Luisa bit her lip, struggling to find the right words. "It's been...almost four years."

Seokjin nodded, his expression grave.

"But you admitted to sleeping with Youngsoon and that you were going to marry her," she said, the words feeling almost like a confession to herself.

He gently cupped her face in his hands. "I am truly sorry for that. It was shameful, and I betrayed your trust because I was foolish and weak. I can't express how sorry I am."

She looked up at him, hurt still fresh in her eyes. "I was so devastated to think you could so easily share yourself with another woman while claiming I was your only one."

Inhaling deeply, he pressed his forehead to hers. "I will spend the rest of my life making amends. You're the only one I love, the only one I desire. I have no excuses for what happened with Youngsoon; offering reasons would only diminish the sincerity of my apology."

She swallowed hard, her heart racing. "Why did you sleep with her? Did you actually have feelings for her? Just tell me what happened."

"I'd prefer not to delve into that," he replied softly. "It doesn't matter now."

"So, you did have feelings for her," she pressed, frustration creeping into her voice.

He shook his head. "I don't want to discuss it because I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have."

Luisa let out a frustrated sigh. "You might as well tell me. It's been eating away at me for so long. Just tell me what happened." When he remained silent, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine. I'm done. I'm out." She wrenched herself from his grasp and stepped back, creating distance between them.

"Wait! I'm sorry! Please, don't go," he pleaded, desperation in his voice. "I didn't want to bring it up because she's Taehyung's wife now. I promised her I'd never speak of it again."

"And what about your promises to me?" she snapped, raising an eyebrow. "I guess those are expendable."

With a loud exhale, he nodded and sank onto a nearby chair, gesturing for her to join him.

"It was all supposed to be a pretend engagement," he began, eyes cast down. "Taehyung was in love with her and wanted to marry her, but her father insisted she marry me, the heir to the company. Long story short, Youngsoon became too attached during our charade, and one day she..." He paused, gauging her reaction before continuing, "...asked me to sleep with her."

Luisa turned her gaze away, her voice strained. "And so you did. Just like that."

"No," Seokjin replied, shaking his head. "We didn't... well, we didn't have intercourse. She was a virgin, and I knew that if she went back to Tae, she would regret her impulsive decision."

"So you didn't...?" Hope flickered in Luisa's eyes.

"I won't lie," he cut in gently. "There was... sexual activity, just not... that."

"Why won't you tell me the details?" she pressed.

He closed his eyes, exhaling sharply. "Lu, does it even matter?"

"If it doesn't matter, then why not just tell me?" she shot back.

"Are you going to tell me about sleeping with Charlie?" he countered.

She blinked, caught off guard. "You're changing the subject. If you want me to share about Charlie and me, I will." She paused, leveling her gaze at him. "But only after you tell me about Youngsoon."

With a defeated drop of his shoulders, he nodded. "Okay. As you know, I'm very skilled with my fingers." He sighed.  "Please let's never talk about this again." He pressed his lips together. "I don't want to hear about you and Charlie."

Luisa shook her head in disbelief. "So, that's it? That was all you did with her?"

"Yes," he insisted firmly. "I told you—she was a virgin. Anything beyond that would have been reckless. I was stupid, but I wasn't completely delusional."

She scoffed, disbelief dripping from her voice.

"I'm serious," he pressed. "I know I hurt you, and I'm truly sorry. I remember that day vividly. You were on my mind the moment I woke up. I couldn't focus at work. I stayed behind my desk all day, terrified I'd scare the office staff away with my raging hard-on."

"Jin."

"It's true," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "It had been so long since I was with you. I wanted you, and I deeply regret what happened with Soon. She didn't deserve to be treated that way, but my desperation got the better of me—perhaps the worst  of me." He ran a hand through his hair, the weight of his words evident. "If I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, I will. But there's one last thing I need to tell you."

Luisa rolled her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh, God! This is getting ridiculous."

"I have to be honest," he continued, taking a deep breath. "That was the day I called you, and we had that video chat." He noticed the flash of anger on her face and quickly knelt in front of her. "Lu, please. I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I truly am."

She tried to get up, but he placed his hands on her legs and held her on the couch.

"Upset? Jin, you put your fingers into another woman for your own satisfaction and then had the nerve to ask me to...to act like a whore on camera. Again, just for your satisfaction." Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "You used me just as you used her. How am I supposed to feel?"

He rested his head on her lap, vulnerability etched on his face. "Please forgive me, Lu. That was never my intention. I know I messed up, and I don't deserve you, but I want you. I love you. I can't imagine my life without you. Please don't leave me again."

"Am I supposed to trust you this time?" she shot back, her voice rising with frustration.

He kept his gaze fixed on her, not moving from her lap. "I hope that one day you'll trust me again. Until then, I'll do everything in my power to earn back your trust and love. I can't be without you, and I don't want to be."

Luisa scoffed in impatience, pushing him away.

Seokjin shifted to sit beside her, desperation in his voice. "After all these years, I don't know how to live without you. From the moment we first made love after graduation, I've been completely infatuated with you."

"That's not love," she replied, her eyes still narrowed in suspicion.

"Over the years, that infatuation remained, but something deeper began to bloom in my heart and mind," he continued, studying her face. "I realized that my happiness is intertwined with yours. I had to be by your side. Even then, I was willing to do anything for you, acting like a lovesick boy, even when it pulled us apart."

Luisa sighed, remorse flickering in her eyes. "That was my fault, too. I never should have advised you to be with someone else. I was so wrong about that. I can't believe how much time we wasted. I'm sorry, too."

"Hey," he said softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "We both need to let go of the past. It's done; we can't change it. We need to focus on our future. Lu, we've lost eight years—eight years! Don't you think it's time we prioritize ourselves?"

She sniffed, her resolve wavering. "I—I suppose. But how do we make up for all that lost time?"

He pulled her closer and pressed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "We can't. All we can do is move forward. Do you love me?"

She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes."

He shifted back to his knees in front of her. "Then marry me."

"What?"

Seokjin took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. "Marry me. We can head to the courthouse for our marriage license. I don't care about a big wedding. I don't want to wait. What do you say?"

"Jin, just like that?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes! Why not?" He beamed at her. "We love each other. I can't bear to waste another moment without you. Marry me, Lu. We can get the license today and tie the knot as soon as possible. Just say yes."

His smile was infectious, and she felt her heart soar as she nodded eagerly. "Yes!" She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

For a fleeting moment, he wished for time to savor this connection, but he could feel the minutes slipping away. They needed to get to the courthouse and fill out that application for the license soon.

"Let's go then!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He hurriedly dashed around the room, getting dressed as quickly as he could. "We need to make it before they close!"

As he finished, he flashed a mischievous smile and placed something in her hands: her torn underwear.

She gasped, quickly shoving it into her purse.

"Maybe we can swing by your room so you can... uh, cover up a little," he whispered playfully in her ear. "The thought of you going without is driving me wild."

She playfully swatted him away. "Alright, alright!"

They opened the door and found themselves face-to-face with Charlie in the hallway.