The morning air was crisp as I hurried away from Nathan's apartment. My mind was racing, and my heart felt heavy. I'd let myself get too close to him last night—closer than I should've. Though nothing had happened, just being in his bed felt like a betrayal to Jun and Seong.
I couldn't shake the guilt that was already settling in. As if my life wasn't complicated enough, now Nathan was back, and despite my efforts to push him away, his presence was like a constant reminder of what could have been.
By the time I arrived at the office, I was exhausted, both mentally and physically. I hadn't even gone home to change, and my clothes were still wrinkled from spending the night at Nathan's. I felt out of place, like I didn't belong anywhere—caught between two worlds that didn't feel right anymore.
I kept my head down, hoping no one would notice the dark circles under my eyes or the tension in my body. I just wanted to get through the day, go home, and pretend none of this was happening.
But, of course, life wasn't that simple.
As I sat at my desk, my phone buzzed with a message. I glanced at it, my stomach flipping when I saw Jun's name.
Jun: Hey. Where are you? I'm outside your office. Can we talk?
I bit my lip, unsure how to respond. The last thing I wanted was to deal with him right now, not after everything that had happened. But ignoring him wasn't an option either. Eventually, I would have to face him and Seong. We had been tiptoeing around each other ever since that night.
With a sigh, I typed back a quick response.
Me: I'm at my desk. Come in.
A few minutes later, the door to my office swung open, and Jun stepped inside. He looked just as handsome as ever, but there was a tension in his jaw that I hadn't seen before. He walked over to my desk, his eyes searching mine as if he was trying to read my thoughts.
"Hey," he said softly, his voice gentle. "You've been avoiding us."
I looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "I've just been... busy. A lot's going on."
Jun walked around the desk and gently took my hand, pulling me to my feet. His touch was warm, familiar, and it made my heart ache. "I'm sorry about what happened," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I was drunk and stupid. I never wanted to hurt you, Censia."
I nodded, biting back the tears that were threatening to spill. "I know," I whispered. "But that doesn't change the fact that you did."
Jun's grip on my hand tightened as if he was afraid I might slip away. "I'm trying to make it right. Please, just talk to me."
Before I could respond, the door to my office opened again, and Seong stepped in. His eyes flickered between the two of us, his expression unreadable.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of tension.
I pulled my hand from Jun's grasp and took a step back, suddenly feeling like I was suffocating in the small room. The last thing I needed was to be caught in the middle of another confrontation between the two of them.
"No," I said quickly. "We were just talking."
Seong's eyes softened as he looked at me. "Censia, I know things have been difficult. We've put you through so much, and it's not fair."
I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling small under the weight of their concern. "I just... I don't know how to do this anymore," I admitted. "Everything is a mess."
Jun took a step closer to me, his voice low. "We'll figure it out. Together."
But before I could respond, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach drop.
It was Nathan.
Nathan: Can we talk? I miss you already.
The tension in the room suddenly became unbearable. I felt trapped, pulled in different directions by the men in my life. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I didn't know what to say, what to feel.
Seong noticed the change in my expression and stepped closer. "Who was that?"
I hesitated, not wanting to cause more problems. "It's nothing," I muttered, slipping my phone into my pocket.
But Seong wasn't fooled. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Censia, what's going on?"
I took a deep breath, feeling like I was on the verge of breaking down. "It's Nathan," I finally confessed. "He's... he's back."
Jun's face darkened, and he immediately tensed up. "Nathan? As in your Nathan?"
I nodded, feeling the weight of their eyes on me. "He's working with Ji-Ho. He showed up at the office the other day."
Jun's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "What does he want?"
I shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. He says he wants to make things right, but... I don't know what to believe anymore."
Seong let out a slow breath, trying to remain calm. "Are you... are you thinking about getting back with him?"
His question caught me off guard, and I quickly shook my head. "No. No, it's not like that. I just... I'm tired, Seong. I don't know what I want anymore."
Jun stepped closer again, his voice filled with frustration. "He had his chance, Censia. He left you. Don't let him back into your life."
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their words crushing down on me. They were right. Nathan had abandoned me once, and there was no reason to believe he wouldn't do it again.
But there was still that small, broken part of me that couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different if he hadn't left.
Before I could say anything, Seong reached out and gently cupped my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek. "We love you, Censia. And I know we've made mistakes, but we're trying. Don't let him come between us."
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I leaned into his touch, my heart torn in two. "I don't want to lose you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "But I don't know how to fix this."
Jun stepped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. "We'll figure it out. Just don't push us away."
For a moment, I let myself get lost in the warmth of their embrace, trying to forget the chaos swirling around us. But deep down, I knew things weren't that simple.
Because no matter how much I loved them, I couldn't ignore the storm brewing on the horizon.