our crossed paths | jww.

thirty.

a few days ago...

Jiwoo was sitting anxiously on her couch at home, her phone in hand, reading and re-reading her mother's text about the shareholder's dinner.

She had messaged Wonwoo about it, almost without thinking, and now the anxiety gnawed at her as she waited for his response.

She wasn't sure if she should've told him about her mother's plan—to bring him as a distraction from her father's matchmaking attempts—or if she should've left him out of it altogether.

Her heart pounded, imagining how uncomfortable the whole situation could become.

Suddenly, the front door flew open, startling her out of her thoughts.

Wonwoo burst into her apartment, eyes wide with urgency, scanning the room until he saw her sitting there. His chest was slightly heaving, as if he had come in a rush.

"Jiwoo!" he called, concern etched across his face as he crossed the room toward her. "I came as soon as I saw your message. What happened?"

Jiwoo looked up at him, her anxiety momentarily replaced by the sight of him standing there, genuinely worried. "You didn't have to come in such a hurry," she said softly, her voice trembling with nerves.

"Of course I did. You sounded like something was wrong." Wonwoo sat down next to her, his eyes searching her face.

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"It's not exactly wrong, but..."

"It's this dinner... My parents are hosting their annual shareholders' event this weekend, and they want me to go. But my mother..." Jiwoo hesitated, biting her lip before continuing.

"She wants you to come. She thought it'd be a good idea for you to join me, to avoid my father trying to set me up with someone."

Wonwoo blinked, taking in her words. "Set you up? Like... a business thing?"

"Exactly." Jiwoo nodded, her voice growing quieter.

"My father's been on my case lately about, you know, not being married, not having the kind of achievements he expected of me. And he sees this dinner as an opportunity to... make those connections." She looked down at her hands, nervously twisting her fingers together.

"It's fine if you don't want to go, Wonwoo. I know it's a lot to ask. You don't have to get involved in this mess. It's all just... pointless, anyway."

Wonwoo stared at her for a long moment before reaching out and gently taking her hands in his, stilling her anxious movements. "Jiwoo," he said firmly, his voice low and steady, "anything about you is never pointless. If this is something you're worried about, then I'll be there. Always."

Jiwoo's heart swelled at his words, her eyes meeting his. "But... it's not your responsibility to deal with my family. You shouldn't feel like you have to do this just because—"

"Because I love you," Wonwoo interrupted softly, his thumb brushing across the back of her hand. "This isn't about responsibility. I want to be there for you, Jiwoo. If this dinner is important, if your father's trying to pull something, then I'll come. I'm not afraid of whatever he's planning. I'll stand by your side."

His words melted away some of the tension in her chest, but still, Jiwoo felt a pang of concern. "What if the media finds out? It's a private event, but... you know how things can leak."

Wonwoo gave her a reassuring smile, already pulling out his phone. "Let me check with my manager. If he thinks it's a risk, we'll find a way to handle it."