The week seemed to stretch out into an eternity. Seong had returned, but I hadn't mustered the courage to face him. Every time I thought about seeing him, I felt guilty—guilty for how confused I was, guilty for not knowing where I stood with him and Jun. It didn't help that Jun hadn't left me alone since the gala.
The constant messages, the flowers at work, even gifts left on my doorstep—it was suffocating. And yet, there was part of me that didn't want him to stop. I was so entangled in the push and pull of my emotions that I didn't even know what I wanted anymore.
I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard as my phone buzzed again. Another text from Jun. This time it was different, though.
Jun: "I'm coming over. We need to talk, Censia. I'm not letting this go."
A wave of panic surged through me. I wasn't ready for this conversation. Not yet. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to think of a way to stall him, to buy myself just a little more time.
But before I could even reply, the door to my office swung open. I looked up to see Ji Ho standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"Censia, I need you to take these documents to Mr. Park's office. He wants to review them before the end of the day."
I swallowed hard, grateful for the distraction. Anything to keep my mind off the impending confrontation with Jun.
"Of course. I'll get on that right away," I said, standing up and gathering the documents from my desk.
As I made my way down the hall, my thoughts raced. I had to figure out what I was going to say to Jun, what I was going to do. I couldn't keep stringing him and Seong along like this, but the idea of cutting ties with either of them felt impossible.
---
Later that evening, as the office emptied out, I sat at my desk, unable to focus on anything. The ticking clock on the wall was the only sound in the room, a constant reminder that time was running out.
The phone on my desk rang, and I jumped, startled out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen—Seong.
My heart sank.
I'm back. I'm at the apartment. We need to talk.
I hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone, my voice barely above a whisper. "Seong... I..."
"Censia, where are you? We need to talk about this." His voice was calm, steady, but there was an underlying tension I couldn't ignore.
"I don't know if I can face you right now," I admitted, my voice cracking. "I'm so confused, Seong."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I understand, but we can't keep avoiding this. We need to figure things out."
I knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier.
"I'll be home soon," I whispered before hanging up.
---
By the time I reached the apartment, it was dark. My hands trembled as I unlocked the door, my heart pounding with anticipation. Inside, the familiar scent of the space hit me immediately—a mixture of Seong's cologne and the faint aroma of Jun's favorite coffee.
Seong was sitting on the couch, waiting for me. He looked tired, worn down, but as always, there was a calmness about him that I found comforting.
"I'm glad you came," he said, his voice low.
I took a deep breath, sitting down beside him. "I don't even know where to start."
Seong reached for my hand, holding it gently. "Just tell me what you're feeling."
I looked down at our joined hands, tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm so torn, Seong. I love both of you, and I don't know what to do. Every time I think I've made a decision, something pulls me back in."
He was silent for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was filled with quiet resignation. "Censia, we've been patient with you, but we can't keep going like this. I can't. Jun can't. It's tearing us all apart."
"I know," I whispered, the tears spilling over. "I know it's not fair to either of you, but I just... I don't know how to choose."
Seong's grip tightened on my hand, and for the first time, I saw the pain in his eyes. "You don't have to choose, Censia. That's never what this was about. We've always been willing to make this work, but you're the one who's pulling away."
I looked at him, startled. "Pulling away? Seong, I—"
"You keep running every time things get hard. You don't let us in, and that's why this is falling apart," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. He was right. I had been running—ever since the beginning. Running from the intensity of my feelings, running from the fear of being hurt, running from the uncertainty of it all.
But where had it gotten me? Nowhere.
I buried my face in my hands, sobbing. "I'm sorry, Seong. I'm so sorry."
He pulled me into his arms, holding me as I cried. "It's okay, Censia. We'll figure this out. But you have to stop running."
---
I stayed in Seong's arms for what felt like hours, my sobs eventually subsiding into quiet sniffles. When I finally pulled away, he wiped the tears from my cheeks and smiled softly.
"Jun will be back soon," he said quietly. "We'll talk things through together, okay?"
I nodded, though my heart still felt heavy.
But just as Seong was about to stand up, there was a knock at the door. We exchanged a confused glance before Seong went to answer it.
To my surprise, it wasn't Jun standing on the other side. It was his mother.
"Mrs. Lee?" I said, standing up in shock.
She swept into the apartment, her eyes immediately locking onto mine with a cold intensity.
"I need to speak with you, Censia," she said, her tone clipped. "Alone."
Seong frowned, stepping forward to stand beside me. "Mother, whatever you have to say can be said in front of me."
Mrs. Choi's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue. Instead, she looked directly at me. "Censia, I've given this a lot of thought. I know you and Jun have had your... complications, but it's time for you to face reality."
I swallowed hard, bracing myself for what was coming.
"I'm prepared to offer you a substantial amount of money," she continued, "to end things with Jun for good. He deserves someone who can be a proper partner, someone who can support him without all this... drama."
The room went silent. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Mrs. Choi, I—"
"You don't have to answer right away," she interrupted. "Think it over. But know this—Jun's future is far too important to be derailed by whatever this... situation is between the three of you."
Her words stung, cutting deep into the insecurities I already had about my place in Jun and Seong's lives.
Seong stepped forward, his expression fierce. "Mother, that's enough."
But before I could respond, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Jun.
Jun: I'm outside. We need to talk.