His CEO

back to december

"I fucking messed up, man."

Hyunbin frowned. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I had an argument with Jihyo this morning," I said quietly, the weight of it all pressing down on my chest. "It was bad... really bad and now I don't know how to fix it."

"Have you guys seen Jihyo unnie?" Yejin suddenly appeared, her arms crossed, eyes sharp as they moved from me to Hyunbin and then back to me. "Oh, I thought you already left?"

I hesitated for a moment, but I knew there was no use in hiding it. "I took Jihyo to the hospital."

Yejin's brows furrowed. "Hospital? Why? What happened?"

I let out a long breath, still trying to process everything myself. "Her daughter was sick."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and Hyunbin looked equally taken aback. The silence between us was thick, filled with all the questions I didn't even know how to ask yet.

Yejin was the first to speak again. "W-What happened to Jihyun?" Her voice was laced with shock, mirroring my reaction from earlier.

Of course, she already knew about Jihyo's daughter. "Why didn't you tell me, Yejin?" I asked. "Why didn't anyone tell me that Jihyo already has a daughter? Is she married now? Is that why she's been avoiding me?" The last question came out bitterly. I could feel my chest tighten as the idea swirled in my mind.

"Mianhae, oppa..." Yejin's expression softened, guilt flashing in her eyes. "It wasn't my place to say anything. I didn't want to break Jihyo unnie's trust. S-She specifically asked me not to tell you."

That hurt more than I anticipated. "Is this why she suddenly left?"

"Look, oppa," Yejin continued, "it would be better if Jihyo unnie answers that question... just let her warm her heart slowly. Pushing her too hard will only make her pull away more."

Her words made sense, but my frustration was still boiling over. "Of course, I don't want to push her," I muttered. "I just... I just want to understand."

Hyunbin, who had been quietly listening to the exchange, finally chimed in. "Maybe you should try something different for now. Don't push her with questions. But subtly do something she likes, something that'll make her see you're not going anywhere."

I nodded slowly, letting their bits of advice sink in. It was easier said than done, but I knew they were right. I knew I needed to show her that I wouldn't leave her.

By the next morning, I ran into Jihyo by the parking lot and she just got out of her car. Our gazes locked into each other and I could not stop myself from approaching her. I could still feel the tension between us, but I just miss her so much.

"How's your daughter?" I asked, hoping to break the ice, even if just a little.

She barely glanced at me. "She's fine."

I gave her a nod and just like that, the conversation was over. She turned away, and all I could do was follow her toward the elevator, wondering how I could bridge this gap between us.

"Are you free today for lunch?"

"I already have plans."

I silently sighed, overly disappointed about her firm rejection and how I act now. Come on, Insung. You're better than this.

I spent the whole morning planning how I could talk to Jihyo again, and suddenly, Hyunbin's words from the night before echoed in my head: Do something she likes. I racked my brain, trying to think of something simple, something that could show her I cared without overwhelming her.