Two hours of scheduling and provisions planning with the Board of Directors felt like a punishment for my behavior this morning, but at least it was the last for today. Any marginal excuse would have been sufficient for me to excuse myself and leave the room at once, but no matter how much I prayed, there were no minor disruptions; and I was forced to endure the entirety of this sitting.

At long last, the Senior Deputy Advisor moved around the table to exchange formalities as we finally concluded this long and overdrawn meeting. The small and rotund man gave me a bright and optimistic smile that somehow reached his eyes. Except for Haneul, it's been a long time since I've seen somebody's smile reach their eyes. I closed my eyes and tried to hold back a grimace; this was certainly the wrong setting to display anything but cordiality.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Han," he said, extending his hand to which I dutifully accepted. He returned his hand behind his back and bowed out of respect. "Then, we'll take our leave."

I returned the bow, thanking each participant for their attendance as each one of them leisurely made their way out of the room. Mr. Kim remained seated, arranging documents used for the meeting and returning them to their corresponding folders. Once the last Board member exited the room, I sat down on the nearest seat, which just so happened to face directly across from Mr. Kim. My eyes settled comfortably on him as I watched him work his way effortlessly through the files, and once I realized I'd been observing him for too long, I checked my watch for any calendar alerts.

"We are ahead of schedule to clock off on time today," Mr. Kim said, having apparently noticed me checking my watch.

"Then I'll chase the finance team for the analytics and appraisals," I said, standing back up from the seat. It was already five-thirty PM, a criminal time to hold a Board meeting, and equally criminal of me to request overtime from my staff. But if the job wasn't satisfactorily done within the designated time frame so that I too could play my part within my available work time, then they would have to make up for it with their own time, too.

"Submitted this morning," he said, putting the files under his arm as he stood from his chair.

"Really?" I asked, following suit. We left the meeting room and made our way through the corridors back to the finance department. "Why weren't they on my desk when I came in this morning?"

"They were already cross-checked and sent over to the investors," he said.

"By whom?" I asked.

"Me," he said with a sly but playful grin. "Did you think I slept my way to this position because I didn't have any other skill? You took so long to arrive that I had plenty of time to get it done."

"Ah," I responded, forcing a lopsided and insincere grin. "My apologies."

"I don't see why you should apologize to me. You're the boss," he said matter-of-factly, but then nudged my shoulder as he gave me a playful sideways glance. "But if you're truly sorry, then you can arrange a nice dinner and hotel for us tonight."

"We'll discuss tonight later," I answered, looking straight ahead, and nodding respectfully to any passerby we came across down the halls.

Normally I'd be far more inclined to accept his advances, but today, I lacked the confidence needed to perform to my usual standard. Mr. Jae Park was strikingly handsome and well put together, a relentlessly hard worker who showed leadership skills time after the next, and had remained loyal to me for years. First professionally, and then romantically. If I hadn't been favored by the Executive Director and received the backing of the Board three years ago, then Mr. Kim would undoubtedly have received my position. He never showed jealousy or hostility and continued tirelessly, even when he thought I wasn't looking. For that, I grew fond of him so much that I couldn't help but respond to his flirtatious advances. The only wedge between us was my past with Haneul.

Since seeing him again, I thought it was finally the chance to put it all behind me and move on with my life. That maybe with time, I'd be ready to pursue Mr. Kim romantically. But Haneul's appearance and the bombshell he dropped on me this morning put a curveball in that plan.

Mr. Kim nudged my shoulder, bringing me out of my trailed thoughts. "You're lost in space there, Director," he said quietly, tiptoeing so that he spoke more closely to my ear in. "Should we order room service and stay in tonight?"

The proposition sounded much more appealing than returning home and having to face the mess I left behind. It was better that I remain distracted, and Mr. Kim was a presence that I felt I could welcome in moments like this. I nodded my head and tried to show more sincerity in my smile. When we returned to our offices, we packed up and took a car together, following our usual routine to ensure we remained as discreet as possible.

Mr. Kim washed up as soon as we arrived to our room while I ordered us some wine. I lay back on the bed and rubbed my face, feeling my anxiousness slowly creeping upwards. It seemed like I'd mastered the art of distraction and avoidance over these last few years, finding the best ways to block out my own emotional attachments and survive. Connection wasn't vital to human existence, I learned that by the way I survived without Haneul no matter how badly it hurt.

Now that he was back, he kept sneaking his way into my thoughts. It was hard to distract myself this time. Even though Mr. Kim and I had been in this kind of relationship for three years now, and he hadn't placed any expectations on me, I still felt stressed about it sometimes. Like walking away was the right thing to do. I drew my lines, and Mr. Kim liked to put his own artistic spin on them.

The bathroom door soon opened, and Mr. Kim stepped out with a white towel wrapped around his waist. He had tight muscles and a lean body that he took pride in every time he successfully seduced me with them. This time was no different as he climbed on top of me, and I could feel water droplets falling on me from his hair. "You should dry yourself properly," I murmured, sliding his hair behind his ears. "It's not good to leave it wet like this."

He leaned down and kissed me, settling himself down on top of me despite the fact that I was still fully dressed. I placed my hands on his hips and deepened the kiss, but despite the fact that it was my partner of three years on top of me, it was Haneul I saw on top of me when I closed my eyes. I touched the back of his head and pulled him gently closer, then kissed his forehead. Seeing Haneul crying was enough to break my spirits this morning. I didn't want to see him cry.

"You've never been this tender with me," he commented, making me open my eyes with surprise. That's right, it was Mr. Kim straddling me at this moment. Haneul was somewhere else; wherever he ended up after I'd left him and forced him to leave by himself. But Mr. Kim looked surprisingly vulnerable like this, catching me off guard. "Is it because of the man from this morning? Is he... your ex-lover you told me about?"

I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling this wretched guilt worm its way through my body. "Yes," I said. "I left quite a mess this morning."

Mr. Kim's hands gently touched my cheeks, looking at me with sincerity. "He hurt you, Chanyeol. He chose to betray your trust and leave you with a broken heart. Please don't expend your feelings and energy on somebody like that. There's no reason you should have to face your demons," he said, planting gentle kisses along my face. "You don't have to forgive him, either."

Actually, there was nothing to forgive. "He told me things that changed everything I thought I knew," I said, unsure of how to bring this up. How could I explain to my current lover that my heart might already be swayed by my last? Even though I promised Mr. Kim nothing, the idea still left a sour taste in my mouth. "The story I received from his estranged father was fabricated. Haneul, he––"

Mr. Kim's brows furrowed as he seemed to grasp things pretty quickly. He leaned back slightly but made no move to get off me. "I get it," he whispered. "I do, it's just... will I lose you?"

I reached up and touched his face. "Jae..." How could you lose me when you never had me? Maybe almost, but Haneul and I have bridges that may never burn. "Let's focus on tonight, hm?"

I grabbed his waist and spun him down onto the bed, deciding that taking control of the situation was the best way to put his mind at ease. He pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket and placed it carefully on the bedside counter, then proceeded to unbuckle my belt. Memories of Haneul laying beneath me like this created a flood of emotions that was so wild and torrent that I was almost carried away in its wake. Irritated by my own lack of self-control, I found myself too distracted to focus solely on Mr. Kim and instead caught a glimpse of my phone being lit up. There was an unknown caller on the screen.

"Seems you forgot to remind me to take my phone off silent," I joked, turning my attention back to him. I ran my hands down his chest and watched him close his eyes, smiling slightly.

"It's the end of the day and you don't have any outside friends anyway," he said. "I don't see the harm."

"That's true," I chuckled. "But still, it could be my father."

Mr. Kim sat up on his elbows and smiled up at me. "He'd be healthy as a horse if he just listened to you and the doctors," he said. "I think he has too much pride to play the rebellious teen any longer. Besides, have you met a man more stubborn than him? He's not going anywhere."

I laughed out loud. "That is also true," I said, smiling down at him.

One thing about Mr. Kim is that after being introduced to my father as my assistant, they had established quite a hearty and personable relationship. My father started laughing and smiling more than I'd seen in years. Like me, he devoted himself to his career. We both spent years climbing to the top, so that he eventually became the CEO of a partner enterprise connected to my company.

Mr. Kim kissed me again, springing us back into action. I tried to keep my focus solely on him, but I could see the phone continuing to light up from the corner of my eyes. Nobody except for my employees ever called me at this time, not even my father. It was probably spam, as I'd come to understand that marketing callers were becoming more prominent these days.

Still, I couldn't help but worry that something was wrong. Haneul had only just been released from the hospital today. What if it was them calling to tell me he had fallen ill again, or sustained a serious injury? No, I hadn't received a call from them for all these seven years. It could only be spam. My body felt tense and I couldn't focus on what going on right now.

Mr. Kim broke the kiss and pushed my chest up slightly, furrowing his brows as he looked up at me. "Your mind is somewhere else," he whispered. "Can't you just stay here and focus on me tonight?"

I breathed in and exhaled through my nose, unable to open my mouth even just to breathe let alone formulate words in response to his question. There was light music playing through the radio, and the warm lights gave a pleasant mood, but I couldn't take my mind off Haneul. He didn't have my current number, which had changed numerous times throughout the years. There was no way he'd be able to contact me.

The phone light went off and the caller disappeared. I stayed still, staring at the phone as I waited for it to pop up again. When a few moments passed with no further calls, I flipped the phone upside down and proceeded to ignore it, deciding to maintain my focus on the man below me. He undressed me and took the lead, taking me to unimaginable heights that lasted well into the night. His confidence in bed was a key component to this secret relationship we shared, but it was the passion he was able to emulate so well despite knowing there was no sincere spark from my end that maintained this relationship for so long.

It was already two AM. We'd had some fun for a couple of hours, ate dinner, and enjoyed some wine out on the balcony overlooking a different view of the city, then continued on where we'd left off. We lay breathless at the end, with him burrowing his head into the nook of my shoulder and smiling to himself. "It's always so nice doing it with you," he murmured sleepily, then his breathing slowed into a deep and peaceful rhythm.

I got some hygiene wipes and wiped him down before stepping inside the shower. My mind was filled with Haneul and all the questions I didn't ask him this morning, like why did he come to me first thing when he was released? Where was he going to sleep tonight? What were his plans to help him recover properly? Did I think he'd miraculously healed overnight just because he woke up? I was so cold to him this morning... he must have been so lost and confused. The thought devastated me, weighing heavily in my gut.

The water trickled the soap down my body and left me feeling unclean. I leaned on the shower wall and clenched my fist, desperately refraining from beating my head into the tile. Haneul came to me as soon as he woke, and then as soon as he was released from hospital, and I didn't ask him anything. I didn't even know where he was going to sleep tonight. I needed to go home and think things through without Mr. Kim's influence.

Once I'd dried myself and changed, I tucked Mr. Kim into the blanket and turned off the lights. It was then that I could see the faint outline of my phone being lit up on the bedside table. I picked it up and saw the same unknown caller ID tag on the screen. This time, I had no choice but to take it. I brought it up to my ear and quickly left the room.

"Yes?" I answered, quietly closing the door behind me.

"Mr. Han," a strange man's voice said through the phone. "I'm Officer Lee from Seoul Seocho Police Station. We have Haneul Bom here under arrest who keeps insisting that we contact you for clarification. This guy's relentless, I'm telling you. But don't worry, he's here without bail so––"

"Haneul?" I asked with disbelief. "What? Why?"

"For the breaking and entering, and malicious damage of your property that you reported this morning," the officer said, sounding just as confused as I was. "We caught him earlier this evening."

"I reported?" I asked, unable to believe what I was hearing. "I'm sorry, but I reported no such thing, and nobody had the right to do it on my behalf. I'll be there immediately so please release him without any charges."

"What? That's––" I cut him off and ended the call.

I didn't even know what to think anymore; I just raced there as fast as I could.