Kintsugi

3.

After a long, unexpected hiatus, I'm back with this story. I apologize for the long time it took me ♥️

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Ri Jeong Hyeok heard a car coming, the lights illuminating the stable and catching Chopin's attention. The dog looked up but didn't move from Seri's side. It was probably Dan, Eun Dong said she would come tomorrow but he knew how dedicated she was to her job. 

He caressed the animal, his eyes trained thoughtfully on Seri. He had expected her to stay away from the stable and from anything looking like an animal, and if he was honest, he even expected her to not come at all, not in person. She could have sent her lawyer to deal with all of it, but she didn't and he was surprised. Which didn't happen often. 

The only thing he knew about her was that she was a successful businesswoman and that she always made Mr Yoon proud. He could totally see her living in a huge tower, far away from this world… from his world. He never went to Seoul, his brief passage in South Korea was a distant memory, one he didn't like to think about. But he knew that life there was very different and he wouldn't even blame her if she hadn't come. But here she was… 

He stood and went to her. From her steady breathing, he could say that she was sleeping soundly, but despite the thin blanket over her, it was too chill for her to spend the night like this. She would be frozen and sore in the morning and he didn't even want to imagine the complaints she would probably moan all day long while following him around. He shuddered. 

"Miss Yoon... Miss Yoon... Seri..." 

She didn't even react, still deeply asleep, imperturbable. Chopin stood and watched them, his curious gaze going from one to the other. Ri Jeong Hyeok sighed and bent down to lift her into his arms. She was so light that he almost stumbled backwards, carried away by his effort. She opened her eyes sleepily, muttered something he couldn't understand, before closing them and falling back into sleep, instinctively nuzzling her head under his chin. 

He froze. 

Up close, the scent of her shampoo was heady, taking over every other scent surrounding them, and that was saying a lot. He had to force himself to ignore the way her long lashes quivered lightly on her cheek, how flawless her skin was, the way her pink lips parted in a sigh, or the way her slender fingers gripped his jacket. He cleared his throat and looked away quickly. 

"Unbelievable..." he muttered. 

"Ri Jeong-hyeok?" called someone gently. 

He turned around and faced a young woman dressed in riding gear and carrying a briefcase. Her gaze went from him to Seri.

"Who is she ?" she asked, frowning. 

"Yoon Seri… She fell asleep, I'm taking her inside, I'll be back…" 

Her eyes widened in recognition. 

"Yoon... Is she..." 

He nodded wordlessly and headed out of the stable, oblivious to Dani's wistful gaze following his silhouette until he disappeared in the night. 

When he reached the bedroom, he gently laid Seri on her bed, trying to loosen the grip of her fingers on his jacket. She had a surprising strength for such a petite person, but she finally let go and ended up turning on her back, kicking him in the chin in the process, making him sit next to her, dumbfounded. 

"Unbelievable…" he muttered again, rubbing the sore spot on his face and staring at her. 

She frowned and whispered again, more distinctly. 

"Thirty-eight… Thirty-nine…" 

She was counting? She moaned painfully and fell silent again, a frown on her face.