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"Didn't expect you to sit with a bottle of wine here."

Jeongguk looks over his shoulder before looking back at the city view. The balcony in his room gives a good view of the Eiffel tower and the rest of the city. The night feels warm, Jeongguk wonders if it is because of the wine burning down his throat.

"Secretary Kim," he acknowledges.

"Was roaming around the city with Ms Yoon so difficult?" The elder man steps inside the balcony, sitting beside Jeongguk.

"Yeah? She made me climb down the stairs with her on my back." Jeongguk chuckles, giving a glass of wine to the other man.

It's silent for the next moments as they sip their drinks, gazing at the city.

"You know," Jeongguk says, all of a sudden. "We met an artist today and got us sketched."

Secretary Kim furrows his eyebrows, sitting straighter. "Don't tell me you are planning to—"

"He drew us kissing each other." Jeongguk laughs bitterly. "Said he only draws happy couples. Minhee got mad about it."

The other man doesn't say anything, sinking back in his seat. "We even saw the wall of love, Jin Hyung..."

There's a crack in the other's voice that he covers with a sip of his wine. Jin stiffens at the way he is addressed, not knowing what he could do for the younger.

"Then Minhee sat on the carousel," he says, placing the glass on the table. "And I lost it. She looked so different, Hyung. I have known and seen her for so many years...lived with her for almost three months...I couldn't see any of it...She waved at me while she was sitting on it, she asked me to click pictures and then sat on it again because she found it so much fun— fuck."

Jeongguk hangs his head low, his hair covering his eyes. "I wanted to run away, why did I take her there?"

Jin places his glass on the floor, sighing.

"Do you remember the first time we met each other in university?" he says, chuckling. Jeongguk looks up, passing a hand over his face. "You were trying to get in my pants."

Jeongguk scoffs, "I wasn't! I was just flirting, just flirting."

"Offering to buy someone a drink is not just flirting, Jeongguk." The elder laughs.

"Alright, I was a kid and horny back then!" the younger whines, hiding his face in embarrassment.

"Does your dick not work anymore?" Jin jokes, and Jeongguk hits his arm, "I mean I am not a kid anymore!"

Jin nods, pretending to believe him. "That was the first time I saw you so flustered. It was such a scene to witness, the straight A fuckboy look-a-like so flustered...although I found out soon that there's nothing straight about you."

"Very funny, Hyung." Jeongguk rolls his eyes, bringing his glass to his lips again. "That was the first and last time you saw me that way."

"Last time, my ass," Jin huffs. He pretends to flick his mullet, "I get to see you flustered every morning now, when I enter your office or bring you your coat, help you with your tie—"

"Don't you think you're a little too ridiculous?"

"Have always been." Jin says, standing up and staring at his watch. "Well, it's nine pm, I need to look through some arrangements for tomorrow's meet and greet. You'll be going, right?"

Jeongguk nods. "Take it easy, Hyung."

"You think anything is ever easy with you, brat?" the other bites back, stepping out of the balcony and out of the room. Jeongguk sighs, pouring himself more wine and picking up his backpack on the table.

The drawing.

It's true that the guy drew them kissing each other but he didn't tell Jin that he also dressed them in a suit and dress, as if it was their wedding. What was the guy thinking when he saw them sitting on that bench? Could he feel the distance in between them?

Jeongguk stares at the drawing with a blank face. He hasn't seen Minhee in a bridal dress but she would look beautiful, right? His mother had told him that the girl looks the prettiest on her wedding day but Jeongguk has no recollection of a single smile from her that day.

He feels an unexplainable pain in his chest and keeps the drawing away. He opens his map, then a small notebook he had in his bag. He opens a particular page where he's stuck a torn page with a tape and strikes through a list.

4̶.̶ ̶C̶l̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶

He looks through the polaroid pictures and clips them on the pages of the notebook—the blue door of Van Gogh's apartment, the Basilica, the Artist's street, the Wall of love, the Magic carousel and Minhee— Wait, Minhee.

When did he click this picture?

It's her sitting on the carousel with her hair awkwardly tossing in the air, the parts of her body blurred because of the ride's motion. But one thing is clear, the smile on her face.

Jeongguk closes his eyes, a tear slips down his cheek. He wasn't supposed to click her picture with the polaroid camera, only the places, just those. The one he has marked on his map.

He puts the picture down, the other hand removing a scarf from one of his pockets. He knows tomorrow will be a longer day, more exhausting. He won't take her with him, he can't do it.

He brings the scarf to his lips and mumbles, "I am sorry."

He can't betray a promise like this.

...

"Good job Abbie," Minhee hugs the fashion designer, patting her back. "It was really good. People loved it."

"Thank you, Ms Yoon," the latter bows, "For everything you've done for me and my team today."

Runway fashion week is in a full swing. Abbie's show was tonight where three of her pieces were worn by the models. They even had her walk the ramp in the end with the other designers and Minhee could see the proud tears on her face. It worked well, for her and for Abbie as well.

It's when she is walking out of the venue, she bumps into Ryu. "Oh, Ms Yoon."

"Ms Ryu," Minhee addresses, her hand coming up for a handshake.

"Well how lovely, I just dropped your mother to the hotel." She says, "She really misses you, by the way, you shouldn't be so harsh on her."

"I will see how I treat my mother, now," Minhee calmly says, stepping aside, "If you excuse me." and she starts walking out.

"A company," Ryu says and Minhee halts, staring at the door."Which established the identity of K-cosmetics within Korea and outside of it as well, has to now settle with lowly companies and by begging for opportunities..."

Minhee clenches her first, turning around and glaring at Ryu.

"Your mother thinks the best for you. She knew what you could do and she came to me for help." The way Ryu carries herself, it irks Minhee because the woman knows she is pretentious and continues acting like that, without hiding that her attitude is fake. "Think about it, even if Mr Jeon is more secure than you ever could be—"

"—Ms Ryu."

"He's still two places behind me," Ryu says, ignoring the warning in Minhee's tone. "And it will always be like that because luck doesn't favour one every time."

"You're crossing a line here, Ms Ryu."

"What can you do then?" Ryu steps forward, "The fact is, you can't do anything even if I cross any line here."

"You shouldn't be so happy with what you're doing and have been doing," Minhee says. "Your dirty ways will be your downfall."

"Oh, I would rather not hear the predictions of my non-existing downfall," Ryu turns around, "Good luck Ms Yoon, the time is ticking." and she walks away.

Minhee huffs, angrily. It's clear that Ryu has no good intentions by bringing Minhee's mother in which means that she needs to figure out and get her mother out of it before things get messier. She was so excited to tell Jeongguk and his mother about the bonsai inspired theme of clothes she had seen on the runway but all she can think of now is getting back to Korea and finishing Ryu's game all at once.

She gets inside her room, exhausted and tired from the whole day of roaming around and then attending the show. They have to attend the Meet and Greet at the Seine river cruise tomorrow evening and it is a big deal because Ileana Juliette is another door to saving Wings and also entering the international markets.

She wonders if Jeongguk is up. She's been meaning to ask him about Ryu ever since the launch party because it seemed like she knew him, she even called him by his name. She presses the doorbell to his room and Jeongguk opens it. Minhee is taken aback by his appearance, the messy ruffled hair, the flushed cheeks and his eyes, they look as if someone sucked the life out of them.

"Were you sleeping?" Minhee asks. Jeongguk sighs, shaking his head. "Why? Did the family finally come to take revenge?"

It's how they usually talk, teasing and playful mocks with underlying intentions to insult but Jeongguk says it so monotonously this time as if he's exhausted and Minhee darts around her memory for something else. He wouldn't want to talk about something that stressful right now.

"Um...I just wanted some coffee, mine's over..."

She internally cringes. Did she just really say that? I am really bad at lying, ain't I?

"I mean I could have called the room service but ..." Minhee says, trying hard to make a convincing excuse, "I thought it would be a waste of the coffee you have..."

Jeongguk squints his eyes, "It's ten at night Minhee, aren't you tired?"

I am. Very much. But I want to know if you're okay. You looked lost while we were at Montmartre as well and right now too, you are not being yourself Jeongguk. I am just curious.

"I will just drink my coffee and go," she says, stepping forward. "You can do whatever you want."

Jeongguk hesitates but sighs, letting her inside. Who has ever won an argument against her, anyway?

Minhee is in his balcony and Jeongguk sighs in relief that he kept all of the polaroids and maps in his backpack again, otherwise she would have questioned it all. Jeongguk is disposing of off the coffee packet and hot water when he hears Minhee's ringtone.

"Oh, it's your mom," Minhee says, looking at her phone screen. "She is facetiming."

When Minhee accepts the call, she is greeted by Bam. Minhee coos at him as he tries to lick the phone but Mrs Jeon pulls her phone away. She asks the younger one about the show and Minhee tells her about the outfit she had seen. Mrs Jeon calls for Jeongguk not too soon and scolds him for not calling him when she had told him to. Minhee gives her phone to Jeongguk as he talks to her mom about the show she needs help organising. He tells her he would get Secretary Kim to do it for her and then she is telling about Bam's regular health check-up.

Minhee doesn't realise when she falls asleep while listening to them on the couch, it's only when Jeongguk turns the camera towards her and is surprised himself.

"She must be very tired son," Mrs Jeon tells him, sounding pitiful. "Carry her to the couch and at least get her in comfortable clothes. My poor kids."

Jeongguk hangs up, sighing as he stares at Minhee. It's highly likely that she would wake up if he tries to shift her and he doesn't have the nerve to wake her up. He has never done so, he doubts it is pleasant to wake up anyone sleeping that peacefully.

He just puts her feet up, removing her heels and placing them neatly in a corner. He covers her with a thin shawl he had gotten from one of his Indian co-sponsors, he heard it keeps you warm enough before getting on the bed, under the blanket.

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