny intrepid explorers. Kim Mi-rae pointed to a patch of shade under a willow tree.

“How about we sit over there?”

“Sure, lead the way.”

Han Ji-pyeong looked around at the verdant expanse dappled with sunlight. The light was dancing
on the surface of the water as it reflected the trees surrounding them. It was as if sky and water
were caught in an endless conversation. A couple was walking around the pond hand in hand.
Another was laying on beach towels reading with their legs lazily swinging in the air.

Kim Mi-rae claimed the shadiest spot and set her bag down. Then she pulled out a blanket. A
warm tingling sensation made its way up his neck as a realization dawned on him.

This is a date. She planned a date.

He shook his head to focus and then strode over to help. Han Ji-pyeong grabbed two corners and
together they spread it across the grass. Kim Mi-rae slipped off her sandals and sat down. Then she
shielded her eyes as she looked up at him.

“You don’t mind picnics do you?”

Han Ji-pyeong wanted to laugh out loud at her uncertainty.

Not when you have planned one for me.

He took off his loafers and sat down across from her.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been on one. So this is exciting.”

She leaned forward like she was confessing a secret.

“Me neither.”

Han Ji-pyeong crossed his legs and felt himself grinning again. Kim Mi-rae was now bubbling
over with excitement and her hands began flying in the air as she talked.
“Okay. First I was going to bring you hangover soup because I thought maybe you’d be craving it.
But then I thought it might be too much of a hassle here.”

She was so impossibly adorable that he bit his lip to keep from saying so out loud.

“So I decided on classic New York instead. So…”

Han Ji-pyeong watched as she began unpacking her bag. She laid out two plastic plates, utensils, a
large knife, and napkins. A container filled with watermelon was next. Then a small white box was
placed beside it. Finally, Kim Mi-rae unpacked several items wrapped in silver foil and laid them
out in a straight line. Then she straightened her shoulders and assumed the air of a teacher
beginning a lesson.

“This is a plain bagel toasted with cream cheese. And that is a breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg,
and cheese. The last one is lox, cream cheese, and capers. They’re from Ess-a-Bagel which are the
best bagels in the city.” She raised a finger in warning. “If anyone tells you otherwise they’re not to
be trusted.”

He chuckled and nodded. Then she pointed to the white box.

“And finally these are donuts from Sullivan Street Bakery because one of life’s greatest dilemmas
is savory or sweet for brunch and I refuse to choose. Oh and the watermelon is just there to seem
healthier but whatever.”

She let out a breath and then folded her hands in her lap. Han Ji-pyeong just looked at her.

“How did you do all of this in an hour?”

Kim Mi-rae shrugged her shoulders mysteriously.

“I am very resourceful.”
You’re amazing.

His throat tightened at the effort she had gone to for him.

“Well it’s incredible. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She smiled at him and they just stared at one another for a moment. Then Kim Mi-rae’s eyes darted
down to her lap. Han Ji-pyeong tented his fingers as he surveyed his options.

“I can’t decide. I want to try it all!”

Kim Mi-rae laughed and started unfolding each package.

“Well that’s why I brought a knife!”

As they ate, Kim Mi-rae answered all of his food related questions with as much rigor as she did
everything else. They talked and laughed as the boats sailed back and forth aimlessly; gliding along
without ever reaching a destination. Han Ji-pyeong felt as if his existence was divided into two
opposing truths. Being with her and talking about mundane things felt normal, as if they had shared
many meals like this before.

And yet he was also aware of how singularly extraordinary this all was. Han Ji-pyeong had never
sat in a park on a Sunday with anyone — let alone someone who made him feel like this. The only
person who ever brought him food and actually shared it with him since his parents died was
Grandmother. Yet this beautiful, brilliant woman had planned all of this for him. And she was
looking at him like there was nothing else that she would rather be doing. Han Ji-pyeong did not
want to think about whether this was all that she was offering. Or whether they should be doing it
all. He just wanted to stay within the four corners of this blanket with her forever.

When they had finished, Kim Mi-rae turned to face the pond. She stretched her legs out in front of
her and leaned back on her arms. Han Ji-pyeong did the same. They were quiet for a while as they
watched the sailboats. A father sat down with a child on the edge of the pond and guided one over.
He began pointing out details to his daughter even as she wiggled with impatience to play with it.
A puff of amusement escaped Kim Mi-rae’s lips.
“She just wants to play and he’s trying to turn this into a nautical lesson.”

Kim Mi-rae pulled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms around them. Han Ji-pyeong
watched her as she watched them. His eyes traced the bold line of her nose and then the delicate
turn of her jaw. There was so much about her face that hinted at the complexities within her; all
that was strong and all that was vulnerable. Then the breeze began playing with her hair. He envied
how it could just touch her whenever it wanted.

She let out a deep sigh. Her grief was sometimes so palpable. Han Ji-pyeong turned his body to
face her.

“Whenever I see children with their parents I don’t even know what to miss. It’s more like I just
want whatever they have. Like filling in the blank.’”

She looked at him, surprised. Then Kim Mi-rae shook her head slowly.

“I swear sometimes you can read my mind.”

He lowered his head at her.

“Believe me, I wish that I could.”

The reply came out before his brain could stop it.

Her red mouth formed a small “o.” Kim Mi-rae’s arms slipped down to the ground. Then she
narrowed her eyes to challenge him right back.

“So ask me what I’m thinking about right now.”

His stomach flipped. Then the breeze grew bolder. Han Ji-pyeong swallowed and decided to follow
its lead. He raised his index finger and gently guided a lock of her hair back into place. It felt like
silk against his skin.
Kim Mi-rae did not move. Rather she looked at him as if she was mesmerized.

“What are you thinking about?”

Her eyes searched his face. He knew that her answer would be the truth.

“You.”

Han Ji-pyeong felt all the air leave his lungs at once. It was the answer that he wanted. And the
fact that she was saying it out loud to him in the middle of the day was staggering. He clamored to
meet her in this new place of honesty.

“I am always thinking about you.”

Kim Mi-rae’s brown eyes widened. He leaned in a little bit closer. The smell of her perfume filled
his head. Jasmine beckoned to him to close the space between them. Then a group of teenagers
walked by loudly joking with one another. One of them motioned for the others to head over to the
area next to where they were sitting.

He wanted to throw something. Han Ji-pyeong’s fingers curled into the grass in annoyance.

“I hate teenagers.”

“More than ambulances?”

His mouth dropped open in shock. Then Kim Mi-rae laughed out loud. She tried waving her hands
in apology as laughter shook her shoulders.

“I’m sorry it’s just ….”

She gasped for air as he chuckled at the truth of her joke. After a few moments, Kim Mi-rae finally
caught her breath and sighed wistfully.

“Maybe it’s the universe reminding us that we shouldn’t.”

Shouldn’t what Mi-rae?

Rather than feel discouraged, Han Ji-pyeong felt an exhilarating surge of victory at her admission.
He raised an eyebrow at her provocatively.

“I don’t think that the universe is telling us that at all.”

Han Ji-pyeong thrilled at how she blushed. He was done holding back.

“Somehow, you’re even prettier when you blush Kim Mi-rae.”

Her hands flew to her face. Then she stood up quickly.

“Han Ji-pyeong.”

Kim Mi-rae was enchantingly flustered. He took his time answering because he was enjoying it so
much. Han Ji-pyeong leaned back further and looked up at her. Then he tilted his head.

“Yes?”

Her mouth quirked and she looked away for a moment. Then her hands flew to her hips.

“I have somewhere to take you, remember? Get up.”

It was delightful to be scolded when she was the one doing it. He put his shoes back on and did as
she commanded. Then Han Ji-pyeong folded the blanket carefully as she stubbornly focused on
rearranging the contents of her bag.
“Here let me carry it.”

He ruefully frowned in silent apology for embarrassing her. Kim Mi-rae tried not to smile as she
handed him the bag.

“Ok, we are headed this way.”

Kim Mi-rae kept them walking for about ten minutes at a steady clip. He had no idea where they
were going but Han Ji-pyeong was walking on air all the way there.

She said that she was thinking about me out loud. She joked about how we almost kissed.

His tongue lodged into the side of his mouth as she caught him smiling at her.

“I’m sorry to be marching you there but I just want to make sure that we have enough time. And I
unfortunately have those calls later with counsel for Minerva.”

Her brow furrowed as if she regretted mentioning work. Han Ji-pyeong felt a flash of warning that
while her feelings were becoming more transparent, their situation remained daunting. He needed
to ground her back in this moment with him.

“I’m enjoying the walk. I feel so much better and it’s beautiful out. Now can you give me a hint
about where we’re headed?”

“Nope!” She was cheerfully adamant. “But you’re about to find out for yourself.”

Kim Mi-rae pointed.

Just ahead of them was a series of red brick arches and a clock tower. Bronze animals were playing
instruments in a circle around the tower. Han Ji-pyeong squinted until he could make out the
gilded letters just below. Then he said it out loud slowly.
“Central Park Zoo.” He did a double take. “You’re taking me to the zoo? But you hate the zoo!”

“And you used to hate baseball games.” She shrugged. “ You love the zoo. I bet you didn’t know
that there was one right here.”

Han Ji-pyeong stared at her in surprise. In just seven days she already knew him better than anyone
left on this earth.

Kim Mi-rae took a step towards him. Her eyes were soft now and her voice was quiet.

“It was your birthday two weeks ago. The first one without her, right?”

She could read his mind too. He nodded silently.

“I remember how hard my birthday was after my dad died. So even though it’s a little late, I wanted
to take you somewhere that you love for your birthday.”

His mouth opened but no sound came out. The beautiful dress. The elaborate picnic. The
mysterious destination. She had known without him ever saying so that the seventh of May had
been one of the loneliest days of his life. And then she woke up the next day and planned this all
for him. A woman who lived across the world had already done more for him than anyone back
home.

Han Ji-pyeong’s chest began to ache so profoundly that he felt tears prick behind his eyes.

And in that moment he knew.

This is love.

He looked away as he tried to battle the tears that were threatening. Then he felt her fingers gently
graze his arm.

“Are you okay?”

Han Ji-pyeong looked down at her hand and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He could not
yet look at her for fear of breaking open entirely.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go. Maybe this was …”

“No, I want to.” Han Ji-pyeong said it fiercely. Then he cleared his throat as he regained command
of himself. He looked up at the sky before meeting her gaze again.

“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

Kim Mi-rae’s warm smile felt like a caress. She squeezed his arm before letting go.

“What do you want to see first?”

“Bears.”

The answer was so immediate that she laughed. Han Ji-pyeong smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the
back of his neck. His emotions were careening from one extreme to another. Kim Mi-rae could
shatter his heart and put it back together in an instant.

As they walked through the zoo, the space between them was ever narrowing. Kim Mi-rae offered
those inches to him freely. Their arms brushed against one another while sitting on the bench
watching the sea lions. She leaned into his chest as she laughed at the antics of the red pandas. Her
hand brushed his as she peered into the snow leopard habitat hoping for a glimpse. But despite her
best intentions, Han Ji-pyeong spent more time looking at her than the animals.

“Finally, bears!”

She patted him on the back as they stood side by side in front of the grizzly bear exhibit. Han Ji-
pyeong’s eyes ticked over at her as her hand lingered on his back for a moment. But then Kim Mi-
rae let her hand drop. She began to read the explanation that the bears had been removed from the
wild after dangerous interactions with humans.
“Well that doesn’t seem fair.” Han Ji-pyeong huffed in annoyance. “People messed up and they
had to pay the price?”

Kim Mi-rae was quiet.

“That’s how life usually works.”

There was something about the way that she said it that made him uneasy. Han Ji-pyeong turned to
look at her.

“Is that how life has worked for you?”

She sighed and then sat on a bench. Han Ji-pyeong took a seat next to her.

“In some ways. My father ran a bunch of small businesses that always, one way or another, failed.
Here or in Korea, it was always the same. The last one...”

Kim Mi-rae smoothed her hair and took a deep breath. A gnawing worry clawed inside Han Ji-
pyeong’s chest.

“He started dating this woman. I never even met her. But she convinced him to open a salon for
her. She ended up stealing everything in his bank account and disappearing. My father took his
own life because of the shame.”

Han Ji-pyeong fell back against the bench in shock. Kim Mi-rae shook her head sadly.

“Unreal right? His daughter is some hot shot corporate lawyer and can’t even help her own father
when someone steals from him.”

“You can’t possibly blame yourself.”

Kim Mi-rae turned her head defiantly towards him.

“I blame myself for not seeing him more. Maybe I would have known that he was in such a terrible
place. And I feel a little angry. I never had a mother. Now I don’t have a father because he made
that choice. I could have helped him if he had just asked.”

Han Ji-pyeong did not know what to say. It was unfathomable. Kim Mi-rae looked down at her
hands which were twisting anxiously in her lap. Then she looked ahead as she continued talking.

“The last time I was at that karaoke bar was the day my divorce became final. Sam had to pick me
up off the floor because I was such a mess. My husband was also at the firm and had an affair with
an associate. For a while I thought that I would have to start over. I did not make partner the first
time I was up.”

She let out an exasperated sigh.

“I billed 3000 hours every year for years. And they voted “no.” If Chris had not had my back by
threatening to leave I never would have scraped by the second time.”

Han Ji-pyeong clenched his fist in anger.

They all let her down. And she paid the price.

Kim Mi-rae sniffed and looked at him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest at how her eyes were
shining with emotion.

“Unfortunately my career is the only thing I can count on.”

He bristled at that.

I won’t let you down.

He stopped himself from saying it. Han Ji-pyeong understood disappointment better than most. He
feared that it would sound merely like a cheap assurance. He would have to show her instead.
“I am so sorry. You did not deserve any of that.”

Kim Mi-rae was about to reply when an announcement was made over the loudspeaker that the zoo
would be closing in ten minutes at 5:30. She smiled sadly and stood.

“I wish we had more time here.”

Han Ji-pyeong stood up. He suddenly felt frantic that there was so much more to say.

“Can we keep walking?”

Kim Mi-rae nodded solemnly. They walked out of the zoo and for a time wandered Central Park in
silence. Han Ji-pyeong processed her bitter experiences with people mixing the personal with the
professional. Her life up until this point was a flag of caution about everything that was at stake
now. And yet she still chose to be with him today. Maybe Kim Mi-rae shared how the men in her
life had let her down so that he would fully understand what he was asking of her. Or perhaps it
was a test to see if he would blink first. But rather than scare him, her stories only made him more
certain. Han Ji-pyeong was not either of those men. He wanted more than anything to show her
that. And he wished once again that he could know what she was thinking.

They were both so lost in thought that they wandered off of the main path and came upon a
seemingly endless pergola. It was draped in lush wisteria; masses of purple teardrop flowers hung
from the ceiling. The space all around them was bursting with riotous green.

“Oh! I’ve never been here before.” Kim Mi-rae looked up at the flowers hanging above them in
awe. “It’s like a passageway to a secret world.”

Han Ji-pyeong felt like they were on the precipice of something — suspended in a moment that
would always be defined by the before and the after.

“Well let’s see where it leads.”

He watched Kim Mi-rae’s hand trailing along the railing as she walked ahead. Her fingers deftly
avoided the leafy tendrils winding their way among the iron work. The wisteria was lovely but also
wild — as if it was only a matter of time before it subsumed the structure built to support it. Han Ji-
pyeong felt an overwhelming certainty that he could not let Kim Mi-rae reach the other side of this
strangely beautiful place without telling her how he felt. He followed her inside, determined.

But then she stopped walking. The thick growth above them cast shadows on her white dress. The
eerie quiet was unnerving. He stared at the back of her head as Kim Mi-rae just stood there in
silence. Her black hair cut a sharp swath across her neck.

My career is the only thing I can count on.

Han Ji-pyeong swallowed nervously. He did not know whether to feel anticipation or dread.

What if she is about to end this once and for all?

Kim Mi-rae took a few more tentative steps and then turned around. She looked pale. Her mouth
was a draw tightly into a straight line. Han Ji-pyeong's stomach dropped.

“Last night you told Sam to be honest and have a clear head when talking about something
important.”

He felt like he was jumping off a cliff without a parachute

“Well, this is important.” She took a breath. “Last night was one of the best nights of my life.
Because I was with you.”

His heart clenched. If that was true for both of them then it had to mean something.

“But I — I don’t know what I am doing.”

Her voice broke and then she looked away. Han Ji-pyeong wanted to go to her but his feet stayed
rooted firmly in place. When Kim Mi-rae met his gaze again she looked like she was about to cry

“I think about you all the time too.” She shook her head as she fought tears. “Ji-pyeong, I like you
so much that it scares me.”

Kim Mi-rae whispered that word. Like. But to his ears, it sounded like love. And then Han Ji-
pyeong felt a new kind of courage.

“Mi-rae, I like you that much too.” He forced himself to use the same word that she did. “But for
the first time in my life I’m not scared.”

Then he clenched his jaw and stepped towards her.

“I tried to respect the line that you drew. The last thing I want is to make your life difficult. But this
…”

He took another step forward.

“This.”

He could not let her slip away this time.

“It’s not going to go away. At least not for me.”

Kim Mi-rae bit her lip and tilted her head like she was pleading with him.

“It’s not going away for me either.” Her voice was now shaking. “And I don’t want it to. I am so
happy when I am with you.”

She is saying yes.

It was the biggest miracle of his life. And he did not want to wait any longer to seize it.

Han Ji-pyeong took another step. Her eyes widened but she held her ground.
“But everything else … it’s all so complicated.”

He absorbed her doubt and offered what he could.

“We will figure it out together.”

He took a final step. Kim Mi-rae looked down at his feet but still did not move. Then she looked
back up at him.

“And I live here and you live in Seoul.”

“Yes. That is true.”

Han Ji-pyeong patiently waited for her to say whatever else she needed to before he claimed the
remaining space between them.

“And we only met a week ago. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Then why does it feel like it makes sense?”

It was finally a question to which Kim Mi-rae did not have an answer.

Now Han Ji-pyeong was just a few inches from the lips that he had wanted to kiss since the
moment he laid eyes on her. Those lips that challenged him; that spoke truths like no one else; that
made his heart feel like it was going to burst every time she smiled.

It was inevitable now. He was going to kiss her. And he knew that as soon as he did, nothing would
ever be the same.

Han Ji-pyeong lifted his hand to touch her face. His fingers trembled as they traced the shape of
her. Kim Mi-rae reached up and steadied his hand with her own. Then she turned her face into his
touch. And closed her eyes.

Han Ji-pyeong gathered her into his hands like she was the most precious thing in the world. And
then he softly pressed his lips to hers.

It was a kiss that felt like a promise.

He promised that he would never leave. And she promised to be brave. And they promised each
other that they would find a way.

Her hands tentatively slipped up his chest as she opened her lips to him. He tenderly claimed all
that she offered as their kiss deepened. Han Ji-pyeong felt as if he was floating above himself as
their lips found a rhythm together.

Soon they were chasing whatever space was left between them. Her hands were pulling him closer
by his shirt. And he was moving her backwards against a column. She wound her arms around his
neck. As he sank into her kiss, the softness of her gave way against him.

She made a small sound that confessed how much she had wanted this. It was like striking a match
against a fuse.

In an instant her hands were buried in his hair as he grasped her by the waist. His fingers curled
into the soft fabric until he reached the curves of her. Then Han Ji-pyeong made bold demands
with his lips as if to declare that she was his. She answered him by seizing his hips and pulling him
against her. He now belonged to her too.

She made him feel mad with want. Han Ji-pyeong gasped and broke away. One hand gripped the
column. He held up his other hand as if to caution himself.

She stared up at him as she tried to catch her breath. Her mouth was wet and swollen from kissing
him. The mark of possession thrilled him.

“Mi-rae…”

Han Ji-pyeong felt dizzying waves of love and desire. He could not decide whether to tell her that
he loved her right then or kiss her until this pull between them consumed everything.

Kim Mi-rae’s hands reached up to cup his face. Once again, she steadied him. She was looking at
him with such wonder that Han Ji-pyeong knew he would always endeavor to deserve it.

He leaned his forehead against hers as she stroked his cheek. A shuddering breath escaped from
her lips. And even though Kim Mi-rae had not used the word, Han Ji-pyeong finally knew what it
was to be loved.

He sighed into her mouth as he kissed her all over again.

 Chapter Eight

“Six weeks ago, South Korean-based SH Venture Capital surprised the biotech industry with their
winning bid to acquire New York biotech startup GenOne. Then they announced a second
acquisition of German genetic testing innovator Minerva. The proposed merger will put SH
Venture Capital on the cutting edge of genetic research with the means to target consumers directly
for specific therapies. This morning I’m joined by Ji-pyeong Han, Vice President of SH Venture
Capital. Mr. Han, thank you for joining us.”

Ji-pyeong nodded his head and smiled.

“Thank you for having me.”

“Your reputation for foresight precedes you, Mr. Han. The New York Times and Wall Street
Journal ran pieces this week highlighting the ways in which this merger could revolutionize the
genetic therapies market. What will a combined GenOne and Minerva look like a year from now?”

He leaned forward as if the host had just asked the most interesting question in the world.

“How did you know that is exactly what I was hoping to talk about, Ms. Foster?”

Ji-pyeong flashed a bright smile revealing his dimples across ten television monitors all at once.
Mi-rae almost spit out her coffee.

Those dimples are going to be the death of me.

Chris leaned over.

“You okay?”

She nodded, choking back a cough.

Then Chris folded his arms and nodded at the soundstage.

“Thirty seconds in and he already has her eating out of his hand.”

You have no idea.

Mi-rae bit the side of her mouth at the way the host was looking at Ji-pyeong. Not that she could
blame her. Ji-pyeong was wearing a cobalt blue suit with a white shirt and black tie. His hair was
swept back so precisely that it made her stomach flip to think she had actually run her fingers
through it. A white pocket square with black piping was peeking flirtatiously from the corner of
the monitor screen.

The tailoring was exquisite. And so was he. Mi-rae leaned to the left to look at him beyond the
monitors and cameras.

He is probably the most attractive guest to ever grace CNBC’s Squawk on the Street. How is that
poor host even concentrating?

Because Mi-rae was having trouble concentrating. As Ji-pyeong answered the question exactly as
they had rehearsed, her eyes remained resolutely on his face. But Mi-rae’s mind was wandering far
beyond.

I can’t believe that man is …my boyfriend?

She cocked her head questioningly. The word sounded alien. It was both an absurd proposition and
yet woefully insufficient to capture Han Ji-pyeong. Mi-rae was watching the vice president of her
client give a live interview on national television about a merger at the center of a media whirlwind
for the last four days.

He was also the man that she was head over heels in love with.

Mi-rae had joked that the pergola looked like a passageway to a different world. Her words had
proven prescient. She was thirty five years old. Mi-rae had believed herself to be in love before.
Indeed, she had been married for five years. But nothing had ever felt like this. Kim Mi-rae had
been living her life in black and white. Now the world was bursting in technicolor.

If she was honest with herself, Mi-rae knew that she was crossing a point of no return the moment
she woke up on Sunday morning. But she could not help it. As elusive as happiness had proven in
her life, Mi-rae’s heart was not so scarred that she could bear turning away from it. And so she had
made yet another pact with herself. She could do the things that she wanted to for Han Ji-pyeong.
She was allowed to spend time with him. She could just be with him. None of that was prohibited
under any code of ethics. Even if she knew that she was falling in love with him.

Ji-pyeong had once claimed no one cared about him. By the end of Saturday night, Kim Mi-rae
knew that was no longer true. She did. On Sunday morning, Mi-rae could not stop thinking about
how his mouth had drawn into a sad straight line when asked about his birthday. Or how he was
probably alone in a hotel room wondering why her actions did not match her words. Her heart
could not bear false witness even if she did not yet know how to confess it. It was not a plan so
much as allowing herself to walk down a path unsure of where it would lead.

It led to that place — the place bursting with green, purple, and the truth. Ji-pyeong stood there
like the eye in a hurricane of their own making and told her that he felt the same. That he would be
there no matter what. He patiently listened to every doubt. He offered only his heart without glib
answers. And the scars on her own had yielded. She believed him. Suddenly the problem was
turned on its head: how could she walk away from such a man who felt as she did and call that the
“right” choice?

Mi-rae closed her eyes as his voice filled the soundstage. She was back there. With him. His lips
on her lips, his hands on her body. She had lost herself in his arms and he had surrendered to her in
return. Mi-rae opened her eyes and stared at his lush lips as they formed words that now sounded
very far away. She began to imagine what else they were capable of. Then her eyes immediately
sought refuge in her suede heels.

When Mi-rae had emerged from the other side of that place, she felt like the opposite of being
reckless. Ji-pyeong held her hand firmly and immediately began managing risk with a fierce focus
on optics and her professional reputation. Together they set the parameters of how they would
comport themselves in public and in communications over the next several weeks until the deal
was closed. As she listened to him leave no detail to chance, Mi-rae felt a strange sense of calm.
Despite the frenzied promise of what they could be together a few moments before, Ji-pyeong did
not ask her back to his hotel. Instead, he squeezed her hand and hailed a cab so that she could
attend her scheduled calls. He was a man behaving as if this was all for a future that needed to be
protected. Mi-rae loved him all the more for it.

And then Monday happened.

The CEO of GenOne, Erskin Dusk, went on a characteristic attention seeking tirade on Twitter
complaining that Minerva and SH Venture Capital were dragging their feet on their due diligence.
He publicly demanded a truncated time table to closure. That in turn set off a social media debate
about the revolutionary potential of the two companies combining forces. Everyone from casual
observers to industry experts debated the ethics of direct marketing based on previous genetic
testing. By Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times ran stories on the merger
featuring Han Ji-pyeong as the charismatic focal point. The narrative of an orphan turned visionary
investor proved an enticingly easier angle than actually digging into the intricacies of a complex
merger and acquisition. The deal team had barely gotten three hours of sleep a night ever since.

It left little time for Mi-rae and Ji-pyeong to explore what they now were since Sunday. Instead,
they had spent the week side by side managing the public strategic maneuvering of the merger
while trying to keep their internal due diligence on track. Mi-rae was grateful to have such a
partner by her side. Ji-pyeong was as steady and deliberate in a professional crisis as he was at the
park. Even if she did now have to manage being in the same room with him knowing that he could
kiss like that.

Chris nudged her arm.

“That was a good answer don’t you think? Although I’m sure it’s going to drive Dusk crazy. I’m
really starting to hate that guy.”

Mi-rae blinked rapidly and forced herself to focus.

“Yeah I really don’t like how he operates. It’s making counsel for Minerva very nervous and I
don’t blame them.”

“He’s a showboat. That company will be better off when he’s no longer in charge.”

Chris frowned and turned back to the monitor. Ji-pyeong was leaning back in his chair to prepare
himself for a final question.

“Mr. Han, how do you respond to critics who question the ethics of leveraging genetic testing data
for marketing new therapies to consumers?”

Ji-pyeong nodded slightly as he considered the question.

“I think it’s a very important question to ask. And one we should always keep asking. And that’s
why SH Venture Capital will establish an independent review board comprised of medical and
legal experts that reports directly to shareholders to do exactly that. But let me tell you why this
merger is so important.”

He leaned forward and lowered his head. Mi-rae felt herself sway towards the monitor.

“I lost someone who was like a grandmother to me recently. She spent the last years of her life in
darkness because of a degenerative eye condition. There was nothing that could have been done for
her. But someday, there will be.”

Ji-pyeong paused for a moment.

“Around the world, people do not always have the resources to seek out help. There was a time
when I knew that better than most. The genetic therapies market is constantly evolving— it is the
future of medicine. Wouldn’t it be incredible if a company could do the work of finding the people
that those advances can help? That is what is motivating SH Venture Capital in bringing GenOne
and Minerva together. It’s not only smart strategically. It’s going to help a lot of people find the
care that they need.”

Mi-rae felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was not the answer that they had prepared. Loss lay just
beneath the surface of everything that Ji-pyeong did.

Chris let out a breath as the host thanked Ji-pyeong and began transitioning to a commercial break.

“Nailed it. God he’s good. I don’t know why everyone made him sound like such a pain in the ass.
Why can’t all of our clients be this easy?”

“Mmhmm.”

Mi-rae leaned past the monitor again. Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked over to her as he stood up. He
immediately looked down, a small smile playing on his lips. It sent a tingle of excitement down her
spine. Every time he looked at her like that she now knew that he felt everything that she did. And
it made her so happy that Mi-rae felt giddy in the middle of this blackened television studio.

Ji-pyeong straightened his tie as he walked over them. She forced herself not to bounce on her heels
as he approached.

“How did it go?”

He smiled slyly. She narrowed her eyes.

“You already know that it went very well.”

He smirked and turned to Chris.

“Great job. Hey.” Chris touched Ji-pyeong’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Ji-pyeong nodded his head silently.

“So, I’m going to head out to Long Island now and make sure everything’s ready before everyone
arrives. Mi-rae, Sam emailed to say he’s going to stay the night in Fire Island and meet us
tomorrow morning. Are you still driving out there or should I arrange a car for Ji-pyeong?”

They both looked at her. Mi-rae kept her eyes on Chris as butterflies took flight in her stomach.
She swallowed and concentrated on making her voice sound normal.

“I have my car here. I can give him a ride.”

She could feel Ji-pyeong’s eyes on her as she clutched her attaché tightly. Then he cleared his
throat.

“Actually do you mind if we head out a little bit later? I need to take a few calls on another matter
that I’ve put off all week. I can always take a car if it’s a problem.”

Mi-rae felt a deflating disappointment of having to wait a few more hours to be with him after four
days of waiting.
“No, that’s fine.”

Ji-pyeong nodded and began scrolling through his phone, distracted. Then he looked up at Chris.

“This other deal really needs my attention for a few hours. Chris, what time are you expecting us?”

Mi-rae stepped forward to manage expectations.

“The associates just finished their first pass on the documents last night. They’re pulling together
the supporting binders for review now. It probably makes sense to review those all on our own
tonight and begin as a group in the morning when Sam arrives.”

Chris nodded.

“Sounds good. Okay well everyone can just roll in tonight on their own time and I’ll have Chef on
call if people get hungry. If we have to work through the Friday night of Memorial Day weekend
at least we’ll have a change of scenery.”

Ji-pyeong looked taken a back at the casual way in which Chris referred to having a chef. Then he
glanced at his watch.

“How long does it take to get out there?”

“Usually three hours but for Memorial Day weekend, I’d plan on a lot longer.”

Then Chris’s phone rang.

“I gotta take this. Okay I’ll see you all tonight whenever. Great job, Ji-pyeong.”

Chris patted him on the back and then walked back towards the green room.
Mi-rae looked up at Ji-pyeong. It was the first time they had truly been alone together since
Sunday. She felt absurdly excited just to be with him.

“Hi.”

His eyebrows lifted towards each other as he smiled. Now those dimples were for her. It made Mi-
rae’s heart want to burst.

“Hi.”

His voice was low. She felt it in her belly. Then Ji-pyeong began steering them towards the
elevators.

“I lied just then.”

His eyes ticked down at her as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Mi-rae tilted her head in
confusion.

“What?”

“I don’t have anything else to do today.” He dipped his head closer to her ear. “I just wanted some
time with you.”

She gasped, elated.

“You’re diabolical.

Ji-pyeong did a double take.

“Oh really? You’re the one who wore that suit when I needed to concentrate on national
television.”
Ji-pyeong’s eyes dipped up and down the length of her white suit. Then he punched the elevator
button hard. Her legs felt like jelly. He had been a shameless flirt only on the phone all week; that
voice in her ear saying things that made her face feel hot. She could not get enough. But it was
something else entirely in person.

The doors sprang open. He motioned for her to enter first and indulged his eyes again. Mi-rae's
eyes widened in delighted admonishment. She was about to playfully reprimand him when Ji-
pyeong clucked the roof of his mouth.

“Careful. We are in a building owned by the press…”

He bowed his head trying to hide a smirk.

Mi-rae scoffed and walked past him into the elevator, intentionally brushing his arm. Then she
pressed the last parking level and moved to the back of the elevator. Ji-pyeong was immediately
beside her as more people filed in. She stared at the thirty eight floors that they had to travel before
they could be alone as if she could will it to go faster with her eyes alone.

Ji-pyeong shifted closer as the elevator began its descent. Mi-rae could feel the back of his hand
just beyond hers. She could not abide not touching him any longer. Mi-rae slowly brushed the back
of her hand against his. The sensation of his skin against hers made her feel heady but she dared
not look up at him.

Instead, Mi-rae’s fingers slipped inside his hand like explorers mapping a new world. His hand
turned to welcome her pilgrimage. As five people exited on the thirtieth floor, her index finger
traced the lines of his palm as if trying to read hints of their future. Only one person got off at the
twenty-fifth floor. The rest of her fingers joined in tracing lazy circles as the lights marked their
next stop on the tenth floor. Then there were only two men left on the elevator with them. Her
thumb dared to cross the soft expanse of his wrist as she stared at their remaining unwelcomed
companions.

Get off now.

Mi-rae allowed her eyes to drift up as her fingers now claimed the back of his hand too. Ji-pyeong
was staring straight ahead as if his hand was not connected to the rest of his body. She dragged her
thumb down the length of his wrist into the cradle of his palm. A thrill of triumph coursed through
her as his adam’s apple plunged along with it.
The elevator reached the lobby and both men exited. Mi-rae bit her lip in silent prayer that no one
else would enter. The doors then began heaving towards one another in excruciating slow motion.
Her hand stilled as she listened to Ji-pyeong take a deep breath just before they met to form a
definitive straight line.

Finally, they were alone.

Suddenly he was all that she could see. Ji-pyeong crowded her against the wall. One hand found an
anchor beside her head. All of the air wooshed out of her lungs at once. His eyes searched her face
like he was seeing her for the first time.

“God I missed you.”

Mi-rae tried to absorb the piercing way that he was looking at her as the scent of his cologne filled
her head. She felt like she was losing her balance even with the wall against her back.

“You were with me all week.”

Ji-pyeong tilted his head as his eyes narrowed. Then he leaned in closer as if he would not tolerate
the space between them any more than her demure deflection. Mi-rae took in a shaky breath as her
eyes ticked down to his lips.

Then the elevator doors opened behind him. Ji-pyeong raised a teasing eyebrow and then pushed
away from her.

Dear god.

Mi-rae’s eyes searched the floor for a measure of calm as she followed him into the parking
garage. He was walking quickly and her heels rang out sharply as she tried to keep up. As they
rounded the corner from the elevator bank, Ji-pyeong suddenly stopped. Then he grabbed her hand
and pulled her towards the door to the stairwell. In a moment, she was back against a wall. Ji-
pyeong claimed her lips immediately.

His kiss was demanding as he pulled her into his arms. Mi-rae yielded to him immediately in every
way — her lips opened to welcome him as she sank into his embrace. She felt as if she could
finally breathe again as she wound her arms around his neck. Her fingers sought the soft refuge of
his hair even as she pressed against the hard contours of his chest. Everything about him was a
dizzying storm of contrasts.

She pulled him even closer as their kiss deepened. Her eagerness seemed to break something open
in him. His hands seized her face as if he could not get enough. Mi-rae tried to show him how it
was the same for her — that just being in this moment was both everything and yet could not
nearly suffice. Days of going without touching him poured out of her now as her hands roved
beneath his jacket and up the expanse of his back. She now claimed the muscles at work beneath
her fingers. He made a small sound against her mouth as she slipped down to his waist and pulled
him between her legs. His lips were greedier still as his hands now thrust into her hair. They
became impatient and wild together as Mi-rae slid down against the wall.

A door slammed loudly far above them and they both froze, startled. Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw
and leaned his forehead against hers trying to regain his composure.

A steady drip of water pierced the heavy silence between them.

Ji-pyeong let out a shaky breath as he smoothed the hair from her face.

“Let’s get out of the city.”

She nodded, not yet capable of speech. His eyes mapped every inch of her face before he smiled
ruefully. Then Ji-pyeong pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled her away from the wall by the
hand.

They were quiet as Mi-rae led them to where she had parked. As if the searing reminder of what
they could be to one another had to be reconciled with how they were supposed to act in front of
prying eyes.

Then Ji-pyeong stopped.

“Oh she is beautiful, Mi-rae.”

Her eyes followed his gaze to her red convertible. She giggled at the reverence in his voice.
“Please. You drive a car worth more than ten times this.”

Ji-pyeong ignored her as he ran his fingers along the side of the car.

“So this is your lady. You have no idea how much I imagined you driving this.”

Mi-rae threw her head back and laughed as she unlocked the doors and slid into the driver's seat.
He folded his tall frame awkwardly into the small confines of the MG.

“Did you also think about how someone as tall as you was going to fit in a car this small?”

Ji-pyeong chuckled as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Um, I admit that I did not think about that part. It’s fine though.”

She eyed him doubtfully. His legs were comically too long for the front seat.

“After we grab your luggage, where do you want to go?”

He leaned over excitedly.

“Let’s get out to the island and just make it up as we go along.”

Ji-pyeong looked so happy that she could feel herself grinning. She leaned over and tucked the silk
that was now spilling out of his jacket pocket. Mi-rae had grown fond of his array of pocket
squares; they were the daily indulgence of an otherwise exceedingly practical man. Then she traced
her fingers down the side of his face.

“Just the two of us without a plan, huh?”

Her words had deeper import but she felt strangely at peace. Ji-pyeong seized her hand and pressed
a kiss to her palm as if to say the same.

Then Mi-rae turned the ignition.

***********

They finally emerged from the sprawling congestion of Queens. Ji-pyeong finished sending a
flurry of emails and then bid a dramatic farewell to his professed favorite borough. Red (Taylor’s
Version) was playing softly in the background. She had not questioned out loud why Ji-pyeong put
it on. But she had caught the smile he tried to hide when “I Knew You Were Trouble” came on.
The idea that he had been exploring Taylor Swift’s catalog on his own since their night of karaoke
made her toes wiggle with delight within the narrow confines of her heels.

They had decided to take the long way across the north of Long Island — far away from anyone
that they could possibly run into even by chance. Ji-pyeong was now holding her hand as the
breeze whipped over them. Mi-rae aggressively maneuvered around holiday traffic as he asked
questions about nearly everything that they passed. It felt good to be with him in the sunshine
again. Mi-rae was bursting with so much emotion every time she was around him that it had felt
profane to hide it all week.

His thumb swept across the back of her hand.

“This week was so hard.”

She glanced at him. As always, it was as if he could read her mind effortlessly.

“Add Erskine Dusk to my hate list. I knew he was a blowhard but now I just do not trust that guy.”
He shook his head. “And because of him, we’ve been together for five days and I haven’t even
been able to take you out on a proper date.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth formed a pout.

“It was a terrible week. I don’t know how we are still standing after such little sleep. But Ji-
pyeong…” She smiled at him until it coaxed his frown away. “It was also a good week.”
A lovely smile carved dimples into his cheeks once again.

“It was.”

Ji-pyeong turned his body towards her and leaned his elbow against the corner of the headrest.

“So is this our first date? Or do we count it as Sunday?” His head fell softly into the awaiting
cradle of his hand. Then his forehead wrinkled. “Or was it the game?”

Mi-rae bit her lip as she looked over at him. He had taken off his jacket and tie. The wind was
playing with his hair. This Ji-pyeong was a different man than the one she had first laid eyes on
alone at the bar. Mi-rae marveled at the transformation.

“You pick.”

His mouth quirked.

“Hmmm. The game felt like a date but…let’s say Sunday. I like the idea of you asking me out
first.”

She burst out laughing. Then Mi-rae squeezed his hand before letting go to prepare to exit onto
route 25A. If they were going to take their time then she wanted Ji-pyeong to see as much of the
water as he could.

“So Sam bailed on us, huh? Do you think he knows?”

Mi-rae glanced at Ji-pyeong and decided to tell the truth.

“I think he’s been suspicious since we all met. And I remember him teasing me at karaoke. He
knows something is up. But he has not asked and I haven’t told him anything. Max has a place on
Fire Island so I suspect that’s the reason for this last minute plan.”
Ji-pyeong nodded approvingly.

“Good for him. Poor Chris is waiting on everyone’s dates and doesn’t know it.”

Mi-rae sucked in her lips and tried not to laugh at her mentor’s expense. But his lack of social
awareness was a blessing right now.

“So where do you usually drive to when you take this car out?”

“Oh nowhere in particular. Sometimes I drive around Westchester. I like the quiet woods out
there.”

Mi-rae could feel his eyes on her as she slowed down to just nudging past the speed limit on the
two lane road. Her loss reminded her of his answer earlier today.

“Ji-pyeong. I didn’t know that your grandmother inspired your thinking behind this deal. She lost
her eyesight?”

She worried for a moment that she was prying but Ji-pyeong did not flinch.

“Yes. It’s why I stayed in Korea. After everything happened with her granddaughter I was thinking
of moving somewhere else…”

Mi-rae felt an irrational pang of jealousy.

That was years ago Mi-rae. Stop.

“But I couldn’t bear to leave her after she lost her sight. So I stayed.”

Mi-rae’s mind flooded with questions. If he had wanted to run away from where he had built his
career, Ji-pyeong must have indeed been in love. Cold dread filled her chest. If that woman had
said yes then he would not be next to her now. But then a flicker of hope stirred amidst her envy.
Ji-pyeong had considered living elsewhere before.
It’s a second date. Don't get ahead of yourself.

His hand touched her arm.

“Hey, you seem far away. What are you thinking about?”

She glanced at his furrowed brow and then back ahead at the slowing traffic.

“Oh nothing in particular. Did you figure out where we’re headed?”

Ji-pyeong sat up excitedly and held up his phone. A photograph of a wine glass in front of the
water was on the screen.

“Yes! You may be driving but this is my date.”

Mi-rae forced away her thoughts and smiled as he tried to assert authority from the passenger seat.

“Greenport. There’s a winery there called Kontokosta where we can eat by the water. I made a
reservation.”

“A winery?” Mi-rae curled her toes in delight. “Mr. Han, that’s quite a second date.”

He leaned his head back against the headrest.

“Well, when your girlfriend is the kind of woman who plans a picnic in Central Park, you better
bring your A game.”

Mi-rae’s head snapped in his direction at the word “girlfriend.” He had claimed it with zero
hesitation. Ji-pyeong just turned his head to look at her. He smiled slyly as if daring her to contest
it.
Mi-rae shook her head fighting a smile as she once again focused on the road.

“Okay, plug it into your GPS.”

They rode in a comfortable silence. Mi-rae stole glances of Ji-pyeong every moment that she could.
He had rolled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up. The sun lended a golden glow to him as the
wind continued to tousle his hair thoroughly. He was shielding his eyes from the bright sunshine as
the suburban sprawl ceded to more pastoral pleasures. His fingers absentmindedly grazed hers
every now and then as he took in the novel sights around them.

Red began again from the beginning. Mi-rae realized with surprise that they had already passed
“All Too Well” and she had not even realized it. Whether it was the sun on her face or just sitting
next to him, Mi-rae felt warm all over. He was beautiful and — at least for now — he was hers.

An alert pinged his phone and he groaned.

“There’s an accident ahead. Thirty minute delay.”

Mi-rae’s eyes traced his profile as he glared at his phone. The sharp turn of his jaw clenched in
frustration. She too felt a wild impatience with anything intruding on this precious time.

I am not wasting what little time we have sitting in traffic.

Mi-rae peered ahead and squinted at a sign a quarter of a mile away. It was marking the exit for
Cold Spring Harbor State Park. She gritted her teeth. Then Mi-rae turned the wheel of the car
sharply and plunged her foot down on the gas pedal. She barreled up the shoulder past the line of
cars stopped in traffic as Ji-pyeong gasped in shock.

“What are you doing?”

Ji-pyeong braced himself against the console.

Mi-rae took a sharp left in reply and only slowed when the road turned to gravel under the tires.
She drove past the state park welcome sign and across the empty lot past the hiking trail heads.
When she reached the edge of the forest, Mi-rae shifted the car into park, turned the ignition off,
and removed her seatbelt.

Only then did she turn to look at Ji-pyeong. He was staring at her with eyes as wide as saucers.
There was nothing but the sound of birds and cicadas now in the wake of her rashness. Mi-rae
steeled herself to claim what she wanted.

“I’m not going to just sit there for thirty minutes. There are other things I’d rather be doing.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open in surprise but she kissed him before he could say a word. Shock
quickly gave way to enthusiasm as he kissed her back, hard. Mi-rae gasped and then pulled away.

Confusion filled his eyes until she quickly shed her jacket and climbed into his lap. Ji-pyeong
stared up at her, eyes still wide and his hands suspended in the air. Mi-rae slid her thighs on either
side of his and then leaned into him.

He was so close to her now. The wild impulse inside of her crashed to a sudden halt as she took in
his face.

Her fingers played with his hair. Ji-pyeong looked up at her with such longing that her throat
tightened. Mi-rae traced the shape of him and then drew him up to her. He murmured something
that she did not understand as she pressed her lips to his. Mi-rae answered by teasing the seam of
him with her tongue; luxuriating in how he slowly gave way to her. Then the velvet wet of his
mouth was hers.

They kissed as if it was a rehearsal for what was inevitable between them. His fingers sank into her
hips and Mi-rae began to move against him. Ji-pyeong gasped against her mouth and pulled her
closer. Then the hot press of his lips were on her neck. Her fingers curled into his shoulders as he
left a blistering path upon the delicate skin. Need blossomed deep within her at the behest of his
warm, wet mouth.

She let out a shuddering breath before she claimed that mouth once again. He kissed her like a
promise of how he would someday move inside of her — slowly, uncompromising, and insistent
on giving her pleasure. Ji-pyeong was a current pulling her in only one conceivable direction. She
wanted to drown in it.
His hands tentatively slid along the edge of her shell tank for what seemed like forever. Mi-rae
pressed herself against him to demand more. Ji-pyeong finally gave in and slid his hands
underneath. They were hot and strong as he gripped her back. She sank against his chest at the feel
of his hands finally on her skin. As his fingers spanned her lower back, Mi-rae tried to show how
much she wanted him. She did not care if it was the middle of the day in a parking lot. She needed
to know what it felt like to have his hands all over her.

But his hands were stubbornly slow as his lips teased her. Mi-rae whimpered. Ji-pyeong broke
away and laughed softly against her mouth.

“Mi-rae …”

He looked around them nervously.

She took his face into her hands.

“I don’t care.”

His eyes went dark with want. Mi-rae dragged her thumb across the plush pillow of his lips. They
were wet from her. And it made her want to put her mouth all over his body. Mi-rae surged down
and pressed a kiss to his neck. The smell of citrus and sandalwood filled her head as she tasted his
skin for the first time. His fingers pressed into her back. Then she opened her mouth and they
pressed even harder.

His hands slid down and curved around her waist as she explored him. It was as if Ji-pyeong had
decided to let her do whatever she wanted. And so she kissed and teased his neck until his fingers
dug fiercely into her backside. She took the lobe of his ear between her teeth and thrilled in how he
gasped. Then she pressed a kiss to the indent at the base of his throat as her hand slid down his
chest. She could feel him swallow against her lips as her hand came to rest between his legs. Mi-
rae wanted to touch him more than anything.

Ji-pyeong surged up to kiss her and swiftly took control. All of a sudden his hands were fumbling
with the button to her pants.

Oh my god.
Mi-rae kissed him wildly, reaching to do the same but he seized her hands. Ji-pyeong broke away
and slowly slid her hands up and around his neck. His eyes commanded that they stay there. And
then he circled one arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

Ji-pyeong slipped a hand along her jaw and drew her down for a kiss. His lips moved slowly, as if
to calm her as much as seduce her. And then his fingers traced the length of her face, down her
neck. And then they just kept moving down. They trailed down over the silk of her top between her
breasts and over her stomach. Mi-rae felt like her entire existence depended on whatever his hand
did next.

His fingers slipped back under her shirt and danced along her belly. Her kiss grew more desperate
as she urged him either up or down— anywhere without a barrier between them. Ji-pyeong grazed
just below the open button of her pants. Then he pulled away from her mouth and looked at her
searchingly.

He was asking permission.

Mi-rae swallowed hard. She would give all of herself to him right now if he asked.

“Please.”

It was all that she could manage out loud. Then Mi-rae closed her eyes and sucked in a breath as
his hand obeyed. His lips once again found hers as his fingers gently skimmed along the edge of
her underwear. They teased the sensitive skin of her abdomen until she impatiently dug her fingers
into his neck. He obeyed her again and slipped below. Mi-rae gasped as he touched her. Now his
fingers were the eager pilgrims.

He chased every reaction like he was studying her; his lips softly caressing hers as his fingers
worshiped below. His touch was dizzying. She wanted more and more. She clutched at his neck
and whimpered against his lips. Mi-rae could feel him smiling willfully against her.

“Ji-pyeong…”

He finally yielded to her plea and slipped inside of her.

Mi-rae’s head dropped down to his shoulder. His arm tightened around her waist as he began to
move his fingers purposefully. She could hear herself shamelessly making noises but it was as if it
was coming from someone else. All she could do was chase the pleasure he was offering.

The coil of want that he had slowly stoked within her began to unwind as he now commanded. He
lowered the heel of his hand in deliberate circles against her. Mi-rae sank into his seduction with
abandon. She moved her hips along with him and lost any thought but his precious hand between
her legs.

She closed her eyes to the dappled light under the trees. She stopped thinking about whether this
was all that would happen between them. And then she gave in.

She gave in to the expertly wrought seduction of his fingers.

She gave in to the pleasure that rushed through her body in waves.

She gave in to him. And Ji-pyeong gathered all of her into the palm of his hand and drove her over
the edge into an abyss.

Lights flashed behind her eyelids as Mi-rae came to a shuddering finish in his arms. Then he
withdrew his hand and simply held her against his chest. The wind rustled the tall pines above
them. Mi-rae recovered her breath against his white shirt as the birds went along with their
chattering as if nothing had happened.

Her mind was reeling.

Is that what it’s supposed to feel like?

No one had ever made her feel that way. Mi-rae buried her face in his chest, suddenly shy.

“What just happened?”

His laughter rumbled against her ear deep from within his chest. Then he pulled back so that she
would look at him.
“You. You happened.”

Ji-pyeong tucked her hair behind her ear and then kissed her forehead. When their eyes met again,
his face was soft with affection.

“I am absolutely crazy about you.”

Mi-rae bit her lip, overwhelmed. Then Ji-pyeong looked around the tiny confines of the car.

“But one of these days we really need to try a bed.”

She giggled and then inched up his chest eagerly. Mi-rae felt drunk with wanting him.

“So let’s do that right now.”

His eyes widened and a puff of air escaped his lips.

“God don’t tempt me.”

Mi-rae sat up.

Tempt him?

She had just fallen apart in his arms in broad daylight.

“Why not?”

Ji-pyeong’s hands flew up as if to calm himself. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath.
When he opened them again he was deadly serious.
“Mi-rae. We’ve only been together for five days. We have all the time in the world.”

She felt a pang of uncertainty.

Do we?

“I don’t want you to ever look back and regret.”

The breeze moved again through the trees all around them. Want yielded to love. He was unlike
any man she had ever known. Mi-rae carefully arranged the hair falling across his forehead. Then
she sat back and just looked at him. Her heart was so full.

“I’m absolutely crazy about you too.”

She leaned in and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. Finally, Mi-rae pulled
back and smiled.

“Then take me on a date, Ji-pyeong.”

He just looked at her. Ji-pyeong nodded silently. She felt an irrational twinge of worry.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course … it’s just…” He shifted under her.

“Oh god! Let me get off of you.”

Mi-rae scrambled to button her pants and extricate herself from his lap.
“Mi-rae.”

He grabbed her hands quickly to stop her. A small smile curved up his lips.

“That’s not it.” He released her and then caressed her hands softly. “What I was going to say is that
when we had to be so careful in the office this week, I … I sometimes wondered if I had dreamed
that Sunday happened.”

Mi-rae looked down at their hands as she threaded her fingers back through his. So much of this
did seem like a dream. How could she feel so much for him already? How could a man like him
feel the same for her? Mi-rae needed this to be real so much that her chest ached. It was terrifying
how hard she had fallen for Ji-pyeong.

“It feels that way doesn’t it? Like a dream?”

Her voice broke a little as she looked back up at him. Ji-pyeong pulled her against his chest and
held her fast. He buried his face in her hair.

“It’s real, Mi-rae.”

She could feel his lips moving so she knew that it was the truth, at least for now.

Mi-rae hugged him back until the distant sound of gravel crunching startled both of them.

“Oh my god!”

Mi-rae dove into the driver’s seat in a panic.

“Agh!”

She whipped her head to find Ji-pyeong clutching his shoulder.

“Oh no! What happened?”

“You just kneed me in the shoulder.”

He doubled over laughing as her hands flew to her mouth in shock.

“Ji-pyeong! I’m so sorry!”

He laughed even harder but then the sound of another car approaching grew louder. A minivan
with three kayaks fastened to the roof was making its way across the parking lot. A child stared at
them blankly through an open window. They looked at each other in abject embarrassment.

Mi-rae frantically turned the car on and immediately peeled out in the opposite direction. Ji-
pyeong folded his arms over the side of his door and laid his head down laughing.

“We just absolutely got busted.”

A bubble of laughter peeled from her lips as his shoulders shook. He gasped for air.

“I’m sorry Mi-rae …this one's on you. I was a model of decorum in the office all week.”

Mi-rae shot him a withering look as he grinned.

“You had me against a wall in a stairwell in the CNBC building, Ji-pyeong.”

He shrugged.

“I have a love-hate relationship with you and elevators.” He smirked knowingly at her. It made her
mouth go dry. “So I’m not even going to say sorry.”

Ji-pyeong chuckled as he checked his phone.

God he is a lot.

“The traffic has cleared.”

Mi-rae stifled a smug smile.

“I’m going to call the winery to confirm the online reservation now that we got …delayed.”

She caught him fighting a grin and had to stop herself from audibly reacting. After his call, Ji-
pyeong grabbed her hand. He did not let go the whole way there.

By the time they reached Kontokosta, Ji-pyeong had delighted in the coastal views, lighthouses,
and boats along the way like a child on his first vacation.

“I never imagined that New York could look like this. It’s all farms and villages out here.”

“And the very wealthy playing at farmer. I swear every client talks about opening a sustainable,
organic vineyard after an IPO.”

Ji-pyeong smirked at her sarcasm.

“I’ve actually never been to a vineyard.”

Mi-rae looked at him in surprise.

“But you know so much about wine!”

“I guess I’m good at buying things. But not very good at enjoying myself.”
The simple statement made Mi-rae feel wistful. She thought of the man drinking bourbon alone
and wished she could travel back in time to ease the regret from his voice. All she could do was
squeeze his hand now before turning into the long driveway.

They passed endless rows of grape vines as they made their way up the hill. The sun filtered
through the bright green of the spring growth. The vines seemed both strong and tenuous sprawling
across their wooden frames— purposefully being made to struggle by gods beyond their control in
order to bear richer fruit. A large weathered barn loomed large above the carefully cultivated green
all around them. The air smelled like soil and the sea.

Mi-rae parked in a cordoned off area and stretched as she stood up. Then she took off her heels and
padded around on the grass to the trunk. By the time she located her espadrilles in her suitcase and
closed it, she looked up to find Ji-pyeong waiting. He was leaning against the car with his jacket
swung over his shoulder. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, the white of his shirt and
blue of his pants both vibrant in the afternoon sun. Ji-pyeong looked like a classic film star casually
lounging against her vintage car. Mi-rae’s face felt suddenly hot that she had behaved so wildly
with him an hour ago. But the way he was looking at her made Mi-rae want to do it all over again.

“Shall we head up?”

She nodded silently. Ji-pyeong captured her hand once again. He was grinning as he gently pulled
her along the worn grass path. His fingers tangled within hers endlessly.

“It’s pretty isn’t it? The water must be just over the hill.”

Mi-rae looked around curiously.

“It’s so quiet though. It’s a holiday weekend but it seems like we’re the only two people here.”

Ji-pyeong tugged on her hand as they neared the tasting room.

“They try really hard making new things seem old here, huh?”

He peered up at the weathered clapboard exterior. Then he opened the door for her. Soaring
cathedral ceilings were framed in black iron. It was elegantly contemporary inside.
A hostess approached them.

“Mr. Han? Please follow me to your table outside.”

Ji-pyeong slid his hands into his pockets and waited for Mi-rae to go first.

There is nobody else here. What in the world?

The hostess opened large glass doors. There was a table set under a linen canopy on the patio.
Grass stretched endlessly under a yawning blue sky. The gray of the Long Island Sound lay just
beyond the tree line.

“We will be with you in just a moment.”

Mi-rae eyed the exquisitely set table with three tasting glasses in front of each chair. Then she
noted that there was not a single other table on the patio. On the Friday of Memorial Day
weekend.

Ji-pyeong pulled a chair out for her to sit.

She eyed him questioningly.

“Ji-pyeong, what did you do?”

His brow furrowed a touch too dramatically

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no one else here.”

Ji-pyeong shrugged nonchalantly as he sat down.

He bought the vineyard out for the day.

She raised her eyebrow at him and stared at him until Ji-pyeong relented.

“We had to pretend all week. I just wanted to not have to look over our shoulder this afternoon.”

It filled her with joy and trepidation at the same time. It was a grand romantic gesture — a table set
for two by the sea. And yet she hated that they had to sneak around as if being together was wrong.
Mi-rae swallowed and tried to tuck the worry away.

“Thank you Ji-pyeong. It’s beautiful here.”

He leaned forward on the table.

“Do you really like it?”

Mi-rae nodded as he eagerly sought her approval.

“I love it.”

His mouth quirked, satisfied. Then the sommelier appeared with the first bottle. Golden liquid
curled into the bottom of her glass. Mi-rae did not hear a word of the detailed description of what
part of the vineyard the grapes came from or what flavor notes she should expect as a result. She
only could see Ji-pyeong’s face smiling at her as the breeze off the sea played with his hair. His
eyes crinkled at the corners every time his grin widened. Then Ji-pyeong would duck his head
shyly and it would begin all over again.

As soon as they were alone, Ji-pyeong took a sip of wine and sighed happily.

“I can’t remember the last time I took an afternoon off. Or …a vacation. Maybe three or four years
ago?”
Mi-rae wanted to protest his lack of self care. But that would make her a hypocrite.

“I — I can’t remember either.”

He rested his elbows on the sides of the chair and tented his fingers. The tips met Ji-pyeong’s lips
thoughtfully.

“We should take a trip when this deal is done.”

Mi-rae swallowed her wine and set the glass on the table. The crisp cold liquid did little to calm the
sudden nervous burst in her stomach. Ji-pyeong spoke about the two of them like their future
together was just a matter of fact. It took her breath away even if her brain could not figure out the
puzzle of how that would work if SH Venture Capital continued to be a client of her firm. The
media attention had only compounded the problem. She looked down at her hands and then met his
gaze.

“I … I would like that.”

He eyed her carefully.

“We’ll figure it out, Mi-rae.”

Mi-rae’s hand fluttered to her hair. A waiter appeared with a salad bursting with strawberries. They
quietly absorbed the poetic explanation of everything that was locally sourced and why the flavors
would compliment the sauvignon blanc that they were drinking. Mi-rae tried to fight the gnawing
questions within her chest and focus on enjoying this beautiful setting with him.

Ji-pyeong chewed thoughtfully as he took in the view of the sea.

“So I’m looking at the Long Island Sound now, right?”

Mi-rae grasped at the safe topic like a bouey.

“Yes. Later tonight we will be on the Atlantic. But right now we are looking at the sound which is
a lot calmer. Connecticut is directly across.”

Ji-pyeong leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself.

“I feel like we’re in East Egg.” He cocked his head with uncertainty. “Or would it be West Egg? I
could never keep it straight. But I can almost picture that damn green light right across the water.”

The reference itself flickered like a dim light slowly growing brighter in Mi-rae’s mind.

“Oh! The Great Gatsby ! Yes! It is set in Long Island. When did you read that?”

She was intrigued. A literary side to this financial wizard was a surprise. Ji-pyeong put his fork
down.

“We read it in English class in high school. A man who is looked down on by those born with
everything but makes his own way and becomes fabulously wealthy? Jay Gatsby was my hero even
if his means were questionable.”

He raised an eyebrow archly.

“Then I listened to it on audiobook to practice my English a year or two ago. It hit me a different
way. I felt so sorry for Gatsby. Poor bastard does all that to chase a woman from the past who can
never feel what he does and then dies because he is blamed for something that isn’t even his fault. I
mean, damn.”

The snake of jealousy wound within her again, ready to strike.

Don’t ask about it.

“Was it very hard… getting over her?”

Dammit.

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut in self reproach.

“Never mind.”

“Yes.”

His answer was so immediate that her stomach dropped. But Mi-rae forced herself to meet his gaze.
It was her fault for asking. Ji-pyeong’s face was grave and his eyes pierced right through her.

“But I feel more like myself with you in the time we’ve spent together than in all the years I’ve
known her.”

Mi-rae’s fingers curled around her glass. It sounded crazy but she believed him.

“Her name is Seo Dal-mi. Grandmother asked me to write her letters when we were teens. She was
going through a rough time and so was I. So I used the name of a kid I saw on tv who won a math
contest. I think you know that name already.”

He smiled wryly and she managed a small smile back.

“For a long time, those letters were a salve for me. I fell in love with the words that she wrote. And
I liked who I was on those pages too. Then I left to make my own way at university.”

Mi-rae watched his face as he spoke. His voice was quieter now. She felt a conflicting morbid
curiosity to know it all and deep apprehension that she could never complete with such a history.

“We all crossed paths once again at Sandbox, including the real Nam Do-san. Dal-mi was looking
for him. Grandmother asked me to continue the ruse to protect her. Do-san pretended to be the man
who wrote the letters. I even helped him do it at first. I should never have agreed to any of it. Dal-
mi fell in love with him instead of me. It was a classic love triangle and I guess you can say I was
the Gatsby.”
His nose wrinkled as he smiled in a lopsided way.

“Do you wish it had turned out differently?”

Mi-rae had to know. She dreaded his answer. And Mi-rae already knew that she would settle for
being his second choice. But she needed to know.

Ji-pyeong seized her hand.

“No. Absolutely not.”

His voice was low and adamant.

“Did it hurt back then? Yes. But I constantly had to curb who I was with her — as if I had to
always apologize for being a realist. I can see that now. She and I communicated better as teens on
paper than we ever did as adults. Something always held me back. My feelings were sincere but
they were also so tied up in the past. I desperately wanted to be a part of a family and I think
maybe that got a little confused with Dal-mi. I don’t know, as much as I liked her we just didn’t …
fit.”

Mi-rae passed her thumb over the back of his hand. But she rebelled against how he was framed in
the past.

“You are a realist. I like that about you. But you dream too, Ji-pyeong. Look at what you have built
out of what you were given. Look at all of the dreams you’ve fostered at Sandbox. Not everyone
with your kind of success spends so much time mentoring others.” Mi-rae sat up and her hands
began flying in the air. “And look at what you’re building now with this merger— it could help so
many people. You honor your grandmother by doing it. That was your idea — your dream.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth opened and then shut. His eyes filled with emotion. Then he clenched his jaw
and leaned forward.

“You are my dream now.”

There was no hesitation. His voice was fierce and his face was lined with determination.

I love you.

Her heart screamed it into the silence between them. Her head told her it was crazy to say it out
loud.

Ji-pyeong squeezed her hand and let go as the sommelier returned with the next wine. They
listened to a flourishing description as a viognier was poured and their plates were cleared. Ji-
pyeong played with the collar of his shirt. He looked out at the sea before turning back to her.

“So before everything happened, were you happily married?”

Mi-rae choked on her wine and coughed. He laughed softly.

“I’m sorry but if we got into my ex then we are definitely going to get into yours.”

She huffed a laugh.

“Fair.”

Ji-pyeong leaned back in his chair.

“So?”

“You and your questions.”

His hand unfurled in the air expecting an answer. Mi-rae took a deep breath.
“Um, I think that I thought that I was. We met in law school. We were in the same study group and
we grew close while suffering through first year together. He was one of the few men who wasn’t
threatened by me. Most men don’t enjoy a woman who challenges them.”

Ji-pyeong scoffed and sipped the next glass of wine.

“Most men are idiots.”

Mi-rae laughed and drank as well. Now the bright mineral effervescence was calming as she
prepared to share more about her greatest humiliation with him.

“We ended up working at the same law firm together. Late nights turned into drinking which
turned into hooking up. It just sort of grew into something more. After a few years, a recruiter
called and I had an opportunity to go back to Seoul with an American based law firm. So he
proposed. And I stayed.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyesbrows shot up but he said nothing.

“We had the same goals and for a long time that seemed like having a lot in common because
billing hours was all that we did. My father and I fought all the time so it was a relief to have
something easy. But looking back, I think we were both settling. There was friendship but no…
spark if that makes sense. He must have found that with someone else.”

Mi-rae let out a long breath. And then she shrugged, resigned.

“He fell in love. I guess he couldn’t help it. In the end I think he did me a favor by ending it. But I
will always hate how he did it.”

She sniffed and tried to deflect his somber attention with a joke.

“I guess I was the Gatsby in my love triangle too.”

Ji-pyeong was studying her face quietly. Her eyes sought out the sea as a new understanding of her
ex-husband reverberated through her. Mi-rae could not forgive how he chose to conduct himself.
But she could no longer quite blame him in the same way. She too had fallen in love with someone
that she was not supposed to.

Mi-rae worried at her lip and then decided to be as brave as Ji-pyeong. He had been waiting
patiently for her to look at him again.

“I was married for five years, Ji-pyeong. I never talked to him about the things that I talk about
with you. And I never felt …”

She swallowed down that word again.

“How I feel with you. Not ever.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flashed triumphantly.

“Good.”

A hiccup of surprise escaped her lips as he then shook his head at himself.

“I’m sorry. But I’m a petty man, Mi-rae.”

She laughed and nestled deeper in her chair. It felt like they had confessed to one another all over
again. Airing out the past temporarily assuaged her worries about the future.

A cabernet franc reserve was then served with such fanfare that Ji-pyeong had to smother a smirk.
She giggled at his healthy skepticism. Her leg grazed his playfully under the table. The sun passed
behind some clouds and the shadows passed over them with a cooler breeze. The waiter brought a
course of lobster tail and sweet corn polenta. It was lovely. But all Mi-rae could concentrate on
was him.

When they had finished eating, Ji-pyeong nodded in the direction of the water.

“What do you say we take a walk down to the beach?”

Mi-rae nodded and he threaded his fingers through hers as soon as she stood. Ji-pyeong kept
looking at her as they walked the length of the lawn. For the first time in her life, Mi-rae felt
adored. And that overwhelmed her with so much happiness that she did not know what to do with
it. She grasped his arm and buried her face in his shoulder as he laughed and hugged her closely.

When they reached the steps, Mi-rae immediately took off her shoes and rolled up her pants. Ji-
pyeong paused and stared down at his Italian loafers.

“Um…”

“Yeah, you better take those off.”

She laughed as he awkwardly removed his shoes and socks and rolled his pants up. His ankles and
bare feet were adorably at odds with the sartorial flair of his designer clothes.

“Come on.”

She led the way down the wooden stairs to the shore. Mi-rae walked until the waves lapped at her
toes. The water was cold but it cut through the warm haze of wine and lack of sleep. She stepped
back from it and all of a sudden his arms were around her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder.
Mi-rae clutched at his hands and drew them closer against her belly. They stood there in silence.
The waves rolled quietly while seagulls cried in the distance. The light of late afternoon was now
waning.

Mi-rae turned around in his arms to look at him. Ji-pyeong’s eyes were soft. His fingers caught a
lock of hair blowing in her face and carefully tucked it back. As his mouth curved into a wistful
smile, Mi-rae knew that he too was trying to memorize everything about this moment.

Her hand found his at her waist and she led him over to sit down at the edge of the dune. Their toes
dug into the sand as the both took in the peace of this quiet beach. It felt secluded against the tall
bluffs overrun by sea grass — as if they were shielded from men here and tucked safely within the
purview of nature. The sky was ceding its blue to a golden light. The water stretched endlessly
before them as if inviting safe passage. Mi-rae knew that as placid as it may seem now, it could
prove as mercurial as life.

“You should know that I’m falling in love with you.”

His voice rang out firmly, as if expressing a fact rather than a feeling.

She turned towards him slowly. Ji-pyeong was looking at her. His chin was defiant and his lips
were set in a resolute line. Mi-rae felt her eyes prick with sudden tears at his certainty.

“I didn’t want to scare you off so I was unsure if I should say it. But if life has taught me one thing
—”

“I love you.”

It just burst from her heart. She could not even wait for Ji-pyeong to finish.

A puff of air escaped his lips as if he could not believe what was happening. But once she saw how
his face transformed into a look of wonder and joy, Kim Mi-rae knew that it was right to say it out
loud.

Ji-pyeong leaned closer. His eyes searched her face as if to confirm this was real. And then he
closed his eyes and kissed her softly. It was solemn between them now. As if the gentle waves
were the only reverent witness to something new forged between them.

As their kiss deepened, Ji-pyeong gathered her up into his arms and laid her down on the soft sand.
She welcomed the weight of his body as they now found themselves in one another. He held her
tightly as if he could not bear to let her slip away.

Mi-rae told him that she loved him over and over again as day gave way to night.

********
 Chapter Nine

I love you.

Kim Mi-rae had actually said that. To him.

He would never forget her lovely face as she proclaimed it. Ji-pyeong could not stop smiling
despite struggling through a run on four hours of sleep. His lungs were burning and his legs felt
like dead weight. And yet he was smiling.

Every morning for a week, Ji-pyeong had awakened thinking that the previous day had been the
best of his life. This morning was no different. And yet it was like no other.

Because Kim Mi-rae loved him.

Ji-pyeong spent four years pining for a woman who he saw every day. The only reply he ever
received after offering his heart was a vague apology for never considering it. Love was often a
void from which he rarely received anything in return — parents he knew nothing about, a woman
who loved another. Even grandmother’s love had its limits. She had told him to swallow down
what he wanted despite his desperation.

But last night the brilliant, fierce, exquisite Mi-rae who had blazed into his life with no warning
told him that she loved him unequivocally after just two weeks. Despite the difficulties of their
circumstances. Without knowing how they could live their lives together. And even though
everything that Mi-rae had been through should have sent her running in the opposite direction.

Ji-pyeong already had the answer to the question anyone should ask when weighing a future with a
partner: Mi-rae loved him in spite of everything being impossibly hard. And so the idea that he
could have a woman like her by his side made him want to run towards the ocean like a madman
and offer his thanks to the fates. Perhaps they had saved all of their luck for him until now.
Because despite being in the midst of the most challenging deal of his career and beginning a
relationship under the most complex of circumstances, Ji-pyeong knew that this was it.

That was why he was running along Dune Road just after sunrise. Ji-pyeong had to clear his head.
Every choice he made from now on was about the rest of his life.

He was exhausted. They had arrived last night floating on air and then were immediately plunged
back into a whirring hive of activity. Ji-pyeong spent hours forcing himself to pour over the due
diligence overview until long after midnight. Its contents troubled him for a reason that he could
not quite pinpoint. And then sleep eluded him even after his work was finished. Ji-pyeong had laid
in bed just down the hall from Mi-rae staring at the ceiling. Sleeping under the same roof last night
had been a new kind of torture indeed.

Ji-pyeong was no stranger to women. He had of course desired women before. And he had been in
love. But Ji-pyeong had never experienced what it was to desperately want someone who he was
now certain was the love of his life. He feverishly replayed every moment from the stairwell, the
car, and the beach in his head. Mi-rae was a force of nature. And every new discovery only made
Ji-pyeong more obsessed.

She seemed to crave him like he did her without reservation. With Mi-rae, Ji-pyeong felt like he
was trying to hold on to a live wire in his arms one moment and like his chest was going to break
open the next. The sounds she had made in his ear while he touched her made him want to spend
the rest of his life pleasing her. But then he could just kiss her on the beach and not realize hours
had gone by. Ji-pyeong could not fathom all that remained unclaimed between them. He spent the
night trying to imagine it anyway until he was driven into the shower to regain a measure of
sanity.

But Ji-pyeong was also walking a tightrope above the all consuming pull between them. In his
arms, Mi-rae wanted to always push them headfirst into oblivion. But when they spoke of the
future, she was gunshy. And that filled him with trepidation. Ji-pyeong was wary of crossing too
many lines before they were on the other side of this deal. They needed time to make some
important choices. Ji-pyeong did not want them to make life altering decisions in the throes of
falling into bed. Because once they started they would never stop. The look on her face every time
she talked about the wreckage her ex-husband had left in his wake haunted him. Ji-pyeong could
not live with himself if Mi-rae ever rued a choice she made because of him.

His legs faltered. Ji-pyeong leaned on the fence along the beach front to catch his breath. This was
the trajectory of his mind for the last week: from joy to worry, and back again. When Ji-pyeong
was with Mi-rae he felt like he could barely contain the emotion bursting from within. When he
was away from her, he tried to manage a gnawing need to control variables and plan for the future.

His eyes took in the waves as they crashed onto the sand. The ocean was unruly this morning. The
sky was still streaked with traces of red. It was a stark contrast to the peace of last night. He could
not help but feel that it portended a storm to come.
I have a bad feeling.

Despite wrestling with sleep, Ji-pyeong had awakened long before dawn pulsing with anxiety. He
could not place whether it was an unfamiliarity with happiness or an inner voice that he should
heed.

What he had reviewed last night did not quite add up. The GenOne research and development
reports were too good to be true. And even though every investment giant from Darren Luffett to
the Marlyle Group had financed GenOne’s meteoric rise so far, Ji-pyeong could not help but feel
like they were missing something. The dream deal of his career now filled him with unease.

Then his mind careened to catastrophizing about his impulsiveness in the CNBC building. Or hers
at a state park. Or both of them last night on the beach. Ji-pyeong had avoided the optics of his
hotel and her apartment building all week in light of the media attention only to lose control in
public all day yesterday. He imagined every potential disastrous consequence of their displays. His
brain would not stop running through an endless cycle of paranoia and rationalization. And so he
finally decided to get up and run.

We get through this closing. Then we need to go far away from all of this and figure out the rest.

He had told himself that over and over. That was as far as Ji-pyeong had gotten. Before last night
he had been cautious of pushing Mi-rae too much. Every time he brought up anything beyond the
present, she sounded absolutely terrified. They had spoken so little of what would come next that
Ji-pyeong had been surprised to learn that she had once considered going back home. Yet that was
long before Mi-rae had become a partner at the top of her profession. Everything in her life so far
would caution her against taking such a leap.

On the other hand, there was nothing but his career tying him to Seoul. Ji-pyeong had thought
about leaving before. Only grandmother’s hand on his had stopped him. Yet when he had
purposefully hinted at the possibility, Mi-rae said nothing in reply. Did she find that suffocating?
Was it too much too soon? How long did he have to wait to ensure her reputation was protected? Ji-
pyeong’s late night independent attempts to wade through the New York bar ethics rules online had
not yielded a clear answer. Gray areas seemed to be the bread and butter of the law no matter the
subject area. The worst answer in the world was “it depends.”

“Ugh!”

Ji-pyeong exclaimed it into the wind. Then his hand passed over his face in exasperation. Han Ji-
pyeong had spent his career assessing risk and making wagers. He always won. But the stakes had
never been like this. His body felt like it was vibrating on the highest frequency. Pressing his face
against the glass yearning for something was familiar. But it also meant he had nothing to lose. In
comparison, happiness felt tenuous. Ji-pyeong had spent so long chasing what he wanted that he
had never considered how daunting it was to hold on to it once he had it. One false step could
smash it all to pieces.

Ji-pyeong gritted his teeth. Then he turned around and ran as fast as he could back to where she
was.

When he finished walking up the winding driveway to Chris’s home, Ji-pyeong rested his hands on
his hips and assessed it in the daylight. He let out an incredulous breath.

Well I sure am in East Egg now.

It was a sprawling gray shingled ten bedroom house on the ocean with a pool house, a tennis court,
and staff quarters. Ji-pyeong’s room was inside an actual turret facing the ocean. Chris had
welcomed them and the senior associate team last night to his boyhood summer home as if it was
an unassuming cabin in the woods. Ji-pyeong appreciated that Chris was the kind of person who
assumed everyone else had lived the same kind of life and shared abundantly rather than gate keep
others from it. But it still made the boy inside him shake his head in disbelief that some were just
born to this kind of life.

A black Acura pulled up into the drive behind him. Sam waved cheerfully from an open window.

“Hey! You’re up early!”

Ji-pyeong was genuinely happy to see him. Sam felt like a silent ally in all of this.

“Hey. How was Fire Island?”

He raised an eyebrow knowingly. Sam chuckled as he handed his keys to the valet that Chris
somehow deemed necessary at a beach house.

“It was great.”

Ji-pyeong clapped him on the back as they walked up the path to the oak double doors. Then Sam
glanced at him curiously.

“So did you ride up with Mi-rae?”

Ji-pyeong swallowed. There was something about Sam’s tone that sent a warning bell off in his
head

“Mmhmm. I had to deal with a whole bunch of other stuff that I ignored all week though so I got in
late. What’s your take on the due diligence?”

Sam paused and cocked his head at the swift change in subject. Then they kept walking.

“Well, the privacy issues were always going to be a gauntlet but I didn’t see anything new that gave
me pause. And Minerva has been above reproach on sharing consumer data.”

They entered the house and Ji-pyeong shivered as the wave of air conditioning hit his body. The
senior associates were sprawled across the dining room on their laptops. It seemed that his few
moments of quiet were at an end.

Then he caught a flutter of blue outside. Ji-pyeong’s heart thudded in his chest as saw Mi-rae just
through the glass French doors. She was in deep conversation with Chris on the patio. Ji-pyeong
had not seen her since feigning a nonchalant goodnight that felt profane last night. The ocean
breeze was playing with a long skirt that was the color of the sky. A white t-shirt was tied at her
waist. His fingers flexed wanting to curl around where her hips curved just below. The lips that
stole hours of sleep as he thought of them last night were as red as ever.

I’m going to lose my damn mind trying to get through this day.

Ji-pyeong glanced down at his running shorts and tshirt as a bead of sweat made its way down his
back.

I cannot go out there like this right now.

“Hey, I’m going to go clean up.”

“Ok. Chris just sent an email and said to meet up in his office when we’re ready. That’s all the way
down the second hall to the left. If you get to the door to the sauna you’ve gone too far.”

Down the second hall to the left. The sauna.

Ji-pyeong may have rented out an entire vineyard for a date but he was not so far removed from
reality to not recognize the absurdity of that statement.

“Got it, see you in a few.”

Ji-pyeong grabbed a bottle of water from the bar and headed back to his room. His sneakers
squeaked against the gray washed hardwood floors. Once again, Ji-pyeong marveled at how
everything in this house managed to be a slightly different shade of gray. It was all elegantly
precise but also clearly new and professionally curated. The only vestige of Chris’s childhood was
a photograph of him holding a silver trophy in front of a sailboat. Ji-pyeong rolled his eyes. He had
never been on a boat and could not understand people’s fascination with them.

When Ji-pyeong opened the door to his room, a piece of paper skidded across the floor. He cocked
his head curiously and bent down to pick it up. It was folded in half with a yellow post-it note on
top. He immediately recognized Mi-rae’s handwriting. His eyes hungrily consumed every word.

Just answering another one of your questions…

Ji-pyeong let out a breath of amusement as he carefully removed the post-it note. Then he unfolded
the paper and let out a small gasp.

It was his scoresheet from the game.

She found it? When?

His fingers flew to his lips in surprise. Ji-pyeong flashed back to that night and was filled with awe
thinking about how it now seemed strangely like a lifetime ago. Then Mi-rae’s handwriting caught
his eye in the margin just beneath a notation that he had apparently written through a drunken
haze.

“Ask Kim Mi-rae: how to score an error at shortstop?”

She had carefully answered his question just below.

“Han Ji-pyeong: E6”

His eyes followed along the line he had drawn backwards to the still empty square underneath the
eighth inning column.

She left it blank for me to fill in.

Ji-pyeong felt a tingling warmth spread throughout his body as his lips folded into one another in
delight. He immediately walked over to the desk and began searching for a pencil. When he found
one, Ji-pyeong sat down at his desk. He looked out through the window at the ocean overcome for
a moment by her sentimental gesture. The waves were still pounding at the shore.

She found this and then kept it.

Ji-pyeong looked back down at the paper. He straightened his shoulders with a grin and bent over
with the pencil poised in the air. He vividly remembered the shortstop throwing the ball well over
the first baseman's head when he should have easily gotten an out to end the top of the inning. The
mistake allowed the Yankees to score their game winning run next. Ji-pyeong shook his head at
how mercurial the fates were even in baseball. Then he carefully wrote in “E6” just as Mi-rae had
instructed. He stared at the now complete column as his fingers played with the post it note in his
other hand. That was the night his life had truly changed.

I was wrong. This was the first date.

He sat back and let his fingers slide softly down the page.

God I love her.

Then Ji-pyeong grabbed his phone from his pocket and began typing.

“Thank you for following up on that question, Mi-rae.”

Ji-pyeong could not stop smiling as he imagined her reading his message. Then he stared at the
blinking cursor. It was begging for him to pour out his heart. Ji-pyeong allowed himself to continue
writing what he wanted to say even if he could never send it under the circumstances.

“I will treasure this memory of the night my life changed forever. Let’s always answer each other’s
questions and do our best to fill in the blank spaces together.”

Ji-pyeong read it over and winced. He sucked in his breath in self reproach.

God you’re so cheesy, Ji-pyeong.

He shook his head vigorously as his thumb stabbed at the screen. Ji-pyeong quickly deleted
everything but the first sentence. Then he hit send and hurried to the shower.

*******

Ji-pyeong stood just outside the door to Chris’s office. He smoothed the front of his white linen
shirt and shifted the heavy binder against his khaki pants. Then he took a deep breath and walked
in.

All he saw was Mi-rae. She was sitting at a marble conference table; her brow furrowed deep in
thought as her fingers traced down the page of a binder. She glanced up at the sound of the door
opening wider and then did a double take that made Ji-pyeong fight a small sound of glee from
escaping his lips.
Same, Mi-rae. Same.

“Good morning, Ji-pyeong.”

Her eyes were so full of light just looking at him that Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened.

“Good morning, Mi-rae.”

He wanted to carry her out of the room in his arms. But Ji-pyeong forced his eyes away and
stretched his neck to reorient his attention.

“Hey Chris, Sam.”

Chris eyed him over his glasses.

“I heard you went out for a run. Where did you go?”

Ji-pyeong sat down across from Mi-rae and crossed his legs smoothly. He did not allow himself to
look at her again. It felt different now avoiding her gaze. He took comfort in knowing that she was
doing the same.

“Oh just a bit down Dune Road and back. It’s beautiful here, Chris. Thank you again for having
me.”

“It’s truly my pleasure.” Chris clapped his hands together. “Alright, shall we begin with Minerva?”

The four of them marched through the Minerva due diligence first. Two senior associates sat in
chairs in the back of the room dutifully typing down notes as they volleyed ideas and raised
questions. Ji-pyeong found himself on his feet at the white board often walking them through his
observations. He could feel Mi-rae’s eyes on him as he wrote. Her gaze fueled his enthusiasm now
rather than made him nervous. When Mi-rae leaned forward to challenge something he had said,
Ji-pyeong felt a thrill of anticipation. She held nothing back while debating him whenever she
disagreed.

As they approached noon, Sam and Chris began vigorously debating a privacy issue around and
around in circles. Despite his best efforts, Ji-pyeong’s gaze was drawn like a satellite in orbit to
Mi-rae. He caught her eyes slowly dipping down the length of his body. He should be in no doubt
of her desire by this point. But every time Ji-pyeong glimpsed that Mi-rae just may want him as
much as he wanted her, he felt warm all over. Ji-pyeong’s hand tightened around a dry erase
marker as his chest swelled. It felt so good to be wanted.

Ji-pyeong crossed his arms and leaned against the white board waiting for her eyes to reach his
face. When they finally did, Mi-rae’ eyes widened in surprise. Her hand flew to her hair. He
lowered his head at her while fighting a grin. She bit her lip to keep from laughing as she
practically dove into the contents of her binder away from his knowing gaze.

Chris held his hands up in defeat.

“Alright Sam, alright. We can ask them about that but I don’t think it will affect the valuation. Do
you, Ji-pyeong?”

Fuck what were they talking about?

“Sorry, will what affect the valuation?”

Chris blinked.

“The draft EU regs?”

Ji-pyeong pushed off the whiteboard as he recovered his wits.

“Oh right, right. Yeah…I mean we should ask them about it. But I don’t expect to have to adjust
based on that. As it is, I think we are getting Minerva for a bargain.”

Chris smiled at Ji-pyeong.

“Agreed. Alright, shall we break for lunch and then dig into GenOne?”

They followed Chris out to the patio as he loudly took a call from one of his children. Mi-rae was
close enough now that her perfume lingered in the air. Flashes of her yesterday above him in the
sunshine filled his head. He knew what it was to touch her now. Ji-pyeong’s hand moved restlessly
at the memory. He just wanted to do it again and again and again.

He sidled up next to her. Ji-pyeong lowered his head a little bit closer to her ear never more
grateful for his native tongue.

“I thought of nothing but you all night.”

Mi-rae looked up at him and then glanced at Sam who was busy filling his plate ahead of them at
the buffet. She tilted her head coquettishly.

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “Anything in particular?”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked. He gladly accepted her challenge.

“Not really.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I was just thinking about being stuck in traffic.”

Mi-rae’s mouth dropped open as her hand fluttered to her throat. A thrill coursed through him. Ji-
pyeong wanted to spend the rest of his life making her look at him just like that. Instinct drew him
even closer.

“Where did you find the scoresheet?”

She blinked rapidly. Then Mi-rae glanced away and let out a puff of air. Ji-pyeong fought a smile
as she looked back at him. Her eyes were dancing with affection.

“You’re something else, Ji-pyeong.”

He tilted his head playfully.

“I hope that’s a good thing?”

The pink of her tongue traced red. His eyes followed with envy.

“You know that it is.”

Her voice was low. It sent a tingle down his spine. Then Mi-rae took a breath.

“You left it in the backseat at the end of the night. But I’m keeping mine.”

Ji-pyeong slid his hands into his pockets to keep from grasping her by the waist

“Deal.”

Her eyes ticked up and down his face.

“I think you’re secretly a romantic, Ji-pyeong.”

He felt a smile that mirrored her own curving up his lips.

“I don’t think that’s a secret anymore.”

Mi-rae bobbed up on her toes closer to him for a moment. She was looking at him with such
tenderness that Ji-pyeong felt as if his heart might burst. His hands closed into fists within his
pockets as he fought the desperate impulse to kiss her.

Then Mi-rae’s eyes darted just beyond him. She quickly patted her hair. Ji-pyeong felt a hand on
his shoulder.
“What are you two talking about?”

Chris’s voice boomed. Ji-pyeong took a breath as he prepared to once again pretend. Mi-rae
smoothly steered Chris to the buffet past him.

“Oh, just about politics back home. Your kids must miss you this weekend. How’s Florida?”

They all sat around a table together as Chris regaled them with stories about his children
throughout lunch. The wind whipped at the flagpoles just beyond; the sound of the flags snapping
was the only intrusion on the serene secret world. Ji-pyeong looked out at the placid aqua expanse
of the lap pool. It seemed to stretch into infinity. The pool house just next to it was larger than his
first apartment in Seoul. It all gave the impression of effortless luxury. But as Ji-pyeong took in the
pristine patio, the manicured vegetation, the perfectly coordinated patio furniture, and the lavish
buffet before them he thought of the army of staff that scattered every time he entered a room.

Chris grew particularly animated in response to Sam’s question about his oldest daughter’s college
search. He was full of pride and anxiety as he described her passions and goals. Ji-pyeong normally
dreaded listening to parents talk about their children. It was always a reminder of what he did not
have either as a child or an adult; like nerves sending a signal to a missing limb. Ji-pyeong usually
sat in silence waiting for such discussions to run their course. Conversations about family were a
dead end for Han Ji-pyeong. He did not have the kind of stories that people wanted to hear.

But instead of chafing against what he did not have, Ji-pyeong looked instead at Mi-rae. The bright
sunshine was glinting off her hair as she played with an earring absentmindedly. His eyes traced
down from her fingers down along the graceful slope of her neck. Mi-rae caught his gaze and
smiled at him. Then she could not drag her eyes away.

Something new blossomed within his chest. The space in Ji-pyeong’s heart carved out by loss did
not ache as it used to. New dreams were rushing in to fill it like the tide.

*******
“Alright, any other thoughts on GenOne before we start drafting our follow up communications?”

Chris peered over his glasses. His voice now had a hint of weariness lurking beneath his usual
good cheer.

It was nearly seven in the evening. They had spent the afternoon walking through the GenOne
documents. Sam and Chris were bullish. Mi-rae was unusually quiet. Lack of sleep and the
monotony of marching through binder tabs had frayed at Ji-pyeong’s nerves. He could not shake
his discomfort about GenOne. He tapped his finger on the table as he weighed how to proceed.
Then Ji-pyeong took a deep breath and reminded himself to curb his tongue.

“Yes. I do.”

Ji-pyeong closed his binder and laid his palms flat on the table.

“I brought this deal in. It was my idea to pair GenOne with Minerva. But I have to admit that after
reviewing all of this, I have some new reservations.”

He looked at Mi-rae quickly but could not read her expression.

“I don’t know how to say this other than to just lay it out there. There’s something off about
GenOne’s R&D reports. They are too perfect.”

“Too… perfect?”

Sam squinted, confused. Chris took off his glasses.

“How so?”

Ji-pyeong folded his arms onto the table.

“I’m no scientist, but I’ve reviewed hundreds of start ups. No one —- no one — gets it this right,
this early. Something is up. We need to dig deeper.”
Chris frowned and cocked his head questioningly.

“Look, I know Dusk is an asshole but we can’t let his bullshit this week skew things. You beat out
the likes of Boldman Zachs and Marlyle on this bid. Luffett has even invested 500 million. And
you are questioning it now because of a feeling?”

Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw and took a moment before answering. He respected Chris and did not
want to say something that he would regret.

“Yes, I am. Maybe none of them asked the right questions.”

Chris folded his glasses and placed them on the table with the manner of a professor about to
explain something to a student. Ji-pyeong took a deep breath in an attempt to control his temper.

“I grant you that Erskin Dusk is pompous and egotistical. But everyone also thinks that he is the
next Steve Jobs. Ji-pyeong, he’s got plenty of companies that want to buy GenOne. We have to be
careful or it’ll blow up the deal.”

Ji-pyeong glanced again at Mi-rae. He needed to know where she stood. But she was furiously
highlighting a page in her binder as if the heated conversation between her mentor and Ji-pyeong
was not even happening. Ji-pyeong furrowed his brow and turned back to Chris.

“Steve Jobs had a product the world could actually see for themselves. We have to take GenOne’s
word for their results. Chris, do you know how many shitty apartments I got shown when I was a
broke teenager with promises that it would be warm in the winter? You can’t take anyone's word
for it without evidence.”

Ji-pyeong could feel the associates in the room all staring at him. Everyone now knew his
biography thanks to the New York Times.

“It’s not just their word! We have the lab data right here. It matches everything they’ve said
publicly for the last five years. Ji-pyeong, we can’t question everything now on a hunch. Wall
Street loves him and Dusk will run straight to them instead.”
Ji-pyeong’s hand came down loudly onto the marble. He was running out of patience.

“I don’t care if everyone else loves him! I don’t trust him!”

Mi-rae cleared her throat.

“It’s not just a hunch.”

All heads turned towards Mi-rae. She spun her binder around to face all of them and plunged her
index finger down.

“Why is all of their data only coming from two labs in a small town outside of Rochester? They’ve
been doing R&D for five years and have only used those two labs. Does that sound normal to
you?”

Mi-rae folded her arms across her chest. Her face was now as hard as steel.

“I think they pressured us to close early all week because they don’t want us to ask these
questions.”

There was silence. Ji-pyeong fell back in his chair, awestruck.

She’s so fucking smart.

Mi-rae then turned to Sam. She now commanded the room.

“Have you ever even heard of these two labs?”

She slid her binder over to Sam. He peered closely at the pages. Then he looked at all three of them
slowly.
“No. In my ten years of pharma work I’ve never heard of either of these labs.”

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Well fuck.”

Adrenaline coursed through Ji-pyeong. He knew when he was being fucked with. Ji-pyeong stood
up. Then he rolled up his sleeves as he began pacing.

“We need to know more. I think they’re way overvalued. And we are not going to fucking pay it.”

Ji-pyeong stopped and glanced at his watch.

“We need to get Yoon Seon-hak on the phone now.”

Chris gestured at the phone in the middle of the table. Within minutes they had briefed her. Yoon
Seon-hak’s voice was calm but grave.

“Ji-pyeong, what are you recommending?”

He put his hands on his hips.

“I think we need to ask them a whole list of questions and bury the follow up on the labs in there.
We will do the same to Minerva so they’ll think we are generally just being a pain in the ass.”

“Agreed.”

Mi-rae folded her hands onto the table.

“In the meantime, our team will track down everything we can about these labs. Who owns them,
who else uses them, you name it.”
“That sounds good, Mi-rae.”

“I will turn around those communications to Minerva and GenOne immediately and circulate a
draft within the hour.”

Mi-rae stood up and began gathering her materials. She turned to the associates and quietly asked
them to send the notes that they had compiled. The line crackled.

“I have to say …I am impressed. No one caught this.”

Chris tented his hands together.

“We will figure it out. It might get squirrely but if they’re overvalued then they’re overvalued.
You’re well within your rights under the initial offer to run this down. Seon-hak, the credit goes
entirely to Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Ji-pyeong looked at Mi-rae. His chest swelled with
pride. Then Seon-hak’s voice rang out.

“Excellent work, both of you. I’ll stand by for that draft. If that’s all for now then Chris, may we
speak for a moment?”

Chris raised an eyebrow and looked at Ji-pyeong. He shrugged in reply.

“Certainly. Give me one second.” Chris muted the line and then turned to them.

“Let’s get this draft turned around and out. And then we’re going to have a proper dinner tonight.
Say 8:30? Everyone’s been burning the candle at both ends. There’s nothing to be done until we
hear back from them and the associate research anyway.”

Ji-pyeong, Mi-rae, and Sam murmured their agreement and walked out together. Sam ran his hand
through his hair and let out a deep breath.
“I wonder what the grownups are talking about.”

Mi-rae looked back at the closed door.

“Maybe she looked at our billables for this past week.” Then she saluted both of them. “I’m off to
draft this and get the team on the research. See you in a bit.”

Sam turned to Ji-pyeong.

“Wanna get some air? I could use a drink while we wait.”

Ji-pyeong nodded and followed him out to the patio. A full bar had mysteriously appeared and a
bartender was awaiting them.

Ji-pyeong turned to Sam and whispered.

“What is the deal with Chris? This place is ridiculous.”

Sam nodded knowingly.

“It’s crazy, right? He is from old money, man. His family has been in Long Island longer than the
Roosevelts. If I were him I sure as hell wouldn’t work this hard.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh and accepted a gin and tonic from the bartender.

“Shall we take in the ocean view?”

Sam gestured dramatically ahead. Ji-pyeong smirked and shook his head. Sometimes Ji-pyeong’s
accumulated wealth fit him like his first poorly tailored suit. Walking around a Hamptons beach
front estate with a cocktail in hand as staff attended to their needs during a holiday weekend was
one of those times.
They walked beyond the pool house to a gazebo where a table was being set for dinner by women
in matching blue oxford shirts. Just beyond was a wooden boardwalk over the dunes that led past a
lounge area well appointed with a white couch and chairs. The dunes rose far out ahead; green sea
grass waved in the breeze against the startling blue of the Atlantic. Clouds now shielded them from
the waning sun.

Sam flopped into a chair.

“What a week.”

Ji-pyeong sank into the couch next to him. The weight of his exhaustion made his shoulders sag.

“I feel badly that Mi-rae is still working.”

Sam took his glasses off and polished them against his shirt.

“Me too but this is her thing. She will turn the draft around in no time. I’m keeping an eye on
email.”

He set his phone on the arm of the chair.

Ji-pyeong took a sip of his drink. The taste of juniper and lime was welcomed on his tongue. Sam
leaned forward.

“I can’t believe this shit with GenOne. How did you know? It never even occurred to me that
something could be up with data. I feel like such a dumbass.”

Ji-pyeong scoffed.

“Sam, you’re not a dumbass. People have given them billions . I’ve just come to expect the worst.
I guess that’s what happens when people constantly disappoint you.”
He took another sip.

“But I have to talk about something else right now or I’m going to throw something. What
happened with Max? You can’t tell me all the bad stuff one night and then leave out all the good
stuff that happened after!”

“You really did listen to all the bad stuff!” Sam laughed. “We’re really good. He said that he
freaked out that we got serious so fast. But then he said that he realized that he made a mistake. I
am glad that I was patient. You gave me some good advice, Ji-pyeong. Thank you again.”

Ji-pyeong smiled and nodded.

“You’re welcome. I’m really happy for you.”

And I envy how you can talk about it out loud.

Sam eyed him for a moment as if considering something. Then he picked up his phone and his
eyebrows shot up.

“Ah, the draft is out.”

They reviewed it in silence.

“It looks great.”

Ji-pyeong nodded slowly.

“Yep, it strikes exactly the right tone.”

Then Ji-pyeong’s phone buzzed. It was Yoon Seon-hak.

“I gotta take this.”

Ji-pyeong answered as he strode out onto the boardwalk. A family was packing up their chairs
while a man walked his dog along the shore. All around them people had enjoyed this day by the
sea while he had spent it inside walking an emotional tightrope.

“Ji-pyeong, the draft looks perfect to me. I don’t have any changes.”

“Agreed. Although, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that before.”

Yoon Seon-hak chuckled.

“This has taken quite the turn hasn’t it?”

His shoulders went slack.

“Yes. I’m sorry I should have caught—“

“Ji-pyeong.”

She cut him off sharply.

“You beat out all of Wall Street to land this. And now you’re asking questions no one else has.
You’ve done exactly what you’re supposed to do. No matter what happens you have my
unconditional support.”

Ji-pyeong exhaled. He expected nothing less of her and yet it was still a boon to hear it.

“Ji-pyeong, I am so impressed with Attorney Kim.”

His breath caught in his throat. Ji-pyeong looked up at the sky to steady himself.
“Yes. She is an extraordinary lawyer.”

“I guessed that you thought so. I’ve never seen you complain so little about counsel.”

Ji-pyeong moved the phone away from his ear and bit his lip to control his reaction.

“Ji-pyeong?”

“Yes, yes. I’m here.”

“I spoke with Chris and I’ve engaged them to do the Artemis Tech deal next. She’s by far the best
attorney we’ve worked with in the US. I want her on retainer.”

On retainer.

He felt all the air leave his lungs. Ji-pyeong leaned against the railing as he faltered.

“Understood.”

He felt like someone had just kicked him in the stomach.

“Alright, well it must be getting late over there. I just sent my approval to the team. Try to get some
rest. The emails are coming from you at all hours and you can’t sustain that. I need you at your
best next week.”

He stared blankly at the ocean. It looked gray now beneath the gathering clouds; an endless,
inescapable expanse.

“Mmhmm, I will. Thank you.”

He flipped his phone closed.

There would be no “after the deal.” He closed his fist and pounded the wood just under it.

“Dammit.”

Ji-pyeong let out a shaky breath and dialed Mi-rae’s number. His heart raced as it rang.

“Pick up, pick up….”

Her line went to voicemail instead.

Ji-pyeong sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

I have to find her now.

He clenched his jaw and stalked back across the boardwalk over the dunes to find her. Ji-pyeong
stormed past the gazebo and then the pool house. But as soon as he reached the patio the French
doors swung wide open. Chris, Sam, and Mi-rae walked out together. Chris was smiling from ear
to ear and talking to Sam. Mi-rae’s face was pale. Her lips had nearly disappeared into a thin red
line. It made his heart clench.

She knows.

“Ji-pyeong! You’re headed in the wrong direction.”

He tried not to laugh bitterly at the irony. Mi-rae was looking at the ground. Ji-pyeong thought he
already knew what it was to hate not being able to talk to her alone. But watching Mi-rae’s quiet
despair from a distance was a new kind of torment.

“I assume Seon-hak shared the news? We are delighted. We just love working with you all.”
“I actually just found out myself.”

Ji-pyeong glanced at Mi-rae to make sure that she understood. He caught her eye and then turned
back to Chris. Then he slid his hands in his pockets and tried his best to smile.

“SH Venture Cap will be fortunate indeed to always have your good counsel.”

Ji-pyeong chose his words carefully hoping that they would offer a measure of hope to Mi-rae. If
anyone was going to quit their job it would be him. On the bench that day he had promised her in
his heart that he would be different. Ji-pyeong would never allow her hard earned success to be
compromised because of him.

Mi-rae’s brow furrowed as she stared at him. Sam stepped between them quickly.

“Guys, one drink was not enough after this week. Chris, I hope you’re bringing out the good stuff
tonight.”

Chris laughed and began walking out to the gazebo.

“Sam, it’s like you don’t even know me at all.”

There were now lanterns glowing at their feet as dusk ceded to night. Lights twinkled above them
as they took their seats around the table. Pink hydrangeas burst from the center as waves rolled in
the distance. It was a beautiful summer evening to share a meal by the ocean. But Ji-pyeong was
decidedly not in the mood.

As soon as they were seated, an attendant filled their wine glasses. Chris held his glass aloft.

“The last two weeks have demonstrated just how well SH Venture Cap and Burke Zucker work
together. I am deeply proud of the way you all have handled the last two weeks. This has been one
of the most challenging deals of my career and I’m a lot older than you all. I look forward to our
two institutions working hand in hand as we support you all in achieving your vision.”

As they toasted, Ji-pyeong did his best to smile and murmur his thanks. Mi-rae was looking at him
an almost reckless amount but her expression was inscrutable. It filled him with unease. His nail
scraped against his thumb anxiously.

Oysters on a bed of shimmering ice were passed around the table as their glasses were immediately
topped off with more wine. Ji-pyeong watched as Mi-rae quickly drank half of her glass. There was
nothing to be done but sit here and hope for a chance to speak with her. He decided to join her in
drowning their worries. At least they could do that together. She smiled sadly at him and then
looked at the sea.

Sam and Chris carried most of the conversation throughout the dinner. Ji-pyeong did his best to
contribute. He laughed at their jokes and offered the appropriate observations as his glass was
constantly refilled. But Mi-rae remained silent. Ji-pyeong had sat across a table from her like this
many times before trying in vain to guess what she was thinking. But he had never seen Mi-rae like
this. The only solace this dinner offered was that all four people at the table seemed to have agreed
to a silent pact that the last week had earned them the right to get a little drunk.

By the time their dessert was cleared from the table, the lights around them had grown a bit more
diffuse to Ji-pyeong’s eyes. The air was thick with humidity. The wind off the shore offered the
only relief. Ji-pyeong drank a glass of water quickly to fight against the haze in his head. When he
set it down, his eyes once again found Mi-rae across the table. They had never been so poor at
pretending.

Chris glanced at his watch.

“Well guys, it’s close to 11:30 and I’m just wrecked. When you get to be my age you just can’t
hack these all nighters the same way. I’m going to call my wife and head to bed. The staff is off for
the night but you guys should stay and enjoy the saunternes.”

Chris stood up and swayed a bit before bidding them goodnight. He stopped as he passed Mi-rae
and smiled warmly at her before weaving the path back to the house.

He’s so proud of her.

Ji-pyeong’s heart felt heavy that he was the reason that Mi-rae was feeling despair rather than
triumph. She had impressed his fund so much that they wanted her on retainer before this deal had
even closed. She had caught what everyone else on Wall Street had missed about GenOne’s data.
Mi-rae should be celebrating tonight. Instead she was withdrawn as she lifted the glass of wine
once again to her lips.
He was almost at the end of his rope merely standing by in silence. Ji-pyeong wracked his brain
trying to think of a plausible excuse to be able to talk to her tonight. Perhaps they could wait Sam
out and carve out a few moments here.

Sam leaned his elbow on the table.

“Man, I feel a little drunk.”

Ji-pyeong nodded his head softly. Then Mi-rae abruptly stood and pushed her chair in. He sat up,
surprised.

“Where are you going?”

The question shot out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Mi-rae looked at him. And then she looked at Sam.

“I just need some air.”

Then she turned and started walking towards the boardwalk before either of them could respond. It
took everything within Ji-pyeong’s power not to race after her in the darkness. He gripped the chair
so tightly that his hands went numb.

Sam looked at him. Then he folded his napkin carefully and placed it on the table.

“Ji-pyeong, I am going to head to bed now. Make sure she gets back to the house safely, ok?”

He should have panicked at all that was implicit in Sam’s request. Instead it felt natural. Ji-pyeong
squared his shoulders.

“I will.”
Sam stood up and walked away without another word. Ji-pyeong waited until he turned the corner
before he bolted out of his chair to the boardwalk. And then he ran into the night.

When he reached the sand, Ji-pyeong blinked his eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was pitch black.
There was no moon or stars tonight. The waves were loudly pounding the shore. The pull of the
wind was even stronger here.

“Mi-rae?” He faltered slightly as he tried to walk on the sand in his shoes. “Mi-rae?”

“I’m here.”

Ji-pyeong squinted and then he made out the shape of her ten yards away. She was facing the
ocean. Relief and fear washed over him as he walked towards her. Her skirt was billowing in the
wind and her arms were folded across her chest. Ji-pyeong stood beside her and waited for her to
speak first.

“I want to go back to last night.”

Mi-rae’s voice broke as she said it.

She has been crying.

The realization made him want to gather her in his arms immediately. Ji-pyeong turned towards her
but she took a step back. He swallowed hard. Then Ji-pyeong rushed to fill the silence.

“I was just as shocked as you. And I am so sorry because it’s an achievement that they chose you. I
hate that you’re here feeling like this because of me.”

Mi-rae sniffed and wiped her hands roughly against her cheeks. Ji-pyeong’s hands clenched
uselessly at his side.

“What are we going to do, Ji-pyeong? I stupidly thought that we would have some time … after
this. To figure things out somehow. God I don’t even know what I thought.” Mi-rae ran her hand
through her hair. “But now it’s even worse.”

He tried to step closer to her again.

“Mi-rae, we’ll figure it—“

“You are not quitting your job for me.”

Her words sliced between them. Ji-pyeong stopped and took a deep breath. He needed her to hear
him whether it scared the hell out of her or not.

“Mi-rae, if the choice is between living my life without you or my job, then yes. I am quitting.
That’s not even a choice — it’s just what I have to do.” Ji-pyeong closed the space between them.
“And I’ll wait for as long as I have to after.”

She shook her head slowly as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I can’t let you do that. You’ll regret it.”

Ji-pyeong let out an incredulous huff.

“How can you say that?”

Mi-rae turned away from him as she swallowed a sob. His hands gently turned her back. She
looked at him with a wistful pain that Ji-pyeong had never seen before. His heart felt like it was
going to shatter.

“You say that now because…”

Mi-rae bit her lip as tears tumbled over her cheeks. She had to fight to speak.
“Because it’s the beginning. No one ever thinks they’ll have regrets in the beginning.” She
swallowed the air for a breath. “Ji-pyeong, it’s only been two weeks. What about six months from
now? A year from now? Five years from now? Someday you’ll wake up and I won’t be enough.
You wouldn’t be the first.”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard as she wielded her ex-husband as a wedge. Then he clenched his jaw.

“Don’t do that. Don’t push me away because of him.”

There was immediate regret in her eyes. Mi-rae shook her head hard as her hands flew to her face.

“I’m so sorry… I don’t know why I said that. I just —“

Ji-pyeong pulled her to him and held her close. More tears came. He tightened his arms as she
cried against his chest. Even as the wind whipped around them and sobs racked her shoulders, Ji-
pyeong held her. He was never going to let her go.

Mi-rae finally hiccupped into his shoulder and then looked up at him. Ji-pyeong took her face into
his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

“Our beginning has been so hard. If you love me like this even now, how could you think that
would ever not be enough?”

Ji-pyeong leaned his forehead down against hers.

“Kim Mi-rae, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Mi-rae just looked up at him as her arms tightened around his waist. Ji-pyeong was learning that
when it was just the two of them, Mi-rae only ran out of things to say when she believed him. Ji-
pyeong hugged her again and then grabbed her hand as he pulled away.

He tilted his head at her trying to coax a smile.

“I don’t know if you realize this, but I’m very rich.” He scrunched his nose in a self deprecating
way. “I’ll make the best trophy boyfriend.”

His attempt to make her laugh worked. Mi-rae pushed at his shoulder as she giggled softly.

Suddenly a jagged streak of silver illuminated the beach in brilliant purple for a fleeting moment.
Then thunder rumbled so loudly that Mi-rae jumped and grabbed his arm. A raindrop splattered
against his shirt. And then another. And another.

Fuck.

Mi-rae started running with him back to the boardwalk. The rapid staccato of rain pelted down
loudly all around them as they raced across the wood planks. But before they reached the midway
point, the sky split in half. A deluge of rain drenched them by the time they reached the gazebo.
The wind was blowing furiously and thunder continued to roll. Ji-pyeong pointed to the pool house
as the rain beat against them sideways and then they made a run for it.

They finally reached its safe harbor and shut the door against the summer squall. Ji-pyeong caught
his breath as he looked around the pitch blackness of the cabana. He could make out the shape of a
wet bar, a pool table, and a collection of lounge chairs.

He turned to Mi-rae. She looked down at herself as she lifted the folds of her drenched skirt. Water
was pooling at their feet.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He sighed. Ji-pyeong pulled the heavy wetness of his linen shirt away from his body.

“Today has not been our day.”

They both laughed softly at the absurdity of the situation.

“We're going to have to wait it out here until we make sure everyone is actually asleep.”
Ji-pyeong’s eyes lingered of their own accord on Mi-rae’s t-shirt. It was clinging now to every
curve. Ji-pyeong averted his gaze just as he began to trace the outline of her bra. Instead he focused
on a stack of rolled towels. He grabbed one and wrapped it around her. Then he moved toward the
wall and peered urgently through the rain driving against the window. He narrowed his eyes as
they looked between a space among the wooden shutters.

“The lights are still on in the house on the top floor. After they’re all out you should go back first
after a bit and I’ll follow much later.”

There was silence. Ji-pyeong turned to look at her.

Mi-rae was just staring at him.

“Thank you for listening back there. And for what you said. I am sorry that I got so upset.”

Mi-rae’s voice was quiet. She looked so vulnerable as she stood wrapped in a towel with her hair
dripping wet. Ji-pyeong pushed through the lump in his throat.

“Don’t ever be sorry for telling me how you feel. I always want you to do that.”

Mi-rae swallowed and nodded.

Ji-pyeong peered back outside. There did not seem to be anyone walking around inside the house.
He let out a breath of relief as he rubbed a towel against his hair roughly. Then he heard a lock
turn. Ji-pyeong’s head snapped back in Mi-rae’s direction. Her fingers were still lingering on the
doorknob. And then she dropped her towel to the ground.

His stomach flipped.

“You’re so wet.”

Mi-rae’s voice was low. It sent a pulse of want through him. Her eyes were trailing down all of
him as she drew closer. A klaxon of caution went off in his head. But his heart was beating faster
with every step she took towards him.

“Mi-rae…”

She paid no heed to the warning in his voice. Instead, Mi-rae slowly dragged her fingers down the
wet fabric of his shirt. And then she began to unbutton it.

He bit his lip.

We should not do this here.

And yet Ji-pyeong remained perfectly still as the first button slipped loose. The room was filled
with a silver shudder of lightning. Thunder crackled immediately after. Mi-rae did not flinch. Her
face was determined as her hands worked. Ji-pyeong felt like he needed the wall at his back to keep
upright as another button became free. And then another. His towel fell softly from his fingers.

When she had finished, Mi-rae moved each side of his shirt slowly to the side like she was
unwrapping a gift. Then her fingers hovered above his stomach. Ji-pyeong swallowed hard as just a
few inches remained between him and her touch. It was the space measuring what remained of his
self control. The rain pounded furiously against the shuttered window next to him.

And then the palms of her hands slid up his stomach to his chest. Ji-pyeong tried to stop himself
from trembling as Mi-rae touched him. Short shallow breaths were all that he could draw from the
air.

Mi-rae pressed her palms flat against his chest as if to steady him.

“Ji-pyeong.”

His name was a caress on her tongue. Ji-pyeong’s head fell towards her as his fingers tried to curl
into the wall for mooring. Mi-rae tilted her head as she looked at him. Her eyes were soft with
love.
“I don’t need you to protect me from you.”

Her voice was quiet but her hands were hot as they pressed against his wet skin.

Then her fingers slipped up to his jaw. Mi-rae gathered his face into her hands. Her fingers gently
unfurled up his cheeks. She drew him even closer.

“What I need is you.”

Mi-rae breathed it between them. And then she kissed him like a plea.

Something broke free inside of him as her lips drew him in. Han Ji-pyeong was tired of being told
by the universe that he could not have what he wanted. He wanted Mi-rae more than he had wanted
anything in his life. And he wanted her now.

Ji-pyeong seized her by the waist and began backing her up until they reached the counter of the
bar. His hands tightened and he swiftly lifted Mi-rae onto it. She watched him, spellbound as he
gathered the heavy damp fabric of her skirt in his fist and moved it out of his way. Then Ji-pyeong
grasped her by the hips and filled the space between her legs. Mi-rae gasped into his mouth as he
claimed her as his.

It was different between them tonight. Their mouths were needy and desperate; like there was not
enough of them to fill the ache inside. Hands moved with abandon. Together they rebelled against
everything in the world telling them that they could not be. No boundary could fall quickly enough.
Nothing was close enough. Mi-rae’s hands pushed wildly at his shirt until it fell to the floor. Ji-
pyeong pulled at the knot at her waist until the wet cotton yielded to his will. Then he peeled it off
of her impatiently.

Ji-pyeong braced his hands against the counter as he took in the sight of her for the first time. A
white bra clung precariously to her breasts. His fingers clenched at the edge as Mi-rae quickly
undid the clasp. Then Ji-pyeong let out a shattering breath as it fell away from her body. How
could she be real? Mi-rae looked at him fearlessly as his eyes worshiped her. Then she entwined
her arms around his neck, beckoning him to her.

Ji-pyeong filled his hands greedily as she pulled him against her. Mi-rae felt soft and lush in his
grasp. But she was also feral in his arms. No matter how many liberties he took, she urged him on
wildly. His lips hungrily claimed her neck and then slid a hot wet path down to her breasts. Her
perfume filled his head once again as Ji-pyeong took her between his lips. His mouth made
insistent demands but his tongue swiftly offered amends. Ji-pyeong chased every gasp, every rough
urging of her fingers in his hair.

He felt a wild need to touch her — to draw those sounds out of her and know that Mi-rae was
thinking only of him. Ji-pyeong slid his hand between her legs; his fingers mapping the smooth
expanse of her thigh to the place that felt like a secret just for him. He pulled down her underwear
without ceremony. Mi-rae’s legs fell open wider as he caught her head falling back with his other
hand. And then Ji-pyeong kissed her deeply. The soft wet mystery of her opened to his fingers. He
closed his eyes and listened to her breathlessly as she moved with his hand.

But soon she grasped his wrist and slid him away. Mi-rae looked at him boldly. Her mouth was
wet, her eyes dark. Ji-pyeong felt like he was falling as she urgently began unbuttoning his pants.
Her lips made demands as never before, as if begging him not to think. And then Mi-rae was
touching him for the first time. It made his legs buckle. His head fell against her shoulder as he
tried to steady himself. Now her fingers offered a seductive pleasure. It was as if Mi-rae already
knew the secrets of him too.

“Jipyeong…please.”

She whispered it in his ear.

“Let me have you.”

And then her fingers closed around him and asked again. Ji-pyeong's eyes squeezed shut as his
final straw of control broke. He wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted.

He stilled her hand and pulled away. Then he gathered himself and took her face into her hands.
The rain had now stopped. There was only a sacred silence between them. Ji-pyeong was holding
his entire world between his two palms. It was too important not to ask.

“Are you sure?”

A small smile curved up her lips. Mi-rae touched his cheek tenderly as her eyes told him how
much she loved him.
“Yes. I am sure.”

His mind raced.

How can we do this now? Here?

“But I don’t have anything with me…”

She covered his hands with her own.

“You don’t have to worry about that, I promise.”

Then Mi-rae kissed him and Ji-pyeong knew his answer had to be yes.

It was not how Ji-pyeong imagined making love to Mi-rae for the first time. He had wanted them
to take their time. He had wanted their future to be secure. He hoped beyond reason that he could
bargain with the fates someday for more. But here in her arms, Ji-pyeong realized that there would
never be a perfect moment for this. There would always be the unexpected around the corner. All
they had was now. They had to seize it.

And so they did, with her name on his lips like a prayer.

Mi-rae sighed happily into his mouth as he began to slowly move inside of her. Being so close to
her made his chest feel like it was caving in. He kissed her reverently as her legs circled around his
hips. Ji-pyeong sank deeper and deeper as he gathered her into his arms. He fought fiercely against
the pleasure immediately building inside of him. Ji-pyeong wanted to stay in this moment with her
forever. She was a miracle in his arms.

Far away, there was an intruding buzz. Ji-pyeong tried to ignore it and kissed her more deeply. But
it was soon joined by a phone reverberating on the counter next to them. His hips stuttered between
her legs.

Mi-rae dug her fingers into his back. It was almost painful.
“Don’t you dare stop.”

She demanded it against his mouth. The sound of their phones drifted away. His hips answered her
emphatically and her gasp thrilled him.

“Please god… like that.”

The sound of Mi-rae’s voice in his ear as he filled the velvet depths of her nearly drove him over
the edge. Ji-pyeong tightened his grip on her body and did as she commanded.

But then voices just outside pierced the silence.

A bolt of panic tore through him. Ji-pyeong slipped away in an instant. He yanked his pants up
quickly and snatched her shirt from the floor. Then he hugged Mi-rae tightly against his chest. Ji-
pyeong could not breathe.

What the fuck.

“I don’t understand where they are! It’s all over social media and Bloomberg is already picking up
the story. They just called Seon-hak for comment. How am I supposed to tell her that I can’t find
either of them anywhere?”

It was Chris. And the way he said that last sentence filled Ji-pyeong with alarm.

Does he know?

Mi-rae gasped and stared up at him. Her eyes were asking the same question.

“Chris, I don’t even know why we are looking out here. Didn’t you hear that storm? We’re all
exhausted and had a lot of wine. They probably just passed out and didn’t hear their phones. You
go stall Seon-hak and I’ll knock on their doors again.”
Ji-pyeong could feel Mi-rae’s rapid breaths against his chest as he listened to Sam steer Chris back
inside. His heart was pounding so furiously that he felt like he was going to die. Mi-rae and Ji-
pyeong waited frozen in the darkness until their voices retreated inside. Now the silence was filled
with fear.

“Oh my god.”

Mi-rae whispered it against him. Then she scrambled off the counter. Ji-pyeong pulled his shirt
back on; it was cold and damp against his skin. He took out his phone and opened the first of the
over thirty emails he had received within the last hour. He gritted his teeth at what he saw.

“It’s Dusk. He announced on Twitter that he’s considering suing us for breach and called for new
bids on GenOne.”

Mi-rae raked her shirt over her head.

“Because we asked questions? He’s in breach then! What the fuck does he think he’s doing?”

Ji-pyeong pressed his hand to his forehead as he tried to collect himself. He could not process this
assault on every faculty. But then he looked at Mi-rae. He seized her shoulders.

“Are you ok?”

Mi-rae nodded her head firmly but her lip was trembling.

“I love you.”

He hated how it sounded like a goodbye. He refused to accept it. Ji-pyeong pulled her against him
fiercely.

“I love you too.”

His voice broke as he buried his face in her hair. For just one moment Ji-pyeong had everything he
had ever wanted. Happiness was indeed a fragile thing. Then he dragged himself away from her.

“You go first.”

Mi-rae looked up at him plaintively. Then she pressed a somber kiss to his cheek. And was gone.

Ji-pyeong stumbled back against the wall as his legs gave out. He sank down to the floor.

How is this happening?

He buried his head in his hands. Ji-pyeong did not even know what to think about it first. Joy had
turned to disaster in a matter of seconds. Then anger coursed through him. It was the curse of his
life to always have what he wanted snatched away.

His phone buzzed again.

Ji-pyeong let out a ragged sigh and picked it up.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

“Be careful Ji-pyeong Han.”

He squinted at the screen in confusion.

What the hell does that mean?

Then three photographs appeared in quick succession.

First, it was the two of them in the elevator. Then they were hand in hand in the parking garage.
Finally, they were disappearing behind the stairwell door.
Bile rose up in Ji-pyeong’s throat as he stared at the screen. The phone shook in his hand as three
more dots then menacingly appeared.

The final message was swift and cut deep.

“You’re not the only one who can ask questions.”

**********
 Chapter Ten

“I love you too.”

Mi-rae drew in a deep breath as his lips moved in her hair. Ji-pyeong’s arms felt strong and steady
around her even as his heart was pounding against her cheek.

A surprising wave of calm washed over her. Everything was falling apart. But what actually
mattered was never more clear.

Him.

Ji-pyeong was willing to walk away from his career for her in a heartbeat. He came and found her
in the darkness when she ran away. He held her even as she faltered and lashed out. And then
showed her how much he wanted her anyway. Now, in the midst of chaos, Ji-pyeong’s only
question was about whether she was okay.

The agony of their beginning offered an unexpected gift: proof of the faith for which Ji-pyeong had
always asked. Mi-rae no longer merely hoped that he would always stay by her side. She knew that
Ji-pyeong would. Whatever awaited them on the other side of that locked door, Kim Mi-rae had
faced far worse alone.

All of the insecurities and worries that had plagued her seemed profoundly small compared to the
love swelling inside of her chest. Mi-rae had clung to her career because people always let her
down. She had feared heartbreak because that was all she had known before him. But Han Ji-
pyeong was selfless and patient; kind and passionate. It was as if he had translated love into a new
language. And so here in his arms she thought only of protecting what was between them. Because
what was life without love like that?

I know what I have to do.

Just as Mi-rae became resolved, Ji-pyeong slowly pulled away from her. Her heart clenched as she
watched him try to gather himself. Ji-pyeong was always the one to steady her but now it was clear
that he was shaken. His eyes were wide and searching the darkness for answers that it could not
offer as his fingers clutched helplessly at his throat. Mi-rae was about to reach back out to him but
Ji-pyeong stepped away.

“You go first.”

It felt like he was asking her to cut off a limb.

Mi-rae could not bear to leave him. And yet she must. The other side of the door had to be faced.
And if Mi-rae told him what she was about to do he would only try to stop her.

She reached up to kiss him, avoiding his lips out of fear of her own weakness. A sharp pain pierced
her chest as she pressed his cheek. They had just become a part of one another. Saying goodbye to
Ji-pyeong now when she should still be in his arms felt like blasphemy. But she forced herself to
turn around and walk away.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Mi-rae fell back against the other side. She gulped in
the cool air as water dripped from the roof onto her shoulders. Then she turned her cheek against
the door. Mi-rae had left a piece of herself with him. Her hand pressed flat against her chest but it
could not relieve the ache inside.

A chair was on its side before her. The illuminated aqua of the pool was now sullied by leaves.
Everywhere, water dripped in a low chorus of consequences left behind by the thunderstorm. In the
eerie stillness, footlights revealed the path forward.

We will never hide again.

Mi-rae ran across the patio to keep her promise.

****
Mi-rae was standing outside a different door now. An echo of panic at the sound of Sam and
Chris’s low voices reverberated through her body. She closed her eyes at the memory of Ji-pyeong
holding her against his chest just a short time ago. And then she pushed it from her mind and
clutched the piece of paper in her hand tightly. Her throat felt raw as she swallowed.

Mi-rae tucked the front of her white button down into her jeans. She had changed so quickly after
making her way back to her room that she was still trying to compose herself. This was about to be
one of the most important conversations of her life.

She gritted her teeth and knocked on the door to Chris’s office.

There was a long silence.

“Come in.”

She breached the threshold between what would forever be the before and after of her career.

Sam and Chris looked up at her in unison. The concern on both of their faces made her throat
tighten. Mi-rae had never needed her best friend and mentor more than in this moment. But she did
not know if they would remain so after what she was about to say.

“I need to talk to both of you.”

Chris nodded gravely as he eyed the sheet of paper dangling from her hand. Then he rose slowly
from his desk and walked around to the center of the room. Chris pulled up two chairs close to Sam
and motioned for her to sit.

Mi-rae spread the paper flat on her lap. Then she took a deep breath and plunged ahead just as she
had practiced in her room.

“The night before our SK meetings began, I met Ji-pyeong at a bar. At the time neither of us
realized who the other was. Nothing happened but there was …a connection. As soon as we
figured it out the next morning we tried to shut it down.”
Mi-rae glanced at Sam and his eyes widened with understanding. Then she stared down at the four
corners of white paper that would determine her fate. Mi-rae forced herself to continue.

“But it didn’t work.”

Sam’s eyebrows knitted together sympathetically. Chris remained stoic.

“We are now in a relationship. And Ji-pyeong has offered to leave SK.”

Her words did not sound nearly as measured as she had hoped. But they reverberated through the
room anyway.

“You are both my partners. Chris, you have mentored me and are the reason why I am still at this
firm. Sam, you are my best friend. I hid this from you both.”

Mi-rae closed her eyes for a moment and gathered herself.

“My choices have put the two of you in a difficult ethical position and brought risk to the entire
firm — especially in the midst of what is now going on for all the world to see. For all of that, I
apologize.”

Then she picked up the piece of paper and offered it to Chris.

“I am withdrawing from representation of SK and have drafted a letter of resignation from Burke
Zucker.”

Chris sighed deeply as his hands flew to his face. Sam’s head tilted at her ruefully, his eyes
pleading. Mi-rae struggled to swallow the lump in her throat.

Chris stood up and walked over to a window. After a few moments, he turned around.

“Mi-rae, do you want my advice?”

“Yes.”

She choked it out.

“Then I’m going to ask you a question first. And I want you to really think about it before you
answer.”

His voice was very quiet as he studied her. Mi-rae bit her lip preparing herself for her mentor’s
appraisal.

“It’s been a very short amount of time. Is he worth this?”

“Yes.”

The answer rang out from Mi-rae immediately. And as soon as she said it, a weight lifted from her
chest.

Chris absorbed her answer and then sat back down in his chair.

Mi-rae rushed to continue. She had to get this over with.

“I have already drafted this letter to the partnership—“

Chris held up his hand immediately.

“Stop.”

Mi-rae pulled back in surprise. Then he leaned his elbows on the arms of the chair and pressed
forward. His voice was thick with emotion.
“Mi-rae, I’m going to be honest. It is very hard for me to be impartial here. It has always been my
hope for you to take over my practice one day. But I’m going to try my best.”

Mi-rae's lip began to tremble.

“Don’t just resign. You don’t have to make that choice if you don’t want to. You didn’t do
anything wrong.”

His eyes were kind.

“Life happens, Mi-rae.” His hands unfolded in the air as if to underscore the mystery. “This
situation is obviously not ideal but you handled it as best you could. Stay and fight for what you’ve
earned.

Then Chris sat back in his chair.

“Whatever you decide, you have my support.”

Mi-rae let out a breath. Hearing that she had his support brought her such relief that she almost felt
ashamed of it. She could not find the words to adequately respond. Chris offered her the mercy of
filling the silence.

“I’m glad that you came to me. I mean, when both of you were MIA with all hell breaking
loose….” He raised his eyebrows at her. “Well, I’m not an idiot, Mi-rae. It all makes sense in
hindsight. I tried to cover with Seon-hak tonight as best as I could.”

“Oh Chris.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I never intended to put you in this position.”

Chris huffed a small laugh.

“I serve on the firm’s ethics committee, remember? Do you really think that this is the first time
something like this has come up? This is nothing!”
Then he cocked his head.

“Will you consider not resigning?”

Mi-rae did not know how to answer as she tried to imagine a scenario where that would be
possible. Chris sensed her ambivalence and looked at her and then Sam.

“The New York rules only specifically prohibit this in domestic cases and then list various factors
to consider for other situations. This is an area so gray that it could be a bar exam question. But
gray is what we do, right? So let’s run through it.”

Mi-rae’s eyes widened. Chris grew animated as he began to lay out his analysis.

“There is no power imbalance between you and Ji-pyeong for which the rule is designed to protect
a client against. Not only is he vice president of a major investment fund, the man is a damn force
of nature. But the conflict of interest could be an issue. That said, the client is the corporation and
every decision we have made has been signed off on by me as the senior partner on the
engagement letter and Seon-hak as CEO. That all mitigates against it having compromised our
representation over the last few days. You came forward quickly to withdraw and Ji-pyeong has
offered to leave his company as well.”

He stopped and looked at Mi-rae.

“Did I miss anything?”

Mi-rae shook her head. It was surreal to listen to her mentor analyze the fact pattern of her life as if
they were discussing a routine hypothetical problem. Chris sat back in his chair and rubbed his
hands together.

“So here’s an alternative. From now on we will handle this by the book. You will inform SK
tonight. I’ll alert the firm ethics committee as to why you have withdrawn. And Sam and I will
cover the merger —such as it is — from this point forward. SK can then obviously decide how
they want to handle your retainer for other matters in the future depending on Ji-pyeong’s status.”

Mi-rae blinked rapidly trying to process the path that he was offering. She had practiced her speech
expecting at best disappointment and at worst rebuke.
“But what about the partnership? Chris, I barely even made it after everything that happened. I
can’t go through all of that again…”

Mi-rae trailed off as she imagined staying in the midst of the gossip and judgment that would
follow being at the center of yet another scandal. It made her sick to her stomach. Chris pulled his
chair forward and waited for her attention. His face grew grave and there was a new edge to his
tone.

“Your ex-husband slept with a junior lawyer under his supervision and Burke Zucker did nothing
about it. And then they put you through hell. I almost left over it until they came to their senses. If
anyone at the firm has a problem with this now then they can fuck off.”

“Agreed.” Sam jerked his head defiantly and smiled at Mi-rae. “Fuck. Them.”

Mi-rae fell back into her chair. Chris then crossed his leg and pressed on with his theory of the
case.

“Who’s going to even report it? SK? Come on, they love you. Plus the bar doesn’t have time for
this. It’s at most a censure. I’m happy to call out their hypocrisy on all the other shit they ignore
when it comes to women and make them sorry for it. And if anyone does have a problem with it at
the firm then I’ll just take my book of business and we will start our own damn firm. Does it look
like I need Burke Zucker?”

Chris motioned all around him. It was the one room in this vast house that remained a shrine to the
past. The bound books and rich antique furnishings of his office answered for him.

“But …” Mi-rae could scarcely get the words out. “Why would you do all that just for me?”

Chris looked at her as if the answer was obvious.

“Because the three of us have worked together side by side for over a decade. That matters to me
more than the name on my business card.”

He looked down for a moment and then back up at her.

“Mi-rae, after your father passed…”

My father?

Chris stopped and cleared his throat. She had never seen him so emotional. Mi-rae’s hands
clutched at the arms of the chair.

“Well, I admit that I indulged myself in thinking that I should look out for you. It’s what I would
want for my children if my wife and I were gone. You don’t need me to of course. But when
you’ve asked, I’ve tried to be there. And I’m here now.”

Mi-rae’s heart clenched. Then Sam reached over and touched her arm gently.

“Mi-rae, remember when we sat next to each other that first day of orientation?”

Sam smiled at her warmly. The memory grounded her in all that she had shared with these two men
over the last ten years.

“I never would have made it this far without you. I respect the hell out of you. Over the last week
you have been the happiest that I’ve ever seen you. I suspected that it was because of him. If that’s
a problem for the rest of our partners then I don’t want any part of them either.”

Mi-rae looked down at her hands. Blow after blow had come tonight. And yet the three most
important people in her life were all standing by her side. Mi-rae was overcome with so much
gratitude that words were woefully inadequate.

“I —I don’t know what to say.” She looked at each of them with her heart full. “Thank you.”

Chris gave Mi-rae a lopsided smile as she folded the letter in half. Then he clapped his hands
together loudly.

“Alright well if that’s settled, Sam and I still have this complete shitshow to attend to so—”
There was a sharp rap at the door.

Chris looked up.

“Yes?”

The door opened.

It was Ji-pyeong.

Mi-rae’s stomach dropped as she gasped. He looked like a shell of himself.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes were red and his hair was wild. He was still wearing his damp clothing. Ji-pyeong
leaned against the doorframe as if he needed it to keep him upright.

He has been crying.

Her letter of resignation slipped to the floor as Mi-rae shot out of her chair. When she reached him,
Ji-pyeong closed his eyes briefly as if willing himself not to break down.

“Mi-rae, may I speak with you in private for a moment?”

His voice was shaking. She clamored to assure him.

“Ji-pyeong, it’s alright. I just talked to Sam and Chris and…”

“Mi-rae, please.”

Her eyes searched his trying to understand why he was so distraught.

Should I not have left him?

Mi-rae reached for his arm and squeezed it. He did not react. Her blood ran cold.

“Okay.”

She glanced back at Sam and Chris who were aghast at the change in Ji-pyeong. Then she followed
him out of the room.

Ji-pyeong walked quickly down the hallway and did not turn around. Mi-rae raced to follow him.

“Ji-pyeong.”

He kept walking.

Mi-rae rushed ahead of him so that she could face him. Ji-pyeong’s eyes were now filled with
tears. She had never seen him look so lost. Her hands flew up to his face.

“Ji-pyeong, it’s going to be okay. I just talked to them and they —“

“No. It’s not okay, Mi-rae.”

He firmly moved her hands away and then stalked into an empty room. Mi-rae followed him inside
with her heart in her throat.

Ji-pyeong closed the door and sank against it. He looked at her for a moment with an expression on
his face so stricken that it terrified her.

What on earth is going on?

Ji-pyeong took a deep breath and then plunged forward.

“Someone took photographs of us in the CNBC building and sent them to me anonymously as a
threat.”

Mi-rae silently tried to absorb what Ji-pyeong was saying as he spit out each word with venom.

“Of us.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice cracked as he then struggled to speak.

“In the elevator…and the parking garage …”

He trailed off as his hands covered his face.

“I am so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

A soft sob escaped from him. All Mi-rae could think about was how Ji-pyeong was breaking apart
in front of her. She rushed towards him but he held out his hands to block her.

“Didn’t you hear me? Those pictures could end up everywhere! They’ll drag your name through
the mud!”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flashed with shame. Mi-rae pushed through his hands and threw her arms around
his neck. She pulled him close as her heart raced with worry. Yet he remained listless.

Mi-rae drew back to face him. Ji-pyeong looked so heartbroken that tears pricked behind her eyes
too.

Again she reached gently for his face.

“It’s not your fault.”

His head tilted in her hands as a tear slid down his cheek.

“That’s not true and you know it.”

He was taking on far too much and it tore at her heart to see it. Mi-rae tried to steady him.

“Ji-pyeong, I started it in the elevator. We both made those choices in the garage. Someone spied
on us. They are who we blame.”

But Ji-pyeong would not hear it. He looked past her as Mi-rae watched him replay his choices over
in his head.

“I tried to be so careful to protect you and then … I was reckless. God it was such a stupid
mistake.”

“Both of us were reckless yesterday! Because living like this isn’t sustainable!”

Ji-pyeong looked down while shaking his head as he choked back another sob. Mi-rae had to pull
him out of this spiral of self recrimination. Telling the truth about Ji-pyeong had filled her with a
strength that she did not know that she possessed. The world could burn down as long as she had
him.

“My love.”

Ji-pyeong blinked in shock at being called that. It just unfurled from her heart. Because that is what
he was.

Now Ji-pyeong was listening.

“‘We will figure it out together.’ Remember? That is what you told me.”
Ji-pyeong’s eyes searched hers as if he could not believe what she was saying. And so Mi-rae drew
his forehead down to hers to make him understand.

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“How can you say that after this?” Ji-pyeong let out a ragged breath. “I don’t deserve you.”

Everything inside of her rebelled. If Ji-pyeong’s life so far had convinced him of that myth then it
had to stop right now.

“We have been through so much alone for so long, Ji-pyeong.” She caressed his cheek gently.
“Don’t you think that we deserve each other?”

Mi-rae answered her own question by sealing her lips to his. She would bind Ji-pyeong up herself if
he would not give himself the grace. And so she drew in his lower lip and offered him her faith in
return. Then her lips parted to assure him of her love no matter what was coming for them.

Finally, Ji-pyeong gave into her embrace. He pulled her fiercely into his arms. And then Ji-pyeong
kissed her like he needed it to keep breathing.

By the time he pulled away, Mi-rae knew that nothing could ever come between them. Ji-pyeong
sighed and just looked at her.

“Are you ok?”

Ji-pyeong gave the smallest of nods. Mi-rae pressed her hands against his chest as if to make sure.
He gave her a sad hint of a smile in return for her persistence.

“I am now.”

She kissed him again and then tried to smooth away what the rain had done to his shirt.
“I told Chris and Sam everything and am withdrawing from representing SK. They have my back.
They even said that they would leave the firm with me if it comes to it. That is the only reason
why I left you…after.”

After.

Ji-pyeong’s hands tightened around her waist. Everything had happened so quickly between them
tonight that it was like trying to reconcile a dream before a nightmare. But now Ji-pyeong’s chest
was rising and falling rapidly under her palms again. She knew the way his body felt under her
hands; what it was for him to fill the ache inside of her. Together, they were like nothing she had
ever experienced before.

Mi-rae closed her eyes as her fingers slid up and curled into the collar of his shirt. Ji-pyeong
remained still and yet she was drawn towards him anyway.

So much remained unfinished between them.

But we have to focus.

They needed their wits tonight. Mi-rae took a deep breath and released his collar as she pulled back
from temptation. Ji-pyeong's hands went lax at her hips. She steeled herself to deal with the matter
at hand.

“Ji-pyeong, even if all hell breaks loose about us, I am ready. I already offered my resignation
tonight anyway. Chris just refused to accept it.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flew wide open. His hands seized hers.

“You what?”

“I didn’t say anything before I left because I knew that you would just try to stop me.”

He shook his head in violent protest. Mi-rae just looked at him as he proved her point. Ji-pyeong
let out an exasperated breath and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
“But I never wanted you to have to do that for me!

An incredulous huff flew from her lips.

“Oh you can do that for me but I can’t for you ? That’s not how things are going to work between
us, Ji-pyeong. If that’s what has to happen because of blowback from these photographs, so be it.”

He opened his mouth to respond but then promptly closed it. Mi-rae could almost see the wheels
turning in Ji-pyeong’s head as he tried to find a way around her logic.

Then he sank further against the door.

“But I can’t stand thinking about the things that people will write or say because of this. You don’t
deserve that.”

“Ji-pyeong, I have weathered much harder things than this by myself. Now I have you. I can take
whatever comes just like you can.”

Ji-pyeong looked away, overcome with emotion. Mi-rae folded her hands into his and drew them
close.

“This.”

She pressed their hands against her chest so that he would look at her again.

“What is between us is so good, my love. So we hold onto this no matter what is out there. And we
stop hiding.”

Tears of a different kind shone in his eyes now. His hands squeezed hers back tightly. Then Ji-
pyeong drew her into his arms.
“Sometimes I can’t believe you’re real.”

Mi-rae smiled at the renewed feeling of his lips against her hair.

“Like you should talk.”

She mumbled it against his chest. His heart was steady now. Mi-rae let out a sigh of relief. Then
she stepped back and held out her hand.

“Now show me the pictures.”

Ji-pyeong’s shoulders sank wearily as took his phone out of his pocket. He pulled up what she
asked for and handed it over.

Mi-rae felt outside of herself as she stared at the photographs of them. It was a gross intrusion. But
instead of shame or fear, adrenaline pulsed through her body. She clenched her jaw. What was
between them was everything to her. Mi-rae would not allow anyone to threaten it.

“‘You’re not the only one who can ask questions.’”

She read the profane words out loud slowly as her mind turned the events of the day around and
around. Then a revelation flashed through her.

“We made a mistake. But he made a bigger one.”

Mi-rae held the phone up in the air.

“This was sent within minutes of that tirade on Twitter. We must be on to something big with the
labs, Ji-pyeong. Dusk could have just threatened to pull out as we expected. But he overplayed his
hand and now we know that we’re right. People don’t send threats like this unless they have
something to hide.”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes.

“I assumed it was him too. But the pictures are from the garage and the elevator in the CNBC
building. So someone was waiting for us down there but they also had access to the CCTV. It
could also be CNBC. The press asks ‘questions’ too.”

Mi-seon read the message again.

“Yeah but the way it’s written is predicated on you having asked questions first. That doesn’t really
make sense if it’s CNBC.”

Mi-rae rubbed her lip with her thumb thinking as Ji-pyeong muttered to himself.

“Occam’s razor is bullshit.”

A puff of amusement escaped her lips despite the photograph she was staring at. Then Mi-rae
looked with surgical detachment at the image of Ji-pyeong leaning towards her in the elevator. This
was now a puzzle to be solved.

“Everyone knew you were going on that show beforehand. They hyped the hell out of it. If it was
CNBC, then they’ve had since yesterday morning to ask for comment and publish the photos. How
is threatening you without asking for anything in their interest? Just imagine the clicks for a
headline like ‘Han and his lawyer having an affair as deal melts down.’ Now is the time to run it.”

Mi-rae scrolled through the photographs again.

“Plus no one has contacted me. CNBC would definitely need to give me a chance to respond first
because I’m not a public figure. At least not yet.”

Ji-pyeong grimaced at her dark humor. Then Mi-rae tapped the screen with her finger. She had
arrived at her conclusion.

“It’s so cloak and dagger it just doesn’t make sense for it to be CNBC. All you need is a private
investigator and money to spread around to get this. You got so much attention, Ji-pyeong. I bet it
drove him crazy. Then you challenged him. Now he is hoping that between this and the threat to
sue that you’ll just slink away so he can find another buyer.”
Ji-pyeong stretched his neck slowly as he processed her analysis. Then he nodded his head firmly.

“A buyer that won’t ask as many questions. So it is Dusk.”

Ji-pyeong pushed off the door, jaw clenched. He was now seething with anger.

“I’m going to call Seon-hak to explain what’s happened. Fill in Sam and Chris and then let’s meet
in their office.”

A rush coursed through her as Ji-pyeong came back to himself.

*********

“I just got off an emergency call with our board. Given all of tonight’s developments we no longer
wish to proceed with purchasing GenOne. Dusk cannot be trusted. The board has also rejected Ji-
pyeong’s offer of resignation, for now.”

Yoon Seon-hak’s voice rang out from the speakerphone. Mi-rae’s stomach dropped at that
qualification. Even if Ji-pyeong had considered doing so on his own, the public optics of a
resignation now were dire.

He did not meet her gaze. Ji-pyeong’s face remained inscrutable as Yoon Seon-hak continued.

“Our main priority now is avoiding litigation. This negative publicity is damaging to SK and even
if we counterclaim it’s costly. I want a clean exit.”

Mi-rae remained silent. Chris prepared to speak.

“Well if that’s the case then I’m glad so many of us were unsuccessful at resigning tonight.”

Chris looked at her pointedly and then resumed talking.

“They don’t have a case for breach but that doesn’t mean it won’t cost millions dealing with it.
Dusk is crazy enough to do it just to distract from whatever he is up to and frame you all as in the
wrong. So, let’s prove that we are right now. No one knows GenOne better than Ji-pyeong and Mi-
rae. We need them and we need more time.”

There was silence. Then Yoon Seon-hak cleared her throat.

“Ji-pyeong, what do you think we should do?”

Ji-pyeong’s stance widened. He had changed into charcoal gray slacks and a black button down
even at this late hour. His hair was brushed resolutely back into place. The sharp line of his jaw
was set with determination.

“We appeal to his ego. You fly here and ask to meet with him to buy us a few days. Hint at even
more money. Make it look like I’ve had my legs cut out from under me and you’re swooping in to
save the deal.”

He started pacing the room. Mi-rae’s eyes followed every movement, mesmerized by watching the
man that she loved in his element.

“I’ll grovel too so he thinks that his threats worked. He will relish the chance to lord it over me in
person.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a bitter laugh as he framed the scene with his hands.

“That and a fast payday will be too hard to pass up. Chris and Sam can keep the wheels turning as
if the deal is going forward. Meanwhile, we try to find what we need to nail him to the wall.”
Ji-pyeong stopped pacing. Then he slid his hands into his pockets and confidently surveyed the
room.

He is so brilliant.

Ji-pyeong’s strategic mind was always exhilarating. But now as he held the room in his command,
searing memories of them moving together flashed through her mind. Adrenaline in the face of a
crisis ceded to a thrilling tingle that began along her neck and then coursed deep within. From his
bold profile to the long length of his body, Han Ji-pyeong was an all consuming need that could not
be satisfied. Mi-rae finally looked away as her cheeks flush with heat.

They all awaited Yoon Seon-Hakan's verdict in silence. She finally gave a noise of approval.

“I like it. Alright, I will reach out to Dusk and make arrangements to be in New York by Tuesday.
But what if it actually is CNBC who has those photographs? How do we keep a lid on them for
now?”

Ji-pyeong’s brow furrowed as he glanced at her. Then he started pacing again as he thought out
loud.

“I’ll call that reporter, Foster, and dangle the possibility of an exclusive story. I'll make them
nervous that we could go to Bloomberg instead. That should hold them at bay for a day or two if it
actually was them.”

Sam raised his hand awkwardly.

“Um, is there any way that we could try to trace that number?”

Ji-pyeong spun around.

“How?”

Sam adjusted his glasses.

“Assholes like him who think they’re untouchable are not always as careful as you’d think. Even if
he or somebody working for him used software to mask the data, someone with the right tech
know-how can often trace it anyway. They can even hack the phone. We can’t do it legally of
course but maybe …”

“Dammit.”

Ji-pyeong cut Sam off. Everyone in the room watched as Ji-pyeong then closed his eyes and
pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was in pain. Finally Ji-pyeong’s shoulders went slack and he
let out a deep sigh. He put his hands on his hips and looked up at the ceiling as if begging it for
patience.

“I know some people who might be able to help with that.”

Yoon Seon-hak chuckled.

“Yes, you certainly do.”

Mi-rae looked at him questioningly.

Why is he so annoyed?

Ji-pyeong just shook his head as he rolled his eyes. Then the line crackled.

“Alright let’s set the trap and hope we can find what it will take to snap it.”

Yoon Seon-hak paused for a moment and took an audible deep breath.

“Ji-pyeong, I won’t mince words. I lobbied hard for you tonight. You’ve worked too hard for too
long for something that isn’t your fault to come back and bite you so publicly. But if this gets any
worse for SK, the board will ask you to resign and take responsibility.”
The cords in Ji-pyeong’s neck tightened.

“I understand.”

A cold knife of dread slid under Mi-rae’s rib.

His reputation will be ruined.

Memories of her father flooded her mind. His smile as he drove a red convertible in the sunshine.
Whispered conversations about bills from another room. The warmth of his arm around her as she
bent over a scorecard at a baseball game. His shoulders sagging in defeat as they packed up yet
another apartment. The pride on his face at her law school graduation. A phone call in the middle
of the night. Placing his clothes in boxes for the last time.

Mi-rae’s fingers clenched at the pen within her fist. She would never again allow someone that she
loved to bear the cost of another’s lies.

Mi-rae stepped forward.

“I just received a lot of the research on these labs from our team. As soon as I review it all, I will
head to Rochester on my own and track down anyone who might be willing to talk. Maybe there’s
an employee who has an axe to grind against Dusk. He can’t be an easy man to work for and
they’re scientists. They didn’t sign up to commit fraud.”

Her eyes found his across the room.

“We can prove this. I know we can.”

Ji-pyeong’s face bloomed with such faith that she felt capable of anything.

I won’t let him do this to you.

Mi-rae set her chin defiantly.

“We are going to bring Dusk down.”

Ji-pyeong folded his arms.

“Damn right we are.”

*******
 Chapter Eleven

“You sound so tired, Mi-rae. Have you slept at all?”

Ji-pyeong’s brow furrowed with worry.

The green of Central Park stretched before him as he stood before his hotel window with her voice
pressed to his ear. Ji-pyeong had turned to this view often since Mi-rae hugged him goodbye on
Sunday.

“Have you?”

He could not fib.

“Not really.”

“We will both sleep after this is over, Ji-pyeong.”

He rubbed his forehead.

“Well, one way or another that will be tomorrow.”

Ji-pyeong hated how defeated his voice sounded. Mi-rae clamored to bolster him.

“We have so much already! The labs are owned by four tiers of dummy corporations that we
traced back to GenOne. The turn over rate of lab technicians is insane! There were apparently
anonymous tips called into the state board of health. There’s a lawsuit by a vendor that’s under
seal. I can take this to the US Attorney. And that’s only what we’ve dug up just this week, Ji-
pyeong!”
It’s not enough.

Ji-pyeong sighed and loosened his tie. It was nearly six in the evening and he had come back to the
hotel to clear his head after an insufferable day of calls with GenOne. If Ji-pyeong was placing a
wager on tomorrow’s final ruse, he would not bet on them.

“Mi-rae, we may understand what that all means but it’s too complicated for everyone else. An
investigation will take months. So will a lawsuit. In the meantime Dusk will just shout even louder
and come at us with everything he has. And the media will eat up the circus because that’s easier
than digging deep.”

Ji-pyeong had known men like Dusk his entire life. He was just another version of the man who
had shouted at his orphanage for daring to be in line ahead of him at a baseball game. He expected
to get what he wanted as if by right no matter who got in the way. And the media would just stand
by like all of those silent spectators when he was a boy. Ji-pyeong did not yet have what he needed
to punch back.

“He has the platform to do plenty of damage to us with a few tweets. Especially when he gets wind
of who you’ve been talking to. We need something bigger than a trail that merely points in one
direction or we will just have to quietly wait it out. We can’t risk him retaliating.”

Ji-pyeong winced at the thought of those photographs flooding social media. It made him sick to
his stomach no matter how brave Mi-rae was. But Ji-pyeong also knew that he did not need to
varnish the truth with her. Mi-rae was his partner in every way.

“All of the former employees I’ve talked to are terrified, Ji-pyeong. Dusk has used every trick in
the book to tie them in knots. Non-disclosure agreements, severance agreements with extended
health care coverage, you name it. No one is willing to talk publicly. If he has threatened us, then
just imagine what he’s done to them.”

Ji-pyeong clenched his fist.

“It has taken everything in me to grovel to that asshole this week, Mi-rae. He was insufferable on
the calls with Yoon Seon-hak today. Even she almost lost her cool. If I have to walk into that
meeting tomorrow and just fold, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“We are not folding.”

Mi-rae’s voice echoed through her speakerphone. Ji-pyeong smiled despite himself at her
determination. He could picture Mi-rae’s face now as if she was still standing in Chris’s office —
like they alone could take Dusk on. Every conversation with her while they had been apart was
like this. He expected the worst. Mi-rae was unwavering in her hope. And though he had not
believed it possible, every day Ji-pyeong loved her even more for it.

Mi-rae rushed to fill the void of doubt.

“I’m on my way now to Rensselaer Polytech. There’s a former lab tech who quit only six months
into her tenure. Now she’s in a PhD program. She’s young and, from what I can tell from her social
media, idealistic and politically active. And if that doesn’t work, then I’ll find the next one. And
then the next one. I will find someone who is willing to blow the whistle. I promise you, my love.”

My love.

How could two words hold such power?

Ji-pyeong turned around and leaned back against the glass. His life had largely been defined by
“mister” or “director” or “vice president” — because that was all Han Ji-pyeong ever was to those
around him. Only Grandmother had loved him enough to name him otherwise. But while “good
boy” had stubbornly burrowed its way into his heart, it also came with an implicit set of
expectations. Ji-pyeong often felt like he fell short.

He had staggered back into that house Saturday night convinced that Mi-rae would end it. Or that
he would have to in order to save her career. Ji-pyeong had hated himself for being yet another
disappointment in her life when all he wanted was to be different. Instead, Mi-rae had claimed him
by a new name. She offered it unconditionally as a mooring in what could have been the very
moment that she walked away.

And it held him fast every day.

“You don’t have to promise that, Mi-rae. You’ve done so much already.”

“I love you, Ji-pyeong.”

Mi-rae’s voice was resolute as she pushed through the retreat seeping into his voice. The strength
of it made Ji-pyeong stand up straighter.

“I love you too. So much.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I am finished talking to her. Please try to rest at some point tonight, Ji-
pyeong. You’ve done everything you can to prepare for tomorrow. And eat something too, ok? As
soon as you hang up, order room service. I mean it.”

The simple reminder made his chest ache. Now there was someone who was worried about
whether he had slept and eaten.

“I will.” Ji-pyeong swallowed the lump in his throat. “You too, Mi-rae. And be careful driving. Did
you get coffee or something?”

“Ji-pyeong, I just drank a 24 ounce gas station iced coffee and I’m going blast T Swift all the way
there to stay awake.”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“Okay but not Folklore. Not tonight.”

Mi-rae laughed slyly.

Fuck.

He closed his eyes knowing that he had just been caught.

“Okay when I get back, you and I are going to have a conversation about what you’ve been
listening to and why, Ji-pyeong.”
His lips folded into one another in delighted embarrassment. Then Ji-pyeong leaned his head back
against the glass and sighed. He was tired of fighting against the tide. Part of him desperately
wanted to just run away with Mi-rae and tell the world to go to hell. His heart spoke into the
silence.

“I miss you.”

“Oh so is that why you’re suddenly so intimately familiar with Taylor’s catalog?”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked as he refused to answer. Instead he patiently waited for what he wanted
to hear.

Mi-rae sighed wistfully.

“I miss you too.”

“Ah.”

Ji-pyeong lowered his head as his voice dropped low.

“There it is.”

Mi-rae made the small sound that Ji-pyeong craved like a drug. It meant that she was thinking
about him. He smoothed his tie and cleared his throat before his thoughts wandered far beyond just
sleeping next to her.

“You hang up first. You know that I’m terrible at it.”

She laughed fondly.

“Ok.”
Mi-rae did as he asked.

Ji-pyeong walked over to the desk and crossed his arms. He eyed the two different draft statements
that he had prepared for tomorrow. One version represented victory over his rival; the other sought
a quiet exit from the world stage. Either way, his career would never be the same.

You’re a prudent man not to risk walking away Mr. Han.

Erskin Dusk had the audacity to say that to him as he joined the first of their GenOne-SH
renegotiation calls on Monday. It took all of Ji-pyeong’s will not to react. Yet he still did not have
tangible proof that Dusk was behind the blackmail. It had been a miserable week of playing the
part of a chagrined subordinate to Yoon Seon-hak as she flattered Dusk and negotiated a faux
higher offer. Ji-pyeong always hated losing — but capitulating to this man would be a bitter pill to
swallow indeed.

I promised her I’d eat.

Ji-pyeong sighed and tossed his phone onto the bed. He had no appetite but he ordered room
service anyway.

After its arrival, Ji-pyeong ate alone as he had for most of his life. He looked around the four walls
of this suite that had served as his home over the course of the last three weeks. Ji-pyeong had
come to New York to execute the most high profile deal of his career. Now he was teetering on the
edge of either proving the greatest startup fraud ever perpetrated or resigning in disgrace.

But despite the uncertainty before him, Ji-pyeong knew one true thing without a doubt: Kim Mi-
rae loved him. And they had the unwavering support of trusted colleagues. Chris, Sam, and Yoon
Seon-hak had worked tirelessly over the last three days to buy them all more time. And so this
solitary meal felt different. Ji-pyeong was still alone. But he was not lonely. He nodded to himself
and took another bite of steak. For a last supper, Ji-pyeong was surprisingly now hungry.

Then his phone buzzed from the bed. Ji-pyeong shot out of his chair hoping that it was Mi-rae.

A different name greeted his eyes.

Question Bomber.
Ji-pyeong pushed aside his initial disappointment as curiosity then urged him to answer.

“Hello Dal-mi.”

“Ji-pyeong!” Dal-mi’s voice was shaking with excitement. “They got in! They’ve hacked the
number!”

Ji-pyeong slowly sat down on the bed in shock. He had never expected this to actually work.
Adrenaline then coursed through him.

“What did they find?”

“Hold on, let me put Do-san on to explain.”

Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly and leaned forward as he prepared to hear a glimmer of hope from the
unlikeliest of sources.

“Ji-pyeong, it’s Do-san. It’s taken three days but we finally isolated the number despite it being
bounced through five networks in five different countries. Privilege escalation via Bluetooth turned
out to be the key to work around the inbuilt safety mechanisms…”

The words came tumbling out in an excited but confusing jumble. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and
tried to muster patience as he rubbed his face with his hand.

“Do-san.”

Ji-pyeong then held his hand out as if it could help steer his tone to be even.

“I have to meet with Dusk tomorrow at noon. What do I actually need to know?”

Do-san took a deep breath.

“We were able to hack the number when the phone connected to Bluetooth. We can only run code
to copy what’s on the phone when it’s connected that way. And we have to do it slowly or it will
drain the battery or overheat and that could tip the user off. So what we know so far is that it’s
registered to a company called Patroclus LLC and the last location that it was used in was
Rochester, New York. Does any of that mean something to you?”

Patroclus?

“The location makes sense and that name is ringing a bell. Hold on a second.”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes as he tried to place why it sounded familiar. He sprang up from the
bed and stalked over to his laptop. Ji-pyeong opened the organizational chart that Mi-rae had sent
of all of the companies that could be traced back to Dusk. He scanned through the Byzantine layers
between GenOne at the top and the two laboratories in question at the bottom. Then a bolt of
recognition tore through him.

There it is. Patroclus LLC.

Ji-pyeong's finger pressed against the screen. Then he shifted the phone against his shoulder.

“Patroclus is one of Dusk’s dummy corporations. You got him.”

He jabbed his fist in the air.

“I need everything on that phone, Do-san. Not just proof that he threatened me. Everything . Can
you do that?”

“It’s going to take a little while but every time the phone connects to Bluetooth we are siphoning
off data. But what’s one more all-nighter at this point?”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open in shock. He had expected that Dal-mi would push them to help if
he asked. But Ji-pyeong had never expected this level of effort from these three men.
“Do-san, I — have you all really spent the last three days on this?”

Ji-pyeong could not conceal the surprise from his voice.

“Yes.” Do-san laughed awkwardly. “To be honest it’s been a blast. This feels like trying to take
down Lex Luthor.”

Okay but you’re not Superman in this scenario. You’re maybe Jimmy Olsen at best.

There was a burst of raucous debate between Chul-san and Yong-san in the background about who
had finished a bag of chips. Ji-pyeong rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“It’s been great being back in a room hacking with Chul-san and Yong-san again and not wearing a
suit for a few days. I missed this.”

“Yes well, the sartorial was never your strong suit, Nam Do-san.”

The cheap shot escaped from Ji-pyeong’s lips before he could stop it. There was an incredulous
huff on the other end of the line. Do-san chuckled. And then he paused and let out an audible sigh.

“Neither was saying thank you.”

What?

Ji-pyeong pulled the phone back from his ear in surprise.

“Ji-pyeong?”

He braced himself for this unexpected turn in conversation. Ji-pyeong did not relish revisiting the
past.
“Yes, I’m here.”

“Look, we both know words are not my strength so I’m just going to say this as best as I can while
I have the chance.”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head. He could not fathom what this man whom he had once come to blows
with was going to say.

“Over the last few months we have had to navigate things at Cheongmyeong without you as an
outside director. You aren’t there to ask questions or catch what we’ve missed. That safety net is
gone.”

And you’re still sailing off without a map.

Ji-pyeong bit his tongue. This was clearly hard for Do-san to say out loud.

“The longer we run a company, the more we’ve come to appreciate what motivated you to ask
those hard questions of us in the first place. I still don’t like how you often said the things that you
said. But I also appreciate that none of us would be where we are now had it not been for you.”

Ji-pyeong’s hand flew to his lips as he listened to these surreal words fill his ear.

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking about it over the last few days — how we never thanked you for
any of it. I don’t know why it took you asking us for help to finally say all this but …thank you, Ji-
pyeong.”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard. He was incredulous. Then Do-san took a deep breath and the phone
crackled with the sound of him walking. His voice then grew quieter.

“Ji-pyeong, I stepped way over the line with you that day when we lost control of Samsan Tech. It
was my mistake and then I took my anger out on you. It is not what a man should do and it still
makes me feel ashamed to think of it. I am sorry.”

Do-san took a quick breath and then finished his speech as hurriedly as he had begun it.
“So yes, that is why we have spent the last three days on this. And we will not stop until we get
everything on that phone for you.”

Ji-pyeong felt numb. A full minute went by as his eyes searched the carpet for the words to process
what he had just heard. He had silently watched them celebrate their success as if it had been
shaped solely by their own hands. He had endured their derision and impatience with his
assessment of risk. Now, five years later after he and Do-san had drawn blood from one another, Ji-
pyeong was finally hearing an apology. And the three men who had eschewed his advice at every
pass were now thanking him for it during the hardest test of his career.

Finally, Do-san filled the silence with a gasp of surprise.

“Don’t tell me that the Han Ji-pyeong does not have anything to say.”

Ji-pyeong looked up at the ceiling as he laughed quietly.

“I confess that I am at a loss for words.”

Ji-pyeong sniffed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Thank you for saying that. And for your help.”

He looked out at the sky and shook his head.

There, did I answer him like a good boy, Grandmother?

“Alright well I’m going to get back at it. I’ve created a shared drive. I’m sending the link to your
phone so it stays off the SK server. We will upload everything we pull as we go. I’m putting Dal-
mi back on now.”

A ripple of concern passed through Ji-pyeong despite his ambivalence.

“Do-san.”

“Yes?”

“You are being careful, right? They can’t trace this back to you all? Dusk is not a man to be trifled
with.”

Do-san chuckled. For once Ji-pyeong appreciated his arrogance.

“There’s no way that they can. Don’t worry.”

Ji-pyeong stood up and cleared his throat as he listened to the phone being passed off. He was
drawn back to the window as he prepared to speak to Dal-mi once again.

“The apartment smells like dirty socks, Ji-pyeong. I don’t think they’ve showered in two days.”

Ji-pyeong said nothing. He could tell that Dal-mi was forcing herself to make a joke. Her voice no
longer pulled at his heart as if by a tether as it once did, but Ji-pyeong still knew when she was
holding back.

“Are you ok, Ji-pyeong? In-jae and I are so worried. In-jae is going to give an interview about you
for the nightly news. The coverage here is hailing you as a hero. Even if you have to leave SK, I
don’t think you have to be concerned about coming home.”

Coming home.

Ji-pyeong bit his lip upon hearing those words. They sounded strange coming out of Dal-mi’s
mouth.

“My mother has been asking about you and when you’ll be back, Ji-pyeong. She wants to have you
over for dinner. Don’t be alarmed— we won’t let her do all the cooking.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a small laugh. Affection buzzed within his chest for her stalwart family of
women who had overcome so much in the absence of men who either could not or would not be
there. They never quite became all for which he had hoped. But Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and
remembered all that they had meant to him nevertheless.

A key offered in the rain. The scratching of a pen on paper with food in his belly. Running after
hope on a bridge. A birdhouse swaying from a branch offering comfort. The welcomed stiffness of
new shoes on his feet. Warm noodles left at his door. Laughter and the stickiness of dough in his
hands.

Mi-rae had been right on that first night that they had met. There had always been people left in the
world that cared for him even after Grandmother had left it.

But then Ji-pyeong opened his eyes and sought out the green before him like a compass seeking
north. Warmth flooded him as new memories came to mind as if a ribbon of film was slowing
down frame by frame. Mi-rae’s fingers feathered along his wrist as she fastened his band. She
smiled at him over her shoulder as they sang for one another wildly. The breeze played with her
hair as the boats sailed in circles. She steadied him with her touch in a white dress. Her lips were
soft under a canopy of purple. Her breath was warm as he touched her while the trees swayed
above them in the sunshine. She told him that she loved him against a pink sky. Her skin smelled
like the summer rain as they became a part of one another for the first time. Her gentle hands held
him together as she called him her love.

And then the breath left his chest.

“Ji-pyeong?”

Ji-pyeong swallowed hard and squared his shoulders.

“Dal-mi, I need to talk to you about what is at stake tomorrow.”

“Of course. But we really have been following it all and I understand that GenOne---”

“Dal-mi, I’ve met someone. She is very important to me. I — I love her.”

There was a long moment of silence. Whatever had once existed between them was a road that
would never be taken. Now Ji-pyeong finally understood why.
“Ji-pyeong, I …. I am so happy for you.”

He felt the echo of a dull pain in his heart as Dal-mi’s voice cracked. She was a scar that had now
healed; yet Ji-pyeong’s past love for Dal-mi would always be a part of him. If he pressed hard
enough, the tissue grudgingly gave way. Ji-pyeong was different now because of it; he had grown
stronger as he closed the wound that she had left behind. The lessons he learned from losing Seo
Dal-mi were why he had dared to fight for Kim Mi-rae.

Dal-mi cleared her throat and her voice steadied.

“She would be so happy too —- your happiness was all that she spoke of during those last days as I
held her hand. I may have chosen to stay with her but she chose you, Ji-pyeong. You were her
family as much as I was. I hope that you know that.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes stung with tears. He did know it. That is why it hurt so much now that she was
gone. And yet to hear it from her blood family made Ji-pyeong feel like his chest was breaking
open anyway.

“I do.”

He could not lose himself to emotion right now. Ji-pyeong fought for control and then cleared his
throat.

“Dal-mi, I don’t mean to be indelicate. My intent in sharing this is only to ask for your help. What
Dusk blackmailed me with are photographs of us together. Her name is Kim Mi-rae and she is a
lawyer hired by SK. He could ruin her career as a punishment for all of this if I don’t find
something to hit him back with.”

“He is such a bastard. Tell me what you need.”

Ji-pyeong smiled fondly at the fire in Dal-mi’s voice. He felt a surge of pride in his former protégé
helping him now.

“I could be tied up with other important moving pieces as the data from his phone comes in. I not
only need proof that he tried to blackmail me but also anything else incriminating — anyone else
he threatened, anything talking about lab results, other women, anything embarrassing. If it looks
like it can be used for leverage, I need it. Can you all review it as it comes in for me? I trust you all
to be discreet and I can’t put these files in the American law firm’s hands— it’s not legal for them
to be involved in this.”

Dal-mi took a deep breath.

“Absolutely. We won’t let you down.”

Ji-pyeong let out a sigh of relief.

“Ji-pyeong.”

He raised an eyebrow at the sudden gravity of her tone.

“Mmhmm?”

There was another moment of silence. Then Dal-mi resumed a conversation that she had begun
long ago on a rooftop.

“I know that you told me not to say thank you again. I respected your wishes then. But I want to
say my piece now because you have no need for me to be sorry.”

Ji-pyeong could almost see himself standing on that roof doing his best to offer grace despite a
broken heart.

“I never got to say thank you to the boy named Han Ji-pyeong who wrote me those letters. Your
words meant everything to me after my parents’ divorce and my father’s death. I lived day to day
for each letter.”

Dal-mi’s voice was soft now. Ji-pyeong’s heart clenched as he remembered his loneliness of that
time too. That small round hole carved into wood hanging from a cherry blossom tree had offered a
salve for them both. Ji-pyeong now felt outside of himself as he listened to Dal-mi give voice to
their past in a way that he had never heard before.

“And I am thankful for the man that Han Ji-pyeong became. That man taught me how to follow
my dreams. My father may have inspired Sandbox. But you were the one who picked me up every
time I fell, Ji-pyeong. You said that we were even but it never really felt that way to me. I am
grateful for the chance to help you in return now.”

The back of his hand covered his mouth to stop a strangled sound from escaping.

Everything that I did mattered.

Ji-pyeong furiously blinked back the tears now threatening to spill over. He had long ago finished
crying over Seo Dal-mi. These tears were for himself. Ji-pyeong had assumed that he did not matter
to those around him. But then he had asked for help. And now he was receiving all that was his
due.

“So I will say thank you, Ji-pyeong. And I hope that you will accept my thanks.”

Ji-pyeong gripped the window sill as her gratitude filled his heart. He forced himself to breathe in
and out until he regained his composure.

“You’re welcome, Dal-mi.” He cleared his throat again. “And thank you for your help. I — I have
to go now but please keep me updated.”

“I will. Take care, Ji-pyeong. And good luck.”

“You too, Dal-mi.”

Ji-pyeong hung up and stared at the phone. He had said goodbye to Seo Dal-mi so many times in
his life. But this was the first time he had ever done so and felt whole. Ji-pyeong wiped away a tear
roughly with the back of his hand and exhaled.

Then he looked around the empty suite.

There was nothing left for him to do. Ji-pyeong had played his part in furthering the negotiations.
He had strategized and prepared for every conceivable contingency tomorrow. Now Han Ji-pyeong
was left only to sit and wait. His professional destiny lay in the hands of those working to help him
out of love, friendship, or gratitude. For the first time in his life, Ji-pyeong realized how profoundly
not alone the accumulation of his choices had rendered him.

He slid his phone into his pocket and folded his arms across his chest. Ji-pyeong had spent these
last days consumed with business. But one way or another, this deal would die tomorrow.

So what about my life?

Mi-rae said that she did not want to hide anymore even if the photographs did leak. All of her
contingency plans with Chris and Sam implicitly assumed that she would remain in New York. Mi-
rae had never spoken of where they lived other than as an obstacle that day beneath the wisteria.
Even if Ji-pyeong had to resign, the land of their birth could offer refuge from the American media
spotlight centered around Dusk. It may be easier for Ji-pyeong to go back there for now and wait
out the press’ short attention span. And yet when Dal-mi had asked when he was coming home, Ji-
pyeong did not think of his apartment in Seoul.

What is the answer?

His eyes were drawn to the trees once again. Their rounded green tops rebelled hopefully amid the
soaring gray spires wrought by men in tribute to themselves. They persevered in this most unlikely
of places as the clouds drifted by above. As a boy and as a man, Ji-pyeong had always
unexpectedly found hope beneath them. Once a cherry blossom tree had offered him shelter and
connection. Here, Ji-pyeong had sought out their cool shade in his frustration. He had then
followed Mi-rae under their boughs as they explored what they could be to one another. Ji-pyeong
found courage within their leafy refuge to tell her how he felt. Then they had shielded Ji-pyeong
and Mi-rae from the world as they kissed for the first time.

He slid his hands into his pockets as a puff of air escaped from his lips.

“Who knew that I would come to New York City of all places and find myself so grateful for …
the trees.”

“‘The Trees’ by Philip Larkin.”

What the hell?

Ji-pyeong spun around with a start as Young-shil’s errant reply to his musing abruptly intruded.

“The trees are coming into leaf

Like something almost being said;

The recent buds relax and spread…”

His hands waved in the air in annoyance.

“Young-shil, I didn’t ask you to —-“

“Their greenness is a kind of grief.”

Ji-pyeong’s stomach dropped at the sad beauty of that unexpected turn of phrase. Then his hands
fell to his sides as he slowly turned back to the window. The poem washed over Ji-pyeong as what
was before him took on new meaning.

“Is it that they are born again

And we grow old? No, they die too,

Their yearly trick of looking new

Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh

In fullgrown thickness every May.

Last year is dead, they seem to say,

Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.”

Ji-pyeong turned back around, wide eyed. He grasped the back of a chair to steady himself as he
stared at Young-shil’s knowing blue light.

A shiver went down his spine.

I swear to god that thing is sentient.

Ji-pyeong considered the surprising wisdom that this invention of man had just offered about the
verdant renewal outside. He had come to New York out of grief for Grandmother — to run away
from the yawning void that her death had left in his life. And then on the very first night here, Ji-
pyeong met the love of his life. He had indeed been born again in Kim Mi-rae’s arms. And Ji-
pyeong knew that he would be over and over again despite the winters that lay before them.

Begin afresh.

Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw, resolved. The compass was pointing in only one direction no matter
what happened tomorrow.

Home.

Mi-rae had taken every leap so far. She had risked her bruised heart and her career all for him. Ji-
pyeong owed her the same faith in the face of uncertainty with action. He would write down his
choice like rings in the grain now. Then Mi-rae would always know what was within his heart
before the coming of this fateful dawn. A marker of his faith no matter the seasons to come.

Ji-pyeong strode back over to the desk and sat down. He pulled out several pages of plain white
stationery from the drawer and laid them flat before him. The blank pages begged to be filled with
the aspirations of his heart. He nodded at the fitting crest of The Carlyle Hotel pressed at the top of
each page. Then he uncapped a black fountain pen and began to write.

“Dear Mi-rae...”

Ji-pyeong stopped. His heart surged with love for those two characters next to one another. Weeks
ago he had scoffed at their meaning. But they had proven prophetic indeed.
Future.

He would write of it now. Ji-pyeong took a deep breath and continued.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Ji-pyeong allowed his heart to flow through his pen. Black
ink filled page after page with everything that he felt for Mi-rae. The romantic yearnings of the
lonely teenager that he once was were now fused with the hard won wisdom of adulthood. And yet
this Ji-pyeong dared to dream once more. All that he hoped for their life together found a shape in
the movement of his hand across the paper. He wrote and wrote until the room grew dark and only
one lamp lit the way.

When Ji-pyeong had finished, he collapsed back in his chair and let out a deep breath. He flexed at
the aching stiffness in his fingers. Then his eyes anxiously read over all that his heart had poured
out onto these pages.

Were his words worthy of such a woman? How could he possibly capture all that Mi-rae meant to
him with just a pen? Was it too much? Was it enough?

Then Ji-pyeong imagined his beloved’s face. A peaceful certainty grounded him. He now knew her
like he knew himself. Ji-pyeong touched her name reverently with his fingertips.

We are enough for each other.

Come what may, their lives would begin anew tomorrow.

Ji-pyeong poised his pen in the air just above the bottom of the last page.

He smiled as he then signed his first letter to Kim Mi-rae.

“Han Ji Pyeong.”
****************
 Chapter Twelve

Mi-rae looked up at the austere cement blocks stacked upon one another in pointed repudiation of
the red brick buildings otherwise sprawling across campus. They remained coolly indifferent to the
yellow glow of the lamplights surrounding them. It was nearly nine o’clock and her head was
buzzing with lack of sleep and too much caffeine. She blinked rapidly to stop the sharp lines of the
university library from undulating before her eyes.

God I’m so tired.

Mi-rae swayed on her feet for a moment before steadying herself against a bench. This was about
to be the seventeenth interview of a former laboratory employee of the week. Since Saturday night,
Mi-rae had reviewed hundreds of pages of research and crisscrossed upstate New York talking to
anyone who would not immediately hang up on her. Her efforts had yielded little fruit. GenOne’s
lawyers had cajoled or threatened everyone into an impenetrable wall of silence.

If I have to walk into that meeting tomorrow and just fold, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

His words haunted her. Mi-rae hated the way defeat had creeped back into Ji-pyeong’s voice
earlier tonight. He was bearing the brunt of Dusk’s abuse on a daily basis and it made her fists
clench in anger every time she thought about it. But anger was better than the fear also clawing
inside of her chest every time Mi-rae wondered what would happen if he had to resign so publicly.

Ji-pyeong was perhaps the most rational person she had ever met. She knew that he had probably
already considered what he would do in the event that they failed. Yet Mi-rae could not bring
herself to ask him about the series of what if’s that cycled in an endless loop in her mind.

Maybe we can take that trip he talked about. That could cheer him up. And if New York is too
miserable with the press, then we can make long distance work. Or I could try to find a job with an
American firm in Seoul? If anyone will have me after this. Or if I still have a job maybe I could
take a leave of absence? I have saved enough.

Her stomach dropped at the thought of being apart from Ji-pyeong. The last four days had been
miserable without him and he was only a few hours away. Mi-rae was tired of settling for stolen
moments with him.
She closed her eyes and sighed.

You can’t think about that now. Keep going.

They were running out of time. And she knew that Ji-pyeong was right. The trail of employee
records and elaborate corporate shells suggested a deliberate conspiracy so insidious that Mi-rae
could not fathom how so many Wall Street investment firms had missed it. But anything that
required more than a paragraph of explanation would be lost in the chaos that Erskin Dusk was
capable of inciting. It would be months before the dust settled and the truth came out. They needed
a whistleblower who was capable of throwing a grenade into the fray. And then everyone who
Dusk had defrauded would eat him alive.

Ji-pyeong had stretched the farce of the SK deal still going forward as long as he could. This was
the last potential witness she would realistically be able to sit down with before his meeting
tomorrow. The memory of Ji-pyeong’s face the moment that she had pulled away from hugging
him goodbye came to her mind. He had smiled and nodded his head, trying to act strong. But his
eyes could not lie. Mi-rae knew that Ji-pyeong was already thinking about what would be different
the next time that they saw one another.

She could not let him go into that meeting tomorrow empty handed. Mi-rae steeled herself not to
take no for an answer.

It has to be her.

There was something in Emma Leung’s voice that was different this afternoon from all the others.
Emma sounded defiant — as if she was daring Mi-rae to come talk to her. And so she raced to
drive the three and a half hours from Rochester in order to meet her outside of the university
library after her shift ended.

There was a woosh of doors opening in the eerie silence of a college campus in the summertime. A
slight woman with long black hair in her mid twenties strode towards her with headphones around
her ears and a stoic look that made Mi-rae stand up straighter.

When the woman came within a few feet, she finally took off her headphones. Mi-rae smoothed
her hair. Her black pinstripe suit felt painfully out of place standing across a graduate student in
shorts and a plaid button down.
“Are you Mi-rae Kim?”

It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

“Yes. Emma?”

Emma folded her arms across her chest and nodded.

“Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. Do you want to sit down over there?”

“No.”

Okay.

Emma looked her up and down.

“Why don’t you tell me what you want out of this first?”

Mi-rae clenched her jaw.

“I want to hold Erskin Dusk accountable for all that he’s done.”

Emma’s face betrayed nothing.

“And what do you think that he’s done?”

Mi-rae shifted the redwell under her arm and took a deep breath.
“I think that he has spun a myth about GenOne’s supposed groundbreaking therapies. I think he
used two laboratories that he owns through an elaborate scheme of smoke and mirrors to perpetuate
that myth. I think he’s intimidated dozens of employees so that he could lie about his testing
results. And I think he has hoodwinked everyone from Darren Luffet to the Marlyle Group into
giving him billions of dollars.”

Mi-rae cocked her head.

“Am I close?”

There was a flicker of recognition in Emma’s eyes that she could not hide. Mi-rae took a step
forward.

“Be the one to bring him down. I can help you.”

Emma rolled her eyes as an incredulous puff of air escaped from her lips.

“Come on. You work for one of the most white shoe firms in America and represent venture
capitalists on the regular. Including one trying to buy GenOne right now! You don’t think I looked
you up?”

Emma eyed her with contempt.

“So you expect me to believe that you are here to help me? I’ve heard from enough lawyers like
you. The only difference between you and GenOne’s lawyers is who’s paying you.”

Mi-rae gritted her teeth.

I have to just lay it all out there.

“Actually no one is paying me right now.”

Mi-rae pulled her phone out of her redwell and presented the photograph from the elevator.
“Will you believe that I’m here to help myself and my boyfriend?”

Emma peered closely at the photograph with a confused look on her face.

“My firm may represent SK but I don’t anymore. Because just like you and everyone you worked
with, Dusk has threatened me too. This man is the vice president of SK. Dusk had us followed and
then tried to blackmail him for being in a relationship with me after we raised questions about
GenOne. And Dusk will do his best to destroy both of our careers if we don’t just slink away.”

Mi-rae snapped her phone shut and pivoted her weight back onto one leg.

“So yes, please believe me when I say I’m here to help you. Because I’m here to help myself too.”

Emma just looked at her and let out a breath.

“Jesus.”

“Yep, it’s not great.” Mi-rae let out a bitter laugh. “Consider it just a preview. You’ll see this
photograph and more on Twitter by tomorrow afternoon if we don’t back down. And then after
everyone has a field day calling me god only knows what on social media, I will probably be called
before the New York Bar and disciplined for getting involved with a client.”

Mi-rae slipped her phone back into her folder and exhaled.

“So, now you know all about me. Will you at least give me five minutes in return?”

Emma nodded her head slowly.

“Okay.”

Mi-rae followed Emma to a picnic table. Her heels sank into the soft wet ground as she picked her
way across the grass. Both women sat down across from each other. The sound of cicadas calling
to one another was the only reprieve from the awkward silence between them.

Well she hasn’t told me to go yet. That’s an improvement on this week.

Mi-rae pulled out the dossier that she had pulled together. She walked Emma step by step through
the shell corporations that she had traced back to GenOne and a timeline of the public lab result
announcements and major investments. Emma’s eyes took it all in hungrily.

But when Mi-rae finished, Emma sat back and fixed a nonchalant look onto her face.

“It looks like you’ve done just fine on your own. So why do you need me?”

Mi-rae laid her hands flat on the papers.

“Anything that takes this long to explain is not going to cut it if Dusk has the time to tie everything
up for months. But I have Morgan Foster of CNBC standing by to record an interview on national
television tomorrow morning. I can also get the ear of the US Attorney. If we can bring something
big enough to catch everyone’s attention, we can put Dusk on the defensive. Then everyone who
he has defrauded out of billions will come and get him for us.”

Mi-rae sat back and crossed her legs. Then she unfurled her hands in the air.

“The big sharks will eat one of their own.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. Mi-rae shrugged her shoulders.

“Or do nothing. In the meantime, he will just continue to steamroll people until someone else
figures it out a year or two from now when it’s finally time for FDA approval. Just imagine how
many more lives he will have the time to ruin. Instead of being the heroic whistleblower, you’ll
just be one of the many who said nothing until they got subpoenaed for someone else’s agenda.”

Emma’s eyes flashed with anger.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

Mi-rae closed her eyes for a moment and sought to even her tone. She was exhausted and her
nerves were frayed. Then Mi-rae folded her hands.

“Look, if you know something — and I think that you do— don’t set yourself up to spend the rest
of your life wishing for a do over.”

Mi-rae looked down at her hands as a dull pain took hold in her chest. There was no point in
holding anything back. They were up against a wall and she could not live with Ji-pyeong having
to resign tomorrow if she did not know that she had tried everything. Mi-rae swallowed hard and
leaned forward.

“My father’s business partner stole everything he had. Then she disappeared to where I could never
find her. And then he killed himself. She’s probably doing it to someone else right now. And there
is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what I could have done differently if only I had
known.”

Emma's eyes widened in the heavy silence between them. Then her face softened and her shoulders
sagged.

“You’re right about the test results.”

A shiver of anticipation went down Mi-rae’s neck.

I knew she had something.

Mi-rae licked her lips and clutched at the edge of the wooden bench. Then she waited quietly for
Emma to fill the silence. It was always the best strategy for getting someone to talk. Emma’s eyes
darted back and forth and then she shifted nervously.

“I took that job out of my masters program because my mentor, Dr. Sarah Henderson, recruited me.
She had just had a baby and took a job at a smaller lab in order to have a more manageable
workload.”
A chill went through Mi-rae. There was something about Emma’s tone that made her expect the
worst kind of ending to this story. Her fingers gripped the rough wood even more tightly.

“At first it seemed like a dream job. I got to work on possibly groundbreaking research right out of
school? A small regional lab was testing for a company as prestigious as GenOne? I didn’t go to
the kind of university where people usually get to do that. I remember showing my parents the
cover of Forbes with Dusk on the cover…”

Emma bit her lip. Mi-rae’s throat tightened. All of sudden she seemed so vulnerable in her large
tortoiseshell glasses. Emma sniffed and folded her arms onto the table.

“About a month into my work, I became concerned about how my superior kept asking me to
delete all of the outliers in my data. Then I talked to some of my colleagues and they were being
asked to do the same.”

Mi-rae tilted her head.

“Explain to me what that means.”

“It means that what we were testing did not work a lot of the time in the in vitro studies. And every
time it didn’t work, my boss asked me to delete it. So our reported results made the therapy look
like it worked all the time when it usually didn’t.”

No one gets it this right, this early.

Ji-pyeong’s instinct had been correct. Mi-rae ran her hand through her hair and let out a breath.

“What happened next?”

“I went to Dr. Henderson and she was shocked that the scientist under her was asking us to do that.
So then she went to her boss. And that’s when things got …bad.”
“How so?”

Emma looked up at the sky now blinking back tears. Mi-rae fought the impulse to reach out to her.

“Are you okay?”

Emma took her glasses off and her mouth twisted trying to control her emotions.

“Yes I’m sorry it’s just—"

She looked away. Mi-rae looked down at the table to try to offer her a moment of privacy.

Emma sniffed and then she looked at Mi-rae like she was not an adversary for the first time.

“At the time Dr. Henderson was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She had a six month old.
When she raised the issue, Dusk invited her to GenOne headquarters. At first she thought it was
because he was alarmed about the issue that she had raised. But after the way my boss acted I was
not as optimistic. So I told her to record it all on her phone.”

Smart girl.

Mi-rae felt rage steadily bubbling up within her.

“Dusk threatened to terminate her. Which of course would mean that she would lose her health
insurance in the middle of her chemo. Her choice was between telling the truth or living. She chose
the latter. But then she died anyway a month ago.”

Mi-rae seethed with anger. No matter the depths to which she discovered that this man could go,
Erskin Dusk never ceased to plunge lower.

“I am so sorry, Emma.”
Emma squared her shoulders and jutted her chin out.

“I have that recording. She gave it to me before she died. And I always scanned the original data
on my phone before I deleted it. So tell me what you would do with all that. And then I’ll decide.”

Oh my god.

Mi-rae took a deep breath. Her mind was racing. It was more than she had dared to hope for. But
this was also a human being who had been through something no one should have to for a job.

“Okay. First of all, did you sign a non disclosure agreement when you left?”

Emma shook her head.

“No. They hassled me constantly after I quit but I was going back to school. I got insurance
through the university and I did not want anything else from them after what they did to Dr.
Henderson. Eventually they left me alone.”

Mi-rae nodded slowly.

“That’s good. Alright, this is what I propose. I have a friend from law school at Light & Mase who
has already agreed to represent any whistleblower pro bono. That means you don’t have to pay.
And it’s a huge firm with the experience to more than handle Dusk’s legal team.”

Mir-ae swallowed and leaned forward.

“We hit Dusk right away. Come back with me to the city. Tell your story to Foster. And then you
and your attorney take everything along with what I have put together to the U.S. Attorney and
hand her the case of her career. The vice president of SK will back up your account at a press
conference with SK’s own misgivings and announce that a major investment firm is backing out of
the deal to buy GenOne and why.”

Mi-rae paused. Then she lowered her head as adrenaline coursed through her.
“And then the wolves will come for him.”

Emma absorbed her words. And then her face grew hard as steel.

“I hate that man for what he did. Dr. Henderson spent the end of her life crushed with guilt over
this while Dusk enjoyed everyone fawning over him like he was some kind of visionary.”

Mi-rae inched forward in her seat.

“Then let’s make him pay for it. Will you have to deal with a lot of attention? Absolutely. But you
will have a top law firm advising you for free and they can manage the press for you. And long
term, well….”

Her fingers spanned the air as Emma blinked rapidly.

“The first whistleblower is the one everyone remembers. Your career will have opportunities that
you can’t imagine: ‘Emma Leung, the whistleblower who exposed GenOne.’ Book deals, speaking
fees — Light & Mase can help you with that too, by way. You can do whatever you want with that
PhD after and be able to pay for it too. Every university and lab in the country will be dying to hire
you.”

Emma listened to her, spellbound.

“But, most importantly...”

Mi-rae’s index finger came down onto the chart of the GenOne subsidiaries.

“You’re doing the right thing. Dusk has basically stolen billions when that money could have gone
to real research that would help people. And you will honor your mentor by telling her story. Make
sure everyone knows that Dr. Henderson did not want to be a part of this. Tell the world about
what Dusk did to her.”
Mi-rae slammed her hand down into the table.

“God, a mother of a baby with cancer! What a fucking asshole!”

Mi-rae froze. And then she ducked her head in embarrassment.

“Sorry.”

Emma shook her head slowly, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“No, don’t be. He is a fucking asshole.”

A smile gradually turned the corners of Emma’s mouth up.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

Holy shit.

Mi-rae’s stomach flipped.

“Really?”

Mi-rae flinched at how high her voice had just sounded. Then she cleared her throat and tried to
settle the nervous energy that made her entire body feel like it was vibrating.

“Really.” Emma gave a curt nod. “So are we leaving now? How long should I pack for? What do I
wear? Can I practice what I say tonight with you?”

Mi-rae blinked hard.

Oh my god this is actually happening.

Emma just kept filling the silence.

“I kept three different copies of the files on flash drives in my office and another in my thesis
advisor’s office in case they broke into my apartment.”

Mi-rae let out a laugh.

“Crap, Emma. You are hard core.”

Emma grinned.

“I watch a lot of tv. I know how this works.”

Mi-rae grinned right back.

“Alright, let’s go get them.”

A half hour later, she was closing the door to Emma’s office so that she could talk to Mi-rae’s law
school roommate, her newly engaged attorney.

Mi-rae planted her feet in the empty hallway and listened to the low buzz of fluorescent lights
above her. It felt like it was coming from inside of her head. She let out a breath as the gravity of
what they had discovered passed over her in a wave. And then her legs felt weak as the adrenaline
of trying to convince Emma Leung to take this leap left her body.

I have to call Ji-pyeong.

Mi-rae sank down the wall to sit on the floor. The linoleum was hard and cool beneath her. Then
she pulled out her phone.
He picked up on the first ring.

“Mi-rae, I’m so glad it’s you. I was just--”

“I have what we need.”

Mi-rae tried to steady her voice which sounded like it was shaking to her ears.

“The PhD student is willing to blow the whistle. Her name is Emma Leung. They were told to
throw out the negative results just like you suspected.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath.

“I fucking knew it.”

“She has copies of some of the original data to prove it. And a recording of Dusk threatening the
head of one of the two labs, Dr. Henderson, after she found out. You should hear him on it --
threatening a woman who had cancer that she better shut up or she will lose her health insurance.
That poor woman is now dead leaving a baby behind. Emma is on the phone with Light & Mase
now and then we are driving straight back to Manhattan to meet with CNBC and get ready to
record the interview first thing in the morning. Then they will turn over all of our materials to the
US Attorney.”

The words came tumbling out furiously as Mi-rae’s heart raced all over again.

Yet Ji-pyeong said nothing.

“Ji-pyeong?”

Again, silence.

“Ji-pyeong, are you--”

“I can’t believe it.”

Mi-rae’s throat tightened. Ji-pyeong’s voice sounded so small as he whispered his awed disbelief
in her ear.

“Believe it, my love. This twenty five year old has more courage than anyone I’ve met even twice
her age.”

Ji-pyeong let out a puff of air. Mi-rae’s heart felt full as she imagined the look on his face.

God I miss him.

“You did this. You saved me.”

Mi-rae huffed a laugh.

“You’re being a little dramatic!”

“I am not.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice was deep. And surprisingly stern. It sent a tingle down her spine.

“You are incredible. I--”

Only then did his voice break.

Mi-rae listened as Ji-pyeong drew a sharp breath. In all the moments during this week when Mi-
rae had yearned to be with him, it was never more acute than now. Her fingers curled around the
phone as she pressed it closer so that she could feel his voice against her cheek.
“For so many reasons, I really am the luckiest man. For all that you’ve done …how you never gave
up. Now, because of you we can stop him. Mi-rae, your father would be so proud.”

Her heart pinched. It was swift and sharp; one man that she loved talking of another that was gone.

Tears pricked behind her eyes.

“Do you really think so?”

Her head leaned back against the wall. Mi-rae now welcomed that pain within her chest. It meant
that her father’s love was still with her.

“Of course he would be.”

His voice was soft in her ear. Ji-pyeong somehow knew what had driven her as much as her love
for him. And that made her love him all the more. A beautiful truth unwound from within her
heart.

He is my family now.

A tear slid down her cheek as she listened to Ji-pyeong’s steady breath.

“Mi-rae, are you okay?”

She passed her hand over her face and nodded to him even though she was still sitting alone on the
floor in an empty hallway. Her tears were wet on her hand as her fingers rubbed against her palm.
Yet Kim Mi-rae did not feel alone.

“Yes, I just — I just love you so much.”

Ji-pyeong sighed happily into the phone. She could almost hear him smiling. Then Mi-rae
straightened her back against the wall.
“Okay, so how do we play this out tomorrow?”

Ji-pyeong took a deep breath. A thrill coursed through her.

“I got word tonight that Nam Do-San was able to hack the phone. It’s definitely Dusk. The data off
of it is slowly rolling in. So this is what we are going to do…”

********

Mi-rae pushed her way through the revolving doors of the Burke Zucker office building and ran
across the marble to the elevator bank. She slammed her palm against the buttons and then lifted
her eyes plaintively to the blinking lights above the doors.

Please still be here.

Her hand gripped her side as she struggled to catch her breath. Mi-rae had not yet been able to talk
to Ji-pyeong today. She had spent the night at CNBC supporting Emma’s preparation as the
journalists verified Mi-rae’s research. As soon as they finished recording and editing the segment,
Mi-rae raced across town in the desperate hope of catching Ji-pyeong before he left.

It was perhaps irrational; this clamoring desire to see Ji-pyeong’s face and be able to wish him
luck. Mi-rae had reminded herself dozens of times in the cab on the way here that Vice President
Han was more than accustomed to the spotlight. But as the taxi pulled up in front of where Ji-
pyeong was, Mi-rae’s legs had just started running of their own volition trying to get to him
anyway. She needed to see Ji-pyeong again before he walked into the fire to end this.

The elevator doors sprang open and she waited in abject frustration as people slowly filed out
oblivious to her plight. Finally, Mi-rae dashed into the elevator and quickly pushed the button to
close the doors. A dozen people stared at her in disbelief as the elevator refused their entry before
they had time to move forward. Mi-rae looked down at the ground in shame at her impulsiveness
until the doors sealed them off completely.

Then the elevator began its ascent. She leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. Her
ankles were aching and she felt lightheaded. Mi-rae had not slept for the second night in a row.

When the elevator reached her floor, Mi-rae sprinted out of it and ran head first into Sam and
Chris.

Sam caught her as she almost lost her balance. Chris’s eyebrows knitted together sympathetically.

“You just missed him, Mi-rae.”

Her stomach dropped.

Dammit.

“They decided that Seon-hak should head directly to 583 Park before the press conference while Ji-
pyeong meets with Dusk alone.”

Alone?

Mi-rae swallowed hard and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

“Did he …did he seem okay?”

Sam placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“Mi-rae, Ji-pyeong is good to go. The only person who should be worried is Erskin Dusk. He is
about to have a very bad day.”
Chris bounced on his heels and chuckled gleefully.

“The associates are gathering in the war room to watch the interview and the press conference.
We’re bringing in Nobu and a lot of booze. Take a minute and then come down.’

Mi-rae took a deep breath and nodded.

Chris smiled at her broadly.

“I am so proud of you, Mi-rae. You’re about to become a damn legend.”

Mi-rae looked down at the ground and shook her head in disbelief. Chris slid his thumbs under his
red suspenders.

“Who do you think should play your amazing mentor in the inevitable Netflix adaptation? I am
thinking…”

Sam grimaced and held his hand up immediately.

“Stop. Please. You’re only going to embarrass yourself.”

Chris cackled.

“Yeah I shouldn’t get my hopes up. They’ll probably just write the lawyers out of the story like
they always do anyway.”

Mi-rae felt a surge of emotion. She threw her arms around both of them. Both men just stood there
awkwardly and patted her back until she pulled away. Mi-rae let out a small laugh as she stepped
back and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I’m sorry I am just so grateful for you both and… I pulled an all nighter again and I ….”
Sam pivoted to stand next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Why don’t we walk you back to your office? You look like you’re about to keel over, Mi-rae.”

Chris glanced at his watch.

“CNBC is holding it until Ji-pyeong gives the word so we have time.”

When they reached her office, Sam turned to face her. Then he slipped a white envelope out from
the inside of his suit jacket and offered it to her solemnly.

“Ji-pyeong asked me to give this to you as soon as you got here.”

Mi-rae stared at the thin white rectangle. She felt a bolt of panic.

“What is that?”

Sam shook his head.

“I have no idea. He gave it to me just before he left and asked me to tell you to read it as soon as
possible.”

Mi-rae’s mouth went dry. There was something indescribably foreboding about receiving an
envelope right now.

She lifted her hand and curled her fingers around the slim missive. Mi-rae’s mind raced with
irrational fears.

“Did something happen with Yoon Seon-hak?”

Sam shrugged.
“No, not that I know of. She was focused but definitely in a good mood.”

I sound crazy.

Mi-rae nodded and tried to hide how much this slender piece of paper made her feel like her entire
existence hung in the balance. They were about to take down Erskin Dusk. What was one
envelope?

Mi-rae forced herself to smile.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll see you in the war room in a few minutes.”

Sam gave her a pat on the arm and then walked past her back from where they had come.

Mi-rae closed the door behind her and slipped off her heels. Then she padded her way over to the
desk in bare feet and collapsed into her chair.

The envelope fluttered down into her lap. She stared at it for a moment. Then Mi-rae lifted her
eyes and sought out the photograph of her father from her graduation. His kind, sad eyes seemed to
find her across an office where he had never set foot.

I think that I finally did make you proud today.

Then she lifted the envelope with trembling hands.

“Mi-rae”

It was written elegantly in black ink on fine linen white paper.

“Your handwriting is so beautiful, Ji-pyeong.”

Mi-rae’s fingers tentatively touched her name written in his hand. It looked so formal in delicate
lines of black on white.

What do you need to say to me like this, my love?

Her name stared back in silence.

Mi-rae took a deep breath and slid her nail under the seal. Then she slipped several pages of paper
neatly folded from within the envelope’s stiff fold.

Lines and lines of Ji-pyeong’s careful handwriting then called to her.

Dear Mi-rae,

I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

That is why I picked up this pen to write this letter. I have spent thirty eight years waiting for you
and so I do not want to waste another moment without you knowing that.

I heard your voice a short time ago as you were driving to yet another far off place to help me. You
told me that you loved me. And without saying it, you also urged me not to give up hope. Like you
have ever since that night when you were so brave and told me that we should not hide anymore.
As I sit here tonight writing to you, I do not know what will happen to us. But I realized that I am
full of hope anyway. Hope is being able to dream no matter what tomorrow will bring. And I
dream again because of you.

I was looking at the trees in Central Park just now. I have been doing that a lot while you have
been away. I like to think about us under those trees and what we found there together. For much
of my life, I have been the kind of person who regrets the past. You saw that in me instantly; maybe
because that is what life has been like for you too. When I was a boy I recognized this about myself.
In the winter, I would miss the green of summer. And in the summer, I missed the white snow. And
yet I have spent my life until now in a constant circle of regret anyway — always trying to prove
that I was more than what fate handed me; always hesitating because of the risk of losing; always
lamenting what I did not have.
But in my time with you, I have been living in the present. I wanted to kiss you the first night that I
met you. I was never happier than on the night I sat beside you and we talked for hours during a
baseball game. Until the next day, when you told me how happy that made you too and opened
your heart to me. And then I was happier still the afternoon I spent with you by the sea. And then
and then and then… Since we walked under those trees, I am learning that love does not need to
have limits or sharp edges. It only grows and grows within my chest each day that you are in my
life.

Mi-rae, every moment with you has shown me how beautiful now is. It is the breeze playing with
your hair as you tell me that you are thinking of me with the grass under our feet. It is that place
bursting with purple and green as you hold my hand steady before I kiss you. It is watching you
smile at me in the sunshine as you drive even as a song about heartbreak plays. It is you jumping
into my arms as the leaves sway above us because you cannot wait to be with me. It is the gentle
rhythm of the sea with the sand beneath us after you tell me that you love me. It is the furious
sound of the rain as we give ourselves to one another. It is the warmth of your hands on my face
when I am at my lowest.

Before she died, my grandmother asked me not to be lonely. I came to New York when she left me
because I did not know how to be anything but that without her. And then on my first night here, I
met you. When you told me that your name means “future,” my broken heart almost made me
laugh bitterly. I never thought of the future other than as something full of risk that I needed to
hedge against. But then you asked me to talk about her like you already knew me. And as I stood
there wishing that I was brave enough to ask you to stay instead of saying goodbye, you told me not
to be alone. Mi-rae, you know that I am the last man in the world to believe in signs. I believe in
that one.

Yet signs are only what we make of them. I have lived my life until now under the tyranny of
wondering what could have been different. From this day forward, I will stop filling my days with
regret. Instead, I want to fill my days with you. And that is why no matter what happens tomorrow,
I am staying in New York.

I could lie and say that I am not doing this for you out of worry that such a decision might scare
you. But I am not going to do that. I am staying here for you. Because that means I am staying here
for me. Every moment with you is a gift and, as you said, I deserve that as much as you do.

I hope that you will let me have many more moments with you here. I want you to show me the
right way to eat everything. I want you to take me to see music which you said that you love but
never have time for. I want to be the one that you always sit next to at a baseball game. I want to
watch you be the smartest person in the room. I want you to drive us on a Friday afternoon with
the wind in our hair and no particular place to go. I want to make plans for a Saturday and then
stay in bed with you all day instead. I want to wander around a park hand in hand on a Sunday
afternoon.
I want to take all the trips neither of us have ever made the time for because it felt less empty to
work when we were so alone. I want to debate with you until we give up and laugh from the effort.
I want you to tell me when I am wrong. I want to hold you when you need to cry. I want you to hold
me when I need to cry too. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms every night. I want to wake up
curled next to you every morning. And I want to marry you, if and when you will have me.

It has been twenty years since I have written a letter, Mi-rae. I understand now that is because I
needed to love myself as much as someone else in order to write again. I needed to become
someone who lets go of the past and seizes all that is beautiful about the present. I have become
that person with you. So now I have the courage to write down all that I dream about in black ink
on white paper and share it with the love of my life. I hope that this is the first of many letters that I
will have the privilege of writing to you.

You not only helped me mend my heart, Mi-rae. You made it into something new. I would offer all
of it to you now but I hope you know that it is yours already. And that is why no matter what the
morning brings, the only future that I care about is one made up of moments with you.

I am your love, always—

Han Ji Pyeong

********
 Chapter Thirteen

“We have downloaded the entirety of the memory cache and applied recognition software. The
attached highlights include:

1. Proof of Dusk trying to blackmail you;

2. Photographs and messages of a very personal nature exchanged with someone who we have
determined is a married American senator;

3. Messages with and records of payments to a woman in Chicago regarding a child, age six
months;

4. More compromising photographs taken with flight attendants who are employees of his
private airline;

5. Even more compromising photographs with assorted women in Las Vegas;

6. Messages and photographs of a suggestive nature exchanged with a married actress in Los
Angeles.

7. There are even more dramatic photographs that I have attached but would rather not
summarize.

You may want to lead with the photographs alluded to in (7). They are attached in this order only
so that you can mentally prepare yourself before viewing them. Far more beyond the above list is
uploaded onto the shared drive but these will likely have the most effect.
Go get this bastard! Fighting!”

Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly as he absorbed this stunning summary from Seo Dal-mi. Then the
corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. Ji-pyeong had taught Dal-mi the intricacies of strategy.
Now she was analyzing his foe’s misdeeds and ranking them in order of leverage.

Well done, Samsan Tech.

It was exactly what he needed. His finger rapidly swiped across the screen as Ji-pyeong
breathlessly took in the graphic evidence of Erskin Dusk’s rampant lechery. But when he arrived at
the final set of photographs, Ji-pyeong’s hand flew to his mouth as a gasp escaped from his lips.

Wow. I wish that I could unsee that.

Ji-pyeong shook his head slowly in disbelief.

“And I thought that I messed up.”

“Pardon?”

Yoon Seon-hak looked over her glasses at him. Ji-pyeong met her gaze and then cocked his head as
the wheels began turning in his head.

“Erskin Dusk has been married for a while, right?”

She thought for a moment.

“Yes, to a pop star or something like that? I believe that they just had a child because I remember
reading that he tried to name her after a star designation or something like that? I don’t know,
whatever it was it made me feel dumber just for having read about it.”
“That’s just…”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers fanned into the air as he considered the ramifications of all that lay within his
palm for a famous man married to a famous woman with the resources to make him pay.

“Perfect.”

Ji-pyeong chuckled and then slid his phone into his pocket. He could not wait to push Erskin Dusk
off the cliff of his own hubris.

“President Yoon, I think that perhaps I should meet with Dusk alone.”

Yoon Seon-hak set down the statement that she was reviewing and leaned her chin onto her hand.

“Oh?”

Ji-pyeong nodded solemnly.

“First of all this is my mess. I can deal with his unpleasantness and meet you at the press
conference. Second of all, I need to communicate some … insurance that I have obtained to make
sure that he does not use those photographs against Attorney Kim or me. I’d like for you to be able
to maintain plausible deniability.”

Yoon Seon-hak considered it for a moment.

“I am delighted to never have to speak to that man again, Vice President Han.”

She took off her glasses and folded them carefully.

“This statement is perfect. I will plan on leading off and then hand it over to you. CNBC is
awaiting your signal, correct?”
Ji-pyeong nodded his head.

Yoon Seon-hak stood up and appraised him for a moment.

“Ji-pyeong, you have done very well. I hope that it won’t make you too embarrassed if I say that I
am very proud of you today.”

His throat tightened. She had been a steady presence in his professional life for over a decade. But
Ji-pyeong and Yoon Seon-hak had spent so much time discussing the development of others at
Sandbox that he had given little thought to how she had recruited him and always supported his
promotions along the way.

Now Yoon Seon-hak was looking at him with pride in her eyes. His hand flew to his brow as he
tried to manage the unexpected emotion swirling within his chest.

“Thank you.”

“I spoke with the board this morning. They are quite pleased as well. You have transformed this
debacle into a moment for SK to demonstrate to the world that we are a fund to be trusted while so
many others failed to discern what was going on. You can expect a substantial bonus regardless of
the deal falling through.”

“Thank you, President Yoon.”

Yoon Seon-hak folded her arms.

“However I think that you should consider resigning in the future anyway.”

What?

Ji-pyeong’s mouth fell open.

She lowered her head.

“Do you plan to remain here in New York?”

His mouth snapped shut. There was an envelope inside of his suit jacket promising that he would.

Yoon Seon-hak’s mouth quirked. Then she walked around the conference room table and leaned
against it across from him.

“I have watched you for many years. Always focused, always relentless. And I admire you for it. I
promoted you again and again just so that SK could hold onto you as long as we could.”

She smiled warmly at him.

“But you no longer need the sand beneath you, Vice President Han.”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard.

“You have the vision to accomplish something that could change a lot of people’s lives. And you
finally seem like yourself again after President Seo’s grandmother died. Better even, I’d say,
despite everything. I believe that this place suits you.”

Yoon Seon-hak looked at him knowingly. He ducked his head and sniffed.

“We are still buying Minerva. And we still want to partner with a company that can eventually do
what GenOne promised. It just apparently doesn’t exist yet. So who can SK trust to develop the
kind of start up that we are looking for better than anyone else?”

She raised an eyebrow.

I can.

Ji-pyeong felt a bubbling sensation within his chest. He struggled to find words as his mind raced
with possibilities.

“But …”

He trailed off in silence. Yoon Seon-hak held up her hand.

“Just think about it. We are not going to lose Attorney Kim. We still hope to retain her as soon as
possible if she is willing despite the likelihood that everyone else under the sun will want her now
too.”

Yoon Seon-hak shrugged as she fought a smile.

“So, if you want to stay at SK, we will just have to wall you off from any U.S. transactions and I
suppose you can travel back and forth when necessary.”

Ji-pyeong exhaled as a wave of relief washed over him for Mi-rae.

“But I want you to think about how you can fulfill the dream that you started with this merger.
After today, you will have the platform to attract investors from all around the world. I can promise
you that SK would be your first backer. So develop the future now and find us our partner for
Minerva.”

Ji-pyeong stared at her. He felt like a live wire was twisting inside of him.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Yoon Seon-hak chuckled.

“Well that’s a first.”

Ji-pyeong looked away and laughed. Then Yoon Seon-hak put her hand in his arm.
“As your boss, I would hate to lose you. But as your friend, I would be thrilled to watch you do it.
And as the CEO of SK, I am eager to invest.”

She paused and her eyes filled with mirth.

“You’ll just have to find new counsel.”

Yoon Seon-hak winked as she released him.

An incredulous puff of air escaped from his lips as she grinned. Then Yoon Seon-hak glanced at
her watch.

“I believe it’s time to kill this deal officially. Do not send my regards to Mr. Dusk. I’ll see you at
the press conference.”

Yoon Seon-hak patted his shoulder as she walked out of the conference room.

Ji-pyeong let out a deep breath. He pressed his hand against his chest where the letter remained
safely tucked next to his heart. Then he strode down the hallway to the war room.

Chris had just finished addressing the associates and Ji-pyeong joined him and Sam in applauding
their efforts.

Chris turned to him as excited chatter filled the room after.

“Ready to slay the beast?”

“Thanks to you all, yes.”

Ji-pyeong extended his hand.

“Thank you Chris, for everything.”

He looked at him meaningfully as Chris closed both hands around his tightly. Then he felt a hand
on his shoulder.

“I heard you’re heading over on your own. Man, I would love to be a fly on the wall.”

Sam’s eyes danced with amusement.

“I don’t plan to stay long, believe me. Any word from Mi-rae?”

Ji-pyeong glanced at his phone to no avail. He had hoped to give Mi-rae his letter before heading
over. Even though he had written it before knowing what she would find in Troy, it was still
perhaps irrationally important to him that she know what was in his heart anyway as soon as
possible. Ji-pyeong hoped that a letter would allow Mi-rae the space to process the leap that he was
taking on her own before discussing it with him.

Chris shook his head.

“Not since she said that she was heading here after the final sign off on the edited segment. Foster
is standing by on your signal, right? You better head up to the Pierre now with traffic. We don’t
want CNBC to get itchy.”

Ji-pyeong frowned. Then he withdrew the envelope from his jacket and turned to Sam.

“Will you give this to Mi-rae as soon as she gets here? Please ask her to read it right way.”

Sam looked down at the envelope curiously. Then he took it gently from Ji-pyeong’s hand.

“Of course.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes followed as the slim bearer of his heart slowly retreated from sight until it
disappeared completely within Sam’s jacket.
“Alright, I’ll see you all on the other side.”

Chris leaned closer and smiled impishly.

“Go light him up.”

Ji-pyeong could not help but grin back. Then he turned and strode out of the room and down the
hallway to the elevators.

As the elevator descended, Ji-pyeong focused on the task before him. He could feel anger twist
within his chest at the prospect of finally being in the same room as Dusk. He stared at his
reflection above the heads of those standing in front of him.

You have to stay in control.

Ji-pyeong stretched his neck as he steadied himself. He would soon stand across from the man who
had tried to defraud him, invaded his privacy, and threatened to destroy Mi-rae’s career. The
memory of his shame that night on the floor of the pool house wound around inside of him like a
snake. He drew in a deep breath.

You have already won. Do not lose your temper.

He needed to ensure that Dusk would understand that he would have far more to lose from
retaliating than Ji-pyeong did. That required calm; not sophomoric displays of anger. In the
orphanage, Ji-pyeong would always win at baduk not by smashing the board but rather by patiently
out strategizing his opponents. Ji-pyeong nodded to himself as he smoothed the silk of his maroon
tie. When the doors sprang open, he stalked his way through the lobby and into an awaiting black
town car.

Ji-pyeong sat with his back rigid against the backseat as the car wove its way up Park Avenue. As
his new home passed by him in streaks of color, Ji-pyeong shifted his watch back and forth around
his wrist. His foot bounced up and down. The yellow of taxis, the orange of the flowers dividing
the broad avenue, and the glass of storefronts reflecting the motley crowd always hurrying filled
him with even more nervous energy. He would begin his time here by stamping out the most
daunting rival he had ever faced. The bombshell whistleblower interview and press conference
would likely land him back on the front page of every business newspaper in the world.
But as Ji-pyeong squinted through the midday sun streaming through the window onto his face, all
he could think about now was Mi-rae.

I just want to get this over with and see her.

Mi-rae had returned to the city around midnight and he had yet to even be able to talk to her. In the
comforting cloak of night, Ji-pyeong had poured his heart out onto those pages. But butterflies
suddenly took flight in his stomach as he imagined how the letter would soon be in her hands. His
answer to all that he wrote would come from her lips today; not days from now tucked away inside
a birdhouse. It was hard to wait for such an answer alone. That was when doubt inevitably crept in.

Ji-pyeong leaned his elbow onto the door. Theirs was a relationship forged within a crucible. And
Mi-rae had not flinched since that night on the beach. But she was also a woman who had
weathered a painful divorce. Mi-rae was about to read that he was moving to New York for her
after less than a month. And that he wanted to marry her. They had never once spoken of that
subject. He had no idea how she felt about marrying again. Ji-pyeong winced as the darker recesses
of his mind reminded him that her ex-husband had proposed to foreclose the possibility of long
distance.

Ji-pyeong pressed his fingers to his forehead as the last sentence of a paragraph that he had dared to
write now needled him in hindsight.

“And I want to marry you, if and when you will have me.”

Ji-pyeong clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It was probably too much to have said
it so soon. His shoulders sagged as he leaned his head back against the seat and sighed. But then
another voice from within answered the whisper of doubt.

Don’t be a faint hearted batter.

Ji-pyeong nodded to himself. He would rather wager it all than risk staying silent about how much
he felt for her.

“Even if it is too much, it’s how I feel.”

He glanced at the back of the driver's head who mercifully pretended like Ji-pyeong was not
talking to himself out loud in the backseat.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and focused on how Mi-rae sounded on the phone last night after they
had spoken of her father. It filled him with the same steadying warmth now as when he had sat
smiling on his bed with her voice in his ear. Ji-pyeong was learning that “I love you” could mean
more than one thing when Mi-rae said it. He had heard it more times in the last week than during
all of the thirty eight years of life. And last night it sounded like Mi-rae was saying that they were
more than merely dating.

So stop catastrophizing. And just be patient.

When he opened his eyes, the white and gold awning of the Pierre Hotel loomed large. He
clenched his jaw as a rush of adrenaline coursed through him. Ji-pyeong leaned forward toward the
driver.

“Please wait here. I will only be a few minutes. Here’s one hundred dollars if any of the doormen
ask you to move. And you will receive the same when we arrive at 583 Park.”

The driver glanced back at Ji-pyeong in the rearview mirror and nodded as he accepted the cash.
Then Ji-pyeong pushed the door open.

Ji-pyeong looked up at the gilded entrance as he buttoned the jacket of his dove gray pinstripe suit.
His fingers slid along the length of his maroon tie to confirm that it was in place.

Erskin Dusk had insisted on SK and their lawyers meeting at the hotel where he maintained a
residence to sign the newly negotiated documents. It was intended to be humiliating; he had
petulantly rejected each of their counsel’s offices as a meeting place. But little did Erskin Dusk
know that he was welcoming Ji-pyeong’s faux tribute into Troy like an unseeing King Priam.

You always need everything to be about you. You’re about to get exactly what you wished for.

Ji-pyeong pressed his fingers into the knot of his tie to ensure that it was flush against his neck.
Then he walked purposefully through the front door and across the black and white marble squares
that stretched endlessly before him.
When he finally arrived outside the conference meeting rooms, he heard the obnoxious booming
voice of Erskin Dusk just beyond the closed doors.

Ji-pyeong felt the calm that always flooded him just before he had to do something hard. He had
raised himself up from nothing but his own wits and the merciful hand of his grandmother. Erskin
Dusk had done nothing but lie and abuse others while propping himself up on the fortune that his
family had handed him. Han Ji-pyeong knew all too well how to handle men like that.

The cords in his neck tightened. Ji-pyeong slid his phone out of his pocket and texted Morgan
Foster.

“Now.”

Three dots immediately appeared.

“Confirmed.”

Ji-pyeong squared his shoulders and drew in a deep breath. Then he opened the double doors with
both hands and strode into the room.

A dozen attorneys and staff looked up in unison. The room was opulent; murals framed in gold
moldings depicting mythical beings surrounded a man who was nothing more than myth himself.
Crystal chandeliers twinkled above them.

Ji-pyeong locked eyes with Erskin Dusk immediately. He was seated at the center of a long table
amid fawning sycophants. Jagged peaks of brown hair strained to conceal a receding hairline. He
was wearing a black t-shirt and blazer with the sleeves rolled up in an attempt to seem as if he did
not care. Yet the feigned casual air only succeeded in suggesting that Erskin Dusk had probably
given more thought to what he was wearing than anyone else in the room.

“Mr. Han, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Erskin Dusk stood up and extended his hand as Ji-pyeong walked towards him.
I very much doubt that is true, asshole.

“Where is Ms. Yoon and the rest of your entourage?”

Ji-pyeong stopped just short of the table across from him. And then he pointedly slid his hands into
his pockets.

“I’m afraid that it’s just me today, Mr. Dusk.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at the others.

“Would the rest of you all please excuse us?”

He watched as Erskin Dusk’s eyes flashed with confusion before his chin jutted out defiantly. Then
he slowly resumed his seat. There was a hushed silence as the others quickly closed their binders.
The two men stared at one another while everyone else hurried out of the room.

As soon as the doors closed, Dusk cocked his head with annoyance.

“What the fuck kind of stunt is this, Han?”

Ji-pyeong waited for a moment before answering just because he could. Then he refused to allow
him to steer the conversation.

“You seem to know a lot about me, Mr. Dusk.”

Ji-pyeong lowered his head as he narrowed his eyes.

Erskin Dusk smirked. For a moment, Ji-pyeong gritted his teeth. Then he drew on his well of
patience.
“I have an investment record of which perhaps you may not be aware. I have never chosen to forgo
an investment in a startup that ultimately proved to be successful.”

Dusk smiled smugly.

“I assume that’s just one of the reasons why you came to your senses about GenOne.”

Ji-pyeong refused to take the bait. Instead, he nodded amiably.

“Oh yes, I most certainly did.”

Then he stepped forward.

“And that is why there is no deal. SK is not buying GenOne.”

Erskin Dusk’s eyes widened. Then he laughed so loudly that it echoed throughout the cavernous
room. He leaned back and folded his arms.

“Oh is that right?”

Ji-pyeong nodded once curtly.

“That’s right.”

Erskin Dusk slammed the binder in front of him shut and pushed it away so abruptly that it fell off
the table. Ji-pyeong’s eyes remained resolutely on him. He would not be distracted by childish
tantrums.

“Well then I look forward to suing your asses!”

Ji-pyeong tilted his head skeptically. He wrinkled his nose.

“Except that I don’t think that you will.”

Erskin Dusk looked at him incredulously. Then he stabbed his finger in the air at Ji-pyeong.

“Oh you bet I will. And believe me, you will be particularly sorry that you fucked with me.”

Ji-pyeong’s hands clenched within his pockets. He let out a breath to steady the anger rising in his
chest as he thought of Mi-rae. Ji-pyeong focused on adjusting a cufflink while forcing himself to
count to five before responding. Then he proceeded.

“I will keep this short because I know that you love to be the center of attention and you’re missing
a hell of a show right now.”

Erskin Dusk’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment. Ji-pyeong smoothed his tie and began
moving around to the other side of the table like a shark circling its prey.

“Yes, we uncovered your little scheme. The elaborate corporate structure to conceal that you
owned the labs? The discarded outliers to sell a product that doesn’t work? The threats to keep
everyone quiet? The whole world is hearing about it right now.”

Erskin Dusk struggled to keep his face placid. Ji-pyeong gave him a mock sympathetic look as he
shrugged his shoulders.

“So I think your lawyers are going to be a little bit too busy to bother suing us for simply avoiding
being defrauded.”

Ji-pyeong was close enough now that he could hear that Erskin Dusk was breathing heavily.

His foe glared at him with contempt.

“You’re going to be so sorry that you fucked with me.”

He’s repeating himself because he is scared.

Ji-pyeong paused and shook his head.

“Again, I’m not so sure.”

Ji-pyeong slid his phone out of his pocket and leaned against the table languidly. Then he held up
the last photograph that Dal-mi had sent to him.

“See this? I have a lot of questions about this.”

Erskin Dusk’s mouth dropped open.

“I bet your wife will too. And so will lots of other people.”

Ji-pyeong swiped his finger again.

“And this.”

Again his finger swiped.

“And this too.”

Erskin Dusk stared at the phone in shock until Ji-pyeong snapped it shut and tucked it inside his
jacket pocket.

“I have everything that was on that phone that you tried to blackmail me with. Lucky for you, I’m a
gentleman. So I’m going to keep them all to myself… for now.”

Ji-pyeong folded his arms as Erskin Dusk shifted in his seat.

“If you ever come after me, Mi-rae Kim, SK, or Burke Zucker again, everything that I have from
Washington DC to Las Vegas to Chicago to Los Angeles to what goes on in that airline of yours
will flood the internet. And if you’re wondering about how I have these, then just imagine how
easily I can do that.”

Dusk stood up so quickly that he almost lost his balance. His nostrils flared as his chest heaved to
respond. Ji-pyeong pushed off the table and rose to his full height as he cut him off.

“Every investor you have ever lied to and the US Attorney are all coming for you. Try something
and SK can pile on too and sue you for breach and fraud. And I can hand over the evidence that I
have of your attempt to blackmail me. That is criminal here too, right?”

He pretended to ponder the question as Erskin Dusk’s face twisted with rage.

“You fucking—”

His words gave way to spittle on his lips.

Ji-pyeong quickly closed the space between them. He stared down at Dusk. He was faltering and
Ji-pyeong knew it.

“Our pockets are deep and my patience is limitless. Don’t you think that you have enough
problems right now?”

Erskin Dusk’s phone began vibrating on the table next to him. Then a chorus of ringing filled the
air from just outside.

Ji-pyeong could not fight the smile of triumph curling up his lips as he looked Erskin Dusk up and
down.

Then he raised an eyebrow in warning.

“You are about to find out what happens when you fuck with me.”

Then Ji-pyeong turned around and walked out.

********

“Good afternoon. I am Ji-pyeong Han, Vice President of SK Venture Capital.”

Ji-pyeong squinted as hundreds of bulbs flashed before him. The sound of their shuttering
reverberated throughout the great hall at 583 Park Avenue. Columns and fan shaped windows on
either side of the hall repeated in perfect symmetry. Ji-pyeong looked beyond the crowd at the
concentric circles on the ceiling and ignored the pool of live television cameras zooming their
lenses closer.

“SK Venture Capital sought to acquire GenOne and Minerva and deliver a medical revolution. We
hoped to utilize the vast library of genetic testing of Minerva and pair it with the therapies that
GenOne claimed to be pioneering to bring access to life saving health care to people around the
world.”

Ji-pyeong paused and gripped the dias.

“But as you all know by now, those GenOne claims proved to be false.”

He rose up to his full height as his deep voice carried across the expanse of the hall.

“In the course of our due diligence, SK Venture Capital discovered substantial evidence indicating
that GenOne falsified testing results from two laboratories that it owned and controlled through a
series of shell corporations. Emma Leung’s brave choice to come forward today should be
commended by all. We are deeply grateful for her honesty and courage. And we also have good
cause to believe that there are many more like her. For these reasons, SK is no longer pursuing the
acquisition of GenOne.”

The sound of cameras clicking now cascaded in waves over him.

“SK Venture Capital is also grateful for the tireless efforts of its counsel, Burke, Zucker &
Maltese, who charted the course through our due diligence review of GenOne. Specifically,
Christopher Baxter, Samuel Martinelli, and a team of countless attorneys and staff worked around
the clock to provide good counsel.”

And then he thought of her.

Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened as he imagined Kim Mi-rae somewhere watching this.

This is because of you.

His fingers curled around the dias. Ji-pyeong would offer his thanks and strike first in framing her
character before the world.

“But SK Venture Capital especially owes its thanks to Burke Zucker partner Mi-rae Kim. Ms. Kim
went above and beyond in leading an investigation into the truth behind GenOne’s claims. If it
were not for her, SK Venture Capital could have been one of many investors whom we regret were
deceived by GenOne. We all owe a debt to Ms. Kim for her dogged pursuit of the truth.”

Ji-pyeong swallowed hard. He fought through the emotion building in his chest as he turned the
final page of his prepared statement.

“We have turned over all of the materials that we have gathered to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
the Southern District of New York. We will support their efforts in any way necessary in the future
to ensure that GenOne is held accountable.

Ji-pyeong took a breath and turned to meet Yoon Seon-hak’s gaze. Her arms were crossed across
her chest and she was smiling broadly.
“But our dream does not die here.”

Yoon Seon-hak nodded firmly. Then Ji-pyeong looked forward again at the audience. There were
no longer any words down on paper to follow.

“I lost someone recently to a degenerative disease. Her name was Won-deok Choi and she was like
a grandmother to me. She helped me to live a better life and taught me to try to do the same for
others. Many of you listening right now have also lost someone that they love to an illness that the
promise of genetic therapy can help. That is why we will not give up.”

Ji-pyeong took a final breath as he looked out at all of those sitting in silence as he spoke.

“SK Venture Capital will continue our quest to find a worthy partner for Minerva. We will
endeavor to fulfill our dream to bring cutting edge therapies with easily accessible platforms to you
all. You will hear more about continued efforts in the future. Thank you.”

Ji-pyeong nodded his head in thanks and then followed Yoon Seon-hak off the stage despite the
rush of press towards them. Their shouted questions echoed loudly behind them.

Once they had slipped into the long corridor behind the stage, Yoon Seon-hak turned and extended
her hand. She shook Ji-pyeong’s hand heartily as she grinned at him.

“That could not have gone better. Excellent work, Vice President Han. You may not be willing to
claim it, but SK is deeply grateful to you too.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the ground, overcome for a moment. Then Yoon Seon-hak leaned in as
her other hand covered his.

“Would you believe Mr. Dusk’s Twitter account is actually still silent?”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh as she let go and chuckled.

“We are getting inundated with requests for interviews. Yonhap, CNN, BBC, CNA, and every
paper that you can imagine. I was thinking that we could split them up? Print first. Perhaps I can
start with the Financial Times and then you can cover….”

Ji-pyeong’s phone vibrated inside of his pocket. His stomach flipped at the possibility that it could
be Mi-rae.

“Pardon me for a moment?”

He opened his phone. It was a call from an unknown number with the prefix of 212. Ji-pyeong
grimaced and pressed ignore.

But then a text message from “ Red Convertible ” suddenly appeared on his screen.

Ji-pyeong froze as it unfurled.

“My love,

I received your beautiful letter.

And we have disposed of yet another asshole together.

A proposition: I ask that you meet me immediately.

I believe that you know the place. I will have a drink waiting.

The risk is low and the reward has yet to be paid.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.”

A burst of giddy laughter peeled from his lips.

Then a rush of relief and excitement caused the phone to tremble in his hand. Ji-pyeong read from
the beginning immediately. His fingers covered his mouth as he laughed again.

I love her so damn much.

Joy coursed through him as he grinned at the screen.

“Vice President Han?”

Ji-pyeong looked up with a start. Yoon Seon-hak was staring at him.

“Will you cover the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times ?”

It was clearly the second time that she had asked. Ji-pyeong blinked and tried to focus.

I’m not doing a damn thing for the rest of the day other than being with Mi-rae.

“Yes but …I … I think that I’m going to have to take care of some other things first. I will ask Mr.
Park to schedule the papers for next week. I am taking the rest of the afternoon off.”

Yoon Seon-hak stared at Han Ji-pyeong as if he had just said the strangest thing in the world. Then
she nodded her head slowly.

Ji-pyeong started stepping backwards.

“You go ahead and take the town car back to Burke Zucker. I have to …. Um, I’ll see you at the
dinner tonight.”

He held his hands up in a gesture of thanks as a grin once again spread across his face.

“Thank you for everything.”

Ji-pyeong then turned on his heel and started swiftly walking down the long hallway toward the
exit sign. He did not stop until he pushed through the door and was blinking in the bright sunshine
as he stepped out onto the side street.

Ji-pyeong breathed a sigh of relief that no press had assembled there. Then he gripped his phone
like his life depended on it as he furiously punched at the screen.

“Proposition accepted.”

Ji-pyeong paused. Then he again wrote exactly what he felt.

“Stay right where you are.”

Ji-pyeong turned around to get his bearings. The green of Central Park was far off to his right.

East 61st Street. That means I’m fifteen blocks away.

Ji-pyeong jogged near the corner as his hand shot in the air. Cars whizzed past him indifferently.
He spotted a taxi and his heart leapt. But as it ignored his frantic waving, he quickly realized that
the light was not on. Ji-pyeong sighed and then continued to peer desperately at every vehicle that
passed by to no avail.

Then the light changed. Ji-pyeong paced the sidewalk. He checked Uber and then snapped his
phone shut when he realized that the wait was more than fifteen minutes.

“Dammit!”

A woman pushing her grocery trolley looked at him sympathetically because his tone was just that
desperate. Ji-pyeong managed a smile and waved his hand apologetically. Then he spun around as
he heard the traffic resuming.

Every conceivable mode of transportation from a truck to a moped to a bicycle passed by him.
Frustration drove his hands into his hair. Mi-rae had read his letter and was asking him to come to
her immediately in the place where they had met. And there was not a single damn taxi anywhere
in one of the largest cities on earth.

Ji-pyeong stopped pacing as his hands came to rest on his hips. He clenched his jaw, determined.

Fuck it.

He unbuttoned his jacket and loosened his tie. And then Ji-pyeong started running.

He dashed down the length of 61st Street.

Then Ji-pyeong rounded the corner of Madison Avenue and barely dodged a group of tourists
gawking at a window display. He wove his way clear and then broke into his full speed.

Ji-pyeong’s legs pumped furiously as his arms sliced through the air. He darted across every cross
street at every break in traffic no matter who yelled at him from their car. His dress shoes pinched
his feet and his lungs started burning because of the sustained sprint. Nevertheless, Ji-pyeong
chased down each block that stood between him and Kim Mi-rae like the world was ending.

Finally, Ji-pyeong broke stride as he reached 76th Street. Relief flooded him as he spotted the
familiar black and gold of the Carlyle Hotel. His hand flew up in a hurried greeting at the doormen
as he rushed through the front entrance. Then he skidded to a stop across the black marble of the
lobby.

Ji-pyeong sucked in several breaths and quickly gulped down a glass of water from a large silver
tankard for guests. Then he took a long deep breath and regained himself.

A quick glance down at his gray pinstripe suit confirmed that he was miraculously not too
disheveled despite his mad dash here. He made sure that his shirt was still tucked in. Then Ji-
pyeong strode towards the bar as he combed his hair back with his fingers.

When he reached the entrance, his eyes met with Javier behind the bar first. The low glowing lights
offered the illusion of night in the middle of the afternoon. Javier smiled knowingly and tipped his
head to the far corner of the room. Ji-pyeong’s eyes followed the trajectory across the whimsical
murals of the empty bar.
And then he saw her.

She was sitting right where he had seen her for the first time.

A tingle went down his spine.

Mi-rae.

As Ji-pyeong began walking across the room, he felt pulled towards her by an inevitable force of
their own making. So much had changed in their short time together. Her ebony hair curved in that
same way as it always did. But now that swooping crescent moon made his heart thud in his chest.
Just below, the precise line of her black suit still cut sharply across her back. Yet he knew what it
was to kiss the soft curve of her shoulder. The first time that they had sat across from one another
they had spoken truthfully as strangers. Now Mi-rae was waiting for Ji-pyeong after reading his
most intimate thoughts.

Kim Mi-rae had been a beautiful enigma; now she was the woman with whom he wanted to spend
the rest of his life.

It felt like a waking dream.

Suddenly, that woman turned around.

As soon as they locked eyes, her red lips swung up into a smile so lovely that Ji-pyeong’s legs just
stopped moving. In all the times that Kim Mi-rae had stolen his breath away, her face had never lit
up so entirely like this. Ji-pyeong knew that he would remember it always.

Mi-rae shot out of her chair and threw her arms around his neck. She hugged him so fiercely that
Ji-pyeong staggered slightly in surprise. Then he closed his arms around her tightly.

A shuddering breath ripped from deep within him as they just held on to one another. Mi-rae
pulled him even closer as she too sighed against his chest.
It’s all over. And she’s still mine.

His fingers folded into the fabric of her suit as if to ensure that it was true.

Finally, Mi-rae pulled back and ran her hand through her hair. A bubble of nervous laughter
escaped from her lips as she glanced down at the glass of champagne and bourbon awaiting them
on the table. She bit her lip as her hand touched her forehead in embarrassment. Then words just
spilled out hurriedly as her hands flew in the air.

“I wanted to act cool and wait for you with two drinks like when we met but then I got so excited
that I ruined it. It’s just … I am so happy to see you that I feel like I’m jumping out of my skin.”

Mi-rae’s hands fluttered around his shoulders before they came to rest there. Ji-pyeong marveled at
how adorably nervous Mi-rae now seemed despite all that they had been through and everything
that she had accomplished in the last week. His heart pinched with fondness.

Ji-pyeong laughed gently and tucked her hair behind her ear. Then he leaned forward, smiling
shyly.

“I flat out ran all fifteen blocks here.”

Mi-rae gasped in delight at his confession. Her hands flew up to Ji-pyeong’s face.

“You were amazing. What you said up there …”

Ji-pyeong wrinkled his nose skeptically.

“I was alright.”

But Mi-rae was looking at him so intently that she did not seem to absorb his self-deprecating tone.
Ji-pyeong grew more serious.

“The only reason I was even up there was because of you.”

Again she did not appear to hear him. Instead, Mi-rae’s eyes were searching his face as her thumbs
gently stroked his cheeks.

“Your letter …”

Then Ji-pyeong understood.

She is thinking about what I wrote.

Now his heart was in his throat. Ji-pyeong’s hands tightened around her waist as he waited.

“It was so beautiful. I…”

Her eyes widened as her voice broke. Ji-pyeong watched her face as the reality of what he had
promised seemed to fully hit her. An exquisite ache took hold in his chest. Mi-rae looked so
happy.

“You’re really staying? For me?”

Mi-rae’s voice was now shaking.

Ji-pyeong nodded solemnly.

“I am.”

Mi-rae blinked back tears and pulled him closer.

“I just can’t believe that I get to keep you.”

It was a whisper; as much to him as to the fates.

Tears pricked behind his eyes now too. Ji-pyeong never imagined that anyone would ever look at
him like he was their dream. But that was how Mi-rae was looking at him now. An unfathomable
love swelled within his heart.

He lowered his head closer to Mi-rae.

“And I get to keep you. Because that is what we both deserve.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice was resolute; as much to the fates as to her.

He was considering whether it was now alright to just kiss her in this empty bar when Javier’s
voice pierced the silence as he loudly greeted people behind him. Mi-rae’s hands dropped from his
face as she stepped back. Ji-pyeong cleared his throat and looked down at their drinks.

“Do you want to—”

“Yes.”

Mi-rae was adamant.

Ji-pyeong jerked his head back in surprise and huffed a laugh.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask!”

Mi-rae shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter what you were going to ask.”

He just looked at her, bemused. Then Mi-rae stepped forward and seized his tie with one hand.
“The only question that I am answering right now is if I want to go upstairs with you.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open. Her eyes narrowed, determined.

“And the answer is yes.”

Her fingers slid down the silk as his eyes followed helplessly.

“Right now.”

Oh my god.

Ji-pyeong grasped the hand that was moving down his chest. Then he spun towards the exit.

“Put it on my room, Javier! Thank you!”

He caught Javier’s sly smile out of the corner of his eye as they walked past him. But all that Ji-
pyeong could think about was getting upstairs. They rushed across the lobby hand in hand toward
the elevator bank. Ji-pyeong punched the elevator button five times in a row as Mi-rae laughed
softly into his shoulder. He looked down at her and felt himself grinning as widely as she was. Mi-
rae’s hand tightened around his.

The doors mercifully gave way and they hurried inside. But then three businessmen rolled their
suitcases into the elevator too with their eyes on their phones before the doors could close.

Ji-pyeong had to stop himself from stamping his foot.

Dammit.

Mi-rae gripped his hand so hard that it was almost painful. His head fell back against the wall in
frustration. One of the men in front of them turned to the other.
“Wow, have you been following all the shit about GenOne?”

Ji-pyeong looked down at Mi-rae. Her mouth formed a small red “o.”

“Yeah I’m just catching up now. Dusk is so fucked. Unbelievable that no one figured this out until
now. What do they pay these banks for anyway?”

Their third companion chuckled as he scrolled through his phone.

“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”

All three men laughed as the elevator stopped on the fifth floor. The doors sprung open and then
they were gone.

“Oh my god!”

Mi-rae leaned her head into his arm as she giggled.

But Ji-pyeong was too busy eying all four corners of the ceiling. Somewhere, there was a camera.
He sighed, exasperated.

“Fucking elevators.”

Mi-rae’s hand relaxed around his.

“Oh I don’t know…”

Her fingers slipped inside of his palm and then lightly traced a path under the cuff of his sleeve. He
drew in a sharp breath as they proceeded to feather up the inside of his wrist.
“I still think elevators can have their charms.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at her in disbelief. She raised her eyebrows like a dare.

Unbelievable.

He fought a smile at how brazen she was being. Then Mi-rae leaned in a little closer and the smell
of her perfume filled his head. Jasmine now meant his lips on her skin. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as
he battled not to give into temptation again.

“The first time I rode in an elevator with you standing behind me, I almost lost my mind wanting
you so much.”

Dear god.

“Mi-rae…”

Ji-pyeong could barely say her name. He bit the inside of his cheek. Then Mi-rae’s thumb began to
rub back and forth along his wrist. The tender, seductive rhythm made Ji-pyeong want her to touch
him everywhere. He turned his head away as he fought the impulse to pull her against him and beg
for it.

Instead, Ji-pyeong decided to focus on what little that he could control here in these final moments
of waiting.

He withdrew his hand out of self preservation. Then Ji-pyeong impatiently pulled his phone out of
his pocket. He held down the off button as firmly as he could.

Then he looked pointedly at Mi-rae.

“Turn your phone off now.”

Her lips folded into one another as Mi-rae tried not to laugh. Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow to
remind her of their perils. The moment that those doors opened, Han Ji-pyeong would brook no
interruptions.

Mi-rae withdrew her phone from her bag with a small smile and dutifully obliged him.

Then Ji-pyeong stepped as far away as possible from Mi-rae despite her amused pout in protest. He
could not cope with her even touching him without being able to reciprocate in every way that he
wanted to.

Mi-rae conceded the space between them. Then she slipped her arms behind her back as she leaned
against the wall across from him.

But with distance, came a different kind of torture.

Ji-pyeong had to take in the wanton way that she was looking at him. The shape of her red lips
promised much more than just a kiss. The slope of her neck gracefully led to the delicate curve of
her collar bone; beckoning to his eyes to linger much further below. Her jacket tucked in sharply at
her waist, hinting at the curve of her hips. He had briefly experienced it all. And knowing what it
was to be with Mi-rae and not be able to act on it was maddening.

All of sudden, Ji-pyeong felt like he could not breathe. He was so close to having everything that
he wanted and yet it was still just beyond his reach. Ji-pyeong yanked another button of his shirt
open and loosened his tie even further.

Mi-rae made a small sound.

“My love…”

Her voice was suddenly strained.

Ji-pyeong looked up from his struggle with his tie. And then he watched, fascinated, as her eyes
ticked down from his face to his hand as it tugged.

Mi-rae visibly swallowed.

“How many more floors?”

Ji-pyeong sighed regretfully. The maroon silk fell from his hand.

“It’s a penthouse. On the twenty sixth floor.”

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut and let out a puff of air.

“Of course it is.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip in amazement.

Mi-rae made no secret of wanting him. And it only made him more desperate to have her. He sank
against the wall as his eyes traced all the way up her bare legs to the black line of her pencil skirt
across her thighs. He knew what awaited him just beneath that taught barrier. Ji-pyeong’s
imagination raced wildly with all the ways that he was going to make her gasp his name.

I am going to lose my mind if I have to wait any longer.

Mi-rae opened her eyes. This was no longer a game for her either. They both stared at the light
above them in silence as it flashed through each floor at an agonizing pace.

Twenty three.

Ji-pyeong’s teeth sank deeper into his lip.

Twenty four.

His hands flexed at his sides.

Twenty five.

A pulse of anticipation drove his eyes back to Mi-rae. She was now staring at him again too.

For the love of god please hurry.

Then, finally, the tone sounded.

In a blur, Mi-rae grabbed his hand and quickly pulled Ji-pyeong through the first passable gap
between the doors and into the penthouse foyer. When they reached the door, Mi-rae turned
around and seized his tie again as she fell back against the door.

Nervous excitement fluttered throughout his body as he fumbled in his wallet for the key. But
when Ji-pyeong finally grasped the hard corner of the keycard, it slipped from his shaking fingers.
He watched it fall to the floor in slow motion.

Oh my god why am I so nervous?

Mi-rae released his tie. And then she closed her eyes as she cupped his face tenderly as if to steady
them both. Ji-pyeong instantly realized what she was trying to tell him.

There is no reason to rush.

Mi-rae opened her eyes and let out a breath. And then Ji-pyeong could feel himself smiling with
her. Having time was something to which they both had to grow accustomed. Ji-pyeong drew in a
deep breath and then exhaled as he slowly bent down to pick up the key. When he was facing Mi-
rae again, he leaned softly towards her as his arm braced against the door.

Her fingers reached up. Mi-rae held his gaze as they slowly traced the curve of his jaw.

“I love you.”

Her voice was low.

Once again, Ji-pyeong learned that those words could mean something new. The last time he had
hurriedly taken her into his arms, Ji-pyeong had bargained with the fates hoping for more time.
That day had come. This was not a stolen moment. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

And he intended to make the most of it.

Ji-pyeong’s hand pressed against the door as she drew him closer to her lips.

As he looked at Mi-rae, something new broke open inside of him. Finally, Han Ji-pyeong had
everything that he had ever wanted. His heart surged to fill the remaining space between them.

“I am so in love with you. Mi-rae… you have no idea…”

But then Ji-pyeong reached the end of language to capture all that he was feeling. He realized that
in some moments, words were not enough.

Mi-rae’s red lips parted, inviting him to claim her.

“Then show me.”

The door clicked open and Ji-pyeong backed her inside.

*************
 Chapter Fourteen

How are you mine?

It still seemed impossible that this man wanted to spend his life with her. Ji-pyeong was looking at
her with more love than Mi-rae had ever felt in her life.

“I am so in love with you. Mi-rae, you have no idea….”

Ji-pyeong’s brown eyes searched hers as if he could not find the words that he needed. But he did
not need to. He had already given her the gift of his beautiful letter.

Mi-rae’s eyes dropped to the pink fullness of his lips. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted his
hands on her body. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and take him inside of her.

She wanted him.

“Then show me.”

All that she wanted spilled boldly from her lips.

Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched beneath her fingers in silent reply.

And then the door gave way behind her.

A shiver of excitement went down her spine as Ji-pyeong lowered his head and started backing her
inside.
The points of her heels sank slowly into the carpet with each step. The room was filled with the
golden glow of afternoon. Ji-pyeong’s dark hair had now fallen over his forehead. His tie was in
open rebellion. The cords in his neck tightened as her gaze swept down to the indent at the base of
his throat and then back up. The look on his face told her that he would hold nothing back.

Then Ji-pyeong impatiently discarded his jacket to the floor.

He is so much.

Mi-rae dropped her bag. She swallowed hard as she tried to prepare herself.

His hands seized by her waist, pulling her roughly against him.

But then Ji-pyeong waited.

Mi-rae’s mind went blank.

Ji-pyeong licked his lips as his hands traced up the shape of her. Then he gathered her face into his
hands and closed his eyes. Mi-rae could not help but watch as he leaned towards her.

At first, his lips pressed softly against hers. It was an exquisite torture, this whisper of a kiss. Mi-
rae wanted all of him. And yet her body was tingling all over as he asked her to revel in the
unfurling of their love. Her arms remained helpless at her sides.

Ji-pyeong sucked in her lower lip gently as his thumbs swept across her cheeks. Her eyes closed.
Everything about Ji-pyeong’s controlled tenderness told her that he was hers. With every soft pull
of his lips, Mi-rae answered with love. She was content to stay blissfully suspended in the delicate
caress of his mouth.

But when she felt the warm, wet hint of his tongue. Mi-rae opened to him immediately. Velvet
slipped in as her hands circled around his neck. She shamelessly chased him, lifting herself onto her
toes just to get closer. Ji-pyeong sighed happily against her lips. His fingers traced down her jaw
and along her neck. And then he began to unbutton her jacket.
His lips grew more insistent as each button fell to his determined fingers. Only when he had shoved
it off of her shoulders to the floor did his arms close fiercely around her. Mi-rae soon felt dizzy
with the demands of his mouth as he held her fast to his chest. But despite the rising ache inside of
her, Ji-pyeong just kissed her and kissed her without claiming more. He moved with a slow
deliberateness that promised everything but yielded nothing.

Mi-rae broke away. She began pulling desperately at the knot in his tie. If she could just unravel it,
then she could have all that she wanted.

She could feel his eyes on her as she pulled and pulled.

Finally, it gave way.

Their eyes locked as the sound of silk sliding through his collar cut through the silence between
them.

His tie fell to the floor.

Mi-rae grasped the collar of his shirt and pulled him just inches from her lips.

“Where….”

Mi-rae sucked in a breath as she tried to speak. She pulled even harder on his shirt.

“Where is the bedroom?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes darkened. He surged forward and kissed her, hard. Her legs felt like they were
going to buckle as she staggered backwards.

Then he seized her hand and strode through the living room as Mi-rae followed in a daze. He did
not stop until they reached it.
Mi-rae tried to get her bearings as Ji-pyeong reached over his desk and yanked a cord from the
wall. Light streamed through the floor to ceiling windows. The green of Central Park called to her
from the corner of her eye. The room was so bright that Mi-rae’s stomach flipped at the intimacy.

Ji-pyeong turned to face her. He let out a deep breath as he looked her up and down. The white bed
was wide and crisply made just beyond his shoulders.

He took a step towards her. And then he began unbuttoning his shirt.

Oh my god.

Mi-rae fell back against the door frame as she took him in. Ji-pyeong moved towards her slowly,
welcoming her gaze.

And so she watched as he came to her, entranced. With each button that slipped free, Mi-rae’s eyes
greedily claimed more as Ji-pyeong closed the space between them. Then he gently took her hands
and placed them on his body.

A small sound escaped from her lips.

She looked at him in wonder. Mi-rae had touched him before. Yet here in the light of late
afternoon— in the wake of his promise to spend his life with her — everything felt new. Mi-rae
wanted to savor every inch of him and commit it to memory.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as Mi-rae slid her hands up his chest. She delved under the fabric of his
shirt to push it off of his shoulders and down. Then her fingers dragged down his chest and
stomach.

Mi-rae caressed the beautiful dichotomy of him — the hard ridges of his stomach that tensed
beneath her fingers, the soft skin of his abdomen. She pressed her lips to his neck as her fingers
traveled along the delicate line of his collar bone. And then her hands spanned the breadth of his
chest as she welcomed the taste of him on her tongue.

Ji-pyeong inhaled sharply. Then his hands were suddenly at the back of her skirt, pulling at the
zipper and pushing it down over her hips.
The break in his restraint was thrilling.

Mi-rae stepped out of her skirt and pulled her silk shell off quickly. She pulled his hips towards
her. And then Ji-pyeong watched as she undid the button of his pants.

Her hand plunged down.

Ji-pyeong’s hands clutched at the door frame on either side of her. Then his head dropped to her
shoulder as she took him into her grasp.

Her fingers moved along the length of him slowly, savoring how much he wanted her. She listened
to the sound of his hands sliding helplessly down the lacquered wood behind her head. Ji-pyeong’s
lips found her neck seemingly in desperation. Warm gasps interrupted the wet caress of his tongue
as she touched him.

She closed her eyes and turned her face into his hair, breathing in the scent of him. Citrus and
sandalwood reminded her of all the times that she had wanted to do just this. Mi-rae moved her
thumb in slow circles, wanting him to feel how much she loved every part of him.

Ji-pyeong’s lips found hers once again. His mouth became needy as her hand grew bolder. He
pressed the length of his body against her.

Finally, he pulled away with a gasp.

Ji-pyeong’s chest heaved as his forehead dropped against hers. She urgently pushed his pants off of
his hips. Then their eyes met as his fingers discovered the lace of her bra. Ji-pyeong looked
positively undone.

He began pulling her by the waist towards the bed. The yawning white just behind him beckoned.

When he finally stopped, Ji-pyeong’s fingers stroked along the length of her collarbone as his eyes
roved down her body. And then he gently pressed down until Mi-rae was sitting on the bed.
She looked up slowly, her breath hitching in her throat as her eyes discovered all of his body for the
first time.

His legs were lean and impossibly long. The defined lines of his thighs disappeared tantalizingly
just beneath black boxer briefs. He made no secret of wanting her. Her eyes darted to the smooth
expanse of his chest as anticipation coursed through her.

Ji-pyeong swayed closer. His black hair was now unruly, in revolt across his forehead. And he was
looking at her with a determination that made her teeth sink into her lip almost painfully.

He is so beautiful.

Her legs fell open. Ji-pyeong immediately claimed the space that they offered. Mi-rae leaned back,
preparing for the weight of his body.

But then Ji-pyeong dropped to his knees.

My god.

All of the air left her lungs at once.

Ji-pyeong’s face was suddenly before her. The soft brown of his eyes, the bold line of his nose, the
peaks of his lips that ceded to lush pink just below. Mi-rae took in the face of the man that she
loved beyond reason as his fingers traced slowly up her thighs. He would only ask her to surrender
if he did too.

A hand was then at her cheek.

“I love looking at you.”

His voice was low and quiet. Mi-rae’s mouth opened but she could not think of any words to say.
She was entirely under Ji-pyeong’s spell as his fingers then slid slowly down her neck. They
splayed possessively across her chest. And then his other hand slipped around her back.
Mi-rae closed her eyes as the clasp of her bra sprang free. One hand slid up to cradle the back of
her neck as another closed over her breast. And then he lowered her onto the bed.

Mi-rae reached for his face and his lips answered. Ji-pyeong kissed her deeply and slowly as he
filled his hands with her.

She arched shamelessly into his touch until he gave in and grew bold; his thumb passing roughly
over the most sensitive part of her. Mi-rae felt desperate to let him know how good it felt. She
kissed him wildly to spur him to be greedier still.

Finally, the wet warmth of his mouth trailed down her neck. Her fingers curled into the soft silk of
his hair as he kissed her collarbone. When he took her into his mouth, his lips moved without
remorse. Mi-rae only pulled him closer; sighing as his tongue offered endless mercies. The air
rushed in to where her skin was wet from him as he moved on to possess even more of her. Mi-rae
sank into the mattress as a desperate want coiled between her legs

Ji-pyeong slid down to her belly. He kissed her gently at first. Then his mouth opened, hot against
her skin. But as his lips reached the edge of her underwear, a shrill klaxon sounded in her head.

Panic suddenly tore through her. Her hands gripped his shoulders of their own volition. Ji-pyeong
immediately froze.

No no no. Don’t think about that now.

Shame flushed her cheeks as she tried to stop thinking about her ex-husband.

Stop it. Stop thinking about before.

Ji-pyeong’s face was above hers in an instant.

“What’s wrong?”
He smoothed the hair back from her face. As soon as Mi-rae saw how his brow was furrowed with
worry, self reproach rushed in.

Why now? Stop Mi-rae.

She covered her face in embarrassment.

“Oh god I am ruining this.”

She mumbled her regret through her fingers.

“Mi-rae, that’s impossible.”

His voice was gentle. Then Ji-pyeong slowly pulled her hands away from her face.

“Talk to me.”

His eyes were filled with concern. Mi-rae took a deep breath and looked away so that she could
force the words out.

“You … you don’t have to do that. It’s okay.”

She could not bear it if he hated it too.

Ji-pyeong slowly turned her chin back to him. He looked as if he could not process what she had
just said. His other hand hovered above her stomach and then fell away.

“Do you not like that?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes searched her face.

Painful memories of her ex-husband’s disdain for the act and her shame at how he recoiled from it
flooded her. She had long ago forgone the pleasure. Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut and tried to
push away apprehension bred by neglect.

She took a few shallow breaths. And then she looked up at Ji-pyeong.

His brown eyes grounded her. Mi-rae reached for his hand. His grasp was warm and sure.

She focused on now, with him. And then Mi-rae tried to explain without bringing anyone else into
their bed.

“No … I do. I do like that. A lot.”

A small sigh escaped from her as she tried to find the right words. He patiently remained still.

“It’s just that… not everyone likes to do it. So I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

Understanding flickered across his face. And then his fingers spanned across her belly.

“I want to.”

His low voice vibrated throughout her body.

Ji-pyeong lowered his head until his breath was warm on her skin just under her ear.

“Mi-rae. Ever since the car, I have though about it every day. Every day.”

He sighed against her neck.

“God how I want to.”

Mi-rae closed her eyes and drew in a ragged breath. When she opened them again, Ji-pyeong was
an inch from her lips. He was searching her face for permission.

“Do you want me to?”

Yes.

Her thighs slid against each other in anticipation.

She nodded.

Still, Ji-pyeong waited.

The gentle look on his face made her eyes prick with tears. Mi-rae touched his lips reverently.
Then she lowered her hand to close over his. And she found her voice.

“Yes.”

His mouth tugged up into a small smile that made her chest feel like it was breaking open. Then Ji-
pyeong closed his eyes and kissed her softly.

He pulled back and ran his fingers through her hair.

“You said to show you...”

Then Ji-pyeong pressed a kiss to her neck. His lips lingered for a moment.

“Let me show you.”

His voice in her ear made Mi-rae feel like she was falling off a cliff. She swallowed and then slid
his hand down underneath the lace of her underwear.

Ji-pyeong pulled her close against him with one arm. And then his mouth opened to draw in the
sensitive skin of her neck as his fingers caressed their way down. His touch as he slipped between
her was soft and slow; but never teasing. Rather, his hand charted a new course — one in which he
asked for her trust.

Ji-pyeong moved gently, the tips of his fingers rubbing until they became slick with his seduction.
His mouth on her neck mimicked the slow dance of below. Everything about the way he was
touching her made Mi-rae heady with need.

“My love….”

Her hands clutched at his shoulders, begging for more.

Ji-pyeong obeyed. His fingers slid inside of her as his mouth trailed down and claimed her breasts
once again. Mi-rae began to move her hips with him. The warm press of his lips and the rhythmic
pull of his fingers made everything else fall away but the pleasure that Ji-pyeong was offering.

And then his mouth was kissing the softness of her belly. Mi-rae closed her eyes as he slowly slid
her underwear off. Now she desperately wanted to feel his mouth where his hand had just fallen
away.

But Ji-pyeong’s fingers traced endless circles on her stomach instead. His other hand stroked the
inside of her thigh, up and and down. His lips were hot on her belly but his fingers were
agonizingly light. Ji-pyeong lulled her into a kind of trance as the coil of need wound even tighter
between her legs.

Finally, the word that Ji-pyeong was waiting for spilled helplessly from her lips.

“Please.”

And then he was kissing her, there.

Mi-rae’s arm fell across her face at the intimacy.

His lips were soft at first. It was a maddening hint of pleasure.

Then his mouth opened. And his tongue pressed against her.

Oh god.

Mi-rae surged up onto her elbows. And there he was. His dark hair was moving between her legs.
His hands were sliding under her thighs to take a hold of her. The muscles in his arm were taught
with effort.

Mi-rae was mesmerized by the sight of him.

It is all for me.

She slid her fingers in his hair to let him know how much she wanted him to do it. His hands
tightened on her thighs and then Mi-rae fell open into his arms. Ji-pyeong tenderly searched for
any hint of what she liked as his fingers once again stroked her thighs.

Then he shifted. A bolt of pleasure tore through her.

“Oh my god that—- that. Please.”

He growled against her as his hands seized her hips. Mi-rae gasped as he pulled her flush against
his mouth.

Then she fell back against the bed.

He moved like a man obsessed. Mi-rae closed her eyes. She arched into the wet promise of his
mouth. And then her hips began to move with him as pleasure built inside of her. His mouth
worshiped her as she chased a release that was now within her reach.

A small burst of ecstasy made Mi-rae gasp his name. She found his hand on her hip and held on to
it for dear life. She did not want it to end — this pulsing pleasure between her legs. Colors began to
flash before her eyes. Her legs began to shake. She clutched at his hand even though he was the
cause of her undoing.

Ji-pyeong held her fast even as he relentlessly pushed her over the edge. And then Mi-rae let go,
her arms stretching up as she gave herself over to him. Waves of pleasure coursed through her. Ji-
pyeong did not stop until a single blinding point made her cry out and then collapse, gasping for
air.

What just happened.

Mi-rae stared up at the white expanse above her as her chest rose and fell rapidly. She pushed at
the strands of hair stuck to her face with sweat. Her legs refused to move.

“Oh my god.”

Mi-rae did not care if Ji-pyeong heard her disbelief out loud. He should know what he had just
done for her. Ji-pyeong pressed a chaste kiss to her stomach in reply. And then the bed shifted
under his weight as he settled beside her.

Mi-rae turned her head to look at him.

Ji-pyeong's lips were still wet, with her. She felt a thrill of possession. Her fingers touched his lips
again as he smiled at her shyly. Then Ji-pyeong caught her hand in his. He pressed a kiss softly to
her palm.

The sight of him as her body still reverberated with the offering of his love made her ache anew.
Mi-rae wanted to be with him. To feel him making love to her here in the light of this room.
Mi-rae inched closer to him and took his face into her hands. She kissed the beautiful lips that
spoke so gently to her; that wrought such pleasure within her. And then she slipped her arms
around his neck and pulled him on top of her.

Ji-pyeong understood in an instant that she was asking for him. His briefs were gone without
ceremony. He lifted himself up onto one arm.

And then he wrapped her leg around his hip.

Mi-rae took him into her hand and watched his eyes close as she guided him to her. He sank inside
of her inch by inch, as if willing himself not to lose control.

But she did not want him to hold back anymore. She wanted Ji-pyeong to let go with her as she had
with him. And so Mi-rae reached up and gathered Ji-pyeong into her arms. She kissed him slowly,
encircling him to welcome him deep within her. Ji-pyeong sighed into her kiss as his body melted
into hers.

Mi-rae traced her fingers up the broad expanse of his back as he slowly began to move inside of
her. Up and down, her hands mapped all of him as each stroke filled the exquisite ache inside of
her. Mi-rae closed her eyes and felt the power of the muscles working under her hands as Ji-pyeong
moved. His hands slid into her hair as if to moor himself.

Mi-rae wanted him to feel as cherished as she did. And so she kissed his neck as she arched to meet
him. Her hands slid down and sank into his backside to pull him even closer. She rolled her hips
over and over so that he would know how much she needed him just like this. Anything to show
him how much she loved him until it bubbled up to her lips.

“My love…”

He pulled up to look at her. And as his eyes searched hers, Mi-rae knew that this was how they
were always meant to be. Ji-pyeong seemed to feel it too. He became so overwhelmed by emotion
that Mi-rae took his face back into her hands and drew his forehead down. She whispered to him as
she rocked against him.

“I’m right here.”

His lips found hers again as he gathered all of her into his arms.

Together, they became something new. Their mouths moved as their bodies below — gently and
with love. Offering and receiving in an endless circle. Soon Mi-rae knew not where she ended and
Ji-pyeong began. All of her love then spilled from her lips into the sacred space between them.

“My love, my love, my love….”

She said it endlessly as Ji-pyeong began to gasp in her ear. He sought a haven in her neck as his
arms tightened around her.

Pleasure bloomed within her again as Ji-pyeong grew more desperate. This time, it was a long and
ebbing rapture. Then she listened as Ji-pyeong fell apart in her arms; smiling into his hair as he
swore oaths until he grew still.

They lay there together after.

The room was filled only with the late afternoon sun and the sound of them recovering their breath.
Mi-rae blinked through the haze of her satiated body. She luxuriated in the weight of Ji-pyeong as
she continued to hold him fast. Then she looked around the room.

This is where Ji-pyeong had lived for all the time that she had known him. It was meticulously neat
despite the weeks he had spent here. She imagined him pacing this room as they planned for today.
Or looking up at this ceiling when they talked on the phone wishing that they were together
instead.

But it also seemed lonely; impersonal. Even though he was far from home it saddened her that
nothing here belonged to him but her. Mi-rae tightened her arms around him.

Then her eyes turned to look out the window.

There was Central Park. From the moment that she kissed him under those trees they were
somehow always going to end up here. Ji-pyeong had been right that day. What they felt for one
another made sense like nothing else in her life ever had.

Her fingers tangled in his hair. Just over his head was a desk. Mi-rae’s eyes lingered on it trying to
imagine Ji-pyeong writing to her last night. Mi-rae had read his letter so many times that she
already knew his words by heart.

Every moment with you has shown me how beautiful now is.

Mi-rae smiled at his wisdom.

This now —with his heart beating steadily against her chest and her arms wrapped around him —
was the best moment of her life.

Now is beautiful with you too, my love.

She bent her head down to kiss the softness of his dark hair.

Ji-pyeong stirred and burrowed his head against her chest.

“I told you that we needed to try a bed.”

He mumbled it smugly against her skin. Mi-rae giggled and carded her fingers through his hair. His
laughter rumbled against her.

Ji-pyeong rolled off of her. He drew the duvet over them and pulled her close. He settled his head
on his arm across from her. Then Ji-pyeong exhaled as a hand came to rest on her hip.

“No but thank god that I finally have you in my bed.” He closed his eyes with a pained expression.
“I swear that the pool house took at least a year off of my life, Mi-rae.”

She laughed softly. Then Mi-rae cooed sympathetically as she rearranged the hair that was wild
across his forehead.

“My poor Ji-pyeong. Better now?”

His mouth quirked and then he closed his eyes to accept her proffered kisses to his cheeks and
forehead. When she had finished, Ji-pyeong squinted at her begrudgingly.

“I suppose.”

Mi-rae giggled again and a grin broke across his face. She surged up and tried to trap the dimple in
his cheek with her index finger and thumb.

“I love when these appear because of me.”

Ji-pyeong made a small contented sound as his hand drew her closer by the hip.

“It’s because you make me so happy.”

Mi-rae’s breath caught in her throat.

When she had first seen him, Ji-pyeong looked so lost and alone that she could not take her eyes
off of him. Now his face was filled with joy; his dimples deepening and his eyes soft with love. It
was the miracle of her life that it was because of her.

Mi-rae unfurled her fingers and pressed her palm to his cheek.

“I want to always make you happy.”

Then she spoke the truth that had come to her as she read his letter.

“I want to marry you.”

Her voice was quiet but firm. Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened and then he sat up with a bolt.

“I wasn’t sure if I should have said so now or how you would feel about it.”

Mi-rae sat up slowly and tucked the duvet around herself. She looked down at the hand where she
used to wear a gold band.

“I never imagined getting married again.”

Mi-rae looked at him.

“But then I met you.”

Her throat tightened as Ji-pyeong looked at her in amazement.

“I have a lot of new dreams too, my love. Spending the rest of my life with you as my husband is
one of them.”

Ji-pyeong remained motionless as he absorbed her words. Then he looked down suddenly and
touched his forehead.

It became clear that he was fighting a wave of emotion. She reached for him quickly. And as she
kissed him, Mi-rae could feel wetness on his cheeks.

Mi-rae pulled him into her arms and wiped his tears away as her lips assured Ji-pyeong that he
would never be alone again.

*********
Mi-rae nestled her head deeper into the pillow. For a moment she forgot where she was. As she
opened her eyes slowly, Mi-rae expected the piercing gaze of her cat waiting to be fed.

Instead, her eyes were met with the sight of Han Ji-pyeong asleep beside her.

Mi-rae sucked in her lips to stop a small sound of delight from escaping.

Look at him.

It was like he was a secret tucked away from the world just for her. Ji-pyeong was sleeping on his
stomach. His hair was in complete rebellion against the white pillow. His shoulders were bare and
seemed to stretch endlessly across from where the duvet slipped away.

Flashes of all they had done in this bed together before falling asleep from exhaustion played
through Mi-rae’s head. Ji-pyeong had made her fall apart again and again. Yet now he slept with a
boyishly innocent look on his face.

You certainly are many things all at once Han Ji-pyeong.

Her toes curled as she smiled to herself. Then Mi-rae propped herself up on an elbow just to
indulge in looking at him unobserved.

It was the first Mi-rae had woken up beside anyone since her divorce. Now she was lying in bed
next to the man that she was going to marry. It was surreal. And yet it also felt unexpectedly
normal to be next to him. Words from his letter echoed in her mind.

I want to wake up curled next to you …

Ji-pyeong's brow furrowed adorably as he shifted his arm under the pillow. She bit her lip as she
spied the small mole on his cheek. Like so much about Ji-pyeong, what he likely viewed as his
imperfections only made him more precious to her.

Don’t wake him up.

Her fingers disobeyed and gently reached to touch his cheek anyway.

How I love you.

Mi-rae brushed his hair softly off of his forehead as he smiled in his sleep. He was so handsome
here in the darkness with the straight lines of his profile gently softened by his ruffled hair resting
within the recess of the pillow.

Wait a minute.

Mi-rae sat up and looked around the room.

The green trees were gone; there was only black punctuated by the distant twinkling lights of
Manhattan.

What time is it?

Mi-rae looked to her left and found an alarm clock on the nightstand. The glowing green digits
made her gasp.

9:28 pm

She covered her mouth as her stomach dropped.

Dinner was at 7:30!

Chris had rented a room at Eleven Madison Park for a celebratory dinner for the closing that had
never happened. The entire Burke Zucker team was invited as well as Ji-pyeong and Yoon Seon-
hak.

Mi-rae looked down at Ji-pyeong. She ran a hand through her hair as a bubble of laughter escaped
from her lips.

We are supposed to be there and we are naked in bed here.

It felt deliciously subversive.

Mi-rae ran her fingers across his back. And then she leaned down and kissed his shoulder.

“My love.”

He did not move.

She kissed his cheek until a dimple conceded her presence.

“Ji-pyeong.”

He opened one eye.

“It’s after nine o’clock.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes blinked open rapidly as he rolled over onto his back. Then he ran his hands
through his hair.

“Fuck.”

His hair feathered back across his forehead. Then an impish grin curled up the corners of his
mouth. Ji-pyeong pulled her down and then underneath him. His lips found her neck.
“I don’t care.”

The words were warm and teasing against her skin. It sent a tingle throughout her body. Then his
arms closed around her.

“I’m not letting you out of this bed ever.”

Ji-pyeong sounded petulantly stubborn. Mi-rae laughed softly and buried her fingers into his hair.

“I have no intention of leaving it.”

Then she lowered her head to catch his eye.

“But we should probably at least send them a message.”

Ji-pyeong sighed as he slowly pulled away from her and sat up. She leaned over to turn on a lamp.

“Where the hell are our phones?”

He rubbed at the back of his head while looking around the room at the trail of their clothing on
the floor.

“I believe yours is where you took your jacket off just inside and mine is in my purse where I
dropped it right after you did that.”

Ji-pyeong’s head jerked back towards her.

“That’s very specific.”

“Well I have a very good memory.” Mi-rae sniffed and smoothed the duvet. “And, you don’t easily
forget the best sex of your life.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened at her sudden directness. Then he quickly lost a battle with his mouth as
it gave way to a smug smile. Ji-pyeong leaned back onto one hand as his eyes ticked up and down
her face.

“Is that right?”

His voice was low. Mi-rae refused to break eye contact despite the way it made her mouth go dry.

“That’s right.”

Ji-pyeong looked very pleased with himself. She raised an eyebrow to puncture his confoundingly
attractive cockiness.

“So keep it up.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her incredulously and then burst out laughing. Mi-rae threw his briefs at him
and then made herself comfortable to make clear who was retrieving their phones. He shrugged
into them still smiling and then obliged her.

“By the way…”

Ji-pyeong stopped at the door and looked back.

“It was for me too.”

Mi-rae dug her fingers into the duvet and sank down in delight. She pulled it up to her face as he
grinned before walking away.

Ji-pyeong soon returned with their clothes piled over his arm and her purse dangling from his hand.
He handed her the bag and then flopped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh.
He stared at his phone with a frown.

“I don’t want to turn this on.”

Mi-rae settled onto her stomach next to him, phone now in hand. She bumped his shoulder gently
as her legs crossed in the air.

“We are just going to check in to let them know we’re okay and then we will shut them back off.
Deal?”

Ji-pyeong looked at her and nodded.

“Deal.”

His face was illuminated by the light of his phone turning on. Mi-rae’s eyes were drawn to the
screen.

Red Convertible?

She grabbed his phone from his hand. He yelped in protest.

Mi-rae read over the displayed last text message to confirm her suspicion. A thrill of discovery
coursed through her.

“I’m saved as ‘Red Convertible’ in your contacts!”

Ji-pyeong tried to keep a straight face.

“What? You love your car. And so do I.”

Mi-rae stared at him.

Ji-pyeong looked away with a smirk. Then he composed himself and looked back at her
suggestively. Her cheeks grew hot.

“I have fond memories of that red convertible.”

His eyes were now dancing with mischief. Mi-rae fought a smile as she felt herself violently blush.

Ji-pyeong cocked his head.

“Wait a second. What do you have me saved as?”

Mi-rae swallowed and then jutted her chin out.

“I had you saved you as Han Ji-pyeong, Vice President, SH Venture Capital. Because I’m a
professional.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes narrowed and then they ticked over to her phone.

“You said that in the past tense.”

He started inching towards her like a cat.

Mi-rae grabbed the phone and flipped over with it under her back. Ji-pyeong jumped on top of her,
his hands frantically searching underneath her as she shrieked.

“Give it!”

Mi-rae laughed as his fingers scrambled up her sides. Finally Ji-pyeong emerged victorious with
her phone in his hand. He hoarded it like treasure. Then he immediately pouted.
“Dammit. What’s the code?”

Mi-rae chuckled.

“It’s 1951.”

She wrapped her arms around his back and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“My love, do you really need to look to figure it out?”

Ji-pyeong turned and looked down at her. And then she watched as understanding dawned.

“When?”

His voice was quiet.

“When did you change it?”

Mi-rae pressed a kiss to his shoulder. Her lips lingered as she confessed.

“After we got back from the winery. I was alone in my room and I missed you.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip as he looked at her, eyes soft.

“I think you’re secretly a romantic too, Mi-rae.”

She tightened her arms around him.

“I don’t think that’s a secret anymore either, my love.”

He leaned closer and kissed her. His lips were gentle, but Ji-pyeong tarried long enough to suggest
that he was thinking about more. He pulled away with a small sigh.

Then they both reviewed their phones. Mi-rae scrolled through her email and checked several news
sites.

“The coverage all seems to be focused on the right things…”

“Not us. Another whistleblower has already come forward. And there’s still no comment from
Dusk.”

Ji-pyeong exhaled deeply.

Mi-rae held up her phone. It was displaying a text from Sam that consisted only of an emoji
smiling slyly. Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut and chuckled as he shook his head.

“Alright what do you propose that we say to Chris and Yoon Seon-hak? ‘Sorry we missed dinner
but I finally got to be in a bed with Attorney Kim and couldn’t be bothered to check the time?’”

Mi-rae covered her face trying not to laugh. Then she took a deep breath and tried to attack the
problem.

“Blame it on me. Say I was faint from lack of sleep like some woman in an old novel — Chris and
Sam will know part of that is true. And so you brought me home to rest and I’m still asleep but you
wanted to make sure that I was okay. And I don’t know … you fell asleep too?”

Ji-pyeong looked at her skeptically. Mi-rae giggled at their flimsiest of alibis. Then she shrugged.

“Everyone will know we are lying but that’s enough so that they can at least pretend that we aren’t
to each other.”
Ji-pyeong smiled as he nodded while typing. Then his fingers paused in the air.

“Wait a minute ….. How many nights have you not slept? Did you even eat today?”

“Two. And no.”

Ji-pyeong stood up quickly while shaking his head furiously.

“You need to eat! Where is the room service menu?” He paused and flipped his hands back and
forth. “Or, would you rather go out?”

Mi-rae drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

“No, I want to stay right here.”

She rested her chin on her knees as she watched Ji-pyeong stride across the room like she had seen
him do so many times over the last month. Except now that determination was focused on her
dinner.

Mi-rae was used to late nights and missing meals. But someone acting like it was the end of the
world when she did so was blissfully new. Mi-rae smiled to herself as she tightened her arms
around her legs. It felt so good to be fussed over.

After Ji-pyeong had ordered, he walked over to the closet. She watched as he tugged on a white t-
shirt and a pair of black silk striped pajama pants. Mi-rae bit her lip as she took in this new side of
him. It almost felt more subversive to see Ji-pyeong in casual clothes than with nothing on at all.

He turned around holding up a pair of blue pajamas and a white hotel robe.

“Which would you like to sleep in?” He frowned at the pajamas. “The pants will be too big.”

Mi-rae just continued to look at him. The t-shirt was taught across his broad chest but then
otherwise hung loosely. The pants clung just enough to his hips to draw her eye before draping
down his long legs. Ji-pyeong’s hair remained tousled. Mi-rae felt an unruly impulse just to hug
him.

“Mi-rae?”

She sat up straighter.

”Sorry, I just have never seen you in anything but a suit or a button down.”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head questioningly and then looked down at his clothing

Mi-rae giggled.

“My love, you wore white linen to Citifield.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. She giggled even harder as she waved her hands.

“Believe me, I’m not complaining! All I am saying is that a casual Han Ji-pyeong is not something
that I have yet to personally experience.”

Mi-rae ducked her head shyly.

“I like it.”

His mouth quirked. Then he pointed in the air excitedly.

“Oh!”

Ji-pyeong turned quickly back to his closet and then spun around to proudly unveil his Mets jersey.
“Or this!”

He’s so adorable.

Ji-pyeong was beaming so widely that Mi-rae did not have the heart to choose the robe. She
nodded and accepted the jersey. A knock from the other room then called Ji-pyeong away.

Mi-rae located her underwear at the foot of the bed and wiggled into the enormous jersey. Then
she dragged herself from the bed over to the bathroom. The marble was cold against her feet. Mi-
rae’s toes shrank away from it as she took stock of herself in the mirror. She grimaced at her
disheveled hair and the dark circles under her eyes. But her lips were swollen from kissing. And
she was standing in the bathroom of the man that she was madly in love with while wearing his
shirt.

How is this my life?

Mi-rae looked down and thought back to the moment when she had bought this jersey for him on
an impulse. It was because she wanted to make him happy. And Ji-pyeong had just been smiling at
her, unquestionably so. Mi-rae covered her face with her hands as a giddy laugh escaped from her
lips. Then she freshened up as best she could and padded out to the living room.

Mi-rae tugged on the bottom of the jersey awkwardly as she took in the formal living area. Her feet
sank into the plush carpet that stretched before her in a gold and black geometric design. The
marble fireplace and bookshelves filled with volumes calibrated by color gave the impression of
calculated elegance. Abstract oil paintings adorned the walls. Mi-rae tried to ignore her reflection
in the gilded mirrored paneling across the room as she walked by. It felt absurd to be wearing
something that she bought at a stadium barely brushing the middle of her thighs in this opulent
suite.

Everything was undoubtedly beautiful and refined. In their first days together, Mi-rae pictured Vice
President Han staying in a place just like this; his precisely tailored suits and flamboyant pocket
squares demanded nothing less. But now it did not seem to quite fit. In his letter, Ji-pyeong wrote
that he had always tried to prove that he had made something of himself. Mi-rae admired his hard
won success. But up until this point, generating wealth was his only constant. People had often
proven fleeting.

In contrast to all that surrounded her, the dreams that Ji-pyeong had shared in his letter were so
very simple. He dreamed of time with someone that he loved. And in a series of stolen moments,
Mi-rae had fallen in love with his honesty and vulnerability. Here in this borrowed room, she
dreamed of forging a lasting home with him built on that foundation.

Her fingers skimmed the soft velvet of a chartreuse chair as she watched Ji-pyeong carefully
arrange plates on a table by the window. The lights were low and he somehow found a candle for
the center. His profile etched a bold line against the white and yellow lights of the city. His hands
hovered over the setting as if he needed it to be just right. Then his brow furrowed as he studied the
label of an open bottle of wine. Her fingers flexed as if they could soothe the worry away.

Ji-pyeong looked up at her and froze. The way he was looking at her made her stomach flip. Mi-
rae pulled again at the hem of the jersey as one foot covered the other self consciously. Ji-pyeong
coughed and grabbed the back of a chair. Then he pulled it out and motioned for her to sit. Mi-rae
smoothed her hair and made her way over.

She bit her lip as he then pushed the chair in for her. They were silent as Ji-pyeong took his place
across from her and poured them each a glass of wine. Mi-rae stared at her plate of pasta. Nerves
fluttered inside of her chest, taking her by surprise.

Why do I feel nervous now? That is silly.

Ji-pyeong eyed her over the rim of his glass and set it down carefully. Then he let out a huff of air
as if in disbelief as he took in the table before them. He looked down shyly before meeting her
gaze again.

“I don’t know why I feel so nervous all of a sudden.”

Mi-rae blinked hard as he spoke her thoughts out loud. Then Ji-pyeong leaned forward, his nose
wrinkling as if he was conspiring with her.

“Do you feel nervous too?”

“Yes.” Mi-rae could feel herself now smiling. “Maybe because we just get to be normal? And that
feels …not normal?”

She shook her head, unsure if that had made any sense.
“And also this suite is totally ridiculous and you arranged this beautiful table but I’m sitting here in
your jersey and my underwear.”

They both burst out laughing. Then Mi-rae reached across the table and took his hand.

“But now I don’t feel nervous anymore. Because you always know the right thing to say just by
being honest.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh as he squeezed her hand and then leaned back.

“I’m pretty sure that you’re the first person in the world to ever say that about me.”

She shrugged.

“Well we’re both usually right so I guess everyone else is just wrong.”

Mi-rae took a sip of wine as he grinned. She welcomed the soothing curl of liquid in her belly. Ji-
pyeong took a bite of pasta and looked thoughtful as he chewed.

“This is our fourth date.”

Mi-rae tilted her head questioningly.

“Fourth? I thought that you said the park was the first.”

Ji-pyeong shook his head as he motioned to her jersey.

“I was wrong. It was definitely the game.”

Mi-rae nodded as a tingle went down her spine remembering how they had gotten here. It had once
seemed like madness; the all engulfing connection between them. Now Mi-rae could not imagine
her life without him. Stories like theirs always seemed improbable in the moment and then fated in
hindsight.

“So our first date was the game.”

Mi-rae began counting the moments that they had carved out with one another over the last month
on her fingers.

“Then the second was the park. The third was the afternoon on Long Island.”

She paused and smiled at him.

“Then we decided to get married. And then we went on our fourth date.”

Mi-rae paused to laugh softly.

“Someday that will be a pretty great story to tell…”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked up to her face as she trailed off. They lingered, waiting for her to finish.
Mi-rae took a sip of wine instead. She decided to tuck that dream away for another time.

Ji-pyeong studied her for a moment and then crossed his legs as he turned to look around the
room.

“You know, I live in a hotel in Seoul too. But I’ve never actually had dinner with anyone there.”

Mi-rae’s fork paused in the air.

“Never?”

He shook his head emphatically.

“Never.”

Her heart pinched. Even before she regularly ate at her desk alone, Mi-rae had known a different
kind of loneliness at a table. She had spent the last years of her marriage sitting across from
someone who stopped asking about her life long before he left it.

Mi-rae set down her fork and folded her hands onto the table.

“Tell me everything about your day.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her incredulously.

Mi-rae bobbed her head to the side.

“I mean before you were on live television.”

She laughed at the absurdity of the statement. Then her hands flew into the air as she explained.

“Tell me about this morning. And then about how you told that asshole off. Especially that part.
I’m dying to know all about that.”

Ji-pyeong raised his eyebrows and took a large gulp of wine. Mi-rae picked up her glass as her
other hand continued to punctuate her words.

“And then I’ll tell you about mine. Because that’s what we’ll do when we sit down to eat together
at home.”

Ji-pyeong was quiet for a moment. And then he looked up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly.

Her chest ached as she waited for him to look at her again.
He’s never had anyone to do this with.

Mi-rae felt so grateful that it could now be with her.

Ji-pyeong swallowed hard and then gave her a small smile.

“You go first.”

And so they talked and talked until their bellies were full and the bottle of wine was empty. Mi-rae
loved the way that his mind had already generated ten ideas for finding a partner for Minerva.
Then she reveled in his adoration as she explained preparing Emma for her interview. She hung on
Ji-pyeong’s every word as he described his confrontation with Dusk; riveted by how the cords of
his neck jumped as if he was still in the room with their adversary. Then Ji-pyeong questioned her
hungrily about his letter: from where she read it to how she had watched his press conference on
her phone in a cab just to get to him faster. No detail was too small for him to devour.

Finally their stories reached the crossroads of where they had found one another downstairs. Mi-rae
felt warm all over from the wine and the luxury of having endless time to talk to Ji-pyeong.

His finger traced the rim of his empty wine glass.

“And then…”

Ji-pyeong licked his lips. She watched, mesmerized as his tongue traced the pillow of his lower lip.
Mi-rae knew that, like her, he was thinking about everything that had happened between them
today. She slid her elbow onto the table and leaned her chin on her hand.

“And then.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked down from her face. He was looking at what she was wearing again. Mi-
rae inched forward in her seat.
“I just thought of something.”

Ji-pyeong leaned in closer.

“I know it’s not a Saturday but …we had plans. And then we decided to stay in bed instead.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath as a smile slowly curved up his lips.

Suddenly those lips were too far away.

Mi-rae unfolded her legs out from under her and stood up.

Her fingers trailed around the edge of the table as she slowly walked around it to him. Ji-pyeong’s
eyes followed as he turned to face her.

When she was standing before him, Ji-pyeong leaned towards her as if Mi-rae had pulled on an
invisible tether between them. She slipped a thigh between his legs. The smooth silk of his pants
welcomed her.

Mi-rae gathered his head against her. She traced the face that meant everything to her; her fingers
moving slowly from the soft fall of his hair down to the sharp curve of his jaw. Ji-pyeong looked
up at her as his fingertips feathered up the back of her thighs. Her heart rose into her throat as they
then slipped under the hem of her shirt.

His eyes drew the truth from Mi-rae now, as they had from the very beginning.

“There is no end to wanting you.”

Ji-pyeong let out a shuddering breath as he pulled her towards him. She climbed into his lap,
obeying his silent command.

Mi-rae’s lips sank into his as her fingers curled into his t-shirt. She slid her thighs on either side of
him as she teased her way into the soft warmth of his mouth. His hands were under her shirt and
dragging up her skin immediately. Ji-pyeong took as he offered in equal measure — the lush caress
of his lips opened to her as his hands claimed her breasts. They were demanding; filling themselves
as they pleased. Mi-rae curved her fingers into his hair and demanded more of him right back.

And then he was taking off her shirt. And suddenly his shirt fell to the floor too. And Ji-pyeong
was filling his mouth with her like he needed to consume all of her. Mi-rae watched, breathless, as
he closed his eyes and drew more and more of her within him. Her head fell back and she let
herself revel in the hot pull of his lips; the way his hands and mouth seemed to clamor all at once to
indelibly make her his own.

Ji-pyeong finally relented and his hands slid up her back to fold over her shoulders. He pulled her
against him to possess her mouth once again. The softness of her yielded to him in every way. Her
breasts, wet with his mark, pressed against the hard plane of his chest. The need of him rubbed
tantalizingly beneath silk against the flesh of her thigh.

Her tongue met the chase of his as they enveloped one another desperately. It was as if their
coming together before had merely lit a match. Now the pull between them was all consuming.

Ji-pyeong broke away, gasping.

His hands hovered in the space between them for a moment. Mi-rae tried to catch her breath as her
fingers slipped from his shoulders.

He suddenly gripped her backside. And then she was, somehow, moving across the room in his
arms. Everything passed by in a blur as her fingers dug into his back and her lips blistered their
way down his neck.

And then the bed was beneath her again. Mi-rae sank into it as Ji-pyeong covered her body with
his. The remaining barriers between them were gone in an instant; his hands made quick work of
anything in his way.

Mi-rae closed her eyes and arched up as Ji-pyeong filled her all at once. His mouth captured her
loud gasp; his tongue claimed the depths of her kiss as he plunged below. The sweet soreness from
their earlier lovemaking quickly gave way to blossoming need. Mi-rae wanted to drown in the
infinite pleasures of his embrace.

There was something wild between them now. Ji-pyeong reached under her and gathered Mi-rae up
so that he could thrust even deeper. His hands grasped the soft curves of her as she met the power
of his body in full measure. Their kissing became needier still as they moved together with
abandon; as if even being a part of one another was not nearly enough. They were quickly hurtling
towards the edge of a cliff.

But then his hands suddenly seized hers just as they had circled around his neck.

And he slowed to an agonizing pace.

Ji-pyeong stretched her arms up above her head under his own. She sank further under the weight
of him. His hands pressed hers down into the mattress.

The breath left her chest as the look in his eyes made clear that they would stay in this moment
until she fell apart. And then he only offered enough of himself to make her ache for more.

Every time he came back to her, Mi-rae beckoned for Ji-pyeong to stay. And yet he slowly dragged
himself away over and over again as he watched her. It was a delicious torture; the way that he
held them on a knife’s edge of pleasure.

She began to unravel. Mi-rae could hear herself as if her voice belonged to another — she begged
for more and more as she lost herself to him entirely.

Finally, Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and gave in with a sigh in her ear.

“Mi-rae…”

Her name sounded like a plea from his lips in return. Mi-rae threaded her fingers through his. They
moved together to offer pleasure to one another rather than only take it for themselves. In this
moment — in this now — nothing else mattered.

Ji-pyeong took them to where only they could go together. Within the warm clasping of their hands
was a promise to stay with each other even in the abyss.

With surrender came freedom, for he was hers as much as she was his.
Mi-rae called out to him over and over.

*************
 Chapter Fifteen

I am waking up curled next to her.

Ji-pyeong did not need to open his eyes to confirm that his letter had become real.

Mi-rae was tucked against his chest; her back rising and falling against him. He nestled even closer
to her. Ji-pyeong had never chased warmth in a bed other than that created by his own body. He
lowered his head into her shoulder as a smile slowly curved up his lips.

She began to mumble something that he could not understand. Then Mi-rae started shifting her
body. Ji-pyeong’s eyes flew open.

She is still asleep.

His arm sprang open to release her immediately. He shifted away to create space as she rolled over
towards him. Ji-pyeong watched, fascinated, as she turned her face into the pillow and then stilled.
It was so wonderfully novel to see her like this. Then the blunt curve of Mi-rae’s hair began to slide
slowly over her face. His hand reached to smooth it away. But then Ji-pyeong froze. He bit his lip
as his fingers hovered just above her head.

Should I?

He was loath to wake her. Ji-pyeong wanted her to rest as long as possible after the last month had
driven her to exhaustion. He bit his lip as he weighed the choice. But he could not bear it.

Finally, his fingers tentatively climbed across the space between them. He felt like an explorer
charting a new path across to her while she slept. Ji-pyeong took a deep breath and then his index
finger bravely extended out. He carefully hooked under a swath of her dark hair and moved it back.
Ji-pyeong’s shoulders shrugged up towards his ears nervously as he then slowly moved away. Mi-
rae sighed in her sleep and burrowed deeper into the pillow. His hand fell back onto his chest in
relief.

He slowly exhaled.

The dove gray light signaled that it was early morning. Time may be suspended in their cocoon
tucked away from the world, but soon the city would come alive. Yet there could be no one in New
York City feeling what he was. Because as Han Ji-pyeong looked at Mi-rae, a staggering yet
obvious realization took hold: He had never begun a new day lying next to a woman.

His throat tightened as the loneliness of the past and the joy of now collided within his chest.

She is the first.

Ji-pyeong had never chosen to spend the night with those whom he had fleetingly passed the time.
He thought it better not to pretend that those liaisons were more than they were. He was now
grateful for his past reserve. The jealousy inherent in his nature now reared its head generously on
Mi-rae’s sleeping behalf. This was something that he would share only with her.

And she will be the last.

His eyes ticked over to the desk. The pink of sunrise lingered just beyond the green trees and
jutting silver towers. Ji-pyeong had imagined this just two nights ago in black ink on white paper.
He had written out of love and had it answered immediately in full measure. And now she was
here. Ji-pyeong thought back to all the mornings of the past begun on the pins and needles of
uncertainty or the dull soldiering through disappointment. This morning was different. And with it,
a new feeling was unfurling in his chest.

Contentment.

It was a strange and beautiful feeling knowing how well that he was loved. One way or another in
life, love always turned into a blunt ache of loss or the sharp sting of rejection. But now love was
Mi-rae, warm and breathing steadily beside him. It was a warmth that radiated from his chest as
well; constant and sure as the sound of her breath. His fingers curled into the pillow under his
cheek as he indulged in studying her face adoringly.
The now beloved ebony crescent moon of her hair curled just under her ear. The careful lines of
ever present red were long gone from her lips. Kim Mi-rae always faced the world armed in red.
But he had kissed it away long ago when he made her his. Seeing her bare lips now made Ji-
pyeong feel as if they existed in their natural state only for him. Ji-pyeong indulged in a thrill of
possession as he remembered how much he had wanted to kiss that red away the first night that
they had met.

Ji-pyeong licked his own lips as his eyes then followed along the sloping line of Mi-rae’s shoulder.
He traveled along the smooth curve until it disappeared under the plush white pulled around her.
Ji-pyeong had spent more time than he would ever admit imagining what it would be like to be
with her. Yesterday, Ji-pyeong learned just how limited his imagination was. Nothing could have
prepared him. Ji-pyeong felt as if he had shattered in her arms only to be put back together a
hundred times. To want and to love and have that given in return was a happiness Ji-pyeong had
never known until her.

And she wants to marry me.

He would truly be someone’s family. Ji-pyeong had planned to let that wish simply stay tucked
away in his letter so that she would know that he was waiting if she was ever ready. Yet Mi-rae
had answered him right away — with eyes full of love and a voice free of hesitation. Ji-pyeong
could not begin to imagine what this leap meant for her. Marriage took only the shape of
possibility for him; for her, it represented broken promises. The way Mi-rae had briefly frozen in
his embrace yesterday gave him new heartbreaking insight into the scars that remained. Her trust
was all the more precious because of it. It was staggering how she loved him. Ji-pyeong closed his
eyes as he remembered how she had wiped his tears away because of it.

He could not help but inch back closer to her now. Mi-rae looked so very small wrapped in nothing
but the duvet. She could regularly command a room and challenge him like no other. But here,
with her eyes closed and bare shoulder kissed by the early morning light, Mi-rae seemed somehow
delicate to his eyes. He felt a clamoring desire to protect her despite knowing full well that she had
saved him. A worried crease temporarily appeared between the bold black of her eyebrows. Ji-
pyeong wanted to smooth it away but did not dare. Once again he found himself wishing that he
could read her mind.

What are your other new dreams Mi-rae?

Her face grew placid again. Ji-pyeong rolled onto his back and slipped his arms under his head.
Last night he could have sworn that Mi-rae almost alluded to telling their story to their children. Ji-
pyeong dared not push her despite his rush of excitement. Ever since looking at her face in the
sunshine while Chris spoke of his daughter, the man without a family had begun to imagine one
with her. That she possibly did too filled him with a joy that would have seemed impossible a
month ago. Ji-pyeong’s mind drifted for a moment imagining what their future could be like in a
hazy series of images.

Then he felt a bittersweet pang in his heart. Someone was missing from these dreams.

I am doing so well. I wish that I could call Grandmother to tell her.

Ji-pyeong looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath. Long ago, Grandmother had worried
that he was not married. How he would have teased her now that there was never any reason to
worry. Ji-pyeong would have relished introducing her to the only other woman who talked back to
him as fiercely as she always did.

They probably would have ended up ignoring me during a meal while debating the best way to eat
something.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth despite the ache of what could never be.

“Hi.”

Ji-pyeong jerked his head to the left quickly in surprise.

Mi-rae was smiling at him. She had clearly been observing him.

“Hi.”

He was absurdly happy that she was awake. Ji-pyeong did not know whether to hug her or pull her
under him first. But then her hair once again began stubbornly sliding into her face. Ji-pyeong
huffed in amusement as he reached over to tuck it back behind her ear again. Mi-rae bit her lip as
her eyes crinkled at the corners.

“What were you just thinking about?”

He felt himself smiling back at her as he considered what to say. But, as always, the answer was
simple.

“You.”

Mi-rae’s fingers brushed lightly across his chest. Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked at the way she was
now smirking at him.

“Actually, my thoughts were quite pure.”

Mi-rae raised an eyebrow at him in surprise.

“Oh really?”

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his chest.

“Mine are not.”

Her words puffed in short warm bursts against his skin. Ji-pyeong was about to laugh but she
kissed him again. And then her lips opened.

He would never get used to it — the way the warm, wet press of her mouth made everything stop.
Ji-pyeong drew in a sharp breath. Her tongue caressed lightly in reply.

And then her lips moved on. A smile curved up Ji-pyeon’s lips as he closed his eyes and sank
deeper into the pillow. He was happy to let her have her way.

Mi-rae's fingertips traced slowly across his chest. Her lips followed, caressing him gently before
teasing the promise of more. Ji-pyeong remained still other than sliding his fingers into her hair.
He wanted her to know how good it felt to bask in her attention. Soon Mi-rae’s touch lulled him
into thinking about nothing else— her fingers moved back and forth, up and down, around and
around in circles. There was no urgency; rather she signaled that they had all the time in the world.
When he opened his eyes again, the gray early morning light in the wake of her feathering fingers
made Ji-pyeong feel like they were in a dream together.
The sheet fell away as she slid on top of him. Ji-pyeong reveled in the momentary soft swell of her
breasts against his stomach. He was about to ease her up for a kiss when her hair slipped through
his fingers. Instead her mouth pressed to his stomach, lingering as he sighed. And then her hand
danced down to touch him.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes again as her fingers lightly stroked the length of him. Mi-rae slowly
explored all that she had already wrought with her gentle attention. Her mouth was warm and
loving on his belly as her hand then cupped just below — her thumb drawing circles as a small
sound escaped his lips. She had never touched him there before. It sent a tingling feeling
throughout his body. Mi-rae’s fingers were careful on this most tender part of him. And then her
mouth slid further down to press a long, wet kiss to his hip.

Is she … oh my god.

He had so luxuriated in her touch that it had not occurred to him that there was a specific plan
underlying her attentions. But Mi-rae's hand was now rubbing up and down the length of him; her
mouth was pressing an increasingly urgent trail of kisses to meet it. Then her thumb swept over the
tip of him and he nearly swore. His fingers dug into the mattress as he braced himself.

Ji-pyeong could not help but watch her. Her hands gently cradled him. Then Mi-rae closed her eyes
and guided him to her lips — those lips that had mesmerized him from the moment he saw her.
Those lips that made him feel dizzy with how they kissed him. Those lips that told him that she
loved him as no ever had. Those lips that were now pressing to the length of him as she held his
entire existence in her hands.

Mi-rae kissed him gently, as if to let him know that this was an act of love — the kind of love that
he deserved. Then her eyes darted up to his. The air rushed from his lungs. Ji-pyeong felt a mad
rush of needing her. Everything inside of him was crying out for her lips to make him hers.

But then she closed her eyes as her tongue slid very slowly up the length of him.

It was the gentlest of warnings. Mi-rae was going to take her time. Those lips now demanded
surrender.

A small gasp escaped from him as his head fell back onto the pillow.
When she reached as far up as she could, Mi-rae caressed only the tip of him. And then she just
stayed there. In and out, her lips lavished a sweet torture. Ji-pyeong’s arms fell over his face as he
groaned.

It was a soft wet tease. She only offered attention to the most sensitive part of him while the rest of
him cried out for more. Ji-pyeong waited helplessly for the door to bliss to be opened. He wanted
to push in — to plunge into the lush depths that he knew lay just beyond the wet pull of her lips.

And yet Ji-pyeong obeyed the soft command of Mi-rae’s hands. They soothed him even as she
made him wait — endlessly drawing circles on his abdomen. As instinct collided with restraint, Ji-
pyeong could feel himself now almost shaking. His fingers curled into the duvet on either side of
him, seeking a relief that could only come from her.

“Mi-rae…”

She paused. Then she released him and merely traced her lips with him in reply. It was a teasing
reproach for his impatience. And it made Ji-pyeong feel like he was losing his mind.

“Mi-rae.”

This time her name was a strangled plea. Her lips opened to grant him only the slightest reprieve.
Mi-rae still would not yield.

Dammit.

His hands reached for her but she was beyond his grasp. Ji-pyeong heard himself keen softly into
the silence as her tongue joined in her patient unraveling of his will.

And then it clicked — what she was waiting for.

Ji-pyeong could have smiled were he not so desperate. Mi-rae demanded only the same that he did.
He drew a deep breath and tried to form the word with his lips. Ji-pyeong forced it out as her lips
softly awaited his offering.
“Please.”

It was a mere rasp. But it was enough.

She took him all at once.

Ji-pyeong gasped loudly as he suddenly found himself plunging into the wet velvet depth of her
mouth. It was a merciful abyss. But then she dragged her lips back along the length of him and did
it again. He moaned loudly into the silence.

“Fuck. Fuck.”

His freefall only seemed to spur her on further. Her hands cupped the most fragile part of him as
her thumbs slipped down to the space just below. They pressed gently, rubbing small seductive
circles. It stirred such pleasure deep within him that Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut as he
clenched his teeth. Her mouth, her hands, the smooth press of her body against his legs —
everything felt so good all at once. Ji-pyeong had never known what it was to be the only focal
point of this wildness in her — the way Mi-rae unabashedly chased pleasure. Now she was single
mindedly pursuing his end with abandon.

He wanted to be closer to her — so she would know how good she was making him feel. Just as Ji-
pyeong tried to gather his wits to beg his way between her legs, her tongue flattened against him.
Mi-rae dragged it along the length of him as she moved up and down.

“Oh my god.”

The pleasure was so intense that it forced him to nearly sit up with a bolt. Ji-pyeong’s hand reached
up for something — anything — to hold onto as she drove him beyond reason. His hand gripped
the head board as he unabashedly chased the depths of her mouth. Mi-rae’s hands seized his hips
and pulled him only deeper. Ji-pyeong could now feel her breasts sliding against his thighs. Her
calf was moving rhythmically across his shin as her hips mimicked him. Her body tangled into his
in every way as she took him endlessly between her lips. And all around the length of him her
mouth was leading him down the path to rapture.

He could feel a wave fiercely building inside of his body. Ji-pyeong was desperate to connect with
her before she pushed him over the edge.
“Mi-rae, I’m so close… please…”

His fingers slid helplessly into her hair to no avail. He swallowed hard and then begged.

“Please come here. ”

But her mouth only became more insistent. Her fingers dug into his hips. Ji-pyeong lost his grip on
the headboard and sank down into the bed, his hands thrusting into his hair as he tried not to lose
himself in her mouth.

I have to hold back.

But Ji-pyeong’s body would only obey Mi-rae. And she was ardently demanding that he give in.
His stomach muscles tightened as he bucked shamelessly into the soft mercy of those lips. Ji-
pyeong closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as he felt a surge threaten. Then with all of his will he
seized her shoulders and pulled her up and against him.

Ji-pyeong gasped her name as he began to spill all that he was holding back against the soft flesh of
her belly. She did not shy away from it. Rather her arms slid under him and pulled him closer. Mi-
rae moved her body with him — the soft curves of her offering a haven for his release.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and allowed himself to arch into the warm, wet slide of her body.
Pleasure pulsed through him in white hot flashes — over and over he felt like he was emptying all
of himself while Mi-rae held him fast. She whispered that he deserved it; that she loved the feel of
him as he slid hot and wet between her breasts and down her stomach. And she did not release him
until he collapsed away, utterly spent.

Then Ji-pyeong lay there in shock.

His body was tingling down to his toes. He was breathing so loudly into the silence that he wished
that he had the energy to care.

“Just…fuck.”
Language was otherwise lost to him.

Mi-rae laughed ever so softly. He opened one eye and watched her push her hair back to press a
kiss to his chest.

Ji-pyeong passed a hand over his face sheepishly.

“Oh god. I am so sorry — I made such a mess.”

Mi-rae shook her head.

“Why on earth would you be sorry?”

She kissed his chest again and then pulled at the tissues on the nightstand to gently clean them
both.

“You didn’t have to —”

Mi-rae put her fingers over his lips.

“Stop. I wanted to.”

Her head tilted as she reminded him that they were equal in every way. Then she slid her fingers
slowly off of his mouth.

“You’re not the only one who has thoughts.”

Mi-rae’s voice was quiet now as her eyes swept over him.

“You were beautiful. You are … beautiful.”

Ji-pyeong was stunned. It was not merely reciprocation. She thought of him as he did her. He
pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you?” Mi-rae giggled against his chest. “My love, you have to be the politest man in the
world.”

He tightened his arms around her as he let out a huff.

“Yes, thank you.”

Ji-pyeong splayed his hands across her back possessively.

“This is the best morning of my life.”

She giggled even harder.

Ji-pyeong lowered his head to catch her eye.

“Not just because of that.”

Mi-rae grinned at his admonishment. Then Ji-pyeong raised his eyebrow as he slid one arm behind
his head.

“Although that is one hell of a way to wake up.”

Mi-rae buried her face in his chest as he chuckled. Then she folded her arms across his chest and
rested her chin on her forearms. Mi-rae smiled at him softly as her fingers pushed his hair off of his
forehead.
“We are not going into work today.”

That feeling washed over him again. Ji-pyeong was content.

“No.”

Ji-pyeong shook his head, smiling.

“We definitely are not.”

Mi-rae’s fingers then resumed tracing circles on his chest.

“I was thinking…”

He raised a teasing eyebrow and closed his hand over hers.

“I’m going to need just a minute, Mi-rae.”

Her mouth quirked as she narrowed her eyes.

“My thoughts actually are pure now.”

The corners of Ji-pyeong’s mouth turned down in quick contrition. Mi-rae smiled at his pout. Then
her eyes ticked to the side and she tucked her face down for a moment before looking at him
again.

“Do you want to check out of here today?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. Mi-rae inched up his chest.

“And come home with me?”

Home. With me.

Ji-pyeong was flooded with such happiness at the thought that he froze for a moment.

The worried crease returned to her brow. Mi-rae started to lift herself up before he could gather
himself to answer.

“You don’t have to. I just hate the idea of you being alone here and was thinking —”

Ji-pyeong clamored to correct her misunderstanding. He quickly flipped her over onto her back and
pressed his lips to hers. Then he pulled back to look at her.

“Yes.”

His hand smoothed her hair back as she looked up at him.

“I would love to.”

The contentment in his chest pushed and pulled at the edges of his heart— as if it was changing
shape because of her.

“Every time that I think that you can’t possibly make me happier…”

Ji-pyeong ran out of words as Mi-rae looked at him almost wistfully.

“We waited long enough to be happy, don’t you think?”

We did.

And Mi-rae was worth all of it. Ji-pyeong would do it all again just to find her now.

“You were worth the wait.”

Mi-rae let out a breath.

There was something that flickered in her eyes quickly that reminded him of the beach just before
the storm. And yesterday when he had pulled her hands from her face with his heart in his throat.
And just now when she immediately assumed that his hesitation meant no. No matter how much
Mi-rae loved him, her scars were different than his. And his scars had taught Ji-pyeong not to leave
things unsaid.

“Mi-rae, you believe that right?”

Her eyes widened. Then Mi-rae nodded solemnly.

It was not enough for Ji-pyeong to let it go. He grabbed her hand.

“If there’s ever anything that brings up something from before, please talk to me about it. I want
you to always come to me.”

Mi-rae looked at him for a moment. Then she inched closer to him.

“Is this about yesterday? When I freaked out?”

Everything inside of him rebelled.

"Please don’t call it that.”

Ji-pyeong tightened his hand around hers as she looked down. He gathered her hand to his chest
and decided to let her see his scars first.

“I cried yesterday when you said that you wanted to marry me. For a lot of reasons. I have always
been alone and never thought I would have any family.”

He took a breath. That was oddly the easy part. But Ji-pyeong wanted her to know that speaking of
the past could not threaten now. He would be blunt, as was his nature. Mi-rae was the only person
who had ever loved him for it. Ji-pyeong lowered their hands to the space between them.

“And also because I can’t believe you are actually choosing me. The first person that I fell in love
with? I waited three years by her side hoping that she would feel the same way. That was after I
confessed and she said nothing. And then she still chose someone who was in the US that whole
time. He just showed back up and I was automatically invisible. Humiliating, right?”

Mi-rae blinked hard at his brutal honesty. But Ji-pyeong did not want the past to be shrouded. It
was how he knew that what they had was so precious. Ji-pyeong wanted her to know it all.

“We love each other. And people who love each other should tell the truth.”

Mi-rae’s mouth dropped open as he turned her first challenge to him on its head. Then Ji-pyeong
squared his shoulders and lowered his head.

“ You have said 'I love you' to me more than I’ve heard it in my entire life. And yet last night I still
could not believe that you want to spend your life with me. So I cried. Then I almost did again
when you said we would talk about our days at home. Because I’ve never had a home with anyone.
And that’s the only reason why I hesitated just now— because it’s all beginning today. It’s like a
dream becoming real.”

Ji-pyeong paused as his voice grew hoarse. Then he cleared his throat and met her gaze.

“Would you call all of that ‘freaking out?’”

A firm shake of her head conceded his point instantly. Mi-rae squeezed his hand.
“Of course not.”

Mi-rae pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard. She pulled the duvet tightly around
herself. Then she took a deep breath.

“Last night when I asked you about your day, I was thinking about how my ex husband stopped
asking me about mine way before everything that happened. He just talked a lot about himself and
work. Looking back, everything ended up revolving around him. It made it even harder when he
left because I realized how much of myself I gave up along the way without even realizing it.”

Ji-pyeong remembered his first assessment of her ex-husband. Nothing he had heard since had
altered it. He tried to keep his ire in check.

Mi-rae looked up at the ceiling for a moment. Her cheeks flushed. Ji-pyeong turned his focus to
where their fingers were entwined, waiting for her to continue.

“Sex was like that too.”

He looked back at her slowly.

“It revolved around him. The first time that I realized what it’s supposed to actually feel like for
me…”

Mi-rae’s eyes darted down and her hand slipped away to rub her forehead.

“Was in the car with you.”

Ji-pyeong tried to keep his face from reacting in surprise.

Mi-rae sucked in a sharp breath.

“God this is so embarrassing.”

His jaw clenched.

“For him maybe. Not for you.”

She stared at him.

Ji-pyeong knew that his tone was sharp. But the idea that Mi-rae could be embarrassed about her
past partners’ failures filled him with frustration. Being with her was beyond anything he had ever
experienced in his life. Nothing even came close.

Mi-rae ran her hands through her hair. Then she looked at Ji-pyeong. There was more and it filled
him with trepidation.

“On our honeymoon, he …” She trailed off as her hand stabbed in the air trying to find the words.
“He went down on me. He stopped right away. I will not repeat what he said. It was humiliating.”

Her voice broke and she bit her lip. Ji-pyeong clenched his teeth as anger tore through him.

“I waited to cry until after he fell asleep. We never talked about it and he never did it again. Then
when I walked in on him cheating … I saw them. I couldn’t even say anything at first. I just froze.
I don’t know how long I was standing there like an idiot. I’ll never get it out of my head. It made
me feel like there must be something wrong with me.”

Ji-pyeong’s hands flexed with anger. That someone made her feel like that made him want to
scream. But he bit his tongue and waited for her to finish.

“I’ve never let anything get this far with anyone since.”

She looked at him.

“Until you.”
Oh Mi-rae.

Painful understanding unfurled within his chest. Mi-rae had trusted him in ways that he could not
have possibly imagined all along the way. Ji-pyeong shifted so that he was sitting next to her and
then reclaimed her hand.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Mi-rae’s head leaned towards him until it was resting on his shoulder.

“Talking about hard things has always been easier with you.”

Her fingers laced between his.

“I hate that it came up yesterday like that. Because I know the difference. And I am sorry that I get
insecure like I did just then. You have always shown me that I never have any reason to doubt. I
guess it’s just something I am still working on after my divorce.”

Mi-rae pressed a kiss to his shoulder. And then she curled into his arm.

“But the way we are? It’s how it’s supposed to be, my love. What happened before is how I know
how right this is.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath. That surge of wanting to protect her coursed through him again. He
could not abide her ever questioning what she deserved. Ji-pyeong turned his whole body towards
her.

“What I feel when we are together -- nothing in my life has even come close, Mi-rae. Ever.”

Her eyes slowly met his. Ji-pyeong would not leave anything unsaid with her.

“I know that you don’t need me to say this, but I’m going to anyway. Everything that happened
before? All of the ways that he let you down? That was because of him. Not you.”
Mi-rae’s fingers folded over his hand. She sighed. He could hear the relief in it. The tension in his
shoulders began to ease.

Mi-rae squinted past him for a moment. Then she smoothed her hair.

“This is going to sound selfish but …”

Mi-rae leaned in closely to whisper as if she was about to confess a grave sin.

“May I admit that I am so glad that she couldn’t see what was right in front of her? Imagine having
a shot with you for that long and fucking it up.”

Mi-rae shook her head in utter disbelief. Ji-pyeong burst out laughing. It felt good to be jealously
cherished. Then he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“ Thank god that she did.”

Ji-pyeong said it fiercely. Because he meant it more than she could probably ever know.

“I love you.”

Mi-rae smiled at him in a way that made his contentment seep even more deeply into his chest.

“I love you too.”

They could show these broken parts of themselves with nothing but a sheet between them. He felt
all the closer to her because of it. But now he also craved to see her smile. A chaotic need to make
her laugh after the heaviness of their conversation bubbled up within him. Ji-pyeong closed his
other hand over hers and looked at her solemnly.

“And I am very excited to meet your cat.”

A bubble of laughter was his immediate reply. Mi-rae leaned into his chest, giggling. So Ji-pyeong
chased it further.

“No, that’s how I know I’ve really made it with you. It’s not that we are even getting married. It’s
that you’re finally introducing me to Loki after a month.”

Her hand gripped his arm in protest.

“We were worried about the press! Cats don’t go out on leashes like dogs!”

Ji-pyeong sniffed in mock indignation. Then he eyed her slyly.

“It’s fitting that your cat is named after the god of mischief by the way.”

Mi-rae gasped and swatted his shoulder.

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

Ji-pyeong leaned closer to steal a kiss.

“I think you know.”

Mi-rae’s eyes followed his lips as he pulled away. Then she cocked her head flirtatiously as she
seemed to consider something.

“I am going to take a shower.”

Ji-pyeong squinted at her sudden swerve in conversation. Then her fingers traced up his arm.
“Do you want to come with me?

He swallowed at the sweetly suggestive look in her eye.

Dear god.

“Yes.”

His lips answered before his brain could even process it. A smile curled up the corners of her
mouth as her fingers trailed back down. Then Mi-rae let the sheet fall away like a willing
accomplice. Ji-pyeong brazenly took in her body. His eyes trailed down the curves of her without
remorse.

“See?”

He nodded at her.

“Mischief.”

Mi-rae fought a smile. And then she turned away and walked to the bathroom with her hips
swinging knowingly under his gaze.

Ji-pyeong sat up slowly as he watched her — she made his heart feel like it was going to shatter
one moment and left him cursing the limitations of his stamina the next. He squared his shoulders
despite his body being spent. Mi-rae had rendered him senseless this morning. He planned to do
the same. Ji-pyeong was up in pursuit soon after he heard the sound of the water.

His feet flattened stoically against the cold marble, absorbing its cold indifference. Through the
steam on the glass, he could just make out the shape of Mi-rae pushing her wet hair back as she
rinsed it. Then her eyes met his through the blurred glass. She was inviting him to look once again.
There was a growing boldness between them that excited him.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes already knew the path of her body— the soft lines and angles that had offered
him salvation again and again since they had come together yesterday. He came to her now like a
disciple once again eager to worship at his temple.

Ji-pyeong opened the door and stepped into the warm stream of water. It burst against his chest just
above her head.

Mi-rae blinked through the water droplets gathering on her dark eyelashes. She stepped to close all
the space between them. Ji-pyeong’s plans for seduction flew from his mind as soon as Mi-rae
looked up at him.

It was quiet but for the staccato of the water falling all around them. Ji-pyeong thought of that night
in the rain — the frantic way they had tried to hold on to one another. Now the water was falling
down in a constant rhythm. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest.

Ji-pyeong lowered his forehead to hers.

Everything but the two of them was now washed away; the years of doubt, rejection, pain, and
loneliness. They had laid themselves bare to one another. And now only the two of them and their
love remained.

His eyes drank her in. Mi-rae’s hair was swept away from her face; he lovingly traced its almond
shape down to the point of her chin. Then his thumb passed over her precious bare lips. Ji-pyeong
wondered as he looked at her if everyone who was in love knew this kind of joy; that sweet ache in
his chest because he knew what a miracle it was to have her at all. Perhaps for those for whom
love came early there was less of a space to fill in the first place. They wanted someone and it was
simply granted. But Ji-pyeong had spent decades with loneliness gnawing at him. The grooves in
his heart left by loss and rejection created all the more space for Kim Mi-rae to fill.

Life had rendered him a grateful man indeed. He leaned in and kissed Mi-rae in thanks. Ji-pyeong
claimed the peaks of her lips first. Then came the soft welcome of her lower lip around him. And
then he withdrew.

Mi-rae looked at him in surprise. But after everything that they had just discussed, Ji-pyeong
realized that he wanted more than anything to take care of her first. He turned and picked up a
washcloth. Mi-rae looked at it and then back at him questioningly.

“Turn around.”
Mi-rae’s face broke into a confused smile.

“What?”

He swallowed hard. All of a sudden this felt more intimate than anything else they had done
together.

“Let me do this for you.”

Mi-rae’s eyes grew wide. She sucked in her lips as her shoulders shrugged up adorably. Then Mi-
rae turned around in a series of very small steps. Ji-pyeong smiled to himself as he passed the soap
across the washcloth over and over. Then he took a breath and began.

Her hair now lay in jagged charcoal peaks just above the smooth curve of her neck. She was like
him in that way — so many sharp angles that hid an abiding softness just below. Ji-pyeong pressed
a kiss to the softness as his fingers stroked her hair. And then he passed the cloth gently down the
slope of her shoulder.

Mi-rae shifted back and forth on her feet. Ji-pyeong curled one hand over a shoulder to steady her.
Then he focused on his task with reverence. Slow circles left a path of bubbles sliding down her
back. Mi-rae’s head dropped as her shoulders relaxed. Ji-pyeong moved up and down her back
endlessly. The rhythm of the water and the ritual of the task lulled both of them for a time.

Finally, Ji-pyeong slipped down to the curve of her hip. He stepped closer to her as his hand moved
across her stomach tenderly. Her head fell back. He could feel Mi-rae’s steady breath against his
chest. He dropped the cloth and moved his hands gently to her breasts. His fingers caressed her
softly — offering rather than claiming. Ji-pyeong pressed a solemn kiss to her shoulder as she
sighed. Then he folded his arms across her chest and held her against him.

Mi-rae soon turned around into his embrace. Her cheek found a resting place on his chest and then
she exhaled. Ji-pyeong curved his hand around the back of her head. He had never been more
acutely aware of having all that was precious to him in a single moment. Ji-pyeong lowered his
face into the soft wetness of her hair as he tightened his arms around her. Her body fit into his in a
way that made him feel whole and safe. He prayed that she felt that way too. Then Ji-pyeong
closed his eyes and just let himself be with her. Contentment washed over him again like the water
cascading above them.
By the time Mi-rae looked up at him, Ji-pyeong could not say how much time had passed.

“Can I take care of you too?”

Her voice was quiet. He nodded silently.

Mi-rae let her hand slide down to his hip as she reached for the shampoo. Then she reached up on
her toes and tangled her fingers into his hair. The pads of her fingertips rubbing against his scalp
felt calming and good.

But then a giggle escaped from her lips as she hesitated for a moment.

“What?”

He could feel his nose wrinkling up sheepishly.

“Do I look silly?”

Mi-rae bit her lip and shook her head.

“No, I just can’t figure out which is my favorite.”

She combed his hair down with her fingers.

“Down?”

Then she smoothed it back with a determined look on her face.

“Or like this?”

She studied his face with great concentration.

“I am rather fond of your forehead but you do look so adorable when it’s down.”

A puff of laughter escaped his lips as Mi-rae then continued to scrub her fingers against his scalp.
He was delighted to be the subject of such careful consideration. It made him hungry for more. Ji-
pyeong narrowed his eyes at her curiously as she lathered his hair.

“Is this something you’ve been thinking a lot about?”

Mi-rae shrugged nonchalantly as she fought a smile.

“You have no idea all the things that I have thought about.”

A thrill coursed through him.

Can we talk like this now?

Ji-pyeong turned to duck under the water and quickly rinsed his hair.

“Hey! I wasn’t done.”

Ji-pyeong crowded Mi-rae against the marble wall.

“Yes you were.”

He rested his hands on either side of her head. Her eyes betrayed her professed indignation.

She likes it.

Ji-pyeong lowered his head to hold her gaze.

“Tell me.”

Mi-rae’s eyes ticked down to his lips and back up to his eyes. Then she tilted her head
coquettishly.

“Tell you what?”

He raised an eyebrow at her in warning.

“You’re stalling.”

Ji-pyeong slid one hand down the marble. It seized her hip.

“Tell me what you thought about.”

His fingers flexed.

“Specifically.”

Mi-rae drew in a sharp breath. Then she licked her lips.

“I thought about the way that you touched me that day.”

His hand caressed her as he nodded slowly. Then Ji-pyeong slipped his hand around the curve of
her hip. His fingers sank into her backside and pulled her closer. He watched her visibly swallow
with triumph.

“What else?”
Mi-rae let out an incredulous breath. Even Ji-pyeong grinned at his own persistence.

Then her eyes narrowed.

“I thought about what I did to you this morning...”

She rolled her hips against him trying to break his concentration. He clenched his jaw. But Ji-
pyeong would not be deterred. Instead, he tightened his grip on her.

“And?”

She closed her eyes for a moment before answering. Then Mi-rae touched his face.

“You really want to know my secrets?”

“Yes. Desperately.”

Ji-pyeong pressed his chest against her. He delighted in how her teeth sank into her lower lip.

Mi-rae took another breath. Then she reached higher and touched his hair again. Her eyes searched
his face.

“I thought about you with your hair wet that night. When you were inside of me.”

Fuck.

Mi-rae noted his reaction. Her lips curved into a smile.

“And it made me think about having you like this. All the time.”
Having me like this…

It was a challenge wrapped in a confession. That she fantasized about him filled him with a
renewed determination to make her absolutely fall apart. Once again he cursed the limitations of
his body.

But there are other ways.

Ji-pyeong sank his fingers deeper into the soft flesh of her backside. He reveled at how Mi-rae
arched against his chest.

Then he slid his other hand down the wall and ran his fingers along her collar bone.

“I love this part of you.”

He pressed a kiss to it as his fingers gently traced the delicate bone. This small marble and glass
box filled with the rhythmic sound of water would be their confessional.

Then Ji-pyeong lifted his fingers to tip her chin. He wanted to make sure that she was paying
attention.

“The day that you told me that we couldn’t happen, I walked through the park for hours. And then
I came in here.”

Mi-rae was staring at him, her chest rising and falling against him rapidly.

“And I thought about you. And having you like this. And then I tried to force myself to stop
thinking about you. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t.”

Mi-rae’s eyes moved back and forth rapidly, devouring every word. She curled her arms around his
neck.
“Nothing is stopping you now.”

Ji-pyeong luxuriated in the delicious tension as she waited for what he would do next. He let his
fingers slide down to her breast as if they had a will of their own. And then he passed his thumb
over her just how he had learned that she liked it. But when Mi-rae chased his lips, he pulled back.
Instead, he slid his hand down her stomach and slipped it between her legs.

Mi-rae’s eyes met his as she gasped. It made Ji-pyeong feel wild. He wanted to tell her everything.

“I think about that. That sound you make when I am here, constantly.”

Ji-pyeong slid just his middle finger between her and gently teased. Mi-rae swallowed as her hands
fell helplessly to his shoulders. Then he leaned his forehead against the wall next to her so that he
was just next to her ear.

“You see, I am obsessed with it.”

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as another small sound fell from her lips. Ji-pyeong’s teeth
pressed down into his tongue as he began to move his finger back and forth. If he had not lost
himself to her already, he may not have the will to see this to the end.

“It doesn’t matter if we are like this...”

He allowed another finger to join in his seduction.

“Or your legs are around my head.”

The heel of his hand joined so that he was now holding all of her in his hand.

“Or when I am inside of you...”

Ji-pyeong turned his head to watch how her lips parted.

“All I want is to hear that sound. And know that it’s because of me.”

Mi-rae gasped as she looked at him. And then she began to slide down like her legs were giving
out. Ji-pyeong tightened his grip on her backside to stop her descent. And then he gently slipped
inside just to make his point.

He got what he wanted. Mi-rae made a high pitched sound as her head fell back against the marble.
There was an exhilarating satisfaction in the slick slide of his finger. She wanted this as much as he
did.

And so he began to move his hand slowly. Ji-pyeong watched as her eyes closed. A water droplet
slid down her neck, followed by another and another. Then her hips began their chase. Mi-rae was
so beautiful — unabashedly seeking her pleasure. He could not get enough of how fierce she was
in his arms; how she did not hide from what she wanted. Ji-pyeong felt his own body begin to stir
again at the sight of her. But this was about her — so Mi-rae would know how much he loved to
make her feel good. He again told her the truth.

“You are so beautiful like this.”

Mi-rae’s hands clutched at his shoulders as her eyes met his. Then Ji-pyeong offered her more as
her hips quickened. Her eyes squeezed shut as he curled his fingers inside. Ji-pyeong closed his
own in order to concentrate. He ignored his own need, now pressed against her thigh. Instead, he
listened to the way her breath followed the pace of his fingers as the water fell on his back. His
thumb began sweeping the circles he knew that she needed. Ji-pyeong discovered the right pace
when her breath hitched in her throat. He studied her every reaction obsessively. He became
entranced by how his hand could pull on the inextricable tether between them. Her hips, her breath
— all of it was driven by his touch.

But then Mi-rae’s fingers sank painfully into his shoulders.

“Ji-pyeong.”

He jerked his head back at hearing his name like that.

It was a command.
Mi-rae’s eyes were dark. He was breathless at how quickly Mi-rae could turn the tables. Ji-pyeong
knew immediately what she wanted, but his mind raced with how to do it.

Ji-pyeong withdrew his hand. Then he clenched his jaw as he pulled her leg high around his hip.
He shifted her up against the wall as she gasped. And then he braced his other hand against the
wall to steady them both. Then Ji-pyeong waited until she met his eyes.

“Is this what you want?”

Mi-rae’s lips parted as her hands flew to his face. She was looking at him like she could not believe
this was real. He wanted nothing more than to make it so.

She nodded slowly.

Ji-pyeong steeled himself. And then he lowered the tone of his voice. For he too could give
commands.

“Then take it.”

Mi-rae’s eyes widened. And then they flashed with determination. Her lips pressed together as her
hand closed around him.

And then she took what she wanted.

Ji-pyeong pushed in only as far as their bodies would allow like this. It was a mercy; even feeling
this much of her so soon after he had spent himself made Ji-pyeong curse under his breath. Her
body offered a different welcome to him like this — the angle as he dragged against her made his
legs feel like they were going to buckle. But Ji-pyeong forced himself to focus only on her. He was
determined to make her fall apart just as she had imagined it. Mi-rae’s head fell back as he thrusted
within her.

“God like that...”

She already sounded undone. It made Ji-pyeong want to give her everything -- to show her all the
ways that she deserved to be loved.

Over and over the sounds of her asking for more drove him even as his arm began to shake from
holding her and his legs threatened to give out. The sound of the water grew far away — all he
could hear was her.

Ji-pyeong watched jealously as her hand slid between her breasts and down her stomach. And then
she began to touch herself. A thrill coursed through him at how uninhibited Mi-rae was now with
him. It felt so freeing for them to chase her end together. She burned quickly and furiously— her
cries echoing as her body clenched tightly around him. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and listened
gratefully as pleasured spilled from her lips.

And then it was over.

And he was easing her down and pulling her into his arms. Mi-rae let out a breath as she sank
against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her.

When she finally looked up at Ji-pyeong, he smoothed her hair back.

“Um …”

Ji-pyeong scrunched his nose apologetically.

“I learned today that sex in the shower can be harder than it seems to execute.”

Mi-rae giggled and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. She looked up at him adoringly.

“What are you talking about? I feel like jelly. You are something else, my love.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the marble and rubbed at his neck. Mi-rae ducked her head to catch his
eye.
“Look at you! So shy now when you just talked to me like that ?”

Ji-pyeong could feel his cheeks now getting hot. Mi-rae gathered his hands into both of hers and
kissed them, smiling. Her brow furrowed as she then studied them.

“Our fingers are getting wrinkled from the water. Here let me wash you, my love.”

She did not wait for him to answer. Ji-pyeong bit his lip in delight as he watched Mi-rae retrieve
the abandoned washcloth and doused it with soap. She skirted around him to lather his back first.

He closed his eyes as her small hands moved in circles across his shoulders. Ji-pyeong could not
help but grin at the feeling of being taken care of like this. No one had ever done this for him
before that he could remember. Every moment with her brought a new comfort that he had never
realized he had gone without.

Mi-rae’s hand curved around his waist and he opened his eyes to her.

“You make me so happy.”

His words came out like a sigh.

Then Ji-pyeong surged down to kiss her. He could feel Mi-rae smiling against his lips as they fell
back against the wall once again. Their hands slid into the soap and over each other's bodies as
they kissed. She touched him playfully — trying to continue washing his chest as he did his best to
distract her. Her breasts slipped in and out of his hands. He filled them mischievously over and over
anyway trying to get her to give in. Finally, Ji-pyeong heard the washcloth fall to the marble with a
wet thump. And her hand was around him again, sliding and teasing in the soap.

It was more than he could take.

Enough.

Ji-pyeong pulled Mi-rae by the waist under the water. He indulged in one last kiss and then turned
it off.
Cold air rushed into their secret world as Ji-pyeong opened the door. He shivered as he retrieved
two towels. Mi-rae smiled at him as he quickly put one around her shoulders. Then Ji-pyeong
could feel her watching him as he wrapped another around his waist. As soon as he had finished,
Mi-rae hooked her index finger under the towel.

“It’s cute that you are going to that effort.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh as her finger pulled him towards her. He did not know that being with a
woman could be like this — he was losing his mind one minute and they were joking the next. It
struck him for the first time that wanting someone did not have to feel like a weight. Indeed, Ji-
pyeong had never felt more free to be himself. And it seemed to only make her want him even
more.

He caught the edges of her towel and pulled her towards him. Because they were far from
finished.

And then Mi-rae was on her toes; her lips sweet and caressing. She slipped her way inside of his
mouth as her hand rubbed just where he still ached for her. Ji-pyeong started moving her backwards
out of the room. She impatiently pulled at his towel until it fell. And then her arms were around his
neck; Mi-rae pulling him along as much as he was crowding her into the bedroom.

They fell together back into bed. Mi-rae clucked her tongue at them teasingly.

“We are going to get the bed soaking wet.”

Ji-pyeong shrugged as he unwrapped one side of her towel and then the other.

“I don’t care. I’m checking out of here today anyway.”

He pressed a lazy kiss to her breast.

“You have a bed, right?”

Her laughter peeled into the now bright sunshine as he grinned. Then it buzzed under his lips as he
properly claimed her. Her skin was soft with moisture and smelled like soap. Mi-rae’s hands slid
into his hair as he took his time kissing her slowly. Her legs opened and closed around his body as
her fingers played with his wet hair. She was gentle when he was; but her nails carded against his
scalp when he teased her. Ji-pyeong took his time; content to roll his hands into the softness that
she offered as she sought out his mouth. He eagerly worshiped until Mi-rae sighed happily and her
fingers gently urged his head down.

Ji-pyeong was so grateful. He closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet smell of her skin.

“Please know how much I love to.”

Ji-pyeong whispered it against her stomach as her fingers curled into his hair in reply.

An overpowering wave of love coursed through him. Now he knew what it meant for her to share
herself like this. It meant that Mi-rae trusted him to be different — to love her as she should be
loved. Ji-pyeong kissed her stomach reverently and then found his sacred place between her legs.

He caught a flash of her breasts as they rose in the air; Mi-rae was arching her back to seek out his
lips. It made him pulse with desire for her — to see her want what she deserved only made him
need to give it to her more. Ji-pyeong wrapped her legs around his head and claimed her without
ceremony.

There was that gasp.

Again and again.

That sirens call that made him surge with want as he pled for her to let go with his lips. She was so
warm and lovely — the smooth skin of her thighs sliding along his jaw, the soft tender parts of her
yielding to his tongue, her fingers absentmindedly losing their way in his hair. Ji-pyeong reveled in
how her hips moved with him, how she sank into his mouth now unafraid to give herself to him.
He felt so close to her this way as she enveloped him entirely. Ji-pyeong wanted to stay forever.
But all around him a tremor began to move through her. He gripped her thighs as they began to
shake.

It was long and shuddering as she came for him; Ji-pyeong once again was called her love as his
mouth grew slick with them moving together. He closed his eyes and gave thanks for her over and
over again.

And then Mi-rae was pulling him up. And kissing him with a longing that made him tremble. And
wrapping her legs around his hips. And taking him inside of her like she needed him to be a part of
her as much as she needed to breathe.

Mi-rae was right — about the wanting. There was no end to it.

Ji-pyeong sank into the depths of her with a shuddering sigh. All of the pleasure that he had
wrought welcomed him home now. Her hands were on his face as her thighs closed tightly around
him. Her heels dug into him as she clamored to pull him deeper. There was no need — Ji-pyeong
wanted to drown himself in her.

Mi-rae pulled his face to hers. Her eyes searched his as her hips beckoned endlessly.

“Do you feel what you do to me?”

Her fingers caressed his face as she drew him even closer.

“My love, it’s all because of you.”

It was almost too much to bear — the way she was looking at him, how warm and endlessly wet
she was all around him.

“Please don’t ever stop.”

Mi-rae was breathless as she whispered it. Ji-pyeong’s head shook helplessly in reply as he sank
into her lips, into her arms, into her.

He could never stop. He would never stop.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as his body made that promise.

*********
 Chapter Sixteen

This is surreal.

Ji-pyeong was somehow now standing on her street squinting up at a gray stone building with
black trim on a tree lined block of East 92nd Street.

The late afternoon sun was glinting off of his brushed back hair as Mi-Rae looked up at him. Ji-
pyeong looked far too elegant for a man taking a day off in his beige linen suit. A white t-shirt
seemed to be his only acquiescence to playing hookie. Her eyes traced down to his long fingers
which were poised over the handle of his roller bag and attaché.

Han Ji-pyeong was about to move in with her.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

The emergence of a dimple assured her that he was indeed. Ji-pyeong looked down at her, smiling.

“It’s good to be here.”

His fingers found hers as Ji-pyeong looked back up at the stone facade. For the first time since she
had proposed it early this morning, Mi-rae felt a ripple of nervousness. Her building was far from
the toniest on the block. But she had fallen in love with its nineteenth century architecture and
large bay windows. And it was as far away from Brooklyn as she could get immediately after her
divorce. Mi-rae had neither the time nor the down payment to search for anything else since
making partner.

It definitely is not a penthouse suite.

Mi-rae stood on her toes to rest her chin on his shoulder.

“I am only renting so if you don’t like it, don’t worry. We’ll buy a place together someday.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open.

“I am not that picky!”

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you though?”

Ji-pyeong tried his best to fight a conceding smile. Mi-rae grabbed his arm with both hands and
hung on it flirtatiously.

“Did you brush your hair that way just for me?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes sparked with amusement at her playful tone. He wrinkled his nose teasingly.

“I am betting on you messing it up.”

He winked at her. Mi-rae’s cheeks blushed as her mind flooded with torrid scenes of the
confessions of this morning. She tugged on his arm as he smirked knowingly.

“Come on.”

They made their way to the steps just as the door above them opened. Mi-rae’s heart swelled with
affection as her silver haired elderly neighbor and a small Yorkshire terrier greeted them.
“Mi-rae!”

Alicia Blanca stopped as her hand flew to her mouth.

“Oh honey, you look exhausted.”

Mi-rae grimaced at her neighbor’s always reliably honest assessment. Mrs. Blanca ignored it and
then touched Mi-rae’s arm affectionately.

“I fed Loki this morning.” Then shelowered her voice as if disclosing a grave secret. “By the way,
he is running low on canned food and litter.”

Then her eyes quickly shifted to Ji-pyeong. She took off her enormous Jackie O sunglasses and
immediately appraised him with a coy smile.

“Oh hello."

Mi-rae swallowed.

“Ji-pyeong, this is my favorite neighbor, Alicia Blanca, and her dog, Roosevelt. Mrs. Blanca is
Loki’s other mother whenever I travel. Mrs. Blanca, this is …”

What do I call him?

Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked towards her for a moment as she hesitated. Then he squared his shoulders.
His dimples fully deployed as he extended his hand.

“Her boyfriend, Ji-pyeong Han. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Blanca.”

Mrs. Blanca looked at Mi-rae and then back at Ji-pyeong as she clasped his hand in delight.
“Well my goodness! Aren’t you a tall drink of water! Please call me Alicia.”

Ji-pyeong smiled widely at her and bowed his head. Mrs. Blanca turned to Mi-rae. Her eyes were
wide with glee.

“You sly girl, you never said a word! And here I thought you were always gone because you were
working so hard!”

Mrs. Blanca extended her arms out to Mi-rae who quickly acceded to her embrace. She smelled
like rose water and menthol. It was the scent of unsolicited advice and loving wisdom. Mrs. Blanca
exclaimed as she squeezed her tightly.

“Oh this is such a relief! We are always talking in the building about how you’re far too pretty and
smart to be that single. And the clock is ticking away!”

Oh dear god.

Mi-rae’s embarrassment was softened by the warm hands patting her back before she pulled away.
She could feel Ji-pyeong’s curious gaze on her.

“He’s actually moving in today, Mrs. Blanca. I am glad that you’re the first to know.”

Ji-pyeong again smiled at Mrs. Blanca.

“I look forward to being a good neighbor.”

Then he lowered himself down to her dog’s height.

“It’s good to meet you too, Roosevelt.

Mi-rae bit her lip at the sight of Ji-pyeong’s tall frame folded into an impossibly small size as he
patiently allowed the Yorkshire terrier to sniff his hand.
Does he know how adorable this is?

Mi-rae dragged her eyes away from him as Mrs. Blanca leaned over and whispered conspiratorially
as if Ji-pyeong could not hear everything that she was saying.

“He is so handsome. You two could have such beautiful babies.”

Mi-rae tried not to wince.

Are you kidding me?

Mi-rae laughed nervously as her eyes darted frantically down to Ji-pyeong. His eyes remained
resolutely focused on scratching behind Roosevelt’s ears. But he was grinning.

I want to die.

Mi-rae smoothed her hair as she cleared her throat.

“Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mrs. Blanca. Let him move in first.”

Mrs. Blanca clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

“You all work too hard these days and waste so much time. Trust me when I say it’s not what you
are thinking about once you get to be my age. You’re just wondering why your grandchildren don’t
visit more often.”

Ji-pyeong pulled himself up. He seemed like a giant now next to her small frail frame.

“Mrs. Blanca, once I am settled in, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to lunch? I’m
new to the city and you’re right that Mi-rae does work very hard. I could use a friend to show me
around.”
Mi-rae could not hide her delight as the elderly widow clapped her hands together in excitement.

“Oh of course! And I’ll show you the best markets for everything. Tell me, do you cook, Ji-
pyeong? Mi-rae can’t at all! Far too much take out! That is when she’s home for dinner at all.”

Mi-rae shook her head in further embarrassment as Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked in amusement.

“My husband was a wonderful cook. I think cooking together is what kept our marriage strong for
fifty nine years.”

Ji-pyeong lowered his head as he regretfully prepared to disappoint her.

“I got by on boiling water in my university days. And I helped my grandmother a few times for
holidays but I’m afraid that’s it.”

He caught Mi-rae’s eye and smiled as his hands slid into his pockets.

“But I’d love to learn. For her.”

Mi-rae felt her stomach flip for the tenth time today as Ji-pyeong slowly looked away to face Mrs.
Blanca again. He looked so content and comfortable in his own skin as he voluntarily shared a
wish with this stranger. Mi-rae could not take her eyes off of him.

“Maybe you would be willing to teach me?”

Mrs. Blanca’s eyebrows shot up.

“I would love to! Oh my goodness Mi-rae, hurry up and marry him.”

Ji-pyeong leaned towards Mrs. Blanca as if she was now his co-conspirator in a plot. But he kept
his eyes on Mi-rae.
“She really should hurry up shouldn’t she?”

Laughter burst from Mi-rae as she folded her arms and looked at Ji-pyeong incredulously. He
bounced on his heels and grinned.

Unbelievable.

Roosevelt began tugging on his leash in sympathy to her plight. Mi-rae’s hands flew to her hips to
regain command of the situation.

“Alright Mrs. Blanca, thank you for taking care of Loki as always. Let’s get Ji-pyeong settled in
and he can circle back on lunch and those cooking lessons.”

Mrs. Blanca bid them farewell as Mi-rae then hooked her way through the crook of Ji-pyeong’s
arm. Her fingers curled into linen until they found the solid curve of his bicep.

“You enjoyed that.”

A delighted sound instantly escaped from Ji-pyeong.

“Was it that obvious?”

Mi-rae ran up the stairs to open the door for Ji-pyeong as he carried his suitcase up and into a small
foyer of black and white tile. She pressed the button to the elevator and then turned to face him. He
was smiling at her mischievously. Then Ji-pyeong folded his arms and nodded his head at her
knowingly.

“You hesitated because you didn’t know what to call me.”

Mi-rae felt her cheeks warm again. She decided that the best defense was to be just as blunt.
“Well, ‘boyfriend’ doesn’t seem like quite enough.”

A triumphant smile curved up Ji-pyeong’s lips.

“No. It doesn’t.”

Then the ancient elevator doors groaned open. His hand unfurled, inviting her to enter first into the
cramped space. Mi-rae moved to one side as Ji-pyeong maneuvered his suitcase inside. Then he
leaned against the wall next to her as the elevator slowly ascended.

Mi-rae rested her cheek against the cool brass grating as she looked up at Ji-pyeong. After the last
twenty four hours she felt like she could ask him anything.

“What do you want me to introduce you as?”

He paused. Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked up and down her face. Then his jaw clenched as his face grew
determined.

“Husband.”

She knew in an instant that he absolutely meant it. Mi-rae’s heart thudded against her rib cage.

“How do you just do that?”

She whispered it. Ji-pyeong leaned towards her, his eyes searching hers.

“Do what?”

Her hand patted her chest three times in quick succession.

“Make my heart go like this so many times a day.”

A puff of air escaped his lips. Ji-pyeong lifted his fingers and gently moved a strand of hair out of
her face.

“I’m just being honest.”

A corner of his mouth tugged up shyly as he looked at her. Mi-rae watched, mesmerized, as it
coaxed the dimple beside it into revealing itself just for her. His eyes were soft with love.

“But I’m happy to hear that it makes your heart do that.”

The doors sprang open as the elevator lurched to a stop on her floor. Mi-rae grabbed his hand just
as it retreated from her. She threaded her fingers through his as she started pulling him into the
hallway.

“By the way, I am pretty sure that this elevator is so old that it doesn’t have cameras.”

His mouth dropped open.

“ Now you tell me?”

Ji-pyeong followed her without taking his eyes off of her.

“I already love living here.”

Mi-rae’s laughter peeled into the hallway as she drew him to the door to her apartment.

“This is us.”

He nodded slowly as his eyes focused on her lips.

“Mrs. Blanca is across the hall. The third door is to the rooftop.”

Mi-rae’s tongue pushed against the inside of her cheek as she tried not to smile as she scolded him.

“You’re not paying attention.”

Ji-pyeong licked his lips before answering her.

“You’re right. I’m not.”

He reached for her waist. Then Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and leaned in. His lips gently brushed
against hers as she felt that expectant tingle that happened whenever he kissed her. His upper lip
softly claimed her as she sank into the plush cushion that he offered just below. But before Mi-rae
could lure him deeper, Ji-pyeong retreated and then nodded to himself seriously.

“Okay.” He exhaled. “I’m focused now. Tell me everything.”

Mi-rae let out a breath too as his face was once again a foot away from her. She felt bewitched.

“That’s not fair. Now you distracted me.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth turned down in amused contrition. He stepped back and folded his hands
behind his back. Then, his head tipped to the right.

“That’s the door to the rooftop, right? What’s up there?”

Mi-rae smiled at his practiced studiousness.

“A little garden and some tables and chairs. Some neighbors grow vegetables I think. I fell in love
with it when I first looked at this apartment but I’ve only been up there once or twice since.”
Because it felt so lonely. And I work too hard.

Ji-pyeong studied her face for a moment.

“Let’s go up there together a lot then okay?”

He always knows.

Mi-rae nodded.

“So rooftop or apartment first?”

Ji-pyeong rolled his bag closer and tipped his head forward decisively.

“Apartment.”

“Okay.”

She bit her lip at how high pitched her voice suddenly sounded. Mi-rae turned around as she
fumbled in her purse for her keys. Her fingers finally met metal. She took a deep breath as she
inserted the key into the first latch and then the second.

Thank god the cleaning service came this week.

She pushed the door open and walked straight in. Mi-rae could hear his heavy footsteps and the
wheels of his roller bag across the hardwood floor coming to a stop just behind her. Her eyes
caught a flash of black fur darting quickly to the bedroom.

Get out here Loki, you coward.

Mi-rae walked a few more feet until she reached the cut out to the galley kitchen. Then she bit her
lip and spun around.

Ji-pyeong was standing in the middle of the main room. His face was implacable. Mi-rae followed
his gaze and tried to see her home through his eyes as if it was for the first time.

The afternoon sun was streaming through the large bay window that pushed out beyond the facade
of the building. The darkly stained hardwood was punctuated only by a gray and white ikat rug.
Mi-rae tried not to smile at how elegant her peacock blue couch currently looked now that it was
not covered with her remotes, laptop, phone, a blanket, snacks, and a pillow dragged from her bed.
A white marble coffee table was gleaming from just having been cleaned. Its pristine state
concealed that she often ate there rather than at the small oval walnut table and two mustard
Eames chairs in front of her.

Built-in bookshelves surrounded a large flat screen television. They were filled with the novels of
her undergraduate degree in literature and the heavy law school tomes that had turned a passion for
reading into labor; a monument to her past framed her present source of escape from her chosen
profession. Photographs from her childhood and university days punctuated the colorful array of
book spines. Just to her left was a large abstract painting vibrant with dark blues and red hanging
above a vintage record player console; a gift from a college roommate watched over her father’s
treasured refuge from his own troubles.

Ji-pyeong was silent as he took it all in. Now her eyes were tracing the precise ebony shape of his
head down to the outline of his broad shoulders as he stared at the bookshelves. Her fingernail
scratched painfully at the side of her thumb.

What does he think?

Mi-rae worried at her lower lip. She was proud of what she had carved out for herself in the wake
of the divorce. Mi-rae had not allowed a single item from that failed home to cross the threshold of
her solitary new beginning. She had abandoned those possessions like lancing a boil. The only
exception was her father’s console.

Oh god his apartment must be so much nicer than this if it’s in a fancy downtown hotel.

Her apartment was small. And she was not exactly an expert in interior design. A thumbnail
slipped between her teeth as she waited for him to turn around. But Ji-pyeong’s hand trailed along
the photographs on the closest bookshelf instead. It stopped at the third picture frame and picked it
up. She automatically deduced that it was of her and her father at a baseball game; she was ten and
living in Los Angeles. Mi-rae’s throat tightened. She had told him that story the night that
everything began to change between them. This was the first day that they would ever live together
and Ji-pyeong already knew what it meant to her.

Mi-rae waited until he placed it carefully back on the shelf. Then she could not stand the suspense
any longer.

“My love?”

Ji-pyeong turned around.

Their eyes locked. Then he strode across the room and pulled her fiercely to his chest.

Mi-rae sucked in a breath as his arms closed tightly around her. She pulled him even closer. He
remained holding her silently for several moments.

“Are you okay?”

She spoke her question into the soft fabric of his shirt. His hands slipped up into her hair as she
listened to Ji-pyeong exhale.

“Yes.”

His deep voice vibrated against her ear. Mi-rae felt a twinge of shame that she had been worried
about whether her apartment would be enough when he was clearly processing far more.

Mi-rae pulled back and her fingers reached up until they found his face.

“I am so happy that you are here.”

“It is all so you .” Ji-pyeong’s eyes were filled with emotion. “It already feels like home.”
A lump formed in her throat. Mi-rae's fingers spanned his jaw.

“Then welcome home.”

Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly as he absorbed her words. Then his lips disappeared, fighting emotion.

“Oh my love, come here.”

Mi-rae pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly again. She raised herself up on to her toes
and rubbed his back until she heard him exhale again. Finally, Ji-pyeong pulled away. His hand
flew to his mouth as he cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry I …”

Mi-rae seized both of his hands.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s a lot, for me too. In the best way.”

Ji-pyeong nodded slowly as he swallowed hard. Then Mi-rae tilted her head until it coaxed a small
smile from him.

“Would you like to meet my cat?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes lit up.

“Yes! Where is he?”

Mi-rae giggled as she pressed a kiss to his hands before letting go.

“Probably under the bed or in the closet. He ran into the bedroom as soon as we walked in. You
may have to be patient with him but he’ll come around eventually.”
Ji-pyeong squinted at her cheekily.

“I may have some experience with that.”

Mi-rae's eyes widened as a small gasp escaped from her lips. Then she shook her head and pushed
at his shoulder as Ji-pyeong’s smile broadened.

“A week! You waited a week!”

Ji-pyeong laughed as he tried to take her back in his arms despite her protests.

“But it felt like forever!”

He sounded so pitiful that she relented. Ji-pyeong smoothed her hair as he lowered his head to meet
her.

“I used to be a very patient man.” He let out a happy sigh. “Until I met you.”

Mi-rae swayed towards him as she drank in every sign that he was as in love as she was.

“What are you talking about? You were so patient with me about everything that matters.”

Mi-rae let out a shaky breath as she took in his handsome face looking at her as if she was what he
wanted most in this world. She doubted that she would ever get used to it.

God I love him like crazy.

Mi-rae lifted herself up and offered a soft kiss. And then she grasped the hand that was resting on
her waist and led him to the bedroom in search of her cat.
“Loki…”

She breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering that her cleaning lady had generously hung up the
pile of clothes left on the bed in the wake of nervously packing for the Hamptons followed by a
frantic trek upstate. Her white and dove gray pinstripe clad bed suddenly seemed too small after
lying next to Ji-pyeong’s large frame all night and morning in a king sized bed.

We are going to need a bigger bed.

The thought made her shoulders shift up to her ears in secret delight thinking about all of the things
that she wanted to do with him in that bed.

Then a plaintive meow pierced the silence.

Mi-rae got down on her hands and knees and peered under the bed. Loki’s yellow eyes stared back
at her skeptically. Suddenly Ji-pyeong was next to her. The scent of sandalwood now in her
bedroom made her bite her lip.

“He’s not going to come out.”

Ji-pyeong sighed.

“He’s adorable. Do black cats really get adopted the least? That’s so silly.”

“Yep. I got him right after the divorce because I figured that we were both used to rejection.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her. Mi-rae gave him a lopsided smile. And then he pressed a kiss to her
cheek. That was the past. Now she was loved.

Ji-pyeong lowered himself onto his forearms.

“Nobody adopted me, my friend. I get it.”

Mi-rae’s chest ached at his reciprocal morbid humor.

“Oh my love.”

Her fingers touched his arm. Ji-pyeong laughed sadly. Then he got down onto his belly and
extended his index finger towards Loki.

“I’m Ji-pyeong. I love Mi-rae just like you do so I’m going to live here too. I hope we get along
well.”

Mi-rae grinned as she watched Ji-pyeong continue to offer his finger expectantly in the hopes that
her cat would acknowledge him. Loki took one step forward and then paused; cautiously assessing
this foreign creature that was a man for the first time. Ji-pyeong kept his finger perfectly still and
waited.

Finally, he was rewarded with a brief touch of nose. Then Loki retreated immediately.

Ji-pyeong looked up at her.

“He can’t resist a nose boop.” Mi-rae patted his shoulder. “You’re going to be such a good cat
dad.”

Ji-pyeong looked delighted.

“I’ve never had a pet. I just talk to my AI like a madman when I’m alone instead.”

Mi-rae gasped as she clutched at his arm.

“Wait a minute! Is that what you unplugged before we…”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.
“No way I was letting him listen to us.”

Mi-rae burst out laughing. Loki crept back further into the recesses under her bed. Ji-pyeong
looked shocked.

“What? They listen. And collect information! It sometimes says things that are eerie as hell, Mi-
rae!”

She gasped for air as laughter shook her shoulders. But then a thought made her stop suddenly.

“Wait. Did you ever talk to it about me ?”

Ji-pyeong’s face betrayed the truth before he could deny it.

“You did! Oh my god!”

Mi-rae sat up with a bolt.

“I am going to ask it everything that you said!”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flew wide open in panic before he tried to project calm assurance.

“I’m sure it doesn’t work that way.”

Mi-rae cocked her head questioningly. Ji-pyeong ran his hand through his hair. Then he ducked
back under the bed.

“Hey, Loki. She talked about me to you too, didn’t she? Spill it.”
Thank god he can’t talk.

Mi-rae covered her mouth as laughter bubbled up again. Ji-pyeong turned over onto his side and
eyed her suspiciously. His head fell softly into his hand.

“He will warm up to me eventually. And then I will know it all .”

Mi-rae opened her mouth to respond but then her eyes made a discovery. They focused on where
his t-shirt had escaped from the confines of his pants. A swath of his stomach just above the
waistline was now revealed. Her fingers flexed against the floor. Even though Mi-rae had spent the
early morning in his arms, she felt herself drawing closer to him like a moon orbiting a planet.

“I am wondering if I am ever going to let you keep your clothes on for more than a few hours
straight again.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. But she could be like this now — she could say what she
wanted out loud to him no matter what she was thinking. And it would make his eyes flash with
want like they were right now.

Then her phone rang from the other room.

“Ignore it.”

He growled it like a command.

Mi-rae nodded silently. Then she reached her hand out and touched his stomach.

Ji-pyeong sucked in his breath as her fingers splayed across his belly. Her phone rang on and on.
But all Mi-rae could think about was if her fingers reached up, the hard swell of his chest would be
hers again. And if they delved down, then she would soon have him inside of her. She felt like an
addict — constantly chasing the way that he made her feel.

Finally the phone ceded to silence.

Mi-rae leaned forward and pressed her lips to his exposed skin. Ji-pyeong still smelled like the
soap that they had used together in the shower. A warm pang of desire pulsed through her.

I want him now.

The phone began ringing again.

Dammit.

She squeezed her eyes shut willing it to stop. Ji-pyeong’s fingers slid into her hair — this time he
pleaded silently with her not to answer. Mi-rae again obeyed; kissing the shallow between two
ridges of abdominal muscles while her hand slid under his shirt to explore his chest.

Finally there was silence again.

Mi-rae rolled Ji-pyeong onto his back. She inched up towards his lips, her skirt shamelessly riding
up. His hands quickly took advantage — his palms sliding up the back of her thighs as she made
her way up to him.

Again, the phone rang.

Mi-rae’s forehead dropped down to his chest as he sighed loudly.

“Fuck, three times in a row? We should probably check.”

But everything inside of Mi-rae rebelled against the intrusion. Ji-pyeong was in her bedroom and
they had taken the damn day off. Erskin Dusk could be live on CNN right now and she did not
care. Mi-rae clutched the lapel of his jacket fiercely.

“I will be right back.”

Ji-pyeong stared at her. And then he nodded solemnly.

Mi-rae dragged herself away with a sigh and stood up. Then she ran her hand through her hair as
she stalked into her living room until she found her purse.

Don’t even look at who it is.

Mi-rae searched the bag until she located her phone. Then she pressed her thumb against the off
button for longer than necessary.

When she turned around, Ji-pyeong was standing in the doorway to her bedroom. His jacket was
off and his arms were folded across his chest. Her eyes traced where the fabric was strained.

God a t-shirt looks good on him.

“Who was it?”

Mi-rae shrugged as she started walking towards him.

“I didn’t look.”

Ji-pyeong tilted his head in surprise.

“Because it can wait.”

Mi-rae pulled her shell off just before she reached him and dropped it to the floor.

“But I can’t.”

Ji-pyeong’s arms fell to his side as a look of amazement passed over his face. Mi-rae could feel
herself grinning as she closed the space between them. She had never been this bold in her life. But
Ji-pyeong made her feel a kind of confidence of which she had not known herself capable. And it
only seemed to make him want her more.

Mi-rae gave him a gentle shove backwards.

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open. But then the corner of his mouth tugged up. And his eyes flashed
in a way that told her to do it again.

And so she did.

And then Mi-rae stepped into the space that it created as a flash of black ran past them. A puff of
amusement escaped from Ji-pyeong. But Mi-rae focused only on what was between her and what
she wanted.

She reached for the button of his pants. Mi-rae looked up at him as she slipped it free and lowered
the zipper as his arms remained passively at his sides. Ji-pyeong was still as he watched her. Then
she moved her head coyly into his line of sight until he raised his eyes to meet hers.

“Am I being too demanding?”

It was a question to which she already knew the answer.

A sly smile made its way up Ji-pyeong’s lips as his hands then curled around her shoulders. He
lowered her head towards her.

“No such thing.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice was low — she felt each word. Mi-rae surged up and kissed him, hard. Her hand
plunged down until she had a firm grasp of what she wanted. Ji-pyeong whimpered into her mouth.
And then she crowded him backwards until they reached the bed.

When he ran out of space, Mi-rae caressed the seam of his mouth with her tongue as her fingers
slid possessively down the length of him. Ji-pyeong remained passive — allowing her to wile her
way into claiming what she wanted. She slipped between his lips as her fingers moved back up.
Then his hands were suddenly on her face, drawing her in deeper. The ache inside was now an all
consuming need to have him.

Mi-rae pulled away with a gasp. She yanked at his shirt until he complied by taking it off. Her eyes
greedily took him in. And then she pushed Ji-pyeong down onto the bed.

For a moment, he looked up at her in awe. And then she began to unzip her skirt.

A dark look took hold in his eyes. He lifted himself up onto his elbows.

“Leave it on.”

Mi-rae’s fingers stilled at her waist. She was standing above him and yet she did not know who
was in charge.

And it was thrilling.

Suddenly, Mi-rae was back at the park on that day — with sun and green all around them as he
teased her until she blushed. She had wanted him then. And she wanted him now. His bare chest
and stomach beckoned to her eyes until the open fold of his pants dared her to do more than just
look.

Mi-rae quickly shed her underwear as he shimmied off the rest of his clothes. And then she
climbed onto the bed, sliding her thighs on either side of him. Ji-pyeong was so beautiful like this,
challenging her to do whatever she wanted but demanding what he wanted too. Her fingers
feathered a path down his abdomen in anticipation.

Ji-pyeong looked up at her, his mouth slack with want as his hands slid under her skirt. He shook
his head like he was lost in the pull between them.

“Do you know how many times I thought about this at work?”

Mi-rae leaned down towards him as his fingers fanned across the back of her thighs.
“Thought about what?”

Her hand closed around him. Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut.

“You.”

The way he rasped it made her ache for him even more. But Mi-rae waited until his eyes opened
again. She could not resist doing to him what he had done to her.

Mi-rae tilted her head as her thumb rubbed over the tip of him.

“Be more specific.”

Ji-pyeong let out an incredulous huff as his head fell back.

“Mi-rae…”

She leaned forward until her hand planted flat next to his head. Mi-rae was within an inch of his
lips.

“Tell me.”

Ji-pyeong slid his hands up and gripped her backside.

“I wanted to slide my hands under your skirt.”

Mi-rae pretended to gasp.

“At work? Scandalous , my love.”

His teeth sank into his lip as he shook his head incredulously at her cheek.

Mi-rae narrowed her eyes.

“What else?”

He sighed and dug his fingers into her. Mi-rae guided the tip of him to her; rubbing him along
where she ached for him. Ji-pyeong’s eyes were pleading with her to let him in. Mi-rae allowed a
sweet tease of him to slip inside of her ever so slightly. The wet promise made Ji-pyeong inhale
sharply.

“Fuck.”

Her thighs tightened around him. She watched his eyes close as his brow furrowed with collapsing
restraint.

And then it came tumbling out.

“That night we ended up alone in the conference room … before we were together … for thirteen
minutes…”

Thirteen minutes?

She licked her lips as a thrill of discovery coursed through her.

“I could not stop thinking about pushing your skirt up and touching you ….being inside of you…
right there. On the table. Against the wall…That’s why I had to leave. I was losing my fucking
mind.”

My god.
Mi-rae drew closer to his lips. His eyes were desperate as his hips arched up. She could not hold
out any longer. Mi-rae wanted to consume all of him.

“Pl—“

Her kiss breathed in his plea as she sank onto him. Mi-rae slipped inside of his mouth and filled the
ache between her legs all at once. Then she gathered his head in her hands to kiss him deeply as she
began to move her hips.

Ji-pyeong kissed her back desperately; his mouth hot and demanding as his hands clutched roughly
at her skirt. His urgency made Mi-rae suddenly push herself up. She braced a hand against his
chest. It was intoxicating — the way she could move along the length of him as she pleased. His
dark hair was now in his eyes, his stomach muscles contracted every time he met the roll of her
hips. She could not get enough of him. The way he clenched his jaw and watched her moving
wantonly made Mi-rae feel beautiful. And wanted. And strong. As if by claiming what she wanted
while he watched was as much for him as for herself.

And so Mi-rae closed her eyes. And arched her back. And quickened her hips as his hands seized
the fabric of her skirt into his fists and held on. She focused only on the way he fit deep within her
— the wet sweet drag of him, how slanting her hips could welcome him further and further as she
moved increasingly with abandon.

The abiding ache bloomed into tiny bursts of pleasure as he filled her. Mi-rae climbed each one
greedily. She wanted more of it — more of him, more of how only he could make her feel. Her
head fell back. Soon Mi-rae heard Ji-pyeong cursing under his breath from far away; she felt the
hot rush of him coming inside of her. It made her feel triumphant. She rolled into the wave
wracking his body over and over, reveling in the feel of him losing himself because of her.

Then his hand slipped down.

Oh god …. his hand.

Mi-rae closed her eyes and braced herself as his fingers demanded her surrender in return. The
knowing circles replaced the center of her existence. And then she was being pulled down into his
arms. And Ji-pyeong was holding her close as pleasure tore through her. He whispered more
confessions in her ear — how long he had waited to have her on top of him, how much he loved to
watch her, how good it felt as she came all around him. His confessions were as honest as his
fingers were determined. She gasped and shook. His words, his touch-- it was almost more than she
could take. If his arm were not so tight around her Mi-rae was certain that she would break apart.
She clutched at his neck as a final piercing burst of pleasure forced her mouth open into a silent
scream.

She collapsed onto him. Mi-rae turned her cheek against his chest and let out an exhausted breath
through the hair covering her face. Ji-pyeong kissed the top of her shoulder and then his arms
flopped dramatically onto the mattress.

“My god. How are we still alive at this point?”

She started giggling as his chest vibrated with laughter. Mi-rae was drunk with love; her limbs felt
disconnected from the rest of her body.

“I’m not sure that I am.”

He chuckled as Mi-rae then slid off of him.

Ji-pyeong turned his head to look at her. His hair was tousled and clinging to his forehead with
sweat. As much as he was devastatingly attractive with it swept back, Ji-pyeong was decidedly hers
when it was like this. Mi-rae lifted her fingers to touch the dark fringe just above his eyebrows.

“I messed it up.”

Ji-pyeong grinned. Then he caught her fingers and pressed a kiss to them.

“I love you so much.”

Mi-rae leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“I love you too.”

She lingered even as she pulled away, her feet rising in the air and swaying back and forth.
“This really wasn’t fair. I am still kind of dressed and you… are not.”

Ji-pyeong glanced down at himself and then huffed a laugh.

“I am not complaining, believe me.”

Mi-rae giggled again as she pulled the duvet to cover him. And then she narrowed her eyes.

“So, thirteen minutes, huh? That’s very exact.

Ji-pyeong’s lips folded into one another as he looked down shyly. Then he hooked his arm around
her waist and pulled her against him. His nose rubbed against hers before he answered.

“Yes. Thirteen minutes. You were on the phone and leaning against the conference room table in a
black skirt. I was pretending not to look. And I swear that I was living minute to minute. That’s
how long I lasted alone in a room with you.”

Mi-rae inched even closer, devouring every word. It still seemed wonderous that she could have
that effect on such a man.

“Then I went straight to the bar at the Carlyle and talked that poor bartender’s ear off. I was
absolutely freaking out over how I was going to get through that game the next night.”

Mi-rae thought back to how she had laid in this very bed consumed with thoughts of him. And then
her fingers were back in his hair just because they could be. She could spend the rest of her life
listening to how Ji-pyeong had thought of her too. Her fingers brushed across his forehead and then
trailed down his cheek.

“You lasted a lot longer than I did just now. I didn’t even let you unpack.”

Mi-rae pretended to frown in apology. Ji-pyeong made a small sound as his arm curved around her
waist. He looked pleased.
“I loved it …” He trailed off as he seemed lost in thought for a moment. “I love that about you.”

Then Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow.

“Although I’m not sure if I made the best impression on Loki.”

He winced. Mi-rae hugged him and laughed.

Then there was a buzzing from the floor below. Ji-pyeong buried his face in her neck and groaned.

“Always with the fucking phones!”

He sat up with a sigh.

“We better check what’s up.”

Ji-pyeong leaned over to retrieve his pants and shirt. He looked up at her after reviewing his phone.

“There’s a text from Sam. He says Chris has been trying to get a hold of you. Something about the
New York Times .”

Mi-rae pushed away a bolt of nerves.

I have nothing to hide.

“Ugh. I will call him.”

Mi-rae stood up and hurriedly retrieved her underwear. She walked over to her mirrored dresser
and pulled out a black shirt and lounge pants. As soon as she had changed, Mi-rae began shifting
her clothing to clear three drawers. When she turned around, Ji-pyeong was lying on his stomach.
His arms were hugging a pillow and he was watching her. Loki was now sitting in the doorway in
turn observing Ji-pyeong.

“Hey, look who’s curious.”

She lifted her chin towards their visitor. Ji-pyeong turned and gave him a small wave. Loki
twitched his tail but otherwise remained stoic. Mi-rae fought a smile as she tried to focus.

“Okay, these three drawers are yours. We can sort out more space when you bring the rest of your
things. Please move whatever you need to in my closet. This is your apartment too now so don’t be
shy.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. Mi-rae felt a tingle go down her spine.

“This is real isn’t it?”

Ji-pyeong looked at her.

“Isn’t it great?”

Mi-rae let out a breath and nodded silently. Then she walked over to him and messed up his hair a
little more before walking back to the main room.

Mi-rae stepped in front of her favorite bay window. Her street was quiet on this Friday afternoon
but for a dog barking. It was the same view she had looked at so many times before and yet
everything was different. The love of her life was lying in her bed. He loved her just as much back.
And he was staying. The hope that bloomed within her chest that night she had sat next to him was
now her life.

Mi-rae took a deep breath as she prepared to emerge from their cocoon of the last twenty four
hours. Then she dialed her mentor.

Chris picked up on the first ring.

“Hey. Sorry to bug you. Did you get some rest?”

Mi-rae bit the inside of her cheek.

You could call it that.

“Yes I feel so much better, thank you.”

“Listen, Marjorie Weems wants to do a feature on you. It’s for the Times Sunday edition. She
wants to interview you initially by phone today and then do an in person and shoot at the firm
tomorrow. The executive committee really wants you to do it.”

What the fuck.

“A feature about me ?”

“Yeah about you.”

Chris huffed a laugh.

“You must have been sleeping all day. Ever since Ji-pyeong’s speech, we are getting requests for
you like crazy. I’ve held them off but I think you need to do the Times now, Mi-rae. That’s a huge
circulation for a Sunday story. You get to control the narrative. Plus, I want to hear associates
talking about you like you’re a legend. I want clients begging for your time. This is career making
stuff — milk it.”

Mi-rae laughed.

“This is crazy.”

“So you’ll do it?”

Mi-rae ran her hand through her hair. A whisper of caution made her pause.

“Nothing personal, right? Nothing about Ji-pyeong?

“When I spoke with Weems, she was totally focused on how you investigated Dusk. Not even a
mention of Ji-pyeong other than the credit he gave you. I think we’re good. You can exhale, Mi-
rae.”

His voice was kind and reassuring. She did exactly that.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Terrific! I’ll have Kate send you all the details. Does 5:30 work for you for the call and then 9 am
for the shoot tomorrow?”

Mi-rae pulled the phone away and glanced at the time.

That’s in an hour.

“Yep, that works. Thank you, Chris.”

“Nothing to thank me for. It’s all you. See you tomorrow.”

Mi-rae folded the phone against her chest. Last weekend she had offered her resignation. Two days
ago she had prepared for the worst. That was what life had taught her to expect. And yet she had
believed — in him, in herself. And now she was standing on the precipice of a professional height
she never imagined. And more importantly, she was happy.

Mi-rae walked back towards the bedroom in a daze. Then she heard Ji-pyeong talking.

Is he on with Sam?
She padded her way across the hardwood until she could make out what he was saying.

“…and then she teased me for wearing white linen to a baseball game. I spent like an hour
agonizing over that outfit!” He huffed incredulously. “Whatever, I still think she liked it.”

Oh my god.

Mi-rae’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle the sound that she was about to make.

He’s talking to the cat.

Loki was sitting inside of Ji-pyeong’s suitcase watching him as he unpacked. Mi-rae crept closer.
Ji-pyeong paused and tentatively reached a hand out to scratch Loki’s head. The cat peered up at
him warily but allowed the liberty. Then Ji-pyeong put his hands on his hips and sighed.

“Do you think I need to shop for more casual clothes? I thought that she liked my suits.”

Now both hands covered her mouth in delight.

Ji-pyeong held up a white suit and assessed it with a critical eye. Then he turned to look at Loki.
His silent companion remained agnostic on the sartorial dilemma.

Mi-rae wrapped her arms around herself. She felt warm all over just watching him. He had made
millions out of nothing. Brought a fraud to his knees. Took her breath away constantly. And now
he was standing in an untucked white t-shirt and pants with rumpled hair talking with absolute
sincerity to her cat.

You really are something, Han Ji-pyeong.

Seeing him be so content and knowing that she was the reason just compounded her own joy.

I just want to call him husband now too.

Mi-rae blinked at the turn in her own thoughts. She loved him beyond reason. And she felt closer
to him after a month than she did to her ex husband even at their best. She already knew that he
would be by her side no matter what. Mi-rae shook her head as a giddy smile stretched up her face.

“Almost unpacked?”

Ji-pyeong turned and smiled back at her.

“I am. And check out who helped.”

He gestured towards the black cat now walking along the edge of his suitcase like it was a
tightrope. Ji-pyeong shielded his mouth from his direction and whispered.

“He even let me pet him.”

Mi-rae feigned surprise. Then Loki stretched from the corner of the suitcase and slid his cheek
along Ji-pyeong’s leg.

“He’s marking you as his territory right now, my love.”

Ji-pyeong stroked the top of Loki’s head.

“I’m petty like that too, Loki.”

Mi-rae giggled. Then Ji-pyeong looked up at her.

“So what’s up with Chris?”

Mi-rae smoothed her hair.

“The New York Times wants to do a story on me for Sunday’s paper.”

Ji-pyeong rushed over to her and subsumed her in a hug so enthusiastic that her feet left the ground.
He made a sound like a bear as he squeezed her. Mi-rae closed her eyes and absorbed his love
gratefully.

When he set her back down, Ji-pyeong immediately took her face in his hands. His thumbs swept
over her cheeks.

“You are amazing. And everyone should know it.”

Mi-rae believed it. Because Ji-pyeong always told the truth.

“But I feel terrible doing this on your first day here. I have to do a phone call with them at 5:30 and
then follow up and photos at the firm tomorrow.”

Ji-pyeong stepped back and shook his hands in the air.

“Oh please. I’m fine. And I have a buddy.”

Ji-pyeong tilted his head back towards Loki.

“Plus I have to start making arrangements back home anyway.”

“Well, then can I take you on a date tonight? It’s my turn.”

He grinned.

“Absolutely.”

Then Ji-pyeong froze.

“Wait — what are you going to wear tomorrow?”

Mi-rae’s mind went blank.

“Oh god. I don’t even know what’s clean at this point.”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head and thought for a moment.

“May I make a suggestion?”

Mi-rae nodded eagerly.

He held up a finger asking her to wait and then dashed into the closet. Ji-pyeong emerged holding
up her red suit.

“This.”

Her mouth dropped open. It was the deep red suit that she was always afraid to wear. She ran her
fingers down the length of a sleeve.

“I love that suit. I bought it at Bergdorfs when I made partner. First time I ever set foot in that
store. But I’ve never had the guts to actually wear it.”

Ji-pyeong jerked his head back in surprise.

“Why not?”

Mi-rae rubbed her arms nervously.

“It’s just so …bold. You don’t think it’s too much?”

Ji-pyeong looked at her for a moment. Then he lowered his head to make sure that she was
listening.

“Mi-rae, you were meant to stand out.”

Her throat tightened.

Ji-pyeong stepped closer to her.

“Besides, red is your color.”

Then he pressed his lips to hers.

*********

“Okay so what toppings?”

Mi-rae took a sip of wine and prepared to explain the orthodoxy of New York pizza to Ji-pyeong.

“My love, you live in New York now. It is important to understand that we do not fuck around here
with toppings. The choices are cheese, pepperoni, or sausage. That’s it. Anything else is bullshit.”
Ji-pyeong raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair, amused by her passion.

“Okay… pepperoni then?”

Mi-rae winked approvingly.

“Good choice.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh as the waiter arrived to take their order. When they were alone again, Ji-
pyeong leaned his elbows onto the table.

“So what kind of music are we seeing tonight?”

“Indie rock.”

Ji-pyeong furrowed his brow.

“What does that mean? ‘Indie rock’?”

Ji-pyeong looked adorably bewildered.

“It means they are not on a major label so they can sound however they want.”

“Are those the kind of records that you have?”

“Mostly. Except for Taylor Swift. With whom you already seem intimately familiar…”

Ji-pyeong was concentrating so intently that he missed the import of her comment. It reminded Mi-
rae of when Ji-pyeong was learning how to keep score. Then a realization dawned.
“My love, have you ever been to a concert?”

Ji-pyeong leaned forward and scrunched his nose in that way that now made her heart clench with
fondness.

“Is it terribly uncool of me if I say no?”

Mi-rae reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

“No! It just makes it all the more special that I get to share it with you.”

Ji-pyeong smiled as he played with her fingers. He was wearing a black button shirt over a black t-
shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Their table was in a corner ensconced in cozy darkness. A candle
within a red glass bulb illuminated Ji-pyeong’s handsome face; the flickering light cast playful
shadows. She watched him as he looked around the bustle of the crowded restaurant. The din of
conversation, the low music, and the frenzy of the waiters filled the exposed brick room with the
infectious steady hum of a Friday night out.

Mi-rae let her eyes savor every detail of his face from his forehead to the curve of his lips. He
caught her looking but she did not retreat. Rather, she let her eyes dip lower before taking a sip of
wine. Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked.

“This is our first proper date out.”

“My love, you rented out a winery. That was a proper date. I am just taking you out to pizza.”

Mi-rae huffed a laugh at herself as his eyes danced with amusement. He shook his head in
disagreement.

“But there are actually other people here! Do you know how many times I walked by restaurants
filled with people just like this in Seoul on a weekend night and just went home?”
She squeezed his hand. Then Mi-rae leaned forward and whispered.

“I felt like shouting to everyone on the subway that you’re mine.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes lowered for a moment before meeting her gaze again. He looked so pleased with
her adoration. Mi-rae passed her thumb over the back of his hand before slipping away to raise her
wine glass to her lips.

“Speaking of Seoul, I have talked your ear off so much about the interview that I haven’t even had
a chance to ask about when you think you’ll head back.”

Ji-pyeong crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

“That depends on you. When can you come with me?”

Mi-rae felt a rush of excitement.

“I was going to propose that! It’s a great window to take some time off with no active deals right
now. We could take that trip we talked about and then go there?”

Ji-pyeong nodded, suddenly lost in thought as he turned his wine glass around and around. Then he
looked at her.

“And when do you want to get married?”

Mi-rae blinked hard.

Ji-pyeong asked it nonchalantly — as if they were still talking about pizza toppings. A small smile
curled up his lips as he watched her absorb his bluntness. It was a challenge posed with affection.
Mi-rae marveled at the warm certainty that spread from her belly. A month ago even modest
questions about the future filled her with panic. Now the answer that immediately came to mind
might even surprise him.
Mi-rae took a sip of wine as she pretended to think it over. Then she set her glass down carefully
and met his expectant gaze.

“Oh I don’t know. Tomorrow? Next week?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened as he froze. Then his jaw clenched and he pulled his chair closer. His
face was so determined that now her stomach did actually flip. To be the focus of his intensity was
thrilling.

“I don’t know if you’re kidding or not …”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes searched hers as he trailed off. Then his voice lowered.

“But I absolutely would.”

Mi-rae tried to fight a smile and lost. This was the safest game of chicken she had ever played.

“I am not kidding.”

Ji-pyeong’s face filled with wonder. It was a high that she wanted to chase by making him even
happier.

“You are the love of my life. What else do I need to know?”

The waiter arrived just then with their food. Ji-pyeong stared at Mi-rae as she carefully chose the
best slice for him, separating it gingerly so that it did not lose its share of cheese. Then she slid it
onto his plate with the spatula. Mi-rae plucked two napkins from the dispenser and then offered it
all to him. Ji-pyeong looked down at the pizza like he did not recognize what it was.

“Do you want Parmesan or red pepper?”

Ji-pyeong shook his head in a daze. Then he fell back in his chair, adorably flustered. His hand
unfurled in the air as if he was about to say something and then flew to his mouth. Finally it
dropped to his lap.

“Mi-rae, are you really serious?”

She folded her hands onto the table. Mi-rae had never felt more so.

“I am. We can do it whenever and wherever you want.”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers fluttered to his throat as he processed her answer.

“I just did not expect … I thought that you would need a lot of time to…”

Mi-rae reached for his hand again.

“Because of before?”

He nodded silently as she threaded her fingers through his.

“We know more about the kind of partners we’ll be after this last month than many people do after
years of dating. Now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to waste time. I just want to hurry up and
start my life with you.”

A puff of air escaped his lips as Ji-pyeong stared at her in disbelief. Mi-rae laughed softly.

“I have never seen you like this. You’re actually speechless.”

Ji-pyeong shook his head slowly.

“I … I am just not used to actually getting what I want.”

He said it quietly — as if to the universe as much as her. Mi-rae squeezed his hand. But she was
enjoying his shock too much to stop now.

“So which is it? This week here? Or would you rather do it back home when we go to Seoul?”

Ji-pyeong snapped to attention. Then he rolled his sleeves up further and leaned his arms on the
table.

“Here.” He stared at her intensely. “As soon as possible.”

Mi-rae bit her lip at his swift certainty.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do a bigger thing? This is the only time that you’ll be doing this if
I have anything to say about it.”

She winked at him as he blinked rapidly at her teasing. Then Ji-pyeong shook his head vigorously.

“I am sure. To be honest, I wouldn’t have many people to even invite back home. We can do a
dinner or something to celebrate in Seoul but…”

Ji-pyeong lost his train of thought again. Then he leaned forward.

“All I need is you and someone to make you officially my wife. Because that’s how it already feels
anyway.”

His words pierced her heart. Tears swiftly pricked behind her eyes; sharp and sweet.

Mi-rae had experienced a carefully planned wedding during which someone had made promises
about the rest of her life in front of a hundred people. The dress, the flowers, the venue had all been
perfect. And in the end, none of it had mattered. This man had already offered to sacrifice
everything for her when no one was watching. She did not want to wait to call him her husband.

“That’s all I need too.”

A small burst of nervous laughter escaped from his lips. Ji-pyeong’s eyes were now dancing in the
soft candlelight. He looked as if he could still not quite believe the turn in their conversation.

“Are we really doing this?”

Mi-rae grinned at him while she nodded.

“All we need to do is apply for a marriage license online and then you can get married in twenty
four hours at city hall.”

She picked up her glass of wine and raised an eyebrow at him.

“After that adorable ‘husband’ comment, I looked it up this afternoon just in case you asked. You
know how I like to be prepared for your questions, my love.”

Mi-rae winked again as she took a sip. Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open as he stared at her. And
then he looked up at the ceiling as a beautiful smile curved its way up his face. When Ji-pyeong
met her eyes again his dimples deepened even further.

“You’re fucking incredible you know that?”

Mi-rae laughed as her cheeks grew warm. Then she leaned back and sighed as she looked at him.
Ji-pyeong was happy. And it was because of her. And she really was going to spend the rest of her
days making him so. Nothing in her life had ever felt more right than deciding to elope over pizza.

“I’m really glad that you think so because I am just stupidly head over heels for you, Han Ji-
pyeong.”

She patted his hand.

“Now eat your pizza. It’s the best this side of Houston Street and it would be travesty for it to get
cold.”
He smiled and then dutifully picked up a slice. But Ji-pyeong looked immediately puzzled as the
end flopped dramatically over in his hand. He rushed to stop the cheese from sliding off. Mi-rae
laughed and held up her hand to stop him.

“My love, like this.”

Mi-rae picked up a slice and folded it lengthwise. Then she took a bite. Ji-pyeong followed suit and
then closed his eyes, enraptured.

“God that’s good.”

They turned their attention to eating until they finished their first slices. Then Mi-rae carefully
cleaned her hands with a napkin.

“Okay so that means that this trip is actually our honeymoon?”

Ji-pyeong’s next slice hung in the air for a moment. He cocked his head to the side.

“I guess it does. How about I plan that and you deal with city hall. It can be your last act of giving
me legal advice.”

Now he winked at her as she smiled.

“Deal. I haven’t taken a vacation in years so I am up for anything.”

Ji-pyeong smiled impishly.

“Based on the last day, I’ll be sure not to plan anything that requires us to do much ...”

Mi-rae narrowed her eyes at him.

“You better eat up. You’re going to need to keep up your strength.”

Ji-pyeong immediately raised his slice to his lips and resumed eating as she giggled. The remaining
triangles on the tray above them quickly disappeared in a comfortable silence. Ji-pyeong ordered
them another glass of wine and then he settled back in his seat. He watched her in a way that
signaled that he was thinking about something intently.

Ji-pyeong tented his fingers together. Then he nodded to himself as if he had made a decision.

“So on our fifth date, we planned our elopement. That will make an even better story to tell our
children.”

He raised an eyebrow provocatively. Mi-rae’s lips paused on the rim of her wine glass. A bolt of
nervous energy coursed through her.

Of course he guessed what I was going to say.

“Is that what you were about to say last night? I hope you didn’t stop because you thought I
wouldn’t want to hear that.”

She took a large gulp and then set the glass down before meeting his eyes. Ji-pyeong tilted his head
curiously at her.

“We should talk about what we want before we get married, don’t you think?”

Mi-rae swallowed and then smoothed her hair.

“Yes, we should.”

She took another sip of wine. Then Mi-rae folded her hands in her lap.
“Yes, that is what I was going to say. And yes, I was not sure about how you would feel about it.”

Ji-pyeong nodded as he played with the stem of his wine glass.

“To be honest, I never thought about having a family before. I’ve always thought about fatherhood
as simply the absence of something. And I never imagined myself as equipped. How could
someone without parents possibly know what to do?”

Her heart clenched. Mi-rae knew what it was to see life only through the prism of what was
missing. Ji-pyeong looked at her for a moment as his eyes filled with emotion.

“But then when we were in the Hamptons and I was sitting across from you. And Chris was talking
about his daughter. And for the first time in my life, I felt it …”

He paused as his voice grew hoarse.

“I want that with you.”

A lump formed in Mi-rae’s throat. Ji-pyeong looked so vulnerable and hopeful all at once. She felt
a wild impulse to take his face in her hands but the table was in the way. Instead, Mi-rae looked
down at her hands folded in her lap as she tried to maintain her composure. Then she looked up at
the man that she had imagined having children with more clearly than the one she had been
married to for five years.

“I never relished the idea …before. I saw what happened to my friends and their careers when they
had children. They got marginalized, pushed out. And then I just assumed that door had closed
when I got divorced. I was almost relieved. I never had a mother and I felt a little like a failure as a
daughter. I thought maybe it was better that way — like maybe I wasn’t built for it.”

Ji-pyeong stayed silent and waited for her to continue. Mi-rae took a deep breath.

“But then I was driving so much this past week. And I found myself daydreaming about us. Even
before I read your letter— just vague vignettes really. About having a child with you. And
adopting a child with you. Those thoughts play in my head every time I reread what you wrote.”
Ji-pyeong’s brow furrowed and he shifted in his seat.

“Adopting?”

“Yes.” She said it slowly as worry crept in. “I just pictured both somehow …”

She trailed off nervously. His expression was so inscrutable that Mi-rae felt another ripple of
trepidation. She rushed to fill the silence.

“I was so lonely growing up that I’d like to have at least two children. At some point we could try
for a baby but also perhaps adopt? We both lost parents. I just …”

Her hands twisted in her lap as Ji-pyeong stared at her stone faced.

“It just popped into my head that way and has ever since. But maybe that’s all a terrible idea…”

She stopped talking as Ji-pyeong’s lip began to tremble. Then his fingers touched his forehead as
he suddenly battled his emotions. Ji-pyeong quickly looked away as the back of his hand covered
his mouth.

Oh no.

“Oh my love. I am so sorry that I upset you. I didn’t mean to, please forget it.”

He shook his head but said nothing. Mi-rae reached across the table but his hand was now just out
of reach.

“Ji-pyeong?”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath. When he met her gaze again, his eyes were rimmed in red. Her heart
clamored to touch him.
Finally he spoke.

“I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I already do. But every day you keep proving
me wrong.”

A desperate ripple of relief washed over her. Mi-rae opened her mouth to answer but then Ji-
pyeong sniffed and stood up. He took out his wallet and left a hundred dollar bill on the table. He
seized her hand.

“Can we get out of here?”

Mi-rae nodded in a daze as her fingers reached for her purse. She followed him as if she was
outside of herself as Ji-pyeong strode out of the restaurant. A wave of warm humidity washed over
her as they emerged out onto the street. He did not stop until they reached the awning of a closed
store. Then Ji-pyeong spun around and hugged her to his chest with an urgency that made her lose
her breath.

Mi-rae felt his chest rise and fall quickly. Then he finally took a deep breath and exhaled. She
stared at a white sign screaming “clearance sale” in red block letters as her mind raced.

I should not have mentioned adopting.

Mi-rae felt her eyelashes drag against the black cotton of his shirt as she blinked to get her
bearings. Finally, he pulled away and curled his hands around her waist. The steady warmth of his
hands calmed her heart.

“I’m sorry but I was about to lose it in there. I just needed some air.”

Mi-rae nodded as she stared up at him. There was a single tear sliding down his cheek. She reached
up and wiped it away with her fingers.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He shook his head vigorously.

“You didn’t. Quite the opposite.”

He caught her hand and pressed it to his chest.

“I was just overwhelmed.” His voice was hoarse. “That isn’t a part of me that I ever thought
anyone would choose to share in.”

The crease returned between his eyebrows as he fought another storm of emotion. Mi-rae felt like
her heart was breaking into a hundred pieces. Her hands reached for his face as she rushed to
soothe him and, in turn, herself.

“Oh my love. It’s part of who you are. You have so much to offer a child who has gone through
what you have. It should be a part of the life we build together.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip as another tear escaped despite his best efforts to fight it. He pulled her close
again and sought a haven in her hair. Mi-rae gathered the cotton of his shirt in her hands and held
him tight. A car horn blared and someone yelled in reply. But still she held him together until the
heart beating against her ear steadied.

Finally, Ji-pyeong kissed the top of her head and pulled away. His eyebrow arched.

“I really have been kind of all over the place since this afternoon. I am sorry that I freaked out
when we were talking about something so important.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. And we’re not supposed to call it ‘freaking out,’ remember?”

Mi-rae tried to coax a smile from him. Ji-pyeong huffed a quiet laugh. She ran her hand down his
arm.

“My love, what if we just walk for a little while?”

Ji-pyeong gave her a small smile and nodded. Mi-rae pivoted to slide her arm through his. Then
she leaned her head against his shoulder. It was quiet for a weekend night; many must have fled the
city during a hot summer weekend. The narrow and winding streets with names instead of numbers
invited them to wander. This part of the city seemed to be painted with a different brush — gray
and black lines intersected chaotically in short frantic strokes.

Mi-rae and Ji-pyeong walked in silence for two blocks. She looked up at his profile often as Ji-
pyeong took in the neighborhood. They were now one of those couples walking down the street
arm in arm that used to send a lonely pang through her. She hugged his arm a little tighter as he
smiled at her out of the corner of his eye.

“This feels like a different world than where I’ve been in the city so far. I like how it feels like we
could get lost.”

His voice was quiet now. The playful assertiveness of dinner had melted away.

“So why don’t we do that tonight instead?”

Ji-pyeong looked down at her, surprised.

“What about the show?”

Mi-rae’s hand found his. Between her apartment earlier and just now, it was clear that Ji-pyeong’s
emotions were catching up with their decisions.

He has a lot more to say.

“We’ll go another time. Let’s get lost together.”

Ji-pyeong stopped. Then he leaned down and let his lips answer for him. When he pulled away, Ji-
pyeong looked at her as if he was trying to memorize every detail of her face. Mi-rae squeezed his
hand as they then resumed walking.

They reached the corner of the next street. After they crossed, Ji-pyeong’s fingers tightened around
hers.
“I have no memories from before the orphanage.”

Mi-rae lowered her head to listen.

“All I know is that I was left there as an infant. I have no idea who my parents were. I wanted to
know when I was a child. I made up such stories in my head. My entire family died in a tragic
accident like a comic book hero. Or my mother must have been a beautiful woman who fell in love
with someone that she wasn’t supposed to like the shows one nun used to sneak watching when we
were practicing our handwriting. Anything to explain why I was there and no one came for me. But
now after volunteering with orphanages … well I can’t imagine what my mother must have gone
through. I hope that she was able to live the life that she hoped for…after.”

Ji-pyeong cleared his throat as he turned up a side street. Mi-rae held his hand a little more tightly.

“I didn’t have a lot of friends as a child. And I was obviously never chosen for adoption. Each time
a couple came to visit I would brush my teeth ten times, comb my hair until it shined, and make
sure my shirt was tucked in. But they always chose someone else. Every time. It made me so angry.
What was so wrong with me? Why couldn’t it be me?”

Her stomach dropped at the pain in his voice. But Mi-rae forced herself to stay silent for a little
while longer.

“There was one nun in particular. She always smelled like camphor oil. She blamed it on my sharp
tongue and temper. I guess that’s something that people have never particularly enjoyed about me.
She used to call me a ‘sullen child.’”

Ji-pyeong huffed a bitter laugh as he shook his head.

“So I decided to choose myself. I focused on beating everyone at everything that I could — school,
baduk, soccer, go stop, investment competitions. You name it, I had to win. And then that became
my career — assessing risk, finding weaknesses. Never losing. And making money. So that I never
had to depend on anyone again.”

Mi-rae watched his jaw clench. She tried to imagine him as a teenager on his own. The thought of
it made her grab his arm as if she could soothe the boy that he had been.
“Maybe that nun was right. I have been successful in life but I still don’t really have friends. When
I was looking at your photographs today it really hit me. Do you know that for years I didn’t have
photographs of anyone else other than myself in my apartment? Isn’t that ridiculous?”

“Oh my love.”

Mi-rae squeezed his arm as she remembered the dark outline of his head staring down at her
picture frames. Her chest ached.

“I took one with my grandmother on my birthday a year ago. She made me a cake even though she
couldn’t see. That’s the only one I have in a frame in my apartment now.”

Ji-pyeong looked straight ahead as the cords in his neck tightened.

“I always just figured that there was something about me that made me hard to love.”

Mi-rae stopped her feet from moving. The pain of being passed over by his childhood love was
thrown into even sharper relief. Mi-rae gripped his shoulders and turned him towards her.

“I fell in love with you in five days. It was never about you.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her. And in his face she saw the toll of years of rejection. It made tears spring
to her eyes. He stretched his neck as if talking out loud was now a struggle. Then he swallowed and
seemed to steel himself.

“No one ever loved me when they were supposed to. Life never afforded me that luxury. But it did
teach me that being chosen to be loved is a powerful thing.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice cracked. Mi-rae moved closer to steady him.

“Only two people have ever chosen to love me. Grandmother and you. And both times it changed
my life. I want to have children with you. But I also want to do that for a child, with you.”
Ji-pyeong hesitated again but then he steadied himself.

“Thank you for saying it— I don’t know if I ever would’ve had the courage.”

Mi-rae raised her hand to his cheek.

“Then that’s what we will do.”

Ji-pyeong turned his face into her touch. Mi-rae stood on her toes to now whisper her heart to him.

“Mrs. Blanca was right. The children that come to us … they will be beautiful. And we will love
them like we love each other.”

Ji-pyeong let out a shuddering sigh as his head shook in disbelief.

“I never thought that anyone would love me like you do.”

Before Mi-rae could answer, Ji-pyeong gathered her all at once into his arms and kissed her. His
lips were tender and hungry all at once— like Ji-pyeong was trying to capture something. And so
Mi-rae poured all of herself into him as he moved them backwards. Finally, she felt him stop at the
wall behind them. Mi-rae wrapped her arms around his neck and showed him how she would
choose him everyday for the rest of their lives.

And for a moment, the city was only for them.

But then there was a low whistle. And laughter. Mi-rae clutched at Ji-pyeong’s shirt as she buried
her face in his chest.

“I still hate teenagers.”

His voice rumbled deeply. Mi-rae laughed softly as she peered up at him. Ji-pyeong was glaring at
the people she could hear walking past them.

“You look so grumpy, my love.”

A hint of a smile flickered across Ji-pyeong’s face as he continued to glare.

“Well they should have better manners.”

Mi-rae laughed again and pulled him away from the wall by the hand. Ji-pyeong stared at the
group of teenagers until they disappeared around the corner.

“You’re going to be the disciplinarian. I can tell.”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes skeptically at her.

“I talk a big game but I’ll eventually give them whatever they want. And you know it.”

Mi-rae smiled at his self awareness as she pulled him along by the hand down the street. She took
a deep breath and then decided to be as honest as he had been.

“Well I have no idea how to be a mother. I never had one. So I really hope that I don’t fuck it up.”

Ji-pyeong put his arm around her and pulled her close as they crossed the street.

“It’s like you said. We will love them like we love each other. That’s a better start than I ever got.”

They were quiet for about a half a block and then Ji-pyeong’s hand slipped down her arm to hold
her hand again.

“Looking back, what did you appreciate most about your father?”
His voice was quiet. Mi-rae looked up at him but his head was bowed, preparing to listen. She
lovingly traced his profile with her eyes for a moment as she gathered herself.

“He was kind.”

Her father’s face wearing a blue and orange baseball hat filled her head.

“And he encouraged me to be whatever I wanted. It never occurred to me not to be outspoken. I

realized later that was a lot rarer than you would think.”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“I wish he could have talked to the nuns about that. It would’ve saved me a lot of writing out
apologies on the blackboard over and over.”

Mi-rae leaned her chin on his arm as she squeezed his hand.

“The way your mind works….the way you hold nothing back is what made it impossible for me
that first week. I was done for. I love that about you.”

Ji-pyeong’s tongue lodged into the inside of his cheek. He looked absurdly pleased.

“Is that right?”

His eyes ticked down to her. Ji-pyeong was clearly eager for more praise. Mi-rae offered it freely.

“Yes. Even more than those impeccable suits of yours. Or the way you stalk down a hallway with
your hands in your pockets.”

A burst of giddy laughter was her instant reply. Ji-pyeong stepped ahead and turned to face her just
before they crossed the next street. Then he slid his hands into his pockets slowly with a smirk.
Ji-pyeong leaned towards her. All of a sudden it felt like he was towering over her. Mi-rae did not
know whether to smack him on the shoulder or push him back against a wall.

“Let me get this straight...”

Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow as his elbows extended out for emphasis.

“My hands in my pockets are a thing?”

Mi-rae crossed her arms, now trying desperately not to blush.

“Come on. Like you didn’t know.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened with an innocence that was almost believable.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

He was losing a battle not to grin.

Mi-rae’s cheeks now felt like they were on fire. Then she caught the sign for a bar that she
recognized just beyond his shoulder. It offered refuge. She decided to turn the tables.

“Whatever.”

She rolled her eyes as she walked past him to cross the street. Mi-rae bit her lip to keep from
smiling as he chased after her.

“Where are you going?”

She glanced over her shoulder at Ji-pyeong just before pushing her way through a red lacquered
door. His hands had retreated from his pockets to perch expectantly on his hips.

Mi-rae felt a petty thrill.

“To get a drink. Are you coming?”

Mi-rae walked inside before he could answer. Her eyes were still adjusting to the warm glow of
candles in the darkness when she felt a hand wrap possessively around her waist. Then Ji-pyeong’s
breath was hot on her neck.

“Your red lipstick drives me absolutely insane.”

My god.

She felt a pulse of want course from the center of her body. Mi-rae turned around and closed her
hand over his fingers as they curled into the jersey of her tank dress. A shock of ebony hair had
fallen across his forehead in his rush to follow her. His gaze was piercing.

“I’m sorry that I teased you.”

Ji-pyeong lowered his head apologetically.

“Now you know my weakness too.”

She had no choice but to give in. But Mi-rae glanced to the side as she pretended to consider his
offering anyway. Her fingers tangled into his and then she tugged him towards the bar.

“Buy me a drink. The clock is ticking on your time as my rich trophy boyfriend.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh. Then he cocked his head as he followed her.

“Wait, doesn’t trophy boyfriend mean that you should be buying drinks for me?”

Mi-rae pretended to consider the dilemma as she sat down at the bar.

“I think as long as you keep looking like that then the job is whatever you want to make of it.”

Ji-pyeong burst out laughing as he sat next to her. He called the bartender over with one hand as he
folded the other arm onto the bar.

A chaotic thought then entered her head. Mi-rae opened her purse and retrieved her lipstick.

“I’ll have a Manhattan please and she’ll have….”

Mi-rae pretended not to hear him as she read over the cocktail menu. And then she slowly rolled
the tube of lipstick up.

Scarlet pierced the air.

Mi-rae could feel his eyes on her as she raised it to her lips and slowly dragged it across her lower
lip. She uncrossed her legs and let her thighs fall slightly open. The black jersey of her dress
strained across her lap.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Ji-pyeong growled it in their native tongue.

Mi-rae ignored him. Then she pressed her lips together dramatically before turning her attention to
the bartender.

“I’ll have a Negroni please. Thank you.”

The bartender nodded as she felt Ji-pyeong inch closer. Mi-rae focused resolutely on returning her
lipstick to her purse. Only then did she lean her elbow on the bar and finally meet Ji-pyeong’s gaze
as her head fell into her hand.

He was staring at her lips. Then his eyes dropped down to her thighs.

“You are diabolical.”

Ji-pyeong leaned forward.

“Don’t think for a second that I am going to let that go.”

Mi-rae held his gaze defiantly.

“Oh I’m betting on it.”

His teeth sank into his lower lip as he fought a smile. Then Ji-pyeong shook his head.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Mi-rae grazed his leg with the toe of her converse as she crossed her legs again.

“Oh I’m sure you’ll think something.”

They stared at one another.

As she watched his jaw clench, Mi-rae held her breath wondering if Ji-pyeong was going to take
her home right then. Then the bartender returned with their drinks. Ji-pyeong cleared his throat as
he braced his hands against the bar.

He held up his drink to toast hers.

“To getting married.”

He raised his eyebrows playfully as he smiled. It made her feel well loved even as a tingle of
excitement ran down her spine.

It is just going to be like this between us.

Ji-pyeong could make her feel safe and dizzy all at the same time. She squeezed his arm and then
clinked his glass before taking a sip.

Wait a minute.

Mi-rae held her hand up urgently.

“Did we actually decide on a day?”

Ji-pyeong swiveled back and forth in his stool as he took a sip.

“I think we got too carried away about children. We are ever the planners.”

Mi-rae shook her head and laughed softly.

“We are the two most risk averse people I know and now look at us.”

His eyes lingered on her as set down his drink.

“I still think that we are. We are just grabbing on to what we’ve found.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her seriously for a moment. Then he shook his head as if to get his bearings.
“I gotta thank Chris for recommending this drink. It’s become my favorite.”

Ji-pyeong paused abruptly.

“Won’t Chris and Sam be hurt if we don’t tell them? They were willing to do anything for you, Mi-
rae. And they mean a lot to me now too.”

His thoughtfulness made her feel as warm as the liquor in her belly. Mi-rae sat up straight as she
took another sip.

“We will need at least one witness. We should ask them to be there. But if I tell Chris now he will
want to make it a whole thing and next thing we know we will be getting married at the Hamptons
with a hundred people you don’t know. And then that could bring media attention. I’d rather save
all that for after we get back. Chris can throw his party then and GenOne will be old news. What
do you think?”

Ji-pyeong nodded thoughtfully before he raised his glass back up to his lips. Mi-rae indulged her
eyes in watching how the base of his throat moved as he swallowed.

“How about we get married on Friday? That will give us time to get everything squared away to
travel. You can schedule a meeting with them so they have time blocked out and then we wait to
explain it that morning.”

Mi-rae felt a wave of relief.

“That’s perfect. And should we plan a month of leave? Two weeks for a trip somewhere relaxing
and then two weeks at home? Is that too much? Not enough?”

Ji-pyeong leaned against the bar.

“A month, if you can swing it. I was thinking of taking a leave of absence from SK while I figure
out how to attack what they proposed for me to do here. I need to run the possibilities through
some models and talk with them all at length.”
Mi-rae clapped her hands together.

“I have not taken a vacation in years. And the firm is ecstatic that I’m about to be in the
Times. Let’s make it a month.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at his drink for a moment as if he was overcome with excitement. Then he
touched her knee softly as he leaned closer.

“I may take some more time than that before I kick off something so big professionally. I didn’t
wait this long to find you only for us to both be working like crazy as newlyweds. I want time with
you.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at her. Then he folded his arms as if preparing to negotiate.

“So how do you feel about dogs?”

Mi-rae laughed at the sudden question. Then she thought of him kneeling down with Roosevelt this
morning and her heart felt like it was growing three sizes again.

“I love that you asked me about children before dogs!”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“I love dogs. I just didn’t think I could pull one off with the hours that I was working.”

He unfolded his arms. And then the floodgates opened. Ji-pyeong’s hands started flying in the air
as plans excitedly tumbled out of his mouth.

“I’d like to get a dog. And I’d like to grow some vegetables on that roof. And learn how to cook.
Go to some museums. Travel a lot. Especially before we have kids. I don’t know...”
Ji-pyeong’s eyes met hers as he trailed off.

“I have made all this money and … I just feel like I haven’t really lived.”

Mi-rae let out a breath. He leaned forward as his nose wrinkled, unsure.

“Does that all sound very boring and directionless? Were you hoping to marry a CEO right now?”

Mi-rae seized his face between her two hands and swiftly kissed him. Then she swayed back
against the bar as if in disbelief.

“So you really are going to learn how to cook for me. Are you sure you’re not a figment of my
imagination?”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh. But then his eyes looked hungry for more confirmation.

“I think that is exactly what you should do. And I think you’ll be in an even better place to take
your career in a new direction after that kind of time.”

Ji-pyeong smiled. And then he pulled her closer to him by her leg.

“You never know. I may stop wearing those suits all together for a while.”

Mi-rae gasped.

“Don’t you dare!”

Ji-pyeong ducked his head as he laughed. Mi-rae could not stop looking at him. As attractive as he
was at his cockiest, her soon to be husband was irresistible when he was embarrassed.

Ji-pyeong drained his drink.

“Another or keep walking?”

Mi-rae took a last sip. The remaining large ice cube grazed her lip.

“Keep walking.”

Ji-pyeong called for the tab. Then he offered Mi-rae his arm as they walked back outside.

Mi-rae hugged his arm close as they wandered up the next street without discussing in which
direction to walk. She looked around them avidly, wanting to remember every detail about the
night: the way Ji-pyeong kept stealing glances at her; how his arm felt so warm and steady at her
side; how they talked about some of the most important decisions of their lives in one breath and
then teased each other in the next. Mi-rae saw beauty in the graffiti that they passed. She imagined
trying each new restaurant with him. The sticky humidity did not bother her. Instead this summer
night felt magical; bright with colors and alive with possibilities.

Even the city feels different with him.

They talked about everything that they saw. They pointed out things in shop windows that they
liked for a future home that they dreamed they would someday buy. Ji-pyeong asked questions
about the old churches and secret gardens that they passed. This was a city in which she had lived
for almost twenty years. She was getting married for the second time. But Mi-rae felt like she was
walking in the footsteps that she had trod so many times before in a new world. Ji-pyeong made
every corner that they turned feel like she had never been there before. And then she could not
wait to go around the next one and see it through his eyes too.

As they reached Greenwich Village, Ji-pyeong eyed the eclectic storefronts curiously.

“You were right. Every neighborhood does feel like a different small town.”

Mi-rae looked up at him. A month ago they had walked side by side in this city awkwardly for the
first time.

“I said that a very long time ago.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at her fondly.

“Well I was always paying attention.”

The sound of music drifted from far away as Mi-rae looked up at his beautiful face. Ji-pyeong’s
hand slipped out of hers and circled around her waist as they crossed the street into Washington
Square Park. Green trees soon gave way to a large plaza teeming with people.

“I used to spend a lot of time in this park in college. I guess there was a time when I did just go to
the park.”

Ji-pyeong looked around at the motley assembly of street performers and then up at the white arch
brightly lit as a fountain pierced the night air.

“I’m trying to picture college Mi-rae.”

Mi-rae looked down at her tank dress and black Converse sneakers.

“Pretty much the same as now. Except my hair was a lot longer. But same Converse shoes. Still
mouthy and competitive.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at her and then dropped a five dollar bill in the hat of someone playing a
saxophone. He squinted back up at the arch soaring above them.

“It looks like something just dropped here from Paris.”

“Oh have you been?”

Ji-pyeong shook his head.

“Not yet.” He squinted at her. “Want to take me someday?”

“Absolutely.”

Mi-rae stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his cheek.

“In the meantime can I buy you a gelato?”

“Yes.”

Ji-pyeong answered so quickly that it made Mi-rae laugh.

“This way.”

She grabbed his hand and led him to the corner of the park until they arrived at a small cart with a
green umbrella.

“Go find us a bench and I’ll grab it. What do you want?”

Ji-pyeong reviewed the flavors and chose swiftly.

“Strawberry. On a cone.”

Mi-rae’s shoulders shrugged up in delight. Even his choice of ice cream seemed adorable to her as
she watched him walk away. The sounds of a string quartet now wafted across the park from far
away to fill the sudden silence left by the saxophone. Ji-pyeong’s hands slipped back into his
pockets as he looked again at the arch as he strolled. The absentminded way that he did so now
brought a smile to her lips. The bold, black-clad outline of Ji-pyeong in this place where she had
spent her college years on a blanket consuming books took her breath away.

Ji-pyeong found an empty bench and sat down. He stretched his long legs in front of him as his
arms unfurled across the back of the bench. Ji-pyeong looked so decidedly content as he took in the
humming energy of the park that she felt a compulsive need to capture it. Mi-rae slipped her phone
out of her purse and took a photograph.
She felt herself smiling as she looked at the image of Ji-pyeong in her phone and then back to the
man with whom she had planned so much tonight.

A week from today he will be my husband.

“Next.”

Mi-rae dragged her eyes away from him and turned to order. As she walked towards Ji-pyeong
holding two cones, their eyes locked. He sat up and smiled at her as she closed the space between
them. The mournful moan of a cello and the rhythmic shimmering of the fountain accompanied
her.

She extended her arm out to hand him his cone. Ji-pyeong’s fingers grazed hers as he accepted it.
He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, ignoring the slow drip of his gelato.

“I love getting lost with you.”

A lump formed in her throat as she gently cleaned his hand with a napkin.

“Me too.”

Then Mi-rae sat down to fill the space left open by his arm. She took out her phone and opened the
camera app again.

“Here.”

Ji-pyeong stopped in the middle of licking his cone. He looked confused. Mi-rae pushed her phone
towards him again.

“You have the longer arm. Take a picture. I want to start filling the shelves with us.”
He blinked hard. Then a wondrous smile curved up his lips. Ji-pyeong curled his hand around her
bare shoulder and drew her against his chest as he stretched his hand up high above them.

Mi-rae looked up at her face next to his staring back from the screen of the phone. She did not
think about how her hair was out of place or how her lipstick had faded. Instead, Mi-rae marveled
at seeing their two faces side by side for the first time. Then she heard the camera click to capture
them forever.

Mi-rae grabbed the phone to look at the result while she felt Ji-pyeong’s chin come to rest on her
shoulder.

“Let’s take another one. You’re not looking at the camera.”

“Nope, I like that one. I’m looking at you like I have been all night. That’s how I want to
remember the night we got lost and planned our life together.”

Mi-rae’s heart stuttered in her chest. Her hand pressed flat against it and tapped three times.

“You did it again.”

Ji-pyeong let out a puff of air against her skin. Then he kissed her shoulder softly.

“Good.”

Mi-rae turned her face towards him. She could smell his cologne and it filled her head with all
kinds of thoughts.

“I have been looking at you all night too.”

Mi-rae then swiped to the left. The photograph of Ji-pyeong sitting alone appeared.

“Hey!”
Ji-pyeong gasped and stole the phone from her hand.

Mi-rae turned her body to face him and laughed as Ji-pyeong stared at the photograph in one hand
while holding the remains of a bright pink cone in the other. He handed back her phone and raised
an eyebrow questioningly.

Mi-rae shrugged.

“That photo is for me.”

His eyes ticked down to her lips and then back up to meet her gaze. Their warm brown depths were
mesmerizing.

“You’re very sneaky.”

Ji-pyeong slid his palm along hers until his fingers slipped into the spaces meant for him. The
music drifted even further away. A tingling warmth spread as she looked down at their hands. Her
thumb passed over his knuckles back and forth slowly.

“Hurry up and finish so that I can take you home.”

Mi-rae leaned into his chest and kissed him. His lips were cold. She sought the warmth just beyond
until she tasted strawberry on his tongue. Then Mi-rae pulled away and stood up, tugging on his
hand. Ji-pyeong grinned and tossed his half eaten cone in a trash can. He took hers from her hand
and did the same. They walked with their fingers tangling together until they reached the corner of
Fourth Street to hail a cab. Ji-pyeong seemed to commandeer one instantly as if by sheer force of
will.

The hard plastic stuck to Mi-rae’s thighs as she slid her way across the backseat. There was no air
conditioning. The cab driver was playing a pulsing rhumba. Ji-pyeong was forced to speak loudly
over the music.

“East 92nd and Madison, please”

Mi-rae immediately took up all the space next to him.

“I like hearing that address come out of your mouth.”

He gave her a shy smile.

“Then I think I’ll stay.”

And then Ji-pyeong leaned back, his hand gently guiding the small of her back until she was
pressed once more against his chest. He lowered the window and the wind whipped against them
as the cab sailed up Third Avenue. A rainbow of awnings and neon signs streaked across as Mi-rae
watched the world go by from the solid haven of Ji-pyeong’s chest. The propulsive music seemed
to will the traffic lights to remain green as they cut a swath up the island of Manhattan.

But then the song came to a flourishing end as trumpets blared. A slower ballad came on the radio.
The strumming of guitar made Mi-rae lift her head to look up at Ji-pyeong. And while she could
not understand the lyrics, Mi-rae felt the yearning in the singer’s voice as her eyes traced the plush
pink of his lips. Ji-pyeong looked down at her and then his eyes focused ahead on the back of the
driver’s head.

You better kiss me this time.

Finally, Ji-pyeong leaned down to press his lips to hers. He lingered before pulling away. Ji-
pyeong’s face was alight with triumph.

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to kiss you in the back of a cab.”

Mi-rae laughed softly as she touched her fingertips to his lips.

“You were so cute on my shoulder after though. I couldn’t resist holding your hand while you
slept.”

He sat up as his eyes widened in shock. The cab began moving again.
“You held my hand?”

Mi-rae nodded, smiling.

“I finally worked up the nerve to be honest after you almost kissed me. But by that time you had
passed out. Your head ended up on my shoulder and then your hand was just right there so…”

Ji-pyeong ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

“God I wish I had known that the next morning.”

Mi-rae laughed and kissed him again. Then Ji-pyeong peered out the window for a moment. His
hand came to rest lightly on her thigh.

“You know, one of the benefits of living here is that cab drivers can’t understand what we are
saying.”

Mi-rae narrowed her eyes as his fingers began feathering up.

“What are you doing?”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked. Then he raised a teasing eyebrow.

“I warned you before that I wasn’t going to let that go.”

Ji-pyeong kept his eyes on her face as his hand slipped under the hem of her dress.

Her hand gripped the cotton of his shirt.

“And you called me diabolical?”

She hissed it in his ear. But Ji-pyeong’s lips only curled into a sly smile.

“You just have to hold out for …. thirty more blocks.”

His voice was low and teasing. Then he pulled her thigh over into his lap as he eyed the front of the
car. He carefully ensured that her skirt was still covering her. Then his fingers traced up as his lips
moved to her ear.

“Because I am not stopping for a siren this time.”

Fuck.

A small desperate sound escaped from her. Mi-rae bit the side of her mouth hard to silence herself.
Ji-pyeong turned and looked out the window to detract attention from what his hand was doing
beyond the driver’s line of sight.

His fingers began to draw lazy circles as they moved back and forth along the length of her thigh.
It pulled her into a heady trance — half wanting him to move up no matter the rules of decorum
while also enjoying his slow seduction.

But then his fingers dragged into her flesh more assertively. She did not care if the driver realized
what they were doing. It was New York City — he must have seen far worse. Propriety was not
enough of a deterrent as she craved his hand between her legs.

Mi-rae’s fingers pulled at his shirt.

“Do whatever you want.”

She breathed it in his ear. And then Mi-rae watched the cords of his neck tighten as he tried to keep
his face calm. Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked down to her as his fingers travelled over the curve of her
thigh. And then she closed her eyes as they dared to move up the inside of her thigh.
Ji-pyeong’s fingers moved at the same slow pace of the music— carefully claiming new territory
before retreating back over and over as the guitar’s rhythm dictated. She felt that endless ache
inside of her build with his gentle teasing.

Finally, he reached the edge of her underwear.

She lowered her head into his shoulder as he discovered the wet welcome awaiting his fingers.
Rather than feel shame at what he had wrought with his teasing, Mi-rae shifted to chase his fingers
— to let him feel what he had done. She held her breath as he rubbed tentatively over the damp
cotton. Mi-rae’s lids squeezed further shut with the strain of control. Her teeth drew her lower lip
sharply into her mouth as she awaited her fate by Ji-pyeong’s hand.

Yet he remained agonizingly on the other side of that barrier. Instead of slipping under, his hand
curved into a tight fist. And then his knuckles buried themselves against her. She could not help
but gasp. He moved in slow circles; as if Ji-pyeong had discovered the secret of how she touched
herself when she thought of him. Mi-rae could only clench from within to chase the all consuming
grind of his hand. The friction of his knuckles, the way he pressed harder as the fabric rubbed
against her made her teeth catch her tongue painfully.

The music grew quieter just when she needed it to be louder. A bead of sweat ran down her neck.
Mi-rae pulled at his shirt as she struggled to keep her hips still. Her forehead pressed plaintively
against his shoulder as if Ji-pyeong could help her when he was the cause of her undoing. His hand
moved on and on and on and on —- it was a knowing god between her thighs demanding that she
submit to blissful ruin.

But then he suddenly slipped away. Her body cried out in protest. Ji-pyeong’s arm gently urged her
up as he leaned forward.

“It’s number 28-30.”

Just a moment ago they were in midtown. Now they were on her street. Mi-rae blinked rapidly to
get her bearings as she drew in a ragged breath. She felt delirious. The taxi slowed to a stop and Ji-
pyeong handed over a wad of cash from his wallet without counting it. Then he grabbed her hand
and burst out of the cab.

Together they ran up the steps and then Mi-rae stabbed the code urgently into the keypad for the
front door. The elevator doors mercifully opened immediately. Ji-pyeong grabbed her by the waist
and crowded her against the wall as his hand fumbled for the button to the third floor. His face was
an inch from hers. His eyes now looked black with want.

“You were driving me crazy.”

Mi-rae gasped.

“I was! You—”

Ji-pyeong did not wait for her to finish. He kissed her roughly. His hips pressed her against the wall
as his hand palmed her breast in an instant. Mi-rae sank into his arms as she tried to keep up with
his wild demands. It was like Ji-pyeong was doing everything he had ever wanted within the small
confines of four walls.

Mi-rae’s mind raced with the possibilities of how soon she could have him as he pressed his need
for her into her thigh. But then Ji-pyeong suddenly ripped away from her lips with a gasp. He
swallowed and held his hand out as if to keep himself away as the elevator slowed.

“Mrs…” Ji-pyeong heaved a breath. “Blanca.”

Oh god. Right.

Mi-rae nodded at his warning. Then she yanked open her purse to find her keys as the doors
opened. Ji-pyeong spun around to find an empty hallway.

“Oh thank god.”

They rushed to the door. Mi-rae quickly unlocked it and then pulled Ji-pyeong inside. She pushed
him against the wall and started unbuttoning his pants as his hands froze helplessly in the air. In a
moment, she was on her knees and taking him into her mouth.

“Fuck.”
Ji-pyeong rasped his surrender. Then she heard his head thud loudly against the wall. Mi-rae could
not help but smile as she closed her lips tightly around him. The time for teasing was over.

Mi-rae thrilled in taking him as deep as she could all at once. His fist pounded softly against the
wall just once beside her ear. Her hands soothed his thighs; caressing up to his abdomen as she
tasted him on her tongue. Everything was hard and strong under her hands. And in her mouth. And
yet all of him yielded to her.

Her lips and her touch strove to remind Ji-pyeong of all that he deserved — to feel good, to be
adored, to be chosen every day. Mi-rae lost herself to showing him how much that he was loved.

“Mi-rae…”

He slipped away from her lips. And then his hands were seizing her shoulders and pulling her up.
Mi-rae suddenly found herself against the wall instead. And then his shirt was off. And Ji-pyeong
was kissing her — his lips greedy and demanding. He broke away only to yank her dress over her
head impatiently. Then his mouth claimed her again — messy and wet— as he pulled her by the
waist through the living room.

But Ji-pyeong stumbled as he caught the corner of the couch.

“Ah!”

Mi-rae fell into his chest as he caught her. She dissolved into giggles against him. His head
dropped to her shoulder.

“I’m still learning my way around.”

Their laughter peeled into the darkness. Mi-rae reached for his face. Even in the darkness she
could still feel his cheeks give way to the deepening telltale sign that he was happy. Her heart
swelled with love for him. And then it spilled from her lips.

“How I love you.”

She pulled him into a kiss; slow and sweet. Then Mi-rae grabbed his hand and guided him to the
bedroom.

They fell across the bed as their limbs tangled together again urgently. Mi-rae quickly climbed on
top of him as soon as she dispensed with her bra and underwear. She guided Ji-pyeong to her, biting
the inside of her cheek as he pushed his way through the sweet ache of their prior lovemaking. Mi-
rae sank onto him with a roll of her hips as his hands filled themselves with the soft curves of her
breasts. The wet drag of him at the center of her mirrored his lips as he took her into his mouth. Mi-
rae greedily watched the swell of her breasts fill his mouth as he claimed her. Her fingers slid into
his hair to cradle him closer as she took him inside of her over and over. She wanted to fill the soft
wetness of him as much as he did her.

Everything about the way Ji-pyeong was touching her made clear that she was his — the demands
of his hands on her breasts, the insistent pull of his lips, the way he pushed his way deeper with
every thrust of his hips. No one had ever wanted her so much. And yet he was restless. His arm
suddenly hooked around her waist. And then she was on her back and he was inside of her again.
His hands slid under her to plunge even further as his lips lavished her neck. Mi-rae breathlessly let
him have his way. With the trust between them came the freedom to offer herself to him entirely.
Ji-pyeong recklessly sank his fingers into her backside and lifted her body up to meet his. The force
of his hips drove her just past the far edge of the bed.

Ji-pyeong had never made love to her like this. It was like something was breaking free inside of
him. Her eyes widened in the darkness in awe. Mi-rae clutched at his shoulders just to hold on.
And then she closed her eyes and let her head fall back into the nothingness below. Blood rushed to
her temples until she found a cradle offered by his hands. But it was a deceptive harbor. For Ji-
pyeong was as inevitable as a current pulling her down under the surface. She gave herself over to
him, drowning in the long and ebbing pleasure that washed through her body. His hips began to
stutter as he gasped against her neck. Ji-pyeong’s words of worship spilled into her ear as furiously
as he lost himself inside of her. Mi-rae arched into him as he spent himself. The hot slide of him
pulsing within her offered yet more pleasure that her hips greedily chased. Tiny raptures reverbated
as their pace slowed and slowed until his body finally gave out completely.

Oh my god.

Mi-rae blinked hard, stunned. They were slick with sweat and too exhausted by their efforts to
move.

“I love you.”

Ji-pyeong mumbled it quietly against her skin. Then he pressed a final kiss to her neck and slipped
away.
Mi-rae let out a deep breath as she stretched her arms above her head. A rush of air conditioning
swept in to cool her damp skin. Goosebumps raised up. Mi-rae had never felt so completely and
thoroughly satiated in her life. She flexed her toes through the soreness in her calf muscles. Sex
was something else entirely with him. She was someone else entirely in his arms.

Is that the fifth? Wait no. The sixth?

Mi-rae covered her face with her hands as she lost count of how many times they had become a
part of one another since he had unlocked that hotel room door. Each time had revealed something
new about the way that they could be. Ji-pyeong was in bed as he was in life — selfless and
demanding, thoughtful and challenging, patient and passionate. All of the beautiful contradictions
inherent in his nature were why she had fallen in love with him.

Mi-rae pushed her hair off of her face and shifted towards him. Ji-pyeong was lying on his stomach
and his eyes were closed. She was about to reach up to brush away the hair clinging to his forehead
when her fingers paused in the air.

He’s asleep.

Mi-rae’s hand flew up to her lips instead. The wide expanse of Ji-pyeong’s back was rising and
falling steadily. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the night, his wild tangle of hair was the darkest
thing in a room softly lit by the streetlights into shades of purple. His peaceful features silently
professed innocence of the liberties he had taken in the taxi, and the elevator, and their bed. Mi-rae
curled her knees up towards her chest as she watched the man who would soon be her husband
sleep. Her throat tightened as she remembered how many times Ji-pyeong had been overcome with
emotion today.

He must be exhausted.

She quickly planned how to do her best to let him sleep while she headed out early for the photo
session in the morning. Then Mi-rae rose to take care of him. She donned a tank top and pajama
pants from the dresser before walking around to what was now his side of the bed. The duvet was
carefully folded by her hands over his body. Next, Mi-rae gingerly slid a pillow under his head.
Her fingers froze in the air just above him as he stirred, his head burrowing into the depths of the
pillow. But then Ji-pyeong sighed in his sleep and stilled.

Loki startled her as he suddenly jumped up onto the foot of the bed. His yellow eyes pierced the
indigo of the bedroom.

“He’s pretty great isn’t he? I told you so.”

She whispered it as Loki kneaded his paws into the duvet. He remained noncommittal.

“We’re going to keep him, ok?”

Finally, Loki curled into a ball at Ji-pyeong’s feet in agreement. And then his yellow eyes slowly
disappeared.

She was the last one awake. Mi-rae hugged her chest as if that could stop it from breaking open as
she looked down at Ji-pyeong. She had often cried herself to sleep in this room after her divorce.
Over time, tears eventually gave way to staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night, lonely and
depressed. And then she had become numb, filling her solitude with billable hours and
rationalization. Now Mi-rae was overcome by a deluge of emotions — love, gratitude, and abiding
wonder that this man loved her enough to move across the world to marry her after a month.

They had finally reached a kind twist in the rope of fate. Ji-pyeong now shared a home with
someone who loved him for the first time in his life. And she was loved by the kind of man who
would stay by her side. It was almost enough to make her believe that the universe could be just
after all. Mi-rae pulled the duvet up and around his shoulders reverently, her heart full with all the
ways that he made her so happy.

Then write him back.

The thought whispered from within her as if it had sprung from the sacred stillness of this night.
And as soon as it did, Mi-rae was determined to answer his beautiful words with her own. It had
been their way from the beginning— he posed questions and she always answered. And it was
what Ji-pyeong deserved.

Mi-rae crept over to her desk. And then she frowned.

I don’t have any nice stationery.

She shrugged practically. The content of her words would have to suffice. Mi-rae quietly slid a
legal pad out of the top drawer. Her fingers eventually found the shape of a ballpoint pen amid the
highlighters, binder clips, and post-it flags. Then Mi-rae padded out to the living room and sat on
her sofa as she turned on a single lamp.

Mi-rae folded her legs under one another and pulled a pillow onto her lap. She placed the legal pad
onto it. The blue parallel lines invited her to organize her thoughts as they always did. Mi-rae
carefully wrote out a numbered list of everything that she wanted to say to him.

Then Mi-rae paused and huffed a laugh. She shook her head at her fastidiousness.

Just write to him like you’ve always talked to him.

Mi-rae may not possess his latent talent for poetry, but Ji-pyeong seemed to relish her frankness
like few others.

She took a deep breath. And then Mi-rae flipped over to the next page. Her pen poised over the
fresh sheet of lined yellow paper.

She smiled as she then began to write her first letter to Han Ji-pyeong.

“My love…”

***********************************
 Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Their world was a glittering turquoise expanse as far as he could see. Shimmering light drew his
eyes to the horizon until Mi-rae slipped into his line of sight.

Her wet black hair was pushed back from her face. The water droplets beaded onto her eyelashes
in the sunlight. Her lips, still impossibly red, smiled playfully as they dipped beneath the surface of
the water.

She was daring him to make her his own all over again. His hands glided through the water,
reaching for her …

But then something unexpectedly cold touched his face.

“What the….”

Ji-pyeong jerked his head back as his eyes flew open.

Two yellow orbs were staring back at him. Their black pupils contracted into parallel skeptical
lines.

Loki.

The black cat’s curiosity was rewarded with a puff of laughter, sending him skittering warily to the
far side of the bed.
“Oh did I surprise you ?”

Loki stared back at him in silent judgment. Then he lowered himself onto the bed and his legs
disappeared underneath his body. Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“You look like a loaf of bread.”

Ji-pyeong sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

I must have just fallen asleep for good last night.

He remembered closing his eyes for only a moment. Ji-pyeong pulled the duvet up towards his
bare chest. His body felt stiff, as if he had not moved his limbs in a very long time. He blinked
slowly as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight pouring into the room through the window behind
him.

What time is it?

“Mi-rae?”

His only reply was Loki springing off of the bed and onto the floor.

She must already have left for the interview.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes followed the flash of black. And then he caught sight of his phone propped
against a glass lamp on the nightstand. It was plugged into a charger. His clothes were folded over
the back of a leather arm chair.

He smiled at Mi-rae’s consideration. And then Ji-pyeong felt a warm tingle go down his spine.

I did not hold back at all.

His hand flew to his mouth as his mind flooded with memories of last night. Ji-pyeong’s eyes
widened as he remembered how Mi-rae had clutched at his shirt in the taxi. His shoulders reached
up to his ears as he recalled his subsequent boldness. Everything that Ji-pyeong had been feeling
tore out of him all at once in her arms. And Mi-rae had met him in that new place like it was where
they were always supposed to be. Ji-pyeong fell back onto the bed with a contented sigh.

And then it hit him all over again.

“I am getting married!”

A rush of adrenaline coursed through him. Ji-pyeong let out a yelp and kicked his legs furiously in
the air. By the time his legs flopped back down onto the bed, Ji-pyeong caught Loki once again
quietly staring at him from the doorway.

“Don’t tell her about that okay?”

Loki remained noncommittal. Ji-pyeong propped his head onto his hand.

“I think that means you’re officially going to be mine too on Friday, little guy. Pretty exciting, isn’t
it?”

Loki turned and walked away, his tail twitching back and forth indifferently. Ji-pyeong rolled over
into her pillow. It smelled like Mi-rae. His arms pulled it closer, indulging in the ritual of missing
her even for a few hours.

He had impetuously asked Mi-rae about marriage hoping that she would suggest waiting only a
few months. Instead, Mi-rae had absolutely stunned him. There was a time when she was skittish
about even planning a vacation. But last night she smiled at him from across the table, joyfully
resolute and confidently certain. And all of a sudden the man who had waited years for a reply that
never came, immediately had his answer about the rest of his life in a single moment.

There is so much to do.

Ji-pyeong reached over to the nightstand for his phone. He blinked in surprise at the time.
10:07 am?

Mi-rae had been gone for hours. And then he realized that there were two messages waiting for
him. He swiped to read the first.

“Good morning my love! The coffee is already made and I grabbed bagels for you. I am not sure
how long this will take but hopefully I will be home by early afternoon. It’s your turn to pick what
we do today. Love you. Oh and if Loki acts like he has not been fed, he is lying!”

Ji-pyeong stared at the screen as he felt a smile slowly curve up his lips.

The coffee is already made.

A small sound escaped from him as lowered his phone for a moment to look around in disbelief.
Someone had made coffee for him. And thought about what he would eat. And charged his phone.
And was eager to come back home to him.

Ji-pyeong sighed happily as he swiped again. And then the Mi-rae of last night was smiling at him
from a bench in Washington Square Park. And he was looking at her — both then and now. His
thumb traced the almond shape of her face as his throat tightened.

“I love you so much.”

He said it out loud now even though she could not hear him. Because he could not stop saying it.
Ji-pyeong had become a man who could not hold his feelings in check. Last night, Mi-rae gave
voice to a new dream. She wanted to adopt a child like him. She chose that before he had ever said
a word about it. It had taken all of his strength for the grace of such love not to break him apart in
the middle of a restaurant. Then Mi-rae held him together with her gentle words and touch. Stories
that he never told anyone came tumbling out. And then everything else folded within his heart --
every dream, every desire -- soon followed in a rush. Ji-pyeong had known the corrosive power of
envy, guilt, and disappointment. But being known and loved anyway was the most powerful force
he had ever felt in his life.

A calendar invite pinged on his phone. He squinted at the intrusion.

“Financial Times - interview with Henry Fleet, Monday, 8:15 am EST, Accept/Decline.”

Ji-pyeong’s thumb automatically hovered over “accept.” But the button was suspended over Mi-
rae’s face. He did not want to think about interviews or work. He wanted to be with Mi-rae in those
turquoise waters of his dream. Ji-pyeong sprang from bed and quickly donned a tshirt and running
shorts. Then he plugged in Young-shil and impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for the blue
light to acknowledge him.

“Young-shil. What are the most beautiful places to go on a beach honeymoon in the world?”

The blue light contracted for a moment. Ji-pyeong folded his arms and tilted his head eagerly.

“The top destinations for a beach honeymoon in the world as ranked by Condé Nast Traveler in
their “Best of 2022” edition are St Bart’s, The Maldives, St. John, Hawaii, Bora Bora, the
Seychelles, Thailand, Santorini, the Philippines, and Bali. Would you like to hear more about any
of these destinations?”

Another tone intruded from his phone.

“Wall Street Journal- interview with Suma Patel, Monday, 11:30 am EST, Accept/Decline.”

Ji-pyeong sighed wearily as he passed a hand over his face. Then he dialed his assistant. And
began pacing.

Park Dong-cheon answered on the first ring.

“Mr. Park, you are working very late on a Saturday evening.”

Park Dong-cheon answered cheerfully.

“Oh, I am just catching up on updating the calendar now. There were so many requests for
interviews and I had to coordinate with President Yoon’s office.”
Ji-pyeong smiled fondly at his assistant’s unflagging enthusiasm even on a weekend night.

“I need to talk to you about something important. Do you have the time?”

“Yes … yes of course.”

Mr. Park suddenly sounded anxious.

Ji-pyeong’s feet stopped. Park Dong-cheon had weathered his ups and downs for years with his
stalwart good nature. Ji-pyeong felt a pang of nostalgia before he barreled ahead.

“I am moving to New York. And I am getting married.”

There was almost a full thirty seconds of silence on the other line.

“Pardon?”

Ji-pyeong laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

“That was rather blunt, wasn’t it? Yes, I am getting married. On Friday. To Ms. Kim. Kim Mi-rae.
And then I am going to stay in New York with her.”

Again, silence.

“On …Friday?”

The shock in his voice was delightful. Ji-pyeong’s face began to hurt from grinning.

“Yes.” He shifted the phone to his shoulder as he folded his arms. “This coming Friday.”
“To … to the attorney?”

Ji-pyeong folded his lips into one another to keep from laughing at Park Dong-cheon’s confusion.

“Yes. To the attorney. Don’t worry, President Yoon is aware of everything but the latest detail that
we are getting married on Friday. You are the first person that I have told actually.”

“Well… my gosh. Congratulations, sir.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the ground as tangible affection seeped into his assistant’s voice.

“Listen, I don’t want you to worry about your position. I will either stay and work for SK here on
matters which Ms. Kim does not. Or the board has asked me to consider leading my own startup to
replace what GenOne was supposed to be. I haven’t decided what I am going to do and I’m going
to take a few months to think about it. I am recommending you for promotion regardless. And you
will have a place in Seoul with me no matter where I am if you want it. You have always worked
hard and done well for me even though I have not said so enough.”

Ji-Pyeong paused and then sighed ruefully.

“I really should have said so more.”

He listened as Park Dong-cheon let out a breath.

“Sir …. I …thank you. And may I say, it is good to hear you sound so happy.”

Ji-pyeong looked around at the room filled with Mi-rae’s things. Then his eyes came to rest on the
bed; white and gray with rumpled sheets. His toes curled against the hardwood as the sunlight
warmed his face.

“Thank you. I am happy.”

The word seemed insufficient compared to the feeling swelling inside of his chest.
“I will need your help with a few extra things this week, Mr. Park. Ms. Kim and I are going to be
on our honeymoon for two weeks beginning on Saturday. My phone will be off that entire time.”

Park Dong-cheon giggled. Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes but decided to let his impudence slide.

“I mean it. I don’t care if the market crashes or SK is burning down. I’m not answering.”

It came out like a growl.

“Yes, sir.”

Ji-pyeong ignored the barely contained amusement in Park Dong-cheon’s voice.

“So, we will need to get through whatever needs to be done this week. After our honeymoon, we
will head to Seoul to get everything in order. I will send my itinerary and a list of the transitional
meetings I’ll need set up before my leave of absence. Are you getting all this?”

Ji-pyeong took a breath as he waited for Park Dong-cheon to finish typing. Loki jumped back onto
the bed and rolled into a crescent moon on his side. He looked up at Ji-pyeong, beckoning him to
come closer. Ji-pyeong could not resist him.

“And I’d also like to throw a party of some sort to celebrate my marriage and say goodbye. If you
could start compiling a list of possible venues and a draft guest list that would be great.”

“Certainly, how many are you thinking?”

Ji-pyeong smiled. He was in a magnanimous mood. When he arrived in New York he had believed
himself alone in this world. Now he felt like shouting about his good fortune from the rooftops to
anyone who would listen. He leaned down and softly scratched the belly that Loki now offered.

“Oh I don’t know …for the party… between SK, the nonprofits, and the senior leadership at
Cheongmyeong… that is probably around eighty or so? Get started on it and then we can circle
back. And I want to book something by the river. Ms. Kim hasn’t been home in a while.”

“Got it. I will continue to update the calendar and get the rest of the interviews booked to be
completed by Wednesday.”

Ji-pyeong walked out into the living room towards the kitchen.

I am dying for a cup of coffee.

“Sounds good, let’s touch base on Monday before my first one. Okay well if that’s all—-”

“Sir.”

Ji-pyeong stopped walking. He cocked his head at Park Dong-cheon’s grave tone.

“I am going to miss you, sir. I have learned so much from you.”

Ji-pyeong pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it in surprise. Then he glanced up at
the ceiling and cleared his throat.

“Well … you’re not necessarily getting rid of me. For now, just consider it a vacation from my
endless demands for a while. But, thank you.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip as he hung up the phone. He felt no regret in leaving home. But he was
grateful that he would be missed.

He again took in the warm elegance of Kim Mi-rae’s apartment. Like him, she too had made her
own way. And then she had picked up the pieces of her shattered life here — building a new home
for herself at the age of thirty three in the wake of her father’s suicide and her ex-husband’s
betrayal. Ji-pyeong had always been on his own. And so he had never known the difference. But
Mi-rae lost her father and her husband after knowing what it was to have them. One day her father
was alive and the next he chose not to be. And then, when her husband was her only remaining
family, Mi-rae found him in their bed with another. Her life had come to be defined by who was
missing; as if living around the edges of a void. Ji-pyeong genuinely wondered which was worse:
to have always been alone or to find oneself suddenly abandoned.

And yet this home — with its books, and photographs, and bursts of color — felt more like a
refuge than an exile.

“You are so strong.”

His voice was soft as his eyes followed along the photographs and books that filled Mi-rae’s
shelves. If the pictures in his apartment told one story, then hers told another before misfortune
swept in. There were many photographs of her with her father in Seoul and Los Angeles: a red
convertible parked in a sunny driveway, a baseball game, a birthday with candles and paper hats, a
dance recital with flowers and sequined costumes. As a child, Mi-rae was always grinning or
scowling playfully at the camera with her hands on her hips. Ji-pyeong smiled back at this version
of Mi-rae who seemed to consist solely of arms and legs. Then there was a teenager in a white and
navy school uniform. That Mi-rae seemed to be a more reluctant subject for the camera. But her
father was always there with his arm around her; a smile seemingly coaxed from her lips just in
time before the image was captured. The series of photographs was a beautiful memorial to the
man who had raised her before he left this world.

And then there was a young woman. This was a Mi-rae with long hair that curved around her
shoulders. She wore converse sneakers to seemingly every occasion with a bright smile surrounded
by friends. They always posed for the camera with their arms wrapped tightly around each other —
at concerts, in bars, on beaches, and then finally in purple gowns and black caps with yellow
tassels. A chaotic sense of fun pervaded every photograph. Ji-pyeong had glimpsed a streak of
adventure in Mi-rae — that gleam in her eye when she sang to him or when she leapt into his arms
on the side of the road or cajoled him into taking his shoes off to walk on the beach in a suit.

But then her life seemed to stop. There was no record of any event after her college graduation; no
evidence of law school nor living as an adult.

Ji-pyeong felt a sharp twinge under his rib.

Because she cut out all the memories of him. And that is over a decade of her life.

Ji-pyeong looked down at his phone and pulled up the photograph of them from last night. The
pain ebbed away into a gentle ache as he looked at Mi-rae’s face. Her eyes were filled with joy and
love. Because she was with him. Last night, Ji-pyeong was so deeply moved by her quiet gesture
after hearing his stories that he had run out of words to express it. But now he realized that Mi-rae
yearned to tell a new story on those shelves just as much as he did.
Something suddenly rubbed along his calf. He looked down with a start at Loki threading his way
in and out of his legs. Loki peered up at him and meowed plaintively. Ji-pyeong almost fell for his
unexpected affection but then he remembered Mi-rae’s warning.

“You already ate.”

The black cat stared blankly at him. Ji-pyeong rolled his eyes as he padded towards the kitchen in
search of caffeine. He was instantly greeted by a brown bag with the words “Ess-a-Bagel” stamped
in green script.

If anyone else says otherwise they’re not to be trusted.

Ji-pyeong chuckled to himself as he remembered Mi-rae’s passionate speech on the day that
changed everything. Then Loki jumped onto the counter. Ji-pyeong sprang back in shock.

“What the hell! You can jump that high?”

The black cat sauntered across the counter as if the answer to the question was obvious. Then he
sat and meowed at Ji-pyeong again.

Ji-pyeong folded his arms and shook his head.

“She warned me that you’d try this. Sorry, friend.”

Ji-pyeong scratched the top of Loki’s head apologetically as he scanned the kitchen for coffee.

And then he froze.

A thick fold of yellow paper was leaning in front of the coffee machine. It was tucked into place
by a large white mug. His name was written across the long rectangle in blue ink.
What is that?

A wild curiosity tore through him. Ji-pyeong closed the space across the kitchen in one long step.
He snatched the paper between two fingers and unfolded it quickly. His eyes were instantly met by
those two most precious words.

“My love…”

Goosebumps rose up on his arms.

She wrote me back.

His fingers touched the paper gently as if it might break. Ji-pyeong had watched her write on lined
yellow paper just like this dozens of times from across a table over the last month. Her notes were
always careful; meticulously organized like her mind. But not so here. His fingers pulled back and
followed along the blue riot of her handwriting in awe. Her words filled the first page hurriedly, as
if she was talking to him with her hands flying in the air. And then there was another page. And
another. And another.

Calm down and read it slowly.

He shuffled quickly back to the beginning. And then Ji-pyeong drew in a steadying breath as his
eyes began to devour the first page.

My love,

You are asleep in our bed on this first night of us sharing a home. My heart is so full that I had to
pour it out onto the closest piece of paper that I could find.

Ji-pyeong, I believe in beginnings again. Because of you.

Tonight we wandered the streets of the city where I have lived for almost twenty years. Yet
everything felt new.
We decided to become husband and wife. We talked of a home that we will someday buy. We
wondered about where our careers will take us. We dreamed of trips and living for more than just
work. And as we walked hand in hand, I already felt a love like a whisper for the children that we
do not yet have— those that I believe will have your eyes and those that I know will share your
story.

How is it possible that this is my life? A month ago I walked alone.

I am looking at a photograph of my father right now. I am ten and he is sitting next to me at a

baseball game. I know that you know what it means to me because I watched you hold it in your
hands today. It was just one of the many signs of how you have already become my family.

The memory of you holding a memory of mine now makes me think of a story that my father used to
read to me. It is a story that always made us argue, “The Red String of Fate.” He always read it to
me even though I would roll my eyes and put the pillow over my head. I am sure that you know
how it goes: a matchmaker tells a man that he is destined to marry a woman. The man grows
angry at the prediction and throws a rock at the poor woman. Years later, he discovers on his
wedding night that the woman he has married was that same person he threw the rock at. And she
bears a scar.

(Before I write any further, I can imagine you are wondering as you read this if you are supposed
to be that petulant man. Of course not! Just be patient. You know that I always answer all of your
questions.)

I used to bristle at this folktale. Maybe as a girl whose name means “future,” I spent more time
thinking about it than most children. I could understand why the man was frustrated by being told
about the way his life would turn out before he could make his own choices. Why should his life be
so out of his control? And yet it also seemed to me that the girl deserved far better than him. He
lashed out so cruelly and I do not remember him ever saying that he was sorry. It felt unfair that
she ended up with someone like that as if she never had a choice.

My father would say that despite the man’s anger at fate and the woman’s pain, they ultimately
found happiness where they least expected it. I was skeptical to say the least — it all just sounded
like a rationalization for settling for that which they could not control. We would go around and
around debating it, as we did most things. Then my father would inevitably say something like “life
is not about what we deserve.” And his face would grow sad. And I would always know that he was
thinking of my mother whom I did not remember. And I would finally be quiet.

Then my life unfolded as it did. Everyone who was supposed to love me — one way or another —
left. Everything felt so out of my control as rock and after rock hit me. And left scar after scar. At
first, I lay in the bed where you are now and would cry until I could not breathe. And then I was
depressed and would stare at the ceiling as my mind played an endless loop of why I was never
enough. Finally, I became numb. I concluded that if there was indeed a red string, then mine must
have somehow broken along the way. It was my fate to be alone. And perhaps, because of how I
lost my father, that was what l deserved.

I went to the bar at The Carlyle a month ago to wallow in that bitter resignation. To celebrate the
second anniversary of my solitude with a glass of champagne.

And then you walked in.

I have never told you this, but I watched you for a long time that night. There was a sadness in you
that I instantly recognized. And I felt this pull that I cannot explain. I could not take my eyes off of
you. So every time that you ordered a drink, I did too. And even though you did not know it, we
drank together as two strangers from across the room. Then, just as I mustered the courage to
introduce myself, someone else sat down. And then you know what happened next.

Now as I think about that story about the red string, I think of you. And I wonder if my father is
somewhere smiling because we were both right. I believe that the love that we have found is what
we both deserve. And it makes my chest ache with happiness to see that I make you as happy as you
make me. But he was right too — because we both found happiness where we least expected it. I
picked up the broken pieces of my life on my own. But I still did not feel like the woman that I was
before I settled for less than I deserved. I became myself again when I fell in love with you.

I wonder about those signs that you wrote about in your letter. I marvel at how you of all people
walked into the bar on the night of such a terrible anniversary. And how we met like that even
though the two of us were assigned to work together from across the world the very next morning
anyway. Something strange compelled me to pose questions to you that I never would have dared
ask anyone else. And you answered them honestly and bravely. I shared the darkest parts of my life
in return without hesitation. And then, somehow, we both knew what the other needed to hear most.
You told me that I did not need to be pitied. I told you not to be lonely.

Do you ever wonder if we had not met like that, if we would have taken all the chances that we did
later? I still cannot figure out this question of fate versus choice that I have wrestled with since I
was a girl. But as we have shared the broken parts of ourselves with one another, I have come to
think of that idea of an invisible string in a different way.

We both had so many rocks thrown at us. And they left so many scars. A month ago you and I were
sitting alone across from each other wondering why it was that we were so alone. Perhaps that is
the string that connected us? Because I think that the pain of our pasts pushed us to pick up each
end and follow it to one another no matter what. As if we knew before we could even put it into
words how precious this connection between us was.

Maybe all of that will sound silly to you — like I am still that girl whose name means future trying
to make sense of life. You have always been the one person to whom I could say anything and so
that is how I am writing to you now. But whether it was fate or just a lucky accumulation of our
choices, I do know that you are the first person in my life who always chose to stay.

You came to help when I sent that note when you could have left instead. Afterwards, I spoke far
too honestly for a stranger. But when I asked you to stay anyway, you did. You found me the next
morning and waited for me at the elevator to make sure that I understood. You listened to my
stories for hours at the game and, for a blissful moment, grasped my hand first. And then, after
spending the entire night by my side, you patiently told me that I did not need to have all the
answers just to be with you. That night as I held what you left behind, I already knew that I was
falling in love with you.

And that is why when we sat on that bench at the zoo I will admit now that I tried to push you away
one last time because I was so frightened. I told you that everyone always left so that you would
know just how broken that I was — and to see if that would make you do the same before I got hurt
again. Instead, you asked if we could stay for a little bit longer. You followed me into that beautiful
place — the one bursting with purple and green — and told me that we would figure it out
together. And you kissed me. And then I was awake for the first time.

As soon as there was a choice between your career or a woman you had known for only a few
weeks, you somehow — impossibly— chose me. I have seen enough of life to know just how few
men would make such a decision. And that scared me all over again. So I ran out to the beach and
sobbed. And then I lashed out at you because I could not believe that I was actually worth it. But
again, you stayed. And you held me. And you asked me to believe in beginnings while offering me
proof of the faith for which you asked.

And so I did.

And then the rain came. But because of you, my faith turned into one miracle after another. My
mentor and dear friend stood by me. We all came together and supported one another. We
overcame obstacles that many had shrunk from. And then others believed in us too. And we
emerged from that chaos still free to make our own choices.

Then you gave me your beautiful letter. And you told me that you would stay forever. Looking
back, the moment that I decided to pull on that string between you and me, my fate changed. My
love, hell was the journey but it brought us heaven.
Heaven is the way your fingers felt tonight as they slipped between mine after taking our first
photograph together. It is this last day that we spent tucked away from the world loving one
another without reservation. It is a page filled with your beautiful words describing all the ways
that you want to be with me. It is your steady voice in my ear telling me that my father would be
proud of me. Or how you smiled by the sea when I told you that I loved you. It is the feeling of your
lips touching mine for the first time when I found the courage to close my eyes to all of that purple
and green. It was the joy that I felt dancing and singing with you when just two years before I had
cried on that floor. It is the way that you look at me every time I hold your face in my hands. As
long as you look at me like that, I will always find heaven with you.

Seven days from now we will tie that string around both of our fingers and I will become your wife.
But may I share my promises with you now? You shared so many wonderful hopes with me. I want
you to know what will be in my heart when we vow to spend the rest of our lives together with our
hands clasped.

I will listen to your stories. I will make plans with you. I will wander with you. I will tease you until
you laugh. I will celebrate your talent and hard work. I will look at you like you are the only person
with whom I want to be. I will offer you all of my love in your arms. I will take you into mine when
you need to cry. I will do my best to make you smile after. I will offer you patience when you falter.
I will ask for your forgiveness when I do. I will be honest even when it is hard. I will welcome your
honesty too. I will show kindness to the people that you care about. I will believe in you no matter
what. And I will stay by your side always. Because that is how it is to be loved by Han Ji-pyeong.
And so I promise to love you like that in return, as you have always deserved.

Tonight is a beginning that fills me with more hope and joy than I have ever felt in my life. I have
faith that all of our plans for the future will come true. But even if some do not, I know that you will
be holding my hand as we turn every corner together.

As I sit here finishing my letter so that I can hurry back to you, there is one more truth that I know
in my heart as sure as my love for you.

I would do everything in my life all over again just to be able to spend the rest of my days with you.

Mi-rae
As his eyes reached her signature, Ji-pyeong realized that he had been holding his breath as her
words consumed him. Air rushed into his lungs as his legs faltered. For her to bare the contents of
her heart in such a bold and sure hand — to map out what his choices had meant to her — made
him tremble.

His fingers found mooring at the granite counter. They curled around the beveled edge as he leaned
against it. And then Ji-pyeong read over what she had written all over again, her words growing
increasingly blurry as tears threatened. When Ji-pyeong once again reached her final confession, he
squeezed his eyes shut and clutched her letter to his chest.

Joy fell freely onto his cheeks. He cried because every choice he had made this time mattered. He
cried because he was loved so dearly. And he cried because he loved her so fiercely in return.

Hell was the journey but it brought us heaven.

It was a truth that pierced his heart. Ji-pyeong would do it all over again too just to be able to stand
in her kitchen in bare feet and know how much she loved him. Twenty years had passed since he
last received a letter. It had been worth the wait.

Ji-pyeong dragged the back of his hand across his face; he tasted salt on his lips. He sniffed and
straightened his shoulders. Then a flash of recognition burst from the back of his mind. Ji-pyeong
tilted his head as a puzzle drew him from his reverie.

“Wait. Where have I heard that before?”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes as his mind scoured their past conversations for a clue. Then, as he
turned his head and his eyes found the record console, the realization dawned. Ji-pyeong carefully
folded Mi-rae’s letter and walked over to it. He wanted to confirm his suspicion by listening as she
would.

His hand caressed the wood grain — it was worn with time but the pattern remained distinctly
beautiful in its seemingly infinite circles. As if the passage of time had only thrown its beauty into
sharper relief. Ji-pyeong smiled at Mi-rae’s romantic vestige of the past.

I should ask her where she got this later.

Ji-pyeong bent down and slid the door to the side. The colorful array of Mi-rae’s record collection
was revealed to him like a trove of secret treasure.

His index finger traced along the spines of each record. Ji-pyeong moved steady and sure over the
peaks and valleys. It felt like he was traveling through Mi-rae’s life as his eyes poured over the
titles of her albums. Most were unfamiliar to him. Band names containing an eclectic collection of
words like vampire weekend, strokes, yeah curiously repeated three times, the national, death cab,
and interpol conjured a bizarre series of images in his mind as his finger journeyed across. Finally,
Ji-pyeong found what he was looking for in a single word typed in white lowercase letters on gray.

He plucked the record from its brethren. Then Ji-pyeong smiled as he turned it over and his eyes
were greeted by a gray and white photograph of a woman standing alone amid trees stretching up
to the heavens. His heart surged with certainty. He slipped the golden record out of its binding
carefully. Then Ji-pyeong opened the top of the console and lowered the record gingerly onto the
turntable. He turned the ancient record player on; his eyes widening as the whirring sound and
warm glow of a machine older than he was signaled that it was coming to life.

Ji-pyeong picked up the needle and dropped it gingerly onto the record now circling around and
around. The grooves were permanently carved into the gold; marks forever carved into a fragile
slate. And yet he still had the freedom to find what he was looking for. Ji-pyeong picked the needle
up and down over and over as different pieces of contemplative music burst into the apartment like
a jumbled ethereal code. He knowingly made his way through the order of songs. In moments of
solitude over the last month, Ji-pyeong had secretly listened to her favorite singer in his hotel
room; longing to know Mi-rae better. Before her, he had never listened to music on his own.

And then surprisingly hopeful notes plucked from a lone guitar unfurled into the air all around
him.

That’s it.

Ji-pyeong folded his arms and leaned against the console, awaiting the voice that he knew Mi-rae
had turned to in her solitary pain. And yet as the gentle cords warmed him, Ji-pyeong realized that
he had been watching her heal all along. In the karaoke bar, Mi-rae had sung this poet’s songs
triumphantly, jumping up and down like a live wire. And on that day when she had looked like
something out of a dream driving her red convertible with the wind in her hair, Mi-rae had smiled
at him as if she could not hear the painful lyrics of heartbreak. Now, whether she consciously
realized it or not, Mi-rae had folded a precious truth from this song into her letter: that the past was
worth it if its passage brought them a future filled with one another.

Ji-pyeong bowed his head and listened as he had countless times before. It was a story about an
invisible string wondrously pulling two people together. A bar was where they found each end.
Their path lay strewn with demons and barbed wire. His mind filled in the blanks with their own
story as if the poet was calling to him. Mi-rae’s white dress glowed in the sunlight as they walked
side by side holding each end of their string; green was where they followed it to the center. Warm
was her hand on his as it trembled. Red was the color of her lips just before he kissed her anyway.

Ji-pyeong’s chest ached with an exquisitely bittersweet joy. Life was painful; he had raged for
years at his hard luck. But it could offer wondrous magic. A woman cherished him as he did her.

Did you listen and think of me as I thought of you?

As he waited for the arrival of the words that Mi-rae had evoked, Ji-pyeong stared again at her
shelves. He dreamt of giving Kim Mi-rae the kind of moments that she deserved for the rest of her
life. He imagined her future letters marking joyful milestones as his hand gripped her present one
tightly. And when the words finally came — that simple revelation of hell blooming into heaven
— Ji-pyeong smiled and nodded at its wisdom.

And then he strode into the bedroom, his heart bursting with plans.

***********

Ji-pyeong gazed up at the red awnings adorning every window of the neoclassical building
towering above him like a series of exclamation points. Then he jogged across East 52nd Street
despite being early for his appointment. Nervous excitement propelled him now that his destination
had revealed itself.

He came to a stop in front of the first large glass window and glanced at his watch.

I still have five minutes.

Ji-pyeong slipped his hands into his pockets. Glittering diamonds poured over red velvet like
liquid. A shiver of anticipation went down his spine. Ji-pyeong caught the reflection of himself in a
white suit in the mirror, his eyes moving out of focus from the jewels below.

Everything feels so different now.

He had once stood in this very white suit with his feet rooted to the ground and watched as the
hand of fate cloaked in black walked into the room. Even then, Ji-pyeong felt a gnawing pit in his
stomach as a plan of his own making unfolded before him. Years later, Ji-pyeong tried to claw back
what he believed to be his destiny by purchasing a vessel to convey his love. Perhaps a beautiful
symbol could succeed where simple words had not three years before.

Ji-pyeong agonized for two hours in that jewelry store now half a world away from this one. First,
he settled on a diamond tennis bracelet. And then a necklace. And then he changed his mind again.
Everytime he made a selection he tried to picture it on Dal-mi and faltered. Ji-pyeong still
remembered the look of compassion on the sales woman's face as his palms sweat in his closed
fists. It was preferable to the way she had averted her eyes in pity on the day that he had returned it.
Ji-pyeong stormed silently out of the store, his cheeks ablaze with shame. He had avoided walking
down that street ever since.

Ji-pyeong straightened his shoulders in the gleaming glass. How different those scars felt now.
They allowed him to appreciate the beauty of the present. Ji-pyeong recalled his nervousness, the
anxiety — the way he had paced back and forth down a hallway unsure of how to put his feelings
into words when he had already failed once. In hindsight, it should have been a clue that fate had
much more waiting for him. Standing in his white suit about to choose a symbol of his love for a
different woman, Ji-pyeong now felt his body vibrating with certainty. His heart beat rapidly with
anticipation rather than apprehension. He understood now — the difference between simply
wanting and the power of knowing. This was how it was supposed to feel.

Ji-pyeong’s hands flexed in his pockets and then he walked confidently inside, his white sneakers
silently crossing the threshold of green marble. He was greeted instantly by a man with a ready
smile in a gray suit about Ji-pyeong’s age. His brown hair was meticulously arranged and Ji-
pyeong eyed his pink pocket square with approval. The man extended his hand with a flourish and
a bright smile.

“Welcome to Cartier, Mr. Han.”

Ji-pyeong could not hide his surprise at being recognized as he shook his hand.

“Hello.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jacob and I will be handling your appointment today. We have
arranged for a private showroom for the utmost discretion. Please follow me.”

I guess he reads the newspaper.

Ji-pyeong smoothed his white t-shirt as he followed Jacob through the main showroom paneled in
honey colored wood. Glass cases gleamed under bright lights as he passed by.

“Are you looking for anything in particular today?”

Ji-pyeong smiled to himself.

“Yes. A ring.”

His companion hesitated as if he was about to ask another question but then continued walking in
silence instead. Ji-pyeong adjusted the cuff of his jacket and focused on being as discrete as the
situation would allow. When Jacob opened a heavy oak door, Ji-pyeong forced himself not to
bounce up on his toes in excitement.

It gave way to a luxuriously appointed room. Wood paneling surrounded him; green and gold
velvet curtains framed each window. His sneakers sank into a sumptuous olive and cream Turkish
rug as he made his way across to a brocade settee. Ji-pyeong had grown accustomed to luxury. But,
for a moment, the penniless teenager within him could not help but feel a twinge of awe. He
pushed it aside as he took a seat across from Jacob. The room may feel more like the library of a
nineteenth century aristocrat than a store, but he had earned his place here through his own efforts.
Ji-pyeong long ago learned how to play the part that was required of such entitled spaces.

Jacob smiled pleasantly.

“Tell me more about what you would like to see today. Is this a ring for you?”

Ji-pyeong leaned forward.

“No. It is for a woman.”

Then his finger began tapping the coffee table before him as he ticked off his requirements
decisively.

“I want a large solitaire stone with a halo setting. Platinum, obviously. I want something that stands
out. And I will need to walk out with it within the hour. I am sure that won’t be a problem
regarding sizing?”

Jacob’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at his torrent of specificity. Ji-pyeong reached into his pocket
and carefully placed a gold ring with a pearl that he had recognized as he searched Mi-rae’s jewelry
box while Loki eyed him suspiciously.

“This is for sizing.”

Jacob opened a drawer from the coffee table between them and withdrew a silver tray. He placed
the pearl ring on it.

“Of course. And did you have a particular stone in mind? Shall I restrict it to diamonds or….?”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head skeptically as he considered it. A diamond felt pedestrian, ordinary. Mi-
rae’s ex-husband was American. He would have likely given her a diamond engagement ring. This
time everything would be different.

“No. Anything but diamonds.”

Jacob clapped his hands together softly as he stood up.

“Very well. Give me a moment and I will bring everything that we have which fits within that
criteria. May I ask if there is a price range that you …”

Ji-pyeong waved the question away with his hand. Then he leaned back and crossed his leg.
“Just bring everything.”

Jacob’s eyes flashed with excitement. Ji-pyeong kept his face straight as the salesman exited the
room barely containing his enthusiasm for the potential of his commission. Then he pulled out his
phone. There was still no message from Mi-rae. He typed to her to gauge how much time he had.
He was determined to answer her letter boldly.

“Checking in — hope it’s going well. Out running errands so text when you’re done and we can
meet up right after.”

Ji-pyeong grinned at the screen and gleefully pressed send. Then he settled back into the plush
recesses of the settee. He adored that they had decided to get married over pizza. But Ji-pyeong
had waited thirty eight years for her. Mi-rae had endured so much heartache. He could not help but
want to also express his love in grand gestures.

The door swept open and Jacob returned with a colleague, an older woman with silver hair swept
into an elegant chignon and large black glasses. They both bore silver trays.

“This is my colleague, Jacqueline Bisson. She is here to advise specifically on the quality of the
gems.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bisson.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes were immediately drawn to the rings being laid before him in neat rows of cream
velvet. The glittering rainbow beckoned seductively. Jacob and Jacqueline took their seats across
Ji-pyeong as his eyes roved over the brightly colored jewels.

“Mr. Han, these are the choice stones from our Destinee collection. All of these selections range
from one and a half to four carats.”

Ji-pyeong inched forward in his seat. The first row was replete with sapphire rings. They were
serene — like the sound on that afternoon that they had sat side by side and said the word love out
loud for the first time. But something inside of him immediately rejected the color. Blue was too
aloof for Mi-rae. He pushed that row to the side and drew the next one closer.

Rubies in the shape of full moons, ovals, and squares intrigued him. It was a color that undoubtedly
made him think of her. Her scarlet lips made the world stop the moment that they had met. And
Mi-rae’s letter had mentioned a red string. Ji-pyeong picked up an oval ruby with one hand as he
rubbed his lower lip with the other.

“Remind me of what rubies symbolize?”

Jacqueline adjusted her glasses.

“Traditionally, love, passion, and commitment. The one you are holding is an exceptional stone.
Three carats.”

Well that certainly fits.

But then a gleam of green caught his eye. At the end of the next row was a square emerald. Ji-
pyeong stared at it as his hand slowly placed the ruby ring back down on the table. His fingers
gravitated towards the emerald as if they had a will of their own. Ji-pyeong eagerly plucked the
ring from its velvet confines and drew it close.

The vibrant emerald seemed both of this world and of another. Diamonds framed infinite facets.
The endless green squares recalled the verdant pergola; where Ji-pyeong had stood on a precipice
and then taken step after step towards Mi-rae.

Where we changed our fate.

Ji-pyeong could feel them watching him in silence. His eyes finally ticked up when Jacqueline’s
chair moved closer.

“Emeralds symbolize love as well. But they are also associated with rebirth, hope, and truth.”

Begin afresh.

The depths of the endless squares drew him in until he found a single point at the center. Ji-pyeong
turned the ring around from every angle. He could not stop looking at it as a tingling certainty
spread from his fingertips.
“You have an excellent eye, Mr. Han. This stone is four carats and, in my opinion, is the finest
emerald that we have here in our New York inventory.”

Ji-pyeong smiled as he absorbed the confirmation that he did not need. His stomach flipped
imagining it on Mi-rae’s hand. It was a ring worthy of such a woman.

“This is the one.”

Ji-pyeong suddenly felt like he was going to jump out of his skin with anticipation. He removed his
wallet from a pocket and offered them a black credit card along with the ring.

“Thank you for your help. Here’s my card. I would very much appreciate you sizing this as quickly
as possible. How long will it take?”

Jacob and Jacqueline exchanged a look before she smoothed her chignon.

“No more than an hour.”

Ji-pyeong glanced at his watch.

“Make it thirty minutes and I will be back again later this week for more and ask the manager for
you both specifically.”

Jacqueline blinked hard. Then she took the card from his hand with an emphatic nod.

“Absolutely. Jacob will handle payment and I will personally take care of this immediately. Can
we offer you a glass of champagne while you wait?”

He was tempted. Ji-pyeong felt jubilant. But he did not want to give them the impression that he
was keen on lingering any longer than necessary.
“I’m fine but thank you.”

Ji-pyeong did not watch them leave as he hurriedly looked at this phone.

There was finally a message from Mi-rae.

“I have missed you terribly today! We have to take a few more photos outside and then should be
wrapping up soon. Where should I meet you ?”

Ji-pyeong looked away from the screen for a moment as he bit his lip.

She must be wondering if I have read her letter.

It felt like electricity was coursing through him. His fingers played with the collar of his t-shirt as
he considered how to proceed. Between the sizing of the ring and walking to where he intended to
give it to her, it would take almost an hour. He furrowed his brow as his fingers tapped the face of
his watch.

Ji-pyeong wanted her to feel butterflies in her stomach because of him — to be on pins and needles
knowing that someone who loved her had planned something just for her. He wanted her to walk
through the park and feel breathless with excitement wondering what it could be. Ji-pyeong had
been a practical man for much of his adult life— always calculating risk and weighing choices as
life passed him by. He had either lent his deeper romantic inclinations to others or kept them
hidden within a clenched hand. Ji-pyeong now felt a freeing and propulsive desire to channel
everything that he felt into action; to carve magic out of this world for Mi-rae.

A smile curled its way slowly up his lips as he began to type.

“Meet me in Central Park at 3:00 pm. At the place where we changed our fate.”

His elbows slowly lowered until he felt the points sink into his thighs as he awaited her reply.
Three dots shimmered and then disappeared. Ji-pyeong sucked in his lips trying to imagine the look
on Mi-rae’s face as she read his cryptic message.
The dots appeared again and then stopped once more. A puff of air escaped Ji-pyeong’s lips as he
realized that he too was now on pins and needles. He tapped his foot impatiently.

Finally, her reply came.

“I will be there my love.”

Forty five minutes later, the smell of horses filled Ji-pyeong’s head as he walked determinedly past
a dozen carriages and through an opening in rose colored stone to the park. He gazed up at the first
trees to greet him as his fingers curled around the smooth leather of the box inside his pocket.

Ji-pyeong realized as he walked north that he had been on this path before. He recognized a stone
bridge over a pond from the day when he had stalked the city in a fog of frustration. The placid
surface of the water reflected the gentle arch and surrounding trees. Central Park was a deeper
shade of green now; spring had given way to summer. He let out a breath of surprise as he passed
the zoo that he had never noticed was there until Mi-rae showed him. Then Ji-pyeong strode past
the bench where he was certain that he had watched the world go by without him. It remained
empty but now his heart was full.

The first time he had paced this park he had felt absolutely alone. Next, he had walked by Mi-rae’s
side praying for more time; he had walked out determined to protect their nascent love. Now his
stride was steady and sure. He was on his way to ask the most important question of his life. And
Ji-pyeong already knew the answer: he would never walk alone again. As he made his way
towards the heart of this urban oasis, Ji-pyeong marveled at how his feet had brought him to the
very place where his life would later be transformed. Mi-rae’s letter echoed in his head as he
remembered the churn of turmoil of that day with a strange kind of awe. His madness for a woman
he had just met now seemed prescient; his rejection from long ago a powerful lesson cautioning
him not to let the one meant for him to slip away.

A yawning green field was filled with people sunbathing and playing frisbee. It was a peaceful
Saturday afternoon filled with those seeking refuge from asphalt and cement. Ji-pyeong felt among
people rather than apart from them. His body was full of energy despite the hot sun on his neck. He
nodded as people jogged by in a colorful array of clothing with headphones on. He smiled at
children when they looked up at him either boldly or shyly in equal measure. Ji-pyeong took note
of each breed of dog that passed by as if they were marching in a motley parade. Couples walked
hand in hand as his own flexed instinctively at the prospect of seeing his beloved. Everything
around him was beautiful. Because everything made him think of Kim Mi-rae.

Finally, Ji-pyeong lost sight of the surrounding skyscrapers. A grove of trees beckoned as he
sought the place of their first kiss, like sage witnesses whispering their welcome. Soon Ji-pyeong
was back inside the cool shade of that sacred space. Tendrils of wisteria reached in every direction.
Ji-pyeong traced his steps back to the exact spot where Mi-rae had turned to face him. The purple
was gone. The sweet blossom of spring was now a thriving verdant force. The thick twisted curves
of vine were almost entirely hidden by riotous fans of leaves. Green was everywhere, alive and full
of promise.

Ji-pyeong found the column where he had first lost time to her lips. Then he retrieved the leather
box from his pocket. Gilded red opened to green. Ji-pyeong adjusted the ring to ensure that the
stone would be facing Mi-rae when she opened it. Excitement rippled through him as he snapped it
shut and then tucked it inside his jacket pocket beside her letter.

Ji-pyeong smoothed his hair back with his index finger and straightened his jacket. Then he leaned
against the column as his hands slid into his pockets; his arms freezing for a moment as he
remembered last night with a smile. He did not check his phone. He felt no need to rehearse what
he would say. Instead, Ji-pyeong looked around at the strange beauty of this place that now existed
in the story of his life as much as it did in the real world. He relished the stillness as peaceful
certainty washed over him.

Ji-pyeong simply waited. Because he knew that she would always come.

He heard her footsteps first.

And then Mi-rae was there, peering down the passageway framed by a tangle of green once again.
Ji-pyeong’s breath hitched in his throat. They were back where they had started. But this time, he
knew exactly what was going to happen next. Ji-pyeong pushed off the iron and stood tall.

Mi-rae was wearing the deep red suit that he had suggested for the photo shoot. She looked bold
and elegant all at once with her jacket hanging over her shoulder by a finger. The sharp curve of
her black hair was a striking contrast against the red. Her lips now had an alluring accomplice in a
crimson neckline which cut demurely across her collarbone. The outline of her dress drew his eyes
to the curves that he now knew by heart. Ji-pyeong’s heart swelled with pride and gratitude that he
was about to ask such a woman to be his wife.

Mi-rae’s eyes locked with his. Red became a smile. And then she began to take step after step
towards him. Ji-pyeong remained still; spellbound as he watched Mi-rae walk with her head held
high.

I became myself again when I fell in love with you.

The echoes of her letter filled Ji-pyeong with awe now as he remembered the tears in her eyes the
last time that they had stood here. He had somehow already known that she loved him despite her
reticence. Fear and uncertainty was in the past now; left behind with everything else. Now her
brown eyes were warm and joyful. And Han Ji-pyeong knew what it was to look into them and feel
love.

When she was finally standing before him, Mi-rae’s smile revealed a hint of shyness. Her eyes
fluttered as her hand smoothed her hair. She was clearly as overwhelmed as he now felt too. No
matter how prepared Ji-pyeong was for happiness in the wake of her love, it still felt miraculous.
When Mi-rae met his eyes again, Ji-pyeong forced his hands to remain at his side for a moment
longer.

“Hi.”

Mi-rae’s mouth quirked as she looked him up and down.

“Hi.”

Ji-pyeong took a breath to steady his heart.

“How did the interview go today?”

Mi-rae let out a puff of air and then glanced away. She looked so bemused as she folded her jacket
over the railing that Ji-pyeong felt his head following her movement of its own volition.

“What is it?”

Mi-rae met his gaze as her head tilted.

“I can’t concentrate on anything else when you look like that while standing here.”

A thrill coursed through him as Mi-rae swayed towards him. Ji-pyeong allowed his hand to reach
for her bare arm to keep her close.

“Then don’t.”

Ji-pyeong could not stop the pleased smile now teasing his lips. Then he raised an eyebrow as his
eyes ticked down.

“I told you that red is your color. You are stunning.”

Mi-rae bit her lip, her cheeks blushing. She was so lovely under his affectionate gaze.

“Thank you.”

Her hands smoothed down his white jacket as her eyes followed.

“I have never seen this suit before. You look so handsome.”

Ji-pyeong swallowed as her hands then traveled up to his shoulders and traced the lines across.

“Well I wanted to try to look my best.”

Mi-rae smiled and whispered softly as if they were not alone.

“You always do.”

Ji-pyeong looked down for a moment. He was having trouble concentrating as well. Then he took a
breath and squared his shoulders.

“I wanted to look my best because I have a question to ask you.”

Mi-rae’s hands froze as she looked up at him, her dark eyelashes sweeping up and down. Ji-pyeong
knew that her heart was now racing just like his. And even though Mi-rae had already said yes, the
formal ritual of asking filled him with a sudden rush of adrenaline.

Ji-pyeong grasped the hand still on his shoulder and drew it down between them. It felt warm and
steady within his own. He could feel her eyes on him as his other hand slipped inside of his jacket.
His fingers brushed her letter first before finding the box containing the symbol of their past,
present, and future. Ji-pyeong pulled it out and gently placed the red and gold box into her hand.

Mi-rae’s eyes grew wide and then darted up to meet his.

“What is this?”

Ji-pyeong let his hands fall away and silently dipped his head inviting her to open it. Mi-rae
dragged her eyes slowly away from his face and then back down to the small box perched in her
hand. She lifted her other hand; her fingers hovering for a moment. Then he watched as she
swallowed hard and opened it.

Mi-rae inhaled sharply as her eyes grew even wider. She shook her head in disbelief as she looked
back up at him. Ji-pyeong knew in an instant that he had chosen well.

“It is the string for your finger.”

Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened as he watched Mi-rae’s face absorb his words. Her lips parted as if she
was going to say something but then she just looked back down at the ring and back up at him in
silent wonder instead. Her letter had meant everything to him — her unflinching honesty, her
unflagging faith in him, her beautiful wisdom in trying to make sense of all that had happened to
them. Fate had been too cruel for him to have ever placed his faith anywhere but in himself. But
standing here in the quiet green of where they had seized love, Ji-pyeong believed in that invisible
string pulling her closer to him even now.

Ji-pyeong steadied himself despite the emotion swirling within his chest. Then he lowered his head
as he gathered her face into his hands. He needed to make sure that Mi-rae always remembered
what he was about to say.

“I would do it all over again too. All of it. Just to be able to stand here with you and ask you to
marry me.”
There were tears in her brown eyes now as he gathered himself to finish.

“Call me your love forever?”

A tear slid down her cheek. Then Mi-rae lifted herself up onto her toes to answer him. Her lips
were gentle but firm. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as he drew her closer. It was a kiss that felt like a
vow.

Mi-rae finally pulled away and let out a breath as she looked back down at the ring.

“It’s so beautiful. It reminds me of this place.”

Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw as he watched her looking at it.

“That is why I chose it.”

Mi-rae’s fingers touched it reverently.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

Ji-pyeong let out a shuddering breath and pulled Mi-rae back into his arms. He kissed the top of her
head solemnly.

“Yes I did.”

Mi-rae made a small sound against his chest. And then her arms circled around his back and
hugged him fiercely. They stood there holding one another in the sacred green silence. Ji-pyeong
closed his eyes and thanked whoever was listening for Kim Mi-rae.

Suddenly, Mi-rae pulled back with a start.

“Oh! I didn’t even put it on yet! Or say thank you! What am I doing?”

A puff of laughter escaped from Ji-pyeong’s lips. Mi-rae looked adorably flustered. Then a
mischievous thought unfurled within him. Ji-pyeong cocked his head and eyed her suspiciously.

“You also did not officially say yes.”

Mi-rae laughed incredulously.

“What are you talking about? I’ve told you at least half a dozen times that I am going to marry you
on Friday !”

Ji-pyeong folded his arms as he shook his head with mock seriousness.

“I believe that the custom here is for the man to ask with a ring and for the woman to answer and,
if in the affirmative, then put it on her finger. You know that I am very thorough. Answer the
question, please.”

Mi-rae clutched the lapel of his jacket as laughter bubbled from her lips. He narrowed his eyes
trying desperately not to laugh with her.

“You are something else, my love.”

“So I’ve heard.” He arched an eyebrow playfully. “Well? Are you going to marry me?”

Mi-rae’s lips folded into each other as she dragged her eyes away from his face and down to her
hand. Then she carefully plucked the ring from its box and slid it onto her finger. Her eyes lingered
for a moment as if she could not quite believe it. Then Mi-rae held up her hand trumphantly. The
emerald glinted even in the cool shade of the wisteria.

“Yes.”
Ji-pyeong stared at her finger, now bearing his gift. Then his eyes moved up to her face. Mi-rae
was smiling at him. The tears in her eyes were now born of joy. And she was looking at him in a
way that made him feel so cherished that Ji-pyeong did not know if his heart could withstand it.

And so he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her. Ji-pyeong could feel her smiling against his lips
as he pulled her body against him. Mi-rae’s fingers slid around his neck and into his hair as she
offered the warm velvet of her mouth. Their lips moved together slowly; as if they were both
content to simply savor the dizzying truth that this was their life now. Ji-pyeong’s hands spanned
her back, softly asking her to stay. His fingers found the smooth skin of her shoulder as soft curves
yielded to his chest. Her hands soon found his face; her fingers gently lulling him into a heady
bliss. Ji-pyeong knew all the places where her lips could take him. But right now, simply kissing
Kim Mi-rae was enough.

Time was stopped by her touch until Ji-pyeong heard the muffled conversation of a group of
people from far away. His hands curled around Mi-rae’s hips as he forced himself to relinquish her
mouth.

“I think we are going to have company.”

Mi-rae pouted. Her lips were kissed pink now and her hands refused to let go of his face. Ji-pyeong
delighted in her silent protest. Her forehead finally fell to his chest and she let out a deep sigh as
her arms fell to her side.

“I can’t decide if I want to bring you home right now and take that suit off of you or just stare at
you wearing it for the rest of the day.”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard. Then he looked up at the green canopy above them in disbelief at her
startling honesty and laughed out loud. He lifted her chin with his finger.

“I think that’s a false choice. I can always put it back on.”

He smiled knowingly at her. Mi-rae blushed but her eyes were dancing with amusement. She
sniffed and smoothed his jacket.

“Excellent point. I have always admired how strategic you are, my love.”
Ji-pyeong laughed again and then seized her hand as he began walking them away from the
approaching group of people. He wanted to bask in her attention for a little longer. Ji-pyeong
tugged on her arm as he wrinkled his nose.

“Do you really like the ring?”

Mi-rae looked down at where their hands were entwined. He could feel it against his fingers as she
tightened her grip.

“I love my ring. And I love your suit. And I love you.”

She kept following him as he walked backwards as if they really were bound by an invisible string.
Ji-pyeong let out a breath in gratitude.

“I love you too. Even if it never feels like enough no matter how many times I say it.”

Mi-rae’s eyes were shining as she kept looking at him. Ji-pyeong pivoted and wrapped his arm
around her shoulders as they emerged from the pergola back into the sunshine. He blinked in the
bright light as her hand curled around his waist. More truths tumbled freely from his heart.

“Your letter made me cry this morning.”

Mi-rae looked up at him in surprise. Ji-pyeong gave her a lopsided smile and patted his chest.

“In a good way. I carried it with me today to pick out your ring.”

Her hand reached up to touch his face.

“I did not mean to make you cry, my love. But I did mean every word.”

Ji-pyeong captured her hand again and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Words now failed him. He
let out a content sigh as they found their way back onto the main path hand in hand.
“Have you eaten today?”

Mi-rae shook her head. Glossy blunt curves of black swished against her jaw.

“Okay, how about I take you out to eat something? We can drink champagne and you can tell me
everything about the interview. Then we can make plans for the rest of the weekend and you tell
me when to just take you home instead?”

Mi-rae’s laughter peeled into the sunshine.

“That sounds like us!”

Us.

Ji-pyeong looked down at the ground and smiled. He had never been a part of that word before.

Ji-pyeong held Mi-rae’s hand tightly as they walked the path in the direction of their
neighborhood. They decided where to eat after a lengthy debate of the options. He asked her
cryptic questions in service of planning their honeymoon while studiously ignoring her curious
gaze. He reported on Loki’s machinations. He listened to Mi-rae’s stories about her day. He
imagined photographs of her so confident in red as he absorbed her excited anticipation about
tomorrow’s paper. But most of all, he reveled in the happiness that hearing her voice and walking
by her side brought him.

Just as they turned a bend, Ji-pyeong looked up and found themselves walking towards an elderly
couple. They too were walking hand in hand, their slow pace oblivious to the runners and dog
walkers racing by them. Ji-pyeong tilted his head as he struggled to place why there was something
so familiar about them; like a fragment of memory lodged in the back of his mind. The man’s head
was topped by a derby hat better suited for autumn and the woman was wearing an aqua polka dot
dress with pearls and an enormous matching hat.

Then realization dawned.

It’s the couple from that day.

Ji-pyeong’s feet came to a sudden stop. And then a tingle went down his spine. He could feel the
tug of Mi-rae’s hand but he could not stop looking at the approaching couple.

Ji-pyeong had spoken silently to his grandmother as they had walked by him that miserable
afternoon as he fumed on a bench. He had lamented that he would always be alone despite her
pleas to the contrary. Now Ji-pyeong was hand in hand with the woman who would soon be his
wife. He felt as if his grandmother was winking at him from wherever she was.

“My love?”

Ji-pyeong shook his head to focus. Then he pressed a kiss to Mi-rae’s cheek as he let go of her
hand. Ji-pyeong walked quickly ahead to approach the couple.

“Pardon me, I’m so sorry to bother you but my fiancé and I just got engaged and I was wondering if
you would please take our photograph?”

The man smiled kindly and nodded as the woman exclaimed loudly.

“Oh my goodness! Congratulations! Aren’t you two lovely!”

Her accent was thick with his newly adopted city and her eyes danced with merriment. Ji-pyeong
glanced back at Mi-rae who was now standing with her jacket folded over her hands. Her toes were
pointed out and she was smiling at him. He wanted to always remember how happy Mi-rae looked
right now. And he wanted it to be one of many such moments on that shelf in their home. Ji-
pyeong dragged his eyes away as gravel crunched under the man’s feet as he took a step towards
him.

“I would be happy to do it, son. Here, the two of you stand over there so the sun is behind the
camera.”

Ji-pyeong slipped his phone out of his pocket and was about to talk the elderly gentleman through
how to take the picture when the man let out a low whistle.

“Oooh a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4! My grandson wants one of those. I can’t wait to see the picture
quality.”

His hand opened expectantly. Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly at the man’s surprising tech savvy. Then
he unlocked his phone and placed it onto his waiting palm.

Ji-pyeong walked quickly back over to Mi-rae. She was shaking her head in amazement.

“I love you so much, Han Ji-pyeong.”

As he took his place by her side, Ji-pyeong lowered his lips to her ear and whispered.

“Ever since that game, huh? Just remember who said it first.”

Ji-pyeong winked as his arm circled around her waist. Mi-rae grinned up at him before turning
slowly back to face the camera. Ji-pyeong squared his shoulders and straightened the front of his
jacket to ready himself for what he knew would be the first of many portraits.

The woman waved her hands in the air motioning at Mi-rae.

“Honey, make sure you can see your hand in the picture! Let’s see that rock!”

Mi-rae giggled but complied with her direction. Ji-pyeong glanced down as the warmth of Mi-rae’s
hand came to rest on his chest. Green sparkled in the bright sunshine; on her finger and all around
them.

“Ready?”

Ji-pyeong took a deep breath as he lifted his chin.

I found her, Grandmother. I am not alone anymore.

 A smile curved effortlessly up his lips as his hand tightened around Mi-rae’s waist.

I am happy. And that is not just enough. It is everything.

************

Chapter End Notes

You can listen to Mi-rae's record player here:

https://youtu.be/OuFnpmGwg5k
 Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“You think that this is crazy, don’t you?”

Mi-rae laughed as she followed Chris’s gaze up the steps to the imposing Art Deco stone
municipal building. Green paid tribute to time around the edges of the bronze doors towering
above them.

Chris turned to look at her. He squinted as he considered her question.

“I mean, it’s a little crazy.”

Chris chuckled as he then shook his head smiling.

“But it’s the right kind of crazy. When you know, you know.”

Then his face grew more serious.

“I’ve never seen you happier, Mi-rae. So what more is there? Thank you for asking me to be here.”

Her father’s face just before he had walked her down the aisle came to Mi-rae’s mind. Her first
wedding had been lifted from the pages of a glossy American bridal magazine. The lavish details
now were hazy but moments of unease remained sharply lodged like shards of glass in her
memory. Her father had been conspicuously reserved that day. Mi-rae had been silently resentful in
her assumption that he could not put his demons aside even for her. He kissed her cheek before
offering his arm but his smile had not reached his eyes.
She had worn a strapless Vera Wang white dress with a long billowing skirt and a gauzy veil
trailing behind. Mi-rae remembered walking on her father’s arm toward a parade of black and
white tuxedos and bridesmaids assembled in pastel confections. Pachbel’s Canon in D lilted
through the air. After, the reception had been a blur of five minute conversations and exuberant
dancing.

Mi-rae barely saw her father again until the end. She would never forget the unease in the pit of her
stomach as sparklers lit her exit from the reception. People were cheering, boisterous with drink.
And yet her father’s face was unnervingly stoic. Everything that came later now reframed his quiet
discomfort as they said goodbye. Maybe it had in fact simply been his depression rearing its head.
Or perhaps her father had sensed that everything was fleeting— that it was a day planned for what
others expected rather than something built to last. Mi-rae never had the chance to ask him. The
husband holding her hand and the father hugging her goodbye proved as ephemeral as the golden
bursts of sparklers ushering her departure. Five years later, they were both gone from her life.

That very different wedding day now felt like it had happened to someone else. On this one, Kim
Mi-rae was calm and giddy all at once while standing in the sunshine of a Friday afternoon in June.
She and Ji-pyeong had already exchanged their vows in deeds and letters. The rings that they
would place on each other’s fingers were a precious formality purchased just yesterday. The purple
tulips in her hand were chosen on impulse this morning at a flower market around the corner from
her apartment.

But as she looked at another silver haired man who had quietly guided her, Mi-rae wished more
than anything that her father was here. The ceremony would take only five minutes but she knew
that these promises would last a lifetime. Mi-rae hoped that somewhere her father knew that she
had found the man at the other end of the string; that his story had proven prescient after all. Her
throat tightened as she accepted Chris’s fond smile as a consolation. Then she rubbed her thumb
over the smooth surface of the emerald on her finger.

“Thank you for being here. You and Sam are the closest thing I have to family now other than Ji-
pyeong.”

Chris tilted his head at Mi-rae as his eyes filled with emotion. Then he coughed and held up a hand
in protest.

“Stop. You can’t make me cry out here before you’re even married.”

Chris sniffed and then glanced at his watch.

“Where the hell is Sam anyway?”

“Sam insisted on getting his camera from home. He said taking wedding photos on a phone would
confirm the impending collapse of society.”

Chris shook his head as he laughed. A shout came from behind.

“It’s true! And you’ll have me to thank for a decent photo!”

Mi-rae turned her head. Sam was hopping off a bike share and locking it into a place. He was
sweating and his hair was in a mad state of disarray after removing his helmet. But his camera was
hanging around his neck from a wide band and he was grinning at her.

“Holy shit Mi-rae, you look amazing! The red is such a flex. Can I take a picture to send to Max?”

A bubble of laughter escaped from her lips as she glanced down at her dress. It was scarlet red.
Long sleeves appeared deceptively narrow until slits up to her elbow revealed a hidden flare when
she moved her hands. Her shoulders were capped by dramatic rounded peaks. Red satin cut straight
down to a squared portrait neckline. Her décolletage was just modest enough for the occasion
while still daring the eye to look. It was bare but for the subtle stitched lines emanating across the
corset from a single point at the belted waist. It was a dress that could only be worn by a woman
who knew exactly what she wanted and was ready to seize it.

As she stood in front of the mirror at Bergdorffs, Mi-rae had worried that the thick satin-crepe had
been altered within an inch of her life. But the tailor insisted that the corset and pencil skirt
demanded an exacting silhouette. The skirt brushed at the midcalf; gold heels of an unfathomable
height pinched to remind her of the cruel price she had agreed to pay when she tried them on. Pearl
earrings, a gift from her father upon graduating from college, were the only other adornment but for
Ji-pyeong’s spectacular ring.

“Between this and the New York Times , you’re killing it, Mi-rae. ‘The Corporate Warrior No One
Saw Coming’ is becoming a fashion icon. Max said that the suit in the Sunday spread sold out.
We’re going to have to up our game, Chris.”

Mi-rae rolled her eyes at the headline as she posed for him playfully.
“Of course people paid more attention to what I wore than what I said about corporate
governance.”

But Mi-rae was smiling as she remembered the suit that had once hung in the back of her closet
staring back at her from the Sunday Times . Sam snapped photographs with his camera first and
then his phone as he chuckled in agreement. He paused as he typed a text message to Max.

“Wait, who’s the designer? Max will be furious at me if I don’t ask and then he has to search for
it.”

Mi-rae bit her lip as she tried to remember the name on the tag when she had tried to ignore the
price.

“Um, Alex … oh! Alex Perry. I don’t know who that is. I just saw it and it felt like me. I already
did the whole big white dress thing and believe me, that sucked.”

Mi-rae laughed but Sam froze. He looked at her as if he did not know whether he was allowed to
laugh along. Chris chuckled as he nodded.

“He did in fact suck . I never even wanted to hire him. I like this guy much better.”

Their laughter coaxed Sam into finally joining in. Then he tried to wrangle his hair into place and
adjusted his glasses.

“So you guys leave tomorrow right? You’re going to freak out when you find out where you’re
going, Mi-rae.”

She gasped.

“What? How do you know?”

Sam smiled slyly.

“We grabbed coffee earlier this week so that he could pick my brain about any trips you’ve taken
before. Ji-pyeong was so exacting that you’d think that he was on another deal! I didn’t know he
was planning a honeymoon but I do know it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Mi-rae’s hands flew to her hips.

“I can’t believe that you know!”

“We both know. He ran it by me too.”

Mi-rae whipped her head to find Chris grinning, arms folded.

“You guys are all in on it? Give me a hint. I’m dying!”

Sam pursed his lips defiantly.

“Whatever. You told Chris and me that you’re getting married this morning .”

Chris also shook his head in mock disappointment.

“Yeah, no chance. And if you think you’re getting out of a big ass party when you guys get home
you’re delusional. Amy lost her mind when I told her and she’s already planning.”

Mi-rae laughed and nodded, relenting at his joking admonishment. As their laughter ebbed, Mi-rae
took in the faces of her mentor and her best friend.

“There were only two people that Ji-pyeong and I wanted to be here as witnesses today. Thank you
for always standing by me.”

Sam gave her a lopsided grin.

“You’re welcome. But I’m still not telling you anything.”

Mi-rae giggled.

“Okay, okay! Should we head in?”

Chris offered her his arm as she climbed the steps. Sam heaved the giant bronze doors open to a
hallway of seemingly endless green marble. Suddenly, Chris stopped and turned with his finger in
the air.

“Wait a second. Mi-rae, has Ji-pyeong seen you dressed for this yet?”

She shook her head fighting a secret smile. They had agreed to dress separately in a nod to ritual.
Ji-pyeong had almost given in to her impish attempt to bed him early this morning. Mi-rae received
only a chaste kiss as a teasing reprimand before he left.

“No, I have not seen him since this morning.”

Chris nodded thoughtfully.

“May I offer an idea?”

“Of course.”

“The moment that I remember the most from my wedding is when I first saw Amy come down the
aisle. I will never forget it. Why don’t we go ahead and I’ll text you when the clerk calls your
names?”

A tingle went down Mi-rae’s spine. Her lips folded into one another as she nodded.

Chris’s eyebrows shot up excitedly.

“Alright Sam, let’s go wait with this groom!”

Mi-rae tucked her hair behind her ear as she watched them walk down the hallway and disappear
into the final doorway. Then she walked by several other couples making their way in suits and
white dresses towards the clerk’s office. Mi-rae darted inside the closest bathroom to touch up her
makeup.

She let out a breath as she closed the door behind her. Mi-rae found herself staring at her reflection
in the full length mirror across black and white penny tile.

Her dress felt like a declaration. Red was a repudiation of all that had ever held her back — regret,
disappointment, and the belief that she would never be enough. Ji-pyeong had moved her to
embrace standing out not just with his words but through his love. The precise lines and vivid color
combined to create one of those rare moments in the life of a woman: Mi-rae felt truly confident in
her beauty.

She turned as she smoothed the satin around her hips; the high back cut a straight line across her
shoulders just below the nape of her neck. Her fingers ran along the square neckline as she
imagined Ji-pyeong standing in a suit waiting for her. Mi-rae stepped closer to the mirror and
smoothed her ebony hair until the blunt curves passed through her fingers. Then she carefully
traced the lines of her lips in a red as rich as her dress.

Her eyes were drawn to a flash of green on her finger as she returned the lipstick to her clutch. Mi-
rae held her hand out and admired Ji-pyeong’s emerald as she often did in the middle of the most
basic tasks.

She had never imagined wearing a ring on that hand ever again.

But Ji-pyeong kept surprising her as he always did — offering her a symbol as rare and precious as
him. She felt that familiar twinge of awe in her chest every time she remembered him standing in a
white suit in their place asking her a question to which he already knew the answer.

Mi-rae took one last glance at herself.

She was alone. It was her second wedding day without a mother and her first without a father. Only
Ji-pyeong and two friends were waiting for her. And yet her life had never felt more full.
I can’t wait to marry you my love.

As she stepped back outside into the hallway, a couple wearing a beige suit and short white dress
walked past them clearly having just been married. A boisterous entourage followed, chatting
loudly about what bar to head to before the reception. The couple looked so happy as they walked
down the hallway hand in hand that Mi-rae doubted that they could hear a word that their friends
were saying. She felt gratitude that her heart could now joyfully hope for the best for them rather
than fear the worst.

Mi-rae looked down the hallway at the sign for the office of the clerk and then checked her phone.
A message from Chris appeared before her eyes.

“Come on in and knock his socks off!”

Mi-rae smiled at her mentor’s old fashioned romanticism. Ji-pyeong had given up experiencing the
usual pomp that accompanied a wedding. And while she believed him when he said he would
rather it this way, Mi-rae still wanted Ji-pyeong to feel as cherished by her as she felt by him.

She opened her clutch and took out a small package. Her fingers gently opened it and plucked the
boutonnière she had made at the market this morning. A single purple tulip lay on a sprig of
wisteria leaf that she had snipped from the park. Wisteria was out of bloom but she knew that Ji-
pyeong would recognize the symbolism regardless. Then she took a deep breath and walked down
the hallway. Gold struck green as her heels rang out against the polished marble.

As soon as Mi-rae walked through the open doors she saw Ji-pyeong across the crowded room
filled with upholstered benches, low hanging ceiling lamps, and the din of anticipation. Ji-pyeong
was standing in front of the clerk’s booth talking to Sam and Chris. His head was bent and his
hands were in his pockets as he listened to something Sam was explaining with animated gestures.

Mi-rae leaned against a column amid the milieu. She wanted just to look at him —- to always
remember Han Ji-pyeong in the moments before he became her husband.

His glossy dark hair was brushed back. Its obedience to Ji-pyeong’s will invited her eyes to begin
at his forehead and then down the contours of his beautiful profile. Ji-pyeong was wearing a light
gray double breasted suit — his broad shoulders and slim waist were accentuated by the bold cut as
if it was made just for him. He had chosen a crisp white shirt and a navy tie. It gave Ji-pyeong the
air of timeless elegance even as his white pocket square winked boldly from across the room. His
dimples flashed as Chris made him laugh.

Mi-rae clutched the flowers a little bit tighter. She had imagined Ji-pyeong dozens of times waiting
for her here. Yet nothing could match the dazzling way that he was smiling now; how he was
standing so tall and looked so happy. Mi-rae doubted if most women were given the chance to see
whom they loved look so joyful just before joining hands with them. She would always carry this
secret gift in her heart. He was happy because of her.

I love you so much Han Ji-pyeong.

And then it was if her thoughts had pulled on the string between them. Mi-rae knew the exact
moment that Ji-pyeong realized that she was there. His eyes caught hers from across the room and
then his body froze. Ji-pyeong turned to face her slowly as his hands slipped out of his pockets.
The conversations all around them floated away. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he
watched her begin to walk towards him. Mi-rae caught Chris grinning just before he looked down
and stepped to the side.

Ji-pyeong remained motionless with his hands at his sides as he watched her wind a path around a
final group of people. Then Mi-rae closed the space between them as Ji-pyeong’s adam's apple
plunged down. As her eyes followed its trajectory, Mi-rae noticed the white pin dots adorning his
navy tie for the first time. She could not help but smile at Ji-pyeong’s subtle break from his more
sober monochromatic choices. It was a classic and sophisticated choice. But she also knew Ji-
pyeong well enough by now to recognize that these tiny bursts of white were festive; his own
declaration that today he had donned the suit of a bridegroom. Her fingers smoothed his tie softly
as she slowly met his gaze.

“You are very handsome, my love.”

Mi-rae offered the compliment in their native language so that it was just for him. Ji-pyeong
blinked hard. Then she raised the hand holding the boutonnière.

“May I put this on you?”

Ji-pyeong looked at the purple flower and nodded silently as he looked at her. She could feel his
eyes still on her as she carefully pinned the tulip to his lapel. Ji-pyeong was so still that he did not
seem to breathe as she slipped the needle through the ribboned stem and gray wool. Mi-rae voiced
her thoughts out loud to calm the sudden trembling of her fingers.
“I went to our place this morning so that there would be a small part of it with us today, but of
course I had to find a different flower because no one had wisteria anymore. I thought that this
purple was pretty though ...”

Oh my god stop babbling.

Mi-rae forced her lips to seal shut. When she finished, she let out a shaky breath. Just as Mi-rae
began to move her fingers away his hand closed over hers and pressed it to his chest.

Ji-pyeong leaned down. His voice was low.

“You take my breath away.”

Mi-rae lifted her eyes to meet his as he pulled away slowly. And she knew exactly what he meant
as she looked at Ji-pyeong standing so tall in his gray suit with his eyes full of love. She could not
catch her breath either. Yet his undeniable adoration steadied her even as his beautiful face made
butterflies take flight within her chest. She took one step even closer.

“Someone whom I love very much told me that red is my color so…”

One corner of Ji-pyeong’s mouth tugged up slowly as he continued to look at her in awe. Mi-rae
wrapped her fingers around his hand and drew it down into the space between them as she began to
walk backwards. Ji-pyeong’s smile grew wider; his dimples deepening as he followed.

“Ji-pyeong Han and Mi-rae Kim?”

The clerk’s voice rang out loudly.

Ji-pyeong raised his other hand high in the air, springing into action.

“Yes! Right here!”

Sam and Chris quietly stood by as the documentation was presented. Then the clerk beckoned them
all to follow her to an antechamber off of the main room.

Ji-pyeong looked down at her and seized her hand. He tilted his head playfully ahead.

“Let’s go get married.”

Mi-rae could feel herself grinning as they walked hand in hand towards a small room. It was plain;
cream colored walls framed by olive trim. The clerk taking her place behind a small wooden
podium was the only indication that anything extraordinary could happen in this room. But as Mi-
rae looked up at Ji-pyeong she knew that she would always remember exactly how he was looking
at her right now.

The clerk raised her reading glasses to her eyes as she opened a leather binder. Her salt and pepper
hair and flowered suit bestowed the air of a kindly teacher.

“Ready?”

Ji-pyeong’s hand tightened around hers. Mi-rae took a deep breath as she turned to face him, their
arms extending out from where both of their hands came to be joined between them. Ji-pyeong was
smiling so widely that it made Mi-rae bounce up and down despite the strict confines of her shoes.

“Honored guests, we are gathered here today to unite Mi-rae Kim and Ji-pyeong Han in the sacred
bonds of matrimony. If any one can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together,
let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Ji-pyeong glanced at Chris and Sam and then raised an eyebrow jokingly at Mi-rae. She folded her
lips into one another to stifle a giggle.

“Ji-pyeong Han, do you take Mi-rae Kim to be your lawfully wedded wife—”

“Yes.”

His voice rang out loudly. Mi-rae felt a thrill course through her at his eagerness. She squeezed
both of Ji-pyeong’s hands and drew him closer. The clerk smiled and then gently continued.
“…to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer,
keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer 'I do'."

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes. Then he drew a deep breath and squared his shoulders. When he opened
his eyes again, Ji-pyeong lowered his head to hold her gaze. She could hear the low clicking of
Sam’s camera.

“I do.”

Mi-rae felt a tingling excitement throughout her body as his lips curved up into a smile again. Ji-
pyeong leaned towards the clerk as if urging her to continue quickly.

“Mi-rae Kim, do you take Ji-pyeong Han to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold,
in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for
as long as you both shall live? If so, answer ‘I do’."

Mi-rae looked up into his brown eyes as his hands held hers; all was warm and steady. Her throat
suddenly felt thick with emotion as she tried to swallow. Mi-rae felt more than hope that those
words would have lasting meaning. They both had experienced enough of life to know what those
promises really meant.

“I do.”

Her voice was soft as her fingers curled tightly around his.

“Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae have decided to exchange rings as symbols of their love and commitment. I
invite you to exchange those now.”

Ji-pyeong released her hands to slide his fingers inside his jacket pocket. He withdrew a small red
box and opened it for her with a smile that now had a disarming hint of shyness. Mi-rae plucked
his platinum band that she had purchased for him from the cream velvet confines of the box. It was
like him — strong, rare, and able to withstand hardship. But it was still soft and beautiful around
the edges.
Ji-pyeong gently pulled her hand close first. His brow furrowed in concentration as he solemnly
slipped a diamond band along Mi-rae’s finger. She watched spellbound as the glittering symbol of
being Han Ji-pyeong’s wife came to rest next to his emerald.

Mi-rae caught his hands as they fell away. Despite all that they could command, his hands were
surprisingly elegant and gentle. She had wanted to first reach for them on the night that they met.
Those hands had worked beside her. They had grasped hers in the middle of a crowd in a burst of
hope. They had pulled her close and slowly revealed how love should feel. They held her when she
faltered and sought the same refuge in return. Mi-rae found the place where she meant to claim
him as her husband and slid the band on. Then she could not drag her eyes away from the circle
declaring that Ji-pyeong would always be hers.

The clerk nodded and then lifted her head to project her voice to their two witnesses.

“By the power vested in me by the great state of New York it is my honor to pronounce you
married. Congratul—”

Suddenly Mi-rae was in Ji-pyeong’s arms and he was kissing her. His lips were closed but she
could feel his tenuous restraint. She smiled against his chaste kiss and for a moment forgot that
anyone was watching. Her arms twirled around his neck as she opened her lips to gently claim
him.

There was a low whistle that could only be Sam followed by loud clapping. Mi-rae pulled back and
blinked her eyes as she regained her footing. Sam was taking a flurry of photographs. Chris was
smiling, his eyes shining with emotion. Ji-pyeong wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed
the top of her head.

Love was all around her.

The clerk stepped into their line of sight with a pen in her hand and an apologetic dip of her head.

“I just need everyone to sign the marriage license, I will make an official copy, and then you all
can be on your way.”

Mi-rae stared down at her hand. Two rings were side by side on a finger that had for months borne
a mark of absence until time wore it away. The emerald gleamed, now nestled against its
companion band.
I am married again.

Ji-pyeong accepted the pen with a slight bow and slashed his signature confidently above his
printed name. Then he handed the pen to Mi-rae with a wink. Her cheeks blushed under his gaze as
she carefully wrote her name next to his.

“And your witnesses can sign here.”

Chris clapped his hands together and then rubbed them in anticipation.

“This is the best deal that I’ve ever witnessed.”

Sam groaned loudly.

“And that was the worst dad joke I’ve ever heard!”

Chris chuckled as he wrote his name in the witness signature block.

“Well now I have a new goal to work towards.” He handed the pen to Sam with a grin.

As soon as the clerk excused herself, Sam hugged Mi-rae with an excited yelp. Then he threw his
arms around Ji-pyeong. Her husband’s eyes were wide as he stiffly accepted the embrace. Mi-rae’s
hand flew to her mouth as she giggled.

Then Sam put his hands on both of their shoulders.

“I’m so happy for you guys. I knew it. Ever since the karaoke night. I just knew that you were both
goners. I bet even Human League knew.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes squeezed shut as he laughed softly at the memory.

“What karaoke night?”

Chris looked at them all in confusion. Mi-rae patted Chris’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Chris.”

Sam doubled over in laughter and Chris shook his head, bemused. Then he turned to Mi-rae.

“Congratulations, dear.”

Her hand closed over his affectionately.

“Thank you, Chris. For everything.”

He nodded slowly and then extended his hand out to Ji-pyeong.

“Congratulations to you too. You’re a good man, Ji-pyeong Han.”

Ji-pyeong’s hand paused in the air. Mi-rae watched as his face seemed to process Chris’s words for
a moment. Her heart swelled as he swallowed hard and then grasped her mentor’s hand.

“Thank you.”

Ji-pyeong shook it firmly as Chris nodded.

They are your family now too, my love.

Both men then stepped back as if to downplay their emotions. Chris immediately began asking
Sam about his camera and Ji-pyeong turned his head to clear his throat.
The clerk returned with the copy of their marriage certificate in a navy blue folder.

“Well that’s it! Congratulations again!”

Ji-pyeong tucked the folder under one arm and then offered his other to Mi-rae. Sam and Chris
folded in on either side of them as they left the room. The four of them began walking down the
long length of the hallway. Mi-rae felt as if she was walking in slow motion with this family of her
own making. She listened to her mentor and best friend’s chatter as she curled her hand around her
husband’s arm.

Ji-pyeong leaned his head down towards Mi-rae as if he was about to tell her a secret. Instead he
flashed her a wide smile.

“Hello, wife.”

Mi-rae’s eyes met his. It felt like fireworks were exploding within her chest.

“Hello, husband.”

Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched and then his eyes swept over her as he pulled her closer to his side. Mi-
rae could feel that inextricable pull between them as they walked down the remaining length of
hallway as if no one else was there.

He released her only to heave the bronze door open and hold it for their party to step back out into
the sunshine. Sam jogged quickly down the steps and was once again furiously snapping
photographs as if he was the paparazzi.

“Oh my gosh Sam!”

Mi-rae turned her face into Ji-pyeong’s shoulder as he laughed. Sam lowered the camera from his
face with a stern look.
“You know my first job out of college was for a newspaper, Mi-rae. You gotta hustle to get the
best shots. Stop complaining and let’s go across the street to the park. You’ll thank me later.”

Ji-pyeong grabbed her hand. His eyebrows stitched up towards one another; his eyes were soft.

“You look too pretty not to. Come on.”

Mi-rae’s cheeks blush once again as he gently helped her down the steps. Once they crossed the
street, Ji-pyeong bent down to carefully smooth a stray hair into place behind her ear. Then he
checked the positioning of the tulip on his lapel.

“Alright Sam, click away. But then we are saying goodbye and we will see you guys in a month!”

His hand curled around her waist as she smiled. Chris folded his arms as he watched Sam take
more photographs. He talked loudly over Sam’s shoulder as Mi-rae and Ji-pyeong smiled.

“We are having a big party in the city when you get back! And then a weekend in the Hamptons
for close friends. Labor Day weekend, okay? Amy is counting on it. We redid the whole pool area
and cabana and Memorial Day weekend was so chaotic that we never got the chance to enjoy any
of it!”

The cabana.

Mi-rae bit the inside of her cheek hard. Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked down to meet hers as his fingers
dug into her hip. Then Ji-pyeong faced forward and smiled smoothly.

“That’s so kind of you, Chris. You’re right that we were unfortunately interrupted. I will look
forward to getting back out there and fully enjoying your beautiful place.”

Ji-pyeong glanced at Mi-rae with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Oh my god.
Sam looked up from reviewing his camera.

“Okay these look good. Do you guys want to see them before you head out?”

Mi-rae looked at Ji-pyeong and instantly felt the same desperation to be alone that was clear from
the look on his face. She rushed over to Sam and pecked his cheek.

“I want to be surprised after we get back. Thank you, dear friend.”

He nodded with a smile. Mi-rae took a deep breath.

“Ok well… I guess I will see you guys in a month?”

Ji-pyeong was again at her side, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back.

“Thank you again. Mi-rae, I can go hail a cab if you want to wait here…”

“You guys are not going home in a cab for goodness sake!”

Chris checked his phone and then smiled triumphantly. He turned as he shielded his eyes from the
sun.

“There it is! See that old Rolls convertible? Sorry, vintage right, Mi-rae?”

Mi-rae gasped as she spotted a champagne colored convertible pulling up just before the crosswalk.
The car’s voluptuous curves from a bygone era gleamed gold in the sunshine.

“That's your ride.”

“Oh my god! Chris, thank you!”

Mi-rae grabbed Ji-pyeong’s arm excitedly. He turned his head slowly away from the vintage
convertible and stepped towards Chris to shake his hand again.

“Chris, thank you so much.”

“I know how much you two love convertibles. This was the best I could do on such short notice.”

Mi-rae laughed as Ji-pyeong looked at him incredulously. Chris clapped him on the back and then
motioned in the direction of the car with a jerk of his thumb.

“Alright get on then! Be good to each other.”

Sam lifted his camera back to his eye and readied its lens. Mi-rae waved goodbye as Ji-pyeong
tugged on her hand like a child anxiously awaiting a present. The driver was holding the door open
for them and greeted them with a hearty congratulations. Mi-rae slid across the cream colored
leather as Ji-pyeong ran his hand along the side of the car.

“What year is it?”

“It’s a 1962 Silver Cloud. Built by hand. They stopped building custom four years later.”

Had the car been a woman, Mi-rae would have been jealous. Instead she smiled, amused at how
her husband leaned over to inspect the mahogany console in awe.

“It’s amazing.”

“It beats driving an Uber that’s for sure. So where can I take the new Mr. & Mrs.?”

Mi-rae leaned forward.

“Eleven Madison —“
Ji-pyeong held up his hand with a smile.

“Actually we’re headed to East 92nd and Madison, please.”

“Very good, sir.”

Mi-rae turned her head in surprise as Ji-pyeong unbuttoned his jacket and climbed in next to her.

“I thought we were going to dinner?”

“We are.” Ji-pyeong smiled coyly. “You’ll see.”

Mi-rae narrowed her eyes, intrigued.

“What are you up to?”

Ji-pyeong leaned his elbow onto the edge of the backseat. His eyes swept over her as he rested his
head on his hand.

“Oh, lots of things.”

Mi-rae opened her mouth to respond but then Ji-pyeong loosened his tie and she immediately lost
her train of thought. The coy smile on his lips and the hint of skin teasing her just above the relaxed
confines of his collar drew her like a moth to a flame. She closed her eyes to kiss him just as the car
lurched forward.

Ji-pyeong caught her against his chest. When Mi-rae looked up, her breath caught in her throat. It
was like looking at the sun.

“God, you are so handsome. I can’t believe my husband is this handsome.”

The words just flew out. A puff of air escaped from his lips as his cheeks reddened. Ji-pyeong
glanced away before meeting her eyes again. He was pleased and embarrassed in equal measure.

“You say that because you love me.”

Mi-rae had never seen him blush. She wanted him to keep doing it.

Her fingers grasped his tie and she raised an eyebrow teasingly.

“Or maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe I love you because you’re so handsome?”

Ji-pyeong laughed. Then he leaned forward and tilted his head playfully.

“I don’t remember your letter mentioning that part…”

As soon as his eyes ticked down to her lips, Mi-rae could not let another second slip by without
kissing him. She gathered his face into her hands and closed the space between them.

Her lips wasted little time in coaxing the warm velvet of his mouth. He yielded with a small sound
as his hands slid into the satin of her dress at her hip. The car was moving faster now. Ji-pyeong’s
kiss deepened. Mi-rae soon felt dizzy as the wind swept over them.

The next time the car stopped at a light, Ji-pyeong pulled away with a reluctant look on his face.
Then he nudged her nose gently with his.

“We are married.”

He said it slowly, as if he could not quite believe it. Mi-rae curled her hand around his, her thumb
passing gently back and forth over the band on his finger. Ji-pyeong was smiling in the waning
sunshine. The breeze had been mischievous with his dark hair. His dimples insisted that her eyes
linger. The city was bustling past them with the buzzing promise of the weekend. Yet he was
looking only at her.
One thought alone was in her head.

“I am so happy.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath. And then he kissed her again.

************

Her husband paused just before he opened the door. Ji-pyeong cocked his head in thought and then
held up his hand.

“Can you wait right here just for a moment?”

Mi-rae felt a thrill as she folded her hands in front of her and nodded. They were standing where
she least expected to be right now: in front of the door to the rooftop patio.

“I will be right back.”

Ji-pyeong kissed her quickly and then disappeared. Mi-rae stared at the door for a moment.

What is he up to?

She quickly reapplied her lipstick and smoothed her hair. Her toes begged for mercy as they
wiggled in rebellion against their confinement. Delicious anticipation made her twist her new rings
around and around her finger as she waited for him to return.
The door finally opened. Mi-rae looked at him curiously as her palm slid into his proffered hand.

“You are so mysterious, my love.”

Ji-pyeong smiled and gave only a little shrug before walking her up the narrow stairwell to the
roof. Then he pushed open the door to the patio and stepped to the side. His lips folded into one
another as he waited for her to walk through first. Mi-rae dragged her eyes away from the nervous
expression on his face.

She climbed the final step to the outside. Then Mi-rae’s mouth dropped open as goosebumps raised
up on the back of her neck.

The patio was twinkling with lights crisscrossing above her head in the blooming pink promise of
dusk. There were purple flowers everywhere — in pots all around the patio, in vases on the ground,
and arranged at the center of a low soban table lit with candles. It was as if Ji-pyeong had plucked
that day in May from the past and pulled down the stars from the sky just for them.

He had brought their beginning home.

Ji-pyeong was then behind her; his hands warm on her shoulders, his voice low.

“I thought that our first meal as husband and wife could be at home. You always meant to spend
more time here and I’ve never shared a home with anyone. That way, when we come up here
together, we will always remember today.”

Her hand reached up and clutched at his as she closed her eyes. It was like a dream — this day, this
place, this man. But when Mi-rae opened them again, she was still surrounded by all that Ji-pyeong
had made out of love for her.

Mi-rae turned around slowly to look up at him. She tried to find the words to match the
overwhelming swirl of emotions within her chest.

“But … but how did you do all this?”

It was not even what she wanted most to say. And yet she was so stunned that it spilled out first
anyway.

Ji-pyeong winked.

“I had some neighborly help this week while you were at the office. Someone who knows all the
best shops for everything.”

“Alicia!”

He chuckled.

“Believe me, she has made sure that no one will come up tonight.”

Mi-rae shook her head in wonder.

“But you went to so much trouble … on top of planning our honeymoon!”

Ji-pyeong squeezed her shoulders before he released them. Then he began walking towards the
soban table. He pulled a bottle of champagne from a silver bucket with a loud swish of ice.

“You planned a picnic for me first! All I did was bring Eleven Madison Park to us. Now take those
shoes off and have a glass of champagne with your husband.”

She slid her heels off with a sigh of relief. Her bare feet flattened as they sought the warmth of tile
heated by the sun. Mi-rae looked around at this place that she had neglected like so much else. And
Ji-pyeong did here what he had done to her life — he filled the empty spaces and made them
beautiful.

Ji-pyeong took off his jacket and folded it onto one of the long cushions surrounding the soban
table. Then he rolled his sleeves up and began peeling the foil off the champagne bottle. His silver
watch glinted. His hair had now fallen over his forehead; his tie swung in open defiance of
formality despite its purpose. Mi-rae’s eyes traced down the relaxed lines of his shirt to the cords in
his forearms as they worked to open the bottle.

The loud pop of the cork made her jump.

Bubbles coursed out of the green glass bottle like a riot onto his hand. Ji-pyeong frowned at the
champagne’s rebellio. He sucked at the back of his hand and then focused on pouring such
unruliness into a flute.

As Mi-rae looked at him in the midst of the beauty he was capable of carving out of this world for
her, tears pricked behind her eyes.

“You did so much...”

Her voice caught in her throat. But Ji-pyeong was concentrating on monitoring the rising froth
while attempting to top off the first glass.

“I promise that I had help. Why do people even do massive receptions and spend their wedding day
making small talk anyway? That would drive me insane!”

Ji-pyeong’s tone was joking. The bubbles finally relented and he finished pouring the first glass
with a flourish. But Mi-rae’s heart was clenching within her chest.

Because not everyone is you.

Each day, Ji-pyeong revealed new ways that Mi-rae should have always expected to be loved.
Everything was perfect — this day, this place, him. It was a kind of happiness that Kim Mi-rae had
never known. But on a rooftop in the middle of Manhattan under a pink sky as her husband was
pouring champagne, Mi-rae discovered something else: that sharp truth that dwells within the kind
of happiness that you can only find with another.

Please don’t let anything ever happen to him.

A dark voice born of loss whispered it. To love someone like she loved Ji-pyeong was to offer the
fates that which they had proven themselves only too willing to take away. She thought of a mother
whom she had never met and a father gone before she could say goodbye. Then her mind careened
wildly from one disaster to the next that could take him away from her.

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut trying to will the irrational fear away. It had no place here— not
with him, not today. Her hands curled into tight fists. When Mi-rae opened her eyes again, Ji-
pyeong was about to hand her a glass. It remained suspended in the air as he looked at her in
surprise. Mi-rae looked away and ran a hand through her hair in anger at herself.

Stop being ridiculous.

Ji-pyeong quickly set it down and closed the space between them to pull her into his arms.

“Are you okay?”

His lips moved against her hair. Mi-rae nodded into the crisp white of his shirt as his arms
tightened around her. Ji-pyeong pulled back and took her face into his hands.

“Hey, it’s natural if today brings up memories from before.”

His thumb stroked her cheek. Ji-pyeong’s brow was furrowed but his eyes were patient and kind.

“I promise you that it’s okay to talk about it with me.”

Mi-rae let out a breath, grateful for his understanding. But then she bit her lip out of anxiety that
she was ruining all that he had prepared for them.

“It’s not quite that …I mean I have thought about before but only because I just feel so lucky to
have you now. The way it is between us is so rare that sometimes it’s actually scary how happy we
are. My mind just inexplicably goes and goes imagining something happening to you …”

She shook her head at herself as his hands fell away softly.
“God, that doesn’t even make sense. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I got like this now when you did
all this … why I always get like this. What is wrong with me?”

Ji-pyeong looked at her for a moment. Then he lowered his head as his hands dropped to her waist
and pulled her closer.

“Nothing is wrong with you. I ran out of a restaurant and we missed a concert because of me,
remember?”

Ji-pyeong frowned at himself until he made her laugh softly. Then his face grew serious.

“We have both been through so much. How can our heads not go there? I have thoughts like that
too, Mi-rae. I think anyone who really appreciates what they have does. But I don’t think of what
we have as ‘luck.’ You said that we deserve this, remember? And I believe that.”

He stopped and looked around them. Her eyes followed his. The lights were glowing brightly now
as pink ceded to a moody purple. The plants and flowers surrounded them like a secret garden in
the midst of a jagged jumble of concrete and brick. Tonight they had everything that they had ever
wanted. When Ji-pyeong met her gaze again, his face was determined.

“I won’t make promises that are out of my control. I learned a long time ago that the world doesn’t
hand you anything and it doesn’t apologize for what it takes away. What I will promise is that we
are going to do our damn best to carve out happiness from it anyway.”

Ji-pyeong’s hands tightened around her waist.

“So do that with me now. And tomorrow. And the next day. Until we string all of those nows into
a life together…”

Ji-pyeong trailed off as his eyes searched hers.

The only future that I care about is one made up of moments with you.

His words were now a part of her; a refrain in her heart that sang in moments just like this. The
tears that had long threatened finally broke free of her control. Mi-rae took a breath and nodded as
she ran her fingers under her eyes. Then she sniffed so loudly that she immediately laughed at
herself.

“You can’t make me cry on our wedding night, my love. My mascara will run and I’ll look like a
mess.”

Mi-rae looked down at the satin now a dark ruby in the growing twilight and huffed.

“And I spent way too much on this dress for that.”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“Well it was worth it, believe me.”

She could hear the relief in his laugh. Mi-rae let out a breath; her chest felt lighter and her heart
was full. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as she could.

“I love what you did for us tonight. I love everything about today. And I love my life. Because I
love you.”

Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched. And then he kissed her, hard. He caught her as she staggered back and
pulled her close. Mi-rae just let herself sink into his arms as his lips moved with a slow and solemn
purpose. It was a kiss that did not seek anything from her. Rather, it felt like Ji-pyeong was putting
the fates on notice that he would demand all that he was owed.

After, Ji-pyeong gave her a small smile as he stepped back. Mi-rae leaned down to pick up the
champagne glasses. She handed one to him and then held her glass up.

“There’s no way I can top what you just said.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked.

“To Teddy?”

He failed desperately at keeping a straight face as Mi-rae tilted her head in confusion. Then her
gasp became a giggle.

“I was going to buy you a drink anyway! I really was!”

Ji-pyeong laughed as he shook his head skeptically.

“I don’t know …maybe we wouldn’t be standing here right now if it weren’t for our good friend
Teddy. We should honor him properly.”

He held up his glass. Mi-rae moved her flute closer to his but then let it hang in the air. All of a
sudden she knew exactly what to say.

“To a future made up of moments with you.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened and then dimples flashed as he gently tapped her glass against hers. She
took a sip. The cold bubbles tickled her lips and then teased their way down to her belly. Then Mi-
rae found Ji-pyeong’s hand and pulled him to sit down next to her. The cushions welcomed them
as she pulled his hand into her lap and let her fingers dance up his forearm.

“Now that we’re officially married … will you tell me where we are going tomorrow?”

Ji-pyeong chuckled.

“No.”

Come on.

She had been told only to pack for warm weather and a beach. The mystery was driving her mad.
“That’s not fair!”

Ji-pyeong’s hand caught hers by the wrist. His fingers discovered the opening in her sleeves and
feathered circles that were deliciously suggestive.

“Neither was wearing that dress today. So I guess we’ll both just have to manage.”

Her mouth dropped open at the sudden low rumble of his tone. Ji-pyeong’s eyes were taking
liberties along the neckline of her dress even as he released her wrist. Mi-rae’s stomach flipped.
Then his eyes ticked back up to her face. He took a long drink of champagne as his eyebrows rose
playfully over the rim of his glass.

Mi-rae leaned closer and pouted.

“Please tell me. I am dying of curiosity.”

An amused smile fought its way up Ji-pyeong’s lips. He raised his fingers to her shoulder and
began lightly tracing the neckline of her dress.

“I’m not telling you.”

Mi-rae stopped breathing.

Dear god.

She swallowed and tried to concentrate on getting answers rather than the trajectory of his hand.

“Why not?”

“Because then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes were monitoring the advance of his fingers. They both slid down and curved
slowly around the sharp corner of the dress’s neckline.

“You’re trying to distract me.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes locked with hers. He smiled slyly.

“Is it working?”

His fingers flirted with the first hint of her breasts just below the edge of red. She inhaled sharply.
Mi-rae was on a knife's edge as his fingers moved on like thieves in the night.

I can play too.

Mi-rae rushed into the space left between them and kissed him. Her tongue teased the seam of his
mouth as she slid her fingers into his hair. Ji-pyeong quickly gave in to her tactics and allowed her
in. Her hand glided up his thigh to remind him all of which her lips were capable. Then Mi-rae
pulled away, releasing his lower lip slowly as he chased her. She looked at him and let her
eyelashes flutter coquettishly.

“At least give me a hint.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. Mi-rae angled her head back into his
line of sight and tugged on his tie teasingly. Ji-pyeong shook his head at her cheek, smiling.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I am? You’ve told me nothing and we leave tomorrow! Come on, I’ll find out as soon as we get to
the airport anyway.”

He cocked his head.

“Yes and no.”

A thrill of discovery coursed through her.

“Then we still have more to travel when we land! We’re going to an island, aren’t we?”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes. Mi-rae bit her lip as she neared her objective.

“You and I have never not been on an island together, Mi-rae.”

His hand gestured around them. She pouted again.

Ji-pyeong sighed.

“Oh okay, a hint. But you have to promise not to google it. Just puzzle it out with that brilliant
brain of yours.”

Mi-rae inched forward expectantly.

“I promise!”

He eyed her and then relented.

“It is an island. And it’s a place neither of have ever been before.”

So not Hawaii. And not Thailand.

Her mind raced.

“The Caribbean?”
Ji-pyeong shook his head. Then he poured them more champagne as Mi-rae traveled across the
globe in her head.

“Europe? Africa? Closer to home? At least tell me the continent!”

“I will not.”

Mi-rae took an impatient gulp of champagne. She felt a slight buzz as it curled inside. Ji-pyeong’s
lips once again closed over the rim of the glass. He was so maddeningly attractive as he teased her
that she could not remain frustrated.

“My love, you are very difficult to negotiate with.”

Ji-pyeong laughed.

“So I’ve been told.”

Then he set his glass down and dipped his head apologetically.

“Okay, I’m going to give you a big hint. But that’s it. And then you can think about it while I
collect our dinner from Mrs. Blanca’s. Deal?”

Mi-rae grinned and then nodded her head emphatically once.

“Deal.”

Ji-pyeong smiled fondly. Then he licked his lips and stared out beyond her as he considered what to
say next. He nodded to himself and then pressed his palms flat onto his crossed legs.

“I’m taking you to a place where a beautiful woman like you was once found.” He paused
dramatically before continuing. “One who I believe was on our side all along.”
What?

A shiver went down her spine. Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow provocatively and then slowly raised
his tall frame back up onto his feet.

“I’ll be right back with dinner.”

Ji-pyeong slid his hands into his pockets and winked. Then he sauntered back towards the door
downstairs before Mi-rae could say another word.

Her eyes followed him possessively until he was gone.

A beautiful woman who was on our side? Who was found? What could that possibly mean?

Mi-rae’s cheeks felt warm at his implicit praise even as she tried to puzzle her way through the
riddle. She tucked her legs under her and smoothed the satin of her dress as her eyes wandered
around the garden now glowing under the lights above. Mi-rae tried to think of historical or literary
figures who had been found on an island. Everything led to a dead end of unlikely answers. Then
her mind wandered to an island constructed by her imagination. A fantasy of Ji-pyeong walking
around in nothing but a bathing suit and wet hair pushed all other thoughts from her head.

Oh the things that I am going to do to you my love…

Mi-rae smiled and drank champagne until he returned.

Ji-pyeong unveiled his version of a picnic with a careful flourish. Mi-rae watched his elegant hands
arrange the first course as artfully as the chef had intended. A delicate quail egg on a bed of spring
peas and caviar was laid before her like a gift. Ji-pyeong read the description and intended wine
pairing with a mocking formality that made her giggle.

“How did you convince Eleven Madison Park to let you do take out?”
Ji-pyeong smiled smugly as he poured a white Bordeaux into a glass before her.

“I just knew the right way to ask.”

Mi-rae looked at him incredulously.

“So you paid them too much to say no?”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head and conceded the point.

“That’s usually how the world works, yes.”

Mi-rae shook her head in amazement at the indubitable will of her husband. It was especially
intoxicating when he wielded it for her.

Ji-pyeong leaned closer from across the small table.

“I wanted you all to myself. But you missed out on one of the best restaurants in the world when I
kept you in bed last week. I couldn’t let that happen again.”

Mi-rae lifted her wine glass and took a breath as he evoked that first endless night.

“Oh but I hope it does happen again.”

She kept her eyes fixed on him as she tasted the wine. The crisp honey danced on her tongue as Ji-
pyeong slowly lowered his head as if the answer was obvious. Then he drew his own glass to his
lips as a knowing smile curled.

Oh god.

Mi-rae’s eyes sought refuge from the intensity of his gaze in the candle dancing in front of her.
Teasing Ji-pyeong about sex was like holding her hand above a flame — she was daring him to
consume her. Mi-rae smoothed her hair and shifted in the plush cushion beneath her.

Ji-pyeong’s voice interrupted the spiral of her thoughts.

“Then hurry up and eat.”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers were now tented in front of him as he watched her. He was clearly amused. The
growl in his voice made Mi-rae feel giddy with excitement. She closed her eyes to focus and then
took a dutiful bite of caviar.

Each course unfolded with the same care followed by humor that ruthlessly punctured the
accompanying culinary narrative. Ji-pyeong was as faithful an attendant as when they had first
shared coffee. But his impish streak made her double over laughing more than once as he rolled his
eyes at the chef’s hubris.

Mi-rae leaned back on her arms as they finished dessert. The stars were hidden by the city’s lights
but she looked up at the ones Ji-pyeong had strung above them with a full belly and a content
heart.

“Thank you. This is the best picnic I’ve ever been on.”

Ji-pyeong was dubious.

“Your picnic was better.”

Her laughter peeled out into the night.

“Oh come on! I brought bagels and donuts and we sat on the grass!”

He folded his arms and shook his head adamantly.

“Agree to disagree.”
Ji-pyeong glanced down at his watch. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. Then he began packing up
what remained on the table. Mi-rae watched his sudden focus with surprise. His demeanor had an
air of nervousness that she had not seen in him for a while.

What is that about?

Ji-pyeong caught her watching him and smiled.

“Do you want more wine?”

It was tempting. She felt perfectly warmed by the alcohol but not yet tipsy.

“No thank you.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back. Wait right here.”

Ji-pyeong looked at his watch again and then put his shoes back on. He was gone in a flurry of
fastidious cleaning.

What else does he have to do?

Mi-rae shook her head, bewildered.

The honking of a horn and the wail of a siren reminded her that they were still only four stories
above a Friday night in Manhattan. She rubbed her hand across her shins and began to imagine how
to lure him to bed now that dinner was at an end.

Certainly we’ve waited a respectable amount of time.

Mi-rae once again appreciated the benefits of a simple wedding. There were mercifully no guests
to delay all that she had been thinking about since they had begun dessert. She was tired of looking
at her husband and not having him.

Maybe I should just go downstairs? No, he asked me to wait here.

Mi-rae imagined how she could seduce him. Some methods involved taking his clothing off first.
Other scenarios required revealing the lingerie she had purchased in his favorite color. She could
not decide how best to proceed as she ran her index finger back and forth across her lower lip.

The errant plucking of strings from far away began to pierce her thoughts like a series of pinpricks.
Mi-rae paused for a moment at the unlikely sound. Then she turned to rummage in her purse until
she found her lipstick. Mi-rae twisted the bottom and raised the tube to her lips. But then the
plucking sound was joined by the moan of a cello.

Someone downstairs must have their window open.

Mi-rae quickly painted her lips red again before Ji-pyeong returned. She was fluffing her hair on
each side just as a bow dragged across the strings of a violin to join the distant melody. There was
something oddly familiar about it despite the classical instruments; like hearing a beloved story in
a different language.

Wait. Why do I know that?

She stood up and walked towards the sound. And just before Mi-rae reached the wall, the violin
held a particular note long into the night. It pierced her heart.

It’s Invisible String.

The air rushed out of her lungs as she clutched the edge of the wall and peered over it. Mi-rae’s
eyes traced down the zigzag of fire escape stairs until she found a sight beyond her imagination.

A string quartet of musicians were seated on black folding chairs in the alley. Her eyes moved
across them from the bass to a violin as the four men and women played the opening stanza over
and over.
“But …how?”

The question spilled from her lips into the still night air.

“Because I found them in Washington Square Park from last week and hired them to come.”

Mi-rae whipped her head around.

Ji-pyeong was standing behind her.

“Turns out that they’re students at your alma mater.”

He looked nervous again; his eyes darted to the side for a moment. Ji-pyeong slipped his hands
into his pockets and joined her at the wall. Mi-rae looked at him in stunned silence as he observed
them playing below. Then he turned his head towards her.

Ji-pyeong tilted his head and scrunched his nose almost apologetically.

“I guess I swung big. It was either this or ‘Don’t You Want Me’ so I hope that I chose correctly.”

Ji-pyeong was smiling at his own joke. But a small sound of surprise was the only reply of which
Mi-rae was capable. Her fingers curled around the rough brick as the song washed over her in a
tingling wave. Ji-pyeong turned his body to fully face her. His hands began to fly as he explained.

“It’s the song from your letter right? ‘Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven’? It’s from
this song.”

But how.

Her mouth dropped open but no sound came out. Mi-rae’s heart was now racing.
“How …how could you possibly know that?”

Ji-pyeong just looked at her, surprised.

“I thought that you had already figured it out.”

Oh that’s right.

Mi-rae remembered the album Ji-pyeong put on as they drove in her car to Long Island in the
sunshine. And the way she had teased him about his concern over how she would stay awake as
she crisscrossed upstate New York. Yet it was nevertheless incredible that he knew enough of the
music that she loved to guess the origin of the phrase.

“So you have been listening to her?”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the ground and smiled shyly before he answered.

“Ever since karaoke. Sam mentioned it in the car like it meant something significant to you. Then
you sang song after song that night. You … you were like a force of nature. God, I loved watching
you.”

Ji-pyeong paused and closed his eyes for a moment. And as he did, Mi-rae wondered if it was
possible to love anyone more than she loved him. The cords tightened in his neck as he found the
words that he was searching for.

“I wanted to get to know you — to appreciate something that you so clearly loved. So I listened
whenever we were apart — when I was working alone or running. I tried to imagine what you
thought of when I heard certain lyrics. So by the time I read your letter, I recognized it. That song
made me think of you too even before you wrote to me.”

Mi-rae shook her head in disbelief as her heart swelled. Tears were threatening again. Ji-pyeong
took a step closer to her and smoothed her hair with a kind smile.

“If you cry you’ll be mad at me because of your mascara.”

She looked up and blinked them back as she smiled. The sky was pitch black now as the first
stanza looped over and over like a surreal dream.

Ji-pyeong offered his hand as he raised an eyebrow nervously.

“I confess that I have never danced with anyone. But will you do me the honor?”

Oh my love.

There was an exquisite ache in her chest as Mi-rae slipped her hand into his.

“I can’t believe that you did this for me.”

Ji-pyeong folded her hand within his and pressed it against his chest. And then he wrapped his arm
around her waist and pulled her close.

“Well, I can’t believe that you’re my wife.”

He leaned his head away and called out

“Okay! You can start!”

Mi-rae giggled as he smiled down at her. Ji-pyeong then whispered as if they had an audience.

“I really don’t know what I’m doing so I’m just going to follow your lead, ok?”

Mi-rae nodded as she pulled his head down to meet hers. Ji-pyeong was intoxicating — his boldly
handsome face was softened with innocent wonder. She cupped his cheek as she looked into his
eyes. There were no words to convey all that he meant to her. And so, Kim Mi-rae closed her eyes
and began to dance with her husband.
Time, curious time gave me no compasses, gave me no signs…

The lyrics floated through her head to fill the space left by the music as they swayed gently back
and forth. Mi-rae had heard this song as she drove to Rochester through the night in desperation to
save the man whose arms were now so steady and sure around her. The chorus had tied the events
of her life into one beautiful continuous thread: the lyrics were inspired by the story her father had
always read to her, it echoed the painful losses that had left her so alone, and it found golden
wonder in miraculous love finally found. Together, she and Ji-pyeong had wrestled magic from all
the complications and obstacles. And yet Mi-rae had not consciously realized that she had echoed
the song as she wrote to him in blue ink on yellow paper a week ago until now.

But Ji-pyeong did. Just like he had always known what she was thinking before she said it out loud.
And how he trusted in what they could be before she believed in it. And how he could make her
feel things that she had never imagined possible between two people.

He knew her like no one ever had.

Mi-rae turned her head and rested it against Ji-pyeong’s chest. The familiar scent of sandalwood
welcomed her home; the heart beating against her cheek beckoned her to stay. Memories of the
past and the worries about what was beyond their control melted away as she danced in his arms.

Time, mystical time, cutting me open, then healing me fine…

Ji-pyeong had asked her to live in the moment with him. She finally felt whole enough to do that.
When they reached the melody shaped around the words she had written, Ji-pyeong’s hand slid
along her cheek and drew her lips to his.

Time, wondrous time, gave me the blues and then purple pink skies…

Mi-rae kissed him under this night sky as she had under so many others of blue, pink, and purple.
No matter what lay at their feet or just beyond the horizon, it was always the same when she kissed
him: they were exactly where they were supposed to be. Mi-rae offered silent thanks to time for
Han Ji-pyeong. Kissing him as the song gently wound to a close was indeed heaven.

When the final note reverberated around them, Mi-rae pulled away and looked up at him.
They did not need words.

Ji-pyeong held on to her hand as he leaned over the wall.

“That was wonderful! Thank you again so much!”

Mi-rae waved.

“It was perfect! Have a good night!”

The musicians waved back and offered their congratulations as they began to pack up their
instruments. But Ji-pyeong was already pulling her away from the wall. He paused only to blow
out the candles and grab his jacket and her shoes.

They made it as far as the door before Ji-pyeong dropped what he was holding and suddenly
turned. And then he was kissing her again. Mi-rae chased his lips until his back met the wall. And
then, finally, all that she had felt all day poured out at once.

Her hands clutched at his shirt as if she could not get close enough to him. Ji-pyeong met her
urgency, as if he too could not help but consume her. His mouth was demanding. His hands roved
all over the satin of her dress. They kissed with abandon; all that was left was what they felt. And
what they felt was a love that could only end one way.

Mi-rae’s hands struggled with his tie. She needed everything out of her way. Her fingers pulled
desperately at the knot as her mouth pleaded for more.

Suddenly, Ji-pyeong seized her hands and broke off their kiss.

He closed his eyes as his jaw clenched. And then when Ji-pyeong opened his eyes again, he was
firmly in possession of himself. He held her gaze as he lowered his mouth to her fingers. Ji-pyeong
pressed his lips ever so slowly to kiss her curled hands.
She stared at him. The heat of his mouth against her skin made Mi-rae tremble with want.

Then Ji-pyeong lowered her hands and pushed off the wall.

He picked up their belongings and opened the door for her without a word. But the dark look in his
eyes sent a live wire of excitement twisting through her.

Oh my god.

Mi-rae had no idea what was going to happen next. But she already knew that she would do
whatever he asked of her.

Mi-rae dragged her eyes away from him. Then she walked down the stairs in her bare feet. His
footsteps were even but determined behind her. With each step down, Mi-rae felt her heart pound
harder within her chest. When she reached the door to the foyer she took a deep breath and glanced
back.

Ji-pyeong was waiting just above her on a step. His hands were in his pockets and his expression
was inscrutable. Mi-rae swallowed and turned back.

Fuck.

She almost could not bear the anticipation. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff and waiting to
be told to jump. Mi-rae pushed the door open and walked quickly across the foyer to the apartment
door. She opened it and then made her way through the living room. Her feet did not stop until she
reached the bedroom.

Mi-rae heard the door close behind them. The silver hue of a streetlight offered the only
illumination in the darkness.

Then Ji-pyeong was standing behind her.

She looked down as his hand came to rest across her chest just below her collarbone. Ji-pyeong
pulled her back against his body. Only then did Mi-rae realize that she had been holding her breath.
His cheek was beside hers. Mi-rae closed her eyes as her head was filled with the scent of him. She
listened to his breath as his lips found her ear.

“We are going to take our time tonight.”

Ji-pyeong's voice was low. His fingers unfurled slowly; fanning out on a voyage across her skin.

“I want us to remember every moment.”

His fingers pressed down, commanding her to stay still. Mi-rae’s breath caught in her throat just as
Ji-pyeong pressed a kiss to the secret space just below the shell of her ear.

And then his fingers slid down until they stole beneath the neckline of her dress. Her mind went
blank as his fingers grazed her breasts. They stopped, temporarily held in check by the taught
satin.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly beneath his hand. Mi-rae let her head fall back against him as his
mouth teased a delicate path down her neck. It was warm and wet with promise. His hand rebelled
against the reprimand of the satin. It made clear that it would take what it pleased anyway. He
drew the softness of her into his ready grasp.

She yearned for him to take all of her. Even now, she could feel how much he wanted her against
the curve of her dress. Longing lurked just beneath the careful control of his seduction.

But Ji-pyeong was asking her to live in this moment with him. And so Mi-rae reveled in the warm
caress of his mouth; the way his teeth tenderly drew on her skin and his lips soothed her until she
felt an ache grow between her legs. She arched into his grasp. She savored how his hand strained
against the corset to greedily capture more; how his fingers roughly teased her before gently
palming the fullness in sweet contrition. There was a delicious rhythm to the push and pull of his
attention that left her breathless with an agonizing need to have all of him.

But then Ji-pyeong’s hand slipped away. And his mouth retreated. Air rushed into where he had
left his mark. Mi-rae stood up straighter in anticipation, her teeth sinking painfully into her lower
lip. Finally, his fingers feathered to the base of her neck.
Thank god.

Mi-rae shifted on her feet waiting for him. She was desperate to rid herself of these barriers; to feel
his skin against hers. Her heart felt like it could not find a steady rhythm until his fingers slowly
pulled the zipper down.

The sound accompanied the release of constraint around her torso. When Ji-pyeong reached the
end, Mi-rae closed her eyes as he carefully folded the fabric open on each side. His lips kissed
where he had begun and his fingers trailed down the length of her back lightly. It was dizzying to
only be able to feel Ji-pyeong as he caressed her softly. She let the tingling work of his fingers and
lips carry her away until his hands closed around her shoulders.

And then Ji-pyeong turned her around.

He looked as undone as she felt. The control was an illusion. Mi-rae looked up at him for a
moment until she realized what Ji-pyeong wanted.

He wants me to undress him too.

This was a different kind of ceremony; one of laying themselves bare for one another in love as
they already had with their secrets and hopes for the future.

Mi-rae swallowed as her hands rose back up to the knot of his tie. It hung loosely around his neck
like an unruly challenge. But this time the dotted blue yielded to her fingers. She slid the silk
through his collar onto the ground. Each button fell to her fingers in quick succession. Mi-rae
greeted every new inch of his chest with her lips as her hands made their way down.

She pulled back and locked eyes with him as she pushed the shirt off of his shoulders. Mi-rae lay
her palms flat on his chest. The emerald flashed even here. A smile curled up her lips as she felt his
breath rise and fall just beneath her hands. Mi-rae could worship too; for he was hers in every
way.

Her fingers spread out to claim him before tracing a path down. The pink of his tongue ran along
his lips as she teased his stomach. Mi-rae wanted to taste him again, to take his mouth with hers.
But there was an unspoken rule that she implicitly understood.
Their hands had work yet to do.

Mi-rae’s hands traveled down the ridges of his stomach until they found the next border that
needed to be crossed. Her fingers sank under the waist of his pants and pulled him closer. She
watched triumphantly as a small smile played on his lips. Ji-pyeong was trying to be calm but he
felt just as she did. Mi-rae slipped her hand down to tease him before his pants sank to the ground.
Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

Suddenly, he seized the loosened neckline of her dress into a fist and pulled her close. Mi-rae
gasped into his mouth as he claimed her. Then he yanked the dress down in one swift, powerful
motion. It made her feel wild with want. She untangled her arms and wound them around his neck
as her breasts mercifully gave way to his chest. She tried to show him how much she was ready to
do whatever he wanted. Ji-pyeong’s hands pushed the dress impatiently down over her hips until it
fell to the floor. And then his arms were around her and lifting her up. Mi-rae kissed him
desperately, her patience slipping away at the feel of his skin against hers.

She lost possession of his lips as soon as Ji-pyeong gently laid her against the pillow. His hands
stayed suspended in the air for a moment — asking her to stay with her back against the headboard.
And then he climbed above her, his arms on either side of her as his eyes roved over her hungrily.
Mi-rae could see her chest rising and falling in the space between them. Red lace invited him to
discover her.

He was about to kiss her when he paused just above her, his eyes filled with emotion

“I love you so much.”

Ji-pyeong said it like it was a truth that could break his chest open if only she would ask for it. Her
hands reached up to his face as she kissed him again, slowly and deeply. Mi-rae beckoned to him
in every way that she could think of — her legs fell open so that he could crawl closer, her arms
pulled him in, her tongue asked him for more. Ji-pyeong answered her in full measure until they
had to break away, both gasping for air.

Ji-pyeong had settled her against the headboard and now he was all that she could see and feel. His
fingers reached up and claimed a strap of her bra. He held it between his index finger and thumb as
he studied it in amazement.

“Even this is red…”

He trailed off as he slowly slid it over her shoulder. Then his fingers tugged down at the lace. She
watched as her body bloomed for him. He closed his eyes and lowered his mouth to her.

Ji-pyeong was so close like this — his face was inches away from her own as his lips opened to
draw her into his mouth. It was mesmerizing to watch even as the hot wet tug at her breasts made
her want to take him inside of her. Mi-rae buried her fingers into his hair and arched into the soft
abyss of his mouth. The silver of his band glinted as he then claimed her other breast. She felt a
thrill of possession watching the ring on his hand as Ji-pyeong took what he wanted.

His thumb began to pass rough circles over the most sensitive part of her — the rubbing of lace and
his touch made her gasp until his tongue rushed to make amends. Finally, Mi-rae undid the clasp of
her bra. Ji-pyeong crowded her further against the headboard as his mouth worshiped at her breasts.
She sighed his name over and over as her husband filled his hands and mouth to please her as much
as himself.

And then his mouth slid to her belly. And he was dragging her underwear down. Mi-rae’s fingers
roved through the soft dark layers of his hair in encouragement. She could not help but feel
frenzied thinking about what would happen next.

But instead of pulling her under him, Ji-pyeong pushed her until she was sitting up. The soft fabric
of the headboard met her head in an instant. And then he was folding her legs against her and
taking her body into his arms. Mi-rae’s mouth dropped as her hands covered her face. It was so
intimate that her eyes squeezed shut. She was open to him like she had never been before. Mi-rae’s
mind raced as she held her breath.

Then Ji-pyeong pressed a soft kiss to the inside of her thigh.

“Mi-rae.”

His deep voice hummed against her skin. Her hands slid down her face until she was shocked to
find him looking up at her from between her legs.

His eyes were dark. His lips were wet. His hair was wild across his forehead. His fingers dug into
her thighs.

She would do anything that Ji-pyeong asked.

“Don’t close your eyes.”

Her stomach flipped. Then he lowered his head, determined to be her undoing.

“Tell me exactly what you want.”

And all of a sudden the tables were turned. Ji-pyeong was offering himself to do as she told him.

And he wanted her to watch.

Her throat tightened as he held her on a knife’s edge. She knew exactly why Ji-pyeong was doing
it: to wipe out the memory of a different honeymoon. To show her how much he loved to make her
feel good. And to make sure that she always remembered it.

Her hands feathered down until her fingers reached his lips. They trembled as she dragged them
across the beautiful pink mouth that he was offering to her.

“I want you to...”

The strength in her voice surprised her.

“Now.”

Mi-rae saw the smile on his lips just before he closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to her. His lips
were soft at first. He gently caressed her before opening his mouth. Mi-rae watched him,
spellbound. He tenderly searched for what would most please her. Then he offered the warmth of
his mouth as his lips parted. Her fingers stretched out to hold his face as he did. It was so different
this way. As if they were doing this together instead of him waiting for her to find her pleasure
from far away.

In his arms like this, Mi-rae discovered her voice. She told him where to go. She told him when she
wanted his tongue. She told him when she needed his fingers too. She told him and she told him
and she told him. And Ji-pyeong did whatever she asked — his face was wet with their efforts, his
hands were relentlessly determined to make her fall apart. The wet slide of them moving together
as her fingers carded his scalp built a pleasure so intense that Mi-rae put off letting go for as long as
she could. Ji-pyeong made her feel powerful and beautiful and loved.

And when he found the secret place that made her call out, she told him to stay there. To give her
more. To never stop. His arms consumed her as his mouth even grew bolder. She watched his jaw
work, she watched the muscles in his arms tighten. It was all for her. And yet his face was
enraptured too. And then the shape of him finally grew out of focus as she began to shake. Nothing
mattered but the pleasure that was bursting beneath his lips. It came in a wave. And then another.
Mi-rae could not breathe as it somehow never seemed to end — this staggering feeling like she was
shattering into a thousand pieces while his arms stubbornly held her together.

Finally, she reached a point when it became too much. Mi-rae pulled his face up and held him
against her breasts as she gasped for breath.

I want it to be the same for him.

As soon as her heart steadied to an even rate, Mi-rae pushed at his broad shoulders. Ji-pyeong lifted
his head in surprise. Mi-rae inched up like a cat until he understood and rolled over. She crowded
him until he was sitting as she had. And then Mi-rae kissed him —- she could taste herself on his
lips. And it made her feel loved. She wanted to taste him too, to let him watch as she gave him
pleasure as he had given her.

Her hand slipped down until she found what she wanted. Ji-pyeong sighed into her mouth as her
hand rubbed back and forth. Then Mi-rae slipped her lips away to his neck right where she had
learned he liked it. Ji-pyeong swallowed against her lips as her fingers slid his boxer briefs down.

She seized both of his hands and held them against the headboard above his head. Then Mi-rae
pulled back and demanded Ji-pyeong’s attention.

“Your hands are going to stay here.”

His brown eyes widened as his mouth formed a small “o”. And then Ji-pyeong nodded silently.
Satisfied, Mi-rae let go and pressed her lips to his chest.

Ji-pyeong made a small desperate sound as she began to kiss her way down. She smiled as his
stomach muscles tensed in anticipation under her lips. It was a dare. M-rae opened her mouth and
pressed her tongue until he whimpered. Her hand feathered down and caressed his thighs
soothingly even as her mouth teased him.

Mi-rae slid her knee between his legs and lowered her body into his lap. She loved being here —so
close to everything that she wanted all at once. Mi-rae tenderly drew him between her breasts as her
other hand traced circles along his abdomen. Ji-pyeong’s arms flexed as he held onto the
headboard; his eyes were closed and his mouth was open because of her. Mi-rae let her eyes take in
the beauty of him as she slipped him back and forth between the softness of her.

“Mi-rae….”

Ji-pyeong was pleading with her. She gathered him to her lips and pressed a reverent kiss. Mi-rae
then lifted her eyes to meet his.

Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched as he stared at her. And so she kissed him again. His eyes flashed with a
wild hunger that sent a thrill through her body.

He likes it when I look at him.

And so Mi-rae cradled him in her hands as she kept looking at him.

“I want you to always tell me what you want. Just like I did. It doesn’t matter what it is. I want to
do it for you.”

His teeth sank into his lip as he nodded. Mi-rae kept her eyes locked with his as her lips then slid
down the length of him. A strangled sound escaped from the back of Ji-pyeong’s throat.

And then she took him into her hand as she slid even lower. Mi-rae gently drew the most fragile
part of him into her mouth. She listened as he groaned. Her hands stroked the length of him as she
pillowed tenderly around the one place that was softer than her. Ji-pyeong told her how good it felt.
He asked for more, until he begged for mercy. And then he pleaded with her to take him inside of
her mouth.

Mi-rae did as he asked immediately. She looked up at him as he watched her close her lips around
the tip of him and then sank down. She welcomed the taste of him; it could only mean that the
rigid power of him was helpless in her mouth. Ji-pyeong asked for her hands. Her thumbs rubbed
below as her fingers conspired above. Ji-pyeong begged for her tongue. She pressed it flat up and
down the length of him. Ji-pyeong asked for permission to touch her. She guided his arms down so
that his hands could play in her hair as she took him more deeply.

Mi-rae reveled in making Ji-pyeong feel so loved. She thrilled in the way that he swore when she
closed her lips tighter. She felt a triumphant pride when he promised her that no one else had ever
made him feel so good. Her chest swelled when he stroked her cheek and confessed how much he
loved her over and over as if she did not already know. She lost track of anything else but the
sounds of his pleasure until his hands were at her shoulders and pulling at her desperately.

“Please, Mi-rae…please come here. I want to be inside of you.”

It was what she was waiting to hear. Her lips released him. Then Mi-rae raised herself up and slid
her thighs on either side of his hips.

Ji-pyeong looked up at her. His eyes were filled with emotion. Ji-pyeong’s hands slid up her back
and pulled her closer.

All of a sudden, their bed felt sacred. The air was still. In the silence, it was just the two of them
baring all of themselves to one another. Mi-rae gathered his face into her hands and drew him to
her chest. Then she lowered her forehead to his.

“My love, what is it?”

Ji-pyeong took a breath.

“I just don’t want it to ever end.”

His voice was thick. Ji-pyeong was suddenly holding onto her as if he was afraid that she might
disappear. Something in his eyes made her chest hurt. She knew that look. He meant tonight. But
he meant so much more than that.

Mi-rae stroked his face as she tried to find the words to ground him as he had her.

“Just stay with me right now.”

 His eyes searched hers. Then Ji-pyeong reached up for her lips as his hands splayed across her
back. Mi-rae drew him inside of her. Her mouth sank into his with a sigh as he filled the ache
inside of her. It was a blissful relief to finally be as they should.

Her fingers slipped into his hair as she began to move her hips. Their hands and lips moved as she
did — slowly and with love. As if each wonderous inch that they claimed together made them feel
whole.

They did not chase an end. They made love to find grace. Even as his lips slipped down to her
breasts and his hands grasped her hips, Ji-pyeong seemed driven only to be closer to her. Mi-rae
wrapped her hands around his head and held him against her as she rocked back and forth.

Love could be so many things between them. But as they shared their bodies with one another as
husband and wife for the first time, it was about being in a perfect moment together. Nothing could
touch them here. Nothing else mattered. Together, they could suspend time. For this was a place
where only they could be.

And so they stayed there as long as they could, whispering words of love as their bodies vowed to
give every now to one another just like this.

They stayed until the bliss inevitably pulled them under.

They stayed until they recovered their breath.

And they stayed even after Mi-rae’s husband curled his arm around her body and looked at her, his
eyes heavy with sleep.

She whispered good night with a heart filled with hope for what tomorrow could bring.

********

Chapter End Notes

You can listen along on the rooftop to an instrumental version of "Invisible String"
here. It's not 2023 so the string version commissioned by Han Ji-pyeong does not yet
exist :)

https://youtu.be/nzgk_-z-fig
 Chapter Nineteen

“I can’t believe we’re really here!”

Ji-pyeong stole a glance at Mi-rae.

She was leaning over the side of the car door. The wind whipped at her black hair as she pointed to
every view that the winding road revealed to them of the sea.

He reluctantly dragged his eyes away to focus on the way ahead. Ji-pyeong was steering a white
Mercedes convertible amid cliffside rocky terrain. Glittering turquoise rewarded his concentration
at every turn.

“The light is just incredible! Oh my love, isn’t it gorgeous?”

His eyes quickly met hers. They were surrounded by the rugged beauty of this volcanic island and
yet all he wanted to do was look at his wife. Ji-pyeong was impatient to be alone with her again
after hours of traveling.

Can we just get there already?

Ji-pyeong stretched his neck and let out a breath. In the meantime he would chase her approval as
his thumb twirled at the wedding band on his finger. There was comfort in the weight of it.

“Do you really like it?”

Ji-pyeong already knew the answer. But his thrill in Mi-rae’s excitement as she peeled back each
layer to the mystery of their honeymoon was like an addiction that he could not help but feed.
“I love it so much! It is so beautiful here that it doesn’t even seem real.”

Mi-rae turned her body to face him. The sleeves of her long black cotton dress fluttered.

“How did you decide on Milos?”

Sun glinted off of her oversized sunglasses. Her lips were still red despite flying across the Atlantic
overnight.

She looks like that and has barely slept.

Ji-pyeong tried to focus on a tight turn and answering her question rather than his ever growing
obsession with his wife. He tapped his index finger on the steering wheel as his eyes chased down
the road that lay between them and a bed.

“I wanted to go somewhere we both have never been so we could discover it together. And your
bookshelves are filled with stories. So are these islands.”

Ji-pyeong glanced at her as she beamed. It felt so good to know that he had chosen well for her.
She was smiling like the Kim Mi-rae of the old photographs and it was because of him.

“Chris and Sam said to take you somewhere where there would be a lot to explore. Some of the
other islands seemed too crowded. The beaches here looked so unique and there are ruins and
villages to visit. We can hop to other islands too if you like.”

Mi-rae clapped her hands together.

“I want to go to the amphitheater ruins! And swim in the sea caves! And jump off that white rock
beach! And eat octopus in Klima! And take a sailing tour!”

Her excitement was so infectious that Ji-pyeong laughed and reached over to pat her knee.
“We’ll do it all.”

Mi-rae grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it quickly.

“And we have a house all to ourselves?”

On the water with a view of the sunset every night.

Ji-pyeong tried to keep his face straight as he remembered the photographs of the whitewashed
villa with aqua shutters that he had rented. He could not cope with the idea of a honeymoon at a
hotel among other people. And so Ji-pyeong had searched until he found a place where they could
wake up alone every morning to the sound of the sea. If the villa succeeded in living up to the
pictures, Ji-pyeong wondered if they would ever leave.

He nodded emphatically as he hugged the curve around a rocky bluff.

“Yep, all to ourselves.”

A small sound of delight escaped from her lips. Then Mi-rae touched his arm gently.

“You spoil me, my love.”

Ji-pyeong winked at her.

“Get used to it.”

Mi-rae sighed happily and lifted her arms into the air to allow the wind to sweep over her. Ji-
pyeong’s foot dropped down onto the accelerator to claim a rare stretch of straight road as
aggressively as he could. The island was blissfully quiet today. They had not passed a single other
car since departing the main village. Her hands dropped to her lap and then Mi-rae curled against
the seat on her side to look at him.

“You were so sneaky with that hint. The beautiful woman was a statue of Aphrodite!”
Ji-pyeong chuckled. Then he raised an eyebrow at her.

“A hiding place for the goddess of love is appropriate for a honeymoon, don’t you think?”

Mi-rae laughed. And then she leaned closer.

“I adore you.”

Her tone dripped with honey. Ji-pyeong bit the inside of his cheek in delight. He could feel the
warmth of her gaze on him.

“Good. Because I adore you.”

He smiled at her as Mi-rae rested her elbow on the consul between them. Her chin settled into her
hand. A stunning panoramic view was suddenly before them as the convertible curved around a
craggy point jutting out into the sea. Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow! Look at that!”

But when he looked over at Mi-rae, she was still staring at him.

“You’re missing the view.”

“I like my view just fine.”

Her voice was deeper now. It shot a bolt of excitement through him.

Mi-rae had poured over hastily purchased guide books and online travel blogs as she discovered
each new detail about their trip. She was as adorably thorough about planning leisure as she was
multibillion dollar mergers. Ji-pyeong had learned everything about Milos from its volcanic origins
to its diverse seventy beaches to an exhaustive list of dishes that they had to try during just the
short flight from Athens. But now, Mi-rae’s fingers were sinking into the beige cotton of his button
down shirt. And she was ignoring the beckoning splendor of the Aegean Sea. Because she was
looking at him. And being the sole focus of his wife’s attention made driving very challenging.

“I miss you.”

Ji-pyeong’s brow furrowed and he glanced at her, confused.

“I’m right here.”

Her fingers trailed down to the bare skin of his forearm.

“That’s not what I mean.”

Ji-pyeong swallowed. Their wedding night seemed like forever ago. He had nearly proposed hiding
in the first class lavatory during the overnight flight after two glasses of champagne before silently
chastising himself for an appalling lack of decorum.

“We should be at the house in about twenty minutes.”

Mi-rae let out a small sigh as her fingers danced back and forth.

“I’ve never seen you drive before.”

She trailed off as her hand dropped from his arm to his leg.

Ji-pyeong glanced at her again. Those red lips were smiling slyly now. He craved every sign that
Mi-rae was as preoccupied with him as he was with her but it was making it very difficult to
concentrate.

“I remember you talking about your car at that first dinner. I almost died imagining you driving it.
That was very unfair of you when I was trying so hard to be professional.”
Ji-pyeong felt a flash of triumph as he remembered the slow torture of that evening. But he let out
an incredulous huff anyway as his eyes darted over to her.

“Says the woman who talked about driving a red convertible.”

Her fingers spanned his thigh suggestively in reply. Ji-pyeong glanced down and then he shifted in
his seat.

“Is this what you drive at home?”

Her tone was innocent but her fingers were anything but. Ji-pyeong tried to ignore the way that
they were sinking into him.

“This one’s a little older but otherwise pretty much.”

She shifted even closer. Then Mi-rae’s fingers began drawing lazy circles. A tingling sensation
spread throughout his body.

“I like watching you drive.”

Ji-pyeong cleared his throat as he stared resolutely ahead.

Concentrate on getting there in one piece.

He took a deep breath and attempted to change the subject

“Do you want to eat out tonight or stay in? I have to let the property manager know by three
o’clock if we’re dining in.”

“Stay in.”
It sounded like a dare. Then Mi-rae’s hand slipped to the inside of his thigh. Ji-pyeong tightened
his grip on the wheel.

How am I supposed to drive like this?

“Mi-rae.”

He tried to make her name sound like a warning. Instead it sounded like a plea. Ji-pyeong sank into
the seat helplessly as his knuckles turned white.

“Mmhmm?”

Mi-rae closed the space between them as her fingers began caressing their way up. Ji-pyeong
clenched his jaw as he wound the car around yet another bend in the road. Her lips then pressed a
longing kiss to his neck. And then Mi-rae was undoing the button of his pants and pulling the
zipper down.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened as he looked down in shock.

“We can’t just…”

Mi-rae’s breath was hot on his neck as her hand slipped down into the open folds.

“You can do whatever you want. I know what I’m doing.”

His body betrayed him. Her fingers curled to take hold.

Oh god.

“Do you remember what you did to me in my car?”

Fuck.

Ji-pyeong felt a chaotic desire to pull over and let whoever would see them be damned. But reason
begged him to focus on getting to the house instead.

“But you weren’t driving!”

Mi-rae laughed softly at the strain in his voice as she pressed kiss after kiss to his neck.

“You’re not exactly stopping me…”

Because I don’t want to.

He held his breath as her fingers began their seduction. The memory of Mi-rae above him for the
first time as she teased him was more than he could bear. Ji-pyeong’s teeth sank into his lip as he
tried desperately to maintain control. And then her lips were at his ear, whispering.

“Pull over.”

It was as if Mi-rae was speaking his thoughts out loud.

“Where?”

He rasped it, desperate.

“Anywhere.”

Her hand rubbed up and down the length of him until he swore. Ji-pyeong felt like his brain was
short circuiting as he scanned around them. Finally, he spotted an exit a quarter of a mile ahead.
There.

Ji-pyeong’s heart pounded as he narrowed his eyes and willed it closer. He seized her hand and
deposited it on her lap. Then Ji-pyeong gritted his teeth and bore down on the accelerator. Mi-rae
gasped as he abruptly turned the steering wheel to cross over the lane. The car barreled off of the
coastal drive and onto a dirt road past a line of olive trees as Mi-rae braced herself against the
dashboard. Ji-pyeong fishtailed to a stop behind an abandoned stone farmhouse. He pushed the
clutch into park and undid his seatbelt as she tossed her sunglasses to the backseat.

“Come here.”

Ji-pyeong growled it as he pulled Mi-rae into his lap.

“Oh thank god!”

Mi-rae gasped the words as she climbed her way up his chest. Then she clutched at the collar of his
shirt as a torrent spilled from her lips.

“That flight was so long! It was torture! I couldn’t stop thinking about you!”

She kissed his forehead and cheeks in a frenzy as her fingers hurriedly undid buttons on his shirt.
Ji-pyeong fumbled with layers of fabric until his hands found their way under her dress. His fingers
sank into her thighs and pulled her flush against him.

“Oh my god, torture! I was losing my mind.”

It was as much of a relief to hear how she craved him as it was to touch her again. Her eyes were
roving as hungrily as her hands now slipping beneath an opening in his shirt. Then Mi-rae glanced
up and around them and giggled.

“We are ridiculous.”

“I know.” Ji-pyeong lifted his head to seek out her lips, smiling. “Isn’t it the best?”
She pulled him towards her by the collar and laughed softly into his kiss. Her mouth was eager as
she drew him in. Ji-pyeong chased her tongue as he grasped the curve of her backside greedily.

It felt like giddy madness, kissing her here out in the open a mere twenty minutes from where they
were staying. But Ji-pyeong had always done what he was supposed to — followed the rules,
stepped aside, remained silent, worried about everything that could go wrong. With Mi-rae, this
wildness felt joyful. Who cared if someone saw them? Why should he have to wait to kiss her? To
touch her? To feel all that he could with her? He filled his hands as she kissed him with a sweet
enthusiasm that made him smile against her mouth.

All of a sudden, Ji-pyeong felt himself slowly descending. He broke off their kiss in surprise as the
seat gently lowered beneath him until he was horizontal. Then Mi-rae was staring down at him, her
hand retreating from the controls on the seat and finding a place to the side of his head. Her eyes
flashed with mischief as she shrugged.

“I just wanted you to be comfortable.”

Laughter burst softly from him. Ji-pyeong drew her face down to his as he wrinkled his nose
affectionately. His thoughts continued to spill freely from his lips.

“You are so adorable.”

Mi-rae hovered above him for a moment. The sound of cicadas filled the silence as Ji-pyeong
squinted up at her in the sunshine. He wondered if Mi-rae knew how beautiful she could look like
this — with the red kissed away, her hair in rebellion, and her eyes bright with desire. The light was
different here than in that breathless moment when she impatiently leapt into his lap for the first
time. He had battled with himself that day — holding back all that he wanted to possess while in
disbelief that Mi-rae was in his arms at all.

He swallowed as her fingers began to trace his face carefully. If Ji-pyeong was certain of anything
in this world it was that his wife did indeed adore him. But he still yearned to hear her say so.

“What are you thinking about?”

Mi-rae’s fingers stilled at his forehead. She gently brushed his hair back.
Then she smiled.

“You.”

His heart clenched at the memory of the moment when he had dared to hope. Now she was his wife
— that was as real as her hair now swinging above his face. Ji-pyeong pushed back the beloved
twin black crescents with his thumbs and drew her down to him.

Mi-rae’s eyes closed in surrender as she sank into him all at once. Her lips, her breasts, her hips—
all was offered to him as her fingers slid into his hair. Ji-pyeong folded her into his arms and kissed
her slowly as the cicadas sang their serenade of summer.

Ji-pyeong was lulled nearly outside of himself as her fingers slid back down and renewed their
seduction. Mi-rae moved up and down lovingly. For a time, she seemed content to simply draw
sighs from him. But then her mouth was wet and caressing at his neck. She teased his earlobe
between her teeth until Ji-pyeong gasped. And then she was whispering in his ear.

“I want you in my mouth now.”

Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut. It was too much to hear how she wanted to have him as she
touched him so knowingly.

“And this time I don’t want you to stop.”

What.

His eyes flew open and he jerked his head back.

“Mi-rae you don’t have to—”

She seized his face and kissed him hard.

Ji-pyeong’s mind went blank as her lips pressed to his fiercely. When Mi-rae finally pulled away,
she stroked his cheeks as her eyes searched his face.

“I want to do for you what you always do for me. Do you want me to?”

Her voice was so gentle but steady. The rhythmic humming of the cicadas joined the caress of her
fingers like a soothing chorus. Concerns about what she should or should not do for him ebbed
away. There was no question from the look on her face that Mi-rae meant what she said.

Ji-pyeong nodded slowly. Mi-rae lifted his face slowly up to hers and still waited. His hands closed
over hers.

“If it’s really okay then yes … I want you to.”

Mi-rae smiled at him. And then she lowered her lips to his. She brushed his upper lip first before
she then drew his lower lip in softly. Her hands slid into his hair as she traced his lips with her
tongue. And then she slipped in. Her mouth was teasing and playful at first. But she came to kiss
him so slowly and deeply as her nails gently carded circles that Ji-pyeong was dizzy by the time
Mi-rae started moving down.

Ji-pyeong’s hands remained suspended in the air as she slipped away from his grasp. He watched
as she slid his jeans down and carefully freed him from their confines.

And then Mi-rae drew him to her lips.

It was surreal to be doing this here. The light was so bright. And she was so bold while holding him
in her hands as her eyes locked with his. It forced the air violently from his lungs.

Mi-rae's lips slid down the length of him. She was soft. And then wet. Ji-pyeong felt love bloom
inside his chest as she pushed her dark hair away and pressed kiss after kiss to him. It had never
been like this with anyone else.

“I love you so much.”

He could not help but say it. She was so good to him; so loving as she opened her mouth. And then
he watched as he disappeared inside of her. If he could, all of him would follow. Within her was
the only place where he felt whole.

Mi-rae worshiped where he swelled between her pink lips. He grew wet with her efforts. Instinct
pushed his hips up to chase more. Ji-pyeong was slowly rewarded with a lush welcome. Inch by
precious inch, he found shelter. And then he forgot where they were. All that mattered was the way
her mouth was so warm around him.

Ji-pyeong’s head fell back with a loud gasp as Mi-rae suddenly drew him deep into her throat.

Blue stretched out above him as he blinked through the overwhelming pleasure. For a moment, Ji-
pyeong lay stunned that this was his life now. The sun was bright. His wife loved him this much.
And she felt so damn good.

Her fingers began rubbing the most tender part of him below. She cupped and massaged until
slipping further down to press circles. The way she touched him there made his eyes squeeze shut
for a moment. Mi-rae had discovered a secret that not even he had known. And she never forgot it.
Every time she returned, the deep pulse of bliss felt like she was inside of him.

“God that feels so fucking good.”

He needed her to know it.

Mi-rae could strip away everything in the world with her mouth, with her hands. Ji-pyeong let out a
sigh as she slowed and dragged her tongue back and forth as she took him in over and over. There
was nothing to manage, nothing to fight against. She was like the blue sky stretching out above him
— beautiful, infinite, and containing mysteries he could not fathom.

Ji-pyeong lowered his eyes to meet hers. Mi-rae was unashamed— triumphant even — in how she
demanded that he come for her. He listened to her make sounds like she enjoyed taking him
deeper. His mouth fell open to offer thanks but words now failed him.

Then her hand closed around him and began to move in concert with her lips. Her fingers chased
the silk of her kiss; demand and adoration followed one another up and down the length of him.
The pleasure was so intense that Ji-pyeong bit his tongue.
Are you kidding me.

Ji-pyeong half sat up with a ragged cry before collapsing back again. He knew it would not be long
now.

“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

He was begging out loud for no reason. He did not care. Ji-pyeong felt like he would surely die if
she did.

Mi-rae grabbed his hand as she took him deeper still. He clutched at her small hand as a groan
ripped from his throat. It was too much —- how good she felt and how well that she loved him. He
believed in all that she was telling him— that he was worthy of this, that he was good. The tender
warmth of her mouth and the soft caress of her fingers demanded nothing less.

And so his hand held onto hers for mooring as the pleasure threatened to finally break him open.
Ji-pyeong did not fight it — he did not try to keep it at bay or find another way. He just gave in to
Mi-rae as she had asked.

At first, it came tearing through his body in a hot flash— purple lights flashed behind his eyelids as
he spilled into the forgiving cradle of her mouth. His legs jerked as a live wire twisted within him.
But then his release ebbed as Mi-rae’s hand knowingly fell away. And her mouth slowed to an
exquisitely slow pace, coaxing more and more from him as Ji-pyeong gasped her name helplessly
in broken syllables.

It was different to lose himself to her lips like this— like a curling current was taking him out to
sea. He could just float away. His hands slipped into her hair — anything to let her know how good
this felt. Mi-rae did not shy away. Rather, she seized his hips. Her mouth offered tender mercies as
his body sought absolution. He gave in and he gave in and he gave in. To her and the flood of
pleasure she called forth from him. She did not stop until he was trembling and forced to pull away
in a breathless tingling agony.

Ji-pyeong’s arms collapsed over his head as he gulped at the air. He slowly blinked back up at the
blue sky. The cicadas sang on. A crow called out from the distance. And the stone ruins shrugged
indifferently at his bliss. Ji-pyeong heaved a sigh as he curled his toes within his loafers. A shiver
of contentment went down his spine.
“What just happened.”

His voice still sounded strangled. Mi-rae giggled and raised herself up. He winced as the back of
her hand ran across her mouth. Ji-pyeong's fingers plunged into his hair.

“Oh god I’m so sorry … you really didn’t have to.”

“Stop.” Her hand pressed his thigh. “I wanted to. Just like you do.”

Mi-rae’s cheeks were flushed and she was smiling at him affectionately. The sunlight beaded
across his line of sight as he drank in the sight of her. Mi-rae was so lovely and she was somehow
his.

She is my wife.

Ji-pyeong felt a rush of emotion and pulled her into his arms. She burrowed deep into his chest.
Again, words burst from him uncontrollably.

“You are incredible. I just … god you do things to me that I couldn’t even imagine if I tried. Thank
you.”

Mi-rae looked up at him. Her mouth quirked as she brushed his hair off of his forehead.

“Are you always going to say thank you?”

He huffed a laugh and pulled her back onto his chest.

“Probably.”

Mi-rae giggled again and then smoothed his shirt with her hands.
“My polite husband.”

Husband.

Perhaps someday that word would not sound like a miracle. The emerald flashed in the sun. Ji-
pyeong noted it with a bolt of satisfaction. Then he looked around them and chuckled. He had not
noticed the audience of gnarled olive trees standing in silent judgment of their exploits.

“I’m not that polite.”

Mi-rae looked up at him through black lashes as she fought a smile.

“After Long Island, you had this coming.”

Ji-pyeong threw his head back and laughed out loud. He shook his head as she smiled impishly.

“If this is your idea of revenge, then I will take liberties even more often…”

Mi-rae smiled again but she was rubbing the exposed skin of his chest and clearly distracted.

“I couldn’t help it. You were driving and looked so … like you. I could only think of one thing.”

Her voice was small now and full of fondness. Ji-pyeong could not help but grin. His wife was
admitting that she was as obsessed with him as he was her. He wanted to soak in it. His fingers
traced up the thin cotton of her dress.

“Well now you know how I felt on Friday when you wore that red dress.” His hands spanned the
small of her back possessively. “I thought about doing absolutely unseemly things to you all day.
Just shameful behavior for a groom really.”

Mi-rae’s shoulders rose up to her ears as she blushed. But he could tell how much it pleased her.
She played with a button on his shirt before meeting his eyes.
“You’re not a groom anymore…”

She grinned as her hands danced under the opening in his shirt. Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow as he
grabbed her backside firmly.

“I love being married.”

Laugher peeled out from her. He surged up and kissed the curve of neck that her mirth offered to
him. Laughter buzzed warmly under his lips. Then Mi-rae looked all around them and leaned down
to whisper in his ear.

“Let’s not press our luck here.”

She kissed his cheek gently.

“Take me home.”

******

“Remind me again. I can take your sevens with my seven even if I did not originally build them,
correct?”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers were poised in the air over Mi-rae's carefully cultivated stack of cards like a
serpent waiting to strike. Her eyebrow arched above the black curve of her sunglasses. Then she
made him wait for an answer as she sipped from a glass of white wine.
They were sitting cross legged from one another on a large cushioned daybed at the edge of a stone
patio. Turquoise waters lapped gently next to them as a gauzy white canopy billowed in the breeze
above. The late afternoon sun was dancing off a small cove that the sea had carved from gray rock
eons ago. And yet Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae were resolutely focused on a battlefield of red, black, and
white laid out between them.

Ji-pyeong watched his wife set her glass down. Mi-rae was wearing a white linen kaftan draped
alluringly over a lavender bikini. He had played a game of attrition with the cover up all afternoon.
Every time it was discarded, Ji-pyeong was grateful for the refuge of his sunglasses. Today he
decided that a lavender bikini was his most favorite thing in the world.

“You know that you can. So just get it over with.”

Mi-rae frowned petulantly as he claimed his prize. And then she began to deal the next hand with a
comically furrowed brow.

She hates losing as much as I do.

He could not help but tease her. Ji-pyeong held up the two of spades that he had just won and tilted
his head innocently.

“And this is worth one point all by itself, right?”

Mi-rae lowered her sunglasses and glared at him as he chuckled.

“You’re an annoyingly quick study, my love. You may have the most cards but I still have more
spades and the ten of diamonds. So don’t get cocky.”

Ji-pyeong leaned forward and ran a finger across her shin. He squinted at her knowingly.

“But I think you like it when I am.”

Her mouth quirked as she fought a smile. And then Mi-rae cleared her throat and studied her cards
with intense concentration. Ji-pyeong let his eyes drop to the swell of her breast hugged by purple
as she leaned forward to claim a card. White linen jealousy reclaimed her curves from his gaze as
she sat back up straight.

The only thing that Ji-pyeong loved more than winning was her. A plan began to formulate in his
mind. He tapped his finger on the edge of his cards splayed like peacock feathers.

“So what happens after I win?”

Mi-rae cocked her head at him. The breeze was playing with her hair as she tried to smooth it back
in vain.

“You’re not going to win.”

Ji-pyeong smirked. Then he licked his lips.

“If you’re so sure then there’s no harm in setting some stakes.”

He raised his own glass to his lips as his eyebrows shot up in challenge. The crisp mineral flavor
was refreshing on his tongue after an afternoon spent swimming in the sun.

Mi-rae took her sunglasses off and folded them carefully before replying.

“My love, I have been playing Cassino since I was a kid. I was taught by experts. I have honed my
craft for years. You just learned how to play today. I would advise against this wager.”

Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh at her lofty tone. He loved it when she was cocky too. He set his glass
down on the table next to them and folded his arms.

“Well you’re not my lawyer anymore so I can ignore your advice. If I win, I get to pick what we do
next.”
Mi-rae rolled her eyes.

“Absolutely not. That’s way too vague. Define your terms.”

Mi-rae sounded like she was still in a conference room. He smiled as his eyes lingered on how
white linen had temporarily exposed her thigh.

“No. Those are my terms.” Ji-pyeong leaned back on his hands and smirked confidently. “It’s only
risky if you think you’ll lose and you already assured me that you won’t. So what’s the issue?”

She let out an incredulous huff but her eyes were dancing with amusement as they ticked up and
down his body. Then Mi-rae laid her palms flat on her thighs and straightened her shoulders.

“Fine. And if I win, your shirt stays off until tomorrow.”

The corners of her mouth curled up slyly as her eyebrows dared him. Ji-pyeong sucked in his lips
and looked down at his bare chest. He was still drying off from their last swim in nothing but his
black board shorts. Now his cheeks felt hot.

Ji-pyeong rubbed his neck and then nodded his head in agreement.

“Deal.”

He laid down a card with a flourish while hoarding a precious ace behind another card. Then he
took off his sunglasses and inched closer.

“So did you used to play this with your dad?”

Their eyes met. She let out a breath.

“I love you.”
His eyes widened in surprise. The ease with which those words could spill from Mi-rae’s lips still
sneaked up on him sometimes.

“Where did that come from?”

Mi-rae shrugged and leaned forward to peck a chaste kiss to his lips. Then she settled back and
tossed out a card.

“Sometimes. The stock boys at his store in LA played it whenever they were waiting on deliveries.
They taught me. My dad would yell at us to stop wasting time but then he would inevitably play
behind the counter too if it was slow. As time went on, there were more and more slow days. We
were so competitive! He hated to lose.”

Mi-rae laughed softly.

“I can almost still hear a baseball game on the radio whenever I play.”

Ji-pyeong watched as her face seemed to travel somewhere far away for a moment. He chose his
next card and scooped up another spade. And then his mind was in the past too. A wish written
down long ago. A game meant for him but planned for another. Different cards of red, black,
yellow, and white on blue with a family that he had hoped would someday become his.

Ji-pyeong tilted his head as his eyes narrowed at the craggy rocks in the distance. He realized with
a small measure of surprise that he had not thought of any of that for some time. And then his eyes
found the reason why.

Mi-rae was watching him closely. Ji-pyeong answered her question before she asked it.

“I always dreamed about playing games with a family.”

Mi-rae held his gaze. Then she laid a card flat in front of him.

“Well now you are.”

Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened.

Her brown eyes were full of love as the waves rolled softly in the silence. He felt an uncontrollable
fondness well in his chest as Mi-rae pushed her hair out of her face while the wind stubbornly
teased her. Ji-pyeong let out a puff of air. And then he leaned over and tucked the disobedient lock
behind her ear. His fingers hovered next to her face for a moment.

“Now I am.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice was hoarse. His wife smiled at him and then sighed happily as she turned to look
at the sea.

“Thank you for taking me here. It’s so beautiful. There really aren’t words to describe it, are
there?”

Ji-pyeong looked up at the singular white stucco of the villa nestled among the gray rocks. Aqua
shutters paid homage to the water. There was not another building in sight. It felt like they were
alone on this island tucked away by timeless rock and sea.

“I’ll admit that it exceeded even my expectations. Photos can’t do it justice.”

Mi-rae rubbed her arms as she looked all around.

“I love the house, the ocean…and you.” Mi-rae turned back to look at him. “We are never leaving.
I am going to keep you all to myself on this island and stay here forever.”

Ji-pyeong felt warm all over at the petulant turn of her voice. Mi-rae was so endearing as she
coveted him. He felt that way too. It was why he had brought her to a house perched alone by the
sea on an island.

He tilted his head playfully.

“That sounds familiar. Isn’t there a myth about that?”

Mi-rae smiled mischievously as her eyes swept over him.

“Maybe you’re thinking of The Odyssey? Calypso kept Odysseus marooned on an island for seven
years promising immortality and sex if he would stay and be her husband. But he missed his wife
and left Calypso broken-hearted.”

Ji-pyeong sympathized with Odysseus’ plight. He missed his wife and she was sitting right across
from him. Her lips were pink and swollen from kissing him all afternoon as they had played in the
water. He wanted to stay here with her forever too. And so he proposed different terms.

“Odysseus lacked imagination. If the gods are in the mood to make a deal, I am willing to trade
immortality for sex with my wife on this island for seven years.”

The breeze caught Mi-rae’s laughter and carried it away as she turned back to the ocean. But then
her eyes darted back towards him flirtatiously.

“You don’t have immortality to offer.”

Ji-pyeong shrugged.

“Not yet. But we’re very resourceful. Just ask Dusk.”

Mi-rae giggled again. Then she cocked her head as her eyes ticked up and down his face.

“Seven years is a very long time to be entertained solely by sex. And immortality is a lot to give up.
Are you sure?”

She raised an eyebrow. Ji-pyeong lowered his head as if the answer was obvious as she fought a
smile.

“I am yours, oh beautiful Calypso.” He grinned at how pleased Mi-rae looked at his fictional
surrender. “So what’s the seven year plan? Shall we become fishermen?”

Mi-rae shrugged as she pretended to consider their options.

“My grandfather was. How about you trade stocks online and I’ll fish?”

He nodded and laughed softly as she reached for his cheek. Ji-pyeong turned into her palm as the
sun emerged from behind a cloud. Like a wily accomplice, its light revealed her silhouette. His
eyes ignored the reprimand of white linen and followed the shape of her breasts down to the curve
of her hips. When he met her gaze again, Ji-pyeong made no apologies for his boldness. Mi-rae’s
lips parted and he glimpsed the pink of her tongue before she leaned back and adjusted her cards.
Her eyes narrowed as her face grew determined.

“I’m looking forward to retiring your shirt permanently for the evening.”

They were down to their last cards. The spoils of war beckoned to be claimed between them with a
winning final hand. But Ji-pyeong could not help but want to touch her. He reached over and let his
fingers trace along her leg.

Mi-rae pursed her lips.

“Stop trying to distract me.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip at her playful admonishment. But he did not stop. Instead, he let his fingers
curve around the smooth flesh of her calf.

Mi-rae's arm shot out between them. She sucked in a breath of anticipation and laid down an ace of
hearts.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes narrowed as he triumphantly stared at his own ace. And then he ran his tongue
along his lower lip as he plotted how best to declare victory. Mi-rae sighed impatiently.

“Oh come on! Stop stalling!”

Alright then…

Ji-pyeong closed his hand around her leg and seized it. Then he pulled Mi-rae towards him in one
swift motion. She gasped as she suddenly found herself on her back and looking up at him. The
cards lay scattered in a chaotic surrender of red and black.

“Ji-pyeong!”

Her eyes were wide with confusion. Then Ji-pyeong held his card above her triumphantly.

“I win.”

He would not wait to claim his prize.

The card fell away as Ji-peong leaned down to kiss the smile curling up her lips. He immediately
grasped the soft swell of her breasts that had teased him all afternoon. Mi-rae whimpered
approvingly as her hands roved up his back. His lips were just as impatient. Ji-pyeong pressed into
the velvet of her mouth as she wrapped her legs around him.

Everything welcomed him: the feathering of her fingers up his spine, the way she sucked at his
lower lip, how her calves slid back and forth against his thighs. He rolled to the side of her and
slipped his hand under the gauzy material of her coverup. It had thwarted him for long enough. But
then he slowed his lips as his fingers spanned across the softness of her belly. Ji-pyeong wanted to
make her fall apart as he had this morning. And he knew that would take patience.

Mi-rae chased him anyway — lifting her head to reclaim his tongue, rolling her hips to urge him
down. But Ji-pyeong moved like the water lapping beside them; his fingers etching his possession
like the lazy rhythm of the waves against the rocks. He too would leave his mark with time.

Ji-pyeong now knew some of the secrets of Kim Mi-rae. He was a faithful disciple of her body. He
knew as he slipped down to kiss her neck that she would gasp when he sucked tenderly. Her throat
moved up and down under his lips as he tasted salt on her skin. And he was sure that by the time he
trailed down to the rise of her breasts that her fingers would be in his hair urging him on. They
were indeed demanding as they curved around his head.
But then Mi-rae rolled towards him. Her hand was suddenly gone from his hair. She was tugging
down at the white and lavender standing between her and his lips. And then she was offering
herself to him — revealing where she wanted his mouth and cupping her breast with her hand.
Desire tore through him as he surged to take all that she offered.

She was pebbled and expectant on his tongue. Soft sighs asked for his lips too. Mi-rae smelled like
coconut and the sea; the swell of her breast firm but caressing in its welcome as he sank into her.
Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and filled his mouth as a gull cried from a world beyond the two of
them.

He rolled her flat on her back and dared to nip gently. It made her arch into his mouth as if he had
pulled on a tether. And then her hands seized his head again and pulled him closer, demanding
more. He obliged her, offering wet apologies for his teasing. His fingers danced endlessly along her
stomach. He traveled back and forth along the edge of her bikini bottom, sliding just beneath her
bathing suit and then retreating over and over. Finally, Mi-rae’s fingernails scraped against his
scalp roughly.

“You’re driving me crazy.”

Her voice rumbled against him. Ji-pyeong huffed a laugh against the valley between her breasts
before offering contrition.

“So impatient...”

Mi-rae drew his head up and reprimanded him softly with her lips. Then she pulled away as her
eyes searched his. Her leg slid over his hip, pushing at his board shorts.

“It’s your fault.” Her fingers traced the shape of his face. “You made me this way.”

She whispered it.

The vulnerability in her eyes left Ji-pyeong breathless. How could anyone want him this much?

No one ever had until her.

Mi-rae answered his silent question by seizing his hand. She slid it down her body until they
slipped underneath her bathing suit together. Then she pressed him between her legs as her hand
slipped away with a sweet sigh of relief.

“I want you to touch me.”

Mi-rae breathed the command between them. Ji-pyeong did not know who was surrendering to
whom as his fingers slipped obediently into that sacred place. But as she closed her eyes because of
him, the only thing that mattered was how he could make her feel.

He touched her slowly at first. His fingers moved in their ritual until her head fell back. The
arching slope of her neck was all that he could see as her hips answered his call. Ji-pyeong
whispered how beautiful she was like this before he pressed a kiss to her collar bone. A small
sound fluttered down from her lips as her hand curled around his shoulder. For a time, they moved
together like the waves just beyond them.

Eventually, her hands pressed deeper into his skin. Ji-pyeong watched a crease of frustration form
in his wife’s brow; how her tongue reached up to her lip like a prayer. He cupped all of her into his
hand and then began rubbing endless circles. And then Mi-rae made the sounds that he craved.
Sharp breaths meant that he had found the secret place. Small high noises begged for more
pressure. Sighs signaled that he was giving her exactly what she needed.

Only then did he curl a finger inside of her.

She gasped. Mi-rae’s eyes flew open and she pulled his head to meet hers. Her hands wrapped
around the back of his neck as she moved against the grind of his hand. And then Mi-rae looked at
him. Her eyes were bold as her nails sank into his skin.

“Only you can make me feel this way. Only you…only you…”

Her voice was raw. Like he had summoned those words from deep within her.

Only me.

A wild madness tore through him.

Ji-pyeong kissed her, dragging his tongue along hers. His kiss was rough and wet and full of dark
promises. He grew even thicker with need. He wanted to yank her bathing suit down. He wanted to
spread her thighs open. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to make her shake around his head as she
came. He wanted to bury himself inside of her. He wanted to make her cry out his name.

He wanted to fuck her.

His hands tore at her bathing suit as he broke off their kiss and gulped for air. He could feel her
legs kicking desperately until she was free of it. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as he made a
desperate pilgrimage down her body; his mouth and fingers rebelling against the gauzy swaths of
white. There was no need to claim her — Mi-rae’s legs fell open in eager welcome. Ji-pyeong
clutched the linen into impatient fists as he sank into her.

His wife was so greedy now. Gone were the days when she waited for her pleasure. Her fingers
raked against his scalp as she arched into his mouth. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as he tasted her on
his tongue. Only he could know this — the way that she tasted. The secrets of Kim Mi-rae were
now his forever.

He pulled her flush into his mouth so that he could lap at her; so that he could suck until she
keened into the gentle silence. Only he and the ocean heard her cries. Ji-pyeong welcomed the
frantic fluttering of her hands on his shoulders until she found what she was looking for. And then
her hand clamped down on his head. She ordered him not to stop. And he obeyed like a man on his
knees before an altar.

Her hips ebbed. And then her body began to shake. Ji-pyeong listened, enraptured, as she fell apart
— her body rigid with pleasure and his mouth slick with proof that he had worshiped well.

Mi-rae collapsed under him with gasping breaths. Then she gathered his head jealously against her
chest and kissed his hair.

He still ached for her. Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his body into the daybed
wishing that he could be inside of her. But Mi-rae’s heart was still hammering under the linen so
soft against his cheek. He let out a deep breath and tried to focus on the rhythm. That heart was his.
So he contented himself with the sound as it eventually slowed in concert with the waves.

Turquoise stretched out endlessly. He had never taken the time to look at the sea for so long. It was
wide and glittering in the waning sun. He used to stare at the river and rage at how insignificant it
made him feel. Now Ji-pyeong took comfort in the ocean’s vastness rather than feel thwarted. The
sky and sea were welcome to challenge one another well beyond his sight. The fates could toy with
those still searching for what they wanted. Ji-pyeong had all that he needed.

And then Mi-rae stirred. Her fingers caressed his shoulders. Ji-pyeong rolled over to his side and
rested his head on his hand as he looked at her.

Mi-rae was flush with pleasure. He let out a breath of amused impatience with how even by doing
nothing she only made him want her more. So lovely with heightened color in her cheeks. A mouth
like a swollen cherry. Her eyes bright as the breeze lifted wisps of hair away from her almond
shaped face. His eyes were drawn down by her body — the curve of her breasts, the roundedness
of her hips, the dark hint of where he so wanted to be once again shrouded in white.

Ji-pyeong lifted his fingers to her collarbone and touched in veneration of all that he desired. He
could feel Mi-rae’s eyes on him as he roamed down between her breasts and across her belly.
When he crossed over the rise of her hip, his fingers stopped and slid under linen to claim the curve
of her backside. Their eyes met again. He watched with triumph as her teeth sank into her lower lip.
And then her hand slid around his side, the gliding touch of her fingers sending a shiver of pleasure
through him.

She wants me again.

Mi-rae pulled him closer as she looked up at him.

Longing panged.

Ji-pyeong had spent thirty eight years craving love. Now that he finally had it, Ji-pyeong was
beginning to understand that love could be many things at once. It granted him a safe haven. It
inspired courage. It offered mercy. But in this moment, love was an exquisite madness. Because
even being in Mi-rae’s arms was not enough.

It was never enough.

Mi-rae could make him feel whole and torn in half at the same time. A constant yearning to
possess and be possessed. So as the sunlight warmed his shoulders, Ji-pyeong said exactly what he
was thinking.
“I am obsessed with you.”

Her brown eyes grew wide.

Then Mi-rae raised herself up to brush his lips with hers. She lingered for a moment, her tongue
caressing his lower lip softly. Then she pulled away. The black fringe of her lashes swept down and
back up. And her lips curved into a dare.

“Then show me.”

Ji-pyeong blinked.

So much in his life had changed since he had last heard those words. And yet there she was, again
asking him to act on everything that he was feeling. Ji-pyeong tried to chase her lips but then she
was gone.

Mi-rae was up and walking across the patio away from him. He sat up slowly as her fingers
gathered the hem of the white cover up into her hands. Then she pulled it up and over her head.
Her arm stretched out as it dangled in the breeze for a moment. And then she let go.

It floated to the ground as Ji-pyeong’s mouth opened in awe. Her bare hips swung. She was clearly
aware of his gaze and relishing it. And then her hands were at her back. Lavender fell away too.
His eyes raked over the shape of Mi-rae as she tossed it down before disappearing inside.

Ji-pyeong plunged his hands into his hair and let out a shaky breath. Every nerve in his body was
pulsing with excitement. He swept the abandoned cards out of his way to stand up. And then he
strode after her with his heart pounding.

His head was buzzing with anticipation as he made his way through the main living room. The late
afternoon sun cast dark shapes against the white limestone walls as his legs eagerly claimed the
space between him and the bedroom.

When Ji-pyeong reached the doorway, he froze. His hand shot out to grip the roughly hewn wood
of the doorframe.
Mi-rae was lying across the bed on her stomach. Light slipped through the shutters, the shadows
painting her body in stripes. His eyes voyaged across the beauty of her until they reached her face.
She was watching him, her lips open and pink just above the ebony swing of her hair.

Ji-pyeong drew in a deep breath as his fingers curled around wood. The sound of the waves just
outside washed over him as he steadied himself. And then he slowly slipped his board shorts off to
the ground so that she could look at him as he was looking at her. His body began moving towards
Mi-rae of its own volition. And then he was lying next to her.

He lifted his fingers and journeyed down the slope of her back and over the rise of her body. Mi-
rae was still; both she and time were suspended by his reverence. But the rest of him soon grew
jealous. Ji-pyeong covered her body with his own; sighing as the soft curves of her cradled his
longing. Her hand reached back and wrapped around his neck to draw him closer.

Coconut once again filled his head at the nape of her neck. Then he took a hold of himself and
rubbed against where his fingers and mouth had made her so lush and wet. She beckoned as the tip
of him brushed in aching anticipation. He could not help but slip in just so as her hips rocked into
him.

The promise of her body was too much to bear. His head fell to her shoulder blade as he pressed his
way inside. It was a sweet mercy to fill her.

Ji-pyeong heard himself swear as he reached the center of her and then dragged himself back out
slowly. And then he plunged in again. Wet warmth wrapped around him as he discovered how
they fit together this way. But he instantly felt a wild need to be deeper. If there was more of her
then he had to have it. His arm shot out to lift himself up. Her body rose to meet each snap of his
hips. Lines of shadow and light blurred now as she moved with him. Her hands curled into the quilt
until white bloomed between her fingers.

And then their eyes met as Mi-rae looked over her shoulder to watch him. That feverish need to
possess tore through him again.

Ji-pyeong sank down, desperate to kiss her. Their lips crashed together. He rushed to fill everything
that was soft and wet and her. His hand slid under to seize her breast, rolling into the roundness as
she gasped into his mouth. And then he needed to fill that gasp with his tongue. He pressed his
chest into the space left between them. Her skin slid against his, both of them now slick with sweat
from their efforts. And all the while he drove them with his hips as her knuckles turned white
clutching the edge of the bed.
Mi-rae broke off their kiss and moaned. And then words spilled from her lips. They were the kind
of words that he did not know women could say. And they were asking for things that he did not
know women wanted.

I want to give her all of it.

His mind raced as if he was outside of his body. Then Ji-pyeong gritted his teeth through the agony
of withdrawing. He sank down onto her and seized her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

And then he slid their hands under her body until he found the space between her legs.

“Oh … my love…”

Those words sounded different now. But he rushed towards them as always.

Ji-pyeong began to move their hands together -- grinding in endless circles as he pressed her down
into the mattress. His need was now nestled back within soft curves, slick with her and sliding back
and forth. His mouth claimed her neck hungrily. He sucked and he sucked until Mi-rae begged him
to leave a mark. Ji-pyeong obeyed gently. His teeth drew her skin in and declared that she was his.

Then he slid their hands deeper. And as they touched her body together, his lips found her ear. He
knew now that he could whisper anything to her. That she wanted him to.

“You are not allowed to stop.”

He pressed her body down further into the bed as he slipped their fingers just inside of her.

“Oh my god.”

He consumed each of her words greedily. And then he rubbed their hands back and forth
knowingly until she was gasping for air.

Ji-pyeong slid his hand away as she remained. He lifted himself up and sucked in a sharp breath.
She was chasing her pleasure as he had commanded; her backside slowly rising and falling like two
lovely round moons. He trembled with need at the sight of her. And that gave him the courage to
use the words that Mi-rae had offered to him out loud.

“Do you want me to fuck you?”

Mi-rae’s body stilled for a moment. She turned to look up at him, her eyes flashing with want. Ji-
pyeong swallowed hard. She wanted him exactly as he wanted her. And she wanted him to talk to
her like that when they were like this.

He knew that now.

His hand curved around her shoulder and pressed her back down.

“I told you not to stop.”

She held his gaze as her head sank back. The curve of her jaw was so lovely as black hair fanned
out against white.

And then she did as he told her.

Fuck.

It was too much. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes for a moment and steeled himself. Then he repeated his
question with his last measure of control.

“Do you want me to fuck you?”

Mi-rae gasped yes like a plea. And with her surrender, he was back inside of her.

It was so good here— this place where they were supposed to be. Ji-pyeong collapsed on top of her
as he lost himself to the drive of instinct. All he could do was bury himself within over and over as
she curled up into his chest and cried out his name. And then her hips began to roll with him,
begging for Ji-pyeong to give in.

Mi-rae’s fingers slid back into his hair as she drew his cheek forward against hers. Then her mouth
was below his ear. Mi-rae whispered how much she loved him. How good he felt inside of her.
How much she wanted him to fill her up. How no one else could ever make her feel this way.

“Only you.”

Those words again. From her lips. While he was inside of her.

It was a siren’s call. He cast himself against the rocks, surrendering to Mi-rae. Burying his face in
the haven of her neck, Ji-pyeong vowed endlessly that it could only be her in return. The curve of
her shoulder became his whole world as pleasure rushed through their mad circle of possession.

And in that perfect moment with his beloved, Ji-pyeong found the measure between now and
forever.

***************
 Chapter Twenty

Her husband wore contentment well.

Ji-pyeong was watching the sun bid farewell to the tenth day of their honeymoon from across a
table. He cut a dashing figure in a closely tailored light khaki linen suit and a crisp white button
down shirt. But a Panama hat with a black band perched low on his forehead was the sartorial
exclamation point.

Mi-rae was supposed to be watching the sunset too. It was why they had reserved this table for a
cocktail after dinner on a patio overlooking the ocean. But she could not drag her eyes away from
her husband. The pink and orange streaking across the sky above the Aegean Sea was doomed to
serve merely as his backdrop. Mi-rae’s eyes stubbornly traced the curves of his profile instead.
And then she said exactly what she was thinking.

“You should always wear that.”

Ji-pyeong turned to face her as his eyes glanced up at his hat.

“Do you mean this?”

He pointed up and grimaced.

Mi-rae giggled. Then she waved generally at her husband.

“I mean all of it. I missed seeing you in a suit.”

Ji-pyeong squinted as he tilted his head in disbelief.

“You did?”

His tone was teasing. Mi-rae quickly took refuge in her glass of sparkling wine. They had spent
their honeymoon driving all over the island exploring beaches and sites. But they never remained
dressed for long. Outings punctuated days otherwise spent in each other’s arms. Her face suddenly
felt hot imagining exactly what Ji-pyeong meant.

“Okay, maybe not always…” Mi-rae was greeted by a knowing smile as she continued to blush.
“But you do look particularly handsome.”

Ji-pyeong leaned forward. It felt like he was already undressing her.

“You look very pretty in that dress tonight. I’ve been imagining all the different ways that I could
take it off of you later.” His eyes ticked up and down as he smiled slyly. “I still haven’t made up
my mind yet.”

Dimples bloomed as Ji-pyeong sipped from his highball glass awaiting her reaction. Mi-rae took in
a breath, determined to turn the tables on his flirtation. Then she slowly ran her fingers down the
inside of the neckline of the emerald silk halter dress. His eyes shamelessly followed the trajectory
of her hand.

“I have already decided how it's going to come off, my love.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth quirked. He cleared his throat and glanced around them. Mi-rae could feel
herself smiling along with him as his eyes twinkled with mirth. Then Ji-pyeong leaned back and
lifted the hat off of his head. His eyes narrowed skeptically at it while his fingers brushed his hair
back from his forehead. He sighed dramatically.

“I’m just not pulling this hat off, Mi-rae.”

She pouted.

“What are you talking about? You look amazing! Like a classic movie star!”

Ji-pyeong shook his head vigorously.

“No, I look like one of those ridiculous influencers posing for Instagram.”
Mi-rae folded her arms in protest.

“Just one more reason why I am so glad that I’m not on social media. Imagine ruining a classic like
the Panama hat!”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the hat again and then peered back up at her sheepishly.

“I know that I lost but how much longer do I have to wear this?”

He braced himself for her reaction. Mi-rae had purchased it for him days ago from a vendor on a
whim as they had strolled hand in hand after visiting the amphitheater ruins. He had accepted it
graciously but always seemed to forget it when they went out. His true antipathy was revealed after
Ji-pyeong succumbed to one of their daily Cassino wagers.

Mi-rae took a long sip of sparkling wine as she pretended to mull it over. Then she gave him a sly
look.

“You know, I was far more gracious that one time I lost. I didn’t even complain once.”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard. She knew that he was also thinking of that first afternoon in light and
shadow. It had only been the beginning of sharing so much of themselves. He rubbed his lip with
his finger and then cocked his head.

“My terms were …mutually beneficial.”

Mi-rae laughed and then reached for his hand. Their fingers entwined.

“Can we take just one photograph of us with you wearing it first? Then you can consider yourself
in full discharge of the bet.”

When Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, Mi-rae already knew that he was going to
say yes. But he held up a cautioning finger first.
“Do you promise not to share the photo with Sam?”

Mi-rae bit her lip. Ji-pyeong’s eyes narrowed. She acquiesced.

“Yes.”

He nodded once.

“And if you frame this photo, it will remain only in our home and all future homes?”

Mi-rae rolled her eyes.

“Yes I promise!”

Ji-pyeong immediately flipped the hat in his hand and placed it back on his head with a grin. He
looked so debonair that she wanted to kiss him despite his grumbling.

Mi-rae called over to the waiter. He was tall and in his early twenties. He flashed Mi-rae a wide
grin as she asked him to take their photograph. Then she stood up and made her way around the
small table. Ji-pyeong looked up at her in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

Mi-rae slid into his lap and curled her arms around his neck.

“If this is my one chance for a photograph of you looking like that, then I am going to sit right
here.”

Ji-pyeong smiled, clearly pleased. His hand slipped into silk around her waist. Mi-rae assessed the
positioning of his hat and tugged the brim down even further.
“There, perfect. Now smile so I can always remember this sunset that I didn’t pay any attention to.”

Ji-pyeong’s brow furrowed in confusion. Mi-rae leaned in to whisper in his ear even though the
waiter could not understand what she was saying. Sandalwood filled her head as her fingers played
with the nape of his neck.

“I was too busy looking at you.”

She pulled away slowly. Ji-pyeong followed her for a moment, eyes wide. Then he let out a puff of
air.

“How do you do that?”

Now Mi-rae was puzzled.

“Do what?”

He took her hand and placed it on his chest. Then he patted her hand three times.

“Make my heart go like this.”

He was looking at her with such wonder that Mi-rae felt like her own heart was going to burst.

“Ready?”

The waiter’s voice boomed as he stood poised to take the photograph. Mi-rae found Ji-pyeong’s
hand in her lap. She curled her fingers around it as she turned to smile for the camera. The breeze
from the ocean swept over them but she just let it play with her hair rather than let go.

After several shots, Mi-rae rose to take her phone back. The waiter let his fingers linger a moment
too long. She took a cautionary step back while he remained standing next to her as she flipped
through the photographs. Then Mi-rae thanked him with a polite smile and tried to ignore the way
that his eyes dipped far lower than they should.

When she sat back down, Mi-rae held the phone out for Ji-pyeong to see the photographs.

“It’s cute don’t you think? My hair is a little messed up but I love it anyway.”

Ji-pyeong had already taken the hat off. He seemed annoyed as he watched the waiter walk away.
He rubbed at his neck.

“My love?”

He turned his attention to the phone.

“Yes you look pretty.”

Ji-pyeong’s smile did not quite reach his eyes. Mi-rae ducked her head to catch his attention.

“Wow, do you really hate the hat that much?”

Ji-pyeong looked back in the direction of the waiter and then took a long drink of bourbon. The
glass was empty when he set it back down.

“No, it’s just …” Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw. “That waiter was blatantly checking you out. It was
not okay.”

Mi-rae glanced down and smoothed her hair.

“Oh I’m sure he wasn’t.”

Ji-pyeong folded his arms across his chest.

“Yes he was, believe me.”

Yeah he was.

It was embarrassing. Mi-rae took another sip rather than acknowledge it. Ji-pyeong shifted in his
seat.

“It bothers me.”

But Mi-rae was no longer thinking about the waiter. His question called to mind a different face:
that of a woman in a black suit with long hair from an article about Chyeongmyeong.

It bothers me too.

Mi-rae finished her glass a little too quickly. She blinked as the bubbles rushed all at once to her
head. After all the wine at dinner, she was starting to feel tipsy. Mi-rae tried to move past his
jealousy and hers.

“He was a little much, yes. But he’s not worth our time, my love. Let’s not worry about it.”

Ji-pyeong did not seem to hear her. He was looking in the direction of the waiter again and shaking
his head.

“But I want to go say something. We shouldn’t just let that slide.”

Oh I get it believe me.

The coil of insecurity that Mi-rae had kept at bay since leaving the house unwound like a serpent
preparing to strike.

Ji-pyeong stretched his neck. Then he noted her silence.

“Sorry. That just made me feel crazy. I’ll shake it off.”

Insecurity found a willing accomplice in the buzz of alcohol. Together, they extracted a reciprocal
confession from her lips in reply.

“I am dreading going home next week.”

Ji-pyeong jerked his head back in shock.

“What?”

Mi-rae squeezed her eyes shut. And then she gulped from a glass of water.

Why did I just say that?

Panic rushed. She tried to smile reassuringly.

“Oh I … I just don’t want to leave here that’s all. Please forget it, my love.”

With only three days left in Greece, Ji-pyeong had begun to talk about a party on the Han River
that he was planning in her honor. Yesterday he had rattled off the clients and companies that
would be in attendance. Chyeongmyeong was among them. Mi-rae had grown increasingly anxious
every time he brought it up ever since. Because she knew who would likely be there.

Her.

This morning while Ji-pyeong went out for a run, Mi-rae gave into her curiosity and read several
articles about her. She rued doing so. Ji-pyeong’s first love was wildly successful for her age and
alarmingly beautiful. Mi-rae was both morbidly fascinated and dreading being in the same room
with her. To her even greater annoyance, Mi-rae suspected that under different circumstances she
would probably like her. She had gathered from a published interview that both of them had lost
fathers and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps in a world dominated by men. But all Mi-rae
could focus on was the awkwardness of meeting a woman with whom her husband had been in
love with as both a teenager and a man — someone who he had admitted was hard to get over. In
moments alone today, jealousy ruthlessly gnawed away. And then an insidious doubt in herself
filled in those jagged edges.

Her discomfort was compounded by the fact that Ji-pyeong had never acknowledged the likelihood
of the two women meeting. That was strange. Her husband was usually so direct. Did Ji-pyeong
harbor anxiety about it too? They had fallen in love in a whirlwind away from his life in Seoul.
How would she measure up when standing side by side with his first love? Kim Mi-rae knew what
it was to suffer by comparison. She had fallen cruelly short before. Old wounds not of his making
panged in the dark corners of her heart.

Mi-rae could feel Ji-pyeong’s eyes on her but did not want to answer his inevitable questions just
yet. And so she turned her head to look out at the sea. Across from a different table in the safety of
New York, the idea of visiting Seoul had seemed like a necessary step in forging their new life
together. But now that she would be back there in a few days, the prospect of returning was rife
with regret and anxiety. As she remembered the last time she had been in the city of her birth, the
pungent smell of bougainvillea climbing over the wall next to them made her wince. She had stood
for hours largely alone at her father’s memorial surrounded by the smell of sickeningly sweet
flowers. They had been her only constant companion; there had been far more of them than people
that day.

The scrape of Ji-pyeong pulling his chair closer demanded her attention. His face was earnest but
determined.

“I don’t want to forget it. Mi-rae, I want you to talk to me. Why are you dreading going home? I
thought that you wanted to come.”

Mi-rae took one look at him and knew that she had opened Pandora’s box.

“Because it’s full of ghosts. For me. And for you.”

Ji-pyeong absorbed that for a moment. The sky was bleeding dark purple into black. The wind
raised goosebumps on her arms. She rubbed at them. And then Mi-rae decided to lead with the
easier truth first.

“I haven’t been back since my father’s memorial. I don’t want to be near that house again where
he…”
Ji-pyeong leaned his arms on the table.

“Then we won’t go anywhere near there.”

Their eyes locked. He steadied her even as her cheeks flushed with nervousness about what
remained unsaid. Ji-pyeong observed her carefully before continuing.

“You and I…we’re not the kind of people who look at the past romantically are we? My best days
are now. I don’t want to take you to my orphanage either. But I would like to visit the nonprofit
that I support if you’re willing?”

“Of course.”

Mi-rae knew what it was to think of a place as haunted. Images of the unmade bed in her father’s
bedroom, an empty bowl in the sink, and the flashing red light on the dryer played through her
mind like ominous scenes from a movie. The house of her adolescence where he had taken his life
had been left for her to pack up. And yet everything was suspended in time as if her father would
be right back. It made her nauseous to even think of it. Mi-rae curled her fingers around a now
empty glass.

Ji-pyeong lowered his head to catch her gaze. Mi-rae reoriented herself in the present. Her husband
was so handsome as he looked at her — a lock of his dark hair had fallen over his forehead and his
eyes were wide with concern. The candle at their table was glowing softly, casting alluring
shadows across his face. The moon glittered over the ocean just behind him. It was not the night
for such a conversation. And yet she had plunged them into it anyway.

“Would you like to visit him though? I’d like to introduce myself to your family if that is okay
with you.”

His voice was gentle. She smiled sadly at Ji-pyeong’s earnest wish. Her family was all gone but for
him. They had that in common.

“Yes, I would like that. And you will take me to see grandmother?”
Ji-pyeong’s eyes filled with emotion.

“Of course.”

He sighed and looked out at the moonlit ocean before meeting her gaze again.

“You’re right. It is filled with ghosts. But now we have each other.”

Ji-pyeong took a deep breath. And then he smiled encouragingly.

“And then after I sort my apartment, we will celebrate! Park Dong-cheon sent me the menu
proposal from the caterer so remind me to show you tomorrow.”

A pit formed in her stomach as Ji-pyeong’s hands unfurled in the air excitedly.

“With the way the GenOne thing was covered at home, everyone will be clamoring to meet you.
Attorney Kim will come away with a whole new book of clients from the party.”

Mi-rae chewed at her lip. As petty as her insecurity made her feel, it felt even worse to hold back
from Ji-pyeong.

“People who love each other should tell the truth.”

She said it out loud to herself as much as him. Ji-pyeong’s eyebrows shot up as his hands froze.
Mi-rae mustered her courage to tell him the truth.

“I feel really anxious about this party.”

“What?” His brow furrowed. “Why?”

Mi-rae’s hand fluttered to her throat. She looked up at the dark sky searching for the right way to
explain. The emerging stars offered only their cold beauty rather than wisdom.

And so she drew in a deep breath and asked a question to which she already knew the answer.

“Will she be there?”

“Who?”

Ji-pyeong looked confused.

Her heart clenched as understanding then quickly passed over his face. Ji-pyeong looked down at
his empty glass and began swirling a lonely ice cube around. He took a deep breath before meeting
her gaze again.

“She doesn’t have to be. I was waiting to review the venue with you before sending the invitations
out. We can take them off the guest list. Whatever you want.”

His tone was measured and calm; his solution complete. That made her feel even worse. Mi-rae
felt tears sting as frustration welled up in her chest. She did not want to be insecure like this.
Especially not in front of him. She wanted to smile and be reasonable and say of course it was not a
problem. But right now the prospect of watching her husband look at a woman that he used to love
seemed beyond her capacity. Mi-rae turned her emerald ring around and around anxiously.

“Why didn’t you say straight out that she was on the guest list?”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth tugged down for a moment. Then he sniffed as he smoothed his shirt.

“I did. I told you that the senior leadership of her company was on the list. Beyond that, there was
no reason to make a big deal out of it.”

Mi-rae rebelled at the aloof precision in his answer.

“That’s not the same as talking about it and you know it.”
His eyes flickered but Ji-pyeong said nothing. The silence made her emotions rush all the more
furiously. Mi-rae took in a shuddering breath as she ran her hands through her hair. And then words
hurriedly tumbled from her lips to fill the void.

“Look, I just feel really uneasy about meeting someone that you used to feel that way about.
Especially in such a public way. I wish that I was a bigger person and that it didn’t bother me. But
it does.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes softened.

“Mi-rae, that was all so long ago.”

She could not help but let out a huff of disbelief.

“Ji-pyeong.”

She watched him blink at hearing his name spoken like a reproach. But the question was too
obvious not to ask.

“How many times have you talked to me about her?”

Ji-pyeong opened his mouth to respond and then quickly clamped it shut. His forehead wrinkled
with frustration as he then leaned forward as if to assert command over the conversation.

“Mi-rae, the whole point of the party is to celebrate our marriage.”

His hands moved confidently to underscore his point as she had seen them do so many times before
from across a conference room table. But now it was infuriating.

“It’s silly to reduce this to being about someone else when it is the exact opposite of that.”
She bristled.

Silly?

Mi-rae squared her shoulders and leaned forward.

“You just said some random twenty year old waiter that we are never going to see again looking
me up and down made you feel crazy!”

Mi-rae pressed her index finger down on the table.

“You have history with her. Years of history! How would you feel if I invited my ex-husband to a
party in your honor?”

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes.

“Well that’s different.”

Mi-rae fell back in her chair with an exasperated sigh. A primal need to debate him surged even as
her inner voice warned against it. She folded her arms as her mind quickly cataloged her rebuttal.

“You’re right. It is different. Number one, I would have asked you first.” Then she shook her head
vehemently. “Scratch that —- I would never ask you to meet him in the first place.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flashed. She knew that her words had stung as his mouth formed a grim line. Mi-
rae felt a pang of regret but then barreled ahead, adrenaline coursing.

“Number two, you know that I think my ex-husband is an asshole. But she is—”

Mi-rae broke off in frustration as her hands flew through the air searching for the right words.
“She is this ‘perfect first love.’ And you still think enough of her to invite her to a party that is
supposed to be for us.”

Ji-pyeong’s face was stoic. Mi-rae would almost prefer that he be furious. She rubbed her arms
again as she shivered. And then her deepest insecurity finally willed its way out.

“There is power in wondering about what could have been when you’ll never know. It doesn’t feel
good to have to compete with that.”

“Compete?”

He hissed the word. Ji-pyeong’s whole body seemed to vibrate in rejection of her assertion.

“What are you talking about? You are my wife.”

His tone was sharp. Mi-rae felt tears prick. He had never been angry with her before.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as he took a breath. Then he laid his hands flat on the table as if it could
lend him calm.

“I put them on the list because they helped us and out of respect for my grandmother. Mi-rae, I
already said that we could take them off. It’s insane to still be arguing about this.”

A lump formed in her throat. If Ji-pyeong were to compare them right now then he would be
justified in finding her lacking. Mi-rae twisted her hands in her lap as she blinked back tears.

“I bet she never acted insecure and picked a fight on her honeymoon.”

Mi-rae forced herself to look back up at him. Ji-pyeong’s eyebrows knitted together
sympathetically. His kindness even in the midst of an argument made her want to cry more. Regret
swept in.

“I’m sorry.” Mi-rae choked the words out. “I didn’t mean to ruin tonight.”
She sniffed and quickly stood up. Ji-pyeong looked up at her in confusion as he half rose from his
chair. She held up her hand.

“I’m going to use the restroom. Do you mind getting the check and I’ll meet you downstairs?”

Mi-rae had to get away for a moment to compose herself. Ji-pyeong opened his mouth to say
something and then seemed to think better of it. He slouched back down into his chair and nodded
silently. Remorse pierced her heart. She wished that she had never spoken from its darkest corners.

I hate fighting with him.

But instead of saying so, Mi-rae ran her hands through her hair again as she turned to make her way
quickly across the patio around other couples whose nights were faring better. She slipped inside
the bathroom gasping for air. Mi-rae closed the door and flopped back against it.

A small sob tried to burst out.

She rubbed at her face and forced it back down. Mi-rae was too angry with herself to allow it.

I am hiding in a bathroom on my honeymoon. This is ridiculous.

Mi-rae looked in the mirror. Her shoulders sagged as she assessed her smudged mascara.

But I do wish that he had just asked me.

She sniffed and ran her fingers under her eyes. That was the undeniable truth wrapped within her
insecurities. Mi-rae sighed at her reflection.

“Only I could make a mess of a night like this.”

She had to face him. Mi-rae extracted a small brush from her purse and ran it aggressively through
her hair. Then she painted her lips red.

She walked out of the bathroom and made her way down the narrow white limestone stairwell to
the street. Mi-rae had no idea what she was going to say. Pride prodded at her will not to simply
cave. But it was also torture to argue with Ji-pyeong.

The light was dim and she took each step gingerly in her sandals as her mind raced. When she
reached the street, Mi-rae saw just the outline of his broad shoulders under the streetlight. Ji-
pyeong was waiting for her, his head bowed. Her stomach flipped with nervous anticipation as she
tightened her grip on her purse.

Ji-pyeong turned around, his hands in his pockets. The hat was back on his head.

A small smile tugged its way up her lips at his symbolic peace offering. Then she looked down at
the ground to gather herself. Ji-pyeong was standing in front of her in an instant. His eyes were full
of regret.

Mi-rae lifted her fingers up to the hat and gently took it off of his head.

“You don’t have to wear it. I said that the bet was over.”

Ji-pyeong scrunched his nose and leaned towards her.

“I had hoped that it might help.”

Mi-rae ached at the vulnerability in his voice. His brow was creased with worry. She felt a chaotic
need to touch his face despite their impasse. Her fingers curled futilely round the brim of the hat
instead.

Ji-pyeong’s mouth turned down, rueful.

“I am sorry, Mi-rae.”
His voice was now firm.

“I should have asked you first about whether you wanted to meet her before I planned this whole
thing. And then I avoided bringing her up because I didn’t want to make it weird. That was
cowardly. If I were in your shoes I would feel exactly the same way. And I’m sorry that I didn’t
hear that just now.”

Mi-rae felt the air rush from her lungs. He took a step closer.

“It was because I am in my shoes and I know how head over heels in love with you I am. I don’t
mean to offer that as an excuse but merely to explain where I was coming from. I should have
acknowledged where you were coming from —especially after what I’ve shared with you about the
past.”

She shifted her weight as relief flooded through her. Mi-rae opened her mouth to respond but Ji-
pyeong was not yet finished.

“I am just so happy that I want to shout about it from the rooftops to everyone that I know. I’ve
never thrown a party in my life for anything but work. And I want to announce our marriage boldly
so that there are no rumors about us at SH or beyond.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at the ground and then grimaced. He rubbed his forehead before meeting
her gaze again with a sigh.

“And I will admit that a small part of me wants to show you off to all of them because you’re so
amazing. I guess that I will always be petty in that way.”

She let out a breath. Mi-rae found solace in his honesty. Then she clamored to meet him in this
place of contrition.

“I’m sorry that I blindsided you in the middle of such a wonderful night. I should have said
something before instead of bottling it up. And I’m sorry that I went off assuming things about
how you feel about her now. That wasn’t right. It came from my own insecurities which have
nothing to do with anything you’ve done.”

She felt tears prick again and swallowed as she looked away. Ji-pyeong waited for her to finish
silently. Mi-rae continued even as her voice grew hoarse.

“I think the idea of meeting someone you used to love just brings up a lot of old feelings that I’m
never going to be enough. You know why. I’m sorry that it keeps rearing its head no matter how
wonderful you are. I was stupidly jealous when I know that I have no reason to be.”

She wiped at the threatening tears and then squinted into the distance before meeting his eyes
again. Mi-rae let out a sigh of frustration with herself.

“God, I am always so messy.”

Ji-pyeong took a step closer as if to disagree but Mi-rae nodded to herself adamantly.

“The mature thing to do is meet her and thank all of them for helping us. I am sorry that I am
freaking out about something that you were planning for me as a celebration.”

Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow. Mi-rae smiled despite the emotions swirling inside of her chest.

“Okay it’s not ‘freaking out.’ But I am being insecure.”

Ji-pyeong’s hand reached across the space between them. A finger gently rubbed back and forth
along the back of her hand. The comforting warmth of his touch mercifully eased the tension
within her.

“No more than me. But I don’t think of it as being insecure. I just think that when you love
someone it’s part of being human sometimes.”

His voice was low and gentle. Then Ji-pyeong closed his hand around hers.

“You love hard, Mi-rae. You don’t hold back.”

Like you.
Ji-pyeong leaned down towards her.

“It’s just one of the many reasons why I am completely and irrevocably in love with you.”

Mi-rae looked up into his eyes — those beloved brown eyes full of love and longing. He knew her.
Even the broken parts of her. And he did not love her in spite of it — he loved her for all her
passion and imperfections.

She raised herself up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. Mi-rae brushed his mouth softly at
first in apology. And then she opened her lips to tell him how much she loved him too.

Ji-pyeong pulled back in surprise. And then his hands were at her waist. And he was moving her
backwards.

Mi-rae met the wall and Ji-pyeong all at once. In the dark alley, his lips crashed into hers as he
pressed her body against the wall. Her arms were around his neck in an instant; small sounds were
offered as she welcomed him deeply into a kiss. They made their apologies to each other all over
again, their hands urgent and their lips needy. Ji-pyeong kissed her breathless, his hands sliding
into the silk of her dress without restraint. The heel of her sandal pressed into the wall and then
scraped down slowly. His hat fell to the ground, forgotten.

Finally, Ji-pyeong pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers. His hands slid up her dress and
over the curves of her until they curled around her shoulders. His hands were warm; his fingers
sank deep.

“I hate fighting with you. I am so sorry.”

There was a quiet desperation in his voice. Mi-rae reached up to cup his face gently. How could
she have worried?

“I hate it too. I’m so sorry. I love you so much that I just feel crazy sometimes.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyebrows knitted together in silent agreement. And then he sighed helplessly into her
mouth. Mi-rae’s hands curled into the lapel of his jacket, pulling him closer. His lips sucked at hers
as his hands slid slowly up her neck; his fingers spanning around and slipping up into her hair. He
leaned her head back into his hands. His kiss was slow — possession was offered and taken all at
once. Giving into Ji-pyeong came with the knowledge that he was just as much hers as she was his.

The sound of a crowd of tourists boisterous with drink pierced the silence of the alley. Ji-pyeong
pulled away. Mi-rae felt a dizzying relief as they laughed softly. Then Ji-pyeong pulled her deeper
into the darkness until they passed. He leaned into the space next to her ear, his breath deliciously
warm on her neck.

“Want to get lost with me?”

She turned her head towards him. His breath was steady in the silent darkness. The space between
them felt sacred; charged with emotion and want. Her hands slid up his chest. Mi-rae could not
help but kiss him again. Words were not enough to express how relieved she was to be back in his
arms.

Ji-pyeong finally pulled back and then cocked his head. She could just make out his face smiling in
the darkness.

“So that’s a yes?”

Mi-rae giggled. And then she grabbed his hand.

“Yes.”

Ji-pyeong pulled her by the hand back into the street, stopping only to retrieve his hat. Then he
took off his jacket and tucked it around her shoulders.

“Keep it. You were cold upstairs.”

Her chest ached as she wrapped it closely around.

“I love you.”
Ji-pyeong curled his arm around her and kissed the top of her head as they began walking.

“I know you do. And I love you too.”

Mi-rae let out a sigh of relief as she leaned her head against him. The rainbow doorways of this
village were thrown in dramatic relief against the shadows cast by lamplight. Red, green, and blue
were more rebellious than playful now — as if they refused to be contained by the white
conformity of the village.

“Can I admit something?”

His voice was low and conspiratorial. Mi-rae looked up at him, curious.

“I have searched for everything that I could find about your ex-husband online like a jealous
lunatic.”

Oh my god.

Mi-rae giggled and hugged him around the waist.

“And?”

Ji-pyeong looked down at her.

“I think I’m richer and better looking. But I still hate the guy.”

Mi-rae threw her head back and laughed out loud. Then she doubled over as she gulped for air.

Ji-pyeong stopped and looked at her with mock indignity.

“Do you disagree?”

Mi-rae hiccuped a laugh and then threw her arms around him. His were reassuring as they closed
around.

“I agree. You are everything, my love.”

He tightened his hold on her body as she buried her face in his shirt. Mi-rae let out a deep sigh as
she breathed in the comforting scent of him. And then she confided into his chest.

“I looked her up too.”

Ji-pyeong pulled back. Mi-rae’s head fell to the side as her voice grew small.

“This morning.” She wrinkled her nose sheepishly. “I couldn’t help it after you said her company
would be there.”

He let out a sympathetic puff of air. And then Ji-pyeong reached for her face, his eyes full of
emotion. He stepped even closer to her.

“Never compare yourself to anyone.” His voice was solemn. “There simply is no comparison.”

The way that Ji-pyeong was looking at her left no doubt in the truth of his words. Mi-rae nodded
her head slowly.

“We don’t have to have a party at all. I barely even have friends, Mi-rae.”

He gave her a lopsided smile.

“Let’s just get there and see how we feel as we go. I should have given more consideration to it
being your first time back after your dad. We’ll take it one day at a time, okay?”
Mi-rae let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay.”

Ji-pyeong grabbed her hand.

“Shall we walk?”

She squeezed it and nodded.

Music lilted from around the corner as they neared the main street. Ji-pyeong exhaled loudly.

“So was that our first fight? It's a relief that it’s over.”

Mi-rae looked up at Ji-pyeong. She was so grateful for the renewed ease between them. Her
fingers slipped between his.

“No, I think that’s our second. Wasn’t the beach our first fight?”

Ji-pyeong cocked his head thoughtfully. Then he stopped walking.

“Wait then that means the first time we had sex it was technically ‘make up’ sex? We really are
ridiculous, Mi-rae.”

Her laughter peeled out. Then she looked at him skeptically

“Should that actually count as our first time? I think that’s debatable.”

Ji-pyeong laughed and pulled her closer as they turned the corner onto the main square. The plaza
was teeming with people. Lights and triangular flags had been strung from a white domed church
tower across the open square. The bursts of color were joyful as they crisscrossed above them
against the clear night sky. On the far side of the plaza was a stage with local musicians dressed in
white and black playing folk music while people danced below. The square was buzzing with food
stalls and artisans.

“Oh! It must be one of those summer festivals we read about! No wonder it was so hard to get a
reservation tonight.”

They wandered in silence, soaking in the revelry and each other. Ji-pyeong kept one arm curved
around her shoulder while his other hand twirled his hat around and around. They passed a booth
selling wine and stopped to wait in line. A young couple in their late teens was kissing passionately
just in front of them. They were oblivious to the presence of anyone else.

Ji-pyeong slid his hands in his pockets and glanced at Mi-rae, smirking. He tilted his head at them
and then eyed her curiously with a nod.

“When was your first kiss?”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Wait, how have we not talked about this before?”

Ji-pyeong shrugged his shoulders.

“We kind of skipped over coming of age stories and cut right to death and divorce.”

Mi-rae laughed softly. Then a moment of awkwardly kissing with her arms rigid at her sides behind
a convenience store flashed through her mind. She could still hear the buzz of the neon lotto sign.

“I was fifteen. I did it on a dare. I turned down the first dare to kiss the boy I actually liked. Then I
didn’t have the guts to turn down the second one. So I ended up kissing a friend instead. We had no
idea what we were doing. It was awful — he just stuck his tongue in my mouth and wiggled it
around.”

She shuddered at the memory as Ji-pyeong cackled. Then he shook his head at himself and held a
hand up in apology.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t laugh — it’s not funny.”

Mi-rae huffed a laugh too.

“I mean it’s a little funny. I couldn’t even listen to the radio after that because the sound of saliva
grossed me out.”

Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.

“Well that certainly set the bar low.”

Mi-rae laughed again as they stepped up to order.

“How about you?”

Ji-pyeong took his wallet out of his pocket and ordered wine as he frowned.

“It was this girl in university. She was a year older than me and so popular. She would never talk
to me in public or introduce me to her friends. But she liked that I had an apartment. The first time
that she kissed me was while she insisted on playing ‘It’s Raining’ over and over on my stereo on a
loop. I think she thought that she was starring in a music video in her head.”

Ji-pyeong visibly cringed. Mi-rae covered her mouth trying not to laugh.

“I’m sorry but she sounds absolutely terrible, my love.”

“Oh she was!” He sighed as he shook his head. “We eventually started sleeping together. But she
would never tell anyone that we were dating. Some orphan with no family could never be her real
boyfriend. I stupidly thought back then that was all that I deserved.”
Mi-rae blinked hard and then reached for his arm.

“Oh my love.”

He shrugged.

“It’s fine. I mean, looking back it wasn’t really but whatever. She forever ruined RAIN for me
though.”

Ji-pyeong gave her a lopsided grin. Then he handed her a plastic cup filled with white wine and
they resumed walking. He stared ahead after they made their way around a crowd of people.

“There were about fourteen — no fifteen — women or so after that before you. Some casual
dating, some one night stands. Nothing ever serious.”

Fifteen?

Mi-rae’s eyes widened. And then she thought about all of the things that he knew how to do.

Well I guess that makes sense.

Ji-pyeong’s eyes ticked down to her before he continued. Mi-rae forced herself to focus on
whatever he was going to say next.

“You’re the first person with whom I ever spent the whole night. And you’re the first person with
whom I’ve ever had a relationship.”

Mi-rae stopped in her tracks.

“What?”
Ji-pyeong nodded as he took a sip of wine.

“The first time I ever woke up next to someone was with you at the Carlyle Hotel.”

Mi-rae was dumbstruck.

“I just thought…”

She trailed off as her mind let go of her assumptions about his life before her with other women. Ji-
pyeong saw right through her and shook his head adamantly.

“Only you.”

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. The way he said it sent a thrill through her. It had
become their secret language everytime they crossed a new line of intimacy. Ji-pyeong’s eyes
dropped down to her silent lips. Then he slowly leaned his head forward and continued walking.

“So how about you?”

Mi-rae sipped her wine.

“You mean my first time?”

Ji-pyeong took a long drink. Then he lowered his head and looked her up and down.

“I mean everything that I don’t already know.”

Mi-rae took a breath. And then she was remembering a room lit with candles and cloaked in
tapestries latent with the smell of incense and pot. She was curled naked under a quilt next to a boy
for the first time in a very different world of New York City than the one she lived in now.
“My first time was in college too. I had a fling for a few months with a guy who I met at a party
that his band played. He was brilliant with words like you.”

She glanced over at Ji-pyeong. He stood a little bit taller as he absorbed the compliment.

“We took a poetry class together at his university and I went to his literary magazine readings. It
was all very nerdy but sweet and lovely too. We broke up before he started touring. In the end I was
way too practical to date a musician. My friends used to joke that he wrote a song about me but it’s
way too vague to know for sure.”

She laughed softly.

“I’ll admit that he was a pretty great guy as far as first times go.”

Mi-rae pulled Ji-pyeong’s jacket tighter around her shoulders as she kept pace with him. It smelled
deliciously like him. Ji-pyeong’s head was bent low and his hands were in his pockets as he waited
for more. And so she offered it all.

“It was pretty much all downhill from there until you. I slept with two other guys who I dated
before Nick. And then you already know everything after that.”

She could feel Ji-pyeong’s eyes on her now as they walked. The girl who had studied poetry and
novels and felt everything so deeply while chasing experiences had been reawakened by Ji-pyeong
on this island. Mi-rae was about to tell him so when he suddenly stepped in front of her.

Ji-pyeong squinted at her as he held up his hand in the air.

“Wait a second. Your friends knew the band’s songs? He went on tour?”

Shit.

Mi-rae sucked in her lips bracing for the question that she knew was coming. She slowly stepped
around Ji-pyeong to stall for time and moved towards a table displaying pottery. Ji-pyeong was
immediately by her side again.
“How big was this band?”

She glanced up at him. Ji-pyeong had pushed his hair back from his forehead again. He was so
alluring with his skin warmed by days in the sun in a white shirt. But his face also wore a look of
dogged determination. Mi-rae’s eyes took refuge in her glass. And then her lips sought the false
courage that it offered before meeting his gaze again.

Ji-pyeong sighed impatiently.

“Oh my god, Mi-rae. This is killing me!”

Her mouth twitched.

“Um, they’re pretty big.”

Ji-pyeong perched his hands on his hips.

“Like so big that they’re in your record cabinet?”

Mi-rae smoothed her hair nervously. The image of a chandelier hanging from a ceiling flashed
through her head. She pressed her lips together and nodded silently.

“Holy shit.” Ji-pyeong’s eyes were wide. “Tell me what band right now.”

Hopefully he won’t know them.

Mi-rae drew in a deep breath. Then she pressed her hand to Ji-pyeong’s chest and whispered the
name of the band in his ear.

He narrowed his eyes as he thought hard for a moment. Then Ji-pyeong jerked his head back and
gasped in shock.
“I remember that weird name! They are in your cabinet!”

Mi-rae shrugged nonchalantly while trying desperately to keep a straight face.

“Of course they are. They’re a great band.”

Ji-pyeong let out an incredulous huff. His hand thrust into his hair as he swung away from her.
And then he pulled out his phone and immediately started searching. Mi-rae rushed towards it but
he was too tall as he held it away from her.

“Please don’t look him up!”

Ji-pyeong scoffed and narrowed his eyes at the screen.

“Of course I’m looking him up!”

She buried her face in her hands.

“Oh my god this is so embarrassing!”

“Is it this guy?”

Ji-pyeong held up the phone with his eyebrow raised. Mi-rae saw the wave of dark hair and
immediately looked away, nodding. Ji-pyeong’s thumb scrolled furiously as his eyes moved
hungrily back and forth consuming every detail on his screen.

“Columbia University…Grammy awards! Are you fucking kidding me?”

Mi-rae stepped closer to him and ducked her head under his line of sight to get his attention.

“My love.”
He looked at her, his jaw still slack with surprise. She could not help but find him adorable. Mi-rae
lifted herself onto her toes to reach his ear.

“Are you jealous?”

Her tone was gently teasing. Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched but a smile was toying with the heart shape
of his lips.

“A little.” He sniffed defiantly. “I mean your first lover was a fucking rock star.”

“Technically he only became a rock star after we dated.”

Ji-pyeong stared at her, clearly still waiting to be convinced. Mi-rae curved her hand around the
other side of his face as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then she leaned her forehead against his
jaw for a moment as she breathed in the smell of his cologne.

Finally, Mi-rae found his ear again.

“I promise you that venture capitalists are better in bed than rock stars.”

She pulled away and looked up at him as her fingers slowly slipped away from his face. Ji-
pyeong’s tongue lodged into the side of his cheek. Then he looked down at the ground as a dimple
finally acknowledged her praise. Mi-rae curled her fingers around his phone and lowered it.

“So put away your phone and buy your wife another drink.”

Ji-pyeong bit his lip as he looked away for a moment. When he met her eyes again, they were full
of longing. He leaned down and kissed her, his lips tugged gently at hers before he pulled away as
if to remind her that she was his. Then Ji-pyeong grabbed her hand as he started walking
backwards. His eyes raked over her flirtatiously.

“I want to hear the song that’s about you.”

Ji-pyeong pulled her towards the next wine booth. She hurried to keep up with him.

“I didn’t say that it was about me! I said my friends teased me about it!”

He leaned his elbow on the edge of the stand as they waited for the cashier and shook his head in
disbelief.

“My wife has a song written about her! I’m going to have to write a lot more letters to top that.”

Mi-rae leaned into his chest as she laughed softly. Then an idea bolted through her. She clutched
the collar of his shirt.

“Let’s write to each other every year for our anniversary. Want to?”

A beautiful smile bloomed. Ji-pyeong nodded, his eyes shining.

“I’d love that.”

The cashier finally turned his attention to them. As they waited for their drinks, Ji-pyeong caressed
a lock of her hair until he reached the blunt end and played with it between two fingers.

“In all the photographs in the apartment your hair is long. When did you cut it?”

After him.

Mi-rae remembered staring at her face in the mirror, her eyes red and puffy from crying as the
hairdresser made the first surgical cut of over twelve inches of hair. The cold steel of the scissors
seemed to slice through her too. Then the old Kim Mi-rae — the one who had lost herself and was
betrayed — was severed from her and slid down the dressing gown to the ground.

“Three days after I walked in on Nick. I met with my divorce lawyer. And then I went into the first
salon I could find and told them to cut it all off. It’s a little cliche but it was my attempt at a
declaration of independence. I sobbed after. I hated it at first.”

Ji-pyeong’s fingers slipped back up into her hair as his eyes drank her in. His touch made her tingle
with warmth.

“I can’t imagine you any other way.”

His voice was soft. Ji-pyeong’s awe as he played with her hair made Mi-rae wonder at how she
could have ever worried about how she would compare to another.

They accepted their glasses of wine and kept walking side by side throughout the plaza. Ji-pyeong
stole glances at her as they told more stories from their university days and early twenties. Mi-rae
felt the warmth of the alcohol curl within her as they shared memories of who they were on the
way to becoming the most precious people in the world to one another.

Ji-pyeong was explaining how he first came to work for Yoon Seon-hak, when a table bursting
with colorful woven bracelets caught her eye. Her feet stopped moving and her hand slipped away
from Ji-pyeong. An elderly woman rose from her chair and smiled at Mi-rae. She called over to a
young boy with large brown eyes who was waiting on two teeth to fill a charming gap in his smile.

“They’re mati bracelets. When a person carries an evil eye with them, it guards against the jealousy
of others or bad things happening in one's life.”

Mi-rae listened as she stared at a pair woven with red string. The blue glass eye in each was set
amid a deep crimson braid. Her fingers touched one gingerly out of respect for its promised powers
as the woman spoke to the boy.

“My grandmother says that your ring is beautiful. She wonders if you are on your honeymoon?”

The woman’s eyes were kind but knowing as they shifted from Mi-rae to Ji-pyeong who was now
standing beside her. A shiver inexplicably went down Mi-rae’s spine.

“Please tell her that I said thank you. And yes, we are.”
Ji-pyeong made a small sound of surprise and whispered to Mi-rae.

“How could she tell?”

Mi-rae shook her head as the boy translated. Then he squinted up at Ji-pyeong.

“I like your hat, sir. Did you get that in Trypiti?”

“I sure did. It’s my favorite hat.” Ji-pyeong winked at Mi-rae. “Wanna try it on?”

The boy grinned and nodded as Ji-pyeong offered his hat to him. As Ji-pyeong praised the way the
boy carried a hat far too large for his head, Mi-rae held up two fingers, pointed to the red bracelets,
and offered her twenty euros. The woman nodded and slid them into a slip of small brown paper.
When Mi-rae reached for the bag, the woman wrapped both of her weathered hands around Mi-
rae’s hand.

“Vion anthosparton.”

Her eyes were warm and conveyed a meaning that her words could not. Tears inexplicably pricked
behind Mi-rae’s eyes as the woman squeezed her hand before letting go. Her fingers curled around
the brown paper as she turned to the boy. He was handing Ji-pyeong back his hat.

“What did she just say?”

The boy turned to his grandmother who repeated the phrase. He nodded quickly and turned back to
Mi-rae.

“It’s something we say here to people after they get married. It means may you have ‘a life full of
flowers.’”

Her throat tightened. As she looked up at Ji-pyeong, Mi-rae’s mind flashed with memories. He was
standing in a secret world of purple; he was waiting in white to ask her to be his wife; he was
awestruck as she pinned a tulip to his lapel; he was so happy dancing amid the flowers on their
rooftop.
Ji-pyeong’s hand found hers and held on tight. Mi-rae swallowed to find her voice.

“Thank you so much.”

As they walked away, Mi-rae could feel Ji-pyeong’s eyes on her.

“You ok?”

She stopped by a table and set down her purse and folded Ji-pyeong’s jacket over a chair. They
were closer to the stage now and a crowd was milling around waiting for the musicians to resume
their set.

“Give me your wrist.”

Ji-pyeong tilted his head at her curiously. Then he unfurled his arm. Mi-rae slipped the button at
his cuff free and gently rolled up his sleeve. Then she slipped one bracelet out of the bag and
wrapped each end around the narrow of his wrist next to his silver watch. She looked up at him.

“Is this too tight?”

Ji-pyeong was still staring at her fingers. He shook his head silently as if he was in a daze.

Mi-rae tied the ends into a knot three times. And then she turned his hand over so that an eye as
blue as the sea was visible.

Their eyes locked.

“It’s our red string.”

His voice was hoarse. Her chest panged with love for how well Ji-pyeong understood as her fingers
curved around his wrist.
“One for you and one for me.”

Mi-rae looked back down as she passed her thumb over it and then caressed the tender skin on the
inside of his wrist.

“I know that you don’t believe in luck. But as a woman whose name means future, I’m investing in
a string that comes with an insurance policy just in case.”

Laughter burst from his lips. Then Ji-pyeong blinked rapidly and looked up at the sky. He pulled
her into his arms with a small shake of his head and hugged her tightly. Mi-rae closed her eyes
against the cotton of his shirt and offered her daily prayer to whatever force in the universe would
listen.

Please keep him safe.

The sound of a lira then began to vibrate around them. Mi-rae looked up at Ji-pyeong as people
began to rush past them towards the stage. The strumming of guitar and the plaintive wail of a
violin soon joined in. He closed his hand around her wrist.

“Here let me do yours.”

Mi-rae offered the other bracelet to her husband. As his fingers sealed the ends together, Mi-rae
felt a tingling sensation all over her body. The voice of a man singing echoed across the plaza as Ji-
pyeong’s hands finished their work. Then he raised her wrist to his lips and pressed a solemn kiss
there. Mi-rae swayed towards him as the music rose in tempo.

Ji-pyeong smiled shyly and then folded her hand into his as he pulled her towards the stage. He
twirled her around as the lira shimmered. The air swept around her legs as green silk billowed
around her. And as his hands found her waist, Mi-rae closed her eyes. Here with the rhythm
commanding her hips and with his body moving so closely to hers, she let herself just feel — the
surge of the crowd around her, the breeze on her fingertips as she lifted her hands in the air, the
way Ji-pyeong’s hands knowingly spanned her waist.

She opened her eyes again as the crowd began clapping to the music. The white of Ji-pyeong’s
smile flashed as they were pushed along with the shouts of the crowd into a chaotic circle.
“What’s happening?”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes were wide as they suddenly found themselves hand in hand with strangers in a
giant rotating circle. Mi-rae threw her head back and laughed as the red, green, blue, and yellow
flags streaked across the sky above them. The man’s singing grew more urgent as the tempo
swelled. The song was ancient and vital all at once. She did not know the words or the steps but
Mi-rae felt wildly free as they were swept along by a current of humanity. She breathlessly tried to
keep up until the crescendo reached a fever pitch. The crowd cheered as a dramatic flourish of
guitar ended the song.

Ji-pyeong pulled her against his chest as the crowd shouted for more. She saw only him. Mi-rae
threw her arms around his neck, dizzy with alcohol and joy.

“I love you!”

She shouted it above the din of cheers. Ji-pyeong grinned. And then he kissed her, hard. Mi-rae
stood up on her toes and chased her way into his mouth. People began dancing all around them
again. The music blared at a blistering pace. But none of it mattered. All she could do was feel —
the slide of his hands into the silk of her dress; the way his tongue caressed hers; how her heart
pounded as his arms folded her against his chest. Mi-rae kissed her husband under the lights of the
plaza like no one else was there.

Someone shouted at them in Greek and laughed as they bumped into Ji-pyeong’s shoulder. He
blinked hard and then pulled her away from the crowd. His lips were at her ear as his fingers curled
around arm.

“Do you want to go down to the beach?”

Mi-rae looked up at him. Ji-pyeong was pushing his rumpled dark hair off of his forehead. It was
damp with sweat and curling. His eyes were shining. She would go anywhere that he asked.

Mi-rae nodded. Then she rushed to retrieve her purse and his jacket before seizing his hand again.

They walked hand in hand down the cobblestone steps off the main square. The moonlight lended
the whitewashed walls an ethereal glow. Mi-rae wondered how many other lovers had sneaked by
their silent watch over the centuries. The sound of the waves grew louder as they descended.
But when they reached the sandy threshold, they discovered that the celebrations had spilled onto
the beach. Large bonfires were built along the shore and a crowd of people were milling around a
bar. Its wooden canopy was hung with wicker lanterns glowing gold in the darkness.

Ji-pyeong wrapped his jacket back around her shoulders.

“Wait right here and I’ll get us drinks.”

Mi-rae watched until the outline of his dark head disappeared into the crowd as she tugged the
lapel of his jacket closer around her neck. She shrugged her feet out of her sandals. The sand was
cold as her toes found refuge in the softness. The moon’s reflection was scattered in a thousand
silver pieces across the black expanse ahead. People moved in dark silhouettes around the fires —
like shadow puppets at the mercy of the gods. Mi-rae turned the red string at her wrist around and
around as she watched them.

“Mi-rae!”

Ji-pyeong held up two glasses in the air as he called out for her. Mi-rae stooped to pick up her
sandals and then ran across the sand to him. He handed her two glasses as he balanced two more in
his other hand.

“One water and one wine. Hydrate first.”

Ji-pyeong looked out at the beach as she gulped the water down gratefully. Then she slipped her
wine cup inside the empty one and bumped his arm with her shoulder. Ji-pyeong wrapped his arm
around her until they found a quiet place to sit at the furthest fire. The sand sank under her as Mi-
rae pulled her knees to her chest. Waves rolled softly in the distance as the fire consumed black
jagged logs reaching up to the indifferent stars as if attempting to escape their fate. Mi-rae laid her
cheek on her knees and traced her husband’s profile against the orange glow. She knew every
curve by heart now like a favorite path home.

“Hi.”

Ji-pyeong turned to smile at her.

“Hi.”

Her heart spilled out into the silence once again.

“I have felt more like myself in the last ten days than I have since …. well I can’t remember when.
I feel like I am who I am supposed to be with you.”

Ji-pyeong’s jaw clenched.

“That’s all that I want. For you to feel that way with me.”

He took a sip of wine as he looked at the fire for a moment.

“I can’t say that I ever felt like this before. I’ve never laughed or danced or felt so much in my
entire life as I do with you. It’s like there was my life before you...”

His eyes found hers.

“And now my life after.”

Mi-rae’s heart pinched again with remorse.

“I’m so sorry that I was jealous.”

Ji-pyeong looked at her, stone faced.

“I’ve never had anyone actually be jealous because of me before.” He leaned back on his hands as
a grin slowly teased up his lips. “Especially not a rock star’s ex.”

Mi-rae gasped a laugh and punched his shoulder. He chuckled but then peered up at her a bit shyly.
They were quiet for a moment as they sipped their wine and took in the fire. Then Ji-pyeong sat up
straight and turned his head to look at her.

“When I said that I would do it all over again just to be able to ask you to marry me, I meant it.”

As he looked at her his voice demanded a faith that was already his.

“That is all that she means to me now — a necessary step in my life to get to you.”

Ji-pyeong looked down and played with the red string around his wrist. Mi-rae’s chest ached. A log
keened before collapsing into the glowing flames.

“You wrote about our loneliness — all that past pain. That it was the string that connected us.”

He remembers my letter like I remember his.

Ji-pyeong met her gaze. The fire cast shadows across his face but his eyes were warm and steady.

“Those rocks that you wrote about did leave scars. And those scars will always be with us. They
will continue to fade but some days they may bother us more than others. Like tonight. So we
talked through it — like we always do. You were right to let me know how it made you feel. I’m
just sorry that I didn’t listen at first as I should have because of my own scars.”

He reached for her. Mi-rae folded his hand into hers. She passed her thumb over his knuckles and
then slid under the red string around his wrist.

Their eyes were drawn to the dancing flames as she caressed the delicate veins running just
beneath his skin. The fire was mesmerizing in how it transformed all that was offered to it into
something so warm and beautiful until the ashes were carried away in the wind.

An idea unfurled from deep within Mi-rae’s heart. The dark corners of it yearned to be set free.

Mi-rae set her glass down in the sand and rummaged through her purse until she found a pocket
guidebook of the island and a pen. She heard his soft gasp as she tore the first two pages from the
book.

“What are you doing?”

Mi-rae took a breath.

“After everything, Sam bugged me until I finally went to a therapist. Right before my first New
Year’s Eve alone, she suggested that instead of making resolutions I should write down everything
that I wanted to let go of and burn it in a fire to begin afresh.”

She looked down at the torn pages.

“Of course I didn’t do it. I sat alone on my couch, drank too much, and cried instead.” She bit her
lip as her fingers curled into the paper. “I don’t know maybe it’s stupid —”

“I’ll go first.”

Mi-rae looked up in surprise. Ji-pyeong was holding out his hand. She let out a breath that she did
not realize that she was holding as he accepted the paper and a pen.

Mi-rae watched in amazement as his beloved dark head immediately bent over the scrap of paper
balanced on his thigh. He wrote gingerly but quickly. Ji-pyeong paused and added more. And then
he raised an eyebrow and handed her back the pen.

“Your turn.”

His fingers brushed hers as she took it. Their eyes met as the sound of the fire snapped in the wind.
Then Mi-rae folded her lips into one another as she hurried to write her list down on the paper
against her knee.

When she had finished, her regrets were scrawled in black ink on a torn copyright page. They had
loomed so large in her life. Yet stripped down to their essence, they filled only a quarter of this
page with a jagged edge.
Mi-rae looked back up at her husband. The light of the fire flickered in the depths of his brown
eyes. Ji-pyeong looked at her questioningly.

“Now what? Do we just throw it in?”

Mi-rae straightened her shoulders.

“Do you want to hear mine first?”

Her voice was quiet but steady. He shifted closer to her.

“Yes.”

A gust of wind swept hair into her face. Mi-rae took a deep breath and pushed it away. And then
she read her regrets out into the night.

“Guilt over whether I could have done something to stop my father from taking his life; settling for
less than I deserved in my first marriage; allowing Nick to make me feel like I would never be
enough even after; being afraid to be myself again for a long time.”

Mi-rae let out a breath, her hands shaking as she folded the paper in half and looked up at her
husband.

The glow of the fire revealed eyes glistening with emotion. Ji-pyeong nodded once while the
breeze played with his hair. Then he bent his head down towards his page as he cleared his throat.

“Wondering why my parents did not keep me; every time I felt unwanted growing up; my
resentment towards Seo Dal-mi & Nam Do-san; all the times when I spoke the truth more harshly
than I needed to; the years I spent thinking that there was something wrong with me and that was
why I was alone.”

Ji-pyeong looked down and touched his forehead to gather himself.

He is so brave.

Mi-rae grabbed both of his hands as he let out a shuddering breath.

“Oh my love.”

He leaned towards her and squeezed her hands reassuringly.

“‘Hell was the journey,’ right?”

Ji-pyeong gave her a crooked smile. Then he slowly rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. He
let go to crease his paper in half and then held it up between two fingers.

“Shall we?”

They stepped closer to the fire. Ji-pyeong pointed to an opening under a large piece of wood laying
across the base of the bonfire. Mi-rae slipped the paper into the embers as closely as she could and
then snatched her fingers away. Ji-pyeong bent down and tossed his page just under the log as well.

When he rose back up to his full height, Ji-pyeong stepped back to stand by Mi-rae’s side. His hand
found her, his fingers brushing gently over the bracelet and then sliding along her palm until they
curled around to hold on tightly.

Then Mi-rae and Ji-pyeong stood hand in hand and watched the fire consume their past.

Black gently lapped at the edges of the white papers. And then black bloomed into orange. Flames
burst as the papers curled into themselves in capitulation. And then they were gone.

The past and present had wrestled inside of her today. But Ji-pyeong loved her because his heart
was just as unruly — shaped by loss but capable of fierce love because of it. There was freedom in
now loving as deeply as she was made to. Whether it was a string of fate or their strength of will,
Mi-rae offered her past regrets to the stars above with thanks that she would spend the rest of her
days with the man beside her.

No longer was she the girl with long hair who kept score with her father at baseball games
determined to succeed when he could not. Nor was she the woman who lost herself to grief and
betrayal; cutting off faith in others as sharply as the scissors that had shorned that long hair away.
Kim Mi-rae was now a woman with a heart full of hope and in possession of the wisdom to cherish
it.

Their regrets rose up along with the fleeting sparks of ash on the wind. Left behind was something
rare; a love as steady as the return of the waves no matter the shifting sand beneath.

Mi-rae looked up at Ji-pyeong. She waited breathlessly for his head to turn towards her. And then
their eyes met. They had talked all night. But now the time for words was over.

“Take me home.”

In a taxi on the way back to the villa, Mi-rae leaned her head against Ji-pyeong’s chest. His fingers
traced endless circles into her palm as the car wound its way along the coastal road. The windows
were down and the cool air whipped through her hair. Stars glittered beyond them like a thousand
holes poked into the black expanse in search of something more. Mi-rae could not see the way
ahead as the taxi made its way in pitch blackness. But it did not matter. Ji-pyeong’s chest rose and
fell steadily beneath her head. She had already found her light in the darkness.

They walked hand in hand into the house. It was cloaked in the gray of night but neither of them
moved to turn the lights on. Just as Mi-rae heard the door shut behind her, a tug on her arm pulled
her back.

Ji-pyeong was leaning against the door, his hat dangling precariously from his fingers. Her breath
caught in her throat. For a moment, he just looked at her. Tires rolled over gravel just outside as the
taxi drove away. Ji-pyeong rose up to his full height and placed the hat carefully on a hook beside
the door. And then he pulled her closer. Mi-rae felt the familiar tingle of anticipation as he raised
his fingers to her face.

But Ji-pyeong froze, hands suspended in the air. He suddenly looked undone, his eyes dancing
back and forth restlessly. And his fingers were trembling. Mi-rae took them into her hands and
gently drew them to her cheeks.
“What is it, my love?”

Ji-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut. He shook his head back and forth twice as he fought emotion.
When he opened his eyes again, his face was solemn in the almost darkness. His hands stroked her
cheeks tenderly as his adams’s apple plunged down.

“Have you ever …”

His eyes searched hers as if they could answer a question he had not yet asked.

“Have you ever felt like your heart just might break because you’re so happy?” His voice was
quiet, nearly shaking. His brow furrowed. “It’s such a strange feeling.”

Mi-rae let out a breath as an exquisite ache spread throughout her body. Then she drew within an
inch of his lips.

“Only with you, my love. Only with you.”

She kissed him gently. The pink heart of his mouth was surprisingly tentative at first. But then his
fingers claimed her face on their own, sliding along her cheeks as he leaned her head back. Ji-
pyeong moved slowly and deeply, like he needed to tell her something with every brush of his
tongue. Mi-rae closed her eyes as his fingers then slid into her hair, his thumbs moving in circles
on her jaw. His kiss left no room for doubt, or jealousy, or fear. Now there was only him making
her feel like only he could.

And then Ji-pyeong was pushing his jacket off of her shoulders. And she was undoing the buttons
on his shirt. And he was moving her backwards to the bedroom as his hands slowly untied the knot
at her neck. The sound of silk smoothly succumbing to his hands filled the silence. This was now a
familiar ritual. By the time they reached the bed, most of their clothing lay in a line of surrender
strewn behind them. Mi-rae gently pushed at her husband’s chest until he sat on the bed.

The mere sight of him waiting for her stole the breath from her chest. Ji-pyeong was beautiful in
the slivers of moonlight seeping through the shutters. His hair was still swept back in a raven
wave. His bare chest rose and fell softly, bathed in silver. His legs fell open to invite her closer. Mi-
rae stepped slowly into that sacred space. As she reached across to feather her fingertips along his
shoulders. Ji-pyeong took in a sharp breath and held it.
She wanted to undress herself for him - to offer him her body as she had the depths of her heart by
the fire. Mi-rae slipped her hands behind her back. It seemed to draw Ji-pyeong towards her like
pulling on a string. She watched his tongue trace his lower lip as her fingers worked to unclasp her
bra. She let out a breath as the lace gave way into her hands. Mi-rae let the bra fall softly to the
ground.

Ji-pyeong remained perfectly still. She watched as his eyes took in all that she offered to him. And
then they finally ticked back up to her face.

Mi-rae took in a shaky breath. The intensity of Ji-pyeong’s gaze made her ache for his touch. Yet
he remained motionless, waiting for her.

She let her fingers fall to her breasts. Ji-pyeong’s lips opened as her hands trailed down over the
curves of her body. She felt heady with her own touch as his eyes consumed her hungrily. Mi-rae
moved down and down until her fingers slipped beneath her underwear and peeled down.

Only then did Ji-pyeong finally move. His hands slid up along the sides of her thighs until they
curled around her hips. And then Ji-pyeong pulled her towards him.

His lips pressed a reverent kiss to her stomach; it offered grace and took posession all at once. And
then he met her gaze, his fingers splayed across her hips.

“Only you.”

His voice hummed low against her belly. Mi-rae’s throat tightened. It meant something else now as
he looked up at her with so much love in his eyes. Those words were meant for the dark corner of
her heart that she had shown to him tonight. Indeed, she had shown her true self to him from the
very beginning - her loneliness, her doubts, her grief. And he loved her unconditionally, even when
she faltered. Mi-rae traced the precious shape of his face as his chin sank gently into her belly. His
hair was soft under her fingertips, his hands so warm on her hips.

There was a twinge deep within her chest. Mi-rae felt that joyful pain of which her husband had
spoken. She would remember this always; the way her husband was looking at all of her now as
stolen moonlight imbued the silence with a strange sort of magic. The way his eyes, his hands, his
words told her that she was beloved. Happiness flooded her heart — rushing in, pushing at the
walls, pulling at the edges until the very shape was changed.

She could not abide waiting to have him another moment. Mi-rae climbed into Ji-pyeong’s lap as
he shifted back in welcome. Her knees sank into the mattress on either side of his hips like a
promise. And then Mi-rae wrapped her hand around him. The white of Ji-pyeong’s teeth flashed as
they sank into the pillow of his lip. She guided him inside as her tongue slipped between those lips
with a single word echoing in her head.

Closer.

Mi-rae rolled her hips to pull Ji-pyeong into the sweet ache within. The length of him pushed and
pushed, in and in and in and in — hard and knowing as he gasped into her mouth. It was a merciful
relief as she began to move. Ji-pyeong had changed the shape of her like this too; she was whole
only if they were a part of one another. Mi-rae filled the warm wet gift of his mouth in return,
kissing him as slowly as she moved below. His hands restlessly cupped her breasts and then slipped
up her back to pull her against him. Mi-rae closed her eyes as her breasts gave way. Her head fell
back as her hips shamelessly chased what she wanted.

But then his hands were seizing her backside. And suddenly they were falling on their sides into
the mattress.

Ji-pyeong gathered her face into his hands and pulled her closer to him. His eyes were tender as his
thumbs softly stroked her cheeks.

“Stay with me.”

Ji-pyeong whispered it as his eyes searched hers, his fingers spanning her cheeks. Mi-rae could
feel herself smiling between his two hands. It was so good to be loved by Han Ji-pyeong. She
traced the dimples that he offered in return with her fingertips.

“Always.”

Ji-pyeong pulled her leg over his hip in one smooth motion. And then he offered himself again —
slipping just enough inside of her to claim that promise. It was a mere fraction of what she needed
and yet they were now so slick with want that she tingled all over at his seductive delay. Ji-pyeong
kissed her as he stroked below — gently withholding all of himself to keep her deliciously tethered
to him. Mi-rae lost herself to the depths of his eyes as he made endless love to her in the silver of
this night. His hair still smelled like the fire that had burned their regrets away. His fingers traced
secret messages on her back as he lovingly worshiped between her legs. He kissed her forehead, her
cheeks, her lips, her neck, her breasts. Ji-pyeong showed Mi-rae how he loved her with his hands
and his lips as he kept them on a knife’s edge of pleasure. It was a sweet torture — he insisted that
every inch of her must be adored before he would allow them to be pulled under.
Finally, the exquisite suspension between them broke her. Mi-rae reached for his face, her voice
raw.

“I need all of you.”

Ji-pyeong’s eyes flashed. And then he rolled her onto her back. She inhaled sharply as he wrapped
her legs around his hips with an assured determination. Mi-rae drank in the expanse of his chest as
he sank deeply within her with a sigh of surrender.

His hips were still for a moment. Ji-pyeong placed his hands on either side of her head. Mi-rae
needed him so desperately now that she could not think. She heard herself make a small sound like
a plea. And then Ji-pyeong snapped his hips with a vigor that made her gasp. And then he did it
again. And again. And as he gave her all of himself over and over, Ji-pyeong refused to drag his
eyes away from her face. His gaze was piercing, the brown depths infinite. Her lips fell open in
awe. It was so much to feel the power of his body while his eyes resolutely demanded her
attention.

You are mine and I am yours.

Ji-pyeong did not need to say the words for Mi-rae to understand. The drive of his hips told her.
The dark want in his eyes told her. The way his hands folded into hers and stretched her arms
above her head told her. The way his body pressed her down into the mattress told her. The
pleasure blooming deep inside told her.

Ji-pyeong never took his eyes off of her. Even as their bodies arched into one another in surrender.
Even as they rasped their love to one another as the tether pulled them under. Ji-pyeong gathered
her face back into his hands as a piercing ecstasy burst within her. He wanted her to stay with him
even in the abyss. Mi-rae saw only him as his hips offered wave after wave of pleasure to her body.
She saw only him as he too gave into the hot rush. She saw only him as their hips gradually ebbed
together; pleasure rippling as they remained a part of one another as long as they could. She saw
only him as he finally lowered his lips to softly kiss her in thanks for such bliss.

Only after did Ji-pyeong finally drop his head to her chest in exhaustion.

Mi-rae closed her eyes and felt herself exhale for what felt like the first time. She wrapped her arms
around him to keep him close, listening to his breath as he recovered. His broad back was slick with
sweat under her fingers, his heart still hammering against her. She smiled to herself as he burrowed
his face between her breasts with a content sigh.

After a time, Ji-pyeong raised himself up on his elbow. His hair was disheveled and he looked well
satisfied. A wide smile blossomed across her lips as she opened and closed her legs lazily around
his body. She felt as if she could just float away. Her husband was beautiful and kind and he loved
her so. Mi-rae felt drunk with joy as he looked at her.

Ji-pyeong raised an eyebrow playfully.

“See? That was make up sex.”

Laughter peeled from her lips.

“Agreed.” Mi-rae carded her fingers against his scalp. “Well done, my love.”

His head dropped and laughter burst warmly against her skin. When Ji-pyeong looked back up at
her, he gently smoothed the hair from her face.

“I love you.”

The three words were so simple. And yet here in the moonlight under the warm weight of her
husband’s body, they were all that Mi-rae needed in this world.

“I love you too.”

Her fingers pushed his hair back off of his forehead as his eyes consumed her words greedily. And
then Ji-pyeong growled like a bear as he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him. Ji-pyeong
tucked the duvet around them. Her eyelids felt heavy now as she settled against his chest.

Mi-rae found his wrist and played with the red string as she listened to his heart beat steadily
beneath her cheek. She turned it around and around; it was endless and abiding. There was no
longer a beginning or an end. Her fingers found the knot that bound the string together — it was
now a complete circle just like them.
She closed her eyes in the warm safety of Ji-pyeong’s arms with a heart full of love. And then Mi-
rae whispered to her husband as she did now every night with the knowledge that she always
would.

“Good night, my love.”

************************
 Epilogue
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“Grandmother, your shoelace is untied again.”

Ji-pyeong sighed as he bent down on one knee to pick up both ends of the worn laces.

“Why won’t you let me take you shopping? They are frayed at the ends. It’s ridiculous.”

He looped them around one another and tied the knot twice. As he finished, Grandmother huffed
and pushed at his shoulder.

“If you’re just going to start with that nonsense again I am going to leave. I have work to do.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. Ji-pyeong desperately seized a weathered hand.

“Please don’t go.”

Her exasperation melted away in an instant. Then Grandmother smiled and closed her other hand
over his.

“Then stop your grousing and sit down and just talk with me.”

Ji-pyeong let out a breath of relief and sat on the bench by her side.

The river was calm today — a placid gray expanse offering a measure of serenity in the city. He
wondered why they were back here when she was no longer running the stand but decided it better
not to annoy her further with questions.
“I got married, Grandmother.”

Wait, how can this be? Ji-pyeong tilted his head at the strangeness of the conversation. If he was
married then how was it that she was here?

Grandmother let out a dramatic exclamation of relief as she clapped her hands together.

“Oh thank goodness! I was about to give up. You’re almost forty!”

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes in annoyance but then could not help but chuckle.

“I’m not forty yet. But yes, you can stop your worrying now.”

He thought of Mi-rae looking radiant in a red dress on the day that she became his wife. Ji-pyeong
leaned closer to confide in Grandmother.

“She was worth the wait. She’s amazing.”

Grandmother smiled. The breeze tugged at loose strands of her gray hair until they were freed
from the bun fastened at the nape of her neck. Her face was now turned up towards the sun.

“What do you love most about her?”

Ji-pyeong shifted as he furrowed his brow. He was at a rare loss for words. How could he choose
what he most loved about Kim Mi-rae?

“She is so brave, Grandmother. And kind and god she is so smart… and loving … and she makes
me feel like … gosh I don’t even know how to explain it. Like anything is possible with her? I’ve
never felt anything like it.”

He turned back to look at Grandmother. A sly smile was playing on her lips. Ji-pyeong lowered his
elbow onto the back of the bench. He narrowed his eyes awaiting her assessment.

“What?”

Grandmother’s smirk broadened.

“Wow, listen to you!” She let out a low whistle. “You sure are head over heels, Good Boy!”

Ji-pyeong scoffed. But then he leaned his head onto his hand and sighed happily. He had no
interest in denying it.

“Yeah, I am. You will love her. She always tells me exactly what she thinks. Just like you.”

Grandmother reached over to pat his hand.

“Bring her by the house as soon as you can. I want to cook for her.”

Then Grandmother nodded to herself, clearly pleased.

“My Good Boy is married.”

Ji-pyeong shook his head wearily.

“I’m a married man now. Don’t you think it’s time you stop calling me that?”

Grandmother chuckled.

“Why should I stop now?”

Her defiant mirth tugged at the corners of her mouth. Ji-pyeong looked away as he fought a laugh
at his own expense.

But when he looked back at Grandmother she was suddenly wearing a handkerchief wrapped
tightly around her head. And the lines on her face seem to deepen. She was fragile. Worry and
illness once again wore at the woman who had shown him kindness when he had been a boy
struggling to be a man.

He wanted to ask Grandmother how she was feeling. But she always hated when he did that. So Ji-
pyeong let out a breath and resumed talking just to keep her by his side.

“I don’t know if I was a good boy actually. I did my best with what I was handed.” He squinted at
the river as he took stock of himself. “But I’ve been trying to be a good man ever since.”

The breeze swept over them again. Grandmother rubbed her arms. Ji-pyeong took off his tan jacket
and started to drape it over her shoulders when she abruptly pushed it away.

“I’m fine!”

JI-pyeong ignored her and tucked it around her anyway.

“Oh cut it out. You’re clearly cold. Just take it.”

Grandmother relented. And then she pulled it closely around her shoulders. Her eyes seem to scan
a horizon that she could not see.

“Ji-pyeong, do you have any regrets?”

He snapped his head in her direction. That question from her lips was surprising. But his answer
was ready nevertheless.

“No.”
Ji-pyeong knew it as deeply and surely as he knew his own name. Regret no longer remained the
season.

“But there are things that I wish could’ve been different.”

Grandmother said nothing. His heart poured out restlessly into the silence with all that he had
been afraid to say to her in that hospital room.

“I know I could never replace your son, but I wish I had found you again earlier. I should have
ignored what you said and called you even when things were good. I could’ve taken you on trips to
the sea — you deserved that after working so hard. I should have had you over to my apartment for
meals sooner. We could have had more holidays together before you got sick.”

Grandmother kept her sightless eyes focused on the river. Somehow, even though she was right
here, Ji-pyeong knew in his heart that she was really gone. And so he kept talking as long as he
could.

“And I should have ignored you when you told me that you didn’t need my help. I could have
funded a restaurant sooner with staff to help you. I should have gotten you that apartment anyway.
I could’ve done so much more than just help with the doctors at the end.”

Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened as he tried to imagine what his life would have been like had she
never left that key in the birdhouse. It was a debt that would forever remain on the ledgers no
matter who else he helped.

“I had so much to repay.”

Grandmother finally turned to him. Her hands reached for his face as they had so many times
before. Ji-pyeong’s mind raced with the impossibility of how she seemed to know exactly where to
reach. He pushed away the prickling feeling that this was surreal. It did not matter if it did not
make sense. He missed her so much. And she was somehow here with him.

“But you have already repaid me, Ji-pyeong.”

He sniffed and looked down. Then Ji-pyeong willed himself to maintain his composure and meet
her gaze that should not be.
“How?” Ji-pyeong choked out his reply. “You never let me.”

Grandmother smiled.

“By being happy.”

She patted his cheeks gently. Her face grew increasingly gauzy as he fought the grief clawing its
way free from his chest.

“Your happiness is all that I still wished for as I left you all.”

A sob welled up. That was a currency which he now had in abundance.

And then she was suddenly gone. Yet a hand still stroked his cheek gently. Its gentle weight was
telling him not to cry but welcomed tears at the same time. The warmth felt so real.

“My love…”

It was the voice of his wife.

But Ji-pyeong was alone in the bright sunshine. It was just him and the river. A gull cried in the
distance. The soothing caress on his cheek remained constant.

“My love.”

His eyes flew open.

And she was there.

Mi-rae.

Mi-rae was sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. Her hand was resting on his cheek. The
swings of black hair were curving down towards him. And she was smiling.

“I let you sleep as long as I could.”

Ji-pyeong sat up with a start and wrapped his arms around her. He let out a long breath as she
hugged him. Her hands began rubbing comforting circles on his back.

“Are you okay?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded against her shoulder.

“I was dreaming of my grandmother.”

Mi-rae tightened her arms around him.

“Oh my love.”

She pulled back and brushed the hair from his forehead.

“It must be because we are going home. I dreamt of my father too.”

So we both dreamed of ghosts.

His heart clenched. Mi-rae had said that Seoul was full of them. How right she had been. Ji-pyeong
grabbed her hand.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The smile returned to her lips.

“I’m okay. We just sat by the shore at my grandfather’s house and fished.”

She looked out the window as she mused over the memory.

“I haven’t thought about my grandfather’s house in a very long time. I used to stay there when
school was out and my dad had to work. So it was actually nice to spend time with him for a little
bit as weird as that sounds. In my dream, my dad had free time and we actually didn’t argue.”

Mi-rae laughed softly and then squeezed his hand.

“How about you?”

“We were sitting by the river where she last kept her stand. I was telling her about you actually.”

Mi-rae tilted her head at him curiously. She looked so lovely right now in a white sundress. The
soft morning light lent her skin a glow that made his fingers flex around hers to confirm that she
was indeed real.

“She said that I sound like I am head over heels for you.”

He tucked one of those precious ebony crescents behind her ear.

“Which is true.”

Mi-rae smiled shyly as her fingers found the spaces between his. Ji-pyeong could feel himself
smiling back at her. This was how he was supposed to repay his debt.

By being happy.

Ji-pyeong leaned forward and kissed his wife’s forehead. Then he stretched his arms luxuriously.

The day of the week suddenly dawned on him.

It’s Friday.

His hands dropped down to his lap dramatically. Their honeymoon was almost over. Ji-pyeong
frowned.

“I can’t believe it’s our last day.”

“Well my love, that’s why I woke you.” Her red lips bloomed into a mischievous smile. “I’m
taking you somewhere on a picnic today.”

Ji-pyeong pulled his head back in surprise.

“You are?”

“Mmhmm.” She nodded emphatically. “It’s a surprise. So get dressed. And wear a bathing suit.”

Mi-rae started to move away but her gaze lingered. And then it dipped down to his bare chest.

Ji-pyeong narrowed his eyes, fascinated. His hands curled into the duvet.

He knew that look. And now he wanted her too.

Ji-pyeong slowly leaned back against the headboard as he folded his arms behind his head. He had
not bothered to dress after taking her to bed yesterday. Last night’s indolence turned to this
morning’s advantage.

He raised an eyebrow provocatively.

“Are you sure that you want me to get dressed?”

Her hand fluttered to her throat.

“I…”

Mi-rae’s mouth suddenly stopped forming words. Then she began shaking her head vigorously.

“We can’t.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “We’ll be late.”

She was warning herself as much as him. Ji-pyeong found Mi-rae’s nervous uncertainty adorable.
But he already knew that she was going to say yes. Seducing his wife had become his new favorite
hobby. And like everything he set his mind to, he was very good at it.

“Late for what? It’s a picnic.”

He ensured that his tone dripped with honey. Then Ji-pyeong leaned forward to tempt her further.
Her eyes betrayed her as he slipped the sheet away. Ji-pyeong reached out and ran his fingers down
the length of her bare arm.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip. And Ji-pyeong knew that she was his.

He pulled her by the waist. And then Mi-rae was right where he wanted her — beneath him with
her hair fanned out in black surrender on white. Ji-pyeong planted his hands on either side of her
head. He noted triumphantly how she was staring at his chest again. He waited for her gaze to
meet his before he spoke again.
“It’s the last day of our honeymoon.”

Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw at the feel of her under him. And then he lowered his head closer as a
smile curved up his lips.

“And honeymoons are for fucking, Mi-rae.”

A sharp breath from those red lips punctured the silence. Ji-pyeong claimed the exposed slope of
her neck, sucking the tender skin suggestively as her hands spanned his chest. Mi-rae smelled like
jasmine perfume and coconut sunscreen like she always did now. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as he
breathed in the intoxicating scent that could only be his wife in this place.

“But we’ll be late …”

Ji-pyeong smiled against her throat. Her hands were in his hair now. Her voice was unconvincing
even before the half hearted admonishment was consumed by a happy sigh. Mi-rae’s fingers then
slipped down to splay across his back as she pulled him closer.

“We won’t be late.” He kissed the indent at the base of her throat. “We can be quick.”

He pressed another kiss to her collarbone. And then he slid his hand under her skirt and began
pulling her bathing suit bottom down. Her hips rose to aid his efforts. Mi-rae made one last feeble
attempt to remind Ji-pyeong of her schedule even as her body conspired with him.

“This is our last chance to go…”

Her words tumbled out hurriedly until they stopped altogether when he slipped his hand between
her legs. Her fingers curled into his sides, nearly tickling him as she urged him on. Ji-pyeong
pressed a longing kiss to the swell now straining against the neckline of her dress. He lamented
that her breasts would have to wait until next time.

“We won’t be late. I promise.”

Ji-pyeong breathed the vow against the curve of her breasts as she arched into his touch. And then
he began his seduction. She was wet for him already. His fingers thanked her for it.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as the velvet feel of her made him ache with want. Then he opened the
mystery of her. He did not tease. Rather, Ji-pyeong rubbed circles right where he knew she needed
him. Then he lifted his head like an addict, hungry to watch what he was doing to her.

Mi-rae’s eyes raced back and forth across his face. Then she seized him roughly.

“Ji-pyeong.”

He knew what that meant. Their lovemaking had its own language now. She called him by his
name like this when she wanted him to fuck her. Ji-pyeong pushed himself up as he hooked two
fingers inside of her. The way Mi-rae keened softly as she looked up at him —rocking her hips into
his hand — made him feel like he was going to lose his mind.

“Close your eyes.”

Dark want flashed in rebellion. Ji-pyeong lowered his head to her ear as his hand demanded her
submission.

“Close your eyes and you’ll find out just how fast I can make you come.”

He pulled back to watch those red lips fall open in a loud gasp. He could talk to her like this. She
wanted him to. Mi-rae swallowed as her eyes searched his face. The pink of her tongue caressed
her lips as she let out a shaky breath.

And then Mi-rae closed her eyes.

Ji-pyeong began to slide down.

Mi-rae’s head fell back onto the pillow.

“Oh fuck.”
Her voice was strangled. He could hear the rustle of her hands pulling at the duvet on either side of
his head. Her legs were restless beneath him. Ji-pyeong’s mind raced with meticulous plans as he
slipped his hand away and pushed the white cotton folds of her dress up.

And then he was burying his face between her legs, eager to please her. Her thighs moved
smoothly along his jaw in anticipation as he tasted his wife on his tongue. It sent a bolt of want
through his body. Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and forced himself to focus. He traced the path his
fingers had laid out: ever the deliberate pilgrim until her hips begged for more. When her hands
were scrambling along his shoulders Ji-pyeong knew that she was ready to succumb.

Only then did Ji-pyeong seize her hips and pull her flush against his mouth. He could feel her
fingers now desperately carding against his scalp as her hips climbed the path that he offered.
Short high breaths filled the silence. Her back arched up and her hands pulled urgently at his hair.
And when they slowed — when she grew stiff and moaned his name — only then did Ji-pyeong
seal his mouth to her and demand her surrender.

He was relentless in making good on his vow. Ji-pyeong took her thighs roughly into his hands as
his lips worshiped at that sweet place. He dug his fingers to hold her body still. And then he
commanded that she give in. Now. Completely. Because he said so.

Her legs began to shake around his head. Ji-pyeong could not stand it any longer. He had to be
inside of her. He yanked his mouth away and dragged his body up above her.

Mi-rae raised herself up on her elbows and let her legs fall wide open. She was bold as ever. The
sight of his wife calling to him — that dark triangle of promise between her legs with her white
skirt spread in welcome all around made him almost lose himself onto her thighs.

He slowly wiped his lips as she watched him. And then he cast himself off the cliff. Ji-pyeong
filled her in one long agonizingly smooth motion.

He squeezed his eyes shut and gasped. She was so much all around him. So lush now with his
attention. So ardent as her legs and arms closed around him wildly, as if to invite him to paradise
but require that he stay forever.

His head dropped to her chest in capitulation. And then his body filled every profane space left
between them.
Mi-rae rolled her hips and he was undone.

“Fuck.”

He swore only once. Then words were beyond his reach as the drive of his body took hold. He
began to thrust over and over into the hot wet abyss of her.

Mi-rae’s hands were suddenly seizing his backside, demanding more. Her hips were shameless as
her legs hooked around him. She was a live wire in his arms. Ji-pyeong could hear himself
grunting, low and rough, as he lost all semblance of control. He did not care. His wife felt so good.
And she was so greedy for him — drawing him deeper, pulling him closer, clenching all around
him as the slide of them made his mind go blank. Every inch of her beckoned for Ji-pyeong to lose
himself.

And then Mi-rae was filling his ear with words, wicked and knowing. She was telling him that she
was about to come just like he promised. Telling him not to stop. Telling him to fuck her harder,
faster. To fill her up. That she wanted him to do it now. Her arms stretched over her head and she
offered all of herself as her words turned him inside out.

It was too much.

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes and gasped as a hot merciful rush coursed through his body. Her hips
offered a subversive grace as her fingers dug fiercely into his backside. She was his sanctuary and
his undoing, her low moans filling his head as he spent himself. Ji-pyeong reached the end in a
blinding point of white heat. But she was not yet done. He bit hard into his lip to hold on as her
hips continued to chase her pleasure. Ji-pyeong focused on the sound of Mi-rae falling apart until
sweet cries peaked into a long shuddering breath. And then her body ebbed to a halt. Her thighs
were slick with sweat as he winced through withdrawing.

Dear god.

He exhaled in awe at the quick turn the morning had taken. Mi-rae’s body was motionless beneath
him but for the rise and fall of her chest. Her heart still hammered under his cheek. Then his wife
sighed like a woman well pleased. Ji-pyeong opened one eye to the red glow of the clock on the
nightstand and confirmed his suspicion.
Nine minutes.

Ji-pyeong could not help but feel smug.

“See, I told you.”

His lower lip puffed air to get the hair out of his eyes.

“That took no time at all.”

Mi-rae smacked his shoulder.

“Whatever, you finished first.”

Laughter burst from him as she giggled. Then their laughter filled the room. Ji-pyeong burrowed
into the soft cotton of her dress as his shoulders shook. He loved that sound — the sound of his
wife laughing because of him.

When he lifted his head, Mi-rae’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. And she was
smiling so broadly that Ji-pyeong felt drunk with the simple pleasure of pleasing her. She was so
impossibly pretty like this. If he could, Ji-pyeong would make love to her all over again.

Mi-rae traced his jaw.

“You are something else, my love.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at her.

“That must be why you love me.”

Her fingers reached up to tenderly brush his hair back.

“So much.”

But then her eyes widened.

“Oh my god! What time is it?”

Ji-pyeong blinked hard.

“I don’t understand the rush?”

But Mi-rae ignored his question as her body sprang into motion. She pushed him off of her.

“You don’t have time to shower because we need to eat something before we leave.”

Ji-pyeong was still steeped in satisfaction and his limbs felt too heavy to move.

“But I thought we’re going on a picnic?”

She pushed at his shoulder impatiently.

“Get dressed now! Seriously!”

Mi-rae was on her feet within seconds and frantically pulling her bottoms back on under her dress.

“Okay, okay.”

Ji-pyeong relented and dragged himself to the edge of the bed. But then he grabbed her by the hand
and pulled her back towards him. Something inside of him today was insatiable.
“I promise I won’t shower. I love having you all over me anyway.”

Mi-rae closed her eyes as she fought a smile. Ji-pyeong could tell that his obvious need for her
pleased his wife even if it was confounding her plans.

“You’re incorrigible today.”

Her reprimand was rendered moot by the smile curving up her lips. His thumbs rubbed the back of
her hand as he pulled her even closer.

“It’s your fault.” He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his nose against her stomach. “You
made me this way.”

Mi-rae smiled at her words being used against her now. She tipped his chin up to look at her.

“I am going to finish getting everything ready. Let me just get us there because I planned this for
you and it’s our last chance to see it. Then I promise that we will do nothing else but this.”

See what?

The mystery was intriguing. Mi-ra’s hands smoothed his shoulders as her voice cooed. Ji-pyeong
narrowed his eyes at her shrewd change in tactics. But her intent had already chastened him. He
pulled back from her and held his hands up in the air.

“Okay. I’ll be good.”

Mi-rae laughed and then pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“Don’t be good. Just get dressed.”

Then Mi-rae smiled at him over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.
He fell back onto the bed in disbelief at his good fortune.

“You’re a lucky man, Han Ji-pyeong.”

He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. And then Ji-pyeong finally did as his wife had asked.
He quickly donned a white shirt and navy board shorts. Ji-pyeong scrubbed his face in the sink and
decided against shaving. It was his last day of vacation and the act of rebellion felt appropriate. He
assessed himself in the mirror. His hair was unruly today. Ji-pyeong’s thumb played with his
wedding band as he considered his options.

She can mess it up again later.

He picked up a brush with a smile and forced it back.

Ji-pyeong padded down the hallway to the main room. Golden light was streaming through the
house now as the sun fully took hold of the day. But then he froze when his eyes found his wife
again.

The window above the sink was open. A square of cerulean framed the black sweeping moons of
Mi-rae’s hair. Ji-pyeong leaned his forearm against the wall as he watched her from just behind it.

She was standing in bare feet; her white dress floating like a cloud around her calves. Mi-rae
studiously bent over two ceramic cups. Ji-pyeong felt a twinge in his chest as her hands performed
a careful ritual of preparing their morning coffee. She poured milk into each mug. Mi-rae stirred his
coffee first before measuring two spoons of sugar out only for her own. Then the bell of the toaster
made her jump. He smiled as she shook her head at herself.

Ji-pyeong imagined that most men would find watching their wife extract two slices of rustic bread
from a toaster rather ordinary. And he doubted that they would find music in the jumble of
silverware in a drawer or the scraping of honey and butter against bread. Nor would they likely
revel in watching a hand dance over a bowl of apricots until it found two to its liking.

But Han Ji-pyeong was not like most men. And even though happiness was now wrapped tightly
around him, he prayed that he never would be. He wanted to cherish every small miracle Kim Mi-
rae brought to his life.
Ji-pyeong had spent his childhood holding a tray waiting to be served anonymously in a line. After,
wealth had afforded him luxury but not company. Ji-pyeong traded the loud anonymity of eating in
a cafeteria for the quiet solitude of ordering take out in an apartment. Any semblance of family had
come with the needling knowledge that it was not truly his: a corndog in the storage room of a
shop, the smallest piece of fish at Grandmother’s table, dumplings rolled in a borrowed apron, or
watching his rival search for kongjaban in the kitchen of the parents that he had been blessed with.
Ji-pyeong was always a satellite orbiting around a family that was not his own.

But the universe had now been remade with them at the center. Kim Mi-rae was standing in her
bare feet in this kitchen slicing an apricot because she knew that they were his favorite. And she
had poured only milk into his coffee because, even before she was his girlfriend, Mi-rae had noted
how he drank it. And she had toasted the bread until it was dark brown and crisp around the edges
because that was how he had prepared it over the last two weeks. This was all for him — because
she knew him. Because she loved him. And because he was her family.

His chest ached with love. It was the same ache that Ji-pyeong had felt standing alone in a hat
waiting to apologize for his thoughtlessness. Mi-rae was his family. And so when she had
questioned whether she could measure up to mere memories, Ji-pyeong was ashamed. A series of
decisions steeped in carelessness, obligation, and avoidance had resulted in his wife sitting across a
table with tears in her eyes because of him.

In that instant of his past and present colliding, all Ji-pyeong could think about was Mi-rae. He was
filled with a clawing, primal need to protect her— to ensure that she knew how much that he
cherished her. Politeness did not matter. Expectations did not matter. Proving that he was happy to
anyone else did not matter. All that mattered was her. The universe was indeed reorded for love
and duty had ever been so easily intertwined. And so that night on the beach Ji-pyeong gladly cast
the husks of yesterday into the fire. The flames consumed any remaining obligation that he felt to
the past.

Ever since, their nights were filled with soft sighs and tangled legs. Days stretched like a string of
tiny miracles such as the one being set out on the kitchen table now: coffee cups side by side, toast
lying on two plates, and fruit arranged on a platter to share. He knew with certainty that years from
now the number of plates at their table would grow. Their kitchen would someday be filled with
many voices. And he would always treasure meals filled with conversation and shared food.
Because Ji-pyeong knew what it was to stand in the doorway of a kitchen and feel utterly alone.

As Mi-rae set the plates and coffee onto the table, the red bracelet around her wrist slid down to the
delicate bone at the junction of her hand. She unknowingly turned her back to him as she looked
out the window. Ji-pyeong played with the ends of his own red string as he indulged in watching
her for just a moment longer. He wondered what she was thinking about as she sipped her coffee
waiting for him. Ji-pyeong considered himself fortunate indeed that he could spend the rest of his
life asking her as he had under a willow tree for the first time.
He walked over to her, his throat tight with emotion. And then he slipped his arms around her
waist. Her hand closed over him and pulled him tightly against her belly.

Ji-pyeong lowered his face to rest on her shoulder. His eyes closed as she swayed into him. The
sunlight was warm on his eyelids in this moment of quiet together.

“Hi.”

He could feel her rib cage pull in a breath as her fingers curled around his forearm. Then Mi-rae
turned her head back towards him.

“Hi.”

He pressed a reverent kiss to the curve of her shoulder just next to the strap of her dress. Then he
murmured his question against her skin.

“What are you thinking about?”

The silk of her hair brushed his jaw.

“You already know.”

Ji-pyeong could hazard a guess. But he was feeling greedy.

“I like to hear you say it.”

Mi-rae let out an amused puff of air. And then she turned around into his arms to hug him.

“You.”
The word hummed against his heart. Ji-pyeong smiled, satisfied, and stroked her hair. Then he
spied a large canvas bag packed with brown paper packages, plastic containers, and a bottle of
wine peeking out from the brim.

“What have you been up to this morning?”

Mi-rae pulled back to look up at him and grinned.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Ji-pyeong was now wild with curiosity.

“Where are we going?”

Mi-rae rolled her eyes as she took a sip of coffee.

“You made me wait until the last connection to find out where we were going on our honeymoon!”

She patted his shoulder.

“Take a seat and eat, my love.”

*****************

“Nope!”
Mi-rae snatched the car keys off the hook and hid them behind her back. Ji-pyeong’s fingers were
left poised in the air as his wife grinned.

“I’m driving today!”

Ji-pyeong eyed her curiously. Then he plucked the Panama hat off another hook and placed it on
his head. Mi-rae tugged on his shirt as they walked out the door.

“You don’t have to wear it, my love. I know that you hate it.”

But I like the way you look at me when I wear it.

Mi-rae was smiling. Ji-pyeong lowered the brim and winked as he allowed himself to be led by her
to the convertible.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe it’s growing on me.”

Mi-rae’s mouth quirked as she released the hem of his shirt and slid into the driver’s seat. As soon
as Ji-pyeong sat down, he picked up her phone to play music.

Mi-rae held her hand up emphatically.

“Do not play that song again!”

Ji-pyeong feigned innocence for a moment. Then he began singing in English with an intentionally
exaggerated American accent.

“Then I see you, you’re walking ‘cross the campus—“

Mi-rae immediately punched him in the shoulder as he broke off into a laugh.
“Oh my god stop!”

Ji-pyeong threw his hands up in surrender as he laughed. He had teased her every day since that
night by spontaneously playing the song that he strongly suspected was an ode to his wife.

“I will when you finally admit that it’s about you!”

Mi-rae shot him a look as she turned the ignition.

Ji-pyeong stifled his laughter and quickly selected one of her playlists instead. Then he frowned
apologetically until Mi-rae lost the will to be annoyed. Her eyes darted to him as she turned onto
the main road.

“Why are you so obsessed with it anyway?”

Ji-pyeong leaned over and gently hooked the strap of her white dress with his index finger. His
thumb swept over her shoulder to make amends.

“I like to listen to it and know that you’re mine. I guess I’m petty like that.”

Mi-rae huffed a laugh. She was blushing now. He caressed her shoulder again before releasing her.
Then Ji-pyeong leaned his elbow against the door and just looked at her. The wind was whipping
through Mi-rae’s hair and her red lips were humming along to a song. A month ago he had sat like
this watching her drive in the sunshine while working up the nerve to call her his girlfriend. Now
she was his wife.

They wound their way along the cliff side road in a comfortable silence. Mi-rae smiled at him
often. He trailed his fingers down her arm just to touch her. The sun was as bright as ever. The sea
was still turquoise under a bright blue sky. But nostalgia already creeped at the edges of the day.
Their time sealed off from the world was coming to an end.

With Seoul, would come the hassle of moving and the pressure to take a shorter sabbatical. He had
studiously ignored hundreds of emails and requests for interviews that somehow managed to evade
Park Dong-cheon’s best efforts at running interference. The week leading up to the wedding, the
SH board had repeatedly expressed their pointed hope for Ji-pyeong’s quick return amid their
congratulations on his marriage. Yoon Seon-hak had already scheduled a meeting for Tuesday
morning during which he expected her to renew her pitch about his future.

And that was only him. His eyes traced the profile of his brilliant wife as she hugged a tight turn
around a bend in the road. His chest surged with pride as the triumphant photograph of her in that
red suit in the New York Times flashed through his mind. Mi-rae would return to New York in wild
demand. And then clients and billable hours would pull on his wife’s time just as expectations
would drag on his. It was all a part of who they were.

But now Ji-pyeong had discovered who he was away from assessing risk and asking questions.
And he liked that man. He laughed often. He sang out loud. He danced amid strangers. He wore a
ridiculous hat simply to make his wife smile. And he kissed her whenever he felt like it. Ji-pyeong
had never fought so hard for something to feel so wonderfully easy.

“What are you thinking about?”

Mi-rae glanced over at him with a furrowed brow.

Ji-pyeong smiled at his wife’s intuition.

“Oh I just wish you really were Calypso and we could stay forever, that’s all.”

Mi-rae let out a sigh.

“Me too.”

She reached over and held his hand until the road curved down closer to the water. The car began
to slow just before the sign for the marina.

Ji-pyeong sat up in his seat.

“The marina?”
Mi-rae smiled but said nothing as she turned the car onto the gravel drive. Then she parked and
pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“I have to go talk to the manager first. Meet me over there near the dock okay?”

Ji-pyeong blinked.

“The dock?”

Mi-rae raised an eyebrow over her sunglasses.

“I told you, I’m driving today.”

Ji-pyeong’s mouth dropped open. She grinned. And then Mi-rae slipped away and disappeared
inside the marina office. Ji-pyeong’s fingers lingered on his lips as he tilted his head trying to
imagine what she had planned.

She’s going to drive a boat?

Ji-pyeong snapped out of his shock and bolted from the car to follow with the canvas bag in hand.
He leaned against the railing of the stairs up to the office and peered inside the window. Mi-rae
unfolded a large map onto a wooden table and began asking questions of a gentleman in his fifties
wearing a white captain's hat. He had the kind of face that left no doubt that he had weathered
decades at a ship’s helm. Mi-rae folded her arms and nodded as he pointed several times to the
map before them. Her laser focus reminded him of watching Mi-rae in a conference room despite
this unlikeliest of settings. Notations were made and then she shook hands with him.

Ji-pyeong removed his hat and straightened his shoulders as the door opened. Mi-rae smiled and
then motioned to the older gentleman.

“Yiannis, this is my husband, Ji-pyeong. My love, Yiannis owns this marina and is renting us one
of his boats for the day. The conditions are finally right.”
Ji-pyeong glanced at Mi-rae curiously and then extended his hand to greet him. Yiannis’ smile was
earnest and his handshake was firm.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Yes, your wife has been meticulous about planning this which is good
because the winds and tides are tricky on the southwest part of the island. I’m glad the weather
finally cooperated. It’s still a bit too windy to take a sailboat out today but you’ll be fine in a
cruiser.”

Ji-pyeong could not help but turn to his wife in amazement. She smiled at his silent question.

“I’ve been monitoring the tides and the wind with Yiannis because I wanted to visit a particular sea
cave before we left. You can only reach it by boat and only under certain conditions. Mother
Nature finally came through on our last day.”

Ji-pyeong shook his head in amazement.

“But you know how to drive a boat?”

“I told you, my grandfather was a fisherman.”

Mi-rae folded the map under one arm and slid the other into the crook of his elbow as they
followed Yiannis down to the dock. She leaned her head closer and smiled at him.

“I used to help him on the boat when I spent breaks there. And Chris always takes his boats out
when he hosts summer associates and clients on Long Island so I’m not totally rusty. Sailing in
these kinds of winds is too tricky not to be familiar with the shoals so close to shore but I can
handle it in a cruiser no problem.”

She squeezed his arm.

“I’m so excited to do this. The guidebooks say it’s not something to be missed.”

Ji-pyeong looked down at his wife in awe. He did not know what to say. She was full of endless
wonders.
Mi-rae rested her chin on his arm.

“That’s why I was stressed this morning. I didn’t want to lose our window with the tides. The cave
can only be entered at low tide so you can’t just sail off without a plan.”

Ji-pyeong felt the air leave his lungs all at once.

They're just sailing off without a map.

Mi-rae had said it in passing about Cheongmyeong at that miserable steak dinner so long ago.
Their mutual approach to risk had made him choke on his wine. But now he realized that it had
been far more than just a metaphor. It was wisdom gleaned from her experience.

Ji-pyeong stopped and turned to look at her. He slid his free hand into his pocket and leaned his
head down towards her.

“Stop making me fall more in love with you. It’s really not fair at this point.”

Mi-rae threw her head back and laughed. Then she hugged his arm tightly. The look in her eyes
made Ji-pyeong feel adored fully in return.

“Well when your husband is the kind of man who plans surprise serenades on rooftops you better
bring your A game.”

Mi-rae grinned before releasing his arm. They were now standing in front of a small white cruiser
with room for only two people. The highly glossed natural wood console at the center of the boat
gleamed in the sunshine. Mi-rae held onto the railing and hoisted herself immediately on board.
Yiannis leaned against the piling awaiting to assist with launching the boat from its slip.

“Remember to stay clear of the rock formation to the right of the cave entrance on your way in.
Other than that she’s small enough to easily navigate the entrance. Life vests are underneath the
seat and she’s filled up so you’re good for about ten hours of cruising.”
Mi-rae looked up from unfolding the map onto the console and waved.

“Thank you!”

But Ji-pyeong was still standing on the dock. The boat was gently rocking as water lapped against
its sides. He had never been on a boat before. This one seemed far too small for the vast ocean
before them. His mouth went dry.

“Sir?”

Just get on it Ji-pyeong.

He glanced at Yiannis and forced himself to smile. Then Ji-pyeong tightened his grip on the
canvas bag and took a deep breath. He seized the railing and deliberately stretched one leg across
the gap between land and sea. The boat alarmingly swayed. Once both feet met the deck, Ji-pyeong
put his hands out steady himself. Mi-rae was mercifully busy with acquainting herself with the
controls as he gingerly threaded his way to the seat behind where she was standing. The engine
roared and he gripped the railing on either side of him tightly.

Yiannis unwound the rope from the piling and shouted his farewell.

And then they were off.

Ji-pyeong watched in amazement as Mi-rae carefully backed the boat away from its slip and
steered it out to open water. He quickly tucked his hat under his thigh as the boat began to pick up
speed. Soon the dock became nothing more than a small brown dot. A spray of water hit his
sunglasses. And then another. And then the nose of the boat turned up as it launched forward even
faster. Ji-pyeong’s stomach dropped as his knuckles turned white clutching at the railing.

God we’re going fast!

He steadied his nerves by focusing on her. Mi-rae’s black hair and white skirt were flying wildly
like ribbons in the wind. Every time she looked back at him, there was a flash of sunglasses and red
lipstick. Her hands confidently steered the boat as it boldly attacked each swell that lay ahead. Up
and down, they relentlessly cut a swath through the sea.
There was something both new and familiar about watching his wife in command.

She is the Kim Mi-rae of the photographs.

The realization made his heart swell. It was all that he had wanted as he looked at the photographs
of a wide eyed and joyful woman with long hair that first morning alone in their apartment. From
the moment that he had met Mi-rae, she had been daring in some ways — she spoke the truth to a
stranger, she relished his relentless questions with vigor, she grabbed his hand as she sang wildly in
a dark room steeped in alcohol and music. But Mi-rae had also been skittish and reticent about the
future before that rain soaked night. Her wounds left scar tissue that required him to patiently wind
his way around to her heart.

One would hardly know it now.

I became myself again when I fell in love with you.

Ji-pyeong knew from her letter that it was in part because of him. Now, his wife was steering them
into unknown waters with a map and confidence in her abilities. The only thing that made him
happier than having her was to know how happy he made her in return.

Ji-pyeong let out a breath as he finally began to grow accustomed to the chop of the water and the
speed at which they were making their way around the island. His hands relaxed and his arms
stretched out across the back of the seat. He decided to shout a confession to his wife and the wind.

“I’ve never been on a boat!”

Mi-rae whipped her head around.

“What? Not ever?”

Her mouth formed a small red “o”. Then her eyebrows swept up sympathetically.
“Are you okay? Do you want me to slow down?”

Ji-pyeong shook his head.

“I’m okay! How much longer?”

“Just under two hours.”

Two hours?

She gave him an encouraging smile and then patted the map that was now firmly affixed under
plexiglass.

Ji-pyeong settled deeper into his seat. He felt a calm wash over him as Mi-rae pushed a lever and
then turned the steering wheel to curve around a peninsula.

He breathed in the air deeply. He welcomed the cool spray on his face under the heat of the sun.
From here, Ji-pyeong could see the beaches and villages that they had visited over the last two
weeks from a new perspective. These places where they had swam and kissed and wandered hand
in hand flew past in a blur of light and colors. This is what life was like with his wife — the recent
past was filled with warm memories, the present was beautiful, and he could not wait for whatever
was around the corner.

After some time, a craggy white rock formation curved out before them into the sea.

“That’s it up ahead!”

Mi-rae gradually slowed the boat as they approached. Tendrils of white rock curled out into
alternating swaths of turquoise and blue. Ji-pyeong’s eyes widened in wonder. It was stunning in
its jagged contrasts.

“Where’s the cave?”

Mi-rae called him over as she slowed the boat to a stop. Ji-pyeong rose to his feet tentatively but
then closed the space between them in one long step as the boat swayed back and forth amid its
own wake. One hand braced against the console and the other grasped her waist. Ji-pyeong’s eyes
took in the gauges and instruments. He was filled with even more respect for his wife.

Her bare arm stretched out in a long line through an extended index finger.

“See that opening there? It’s how we get in. That’s why you have to take a small boat at low tide.
There is no access by land because the cliff is so steep. It’s called the Emerald Cave.”

Mi-rae then wiggled her fingers so her own emerald glinted in the sun.

“Appropriate, don’t you think?”

Ji-pyeong was speechless. He let out a breath as he shook his head. Then he spanned his hand
around her waist to pull her closer.

“You’re something else, Kim Mi-rae.”

She turned to look up at him. Her eyes ticked up and down his face. Mi-rae licked her lips in
preparation for what she knew was coming.

“I know.”

The corner of her mouth tugged up. Ji-pyeong surged down to kiss it -- he wanted to capture that
blossoming smile that was because of him. And then he turned her body to face him so that he
could kiss her properly. Mi-rae curled her arms around his neck and leaned back against the
console. He savored the warmth of her mouth as the boat swayed gently back and forth.

Mi-rae finally pulled away with a small contented sound and smoothed his shirt. She peered up at
him.

“Is this really your first time on a boat?”

Ji-pyeong leaned his forehead against hers and nodded silently. Once again he had awakened
having no idea what this beloved woman in a white dress had planned for him.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

He shrugged sheepishly.

“I was trying to be cool.”

Mi-rae laughed softly and cupped his face.

“You did so well.”

She pressed one more kiss gently to his lips and then turned back around to push the lever to begin
moving again. Ji-pyeong stood by her side as she threaded the small vessel around rocks jutting up
from the ocean in a swirl of white foam. Ahead was a small archway like a hidden door carved out
of the rock by magic. Ji-pyeong leaned forward and squinted at its dark recesses.

“We’re going in there?”

He looked down at her incredulously. Mi-rae nodded emphatically and steered the boat forward.
The white cliff loomed large above them as it cast its shadow. And then the boat slipped under the
arch and into the cave. Ji-pyeong pulled Mi-rae just a little bit closer as he stared up at the dome
above them. The low hum of the motor reverberated off the surrounding natural stone walls.

And yet there was sunlight improbably up ahead. Ribbons of light were reflecting off the water
onto the ceiling above them in undulating silver lines. It was as if the sun could not help but show
off even where rock had jealously hidden the ocean away.

“This is amazing.”

His observation repeated all around them. Ji-pyeong ducked his head as his voice echoed loudly.
Mi-rae’s giggle soon joined the chorus.

He squinted as they emerged out from under the stone ceiling and into the warm sunshine again.
The water ahead was a vibrant jade green that Ji-pyeong did not know existed in the natural world.

But then Ji-pyeong looked up. And he gasped in shock.

“How is this real?”

They were standing at the bottom of a crater somehow turned upside down. White rock swirled up
above them like layers of meringue with the peak sliced off by a knife. A bright blue orb glowed
above them at the center of those white rings left suspended in the air. Ji-pyeong blinked hard upon
realizing that it was the sky.

Mi-rae leaned into his side as they peered up at nature’s cathedral in ruins.

“The guidebook said that lava flowed from the volcano that formed the island and hardened into
rock when it met the ocean. The waves carved this cave out over thousands of years. And then one
day the roof just collapsed. All that effort and poof, it was gone in seconds.”

He could not look away.

“But it made something beautiful.”

Ji-pyeong’s voice was hoarse as he tried to absorb the strange splendor of this place. The cove was
filled with shallow emerald water and a sliver of sandy beach the color of a dove. Sun poured down
through the natural skylight but then shattered into a thousand pieces across the water. It felt like
Mi-rae had taken him to another planet.

“Mi-rae, this is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She bounced on her heels bubbling with excitement.

“Oh I’m so happy you love it!”

Mi-rae slowly drove the boat as close to the shore as possible and then shut off the motor. She
directed Ji-pyeong to drop the anchor as she then stripped off her sundress.

He watched her instead.

Oh it’s the red one today.

His tongue lodged into the side of his cheek. Mi-rae’s red bikini was Ji-pyeong’s favorite. The top
was a bandeau that wrapped around her like a gift always waiting to be opened. Her bare shoulders
were tan with days spent in the sun. His eyes shamelessly traced the curves of his wife as Mi-rae
surveyed the beach with her hands on her hips.

I am going to miss seeing her in a bikini everyday.

Mi-rae turned to look at him. Ji-pyeong's eyes quickly darted down to the alternating stripes of
holly and teak of the deck. Then he busied himself with puzzling out the anchor and dropping it
into the emerald water with a loud splash.

“You’re taller — do you mind getting in first and then I’ll hand you the bag so it stays dry?”

Ji-pyeong took off his shirt and tossed it onto the seat in reply. He could feel Mi-rae’s eyes on him
as he plunged feet first into the water. It was slightly warmer here than the open ocean thanks to
the shallow depths. The water was refreshing after the last hour spent in the sun. When Ji-pyeong
emerged with his feet firmly planted, he wiped the salt from his eyes and pushed his hair back.

Mi-rae was staring down at him from the boat with a sly smile on her face. Ji-pyeong squinted
through the beads of sunlight dashing across.

“What?”

Her mouth quirked as she handed the bag down to him.

“Oh nothing.”

But her eyes lingered long enough to send a thrill through him.

She wants me again.

Ji-pyeong grinned as turned towards the beach with the bag balanced high on his shoulders. Mi-rae
splashed into the water behind him.

When they reached dry ground, Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae busied themselves setting up camp for
several minutes. A large blanket was spread out onto the sandiest part of the cove. And then
together their hands unpacked the picnic that Mi-rae had prepared. The setting was very different
from their first but the thought and care was the same.

“When did you get all of this?”

Mi-rae handed him a plastic plate and a napkin.

“I drove down to the market while you were sleeping. We had to do a picnic before we left or it
wouldn’t feel like us.”

Ji-pyeong’s heart pinched with fondness. It felt good to be sitting on the ground eating across from
her again— he was as heady with her attention as ever but now free to say exactly what he felt.

“I love you.”

His words were swift and sure. Mi-rae’s bare shoulders lifted up as she let out a breath.

“I love you too.”

They settled into the rhythm of eating together. Mi-rae served kalamata olives onto his plate and
saved the green olives for herself. He gave her more of the dolma but divided the feta spread and
pita equally. They served one another as if answering a series of questions to which they already
knew the answers. Habits were becoming ingrained like the grooves in Mi-rae’s records.

After, Ji-pyeong opened the bottle of white wine with a loud pop that bounced off the overhanging
rock behind them. He poured each of them a glass and then leaned back on his hands to take in the
marvel of green, white, and blue all around them.

“You know what this is better than?”

Mi-rae raised an eyebrow over her glass of wine and leaned back as well. Their legs stretched out
in parallel lines next to one another.

“Working?”

Ji-pyeong laughed and dug his toes into the sand.

“Yep.”

The thought of fending off all that SH wished for him to take on made Ji-pyeong groan.

“I know the second that we see Yoon Seon-hak that she is going to be on my case about the length
of my sabbatical and whether I’ll take on a start up.”

Ji-pyeong’s shoulders sagged at the prospect of staving off responsibility. He took solace in his
wine.

“I don’t want to deal with any of it yet. I want my three months.”

Mi-rae sat up and crossed her legs to face him. She raised a finger in somber warning.

“The terms upon which I agreed to marry you were that you would learn how to cook and grow
vegetables. You remember that when you negotiate with your boss.”
Ji-pyeong chuckled. Then he cocked his head questioningly.

“She’s likely to be your client for a lot longer than my direct boss. And actually, we decided to get
married before I proposed a stint as a trophy husband. So technically those were not agreed upon
terms. They were merely proposed post contractual hobbies.”

“Trophy husband!”

A deep throaty laugh burst from her lips. Ji-pyeong curled his fingers into the sand as his eyes
traveled down the curve of her neck and over her breasts. Mi-rae was never more alluring than
when she laughed like that. He swayed towards her.

“But I did ask Mrs. Blanca for lessons so I’ll honor that addendum so long as it includes the dog.
I’m going to start looking as soon as we get back. It can’t have a prey drive in order to peacefully
coexist with our dark lord of mischief.”

Mi-rae gave a small pleased gasp of approval. Then she trailed her fingers down his arm.

“Look at you doing your research. Such a good cat dad.”

Ji-pyeong smiled at her praise. He drank more wine as Mi-rae looked thoughtful for a moment.

“And good with children. It has to be a breed that will be patient with lots of kids.”

Ji-pyeong swallowed his wine slowly.

“Lots?”

Mi-rae sucked in her lips to keep from laughing. And then she inched a little bit closer to him. Her
eyes were dancing with amusement.
“You heard me.”

She leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“Lots.”

Ji-pyeong watched her, mesmerized, as she pulled away slowly. His toes wiggled in the sand at her
low tone. He narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

“How many are we talking about?”

The idea thrilled him. Yet he relished playing a part just to draw her dreams out of her.

“I was so lonely growing up. Every holiday was just me trying to talk to adults or playing by
myself. I want our home to be loud and joyful.” Her hands fanned out into the air as she framed
their future. “I want chaotic holidays and a table absolutely bursting with family.”

She paused and glanced at him questioningly.

“You’re doing the cooking right?”

Ji-pyeong laughed and nodded. Then Mi-rae drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms
around them. Her voice suddenly grew quieter.

“I am thinking three.” She bit her lip. “What do you think?”

Three.

Ji-pyeong felt tears prick behind his eyes. Three children who would either have her smile or need
them like he did as a boy. Three children around a table sharing plates of food. Three children
laughing as they played cards on the holidays. Three children whom he would love and protect
with every fiber of his being. His throat grew thick. The woman that he loved was dreaming of
sharing all of that with him.
He tried to say yes. But for a moment he could not speak. Ji-pyeong looked up at the bright blue
circle of sky above them and cleared his throat.

Then he looked at his wife. Her eyes were crinkled at the corners with love. And then Ji-pyeong
found his voice.

“Three kids, a dog, and a cat.”

He nodded resolutely.

“That sounds right to me.”

A smile so lovely that it made his heart feel like it might break curved up her lips. And then Mi-rae
grabbed his hand.

“Come swim with me.”

They waded hand in hand into the cool emerald water. Then Mi-rae let go to glide under the
surface. He watched as she eventually flipped onto her back to float. Ji-pyeong wrapped his arm
across her chest so that her head could rest on his shoulder. Then he let out a contented sigh. The
waves lapped gently all around them. It felt as if they were the only two people on earth. Here,
green was a kind of joy. Ji-pyeong looked up at the celestial circle above them and knew that he
had already found the only heaven that he would ever need. He pressed a kiss to Mi-rae’s temple.

But then she slipped away.

For a moment he was alone surrounded by the emerald lagoon. He watched the shimmering light
dance upon it until Mi-rae slipped back into his line of sight.

Her wet black hair was pushed back from her face. The water droplets beaded onto her eyelashes in
the sunlight. Her lips, still impossibly red, smiled playfully as they dipped back beneath the surface
of the water.
She was daring him to make her his own all over again. His hands glided through the water,
reaching for her. And then her hips were his. Mi-rae wound her arms and legs around him all at
once. Her brown eyes danced across his face as her fingers played with his hair.

“You and your wet hair…”

Her voice trailed off as if Mi-rae did not realize that she was talking out loud. Then her hands
spanned the sides of his head and she pulled him closer.

Mi-rae tilted her head as she seemed to study him.

“Do you have any idea how much I wanted you the very first moment that I saw you?”

Oh god.

He coveted every confession that spilled from those red lips. Ji-pyeong drew in a shaky breath to
gain control of himself before speaking.

“Is that right?”

Her fingers slid into his hair slowly.

“That’s right.”

Her eyes explored every inch of his face as if they were back sitting across from one another in that
dark corner. But Ji-pyeong was no longer bound by uncertainty. And so he slipped his hands under
her bathing suit bottom and pulled her flush against him. So that she could feel what she was doing
to him. Mi-rae offered him more in return.

“I even dreamed about you that night.”

While I lost sleep over you.

But Ji-pyeong did not say it out loud for fear of breaking the spell. He would tell her all of it
someday — how he paced his hotel room, how he was driven mad imagining making love to her,
how he still dreamed of her even after she was his. But for now, Ji-pyeong remained mesmerized as
her hands caressed his jaw.

“You know…”

Her eyes ticked down to his mouth for a moment. Then she dragged her thumb slowly across his
lips. The pull made his breath catch in his throat. And then Mi-rae met his gaze boldly.

“If you had asked, I would have slept with you that first night.”

Ji-pyeong let out a puff of amazement. He almost did ask. And yet he knew they would have ended
up here no matter how it began. Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw as she drew him closer to her lips. But
then Mi-rae paused just an inch away and smiled teasingly.

“You could have been my first one night stand.”

He sank his fingers deeper into her.

“Then you would have been my last.”

Triumph flashed in her eyes. And then need rushed in. Ji-pyeong kissed her, hard. Mi-rae made a
desperate whimpering sound. And then her hands slipped away and flew to her back. A bolt of
exhilaration tore through him at her immediate boldness.

God yes.

Ji-pyeong’s fingers flew up to aid her, curling under the stubborn red stripe across her body until he
felt the tension give way. He balled the top into his fist as his eyes coveted the swell of her breasts
just above the line of water. She welcomed his gaze before claiming his mouth again. And then all
that was soft gave way to him.
Mi-rae sighed as he filled his hands with her. He tasted the salt on her neck first, and then again on
her breasts— sliding down until he palmed her into his mouth. She leaned her head back as her legs
wrapped even more tightly around him. Ji-pyeong was obsessed with how she responded to his
lips, the way her fingers kneaded his scalp asking for more. She was round and soft and full. And
so Ji-pyeong lavished his wife with attention — listening to her sighs as her hands offered more of
herself to his worship.

For a time, there was nothing but the sound of the water lapping gently against the rocks all around
them. Ji-pyeong contented himself with the way her body slipped in and out of his grasp; with
kissing her in a world stripped away of everything but them.

But then her hand plunged down inside of his bathing suit. Ji-pyeong made a small sound as her
hand closed around him. Her grasp was firm and possessive. And that made him crave her like an
addict. If they were the last two people left in the world then he desperately wanted to act like it.

His head fell to her chest.

“Please.”

Ji-pyeong rasped it against the soft curve of her breast. Mi-rae stroked the length of him until he
cursed. Even the novelty of the water all around him as she teased was no match for the pleasures
that he knew lay within her body. All he wanted was that now. Ji-pyeong slid his hands up her back
— her bathing suit was heavy with water and tangled in his fingers as they dragged up her spine
slowly. Ji-pyeong curved his fingers possessively over her shoulders. The tips of his fingers
reached her collarbone. He grazed his teeth against her neck as a gentle warning that he was
nearing the end of his rope.

“Please …Mi-rae …”

He sounded so needy. But Ji-pyeong did not care. He wanted her to know. His wife should always
know how much he wanted her.

Mi-rae wrapped another hand around the back of his neck. And then she lowered her forehead to
meet his. Ji-pyeong lost himself in those brown eyes -- want, need, possession, surrender, love —
he saw it all there like the blue and green depths swirling all around them. And he felt it all too. It
did not matter how many times they came together like this. If the universe had been remade with
them at the center then so too had their bodies — every angle, every nerve, every space where they
could fit together as lock and key now irrevocably remembered what it was to transcend. They
could not start without ending.
Mi-rae kissed him softly as she drew him out. She rubbed him wickedly against a smooth strip of
fabric that was the final barrier to bliss. And then she pulled her mouth away and smiled as she
agonizingly denied him below.

His fingers curled into her. It was a dare. And he would wait no longer.

Ji-pyeong chased her — his tongue traced her lips as his fingers clamored between them to yank
the bathing suit to the side. And then he slipped his way in everywhere that he could — she was
warm and welcoming and endless. It was so easy, it was so good. As love was supposed to be. And
then Ji-pyeong knew only pleasure — deep inside of her and all around him as she folded him into
her arms. The sea filled every space that he could not in a boundless sensory abyss. Everything was
blue and green and her.

Water lapped against them as they moved, oblivious to their soft gasps as they discovered new
ways to fit together like this. Mi-rae broke away from his kiss and gathered his head to her breasts
as she dragged herself back and forth along the length of him. Here in the water, she could wrap
her body around him and move as she pleased. Over and over, she rolled her hips wantonly as she
cradled his face in her hands. Ji-pyeong was forced to stand his ground against the gentle roll of the
waves as she had her way with him. The world became only all that was endlessly wet and sliding
between them.

Ji-pyeong looked up at her as his hands mapped her back. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack.
There was a beautiful rhythm to her that left him spellbound — high sharp breaths fell from her
mouth in concert with the ridges of her spine passing back and forth under his palms. Her breasts
gently caressed his face as her hips glided over and over with the freedom granted to them by the
water.

Mi-rae drew his face up closer to hers. She was maddeningly close enough to kiss him again. Her
lips beckoned to his like the moon calling to the tide. His wife seemed greedy even for his breath
now as her fingers spanned the sides of his face. Her hips slowed as she seemed to grow distracted.

“The truth is...”

Her voice was raw and full of yearning. Mi-rae closed her eyes as she struggled to confess
something through pleasure. When she opened her eyes again, they were dark and searching. Her
hands held his face fiercely.
“I want you in every way that there is to want a person.”

It broke him.

This was all that he had ever wanted —- to be loved as passionately as he loved. Ji-pyeong surged
up and kissed her roughly. His hands seized her backside to push deeper. It was still not enough.
He wanted all of her. And he was never again going to be a man who waited for what he wanted.

Ji-pyeong pulled himself away as she yelped in protest. And then he wrapped his arms tightly
around her and began carrying her out of the water.

Mi-rae shrieked, laughing. Her hands clamored around his shoulders as her breasts bobbed joyfully
against his face.

“What are you doing!”

He tightened her grip on her wet skin and growled his answer.

“I’m doing exactly what you want me to do.”

Mi-rae carded his scalp in reply. She held on with her legs locked around his hips as he climbed
his way onto the beach. Her arms were around his neck as she pressed a flurry of kisses to his face.

Ji-pyeong laid his wife down onto the blanket.

For a moment, he could not help but just look at her— this woman who was the love of his life.
Her breasts were rising and falling, daringly bare and inviting in the bright sunshine. Dark wet hair
clung to her cheeks now blushing under his gaze. Her lips were pink and swollen from kissing.
Water droplets adorned her body as if even nature could not help but pay tribute to his wife. She
was exquisite. And then he could not wait another moment to be back inside of her.

Ji-pyeong cast her top aside and then began pulling her bathing suit bottom down and along her
legs. He made short work of his own. Mi-rae reached for him but whispered as if someone could
hear them.
“But what if another boat comes?“

His answer was as sure as hers under the trees long ago.

“I don’t care.”

Ji-pyeong gently opened her legs to fill the space with his body.

“I told you what honeymoons are for.”

Laughter bloomed into a happy sigh. He filled her just as greedily as he took her smiling mouth.
Fingers slid into his hair as Mi-rae welcomed him back in every way that she could.

Ji-pyeong made love to her slowly, longingly, just as he had kissed her on the sand that night she
had first confessed her love. Their hips had moved as darkness increasingly shrouded them
knowing full well of how they were meant to be. Here and now, the sunlight wrapped around his
shoulders as he sank into his wife all around him. Her hands were caressing the expanse of his
back, her mouth was loving — stopping its tender adoration only to whisper words of love as her
legs wrapped around his.

He felt the coil of pleasure building within him and clamored to keep it at bay. Ji-pyeong pulled up
to look down at Mi-rae. He did not want to chase the end. He wanted to always remember her like
this — the day that he made love to his wife in this secret place with the press of an emerald to his
skin because she was impossibly his. Ji-pyeong pushed the charcoal wetness of her hair back from
her face. He captured a water droplet sliding down her neck as she sighed above his ear. Again
there was salt on his tongue but sweetness was all around. Their eyes locked as they rocked
together in a blissful world of their own making.

Kim Mi-rae was not the first woman that he had loved. And Han Ji-pyeong was not the first man
with whom she had promised to spend her life. But they were each other’s last. Final, yet infinite.
They murmured mouthfuls of forever as they finally gave in to one another under the bright blue
sky.
After, they remained tangled together. Ji-pyeong reached out for the corner of the blanket as Mi-
rae kissed his throat. Then he pulled it over them as he rolled to his side. They settled facing one
another with their hands under their heads like two halves of a whole.

“Hi.”

Her voice was soft and she was looking at him like he was perfect.

“Hi.”

Mi-rae turned her face into the blanket as she laughed softly.

“I can’t believe we just did that.”

He looked at her incredulously.

“You can’t?”

Ji-pyeong chuckled as he tucked her hair behind her ear. It was drying rebelliously in the sun.
Every part of her seemed as wild as this place right now and he loved her so very dearly. Her feet
slipped between his and began to rub the sand away.

“Remember how long it took us to even use a bed? We were always going to end up like this.”

Mi-rae grabbed his shoulder as she laughed even harder. Then she inched closer to him. The swell
of her breasts was visible just above the fold of her arms. He traced the faint tan line from her
shoulder down as she smiled at him. And then Ji-pyeong said exactly what he was thinking.

“You are beautiful.”

“So are you.” Her eyes danced across his face. “And my world is more beautiful with you in it.”
Ji-pyeong’s throat tightened.

“Mine too.”

The world was indeed different now because of Kim Mi-rae. He saw the vibrant greens, and the
hopeful purples, and the bold reds. He heard the sound of the sea; the rush of trees swaying; the
fury of the rain; a secret message in a song. She had revealed to him the beauty of now in so many
ways.

But a bittersweet pang reminded him that their time like this was fleeting.

“I don’t want to leave.” Ji-pyeong sighed. “I would trade everything I have just to spend every
minute with you.”

Mi-rae caressed his face.

“You don’t have to, my love. I am right here no matter where we are.”

Ji-pyeong’s mind flooded with the demands of career and responsibility. All that had defined his
life before he became her love felt like a gnawing weight. Happiness was new skin emerging under
the old peeling from the sun. He needed to stretch and fit into it as layers shed away.

Ji-pyeong grabbed her hand and pressed it to his chest.

“I want to always be the Han Ji-pyeong of my letter.”

Mi-rae’s eyes widened with surprise at his urgent tone.

“No matter the stress of work, or children, or whatever...” Ji-pyeong shook his head as he struggled
to convey his thoughts. “What I mean is that I don’t want to ever take for granted how beautiful it
is just to be with you.”

Mi-rae let out a breath. Her hand squeezed his. And then she inched closer, her eyes now filled
with emotion.

“And I want to always be this Kim Mi-rae. The one who wrote to you and feels so sure of herself
and the future no matter what. Because we both know what life can bring.”

He nodded. Few knew as well as they. And yet her eyes were full of hope.

“Even when things are hard, let’s promise to remind each other, okay?”

Calm washed over him. Ji-pyeong drew her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her palm to
seal their vow.

Then Mi-rae rolled onto her back and stretched like a cat. Ji-pyeong leaned over to press a kiss to
her breast before resting his head on her. Her fingers began playing with his hair absentmindedly.

“Let’s come back here on our twentieth anniversary.”

He lifted his head up.

“To Greece?”

Mi-rae jealously hugged his head back down to her chest.

“I mean right here. I want to have a picnic again with you right on this very spot in twenty years.”

“I’ll be fifty eight. Ugh, I could be gray then.”

She giggled and kissed his head.

“Oh shut up. You’ll still be impossibly handsome, my love.”

He hugged her close.

“I love that idea. And Paris for our first anniversary? You promised that you’d take me.”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sighed happily.

“Deal.”

Ji-pyeong closed his eyes but then her chest hummed with more words.

“I can’t believe this amazing thing was created by everything falling apart.”

He smiled at her unwittingly apt metaphor. Whatever it was — timing, fate, their sheer strength of
will — something had pulled them towards one another and bound them up. It began as a piece of
paper clutched in his hand while they both sat utterly alone at a bar. And now they were husband
and wife under that unlikeliest of bright blue spheres. Beautiful things could indeed be found amid
the ruins.

“Maybe it all actually went according to plan.”

Ji-pyeong rolled onto his elbow and traced the thought down the valley between her breasts. Mi-rae
gave him a bemused smile and then rolled towards him.

“What did?”

He smiled. Ji-pyeong’s fingers found the red string around her wrist and tugged.

“Us.”

And then he kissed her before she could say anything else.
Mi-rae sighed into his mouth and the blanket slipped away. She filled his arms once again. It was
bewitching — kissing her simply for the dizzying pleasure of it. She was so impossibly soft and
smelled like a perfect day spent by the sea. The sun warmed her skin as his fingers lazily trailed up
and down her body. Even the pristine beauty of this place was no match for the pull between them.
For no matter where they were, Ji-pyeong always discovered the full measure of love in her arms.
And in his, Mi-rae found the peace of knowing that he would always stay.

Time temporarily lost its hold on Ji-pyeong. Hours or minutes passed by. He had no idea which.
When water lapped at his feet, cool and surprising, Ji-pyeong furrowed his brow. Then he
stubbornly wrapped his arms around her in a futile attempt to ward off an end to paradise.

But her lips finally ebbed because the sea refused to. And then Mi-rae reluctantly pulled herself
away and sat up to assess the cove. Her dark hair drew as a familiar line as ever across green. Ji-
pyeong’s eyes fondly traced the shape of his first memory of his wife.

Her shoulders lifted up and fell back down with a sigh.

“The tide is coming in. We better head out.”

Mi-rae turned to look back at him over her shoulder. Her brown eyes were wistful. Black hair
cradled her chin just under the pink lips he had kissed all day. Her back curved like a question
mark to which only he possessed the answer.

Mi-rae regularly stole his breath away like a thief. But in this moment, she was the loveliest thing
he had ever seen.

Ji-pyeong rolled up to wrap his arms around her and pull her against his chest.

“Do we have to?”

Mi-rae’s head fell back against his shoulder with another sigh.

“Unfortunately, yes. Unless you want to spend the night on that boat and miss our flight
tomorrow.”
He brushed sand off of her shoulder before pressing a defiant kiss.

“Maybe I do.”

Laughter vibrated against his chest. She looked up at him and cupped his cheek.

“We still have the boat for a few hours. We can keep exploring.”

Mi-rae smiled as he bent down to kiss her forehead. Then he dragged her abandoned bathing suit
from a corner of the blanket and handed it to her ruefully.

“Aye aye, captain.”

They packed up and made their way back to the boat slowly; partners in a silent pact to put off the
inevitable for as long as possible. Ji-pyeong stood with his feet firmly on the deck and pulled his
shirt back over his head. Then he took a long look around. If he tried to explain the magic of this
place to anyone, words would woefully do it an injustice. Men have limits that nature does not.

The rumble of the engine interrupted his revery.

“Wait! We haven’t even taken any pictures!”

Ji-pyeong found his phone tucked away safely into the passenger seat. And then he snapped a
photo of Mi-rae in her white dress at the wheel before she could protest.

“Hey!”

He grinned and took another.

“Someday I’m going to show our kids this photograph of their mom navigating an island like a
damn ocean explorer. And until then, I’m going to brag about it to everyone I know.”
Mi-rae could not help but smile. Then her hand was on her hip.

“We have to take one together. So we can always point to it and say we are going back there
someday.”

Ji-pyeong pulled her by the waist and leaned against the railing of the boat. He held the phone up
high above them as he lowered his lips to her ear.

“This was already a perfect day. Thank you.”

Ji-pyeong whispered it as he pulled her close. Mi-rae looked up and smiled at him. Ji-pyeong could
not drag his eyes away. But his thumb pressed the camera button anyway.

She laughed and grabbed at his shirt.

“Come on, neither of us was even looking!”

Ji-pyeong chuckled and then straightened his shoulders as he turned to face his phone. He glanced
down at her again before smiling for a second photograph. He teased her out of the corner of his
mouth.

“Imagine how people will never know about what we did here when they see this photograph in
our apartment.”

A burst of laughter tore from her lips. Ji-pyeong craned his neck to retain her attention.

“Look how respectable this looks!”

He held up his phone.

“I’m going to frame it and display it prominently in my office someday too. Because now I know
why there’s a drink named after what we did.”

Mi-rae smacked his shoulder and giggled before stepping around him to take command of the boat.
He sank down into the seat behind her as she began guiding them back across the cove.

Ji-pyeong flipped back to the first photograph that he had taken. There was only a sliver of the blue
circle. And far more white rock filled the frame around them than emerald water. The image failed
to capture anything special about the ruined cave. It looked like just another one of the many
beaches that they had visited. And yet the photograph made his chest ache. Mi-rae was looking up
at him smiling, her hair unruly and her pink lips wide with joy. And he was looking at her exactly
as he felt right now: with a heart full of gratitude that she was forever his. Ji-pyeong swept his
thumb lovingly over the screen.

His debt was indeed paid in full.

I am so happy, Grandmother.

He breathed that happiness deep into his lungs. As the boat once again pierced the shadows of the
archway, Ji-pyeong opened the notes application on his phone. He began writing fragments of
happiness down: the green of the water, the salt on her skin, a dream of three children, the warmth
of the sun as they made love. He wrote down all of the beautiful colors, the sounds, and the taste of
now. Ji-pyeong refused to allow the present to slip through his fingers or leave it to the mercy of
fickle memory. Instead, the beauty of now was captured, preserved. He would guard it carefully
until the time came to write his next letter.

“My love?”

Mi-rae was looking back at him. Ji-pyeong squinted as the sun burst off the surface of the open
ocean. Turquoise once again glittered as far as he could see until the blue of the horizon claimed
it.

The boat slowed to a stop and the motor hummed idly. Ji-pyeong stood up and took his place next
to Mi-rae. His hand curved around her hip.

One of his wife’s hands was curled around the wheel, ready. The other unfurled across the map.
The shape of the world all around them was filled with her handwriting. Lines, numbers, words,
and circles surrounded all of the places that they could go. It was a map full of carefully crafted
 possibilities. Wonder and security wove its way around his heart in equal measure as he pulled her
close.

The waves rolled under the boat as the wind swept over them. But his wife was ever steady by his
side. Together they possessed the wisdom to confidently choose a path not yet taken.

Mi-rae looked up at him with eyes full of love and a smile on her lips.

“Where to next?”

******

Chapter End Notes

Well dear readers, we have come to the end.

The wise television show 12 Monkeys once postulated that “[w]e can have forever... or
we can have now, with an ending... that makes it real.” All stories need an ending but I
hope Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae will continue to live on in your imagination as they sail off
into their future, map firmly in hand. I know that they will in mine.

Thank you for going on this journey with me over the last six months. I hope that you
enjoyed it as much as I loved writing about Han Ji-pyeong and Kim Mi-rae. It was a
joy to give “Good Boy” a happy ending as “My Love.” And I am particularly grateful
for how you all embraced Mi-rae. She is the first original character that I’ve ever
written.

Hearing from all of you since May was often a highlight of my week. This is the
longest piece of fiction I have ever written and your encouragement is a big reason
why. Thank you.
 Some parting gifts…

Here are two poems I came across while writing:

"The Trees by Phillip Larkin — Young-shil quotes from it in Chapter Eleven.

https://poetryarchive.org/poem/trees/

"Mouthful of Forevers" by Clementine von Radics - I found this poem while writing
the epilogue and it reminded me of Ji-pyeong and Mi-rae.

https://wordsfortheyear.com/2014/11/29/mouthful-of-forevers-by-clementine-von-
radics/

And finally, all Kdramas deserve their own soundtrack. So I’ve created a soundtrack
of twenty seven songs for You Are My Future that alternates perspectives between Ji-
pyeong and Mi-rae from the beginning to the end of the story on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0LaWRdQMPSrIXr6fp0Dvmx?si=xlmutgsOT-
CVOk1IyP83RQ&pt=d249a228dbd03d39c2e0cfa6b7a55094

Until next time —

Ms. Tallis

End Notes

Please forgive any errors in formality of speech. English is my first language.

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