NEW SHELTER

Lena sat in a leather chair in the conference room, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Hyun sat across from her, feeling a bit awkward, unsure of how to react."Hey..." he said softly. "Don't cry... he's not worth it."

Lena immediately lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen."He is. He's very much worth it."

Hyun sighed."Well, that's not fair. How am I supposed to argue with you when you're being so honest?"

He tried offering a small smile, but Lena didn't react. She just lowered her gaze again.

Hyun shifted in his chair and crossed his arms."Look... I don't know the whole story, but something tells me it's not as simple as Seo-joon thinks. Am I right?"

Lena took a deep breath."Yeah..."

"Do you want to tell me?"

She looked at him through her tears, then let out a bitter laugh."I don't even know why I'd tell you. I barely know you."

Hyun shrugged."Well, if you look at the situation—I'm the only one who hasn't yelled at you, kicked you out of an office, or tried to ignore you. So… maybe I'm not the worst person to talk to."

Lena sighed."Fair point. Though you're probably on his side."

Hyun chuckled."Seo-joon doesn't have a side. He just sits on his throne of stubbornness and refuses to listen to anyone but himself."

Lena smiled weakly through her tears."That sounds about right."

Hyun leaned forward."So? Are you going to tell me?"

Lena shook her head, but then something inside her cracked.And suddenly, she was talking.

She told him everything.

How her father left behind debts. How people threatened her. How she searched for a way out and came up with the worst possible plan—to find a rich man who could help her.

How she met Seo-joon.

How everything went differently than she had planned.

How she hadn't expected to be won over by his smile, his silence, the way he looked at her as if he could see right through her.

How she fell in love—despite everything.

How, at some point, it became more about him than about the money.

How, in the end, she lost both him and everything else.

When she finished, Hyun sat in silence, just watching her.

Lena sighed."And there you have it… now you know."

Hyun slowly nodded."Yeah... now I know."

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as if processing everything he had just heard."Well, I've got to admit… it's a lot more complicated than I thought."

Lena nodded."Trust me… same here."

Hyun studied her carefully."Does Seo-joon know this?"

Lena stiffened."No. I never got the chance to tell him. He wouldn't let me speak."

Hyun chuckled."Yeah, that sounds like him."

He watched her for a few moments, then sighed."Where are you sleeping now?"

Lena hesitated."I found… something."

"What does 'something' mean?"

"I wouldn't even call it an apartment. More like… a box with windows."

Hyun shook his head."Do you have enough money for food, transportation, basic necessities?"

Lena didn't answer, but the way she avoided his gaze was enough of an answer.

Hyun immediately stood up and held out his hand."Come on."

Lena looked at him, confused."Where?"

"To find you something better. If you're planning to stay and fight for him, you won't survive in some box. Seo-joon can kill me for this later, but I can't just let you wander around like a ghost."

Lena stared at him for a few moments before shyly taking his hand."Thank you, Hyun."

Hyun waved it off."Eh, don't thank me yet. Seo-joon will probably murder me when he finds out what I'm doing."

Lena smiled for the first time in a while."Well… if he kills you, at least he'll have to talk to me."

Hyun laughed and led her outside.

Meanwhile, Seo-joon sat alone in his office, staring out the window.His hands were clenched into fists.

She was gone.

But he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Hyun unlocked the door to his apartment and gestured for Lena to enter first."Welcome… to my humble home."

Lena stepped inside, and her jaw instantly dropped.

Humble?

The place was massive. Massive and ridiculously luxurious. Modern furniture, huge windows overlooking the city, a white leather couch, a kitchen that looked like something out of a cooking show.

"This…" Lena struggled to find the right word. "This is not humble."

Hyun shrugged."Well… I might not be Seo-joon rich, but I'm not exactly broke either. Plus, I'm not getting married anytime soon, so I have money to waste on things I don't need."

Lena gave him a small smile."Well, thank you for letting me stay."

Hyun tossed her a key."Your room is down the hall. You've got your own bathroom, closet, and the fridge is fully stocked. Eat whatever you want, make yourself at home."

Lena smiled and nervously shifted her bag."I don't know… is this really okay?"

Hyun raised an eyebrow."Do you want to go back to your box with windows?"

Lena quickly shook her head."No, thank you. The room sounds fantastic."

Hyun laughed and sat down on the couch, then motioned for her to sit in the chair across from him."Come on, sit down. We need to talk about a plan."

Lena sighed and sat down, feeling like she had lived through three lifetimes in one day.

Hyun rested his arm on the back of the couch and studied her with interest."So… tell me something. How old are you?"

Lena smiled."Twenty-two."

Hyun froze. He blinked a few times."Wait, what?"

Lena laughed."Two-two."

Hyun stared at her in disbelief."You're telling me…" he started slowly. "That my thirty-seven-year-old, emotionally stunted, cold-as-Siberian-winter, work-obsessed, completely inflexible boss… fell for a girl who could be his… student?"

Lena burst out laughing."Hey! I'm not a child!"

Hyun shook his head, laughing."Seo-joon, Seo-joon… I never thought I'd say this, but… the man has completely lost it."

Lena giggled."Well, thanks to him, so have I."

Hyun threw up his hands."No, no, no… give me a second to process this."

He stood up and paced around dramatically as if trying to make sense of the universe."Seo-joon. In love. With a twenty-two-year-old. Oh my God."

Lena leaned back on the couch, still laughing."Shocking, huh?"

Hyun looked at her."Shocking?! This is like telling me the planets are colliding! Seo-joon doesn't do emotions. Seo-joon doesn't do love. Seo-joon doesn't do… anything warm. And then… you."

Lena shrugged."I guess I have that effect on people?"

Hyun sighed and sat back down."Man… what happened to him? Did someone hit him in the head while he was in Switzerland?"

Lena laughed."I don't know, but… honestly, I didn't plan this either."

Hyun raised a finger."Well, now that I know this, I think my mission is to tease him about it for the rest of his life."

Lena raised an eyebrow."Please don't get us both killed."

Hyun thought for a moment, then nodded."Good point. Seo-joon isn't known for his patience."

Then he glanced toward the kitchen."But you know what is known? The fact that I have some amazing ramyeon here. I'm hungry. Are you?"

Lena nodded."Hungry as a wolf."

Hyun grinned."Alright then. Dinner first. Tomorrow—planning how to make him listen to you before he kicks you out again."

Lena smiled, feeling a little lighter for the first time in days.Maybe fate hadn't completely turned its back on her.Maybe she had just found an unexpected ally.

The night in Hyun's apartment passed in a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere.Lena and Hyun had instant ramyeon for dinner, then spent hours talking and laughing. For the first time since arriving in Korea, Lena felt a bit of ease—like she wasn't alone in all of this.Hyun was funny, even though he kept saying his life was boring."So, your job is… what? Running after Seo-joon and buying him coffee?" she asked, laughing."No, no." Hyun dramatically shook his head and crossed his arms. "I'm his assistant, which is just a fancy way of saying I organize his entire life because he has zero social skills."Lena burst into laughter."Yeah, I noticed that.""Oh, so you've also been a witness to his icy glare, the one that says, 'If you ask me one more thing, I will teleport you to another continent'?"Lena chuckled and nodded."Except he didn't teleport me. He threw me out the door."Hyun nodded dramatically."Classic Seo-joon. As romantic as an Excel spreadsheet."Lena wiped away tears of laughter and shook her head."Thank you, really. I haven't laughed like this in days."Hyun shrugged."You're welcome. My apartment is now an official rehabilitation center for wounded souls."

The next morning, Seo-joon was sitting in his office, reviewing some documents when the door suddenly swung open."Good morning, boss!"Seo-joon barely lifted his gaze from the papers."What's with you today?"Hyun made himself comfortable in the chair across from his desk, crossing his legs.Seo-joon immediately knew he was up to something."What do you want, Hyun?""Nothing, nothing… It's just… I did a little research last night… You know, about you…"Seo-joon narrowed his eyes."About me?"Hyun grinned like he was still enjoying a joke Seo-joon wasn't in on."Yeah, I mean… You know… I had no idea you liked… such young girls."Seo-joon froze mid-signature."Excuse me?"Hyun crossed his arms behind his head and smirked."Twenty-two, boss? Really? I mean, I support you, love knows no age and all that… but, man, she just got out of puberty!"Seo-joon blinked, clearly shocked."You… You know how old she is?""Of course, I do. And trust me, my face looked exactly like yours when I found out."Seo-joon frowned and set down his pen."Hyun, stop with this nonsense. That's over.""Is it?"Seo-joon shot him a sharp look."Yes."Hyun was silent for a moment, but he couldn't resist."But, just… I wonder… Have you ever actually talked to a twenty-two-year-old in your life? I mean, boss… they use words you wouldn't even understand. Are you sure she didn't use some secret Gen-Z hypnosis on you?"Seo-joon exhaled deeply, clearly trying not to react."Hyun.""Yes?""Go do something useful."Hyun laughed and got up."Of course, of course… I just wanted to check… you know… how you're handling the shock of falling for someone who probably still uses sticker labels for her notebooks."Seo-joon just gave him a sharp look, and Hyun raised his hands in surrender."Alright, alright, I'll shut up!"Seo-joon nodded, satisfied that he had finally ended the ridiculous conversation.

Hyun walked toward the door but then paused and turned around."Oh, and just so you know… I think she's great."Seo-joon looked at him but said nothing.Hyun winked at him and left.

Seo-joon remained alone, staring at the paper in front of him.His hands were steady, but his mind was not.