Swipe Right for Love | WinRina

Chapter 7

Minjeong was sitting in her office that morning, her gaze fixed on the email that had just popped up on her screen. The subject line alone confirmed what she had been dreading: Urgent: Overseas Branch Issue. She sighed, already anticipating the contents. Problems at the overseas branch were not uncommon, and as the go-to person for handling these crises, Minjeong knew she would be expected to fly out and resolve it.

But this time, something was different. Instead of the usual sense of duty and focus, Minjeong felt a heaviness settle in her chest. The idea of being away for a week, maybe longer, was no longer just an inconvenience—it was a painful prospect.

She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she let the reality sink in. A whole week without seeing Jimin. The thought tugged at her heart more than she cared to admit. Over the past few weeks, their late dinners had become a routine, a bright spot at the end of her long days. What started as casual meet-ups had evolved into something more meaningful, and Minjeong found herself looking forward to those moments more than anything else.

They had grown close—closer than she had expected in such a short time. Almost every evening, after a long day at work, Minjeong would find herself meeting Jimin for dinner, their conversations growing deeper with each passing night. It had become something she depended on, a comfort that she wasn't sure how to do without.

But now, she would have to.

Minjeong looked back at her computer screen, rereading the email. She had known from the moment the issue arose that she would be the one to handle it. It was her responsibility, and she took it seriously. But that didn't make it any easier to leave.

She began typing a reply, confirming that she would be on the next flight out. As she typed, her mind kept drifting back to Jimin. She hadn't even told her about the possibility of going overseas; the issue had only just come up. How would Jimin react when she found out? Would she understand, or would she be disappointed?

Minjeong shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. There was no avoiding this. She would have to tell Jimin tonight, at dinner. And she would have to find a way to reassure herself that this distance wouldn't change things between them.

But as she prepared herself for the trip, Minjeong couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something might be different when she returned.

As her fingers hovering over the keyboard, a thought crept into her mind. What if she asked someone else to take her place this time? It was an unfamiliar impulse, one that made her pause. She was always the one who stepped up, the one who handled things without hesitation. It was what had earned her respect in the company, especially from her father. But now, for the first time, she was tempted to walk down the hall to his office and ask if someone else could handle the overseas crisis.

But just as quickly as the thought came, Minjeong caught herself. This wasn't like her. Her father would definitely notice if she suddenly backed out of a responsibility like this. He'd question her, perhaps even push her to explain why. And Minjeong wasn't sure she was ready to give him—or anyone in her family—the real answer.

Even though her father and the rest of the family were the reason she was in this position in the first place. Either way, they also had always expected a certain level of dedication from her, a commitment to the family business that often came at the expense of her personal life. It had shaped her into the person she was today: diligent, reliable, and, until recently, somewhat emotionally guarded.

But now, things are changing. Jimin had entered her life so unexpectedly, and in just a few short weeks, she had become someone Minjeong couldn't stop thinking about. Someone who made her want to break out of the rigid mold she had been cast in. The last thing she wanted was to let her family—especially her father—know that she might be compromising on her responsibilities because of a budding relationship. It was still too early, too fragile to expose to the scrutiny that would inevitably come.