The early morning sun cast a warm glow on Mi-soo and Young-jae as they laid on the bed in the inn. Mi-soo was the first to wake up and she woke up in the arms of the man she loved and who loved her equally. She looked up into his face as the sun cast a golden glow on his face. How did she end up with the most handsome man in the world? Will she ever get used to this new experiences? Is it okay for her to feel this way? Was she allowed to be this happy? These questions took turns in her mind as she sighed out of frustration and proceeded to lay her head back on his shoulder cuddling him more.
Young-jae felt her grip tightened and he woke up with a smile holding her more closely and whispering good morning into her ears. She looked up at him and returned the greeting smiling. He kissed her and she just smiled and rested her head back on his chest. 'What are your plans for today? he asked her, 'I wanted to go sight seeing and visit the temples' she said 'I haven't been to this area before but I've heard a lot about this place'. 'I have just the thing for you' he said excitedly, 'we need to leave early if we want to see half of the things this place has to offer' and saying that he stood up from the bed and carried her in his arms. 'What are you doing? she asked smiling. 'Well we need to shower' he responded. 'I can do that on my own' she said giggling. 'I want us to shower together and he carried her into the bathroom.
...........................
They were having so much fun. They went on a mountain hike, they took a walk visiting several famous sites. Eventually they went to the temple and prayed and a monk blessed them as though they were a couple. They felt bad for deceiving the monk but it was not intentional. They had also met a group of female friends together at the temple and Mi-soo had taken a few picture pictures with them, that was to be her back up plan in case her "husband were to ask". From the temple they went to a restaurant that was very famous for their noodles and had a late lunch and then they packed up to leave. If only they knew what was awaiting them on their return.
...........................
The reporter that had caught them at the beach went ahead to write about Kim Young-jae's new mystery woman. He had linked his recent divorce to the new woman claiming that his wife must had sensed disloyalty and that's why she had asked for a divorce. Guesses were speculated on who the new mystery woman was as her face was not clearly shown.
........................
Young-han had seen the article on Young-jae's mystery woman and it looked all too familiar to him. He was having his suspicion because his wife Mi-soo had said she was going to the beach with some of her friends and after seeing the news he had picked up his phone to dial her friends number and that was when it dawned on him that he did not know any of her friends, he did not know any particular thing about his so-called wife.
Young-han picked up his phone to call his wife and she told him she was on her way home and he decided to wait at home for her. As soon as she got home he bombarded her with questions. 'Where have you been? who did you go with? and the likes, she just looked at him annoyed and she told him to let her breath because she was tired and needed to rest. He picked up his tab with the news article and threw it on her laps as she sat down.
Mi-soo picked up the tablet and she was mortified but she did her best to hide her shock. 'Is your brother seeing someone new? she asked trying to look naturally surprised and look into his eyes. He stared at her in disbelief, 'are you thinking I am the woman in those pictures? She asked him in disbelief, 'I honestly don't know why you would think that but not because I owe you an explanation as to who I was with because you also don't tell me anything, but I'll give you and evidence to show you who I was with' and she brought out her phone and should him the pictures she had taken with compete strangers while attempting to laugh at his foolishness.
Young-han looked at the pictures and looked back at her then he just shoved past her and started heading out. 'where are you going to this night? She asked him, he stopped in his steps and turned back to face her. 'None of your damn business he said and headed out.
........................
Young-jae intentionally left his phone off during the trip so that he would not be disturbed as he wanted to spend quality time with Mi-soo. After he got back, he took a shower and made coffee for himself then he proceeded to turn on his phone and he saw a lot of voicemails from his father, friends and some board members. He saw a message from his secretary with a link telling him to treat the message as urgent. He clicked on the link and saw the article, he was mortified, he quickly scanned through the pictures to see if there was a picture where Mi-soo's face showed but there was none and he heaved a sigh of relief.
He immediately put his coffee down and called Mi-soo, when she picked up he asked her if she had seen the article and she said yes, telling him that Young-han suspects her but she was able to set him off her track but she did not know how long they were going to continue hiding. He assured her that he won't let any harm come to her and he was going to deal with the matter as quickly as possible.
His resolve to protect her was very assuring and connection they shared with each other had become an anchor, grounding them amidst the turbulence of their world. Their stolen moments were a lifeline, a reminder that beneath the layers of duty and tradition, a passionate and genuine love thrived and none of them was ready to give that up just yet.
He slowly walked to his room and laid on his bed, his phone still in his ear. He turned to his side and imagined her lying next to him.
"Mi-soo," he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken emotions.
"Young-jae," she replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of longing and determination. "We cannot keep living like this. The world around us presses in, demanding conformity."
Young-jae imagined ruining his fingers across her cheek, his touch igniting a spark that spread through her veins. "I know," he murmured, his gaze unwavering. "But I cannot stand by and watch you be bound to a life that does not bring you happiness."
Mi-soo's heart ached at his words, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "And what of you?" she whispered. "What of you and your life?, I don't want to do anything that would affect you negatively because if anything were to happen to you I would not be able to forgive myself" She said tearfully.
He smiled gently, his thumb tracing a path along her cheekbone. "My happiness lies in yours, Mi-soo. I would rather be by your side, even if it means facing the challenges that come with it. I would rather have you in my life even if it means defying my gamily and societal norms, you mean so much to me and I won't risk you for anything".
Their fingers intertwined, a silent vow passing between them—a promise to navigate the storm together, to face the obstacles that lay ahead hand in hand. And Mi-soo slept off to his voice.
In the days that followed, Mi-soo will find herself at a crossroads. The expectations of society pulling at her from one direction, while the love she shared with Young-jae tugged at her from another. She sought solace in his encouraging words, the place where she had discovered the depth of her feelings, and where she hoped to find clarity.
After a while of her silence Young-jae called out to her but noticed she had feel asleep, he kissed her goodbye while smiling and then proceeded to stare at his ceiling, so many thoughts running through his mind. He knew he had to fight his family if he was going to pursue this love and that was without a doubt.
Young-jae knew he had a big day ahead of him tomorrow if he had to clear the air and ease the curiosity of everyone around him. He silently wished he had married Mi-soo instead of his brother then they both would have been happier and pursued their love in peace. He had also married to please his father and look where that had left him. He was done pleasing anyone, he was going to start pleasing himself now, he was only going to things that were necessary for his happiness and if that meant going against his family and society, then so be it.