WHEN STUBBORNNESS KICKS IN

After a few days, Lena felt herself growing more and more nervous. Each day, she became increasingly aware of what she had to do and how she needed to approach him. She had to find him and tell him the truth—to explain that she had fallen in love, that she had never intended to hurt him.

Hyun was her only connection in this world, the only one who could help her.

"Tomorrow," she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "I have to go tomorrow, no matter how hard it is."

Hyun had already told her several times that it would be best for her to come to him, but Lena wasn't sure how Seo-joon would react. Every time she thought of him, all she could recall was his cold demeanor—his distance, resentment, and anger. But she couldn't let that stop her. She had to find him. She had to apologize.

That morning, Hyun contacted her, letting her know that today was the day she would have a chance to see him.

"Seo-joon is in the office. I'll take care of everything," he said matter-of-factly. "Just let him calm down. Act normal."

Lena knew she had to go. There was no turning back this time. If she backed out now, she would never get the chance to apologize. If she waited even one more day, the opportunity might disappear completely.

She arrived at the company and stood in front of the conference room doors, her heart lodged in her throat. All she could do was take a deep breath and step inside.

Seo-joon was already there, sitting at the table, his back turned to the door, completely lost in something. When he heard footsteps, he turned his head.

His gaze was the same—cold, expressionless. But this time, something in his eyes was different. Maybe it wasn't just anger. Maybe it was a deep, silent wound he carried inside.

"Why are you here?" he asked harshly, but Lena could feel the weight in his voice.

She stood at the door, unable to move.

"I came to tell you the truth," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I came to apologize. I know I hurt you. I know I should never have done it… but I didn't have a choice. I never meant to—"

Seo-joon immediately raised his hand, cutting her off.

"I don't want to hear it," he said calmly. "Do you know how long it took me to forget? To fix everything you did to me? To erase you from my thoughts?"

Lena stood there, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. "Please, just listen to me…"

Seo-joon stood up and turned to face her, his gaze sharp and filled with anger.

"You hurt me for something that never even mattered to you?" His voice was lower now, tightening with emotion. "Do you really think I'll just listen to you and forget everything? Forget how much pain you caused me?"

Lena tried to step closer, but Seo-joon took a step back, putting more distance between them.

"I know I hurt you," she whispered, her voice trembling with tears. "I know you trusted me… and I'm sorry. It hurt me too. I never thought I'd be the person to cause you pain, but I didn't know what else to do…"

Seo-joon watched her silently. In his eyes, there was so much pain, confusion, and anger. But still, he said nothing.

"That's why I'm here," she continued, trying to keep her sorrow at bay. "I came to tell you that I've changed. That I don't want to hurt you anymore. If nothing else… just know that I loved you. That I still love you."

Seo-joon flinched. Though he tried to remain indifferent, she could see something shift inside him.

"You came too late," he said at last, and his words cut through her like a knife. "It's over now. You can leave."

Lena stood frozen, tears streaming down her face. She imagined what could have been if she had told him the truth sooner. Maybe if she had spoken up back then, things would have been different.

Seo-joon turned away and sat down again, completely uninterested in her tears.

"Leave."

Lena ran out of the conference room, tears blurring her vision. Her heart pounded violently, and her legs felt like lead. It felt as if she had just lost her last chance to make things right.

Hyun was waiting in the hallway and immediately noticed her devastated expression. Without a word, he walked up to her and gently took her hand, trying to calm her down.

"What happened?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

Lena just shook her head, unable to speak.

Hyun sighed, clenched his jaw, and stepped toward the conference room.

Seo-joon was still sitting at the table, staring blankly ahead, obviously still disturbed. He heard the door open and close but didn't look up.

"What do you want now?" Seo-joon asked coldly.

Hyun crossed his arms and stood in front of him. "What the hell are you doing? Why are you treating her like that?"

Seo-joon laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were suddenly her lawyer."

Hyun shook his head. "Don't play games with me, Seo-joon. I know you. I know it's not as simple as you're making it seem. She matters to you, otherwise, you wouldn't even let her get close enough to yell at you."

Seo-joon scoffed and looked up. His eyes were ice-cold.

"She's a fraud, Hyun. She tried to use me for money. Do you really think I'll just stand here and say, 'It's okay, all is forgiven'? That's not how this works."

Hyun didn't back down. "Did you even listen to her? Did you give her a chance to explain?"

Seo-joon clenched his jaw. "I don't need her story."

Hyun took a step closer, his tone growing serious. "And what if you're wrong? What if there's something you don't know?"

Seo-joon looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you care so much about her? What does she mean to you?"

Hyun hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Nothing. Except that I see she's hurting, and you're too damn stubborn to realize you might be wrong."

Seo-joon let out a short, humorless laugh. "I don't believe in 'might be.'"

Hyun sighed, realizing that pushing further wouldn't help. He turned toward the door.

"Fine," he said quietly. "Do whatever you want. Just don't regret it later."

Seo-joon didn't respond. He just sat there, staring at the papers scattered on his desk as if they held the answers he was looking for.

Hyun walked out and found Lena sitting on a bench in the hallway, wiping her tears with a tissue. His chest tightened. No matter how loyal he was to his boss, he knew Seo-joon was making a mistake.

Seo-joon wasn't a bad person, but he was stubborn and proud. And Lena… she was genuinely broken.

Hyun sat down beside her and sighed.

"Come on, let's go home. You need to calm down. We'll figure out a way to get through to him."

"How? He hates me."

"Trust me, if he hated you, he wouldn't be this angry. He just needs time… and a little push."

Lena wasn't sure if she believed him, but right now, Hyun was the only ally she had.

She slowly nodded and followed him.

—

Later that evening, Lena sat at Hyun's kitchen table, eating the instant ramen he had made for her.

"I have to admit," she stirred the soup with her spoon, "I was expecting a fancy dinner, not something from a packet."

Hyun dramatically sighed. "Betrayal! I take you into my home, feed you, and this is how you repay me?"

"I wasn't complaining! I just… I mean, you drive a car that costs more than my entire life."

Hyun shrugged. "Seo-joon pays me too much, but that doesn't mean I can cook."

Lena smiled and continued eating. The atmosphere between them was becoming more relaxed.

At that moment, Hyun's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and immediately froze. Seo-joon.

Lena noticed his expression. "Who is it?"

"Uh… no one important." He pressed the red button and resumed eating.

The phone rang again. Hyun sighed and reluctantly answered.

"What do you want?"

Seo-joon was silent for a moment, then, somewhat uncertainly, asked, "Do you know… where Lena went?"

Hyun immediately raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

Seo-joon's tone became defensive. "I'm just asking. Don't overthink it."

Hyun rolled his eyes and then… snapped.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, Seo-joon?! The girl came to Korea alone, has no one, doesn't even know the language, and you're acting like a total jerk toward her! Are you even human?!"

Seo-joon fell silent. He clearly wasn't expecting this reaction.

"If anything happens to her, you'll feel even worse than you do now. So hang up the phone and think about your behavior for a moment."

And with that, he hung up.

Lena stared at him, shocked.

"Wow…" she said quietly.

Hyun shook his head. "Seriously, your man is as stubborn as a rock. Arrogant, cold, unapproachable—"

"Then why do you put up with him every day?"

Hyun sighed. "He pays me way too much to complain."

Lena laughed and then looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, Hyun. Really."

Hyun leaned back in his chair and waved dismissively. "Don't mention it. Just don't tell anyone I'm a good guy. I've got a reputation to maintain."

Lena chuckled, for the first time feeling like she wasn't completely alone in this crazy city.