AFTER FEW DAYS, THE NIGHT AIR WAS CRISP, THE SKY OF SEOUL GLITTERING WITH TOWERS THAT PIERCED THROUGH THE CLOUDS LIKE BEACONS OF POWER.
JOON-HA EXITED THE GLASS DOORS OF LA FLEUR'S HEADQUARTERS, HIS FOOTSTEPS ECHOING AGAINST THE MARBLE FLOOR.
SFX: CLICK… CLICK… CLICK… HIS POLISHED SHOES STRUCK THE PAVEMENT WITH CALM, COMMANDING RHYTHM.
AND THEN—HE SAW HER.
HA-EUN.
SHE STOOD JUST OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE, A SOFT BREEZE TOYING WITH HER HAIR, HER EYES LOST IN THOUGHT.
JOON-HA'S CHEST TIGHTENED. HE DIDN'T NEED TO WONDER WHAT SHE WAS THINKING. HE ALREADY KNEW. SHE WAS TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER THE FAMILIARITY BETWEEN HIM AND THE MAN SHE HAD LOVED—THE MAN WHO HAD "DIED" ELEVEN YEARS AGO.
FOR A MOMENT, HE ALMOST WALKED PAST. BUT THE WEIGHT OF A DECADE—THE REGRET, THE SUPPRESSED YEARNING—PULLED HIM BACK.
JOON-HA (CALMLY):"WORKING LATE AGAIN, HEAD DESIGNER?"
SHE TURNED, STARTLED. HER EYES MET HIS. THERE WAS THAT FLICKER—THE SAME ONE HE REMEMBERED FROM YEARS AGO, WHENEVER HE TEASED HER DURING THEIR UNIVERSITY DAYS.
HA-EUN (SOFTLY, A LITTLE DEFENSIVE):"JUST… REVIEWING DESIGNS. YOU SEEM TO BE LEAVING LATE YOURSELF, PRESIDENT."
HE SMILED—A SLIGHT, CONTROLLED CURVE OF HIS LIPS.
JOON-HA:"PERHAPS IT'S FATE, THEN. SHALL WE SHARE THE BURDEN OF THIS NIGHT? JOIN ME FOR DINNER."
SFX: WHOOSH! THE WIND BLEW, RUSTLING HER HAIR, AS IF THE WORLD WAS HOLDING ITS BREATH.
HER HEART BEAT FASTER. SHE WANTED TO SAY NO. YET HIS VOICE—LOW, COMMANDING, FAMILIAR—BROKE THROUGH HER DEFENSES.
HA-EUN (HESITANTLY):"…DINNER? WITH YOU?"
JOON-HA (SMIRK):"UNLESS YOU'VE ALREADY MADE PROMISES TO SOMEONE ELSE."
HER LIPS PARTED TO RETORT, BUT NO SOUND CAME OUT. INSTEAD, SHE NODDED—ALMOST AGAINST HER OWN WILL.
THE HOTEL RESTAURANT
THEY ARRIVED AT SEOUL'S MOST LUXURIOUS HOTEL, THE LOTUS GRAND. CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS GLITTERED ABOVE, THE SCENT OF WINE AND EXPENSIVE PERFUME FILLED THE AIR. WAITERS IN WHITE GLOVES BOWED AS THEY ENTERED.
SFX: CLINK… CLINK… CRYSTAL GLASSES CLASHED GENTLY IN THE BACKGROUND.
JOON-HA GUIDED HER TO A PRIVATE TABLE BY THE WINDOW. THE CITY SPREAD OUT BENEATH THEM—A SEA OF LIGHTS.
HA-EUN (MUTTERING, IMPRESSED):"I DIDN'T THINK THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE SUCH A… TASTE FOR ATMOSPHERE."
JOON-HA (LEANING CLOSER):"I TOLD YOU—FATE. SOME MOMENTS DESERVE A PROPER SETTING."
SHE SHIFTED IN HER SEAT, UNEASY.
INNER THOUGHT – HA-EUN:"WHY DOES HIS VOICE SOUND EXACTLY LIKE… NO. STOP IT. THAT MAN IS DEAD. I SAW HIM DIE… DIDN'T I?"
THE WAITER ARRIVED. JOON-HA ORDERED EFFORTLESSLY IN FRENCH, HIS TONGUE SMOOTH AND FLUID.
SFX: SCRIBBLE-SCRIBBLE. THE WAITER NOTED EVERYTHING WITH A NOD AND LEFT.
HA-EUN STARED. IT WASN'T JUST THE WORDS. IT WAS THE CONFIDENCE, THE AIR OF CONTROL. IT WAS THE SAME AS THE MAN WHO USED TO TAKE HER TO LITTLE CAFÉS NEAR CAMPUS, TEASING HER ABOUT HER COFFEE ADDICTION.
FLASHBACK — ELEVEN YEARS AGO:
SFX: LAUGHTER, STUDENT CHATTER.
YOUNG JOON-HA (CASUAL, PLAYFUL):"HA-EUN, IF YOU KEEP DRINKING THREE AMERICANOS A DAY, YOU'LL NEVER SLEEP. OR IS IT THAT YOU WANT TO STAY AWAKE THINKING OF ME?"
YOUNG HA-EUN (BLUSHING, SWATTING HIS ARM):"SHUT UP, WHO SAID I THINK ABOUT YOU AT NIGHT?"
YOUNG JOON-HA (LEANING IN, WHISPERING):"BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT YOU."
FLASHBACK FADES — BACK TO PRESENT.
SHE BLINKED, JOLTED BACK TO THE GLITTERING HOTEL RESTAURANT. HER CHEEKS WERE ALREADY WARM.
THE DINNER
THE FOOD ARRIVED—DELICATE COURSES OF FRENCH CUISINE. YET NEITHER TOUCHED THEIR PLATES AT FIRST.
HA-EUN (STRAIGHTENING, PROFESSIONAL TONE):"PRESIDENT… MAY I ASK WHY YOU INVITED ME SPECIFICALLY?"
JOON-HA (RELAXED, POURING WINE):"SHOULD I NEED A REASON TO DINE WITH MY HEAD DESIGNER?"
HA-EUN (NARROWING HER EYES):"YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE BOARD TO DINE WITH. BUT YOU CHOSE ME. WHY?"
HE PAUSED, HIS EYES HOLDING HERS.
JOON-HA (LOW, DELIBERATE):"BECAUSE YOU CAUGHT MY ATTENTION."
SFX: THUMP. HER HEART JUMPED.
HA-EUN (AVERTING HER EYES):"YOU SOUND LIKE… LIKE A MAN TRYING TO FLIRT."
JOON-HA (SMIRK):"AND IF I AM?"
HER HANDS TREMBLED SLIGHTLY ON HER UTENSILS.
INNER THOUGHT – HA-EUN:"STOP IT. DON'T FALL FOR THIS. IT'S JUST A STRATEGY. HE'S THE PRESIDENT. A MAN LIKE HIM WOULD NEVER—"
BUT HIS EYES. THEY HELD THE SAME HEAT SHE KNEW ELEVEN YEARS AGO.
DEEPER INTO THE CONVERSATION
HA-EUN (PRESSING, WITH A FORCED LAUGH):"YOU REMIND ME… OF SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW. IT'S SILLY. YOU CAN'T BE HIM."
JOON-HA (LEANING FORWARD, VOICE QUIET):"WHY CAN'T I?"
HER BREATH CAUGHT.
FLASHBACK — ELEVEN YEARS AGO:
SFX: RAIN POURING.
YOUNG HA-EUN STOOD UNDER A SMALL UMBRELLA. YOUNG JOON-HA TOOK IT FROM HER HAND, HOLDING IT ABOVE BOTH THEIR HEADS AS HE PULLED HER CLOSE.
YOUNG JOON-HA (TEASING, YET SERIOUS):"IF THE WORLD EVER TRIES TO TEAR US APART, REMEMBER—RAIN CAN'T WASH AWAY WHAT WE HAVE."
YOUNG HA-EUN (SOFTLY, TREMBLING):"PROMISE?"
YOUNG JOON-HA:"PROMISE."
FLASHBACK FADES — BACK TO PRESENT.
HA-EUN BLINKED RAPIDLY, HIDING THE TEARS GATHERING. SHE GRIPPED HER WINE GLASS TIGHTLY.
HA-EUN (QUIETLY, ALMOST TO HERSELF):"BUT THAT PROMISE WAS BROKEN…"
JOON-HA HEARD IT. HIS HAND, HIDDEN UNDER THE TABLE, CURLED INTO A FIST.
INNER THOUGHT – JOON-HA:"DAMN IT… I WAS POWERLESS BACK THEN. TO PROTECT HER, I HAD TO BECOME A GHOST."
FLIRTATION & TENSION
DINNER CONTINUED WITH LIGHTER TOPICS—COMPANY STRATEGY, DESIGN INSPIRATIONS, TRAVEL. BUT UNDERNEATH EVERY WORD WAS A TENSION.
HA-EUN (WITH A HALF-SMILE):"YOU REALLY ARE… STRANGE, PRESIDENT. ONE MOMENT YOU'RE COLD IN THE BOARDROOM, THE NEXT YOU'RE—"
JOON-HA (INTERRUPTING, PLAYFUL):"CHARMING?"
HA-EUN (ROLLING HER EYES, BUT SMILING):"I WAS GOING TO SAY ANNOYING."
JOON-HA (LEANING IN, VOICE LOWERING):"THEN LET ME BE YOUR FAVORITE ANNOYANCE."
SFX: CLINK. HER FORK SLIPPED AGAINST THE PLATE.
HER CHEEKS BURNED. SHE HATED THAT HER HEART RACED. SHE HATED THAT SHE COULDN'T LOOK AWAY.
INNER THOUGHT – HA-EUN:"STOP BLUSHING. HE'S NOT HIM. HE CAN'T BE. BUT WHY… WHY DOES EVERY WORD FEEL LIKE BEFORE?"
THE CAR RIDE HOME
THEY LEFT THE HOTEL, THE CITY LIGHTS PAINTING THE WINDOWS OF HIS LUXURY CAR. THE SILENCE WAS HEAVY BUT NOT UNCOMFORTABLE.
HA-EUN STARED OUTSIDE, HER REFLECTION FLICKERING AGAINST THE GLASS. JOON-HA'S EYES DRIFTED TO HER NOW AND THEN, HIS HAND RELAXED ON THE WHEEL.
FINALLY, THEY PULLED UP TO HER APARTMENT COMPLEX. SHE UNBUCKLED, ABOUT TO STEP OUT—WHEN HIS HAND REACHED OUT AND GRASPED HERS.
SFX: GRAB!
HER EYES WIDENED. SHE TURNED, HER CHEEKS FLUSHED.
HA-EUN (STAMMERING, EMBARRASSED):"W… WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SIR?"
HE DIDN'T ANSWER IMMEDIATELY. INSTEAD, HE GENTLY TOOK HER WRIST, UNTIED A SMALL CLOTH THAT HAD BEEN LOOSELY WRAPPED AROUND HER WATCH.
JOON-HA (SMIRKING):"RELAX. JUST FIXING THIS. WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS DOING?"
HER FACE TURNED CRIMSON.
HA-EUN (FLUSTERED):"I-I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING!"
JOON-HA (LETTING GO, HIS VOICE LOW, TEASING):"OR… DID YOU HOPE I WAS DOING SOMETHING ELSE?"
SFX: THUMP-THUMP. BOTH THEIR HEARTS POUNDED.
SHE YANKED HER HAND BACK, STUMBLING OUT OF THE CAR, HER CHEEKS BURNING.
HE WATCHED HER GO, A HALF-SMILE ON HIS LIPS, BUT HIS EYES—HIS EYES HELD THE ACHE OF A DECADE.
INNER THOUGHT – JOON-HA:"I WON'T LET YOU SLIP AWAY AGAIN, HA-EUN. NOT THIS TIME."
INNER THOUGHT – HA-EUN (HOLDING HER CHEST AS SHE ENTERED HER APARTMENT):"WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE… HE'S HIM? BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE… ISN'T IT?"
SFX: DOOR CLOSES.