Minra stirred.
The world felt too warm.
Too quiet.
Too different.
Her eyelids fluttered open—
And then, she froze.
Because.
Because this wasn’t her bed.
And worse?
Worse—
She wasn’t alone.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Because right there—
Right next to her—
Was Hwa HyunSeong.
Still asleep.
Still close.
Still far too real.
And then,
Everything from last night crashed back into her mind.
The gala.
The drinks.
The frustration.
The argument.
The kiss.
The way he pulled her closer.
The way she let him.
And then—
Then, they had ended up here.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Together.
And HyunSeong—
HyunSeong had looked at her like he wasn’t holding back anymore.
Like he knew exactly what he wanted.
And now?
Now, Minra didn’t know how to process any of it.
.
She swallowed hard.
HyunSeong was still asleep.
His breathing even.
Expression calm.
And—
And he looked satisfied.
Not just physically.
But like he had no regrets.
Like he had already decided what this meant for him.
And that?
That terrified her.
Because Minra?
Minra hadn’t decided anything.
Minra hadn’t even processed how this happened.
And suddenly—
she felt like she needed to leave.
She needed to get up.
Needed to think.
Needed to breathe.
Because what had they done?
What did this mean?
Did he—?
Did HyunSeong—?
Did he actually feel something for her?
Or was this just—just heat?
Just an impulse?
Just a moment of weakness?
And more than anything—
She didn’t know if she could handle the answer.
.
She slowly, carefully, tried to move.
Tried to slip out of bed without waking him.
Tried to avoid the inevitable conversation.
But the moment she shifted—
A deep voice cut through the silence.
"Leaving already?"
Minra froze.
Her breath hitched.
Because.
Because he was awake.
And when she turned her head—
HyunSeong was watching her.
Eyes half-lidded.
Expression unreadable.
But his voice—
His voice was smooth. Calm. Certain.
Like he had already decided something for the both of them.
And Minra?
Minra felt like she couldn’t breathe.
.
She sat up, pulling the blanket around her.
Her heart racing.
"I—" she started, but—
But she didn’t know what to say.
Because what could she say?
What was she supposed to say?
She glanced at him.
Expecting—what?
Expecting awkwardness?
Expecting hesitation?
Expecting regret?
But.
But HyunSeong looked completely at peace.
Completely calm.
Like this—this—
Was something he was ready for.
And suddenly—
Suddenly, Minra realized.
He wasn’t panicking.
He wasn’t regretting it.
He wasn’t trying to avoid this conversation.
Because HyunSeong—
HyunSeong looked like a man who had already made up his mind.
And that?
That scared her even more than the night before.
Because she hadn’t made up hers.
.
"Are you regretting it?"
His voice was so steady.
So firm.
So dangerously sincere.
Minra couldn’t answer.
Couldn’t even look at him properly.
Because.
Because she didn’t know.
Did she regret it?
No.
Was she scared?
Yes.
And somehow, HyunSeong knew.
Somehow, he understood.
Because his next words—
His next words nearly knocked the breath out of her.
"Whatever you’re thinking," he said, voice low, "you don’t have to overthink it."
"I’ll take responsibility for it."
Minra’s stomach dropped.
Her breath hitched.
Because.
Because what did that mean?
What did he mean?
And why—why did hearing that make her panic even more?
She stood up too quickly.
"I—I need to get ready for the flight."
HyunSeong watched her.
His eyes sharp. Focused. Unmoving.
"Minra."
She froze mid-step.
His voice was too serious.
Too certain.
Too real.
"Don’t run from this."
Minra’s grip on the blanket tightened.
Because.
Because that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
She didn’t expect him to feel the same way.
Didn’t expect him to be so sure about this.
Didn’t expect that he was ready to face something she wasn’t even ready to accept.
And now—
Now, she had no idea what to do.
.
Chapter 33: "The Flight Home"
