Minra didn’t expect it.

  Didn’t expect to be chosen for this trip.

  Didn’t expect to be the one flying with Hwa HyunSeong.

  Didn’t expect to be spending days in another city with the man she had finally started respecting.

  But now?

  Now, she was sitting in the airport lounge.

  Waiting.

  Next to her CEO.

  Still nervous.

  Still not used to calling him "HyunSeong-ssi" so naturally.

  And HyunSeong?

  HyunSeong was pretending.

  Pretending that this was normal.

  That this wasn’t the first time they were actually alone together like this.

  That he wasn’t thinking about how her voice sounded when she said his name.

  That he wasn’t thinking about how, just this morning, she had messaged Shuun about the trip.

  And he—as Shuun—had replied.

  As if he wasn’t the man sitting right next to her right now.

  .

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Minra, scrolling through her phone, bit her lip.

  Then—without hesitation—

  She texted.

  [ Minra ]: "I’m at the airport now. About to take off for my business trip. You won’t believe who I have to go with."

  Shuun, sitting next to her, felt his phone vibrate.

  He glanced down.

  Saw the message.

  And mentally cursed.

  Because what was he supposed to do?

  He couldn’t ignore it.

  But he also couldn’t react.

  So, carefully, as if this wasn’t a crisis,

  He typed back.

  A second later, Minra sighed dramatically beside him.

  And texted again.

  [ Minra ]: "Ugh. My boss. Hwa HyunSeong-ssi. The one I told you about before."

  Shuun, sitting right there, stared blankly at his screen.

  Because what.

  What.

  This—this was a problem.

  .

  Minra, still texting, made a face.

  [ Minra ]: "He’s actually not as bad as before. I kind of respect him now. But he’s still so… distant, you know?"

  Shuun—HyunSeong—felt his eye twitch.

  Because.

  Because.

  Because.

  She was literally talking about him.

  To him.

  While he was sitting right next to her.

  Trying not to react.

  Trying not to say anything.

  Trying not to let himself care.

  And yet.

  And yet—

  Shuun : "Distant? He doesn’t take care of you?"

  Minra sighed again.

  "Ugh," she muttered under her breath. "I wish he did. He’s so different from you, Shuun."

  HyunSeong—Shuun—gritted his teeth.

  Because.

  Because.

  He was taking care of her.

  He was replying to her messages.

  He was listening to her vent.

  He was giving her comfort every damn day.

  And now—now he had to sit here and pretend he wasn’t.

  Pretend he wasn’t the same man she was relying on.

  Pretend he wasn’t the same man she was slowly getting attached to.

  And that?

  That was getting harder by the second.

  .

  The flight was quiet.

  Minra, tired, had fallen asleep.

  Her head tilted slightly—dangerously close to his shoulder.

  HyunSeong, staring straight ahead, refused to move.

  Refused to think.

  Refused to acknowledge how warm she was next to him.

  Refused to acknowledge how peaceful she looked.

  Because this—this wasn’t supposed to happen.

  He wasn’t supposed to care.

  Not like this.

  Not when he was already giving her everything she needed through his other identity.

  Not when he was already too involved.

  And yet—

  When her head finally dropped, resting lightly against his shoulder,

  HyunSeong didn’t move.

  Didn’t wake her.

  Didn’t stop himself from tilting his head slightly—just slightly—toward hers.

  And for the first time, he thought.

  "If only I could just be one person."

  "If only I could let her know the truth."

  But he couldn’t.

  Not yet.

  Not now.

  And that?

  That was the real problem.

  .

  Chapter 25: "The Flight That Changed Everything"