The following days were a blur of emotions for Joo-won, his mind spinning with the weight of his decision. What had begun as a moment of passion, a surrender to temptation, had now spiraled into something far more complex. Every glance exchanged with Kim, every conversation, every touch—nothing was the same anymore. He had crossed a line, and now, he had to face the consequences.
In the office, things felt charged, as if the air itself hummed with tension. The boundaries between them were gone, but the power dynamic remained unchanged. Kim was still his superior, and that knowledge hung over them like a dark cloud. They couldn't ignore it, not completely, even though they tried to pretend otherwise.
Joo-won found himself avoiding eye contact with Kim in public, trying to maintain a semblance of professionalism, but every time he caught a glimpse of Kim's intense gaze, his heart skipped a beat. It wasn't just desire that swirled between them—it was something deeper, something more dangerous. He wasn't sure what Kim saw in him, but the way Kim looked at him, the way he made him feel—Joo-won couldn't deny the connection.
And yet, the fear lingered. The fear of what could happen. Of what this would mean for his future at Hanlim Corporation. He had seen how powerful Kim was, how ruthless he could be. Joo-won had no illusions about that. What if Kim grew tired of him? What if this was all just a game? He couldn't afford to lose his job, and yet, a part of him was too caught up in the whirlwind of emotions to think clearly.
On one particular evening, as the office emptied and the quiet settled over Hanlim Corporation, Joo-won found himself summoned to Kim's office once again. His stomach tightened with a mix of excitement and dread. Would this be the moment when everything finally came to light? The moment when the consequences of their actions would come crashing down?
He stood in front of Kim's office door, hesitating before knocking. He had spent the last few days trying to distance himself, to regain some sense of control, but it was impossible. Every time Kim spoke to him, every time their hands brushed, he felt as though he was being pulled deeper into something he wasn't sure he could escape.
The door opened before he could knock, and Kim stood in the doorway, looking at him with that same inscrutable gaze. "Joo-won," he said, his voice low but calm. "Come in. We need to talk."
Joo-won swallowed hard and stepped inside, trying to keep his composure. Kim closed the door behind him, and for a moment, there was silence. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.
"I'm not here to lecture you," Kim began, his tone matter-of-fact, "but I think it's time we address what happened."
Joo-won's throat went dry. He hadn't expected to feel this way—so vulnerable, so exposed—but there was no denying it now. He had let his emotions take control, and now he was standing in front of Kim, waiting for the inevitable fallout.
"I don't regret it," Joo-won said quietly, his voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. "I don't regret what we did. But… I don't know what this means, Joon-ho. I don't know how to handle this. How do we go back to normal after…" He trailed off, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
Kim regarded him with a thoughtful expression, his gaze softening just slightly. "We don't go back to normal, Joo-won," he said softly. "There's no going back once you've crossed that line. But we can decide where we go from here."
Joo-won's heart skipped a beat at his words. Was he suggesting they continue whatever this was? The thought terrified him, but it also stirred something deep inside him. He didn't want to walk away from Kim. Not yet. But the reality of their situation was sinking in. There was no going back now, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for the consequences.
"What does that mean?" Joo-won asked, his voice almost a whisper.
Kim stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "It means that we can't pretend this is just a fling, Joo-won. We're not playing a game anymore. What we have… it's real, whether we like it or not. And that means we need to be careful. We need to think about the future."
The weight of his words hung in the air, and for a moment, Joo-won felt as though the ground beneath him was shifting. The idea of a future with Kim—of anything beyond the moment—terrified him. He didn't know if he could handle the intensity of it, the power imbalance, the potential consequences.
"Are you telling me you want to keep this… whatever this is?" Joo-won asked, his voice shaky, the fear finally breaking through. "Or are you just trying to protect yourself? I don't want to be your… your secret, Joon-ho."
Kim's expression darkened at the question, and he took a step back, his gaze intense. "This is not about me protecting myself, Joo-won," he said firmly. "This is about us. About what we want. But if you're not ready for this, if you can't handle it, then we'll stop. But you need to decide."
Joo-won looked up at him, his heart pounding in his chest. He was scared. He was terrified. But a part of him—the part that had let Kim into his life, the part that wanted to feel this connection—didn't want to let go.
"I don't know if I'm ready," Joo-won admitted softly, his voice trembling. "But I don't want to lose you."
Kim stepped forward again, his eyes softening. "You won't lose me. Not unless you want to."
Joo-won felt the pull between them once more, the desire, the uncertainty. But for the first time, he realized that maybe he wasn't just scared of what this could become. Maybe he was scared of losing himself in it.
But he couldn't deny what he felt. He couldn't run away from it.
"I'm not ready, but I don't want to walk away," Joo-won said quietly, looking up at Kim. "I want to see where this goes."
Kim's expression softened into a small smile, and he reached out, brushing his fingers gently against Joo-won's cheek. "Then we'll take it one step at a time. No rush. But we'll figure this out together."
Joo-won nodded, feeling a small sense of relief wash over him. It wasn't an easy decision. It wasn't a perfect one. But it was the one he had chosen. And for now, that was enough.