Shattered Armor, Lingering Guilt

Author's Note:3640

Hello, lovely readers! ❤️

Writing this chapter was a journey of emotions for me, and I hope it resonated with you too. Eunwoo's inner turmoil reflects a struggle many of us face—hiding behind walls we've built to protect ourselves, only to realize that those walls might be isolating us instead.

Andrea's courage to speak the truth, even when it hurts, reminds us how important it is to confront not just others but ourselves. I wanted this chapter to dive deeper into their emotions and show the vulnerability beneath their strong exteriors. Let me know your thoughts—do you think Eunwoo can ever let his guard down?

Thank you for being part of this story and for supporting it with your love, comments, and shares. Each word I write feels meaningful because of you all. ❤️

Let's keep this journey going!

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🌟 New Chapter Alert! 🌟

Eunwoo's icy facade cracks a little, and Andrea's fiery words leave a mark he can't ignore. This chapter dives deep into his emotions, his guilt, and the truth he's been running from for years. Will he finally face his fears or keep building those walls higher? 🤔💔

✨ Andrea's words: "Being cold doesn't make you powerful. It makes you a coward."

And Eunwoo knows she's right...

💭 This chapter is packed with tension, introspection, and emotions! Don't miss it! 💖

📖 Read the full chapter now and let me know your thoughts: Do you think Eunwoo will ever let Andrea in? 💬

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✒️@PENOLA.S 

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The training room was bathed in the golden glow of morning sunlight filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Andrea was furiously working through a set of deadlifts at the far end. Her breaths were sharp and controlled, but the strain in her expression made it clear she wasn't just working out for fitness. Anger burned in her eyes, her movements more forceful than usual.

Eunwoo stepped into the gym, his presence commanding even in the simplest of attire. He noticed Andrea immediately but walked past her without acknowledgment, heading toward the pull-up bar at the corner of the room.

Andrea caught the sight of him in the mirror and paused for a split second, her grip tightening around the barbell. Not even a glance? Seriously? she thought, her frustration bubbling further.

As Eunwoo began his pull-ups, Andrea's irritation boiled over. She slammed the barbell down onto the rack with a loud clang, the sound reverberating through the room. Eunwoo didn't flinch, maintaining his calm, detached demeanor.

"What's your problem, Eunwoo?" Andrea finally snapped, turning to face him, her voice sharp.

Eunwoo finished his set and dropped down, wiping his hands with a towel. "Problem? I don't have one," he said coldly, not even looking at her as he spoke.

Andrea clenched her fists. "Oh, so you're just going to pretend I don't exist now? Great. Very mature of you."

Eunwoo turned to her, his expression calm but his tone laced with sarcasm. "I didn't realize you needed my attention so desperately. Should I schedule an appointment for you next time?"

The condescension in his voice was like gasoline to Andrea's fire. She grabbed a dumbbell—90kg, no less—and hurled it across the room, her rage fueling her strength.

The dumbbell flew dangerously close to Eunwoo, who stepped aside just in time to avoid it. The heavy weight crashed to the floor with a deafening thud, leaving a dent in the pristine flooring.

Eunwoo's gaze snapped to Andrea, his usual calm facade cracking. His eyes narrowed as he took a step toward her. "Have you lost your mind?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Andrea was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling as she glared at him. "Maybe I have. Or maybe it's because you're acting like a cold, heartless jerk!"

Eunwoo folded his arms, his expression hardening. "If you can't control your temper, Andrea, maybe you should rethink being in this gym. It's not a place for childish tantrums."

That did it. Andrea took a step closer, her eyes blazing with fury. "You don't get to talk to me about control, Eunwoo. Not when you've been walking around like some ice-cold robot, pretending like no one else matters!"

Eunwoo tilted his head, his tone cutting. "Maybe I don't have the luxury to let emotions cloud my judgment, unlike you."

Andrea's jaw tightened, her voice trembling with frustration. "You think you're so above everyone else, don't you? So untouchable. But newsflash, Eunwoo: you're not. You can't keep shutting people out and acting like you're the only one who carries the weight of the world."

Eunwoo's eyes flashed with something unreadable—anger, guilt, maybe both—but he quickly masked it. "And maybe you should stop assuming you know what it's like to be me, Andrea," he said, his tone icy. "You wouldn't last a day."

Andrea laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You know what, Eunwoo? Maybe you're right. Maybe I wouldn't. But at least I wouldn't make everyone around me feel like they're nothing."

For a moment, silence hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Eunwoo's gaze bore into hers, his usual composure faltering as Andrea's words struck a nerve. But instead of responding, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her fists clenched and her heart pounding in her chest.

As the door closed behind him, Andrea let out a shaky breath, the adrenaline slowly fading. But the fire in her eyes remained, and she muttered under her breath, "One day, Eunwoo, you'll realize you're not as invincible as you think."

  (●'◡'●)—————————(●'◡'●)—————————(●'◡'●)——————————(●'◡'●)

The tension in the room was palpable as Andrea's breaths came out in sharp, audible bursts. Her anger hadn't subsided, not even a little. Eunwoo, calm and collected as ever, was walking away toward the water dispenser, his back to her like she didn't even exist.

"Are you seriously just going to walk away after saying all that?" Andrea's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

Eunwoo paused but didn't turn. "Isn't that what you wanted? Space to throw your tantrum?"

Andrea's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She stepped forward, her tone dripping with frustration. "You're unbelievable. You act like you're some untouchable king in your little world, and the rest of us are just—what? Pawns?"

Eunwoo slowly turned around, his expression unreadable. "I don't act like anything, Andrea. Unlike you, I know when to leave emotions out of things."

Andrea scoffed, her voice rising. "Oh, don't even try that 'emotions are weakness' garbage with me. You're not fooling anyone, Eunwoo. You're just too scared to let anyone in, aren't you?"

His jaw tightened, but his face remained calm. "You're overthinking again. As usual."

Andrea took a few steps closer, her eyes locked on his. "You know what? Maybe I am. But at least I think, Eunwoo. At least I care. You, on the other hand? You wouldn't know how to care about someone if they spelled it out for you."

Eunwoo raised an eyebrow, his tone icy. "And what makes you think I don't care? Because I don't cater to your every emotional outburst?"

Andrea let out a bitter laugh, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Oh, right, because this," she gestured between them, "is you caring? You avoid me, you throw snide remarks, and then you act like I'm the problem?"

Eunwoo stepped closer now, his calm demeanor cracking just slightly. His voice was low but firm. "I don't owe you an explanation for the way I handle things. You're not the only one dealing with...pressure."

Andrea's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "Pressure? That's what you're going with? You think you're the only one carrying weight around here? Newsflash, Eunwoo, we're all trying to survive, but you don't see the rest of us pushing everyone away."

Eunwoo exhaled, his frustration seeping into his tone. "Maybe that's because you don't understand what it's like to have people expect perfection from you every single second of every single day. So excuse me if I don't have time to babysit your emotions."

That was it. Andrea's voice rose, her anger boiling over. "You don't get to pull the 'nobody understands me' card, Eunwoo. I'm not asking for perfection. I'm asking for you to be human for once."

Eunwoo's gaze softened for just a moment, but he quickly masked it with a cold stare. "Human? Coming from the woman who just threw a dumbbell at me? Real mature, Andrea."

Andrea's face flushed with both anger and embarrassment, but she refused to back down. "You pushed me to that point, Eunwoo! Maybe if you weren't so insufferable all the time, I wouldn't be throwing things!"

Eunwoo smirked faintly, crossing his arms. "Insufferable. That's a new one. Adding that to the list of names you've called me."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Andrea shot back, her tone biting. "You're not special. You're just a guy who thinks the world revolves around him."

Eunwoo's smirk faded, his voice dropping an octave. "And you're a woman who doesn't know when to stop talking."

Andrea's mouth opened, ready to fire back, but the look in Eunwoo's eyes silenced her. It wasn't anger—it was something deeper, something guarded. For a split second, she thought she saw vulnerability.

But before she could say anything, Eunwoo turned on his heel and headed for the door. "Maybe next time, focus on your workout instead of your temper," he said over his shoulder, his tone once again cold and distant.

Andrea stared after him, her chest heaving with frustration and something she couldn't quite put into words. "Coward," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head as the door closed behind him.

The room fell silent again, but the tension lingered in the air, heavy and unresolved.

(〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)(〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)(〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)(〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)

Andrea stood in the center of the gym, the silence pressing down on her like a weight heavier than any dumbbell. Her hands trembled with frustration as she replayed the argument in her head.

"Coward," she muttered again, louder this time, as if saying it twice would make the sting of Eunwoo's words lessen. But it didn't.

She grabbed a towel and wiped her face, trying to cool her anger. Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her, cheeks flushed, brows furrowed. "What is his problem?" she whispered to herself. "Why does he always have to act so...so perfect?"

She slung the towel over her shoulder and stormed toward the water cooler, grabbing a bottle. As she twisted the cap off, her mind wandered back to the moment she saw that flicker in his eyes—just for a second. Vulnerability. Pain.

She shook her head, brushing the thought away. No, I'm not going to feel sorry for him. He doesn't deserve it. Not after everything he just said.

The sound of the gym door creaking open pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned, half expecting Eunwoo to return with another cutting remark, but instead, it was Minjoon, carrying a file and looking slightly out of breath.

"Hey," he said, noticing her flustered state. "You okay? You look like you're about to murder someone."

Andrea rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Not someone. Just one specific person."

Minjoon raised a brow, smirking knowingly. "Let me guess—Eunwoo?"

"Bingo," Andrea said, taking a long sip from her water bottle. "He's impossible, Minjoon. Completely impossible."

Minjoon leaned against the wall, chuckling softly. "Yeah, he has a way of getting under people's skin. It's kind of his thing."

"Well, congratulations to him, because he's mastered it," Andrea snapped, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I don't know how you deal with him on a daily basis."

Minjoon shrugged. "I just remind myself that underneath all that arrogance, there's a guy who's...well, complicated. Let's leave it at that."

Andrea frowned, narrowing her eyes at him. "Complicated? That's your defense? Sounds like you're just making excuses for him."

"Maybe," Minjoon admitted, his tone light. "But you'd be surprised how much Eunwoo carries. He doesn't talk about it, obviously, but it's there. You can see it if you look close enough."

Andrea hesitated, the memory of that flicker in Eunwoo's eyes flashing in her mind again. "Yeah, well, maybe he should stop carrying it like a badge of honor and actually let people in," she muttered.

Minjoon gave her a small smile. "Easier said than done. Anyway, I came to find him, but clearly, he's not here. Any idea where he went?"

"Out," Andrea said bluntly. "Probably off to brood in some corner and think about how superior he is."

Minjoon laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll leave you to your workout. Try not to throw any more dumbbells at people, okay?"

Andrea glared at him, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "No promises."

As Minjoon left, Andrea sighed, turning back to the weights. She grabbed a pair of lighter dumbbells this time, her mind racing.

Complicated, she thought, repeating Minjoon's words. Was that really all Eunwoo was? Complicated? Or was there something more to him—a reason behind his cold exterior?

She didn't have time to dwell on it, though, because the gym door opened again. This time, it was Eunwoo.

Andrea froze, her grip tightening on the dumbbells. He walked in like nothing had happened earlier, his expression calm, his movements deliberate. He didn't look at her, not even once, as he headed to the pull-up bar on the other side of the room.

For a moment, Andrea considered saying something, anything, to break the silence. But then she remembered his words, the way he had taunted her, and the anger flared up again.

"Back for round two?" she called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Eunwoo paused mid-step but didn't turn around. "Don't flatter yourself," he said coolly. "I'm here to work, not entertain your tantrums."

Andrea's jaw tightened, her nails digging into her palms. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

Eunwoo finally turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "And you're predictable."

The words hit her like a slap, and before she could stop herself, she dropped the dumbbells with a loud thud. The sound echoed in the room, and Eunwoo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Throwing things again?" he said, his tone mocking. "Real mature, Andrea."

Her eyes burned with fury as she stepped closer, her voice low but seething. "You know what, Eunwoo? Keep talking. Keep pushing. But don't be surprised when someone finally pushes back."

Eunwoo held her gaze, his expression hardening. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise," Andrea shot back.

For a moment, neither of them moved, the air thick with tension. Then Eunwoo smirked faintly, his tone laced with mockery. "Noted."

And with that, he turned back to the pull-up bar, leaving Andrea fuming in his wake.

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Andrea stood there, fists clenched, staring at Eunwoo's back as he began his pull-ups, each motion controlled, deliberate, and infuriatingly calm. Her chest heaved with suppressed anger, and her mind screamed at her to just walk away, but something about his indifference made her snap. 

"Is that all you've got to say?" she asked, her voice louder this time, cutting through the room like a whip. 

Eunwoo didn't stop his pull-ups. "Why should I waste my words?" he replied without looking at her. "You're already so good at arguing with yourself." 

Andrea felt her face flush with anger. "You're such a—" She bit her tongue, stopping herself from finishing the sentence. Taking a deep breath, she stormed over to him, stopping a few feet away. 

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," she demanded, her voice firm. 

Eunwoo finally dropped from the pull-up bar, turning to face her. His expression was calm, but his eyes had that sharp, piercing edge that made Andrea feel both challenged and dismissed at the same time. 

"What do you want, Andrea?" he asked, his tone clipped. "Another argument? Another chance to throw something at me?" 

She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him. "I want you to stop acting like you're better than everyone else. Like you're untouchable. You think you can just walk around, say whatever you want, and everyone's supposed to just take it?" 

Eunwoo tilted his head slightly, his smirk returning. "I don't think I'm better than everyone," he said smoothly. "Just better than you." 

That did it. Andrea took a step closer, her anger boiling over. "You're insufferable!" she hissed. "You think being cold and aloof makes you powerful, but it doesn't. It just makes you a coward!" 

Eunwoo's smirk faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Careful, Andrea," he said, his voice low, a warning. "You don't know what you're talking about." 

"Oh, don't I?" she shot back. "You push people away, you hide behind your stupid walls, and for what? To prove that you're strong? Newsflash, Eunwoo—it doesn't make you strong. It makes you weak." 

For a moment, silence filled the gym. Eunwoo's jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he stepped closer to her, his presence almost suffocating. 

"And what about you?" he asked quietly, his voice dangerously calm. "You think throwing tantrums and blaming others makes you strong? You think you can just stomp your feet and expect the world to cater to your feelings?" 

Andrea's breath hitched, but she refused to back down. "At least I feel something. At least I'm not some cold, heartless robot who thinks emotions are a weakness." 

Eunwoo's eyes flickered, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he leaned slightly closer, his tone dropping even lower. "You have no idea what I've been through. No idea what I've sacrificed. So don't stand there and lecture me about emotions when you don't know the first thing about mine." 

Andrea opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. For the first time, she saw something in his eyes—a glimpse of vulnerability, raw and unguarded, but only for a split second. 

And then it was gone. 

Eunwoo straightened, his mask of indifference slipping back into place. "I suggest you focus on your workout," he said coolly, turning away. 

But before he could take another step, Andrea called out, her voice firm and unyielding. "I'm not afraid of you, Eunwoo." 

He paused, his back to her, and for a moment, she thought he wasn't going to respond. But then he turned his head slightly, just enough for her to catch the edge of his smirk. 

"Maybe you should be," he said, his tone soft but laced with an unmistakable challenge. 

And with that, he walked away, leaving Andrea standing there, her heart pounding and her mind racing. 

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As Eunwoo walked away from the gym, his footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, but Andrea's words stayed with him, louder than ever. "You think being cold and aloof makes you powerful, but it doesn't. It just makes you a coward."

He clenched his fists, the tension in his body growing with every step. It wasn't just her anger that had hit him—it was the truth buried in her words, a truth he had been running from for years.

Once he reached his office, he slammed the door shut and leaned against it, his chest rising and falling as he tried to steady his breathing. His reflection in the glass window mocked him—calm on the outside, but a storm raging within.

For a moment, guilt crept in, seeping through the cracks in his carefully built armor. He wasn't proud of the way he had spoken to Andrea. He wasn't proud of pushing her buttons just to avoid dealing with his own emotions. But what choice did he have? Opening up wasn't an option. It never had been.

She doesn't understand, he told himself, pacing the room. She doesn't know what it's like to carry the weight of everything—family expectations, enemies in the shadows, and a past that refuses to let go.

Yet, as much as he tried to dismiss her words, they kept replaying in his mind. Andrea's fiery gaze, her refusal to back down, her willingness to call him out on his behavior—it all unsettled him in a way he couldn't explain.

Eunwoo let out a frustrated sigh and sank into his chair, running a hand through his hair. The image of Andrea's anger-filled eyes lingered, but beneath that anger, he had seen something else. Hurt. Disappointment.

And that's what gnawed at him the most. He hadn't just made her angry—he had hurt her.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and burying his face in his hands. The guilt was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

"Why do you care?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible. "Why does it matter what she thinks?"

But deep down, he knew why. Andrea wasn't like the others. She didn't treat him like a cold, untouchable figure. She challenged him, pushed him, forced him to confront parts of himself he wanted to ignore.

And maybe that's why her words stung so much. Because she was right.

Eunwoo sat there for a long time, lost in thought. He didn't know how to fix the mess he had created, or if it was even possible to fix it. But one thing was certain—Andrea was getting under his skin in a way no one else ever had.

And that scared him more than anything.