C  H  A  P  T  E  R   S  I  X :
"No regrets . "
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    "I was working on a case of a murder of an 8 year old girl. Her name was Kim Mi-ha. She was found dead in their pool, no security cameras located anything. There wasn't even a clue that someone broke in or how they passed the security guards." Yi-Seo sighed.

"So due to the lack of evidence, the family was proven as guilty?" Asked Sang-woo.

"Yeah which ruined my whole career. Their son was the prime suspect since he's always had something against her. I tried my best to prove them as innocent but I couldn't win the case. So I was then kicked out of the law firm and had to start from scratch."

"I'm sorry that happened."

"I guess everything happens for a reason? Mom later on got sick, Hwa-young was going through a divorce. I felt the need to play the savior." Yi-Seo stopped her tracks. "Played savior even if costed losing myself."

Sang-woo stood in front of her, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry for dumping out of nowhere." Yi-Seo looked around, feeling embarrassed.

"You don't ever have to apologize. I'm all ears."

Yi-Seo sent him a soft smile. "What about you? What led you to the games?"

Sang-woo took a deep breath. "Remember those times where I left out of nowhere and never told you where I was?"

Yi-Seo nodded.

"Well, I was being chased down by the police and my clients. I had embezzled money from them, trying to invest in derivatives and futures but failed to do so. Lost it all in the stock market."

"You could've asked for help."

"I could've but I didn't want to put you in danger. If any of them would've seen me with you, you would've been chased after as well.

Yi-Seo paused, studying Sang-woo's face. There was a weariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, a shadow of the man she once knew. Yet, there was still a flicker of the Sang-woo she remembered — the one who always used to protect her.

"You always do that," she said softly.

"Do what?" he asked, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Always trying to protect everyone else, but never letting anyone protect you."

His lips twitched into a faint smile. "It's not exactly noble Yi-Seo, look where it got me; away from you."

"But it says something about who you are," she countered. "Even now, even after everything, you're still thinking of others."

Sang-woo's gaze softened as he looked at Yi-Seo, a silence passing between them. The way she understood, the way she saw him — it was something he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years. He hadn't realized just how much he missed that understanding, that gentleness she always had for him.

"You've always had a way of seeing the good in people," he murmured. "You always knew how to say the right thing. Even back then."

Yi-Seo let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "I don't think I have the answers anymore. I don't even know if there's anything left of the person I used to be."

Sang-woo stepped forward, reaching out brushing a strand of hair from her face. The gesture was gentle, almost instinctive, and it made her breath catch. "I see her," he said quietly. "She's still there. And she's stronger than she thinks."

Yi-Seo felt a warmth rise in her chest. It was as if all the walls she'd built around her heart since her downfall had finally begun to crack, not from the pain of failure, but from the quiet, unspoken connection they were sharing now. She had always admired how Sang-woo had never let go of his kindness, no matter how much the world had tried to break him. But now, standing in front of him, she could feel the softness in his gaze, the vulnerability he had never shown anyone - not even himself.

As Yi-Seo was reading him, Sang-woo slowly but almost hesitantly, cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing softly against her skin. "I don't— I never deserved you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

His words hung in the air, fragile, raw, and for a moment, neither of them knew what to do with them.

But then Yi-Seo, with a softness that could shatter a thousand walls, placed her hand over his, holding it there as she stepped even closer. Their faces were inches apart now, the air between them heavy with everything they hadn't said, everything they were feeling.

And then, in one slow, tender movement, Sang-woo leaned in, his lips brushing against hers with a tenderness that took Yi-Seo's breath away. The kiss was gentle at first, hesitant, like two souls reaching out to one another after being lost for so long.

The moment was soft, but it was filled with the kind of emotion that made the world feel both impossibly large and incredibly small at the same time. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer, his heart racing as if it had been waiting for this moment — for her — all along.

Yi-Seo's hand found its way to the back of his neck, fingers threading through his hair as she kissed him back, with the same longing, the same quiet desperation

Sang-woo pulled back, looking at her. Yi-Seo's cheeks were flushed, by the shyness and nervousness she was feeling at the moment.

"That was unexpected." She whispered.

Sang-woo chuckled, "no regrets?"

"No regrets." She smiled at him. "It's getting pretty late. I have to go back to Ssangum-dong, I need to visit my mom and change."

"Yeah, totally understand."

Truth was, Sang-woo didn't want to end this moment with her or even let her go.

"You got everything you need?"

"Yeah, I'm going to take the subway. Uh, see ya around." She gave him a peck on the cheek.

Sang-woo let her go, seeing her drift away.

Words from the author:

Tbh, I feel like I'm moving too fast with Sang-woo's and Yi-Seo's dynamic 😭 but it's to add an effect later on while they play the games 👀

Also learned from my past mistake; doing too much slow burns. So now we're here!!