But before she could decide, the door to her cabin opened again. This time, her breath hitched. Would it finally be him?

She quickly stood up from her chair and bowed to him, trying to hide her disappointment. Namjoon noticed the disappointment before Taeyeon hid. He wondered if she felt the same for Jimin or if it was just about something else, but he shook it.

"How are you doing, Taeyeon-shi?" He asked with his soft smile, showing off his dimples naturally. Taeyeon forced a smile and replied, "I'm doing well, thank you for asking, sa-jangnim." She hoped he didn't notice her uneasiness.
"Well, so, I know I have surprised you with my sudden visit; I'm sorry if I startled you by it."

Taeyeon shook her head and assured him that she was not startled. "No, you haven't startled me at all. I'm just surprised to see you here, sa-jangnim." She tried to keep her voice steady.

Namjoon smiled at his employee. He had known Taeyeon; unlike other employees, she had always done her job as best as she could, and that's what made her the best employee, writer, and artist in a short time, and now he is also proud that their project, for which they went to Tokyo, got selected, and the team wanted her to visit out of the whole team about the story.

"I think now this news would surprise you more than my visit," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Taeyeon's heart raced with excitement, wondering what news Namjoon wanted to share.

"So, the project that you guys went to Tokyo for got selected, and out of the team, they chose you to visit to tell the story," Namjoon explained, a proud smile on his face. Taeyeon's eyes widened in shock and gratitude, feeling overwhelmed by the recognition of her hard work and talent.

But she also worried about the project she has in her hand, which she is working on along with the guest artist, Jimin. Namjoon, noticing Taeyeon's concern, reassured her that he would handle the project with Jimin while she was away.

"Don't worry about this project; I'll arrange some others in the team while you were in Tokyo. It's just a week's work," which she felt revealed, yet she couldn't shake the thought of someone else other than her working on the project she had poured her heart into, but it's just for a week.

It's all right, Taeyeon; just a week and you'll be back working with Jimin-shii.

"Thank you so much, sa-jangnim, for trusting me and allowing me to go on this trip," Taeyeon said gratefully, feeling a sense of relief knowing Namjoon had everything under control. She knew she could trust him to handle the project with Jimin in her absence.

"You should be thankful to those executors, Taeyeon-shi." Namjoon reassured her, knowing that Taeyeon's dedication to her work would never go unnoticed.

"When should I leave for Tokyo?"

"Your flight is scheduled for next Monday, so you have a few days to prepare," Namjoon replied, handing her the schedule. Next Monday, Taeyeon nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming trip.

As the time skipped, she got back home. As soon as she unlocked the door, she saw Ki-joo and Taehyung. Surprised, their faces were so close, but her mouth hung open as her eyes felt in which state they were in.

Ki-joo is on top of Taehyung; her hands are clutching his chestnut hair. And Taehyung is holding the other hand of Ki-joo as if he is stopping Ki-joo from falling.

For a moment Taeyeon thought she had gotten into the wrong apartment building. But then she realized that it was indeed her own apartment.

"What the—" she muttered underneath her breath with wide eyes. Shaking her head in disbelief, she closed the door behind her while Taehyung and Ki-joo parted ways, their faces flushed with embarrassment.

"Can't you guys act like adults?" She said, crossing her arms and glaring at the two of them. "I can't believe this is happening in my own home," she added, feeling a mix of shock and annoyance.

Ki-joo and Taehyung looked down at their laps like kids getting caught misbehaving, their cheeks turning even redder, which Taeyeon didn't notice as she herself was already dealing with many.

"It's Ki-joo's fault, Taeyeon-ah; she started teasing me." Taehyung mumbled, trying to shift the blame. Ki-joo rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you were the one who couldn't take a joke." Taeyeon sighed, not in disbelief but disappointed.

"Stop, stop. Now I'm not in the mood for this drama." She said, plopping on the couch, her eyes staring into space.

Then her lips parted as she spoke, "What are you doing in my apartment?" Taeyeon asked, now turning her head to her brother and her best friend.

They both looked at each other and then back to Taeyeon. "We thought we could hang out."

"At my place"

"Ouch, Taeyeon, how can you say that when we have been together since childhood?" Ki-joo said dramatically, clutching her chest.

"Yah, stop it," Taehyung said, giving a soft smack on Ki-joo's head and turning to Taeyeon with a smile on his face.

"I missed my little sis," he said, wrapping his arms around Taeyeon in a tight hug. "Can't your brother come to hang out with our best friend?" he said with a puppy face.
That's it; that's enough to melt Taeyeon's heart. "Oppa," she said with a laugh, returning the hug.

Ki-joo clicked her tongue playfully and rolled her eyes at the siblings' display of affection.

"What jealous?" Taehyung said with a smirk, teasing Ki-joo as he released Taeyeon from the hug. "Jealous? me?" Ki-joo scoffed, raising her one eyebrow. "That's your sister Kim Taehyung and my best friend. There's no room for jealousy here," she replied, playfully nudging Taehyung. Taeyeon chuckled at their banter, which somehow eased all the emotions she had been feeling. Then her eyes twinkled as she sat straight, making Taehyung and Ki-joo look at her furrowed brows.

"I'm going to Tokyo next Monday," she said, causing both Taehyung and Ki-joo to exchange surprised glances.

"Tokyo? Why?" Taehyung asked in a confused tone.

"Tch, what type of question is that, Taehyung?" Ki-joo interjected, rolling her eyes at Taehyung's obliviousness. "Anyway, let me guess. You're going for the project again, right?"

Taeyeon grinned, showing her half boxy smile, which is a bit similar to Taehyung's fully boxy one. "Of course, Ki-joo. You know me too well," Taeyeon replied with a chuckle. "Yes, it's for the project. But this time, I'm the only one."

"What? Alone?" Taehyung asked with widened eyes, clearly surprised by the news.

"Don't be so dramatic, Taehyung; she's an adult; she can take care of herself," Ki-joo retorted, shaking her head at Taehyung's reaction. Taeyeon just chuckled again, used to her friend's and brother's bickerings.

She almost forgot the disappointment that she felt when she didn't see Jimin, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as they continued their night.

Days have flown faster than she thought. She still doesn't get why Jimin is staying away from her, but she decided to focus on the project at hand and not dwell on it too much. Taeyeon knew she had to prove herself capable of handling things on her own.

As Jimin hadn't visited her cabin much, Taeyeon started to go meet him at his cabin. Jimin seemed surprised but eventually welcomed her presence, and they worked on the chapters before she left for Tokyo.

Jimin didn't react much when he got to know that Taeyeon got the project in Tokyo successfully. But he just thanked in short. A part of her felt it's safe to be like that, but another felt a sting of pain that she couldn't define.

Her mind echoed Ki-joo's words about her feelings, but Taeyeon knew she had to maintain her professionalism. To do that, either of them should maintain some distance—they thought so. And Jimin is doing that already, which somehow felt like a relief to Taeyeon, even though it also left her with a sense of longing for something more.

But it stirred rumors that Taeyeon and Jimin got into disagreements about the project, which hurt Taeyeon deeply. She couldn't understand who was making such rumors, but she is somehow grateful that they didn't spread like wildfire, as many of them brushed it off as baseless gossip, because she is the only writer on the team who got selected for the project, not anyone else.

Finally, the day has come to go to Tokyo. "You packed everything right," Taehyung asked, looking at his sister. His brown orbs, which should have been sparkling, were filled with concern and protectiveness. Taeyeon smiled at her brother, "I did, Oppa. Now don't be a sad bear," she said as she hugged him tightly. Taehyung squeezed her back, his worry easing slightly as she was alone to go to Tokyo. He knew she would be okay.

But his brother's insistent kicking inside him made him want to go with her, just to be sure. However, he knew she was capable and had been dreaming of this opportunity for years. He had to trust that she would succeed on her own.

"Oh come on, Taehyung, you are acting like you are sending her off to her mother-in-law's house after the marriage ceremony," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. Taehyung gave a side-eye to Ki-joo, and Taeyeon laughed, knowing that his worry was just a sign of how much he cared for her.

"Will you please be quiet?" Taehyung snapped, feeling a mix of annoyance and concern. Deep down, he knew he needed to let go and have faith in his sister's skills.

Ki-joo rolled her eyes and turned to Taeyeon, "See, do your best, okay? Don't get nervous; I know you are the best, and that's why you got selected, so don't overwork." Ki-joo encouraged Taeyeon to mask her concern with a smile.

She will miss Taeyeon more than anyone else during her absence, but she knew that Taeyeon was strong and capable of handling whatever challenges came her way. But she hugged her tightly and said, "I'll miss you," as if she is sending her boyfriend off to war.

"Oh, now look who is acting like a drama queen," Taehyung said, crossing his arms. But Ki-joo didn't care about his teasings. Taeyeon patted her pack softly with a smile, "I'll miss you too, Joo-joo," she said with her favorite nickname. Ki-joo's rosy lips quickly curved into a smile at the nickname that she got used to over the years.

As the board announced their final boarding call, Taeyeon gave Ki-joo one last tight squeeze before heading towards the gate. Ki-joo and Taehyung watched her disappear into the crowd.
Taeyeon looked back once more, giving them a small wave before disappearing from sight. As soon as she got on the flight, sinking into her seat, her thoughts drifted to Jimin. She thought he would come to see her off, but he was probably busy with work. She closed her eyes and tried to push away the disappointment.

We are colleagues, nothing more. Taeyeon said to herself.

____________________________________________________________________________

Time skipped

As the morning light streamed through the window, it made Jimin scrunch his nose and squeeze his closed eyes tightly against the brightness. He groaned, turning the other side of the pillow in a feeble try to hide his eyes from the light, realizing he had forgotten to close the curtains the night before. With a sigh, his dry lips parted, and Jimin finally opened his eyes and squinted at the window.

His body felt heavy, a weight that had nothing to do with sleep. He didn't get good sleep last night—or any night, really. It had been 10 days of restless tossing and turning, his thoughts a constant companion that wouldn't let him rest.

It's been freaking 10 days, Jimin thought bitterly, running a hand through his messed blond hair. A week since he had last reached out to Taeyeon the way he always used to. A week of keeping his distance, as he decided to do.

He sighed again, sitting up slowly and leaning his elbows on his knees, his fingers lacing together as he stared at the floor. He didn't know how long he had to act like this. But every time he thought about heading to her cabin, he held himself back—a whisper of reminder, a fear of crossing some invisible line.

Am I avoiding her? He asked himself for the hundredth time.

Jimin rubbed his face with both hands, trying to shake off the lingering restlessness and the questions that wouldn't stop circling in his head. This is work, he reminded himself firmly. Focus on the project. Keep it professional at least up to the end of it.

But no matter how much he told himself that, the memory of Taeyeon's face—the way her eyes lit up when she saw a sketch she liked, the way she tilted her head thoughtfully when she was trying to think about the script—kept creeping into his thoughts.

No matter how much he avoided going to her cabin and kept himself so busy in stocking, this time Taeyeon has started to visit his cabin more often. This made it tough for him to stay true to his word... to keep his distance and not get distracted by her presence.

He found himself constantly on edge, trying to maintain his focus and professionalism in her presence. As much as he tried to resist. Every time she looked at him, he could see the confusion in her brown eyes, making it even harder for him to push her away.And then there were her eyes—those brown eyes, filled with confusion every time they met his. They held questions she hadn't yet voiced, questions he wasn't sure he was ready to answer.

Her struggle was visible in the way her lips parted and pressed together, as though the words she wanted to ask were just out of reach. It was as if she wanted to bridge the gap between them, to understand what had changed, but she held her back.

A sigh of frustration escaped Jimin's lips as he ran his fingers through his blond hair.Ugh, I hate this, he clicked his tongue, but words of Namjoon echoed in his head, and then Taehyung—with a heavy breath—he dragged himself out of the bed to get ready for the day ahead.

After he reached the company, he had totally forgotten that it had passed 3 days in those 10 days without Taeyeon and Minji helping him in place of her. As Taeyeon is in Tokyo on her previous project—the project for which a year back the team went and she and Jimin met for the first time—that Tokyo night. He wanted so, badly to go to airport when she was going to tokyo but he stopped himself.

The memories of that night flooded back again; he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind and focus on the project at hand.

As the time skipped forward, Jimin's eyes scanned through the script papers that were given by Minji. His eyes flickered from the paper to Minji, who is smiling as ever. But his thoughts kept drifting back to the memory of their last meeting. Her sweet smile annoyed him.

"I don't think this script would match the manhwa," Jimin said with a cold tone to Minji.

Minji, who had never worked with him since Taeyeon left, couldn't get used to his direct and blunt feedback. Except for Taeyeon, few had seen this side of him who worked with him before. As Minji was mainly involved in editing, she was often unaware of the creative process.

"Why not?" she asked defensively, her sweet smile fading slowly.

"It's too predictable," Jimin replied. "It lacks the element of surprise that readers look for in manhwa."

Minji was taken aback. She had worked hard on the script, and she was proud of it.

"How can you say that?" she asked. "We've been working on this for three days."

"I'm just being honest," Jimin said. "The script says it all at once; there's no build-up or suspense. We need to keep the readers engaged and wanting more."

Minji felt a lump in her throat. She knew she was no match for Jimin's talent.

"I'll try to fix it," she said, her voice small.

Jimin nodded. "I hope so."

As Minji stomped out of Jimin's cabin, he ran his finger through his long blond locks.

He sighed. He knew he had been harsh, but he never felt any guilt about it; it's his job as a manhwa artist to push his team to do their best. The manhwa was previously completed, but that does not mean they completed the whole story, so he wanted the other chapter to be as perfect as the previous one, which he made as Taeyeon scripted.

He looked out the window, lost in thought. He missed Taeyeon. If she were here, she would have made everything feel a little more manageable, a little less overwhelming.

But she wasn't here, and Jimin was left to deal with the stress and pressure alone. He knew he was a guest artist on this project and would leave after this project, and he had said it to himself these ten days to avoid Taeyeon, but now he can't keep that up.

He finally stood up and went to Namjoon's cabin, where he was checking the statistical graphs of their manhwa.

Namjoon's eyes darted from the computer screen to Blond, who had just walked in without even bothering to knock on the door, as the blond knew there wouldn't be anyone in his cabin at this time. He sat on the chair, which is opposite Namjoon's office table.

Namjoon cleared his throat and spoke up, "What has brought you here, Jimin-shii?" But he didn't get any response from Jimin.

He slammed the paper on the CEO's table, which made him look up in surprise. "Jimin, what the hell?!" Namjoon said with wide eyes.

Jimin smirked and pointed to the paper, "I'm going to Tokyo, and I would continue the rest of the manhwa staying there." Jimin then straightened up, ready to leave the office without waiting for a response from Namjoon.

Namjoon's eyes scanned the wrinkled paper Jimin had slammed on his desk, his surprise turning into sheer disbelief. It wasn't the words that Jimin wanted to work from Tokyo that shocked him—it was the content of the paper.

"You're kidding me, right?" Namjoon muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.

Jimin paused mid-step, his hand on the door handle. "Nope," he replied, his tone nonchalant, though there was a trace of defiance in his eyes as he walked out, pulling the door shut behind him. Namjoon was left alone in his office, staring at the paper in his hands.