Hyun-woo carried Hae-in straight out of the Queens Group building, a sea of bewildered, amused, and awestruck faces following their every step. He didn't put her down until they reached his car, a feat that would have exhausted an ordinary man but seemed to only energize him. He carefully placed her in the passenger seat, his eyes gleaming with a victorious light.
Hae-in, still a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, was doing her best to maintain a facade of furious indignation. "Are you out of your mind, Baek Hyun-woo?" she huffed, her face a mask of practiced anger. "Do you have any idea what you've just done? You've just become the laughingstock of the entire company!"
Hyun-woo, however, was completely unconcerned. He got into the driver's seat, a wide, triumphant grin on his face. "Oh, I have an idea," he said, his voice laced with a joyful confidence. "And I'm a hero, my dear wife. Not a laughingstock. Now, sit back and enjoy the ride. I have a very important date to take you on."
The ride was a tense one, but the tension was electric, not cold. Hae-in sat with her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on the road, a stubborn pout on her lips. She was determined not to give in, not to let him see how much she was enjoying his dramatic antics. She had been publicly kidnapped, and she was the CEO of an empire. It was an outrage! A beautiful, thrilling outrage.
Hyun-woo, however, was an expert at reading her. He could see the small, suppressed smiles, the way her eyes, though they tried to look angry, sparkled with a hidden delight. He knew she was loving every second of this. He also knew just the place to take her.
He drove to a small, unassuming restaurant, one with a warm, cozy atmosphere that was a world away from the cold, formal places she was used to dining at. It was the same one from his childhood, the place his grandmother would have loved. He pulled into a parking spot and got out, walking around to her side of the car. He opened her door with a gentlemanly flourish and offered her his hand.
Hae-in, still in her "I'm furious" mode, hesitated for a moment. But then, with a sigh of resigned defeat, she took his hand. As they walked toward the restaurant, she couldn't help but feel a lightness in her step. This was so different from their usual dinners, so refreshingly simple and real.
They sat down at a small table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. As soon as they were settled, Hyun-woo pulled out his phone, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Now," he said, his voice a low, theatrical whisper. "Let's review the damage."
Hae-in's eyes narrowed. "Damage?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "What damage?"
He turned the screen toward her. It was a picture of him carrying her out of the boardroom, her face a mix of shocked indignation and what looked suspiciously like a blush. He then scrolled to the next picture, a candid shot of them walking through the hallway, the entire staff staring at them with a wide-eyed mixture of awe and disbelief. He then showed her the comments.
Hae-in read them, her eyes widening with every word.
"Director Hong looks so good in his arms!"
"Who knew Director Baek was so romantic?"
"He's a hero! He kidnapped her and now he's taking her on a date!"
"They're a real-life drama couple!"
Hae-in's facade of anger was crumbling. She tried to hold it in, she really did. She tried to maintain her angry pout, but the sheer absurdity of the situation, of her, the great Hong Hae-in, being publicly kidnapped, and her husband being celebrated for it, was too much.
A single giggle escaped her lips. Then another. And then she burst out laughing, a full, uninhibited, joyous sound that she hadn't made in years. She laughed so hard her stomach hurt, her body shaking with a profound, uninhibited joy. She laughed until tears were streaming down her face, tears of pure, unadulterated happiness.
Hyun-woo, with a gentle, loving smile, watched her. He had won. He had seen through her act, and he had made her truly, genuinely laugh. He took out his phone and, with a quick, decisive click, took a picture. It was a perfect candid shot. Her head was thrown back, her eyes were closed, and a wide, honest, beautiful smile was on her face.
Hae-in, still gasping for air between fits of laughter, finally calmed down. She looked at him, her eyes shining with a mix of love and playful accusation. "You... you did this on purpose," she said, her voice a little shaky from her laughter. "You wanted to make me laugh."
"I did," he admitted, his voice a soft, loving whisper. "I wanted to make you laugh, because your laughter is the most beautiful sound in the world, Hae-in."
He then showed her the picture he had just taken. She looked at it, her expression softening. She saw not the CEO of an empire, but a woman, a woman who had finally found her happiness, her joy, and her love.
"My dear wife," he said, his voice a low, loving hum, "this is what you deserve. A life full of happiness, laughter, and a bit of reckless adventure. And I'm going to give it all to you. Now, let's order. I'm starving. My heroics have made me very hungry."