Chapter 12 (Part 2)

Returning to the hotel.

In-ah was hesitantly following Jinwon down the hallway.

When they reached the room, Jinwon opened the door with the key and stepped aside for In-ah.

“Go in first.”  

Puzzled, In-ah repeatedly checked Jinwon’s hand. There was only one key dangling from his hand.

In-ah barely calmed her surprised heart. She needed confirmation.

“Is there… only one room?”  

That can’t be. I had booked two!  

“Yeah. Why?”  

“Oh, nothing.”  

It was awkward to say she booked two and even more so to spend the night in one room…  

Unaware of In-ah’s thoughts, Jinwon spoke in a cheerful voice.

“Let’s rest a bit and then go for dinner. We can order room service too.”

“Okay.”  

In-ah tried to act nonchalant as she entered the open room.

But the next moment, her barely maintained calm expression crumbled immediately.

A double-sized bed! There was only one bed!  

Startled, In-ah turned around and bumped her face into the wall, stopping.

When she looked up, it wasn’t a wall but Jinwon’s chest.

At that moment! In-ah’s face turned pale because of her heart pounding wildly.

This is dangerous! 

She felt a life-threatening fear that she might die of a heart attack.

“Where are you going?”  

Jinwon blocked In-ah, who was urgently heading to the door, and asked.

“Oh? Just outside for a bit.”  

She tried to leave, but he didn’t let her go easily.  

“Where outside?”  

She suddenly snapped.  

“Do I have to report everything?”  

“Not really.”  

Embarrassed, he stepped aside.  

While waiting for the elevator, In-ah bit her nails, not knowing what to do.

What should I do? Why did I suddenly get mad? It’s so random.  

In the elevator, she hesitated over the buttons.  

Where should I go? The lobby? No, I should get some air.  

Just as she pressed the button for the rooftop bar, the slowly closing elevator doors reopened.  

And Jinwon quickly got on through the open doors.

“What is it? Why are you following me?”  

Instead of answering, he asked,  

“Are you going to the rooftop bar alone?”  

She kept her eyes fixed on the changing floor numbers instead of answering.  

Watching her, he asked with concern.  

“What’s really going on? You need to tell me. Did I do something wrong?”  

Her mouth felt dry in the awkward situation.  

Struggling to find words in her blank mind, a loud noise suddenly erupted.  

With a clunk, the elevator stopped at an unexpected floor.  

It was just below the rooftop bar.  

The two exchanged startled glances.  

With a tremendous noise, the elevator suddenly began to fall.  

Panicked, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. They both sank to the floor.  

Even in that urgent moment, he pressed the emergency button.  

He watched the floors drop rapidly.  

At this rate, they’ll crash to the bottom!  

The flickering lights maximized the fear.  

In his arms, she thought with her eyes tightly shut.  

Will it end suddenly like this?  

She opened her eyes and saw his hand gripping hers tightly.  

His grip was so strong that his knuckles were white.  

He had her head cradled in his arms, completely shielding her with his body.  

If they fell like this, she would lose Jinwon first.

In-ah tried to move her body but couldn’t budge.

Jinwon’s embrace was so strong, it felt like an impregnable fortress that couldn’t be broken by any force.

In-ah barely lifted her head to look up at Jinwon.

Was he like this when he had the accident seven years ago?

Did he sense the end and decide to endure it alone? Did he withstand that painful ordeal with his whole body?

If we both don’t survive, or if…  

In a fortunate misfortune, one might be severely injured and survive alone.  

I don’t want to be the one who survives alone!

In-ah reached out her other hand, which Jinwon wasn’t holding, towards him.

Simultaneously, she grabbed Jinwon’s neck fiercely and pulled him to her chest.

Surprised by her unexpected move, Jinwon’s head helplessly buried into her chest.

Thunk!  

The elevator suddenly stopped.  

They quickly assessed the situation, exchanging glances.  

Meanwhile, Jinwon hurriedly took out his phone and called 119 to report.

***  

Both were safely rescued by the 119 rescue team.  

While Jinwon was explaining the situation to the rescue team and hotel staff, In-ah watched from the lobby, sitting quietly.

In-ah, feeling chills and shivering, draped a blanket over her shoulders and kept her eyes fixed on Jinwon.

Even as Jinwon continued talking about the situation, he kept glancing at In-ah to check on her condition.

Seeing this, she faintly smiled.  

After finishing his explanation, Jinwon hurried over to In-ah.

“Are you okay? Drink some tea.”  

Jinwon carefully brought the warm teacup in front of In-ah to her lips.

After taking a sip, she fiddled with the front of his shirt.  

The front of Jinwon’s shirt was torn, with the buttons hanging loose. It was In-ah’s doing.

He chuckled and spoke brightly.  

“Whose girlfriend has such a grip? Right?”  

In-ah lightly punched Jinwon’s forehead with a small fist.

“Are you joking now?”  

“Of course. Should I be serious?”  

He tried to comfort her with a smile despite her tension.  

“Let’s rest for a bit. Hold on.”  

As Jinwon was getting up, In-ah grabbed him again.

Worried, she frowned and asked,  

“Why again? Where are you going?”  

Jinwon patted In-ah’s shoulder and said.

“To ask them to change our room. To the second or third floor.”

Jinwon was right. It was impossible to ride the elevator up and down again.

Only then did In-ah slowly let go of Jinwon. Jinwon gently patted In-ah’s head before walking towards the front desk.

In-ah quietly watched Jinwon’s back as he talked at the front desk.

Thinking she almost lost him again made her mind feel dizzy. 

Dizzy…

“Are you feeling better?”  

When In-ah opened her eyes, Jinwon’s urgent voice was the first thing she heard.

Lying in bed, she slowly turned her head to look at him.  

Meeting In-ah’s eyes, Jinwon seemed to lose strength in his legs and sank to the floor. Then he quickly called someone.

“Over here!”  

At his call, someone came in to check her condition.  

Unable to grasp the situation, she lay there, searching for him with her eyes.  

Jinwon was leaning against the wall right where he had sunk earlier.

When their eyes met, Jinwon smiled at her. Only then did In-ah feel relieved and slowly closed her eyes again.

***  

At that time, Shin-hye was having a debate at the front desk.

“I’ve revealed my identity. I told you I want to surprise a friend for their birthday, even explained why.”  

Shin-hye was quite heated, but the staff listening to her remained calm.

She repeated her main point.  

“Can’t you just tell me the room number?”

“No. I’m sorry, ma’am. We can’t provide that information due to regulations.”

Shin-hye let out a scoff, expressing her displeasure.  

Unable to contain her anger, she plopped down on a sofa in the lobby.  

“Where are they hiding? Are they not coming out of the room, or did they go out and not come back? What is it?”

Despite her frustration, she kept watching the entrance and the elevator, refusing to give up.

When In-ah opened her eyes again, she was in Jinwon’s arms on the bed.  

“You’re awake? Want some water?”  

She nodded weakly, and he quickly got up to fetch water.  

He helped her sit up, and she took a small sip from the cup he offered.  

After swallowing, she looked around.  

“But where is this…?”  

“We changed rooms. This is the second floor.”  

As she slowly regained her senses, she furrowed her brow, trying to remember.  

“I was in the lobby, wasn’t I?”

“You fainted for a bit. They said it happens when you’re really shocked. The doctor checked you.”  

She looked at him and spoke weakly.  

“Sorry. You must have been really scared.”  

“Don’t say that.”  

Jinwon warmly held In-ah’s hand and met her eyes.

“We’re both safe, and that’s something to be thankful for.”  

He kissed her hand and gently stroked her hair.  

“If you start blaming yourself for suggesting Jeju, I’ll really get mad. Just so you know.”  

How did he know?  

That’s what I kept thinking while watching him from the lobby.  

Suddenly, he stood up.  

“Hold on.”  

“Where are you going?”  

He let go of her hand and walked briskly, returning with her suitcase.  

Startled, she blurted out,  

“Why my suitcase?”  

He laid it down and said,  

“You should change into something comfortable. That looks uncomfortable.”  

“No, don’t!”  

In-ah, suddenly energized, jumped up. But she couldn’t catch up with Jinwon’s speed in opening the suitcase.

As soon as Jinwon opened the suitcase, he froze at the sight of something shining with presence.

In-ah’s flashy, prized lingerie was there!

Sexy black underwear to maximize allure with pink lace to add femininity!  

In-ah buried her face in her hands. But she couldn’t cover her reddened neck.

So embarrassing!  

In-ah hurriedly closed the open suitcase and sat on it.

Facing him, her face still burning, she closed her eyes tightly.  

In-ah felt a soft touch on her cheek and slowly opened her eyes. She quietly looked into Jinwon’s eyes, which seemed to envelop her gaze.

Jinwon, holding In-ah’s cheeks in both hands, looked at her as if she were the most lovable being in the world.

“What am I going to do with you? What am I going to do…”  

Flustered, In-ah, with her cheeks in Jinwon’s hands, mumbled softly.

“If you could just pretend you didn’t see anything…”  

She couldn’t finish her sentence.  

Because she had to take in Jinwon’s deep breath filling her mouth.

It was their first deep kiss since reuniting after seven years.