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[Tell me it's not a dream] - [10cm]

The dim light of the office cast long shadows across the room, a quiet hum filling the air as the clock ticked past the usual hours. It had started as a routine workday, but now, with the office empty save for two, the atmosphere felt oddly calm—almost like a secret between the two of them.

Iseul had thought that after her long day, she could finally unwind and enjoy the dinner Sungchan had promised. But instead, here she was, stuck in Sunghoon's office, facing a pile of paperwork that felt endless and unnecessary. He'd pulled her in with a simple, almost casual request—nothing urgent—yet he had kept her there, pushing her to work late into the evening.

Iseul didn't mind missing dinner with Sungchan, not really. She'd convinced herself that it wasn't a big deal. Dinner with him could wait—there was always tomorrow, after all.

What she didn't anticipate was how much more comfortable she felt in Sunghoon's office, despite the late hour. The dim light, the quiet hum of the air conditioning, and the soft tapping of Sunghoon's keyboard made it all feel like a strange kind of refuge.

Seated comfortably in her swivel chair, Iseul spun lazily, the soft creak of the wheels beneath her adding to the quiet ambiance. A bowl of fresh, sweet strawberries sat in her lap, the ripe red fruit glistening as she casually picked one up, taking a bite.

She glanced over at Sunghoon, who was hunched over his desk, typing away furiously at a stack of paperwork. He had no idea that she had manipulated the situation to her advantage. She had cleverly gotten him to do all the work while she relaxed with her treat. It wasn't often she got the upper hand, but tonight, she was in control.

The silence in the room was comforting, almost peaceful. Then, Sunghoon's voice cut through the quiet, tinged with annoyance. "Are you planning to help, or should I just finish all of this myself?"

She smirked, taking another bite of strawberry, savoring the sweetness. "I'm doing my part," she replied casually, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Just enjoying my break. You should try it sometime."

Iseul sat in her chair, the faint glow of the desk lamp casting soft shadows on her face as she stared at Sunghoon, her lips curled in a playful smirk. "If Miss Rena doesn't like it, it's not my problem," she said, her voice light, but with a teasing edge that lingered in the silence.

But Sunghoon wasn't in the mood for teasing. Without warning, he grabbed the arms of her chair and spun it around, the sudden motion causing her to catch her breath. She found herself facing him, so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body, his presence overwhelming.

Their noses brushed ever so lightly, and for a split second, it felt as if the world had paused. The closeness sent a jolt through her, a tingling sensation that spread across her skin like wildfire. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and for a moment, she was completely still, unable to break away from the intoxicating pull between them.

"Then help me," Sunghoon murmured, his voice rough and low, almost a growl. His gaze locked onto hers, intense, as if daring her to say no.

Iseul swallowed, trying to maintain her composure. The space between them felt so charged, so suffocating, but her pride kept her from showing any vulnerability. "Why? You're the CEO," she replied, her voice softer than usual, her breath betraying her calm demeanor. "I don't know better than a CEO."

Sunghoon shook his head, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His eyes were dark, unreadable. His fingers moved with deliberate slowness, typing away at the laptop until he closed it with a satisfying click. "Done," he said simply, leaning back in his chair.

Iseul took a breath, feeling the weight of the moment. A rush of relief flooded through her as she stood to leave, but just before she could gather her things, Sunghoon's voice stopped her.

"How is it going with your parents? Did they make up?"

"Mhm, my mom misread the whole situation. Now they're back together. If they'd just talked to each other and listened from the beginning, things wouldn't have gone that far."

Sunghoon's expression shifted, his voice gentler. "Very true. Listening is important. Sometimes we succumb to our pride and forget that the other person might be suffering."

Iseul met his gaze, her eyes searching his face, drawn into the depth of his words. "Talking is also very important," she responded, her tone quieter now, more vulnerable. "We wait for the other person to understand, but we don't let them in."

There was something in his eyes then—something that made her heart race, a fire that had been building up in the air between them. He took a step closer, his presence swallowing her whole, and for the first time, Iseul felt herself caught, trapped in the quiet storm of his gaze. She held her breath, the space between them charged with an undeniable chemistry.

Sunghoon's face was inches from hers now, his warmth almost unbearable. Their noses brushed again, this time lingering for a second too long, and her pulse quickened.

His voice was barely above a whisper, but it cut through the silence like a knife, "Or maybe... stop thinking and leave it to fate."

Iseul's heart pounded in her chest, her breath shallow. The tension was unbearable now, crackling like static in the air. His words wrapped around her, leaving her no escape.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. The space between them felt impossibly small now, and she knew that any second, any breath, would change everything. The electric charge in the room was suffocating, her mind torn between pulling away and closing the distance completely.

Sunghoon's gaze never wavered, his eyes locked on hers, but they shifted lower, slowly trailing to her lips. His breath caught as the space between them seemed to shrink, the tension palpable. Every movement she made, every subtle shift, only pulled them closer, the gravity between them undeniable. He lowered his head, his face inches from hers, his presence overwhelming.

But then, with a jolt of clarity, Iseul pushed him away, her hands on his chest, her palms pressing against him as she took a step back. "My mom... would be worried," she said, her voice a little shakier than she intended. She had to break away, to escape the overwhelming sensation he caused in her.

Sunghoon's eyes softened for just a second, the hint of a smile playing at the edges of his lips. "Iseul, I don't think your mom would be worried. It's 7 p.m." His tone was teasing, a mix of amusement and something else that she couldn't quite place.

But Iseul was already turning, her feet moving faster than her thoughts as she rushed toward the door, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn't stay. Not with the heat still lingering in the air, not with him so close, so dangerously close to making her forget everything.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Iseul's breath came in quick bursts. She needed space. She needed to clear her head. But just as she rounded the corner, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her—steady, deliberate, unrelenting.

The rain poured down in sheets as Iseul stood in the dim light of the building's exit, staring at the storm outside. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, but now, with the relentless downpour, she realized she had to figure out how to get home.

"Ah, Sunghoon, it's raining. I'll just call a taxi," she said, pulling out her phone from her bag, ready to make the call.

"No need. I'll drive you home." His tone was firm, not leaving room for argument.

"No need," Iseul shot back, her voice flat. "I can call a taxi."

"Iseul, can't you see the weather?" Sunghoon's frustration was evident now, his patience thinning.

"I said no need," she insisted, her stubbornness taking hold. She didn't want him to feel like he had control over her, even with the storm raging outside.

But then, as if to underline the tension, a sudden ring from Iseul's phone cut through the noise of the rain. The ringtone was familiar, and her eyes flicked down to the screen, recognizing the name on it.

"Oh, it's Sungchan," she murmured under her breath, trying to silence the phone.

Upon hearing that name, Sunghoon's eyes darkened, the anger in his chest rising like a tidal wave. Without warning, he snatched her phone from her hand, his movements swift and sure. "Fuck no," he growled, and before Iseul could react, he tossed the phone out into the street.

The sound of it hitting the pavement echoed in the downpour, and Iseul's heart dropped. The screen cracked as it hit the ground, a sharp, ugly sound marking the destruction. "Sunghoon!" she screamed, her anger flaring.

She turned and ran outside, barely thinking about the rain as it drenched her within seconds. Her phone lay on the wet pavement, shattered, the screen unrecognizable. She reached for it, the cold water soaking her as she grabbed it in frustration.

When she stood up, her fury was clear in her eyes. She glared at him through the downpour, her breath coming out in sharp gasps. "Have you gone crazy?" she shouted, her voice trembling with both rage and disbelief.

The rain battered them, soaking their clothes, their hair plastered against their skin, but neither of them seemed to care. Iseul stood there, eyes blazing, clutching her broken phone in her hand, but Sunghoon—he was different now.

He wasn't the stoic CEO, nor the cool, collected man who'd been his usual self. There was something raw, something darker in the air between them. His usual calm demeanor had melted away, leaving only a desperate intensity that seemed to seep into every drop of rain around them.

Sunghoon stepped closer, and Iseul's heart skipped a beat as his presence consumed her. The tension between them crackled, thick and heavy, like the storm around them, as he whispered, his voice low and guttural, full of pain. "Yes, I have," he muttered, his words like a confession—one that hurt him to say, but that he couldn't stop. "You make crazy over you."

Iseul's pulse quickened, but she couldn't say a word. His voice was like velvet and gravel all at once, his words striking her like a storm of their own. She opened her mouth to snap back, but the words caught in her throat as she stared into the heat of his eyes. She felt... caught. And for the first time in a long while, it wasn't because of the storm.

Sunghoon took another step, closing the gap between them until they were nearly chest to chest, his scent—sharp and intoxicating—lingering in the air. His breath was shaky, as though he was fighting to control something dangerous, something that could explode at any moment.

"I'm fucking crazy," he continued, voice growing louder, the rawness of his emotions filling every word. "My head is spinning because I'm so damn jealous."

Iseul wanted to push him away, wanted to shout, to tell him he had no right to feel this way, but she couldn't. Something shifted, something inside her cracked open. Sunghoon's words were like a fire burning too brightly for her to ignore. And in the midst of the thunderous rain, his vulnerability—and that raw need in his eyes—made her heart race in a way she couldn't explain.

"Sunghoon..." she breathed out, her own voice trembling despite herself.

With a gesture that took in the towering skyscraper behind them, his office, the shiny cars parked on the street, Sunghoon's voice dropped, softer but laced with all the hurt and desire he'd been carrying for so long.

"All of this," he said, sweeping his hand dramatically, "the skyscraper, the fancy cars, this stupid gelled hair—" He paused, his lips curling into a bitter, rueful smile. "It was all for you. So you could come back to me one day."

Iseul's heart skipped. Her mind reeled, trying to process his words, the weight of them pressing against her chest. But she was soaked, shivering not from the cold, but from the intensity of the moment. "Didn't you say you forgot about me?" she said, her voice sharp as she fought to keep control. "That you hated me?" She swallowed hard, eyes never leaving his. "What changed?"

Sunghoon's breath hitched as his gaze softened, his expression a mix of longing and regret. He stepped closer, so close now she could feel the warmth radiating off his body, despite the rain pouring down on them. He cupped her face with his hand, his touch gentle but firm, as if he were trying to hold her in place—keep her from running, even though he knew she could.

"I never forgot you," he said, voice breaking with the weight of his confession. "I tried. But I couldn't. I loved you like crazy, I still do." His eyes searched hers, as though he was begging her to understand. "I hated you for leaving me, but that doesn't matter anymore. I know it's all in the past." He took a shaky breath, his lips brushing dangerously close to hers.

"What matters now is that I need you, Iseul." His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with rawness. "And I know you need me too."

Iseul's chest tightened as she looked up at him, the intensity of his gaze making her stomach flip. She tried to pull away, tried to push past the emotions that were swirling inside of her. She wasn't ready to confront this, not here, not now.

"Shut up, Sunghoon," she muttered, though her words lacked conviction. Her heart was racing, every inch of her body screaming to either run or pull him closer, but she couldn't move, couldn't decide what to do. She was paralyzed by the storm—both the one in the sky and the one inside her.

The air around them crackled, the tension thick with unspoken desires and regrets, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.

His hand, warm and firm, cupped her face with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the intensity burning in his eyes. Sunghoon's voice, low and gravelly, reverberated in the stillness of the rain-soaked street.

"Don't deny it," he whispered, his thumb gently caressing her cheek as though trying to imprint the moment on her skin. "I know you're in love with me, just as much as I'm in love with you."

Iseul felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart pounding louder than the rain splashing around them. Her body tensed, but something deep inside her—a flicker of vulnerability, of longing—fought against the walls she had built up for so long. Her gaze darted away, unable to meet his, as the weight of his words pressed down on her like a heavy storm cloud. She didn't know how to respond—didn't want to acknowledge the truth that was so painfully clear between them.

"I... I'm leaving," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her hand instinctively pulling away from his touch.

But before she could make a move, his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist with an almost desperate force. Sunghoon yanked her closer, closing the space between them until their noses were brushing, his breath mingling with hers.

Her heart raced, her body trembling under the weight of his proximity. She could feel the heat of his skin, the raw energy coursing between them, and despite herself, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. There was something in the way he looked at her—something familiar, something undeniable—that made her knees weak, her mind clouded with the pull of desire.

Then, in one bold move, Sunghoon closed the gap between them, his lips crashing onto hers with a ferocity that took her breath away. Iseul froze, her body locked in place, her mind racing as her heart struggled to keep up with the surge of emotions flooding her chest.

She wanted to push him away. She wanted to fight against this—against the overwhelming need to feel something, anything, that wasn't the ache of distance between them. But in that moment, all the fight drained from her. She could only stand there, consumed by the sensation of his lips on hers, the storm around them forgotten, drowned out by the pulse of desire that seemed to vibrate between them.

For a split second, Iseul thought she might push him away, but her body betrayed her. She couldn't. There was a magnetic pull that tied her to him, something deeper than her resistance, something that had always been there, buried under the years of silence and hurt.

Sunghoon's kiss was urgent, but tender, as though he was trying to convey everything he had kept locked away, every word unspoken, every promise made in the silence between them. And despite her mind screaming at her to pull back, she found herself leaning into the kiss, her hands lifting to his chest, her body betraying her resolve.

Under the relentless downpour, Iseul and Sunghoon were oblivious to everything around them. The world outside, the rain, the sounds of the city—they all faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was the warmth between them, the electric pulse of their connection that had finally come to fruition.

Sunghoon's hands gently cupped her face, brushing the rain from her skin, before pulling her in for another kiss. Their lips met again, slower this time, as if savoring the moment that had been years in the making. There was no hesitancy, no doubt in either of them.

They were both consumed by the feeling that had been building between them for so long.

Iseul felt the weight of everything she had been holding back lift in that one moment. The guilt, the uncertainty, the confusion—all of it dissolved as Sunghoon kissed her, as if their hearts were speaking to each other in a language only they understood. She kissed him back with equal fervor, her hands threading into his rain-drenched hair, her body pressing closer to his, losing herself in the warmth of his embrace.

But as the kiss broke, they both smiled into it, their faces flushed, and their hearts racing in sync. Sunghoon's eyes were filled with something more than just desire; there was a softness in them, a quiet kind of happiness that was only reserved for Iseul.

She smiled back at him, her chest swelling with emotions she hadn't realized she was keeping hidden for so long.

In the midst of the joy, neither of them noticed the car across the street—Rena sitting alone in her vehicle, her face hidden behind the rain-streaked window. Tears silently ran down her cheeks, unnoticed, as she watched the couple with a heavy heart. But all of that was lost in the euphoria of their own little world.

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soooo was it worth the wait?