The morning sun spills through the kitchen window, warming the counter as I stand there flipping kimchi pancakes like I'm auditioning for Wife of the Year. The sharp, savory scent fills the apartment, and I smile to myself. Lee Ye Jun loves kimchi. Excessively. Passionately. Almost concerningly.
Hye Ri and five-year-old Ha Eun sit at the table, watching me like I'm performing live on television. The moment Lee Ye steps into the kitchen, Ha Eun gasps loudly, as if she's about to make a public announcement. "Mommy! Is that really him?" she whispers, in a manner which is not a whisper at all.
"Yes, Ha Eun darling." Hye Ri confirms, far too amused.
Ha Eun stares at him like he just descended from the heavens. "Can I sit next to you?"
"Of course," he chuckles, pulling out a chair for her. "I promise I don't bite... unless you steal my food."
She giggles. "But you're too famous to bite people."
He leans in conspiratorially. "Shh. That's a secret only Ha Eun knows."
Her hands fly to her mouth. "Really?"
Hye Ri bursts out laughing while I try not to melt into the stove. Why is he so good with kids? That feels illegal.
We start eating, and Ha Eun takes one dramatic bite. Her eyes widen. "This is so yummy! Will you cook every day instead of Mommy, Aunt Kitten?"
I laugh. "Only if you promise to keep me company whenever I cook. Deal?"
"Deal!" She raises her tiny fist like she just signed a contract.
Hye Ri clutches her chest. "Wow. Betrayed in my own house."
"But Aunt Kitten is the best cook ever!" Ha Eun declares proudly.
"Touché." Hye Ri sighs dramatically. "Fine. I'm entering my gourmet cereal-and-toast era. Watch out, Ha Eun and Michelin. I'm coming for those stars."
"Mommy, can we have that for dinner?"
We all burst into laughter.
After breakfast, Hye Ri checks the time. "Okay, baby. School. Say goodbye to Uncle Lee Ye Jun and Aunt Kitten."
Ha Eun runs straight into him and hugs him around the legs. He stiffens for half a second before lowering down to her height, carefully hugging her back. "Thanks for the hug. You're officially my number one fan now."
She beams like she's been knighted.
"Bye, Aunt Kitten!" she sings, skipping toward the door.
Before leaving, Hye Ri leans toward Lee Ye and whispers something in his ear. He glances at me, eyebrow raised, slightly surprised. I narrow my eyes suspiciously. What was that about?
Once they're gone, the apartment quiets. I clean up while he scrolls through his phone. After a moment, he looks up. "My driver's downstairs."
I nod, suddenly fascinated by a completely clean countertop.
He stretches lazily. "You know, I could get used to this. Good food. And a very adorable little fan." He flashes a grin that is far too dangerous for 7 a.m.
I'm in shock at his remark, my mouth agape as I process how he seems to have warmed up to me. Unsure of how to respond, I finally manage an awkward laugh as we head toward the door.
We walk down the stairs together, and he nudges me playfully with his shoulder. "You know, I must say you are actually a great cook."
His compliment caught me by surprise, and I blink, wondering how we got here. This is the same man who used to treat me like an inconvenient piece of furniture. "Then I'll keep practicing until I can open my own restaurant." I reply with mock seriousness.
"Just don't call it Seo Yeon's Kitchen Disasters." he teases as we reach the front door.
I scoff. "Rude."
"What did you just say?" he asks, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Nothing." I say almost immediately, shaking my head as I feign ignorance.
At the door, he pauses. Turns. And I watch his smile soften as he says, "Happy birthday. Even if it's late."
Everything stops.
Oh.
That's what Hye Ri whispered.
"Thank you." I manage, my voice smaller than I'd like.
For a second, we just stand there. The air feels different. Warmer. Charged. Like something is shifting quietly between us...
Finally, he nods, breaking the spell as he steps back to meet his driver, who is already waiting by the car. Lee Ye hands him the car key.
But before I can head back inside, I hear tires screeching, and then a black van pulls up sharply in front of me. My breath hitches in my throat as my heart jumps. I watch two huge men jump out of the van, and my stomach instantly drops when they grab me by the arms before I can react.
"Hey! Let go of me!" I shout, struggling against their grip.
Lee Ye turns around just in time to see me being dragged toward the van. His eyes widen in shock. "Seo Yeon!" he yells, but it's too late... they already shove me into the back of the van.
"Drive!" one of them barks at the driver as they slam the door shut.
"Wait! This isn't right!" I protest, but they ignore me completely.
The van speeds away, taking sharp turns through the streets while I try to catch my breath. The loan sharks are threatening me now, "We will harvest your organs if you don't pay."
"Harvest my organs? Seriously?"
They exchange glances that suggest they're ready to make good on their threats. Suddenly, the van comes to a halt in a secluded area—perfect for committing murder. The men start leaning closer, their faces twisted into menacing grins.
"If you don't pay us, I hope you're ready for some fun." one of them sneers.
Just then, Lee Ye bursts onto the scene like a superhero straight out of a comic book. "Get away from her!" he shouts, his voice booming with authority.
The loan sharks turn in surprise as Lee Ye motions for his driver to call the police.
"Who do you think you are?" one of them growls, cracking his knuckles ominously.
"Me?" Lee Ye replies coolly, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "You just made a very expensive mistake." With that, he lunges forward with impressive speed and agility, throwing punches left and right. It's like watching an action movie unfold in real life, complete with dramatic sound effects. He dodges a wild swing from one of the larger thugs and counters with a swift jab to the gut, making the man double over with a grunt.
"Is this really necessary?" I shout from inside the van.
"Absolutely!" he shouts back, ducking another swing.
Another thug charges at him, but Lee Ye sidesteps effortlessly, causing the man to stumble past him and crash into a trash can. The sound of metal clanging against concrete echoes through the alley, and I can't help but stifle a laugh at the sight of the thug struggling to untangle himself from the mess.
"Hey! Watch where you're throwing your weight!" one of the loan sharks yells, clearly more annoyed than hurt.
Lee Ye takes advantage of their distraction and delivers a spinning kick that sends another thug sprawling to the ground. "Sorry! Didn't see you there." he quips, flashing a cheeky grin.
Just then, two more burly guys join the fray, clearly not impressed by Lee Ye's antics. They advance on him like a pair of freight trains, but he stands his ground. "You guys really should have brought some snacks for this party." he jokes, cracking his knuckles as if preparing for an intense workout.
The fight intensifies as fists fly and bodies collide. Lee Ye takes a few hits himself from the bigger guys who clearly didn't skip leg day at the gym, but he retaliates with precision and flair. He ducks under a wild punch and counters with an uppercut that sends one thug reeling backward into his friend, causing them both to tumble over each other in a heap.
Before long, sirens fill the air as police cars pull up alongside us. The officers step out, looking shocked at the sight before them—Lee Ye battling two loan sharks while I sit helplessly inside the van without knowing what to do but panic.
"Is that...?!" one officer exclaims, recognizing Lee Ye immediately.
The loan sharks realize they're outnumbered and start backing away slowly until they meet with more officers emerging from their vehicles. They're quickly cuffed and shoved into separate police cars while Lee Ye stands there with bruises formed on his face—one cheek already with painful-looking scratches.
I feel a pang of guilt wash over me as I take in his injuries. "This is all my fault." I whisper under my breath. He must be really hurting right now, and it's all because of me...
At the station, it somehow gets more chaotic as the officers swarm him, eagerly asking for selfies and autographs despite everything that just unfolded.
"Wow! Can you believe we just saw Lee Ye in action?" one officer gushes while trying to discreetly snap a picture of him on his phone.
"Yeah! And did you see how he took those guys down? He's like a real-life superhero!" another adds excitedly.
Meanwhile, the loan sharks yell from their backseat, "This isn't fair! He's getting special treatment. We want to press charges for assault."
The officers roll their eyes at their ridiculousness. "You have more than three prior records." one officer retorts with a smirk. "Good luck with that. Sit down now!"
Moments later, Mr. Lee, his Uncle arrives with a lawyer. He strides into the station like he owns the place and addresses everyone confidently. "Thank you for your swift action officers." he says to them before turning to Lee Ye with concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"It's just few minor scratches. Nothing to worry about." Lee Ye replies dismissively but winces slightly as he touches his bruised cheek.
Just then, Kara, the famous K-Pop star caught in a dating scandal with Lee Ye, makes a dramatic entrance into the station. The atmosphere shifts instantly, police officers swoon at her presence as she walks in wearing oversized sunglasses and an outfit that screams high fashion.
"Wow! She's even more beautiful in person." whispers one officer to another as they gawk at her.
"I heard she's dating Lee Ye. Do you think it's true?" a female officer whispers back excitedly while trying to keep her composure.
I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy wash over me at their whispered gossip about her dating rumors with Lee Ye. What was I thinking? He's way out of my league. I'm just an ordinary girl caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
Kara approaches Lee Ye with an exaggerated pout and flutters her eyelashes dramatically. "Oh no! You got hurt." she coos.
Lee Ye raises an eyebrow and shifts from her touch, clearly not having any of it. "I'm fine." he replies coolly while trying to maintain his distance, clearly unimpressed by her antics.
Mr. Lee clears his throat loudly to regain everyone's attention and introduces the lawyer. "Everyone, this is Mr. Kim Do Hyun. He'll be handling things from here on our behalf."
The good-looking man who appears to be in his late twenties nods confidently—sharp suit, sharper gaze. Calm. Efficient. "We will be pressing charges against these criminals, and justice will be served."
I stand there, watching everything unfold. Police officers buzzing around excitedly, Kara trying her best to flirt with Lee Ye... I can't shake off how surreal this all feels.
This isn't a normal life.
It's loud. Dramatic. Chaotic. Unreal.
And somehow...
I'm right in the middle of it.