THE NEXT DAY ARRIVED WITH THE KIND OF UNEASY STILLNESS THAT FELT MORE LIKE THE CALM BEFORE A STORM. INSIDE THE OFFICE OF LA FLEUR, THE AIR WAS FILLED WITH THE HUM OF SEWING MACHINES, THE CLACKING OF KEYBOARDS, AND THE RUSTLE OF FABRICS BEING SHIFTED ACROSS LONG TABLES. YET, DESPITE ALL THE FAMILIAR SOUNDS OF CREATIVITY, THERE WAS AN INVISIBLE TENSION HANGING IN THE AIR—ONE THAT ONLY TWO PEOPLE COULD FEEL.
HA-EUN AND JOON-HA.
THE MEMORY OF LAST NIGHT IN THE DESIGN STUDIO STILL BURNED IN THEIR MINDS LIKE A BRANDING IRON. THE NEARNESS OF HIS FACE, THE WAY HIS HAND HAD HOVERED JUST A BREATH AWAY FROM HERS, AND THE ALMOST-KISS THAT WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE BUZZ OF HER PHONE—NONE OF IT COULD BE ERASED.
AND NOW, THEY SAT JUST A FEW DESKS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, PRETENDING NOTHING HAPPENED.
SFX: TAP TAP TAP TAP (HA-EUN'S FINGERS AGAINST THE KEYBOARD, FASTER THAN USUAL)
HER FACE WAS SLIGHTLY RED, AND SHE KEPT HER EYES GLUED TO THE MONITOR. EVERY TIME SHE FELT HIS GAZE DRIFT HER WAY, HER HEART SKIPPED A BEAT.
JOON-HA, ON THE OTHER HAND, SAT LEANED BACK IN HIS CHAIR IN HIS OFFICE, STARING THROUGH THE GLASS WINDOW THAT OVERLOOKED THE DESIGN FLOOR. HIS EYES WOULD OFTEN SETTLE ON HER UNCONSCIOUSLY, THEN QUICKLY SHIFT TO HIS PAPERS WHEN SHE GLANCED UP.
IT WAS A DANCE OF AVOIDANCE—A SILENT GAME OF "I WON'T LOOK IF YOU DON'T LOOK"—AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE OFFICE WAS BLISSFULLY UNAWARE.
SUDDENLY, THE DOOR TO JOON-HA'S OFFICE BURST OPEN.
SFX: KNOCK-KNOCK-BANG
SECRETARY PARK ENTERED, HOLDING A STACK OF DOCUMENTS. HER VOICE WAS FILLED WITH URGENCY.
"PRESIDENT, WE JUST RECEIVED WORD—THE LUXURY FRENCH COMPANY, MAISON DE LUMIÈRE, FINALLY RESPONDED TO OUR REQUEST. THEY WANT TO MEET THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW."
JOON-HA IMMEDIATELY SAT UP STRAIGHT, HIS EYES SHARPENING.
"THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW? THAT MEANS…"
SECRETARY PARK NODDED. "YES, SIR. WE MUST LEAVE TOMORROW FOR PARIS."
SFX: PAPERS FLUTTERING (AS JOON-HA STANDS AND GATHERS FILES)
"CALL A MEETING. NOW. HEADS OF ALL DEPARTMENTS," HE ORDERED.
WITHIN MINUTES, THE HEAD DESIGNER (HA-EUN), THE MARKETING DIRECTOR, AND SEVERAL KEY TEAM MEMBERS WERE SEATED IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. THE AIR WAS HEAVY WITH EXPECTATION.
JOON-HA STOOD AT THE FRONT, HIS VOICE AUTHORITATIVE, BUT HIS EYES—JUST FOR A SECOND—LINGERED ON HA-EUN.
"LISTEN CAREFULLY. WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME. THIS IS MAISON DE LUMIÈRE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT—ONE OF THE BIGGEST FASHION HOUSES IN PARIS. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO SHOWCASE 'LA FLEUR' ON THE GLOBAL STAGE."
THE TEAM NODDED, EYES WIDE.
THE MARKETING DIRECTOR CLEARED HIS THROAT."PRESIDENT, DO WE HAVE FINALIZED PORTFOLIOS?"
SECRETARY PARK ANSWERED, "YES, SIR. EVERYTHING IS PRINTED, BOUND, AND READY TO GO."
"GOOD," JOON-HA REPLIED. THEN HIS EYES FINALLY LANDED ON HA-EUN, WHO SAT WITH HER HANDS CLASPED TOGETHER. "AS FOR THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT—HA-EUN, YOU'RE COMING WITH US."
SFX: GASP
SEVERAL TEAM MEMBERS GLANCED AT HER, SURPRISED.
"ME…?" HA-EUN BLURTED OUT, HER EYES WIDENING.
JOON-HA NODDED, HIS EXPRESSION COMPLETELY SERIOUS. "YOU'RE OUR HEAD DESIGNER. THEY NEED TO SEE YOUR WORK DIRECTLY. YOUR PRESENCE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE."
HER HEART BEGAN TO POUND. SHE COULD FEEL THE EYES OF THE ENTIRE ROOM ON HER. AND YET, BENEATH THAT PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT, SHE HEARD SOMETHING ELSE—A LINGERING TRACE OF HIS PERSONAL INSISTENCE.
"ALSO," HE CONTINUED, "SECRETARY PARK WILL JOIN US. IT WILL BE JUST THE THREE OF US."
THE MEETING WENT ON FOR ANOTHER HALF HOUR, FILLED WITH DISCUSSIONS OF PRESENTATIONS, PORTFOLIOS, AND TRAVEL ITINERARIES. BUT FOR HA-EUN, IT ALL FELT LIKE WHITE NOISE.
SHE KEPT THINKING—TOMORROW SHE WOULD BE ON A PLANE WITH HIM. TOMORROW SHE WOULD HAVE TO FACE HIM WITHOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OFFICE CROWD.
SFX: CHAIRS SCRAPING (AS THE MEETING ENDED)
ONE BY ONE, THE TEAM MEMBERS FILED OUT. ONLY HA-EUN LINGERED A LITTLE, GATHERING HER NOTES.
"HA-EUN."
HIS VOICE CUT THROUGH THE EMPTY ROOM LIKE A STRING PULLED TAUT.
SHE LOOKED UP, EYES WIDE. "Y-YES, SIR?"
HIS LIPS CURVED INTO THE SLIGHTEST SMIRK. "DON'T STAY UP TOO LATE TONIGHT. YOU'LL NEED ENERGY FOR THE TRIP."
HER FACE TURNED RED. "I… I KNOW."
SFX: THUMP-THUMP-THUMP (HER HEARTBEAT)
SHE QUICKLY SCURRIED OUT, CLUTCHING HER NOTES TO HER CHEST.
LATER THAT EVENING, IN HER SMALL APARTMENT, HA-EUN SAT CROSS-LEGGED ON HER BED, STARING AT THE OPEN SUITCASE IN FRONT OF HER.
SFX: ZIPPER SLIDING
SHE PICKED UP DRESSES, BLOUSES, SHOES—PLACING THEM IN NEATLY, THEN TAKING THEM OUT AGAIN, UNABLE TO DECIDE.
"WHY AM I LIKE THIS…?" SHE MUTTERED UNDER HER BREATH. "IT'S JUST A BUSINESS TRIP… JUST BUSINESS…"
YET HER HANDS TREMBLED AS SHE TOUCHED THE FABRICS. SHE REMEMBERED THE WAY JOON-HA'S FACE HAD BEEN SO CLOSE THE NIGHT BEFORE. THE SMELL OF HIS COLOGNE STILL LINGERED IN HER MEMORY.
FLASHBACK FROM COLLEGE DAYS
SHE SAT IN A QUIET CAMPUS CAFÉ, LAUGHING WITH A YOUNG MAN. MIN-JAE. HIS SMILE WAS WARM, HIS EYES BRIGHT, AND THE WAY HE REACHED ACROSS THE TABLE TO WIPE A CRUMB FROM HER LIP STILL MADE HER CHEST ACHE.
"HA-EUN," HE HAD SAID GENTLY, "YOU'LL GO FAR. YOU JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF."
HER HAND CLUTCHED THE FABRIC OF A WHITE DRESS SHE HAD KEPT FROM THOSE DAYS. THE ONE SHE WORE ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY. THE ONE HE NEVER SAW HER WEAR AGAIN, BECAUSE HE WAS GONE.
SFX: FABRIC RUSTLING (AS SHE PRESSED THE DRESS TO HER CHEST)
HER EYES GLAZED OVER WITH UNSHED TEARS.
"MIN-JAE… I'M ABOUT TO GO TO PARIS…" HER VOICE CRACKED SOFTLY. "IF YOU WERE STILL HERE… WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN PROUD OF ME? OR… WOULD YOU HAVE HATED THAT I'M GOING WITH HIM…?"
SHE BIT HER LIP, FEELING THE HEAVINESS OF TWO WORLDS COLLIDING—THE WORLD WHERE MIN-JAE STILL EXISTED, AND THE ONE WHERE JOON-HA STOOD TOO CLOSE, TOO DANGEROUSLY CLOSE, TO HER HEART.
SFX: CLOCK TICKING LOUDLY
HER ROOM FELT TOO QUIET. THE TICKING SEEMED TO MOCK HER RESTLESSNESS. SHE PLACED THE WHITE DRESS BACK INSIDE THE SUITCASE, THEN SHUT IT WITH A SHAKY HAND.
SHE SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE BED, HER SHOULDERS TREMBLING.
"MIN-JAE…" SHE WHISPERED, HER VOICE BARELY AUDIBLE.
SFX: SILENCE
A SINGLE TEAR SLID DOWN HER CHEEK, LANDING ON HER CLASPED HANDS.
HER HEART WAS PULLED BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT, BETWEEN LOVE AND GUILT, BETWEEN THE GHOST OF THE MAN SHE LOST… AND THE MAN WHO STOOD JUST A FEW FEET TOO CLOSE AT WORK.
AND SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE, SHE KNEW THAT TOMORROW—ON THAT PLANE—THE LINES BETWEEN THOSE WORLDS WOULD START TO BLUR EVEN MORE.