The morning sun streams through the kitchen window as I stand at the stove, carefully preparing a traditional Korean breakfast. The aroma of kimchi fills the air, and I can't help but smile, knowing how much Lee Ye loves it.
Hye Ri and five-year-old Ha Eun, sit at the table, their eyes wide with anticipation. Ha Eun's little face lights up when she sees Lee Ye enter the room. "Mommy! Is that really him?" she whispers loudly, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Yes, sweetheart." Hye Ri replies with a grin.
Ha Eun stares at him in awe, her mouth agape. "Can I sit next to you?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Of course!" Lee Ye chuckles, pulling out a chair for her. "I promise I won't bite… unless you steal my food."
Ha Eun giggles and scoots closer to him. "I would never! You're too famous for that."
As we dig into breakfast, Ha Eun takes a bite from her plate and her eyes widen in delight. "This is so yummy! Will you cook everyday instead of mummy, Aunt Kitten?" she asks innocently.
I laugh, feeling a warmth spread through me. "Only if you promise to keep my company whenever I cook."
"Deal!" she exclaims, raising her tiny fist in victory.
Hye Ri, chimes in with a playful grin. "Ha Eun, now I can't let you two team up and make me look bad."
Ha Eun giggles, her little face lighting up. "But Aunt Kitten is the best cook ever!"
"Touché," Hye Ri laughs, feigning defeat. "Alright, I'll start making gourmet cereal and toast… watch out, Michelin stars!"
After breakfast, Hye Ri checks the time. "Okay, baby, it's time for school! Say bye to uncle Lee Ye and Aunt Kitten."
Ha Eun jumps up and runs over to him. "Bye, Uncle! I hope you come back soon!" She gives him a big hug that catches him off guard. "Bye Aunt Kitten!"
"Thanks for the hug! You're my biggest fan now," he says with a playful wink.
As Ha Eun skips away, Hye Ri leans in conspiratorially. "By the way, did you know yesterday was Seo Yeon's birthday? Oh dear, it had to end on such a chaotic note."
Lee Ye glances at me, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
Once Hye Ri and Ha Eun leave for school, I clean up the table while Lee Ye checks his phone. After a moment, he looks up at me. "My driver just called. He's downstairs waiting for me."
I nod, looking anywhere else but at him.
He stands up and stretches dramatically. "You know, I could get used to this… delicious food and adorable fans." He grins teasingly.
I'm in shock at his remark, my mouth agape as I process how he seems to have warmed up to me. Unsure of how to respond, I finally manage an awkward laugh as we head toward the door.
As we walk down the stairs together, he nudges me playfully with his shoulder. "You know, I must say you are a great cook."
Surprised by his compliment, I blink at him, wondering how we got here. He used to be so cold and detested having any conversation with me when I came over to his mansion to work for him every day. "Don't worry, I'll keep practicing until I'm good enough to open my own restaurant," I reply with mock seriousness.
"Just make sure it's not called 'Seo Yeon's Kitchen Disasters,'" he teases as we reach the front door.
I roll my eyes playfully and open the door for him. As Lee Ye stands at the threshold, he turns back to me, a warm smile on his face. "Happy birthday, even though it's late," he says softly.
His words melt my heart, sending a flutter of butterflies through my stomach. I manage to whisper a soft, "Thank you," feeling a rush of warmth wash over me.
For a moment, we simply stare at each other, an unspoken connection forming between us. Our smiles linger in the air, filled with a mix of joy and something deeper. Finally, he nods, breaking the spell as he steps back to meet his driver waiting by the car.
But before I can turn back inside, I hear tires screeching and see a black van pull up sharply in front of me. My breath hitches in my throat as my heart jumps. I watch two burly men jump out of the van and my stomach instantly drops when they grab me by the arms before I can react.
"Hey! Let go of me!" I shout, struggling against their grip.
Lee Ye turns around just in time to see me being dragged toward the van. His eyes widen in shock. "Seo Yeon!" he yells, but it's too late… they shove me into the back of the van.
"Drive!" one of them barks at the driver as they slam the door shut.
"Wait! This isn't right!" I protest, but they ignore me completely.
The van speeds away, taking sharp turns through the streets while I try to catch my breath. The loan sharks are threatening me now, talking about harvesting my organs if I don't pay up soon.
"Harvest my organs? Seriously?"
They exchange glances that suggest they're ready to make good on their threats. Suddenly, the van comes to a halt in a secluded area—perfect for scaring someone half to death. The men start leaning closer, their faces twisted into menacing grins.
"I hope you're ready for some fun." one of them sneers.
Just then, Lee Ye bursts onto the scene like a superhero straight out of a comic book. "Get away from her!" he shouts, his voice booming with authority.
The loan sharks turn in surprise as Lee Ye motions for his driver to call the police.
"Who do you think you are?" one of them growls, cracking his knuckles ominously.
"Me?" Lee Ye replies coolly, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "You just made a big mistake." With that, he lunges forward with impressive speed and agility, throwing punches left and right. It's like watching an action movie unfold in real life, complete with dramatic sound effects. He dodges a wild swing from one of the larger thugs and counters with a swift jab to the gut, making the man double over with a grunt.
"Is this really necessary?" I shout from inside the van.
"Absolutely!" Lee Ye calls back between punches, barely missing a beat.
Another thug charges at him, but Lee Ye sidesteps effortlessly, causing the man to stumble past him and crash into a trash can. The sound of metal clanging against concrete echoes through the alley, and I can't help but stifle a laugh at the sight of the thug struggling to untangle himself from the mess.
"Hey! Watch where you're throwing your weight!" one of the loan sharks yells, clearly more annoyed than hurt.
Lee Ye takes advantage of their distraction and delivers a spinning kick that sends another thug sprawling to the ground. "Sorry! Didn't see you there!" he quips, flashing a cheeky grin.
Just then, two more burly guys join the fray, clearly not impressed by Lee Ye's antics. They advance on him like a pair of freight trains, but he stands his ground. "You guys really should have brought some snacks for this party," he jokes, cracking his knuckles as if preparing for an intense workout.
The fight intensifies as fists fly and bodies collide. Lee Ye takes a few hits himself from the bigger guys who clearly didn't skip leg day at the gym, but he retaliates with precision and flair. He ducks under a wild punch and counters with an uppercut that sends one thug reeling backward into his friend, causing them both to tumble over each other in a heap.
Before long, sirens fill the air as police cars pull up alongside us. The officers step out, looking shocked at the sight before them—Lee Ye battling two loan sharks while I sit helplessly inside the van without knowing what to do but panic.
"Is that…?!" one officer exclaims, recognizing Lee Ye immediately.
The loan sharks realize they're outnumbered and start backing away slowly until they meet with more officers emerging from their vehicles. They're quickly cuffed and shoved into separate police cars while Lee Ye stands there with bruises formed on his face—one cheek already with painful looking scratches.
I feel a pang of guilt wash over me as I take in his injuries. "This is all my fault," I whisper under my breath. He must be really hurting right now because of me.
As we're all taken to the police station, fanboying police officers swarm around Lee Ye eagerly asking for selfies and autographs despite everything that just unfolded.
"Wow! Can you believe we just saw Lee Ye in action?" one officer gushes while trying to discreetly snap a picture on his phone.
"Yeah! And did you see how he took those guys down? He's like a real-life superhero!" another adds excitedly.
Meanwhile, the loan sharks yell from their backseat, "This isn't fair! He's getting special treatment. We want to press charges for assault."
The officers roll their eyes at their ridiculousness. "You guys have previous criminal records," one officer retorts with a smirk. "So good luck with that!"
Moments later, Mr. Lee arrives with their lawyer. He strides into the station like he owns the place and addresses everyone confidently. "Thank you for your swift action officers," he says to them before turning to Lee Ye with concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"It's just few minor scratches. Nothing to worry about." Lee Ye replies dismissively but winces slightly as he touches his bruised cheek.
Just then, Kara, the famous K-Pop star caught in a dating scandal with Lee Ye, makes a dramatic entrance into the station. The atmosphere shifts instantly, police officers swoon at her presence as she walks in wearing oversized sunglasses and an outfit that screams high fashion.
"Wow! She's even more beautiful in person." whispers one officer to another as they gawk at her.
"I heard she's dating Lee Ye. Do you think it's true?" a female officer whispers back excitedly while trying to keep her composure.
I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy wash over me at their whispered gossip about her dating rumors with Lee Ye. What was I thinking? He's way out of my league. I'm just an ordinary girl caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
Kara approaches Lee Ye with an exaggerated pout and flutters her eyelashes dramatically. "Oh no! You got hurt." she coos.
Lee Ye raises an eyebrow and shifts from her touch, clearly not having any of it. "I'm fine," he replies coolly while trying to maintain his distance, clearly unimpressed by her antics.
Mr. Lee clears his throat loudly to regain everyone's attention and introduces their lawyer. "Everyone, this is Kim Do Hyun. He'll be handling things from here on our behalf."
The good-looking man who appears to be in his late twenties nods confidently at everyone present before turning serious again. "We will be pressing charges against these criminals. They need to face justice for what they've done."
Amidst this whirlwind of activity—police officers buzzing around excitedly while Kara tries her best to flirt with Lee Ye, I can't shake off how surreal this all feels.
But as chaotic as it is, one thing is clear… when it comes to my life lately, it's a full-blown movie!