{KOREAN-ENGLISH}
"She wanted to elope with the man she truly loved," Lee Seo Jun said quietly, his gaze lost in the distance. "But our families... they tore them apart. She wasn't allowed to choose, and neither was I. In the end... she took her own life."
He turned away, hiding the pain that twisted his features. But Joon So Min saw it.every shard of guilt carved across his back. The kind of grief that doesn't fade, only folds itself deeper into the ribs.
"What was her name?" she asked softly.
Seo Jun looked over his shoulder. "Kim Eun Ji."
So Min gave a gentle smile. "That's a beautiful name. I'm sure she was, too."
He didn't answer.
"The weather's turning cold," he said after a pause, voice low. "Let me take you home."
She hesitated.
"Can I stay at your place tonight?" Her words came out quietly, a little unsure.
His brows rose slightly. Of all things, he hadn't expected that.
But he didn't question it. "Of course. Let's go."
—
The rain had arrived by the time they reached his home. It poured in thick sheets as bodyguards dashed out with umbrellas, shielding them until they entered the vast marble-floored house.
So Min watched them with concern. "They'll catch a cold."
Seo Jun gave a small smile. "They're used to it. Are you hungry?"
"Very," she replied. "But... I want to cook something myself."
He nodded approvingly. "Go change first."
She went upstairs, realizing too late she hadn't brought clothes. She didn't want to bother the staff for something so small especially in the rain. She stepped back out wrapped in a thick white robe, her damp hair tucked behind her ears.
Seo Jun glanced up and blinked at the sight. "Do you need clothes?"
"Um... maybe just something from your wardrobe?" she asked shyly. "I'm a bit short for your stuff, though."
He smiled faintly and led her to his room. She picked the softest shirt she could find and a pair of drawstring pants that practically swallowed her whole.
When she stepped out, Seo Jun stared a beat too long before a laugh escaped his throat.
"What?" she narrowed her eyes.
"You look like my clothes are eating you alive."
She rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is," he replied with a smirk. "You look cute."
So Min turned red. Cute?
"I'll go make dinner now!" she blurted and nearly ran out of the room.
—
By the time Seo Jun came downstairs, he was met with the most unexpected sight: his bodyguards gathered in the living room, each holding a cup of warm tea. So Min stood in the middle, smiling like the hostess of a countryside inn.
"Here," she said sweetly, handing him his cup. "Ginger ginseng. It'll help with the chill."
He accepted it slowly. "What's going on here?"
"They got soaked. It felt wrong not to make them something warm."
Seo Jun shook his head and laughed softly. This girl...
"Oh! Dinner—" she dashed into the kitchen and returned moments later, sighing in relief. "Thank God, the maid turned off the stove at the right time."
"We'll help you serve it, madam," a maid said with admiration.
"I can't let you do everything. Let's serve together."
The maids were taken by her warmth. One of them even said quietly, "I've worked with the Lee family for years. I pray you marry our sir someday. He's different around you."
So Min smiled softly. If only they knew.
—
"Dinner's ready!" she called, and soon, the dining room was filled.
Six bodyguards, two maids, and two people stuck in a pretend relationship but tonight, nothing felt fake. They sat, they ate, they laughed.
"Eat up, everyone!" she said brightly.
Seo Jun sat beside her, watching her. She had this rare light,something that made people feel like home.
—
After dinner, with the rain now gone, the house quieted.
So Min curled up beside him on the living room couch.
"Why do you need bodyguards?" she asked.
"I was kidnapped once," he answered, eyes fixed on the flickering TV screen. "Back in Seoul, before I left for the States. My family's enemies are quiet but
they never disappear."
"That's awful," she whispered.
"They insisted I stay protected. I agreed so my mother wouldn't worry."
—
They watched a movie together, and for a while, there were no ghosts. No exes. No broken pasts. Just the sound of laughter, the warmth of tea, and the occasional glance that lasted too long.
—
The next morning, sunlight leaked in through the tall windows.
So Min opened her eyes and nearly screamed.
She was on the couch, half-draped over Seo Jun. Her head had found its way onto his chest sometime in the night. She sat up quickly, horrified.
He stirred and opened one eye.
"Morning," he said, voice husky.
"I—I'm so sorry! I must've—"
"The only thing you should be sorry for," he interrupted, "is your snoring. I barely slept."
She gasped. "I do not snore!"
He grinned. "You do. Like a kitten with a cold."
"You—!" She grabbed a pillow and smacked him.
He laughed. She hit him again.
This time, he caught her wrist.
They froze.
Eyes met.
Breath caught.
The moment thickened into something they couldn't name.
"I—I'll go make breakfast!" she said and bolted before the room burned her alive.
—
In the kitchen, she gripped the counter, heart racing.
What just happened?
She reached for the fridge, pulled out a water bottle, and downed half of it. But it didn't cool her down.
Her hand touched her cheek. It was burning.
No, no, no.
She couldn't be falling for him.
Right?
...Oh no.
She already had.