Chapter Text
By the time the afternoon light began softening against the glass windows of the Busan site office, Seulgi’s brain felt like it had been wrung dry.
Site briefings. Equipment timelines. Budget reallocations. Safety compliance revisions. She had nodded, questioned, scribbled notes, nodded some more. If this was what being “more hands-on” meant, she understood now why her father rarely slept.
She was massaging her temple when a shadow fell across her desk.
“You’re pouting,” Kim Haerin observed casually, arms folded.
“I’m concentrating,” Seulgi shot back without looking up.
"Staring at them longer won't make the construction faster, Seulgi-yah."
"I just want everything to be perfect," Seulgi murmured, finally straightening her back with a soft groan of protest from her spine. “Appa is watching this project like a hawk."
“You’ll be fine, your dad can’t even scold you, Seulgi-yah.” Haerin teased, strolling into the room. She reached out, playfully flicking the collar of Seulgi’s blazer. "Come on then, I told the department heads we’d all go out tonight. Nothing formal. Just food, drinks, conversation. You should be seen with them. They’ll work harder if they feel like they know you.”
Seulgi considered it for half a second before nodding. “That’s fine. It’s a good idea.”
It was, objectively.
She was the future CEO. She couldn’t just show up, inspect, and disappear. She had to build trust. Familiarity. Loyalty.
Haerin watched her for another second. “You’re not gonna tell Jaeyi first?”
Seulgi instinctively reached for her phone. Blank screen with no new notifications.
Her brows knit for the briefest moment before she smoothed her expression out. “It’s fine. Jaeyi is probably busy. She’s catching up on everything she missed while we were in Jeju."
"Right. The Jeju trip I'm still bitter about being outbid for," Haerin laughed, her eyes glinting with mischief. She hooked an arm around Seulgi’s shoulders, leading her toward the exit. “Anyways, let’s go, they’re all waiting by the pier.”
Seulgi unlicked her phone again just to check. It’s been two hours since Jaeyi’s last message. And that was…normal. Technically.
Before they had confessed. Before everything softened between them, Jaeyi could go an entire workday without texting. Sometimes she’d respond hours later with a curt, efficient message.
But lately, Jaeyi barely lasted sixty minutes without checking in.
Have you eaten?
Did the meeting go okay?
Send me a picture of you.
I miss you.
Seulgi had gotten used to it. To being fussed over. But she pocketed her phone nonetheless. Jaeyi probably is swamped with work and simply didn’t notice the time.
So for now, Seulgi will mingle and have dinner with her subordinates. They are married but they are still their own people after all. The world doesn’t have to revolve around each other all the time.
That’s easier said than done though.
The restaurant was loud, smelling of grilled mackerel and spicy stew. Seulgi sat between Haerin and the Head of Logistics, doing her best to play the part of the capable, charismatic heir. She laughed at the right times, asked insightful questions about the supply chain, and kept her glass filled with water to stay sharp.
But every few minutes, her hand would ghost over her thigh, feeling for the vibration of a phone that remained stubbornly silent.
Two and a half hours. It was a ridiculous thing to be anxious about.
"You're doing it again," Haerin whispered, leaning in close, too close, purely for the sake of being a menace. She reached over and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Seulgi’s ear, her voice dripping with mock-sweetness. "If you miss her that much, just call her. I won't tell the board you're whipped."
"I'm not whipped," Seulgi hissed, though her face was heating up. "I'm just being a wife.”
"You're being a golden retriever waiting by the door," Haerin corrected, grinning. She picked up a piece of sashimi and held it out toward Seulgi’s mouth. "Here. Eat. You're getting skinny. If you go back to Seoul looking haggard, Jaeyi will actually have my head on a platter, and I quite like my head where it is."
Seulgi rolled her eyes but took the bite, laughing despite herself. "You're such a pest, Unnie."
"I'm a delight," Haerin countered, leaning back and snapping a quick selfie of the two of them, Seulgi mid-laugh, Haerin winking at the camera. "Oops. My finger slipped and I posted it to my story. I wonder who might see that?"
Seulgi froze. "Unnie! You know she’s already sensitive about you being here."
"I know," Haerin said, her grin widening as she watched her phone. "That’s the best part. I give it...thirty seconds before the 'Where are you?' text hits your phone."
Seulgi sighed, leaning her head back. "She’s going to kill us both."
"But at least you'll have a text to reply to," Haerin hummed, taking a sip of her drink. "See? I'm a wingwoman. A chaotic one, but still."
The vibration against Seulgi’s thigh was so sudden she nearly jumped. She pulled her phone out with the kind of speed that earned an immediate, sharp bark of laughter from Haerin.
“Oh, look at that,” Haerin cooed, leaning over Seulgi’s shoulder without an ounce of shame. “I am right.”
> Jaeyi [8:02 PM]: What restaurant are you in?
> Jaeyi [8:03 PM]: Haerin tagged me in her story.
Seulgi felt a familiar warmth bloom in her chest, a mix of relief and fond exasperation. She looked up at Haerin, who was currently wearing the most self-satisfied smirk known to womankind.
“I told you so,” Haerin sang, popping another piece of yellowtail into her mouth. “I’m a genius. I should be a relationship consultant. I’d charge by the hour and be retired in a week.”
“You’re a menace,” Seulgi retorted, though her thumbs were already flying across the screen.
> Seulgi [8:04 PM]: We’re at ‘The Blue Harbor’ near the pier! It’s just a company dinner. There are about twelve of us here, mostly the department heads.
> Seulgi [8:04 PM]: Are you still at the office? Eat something good for dinner, okay? I miss you. ❤️
She watched the 'Read' receipt appear almost instantly. Then...nothing. No three dots, no grumpy emoji, no 'miss you too.'
Seulgi stared at the screen for a beat longer, then gave a small, helpless shrug and tucked the phone away. She’s probably just annoyed about Haerin’s post, Seulgi thought. She’ll text me when she cools down.
Strangely, the simple act of hearing from Jaeyi seemed to kickstart Seulgi’s appetite. The tension that had been simmering in her shoulders for the last two hours finally dissipated. She began digging into the spicy stew with renewed fervor, laughing along as the Head of Logistics told a particularly animated story about a shipping mishap in Singapore.
“See?” Haerin poked her arm. “A little check-in from the wife and suddenly you’re human again. You were starting to look very grumpy.”
“Shut up, Unnie,” Seulgi laughed, her cheeks flushed from the steam of the stew.
About five minutes later, the heavy sliding door of the restaurant groaned open. A gust of salty sea air swept in, but it was followed by a sudden, sharp shift in the room’s atmosphere. One by one, the employees at the table went quiet, their eyes widening as they looked toward the entrance.
Seulgi, mid-laugh, turned her head. Her jaw dropped.
Standing there, looking like she had stepped straight off a Vogue cover and onto a fish-market floor, was Yoo Jaeyi. She was still in her sharp work suit, her hair perfectly straight, her eyes scanning the room with a cool, predatory precision that made the lively restaurant feel several degrees colder.
“Yoo...Jaeyi?” Seulgi breathed, her spoon frozen halfway to her mouth.
Haerin, who had been smugly chewing on a piece of sashimi, looked up. Her eyes met Jaeyi’s icy gaze.
Hack. Wheeze.
Haerin violently choked, grabbing her napkin as she doubled over, her face turning a panicked shade of pink as she tried to process the fact that the woman she’d been teasing from kilometers away was currently standing ten feet from their table.
Jaeyi didn’t spare the rest of the room a glance. Her eyes locked onto Seulgi, then darted briefly to the coughing Haerin, before settling back on her wife. “Hi.”
Seulgi didn’t even process it. She was already crossing the space between them.
“Jaeyi-yah?” she repeated, softer now, disbelieving but smiling.
Up close, she could see it, the faint flush on Jaeyi’s cheeks, the subtle tightness in her jaw like she was bracing for a scolding.
“What are you doing here?” Seulgi asked, stepping close to wrap her arms around Jaeyi’s neck.
Jaeyi didn’t hesitate. Her arms came up immediately, wrapping around Seulgi’s back. Slightly possessive.
She shrugged one shoulder, casual like this was the most normal thing in the world.
“I missed you.”
Seulgi’s heart did something embarrassingly dramatic in her chest.
“You drove all the way here because you missed me?” she whispered.
Jaeyi hummed. “It’s only Busan.”
Only Busan. A nearly four-hour drive.
Behind them, someone cleared their throat.
Seulgi blinked, suddenly remembering there were about twelve employees staring at them.
And Haerin.
Jaeyi finally glanced past Seulgi’s shoulder, eyes landing squarely on Haerin again.
Haerin, who had recovered just enough to sip water and dab at her teary eyes.
“Well,” Haerin said dryly, wiping her lips with a napkin. “Hello Jaeyi-ssi”
Jaeyi’s smile was polite. Impeccable.
“Oh, hello. I was in the area.”
“Really,” Haerin repeated flatly.
“Yes.”
Seulgi looked between them, already sensing the childish games these two will play.
Jaeyi’s hand slid subtly to Seulgi’s waist, thumb pressing lightly against her side.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Jaeyi added smoothly. “I was just going to steal my wife for a minute.”
Seulgi felt heat crawl up her neck.
“You drove four hours to steal her for a minute?” Haerin asked.
Jaeyi tilted her head. “Is that a problem?”
The team collectively pretended not to be invested.
Seulgi stepped in quickly, squeezing Jaeyi’s hand. “Just a minute?” She teases. Knowing well that Jaeyi wasn’t “just” in the area, as she told Haerin.
“I told you,” Jaeyi said quietly. “I missed you.”
“You’re crazy,” Seulgi murmured, smiling helplessly.
“For you?” Jaeyi replied. “Always.”
From her seat, Haerin let out an exaggerated sigh.
“This is disgusting,” she announced. “If you two are going to be like this, at least sit down and eat something, Jaeyi-ssi. We already started.”
Jaeyi’s gaze flicked back to her.
“Oh, I will,” she said pleasantly. “I have plenty of time.”
Seulgi, caught between laughter and fluster, tugged Jaeyi gently toward the table.
The shift in the room was palpable. The boisterous department heads, who had been loudly debating shipping logistics and downing soju, suddenly straightened their ties and sat up a little straighter. Having the future CEO of Woo Medical at the table was one thing; having the notoriously sharp-edged Yoo Jaeyi join them was another entirely.
"Everyone," Seulgi said, her voice bright with a mix of pride and lingering shock as she led Jaeyi toward the long table. "This is my wife, Yoo Jaeyi. Jaeyi-yah, these are the project leads for the Busan expansion."
Jaeyi gave a curt, elegant nod. "It’s a pleasure. Please, continue your dinner. Don’t let my arrival disrupt your evening."
Haerin, having finally stopped coughing,stood up. She gestured to her seat. "Here, Jaeyi-ssi. Take my spot. Sit with Seulgi.”
Jaeyi didn't even blink. "Thank you, Haerin-ssi. That’s very...considerate of you."
"Oh, I’m nothing if not considerate," Haerin chirped, sliding into the seat directly across from them.
"So," Haerin began, swirling her small glass of soju. "Driving all the way to Busan on a whim. That’s very...romantic of you, Jaeyi-ssi.“
Jaeyi’s eyes narrowed. "I felt the sudden urge to ensure my wife wasn't being choked to death by 'considerate' coworkers. Clearly, my instincts were correct."
"Ooh, touché," Haerin laughed, leaning forward. She filled a shot glass and slid it toward Jaeyi. "Since you're here, why don't we celebrate the expansion? Or are you worried you can't keep up with me?"
Seulgi felt the air shift. This was a trap. A classic Haerin-style ragebait.
"I can keep up with whatever you have to offer, Haerin-ssi," Jaeyi said. She knocked the shot back without flinching.
"Jaeyi-yah, you don't have to—" Seulgi started, placing a hand on her wife's arm.
"It’s fine, Seulgi-yah," Jaeyi muttered, her eyes locked on Haerin. "I’m just being social."
Seulgi pressed her fingers to her temples. “Why is this happening.”
Forty-five minutes and two empty bottles later, "social" had devolved into a full-blown Cold War. Jaeyi was flushed, her movements slightly more deliberate than usual, while Haerin was wearing a glassy-eyed, mischievous smirk. The department heads had long since scurried to the other end of the restaurant, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
Haerin leaned back in her chair, studying Jaeyi over the rim of her glass.
“You know,” she said lightly, “if I wanted Seulgi, I would’ve made a move years ago.”
Jaeyi’s jaw ticked.
Seulgi groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Unnie, stop it. You’re drunk and you're being a menace."
The air tightened. Jaeyi set her glass down a little too firmly. “What is that supposed to mean.”
“It means,” Haerin continued calmly, “that I don’t like Seulgi like that.”
Jaeyi blinked once. Twice.
“…You don’t.”
“No.”
Seulgi nodded quickly. “She doesn’t.”
“I mentor her,” Haerin added. “I tease her. I enjoy watching you get annoyed. But romantically?” She waved a dismissive hand. “Not my type.”
Jaeyi stared and then squinted suspiciously. “Then who is.”
Haerin’s smile shifted. “Oh,” she said. “Your sister.”
Jaeyi stared at Haerin. Her eyes went wide, then narrow, then wide again. Her brain seemed to be performing a fatal system error. The image of her poised, terrifyingly organized sister with the chaotic human hurricane sitting across from her was too much for her intoxicated state to compute.
"My unnie..." Jaeyi whispered, her voice trailing off. "With...you?"
Seulgi’s mouth fell open. “What.”
Haerin took a casual sip of soju. “We’ve been seeing each other since the gala night, actually.”
The gala night.
Seulgi’s eyes widened in slow realization.
Jaeyi’s brain visibly tried to reboot.
“You’re joking,” Jaeyi said flatly.
“I’m not.”
“You—”
“Yes.”
“With—”
“Yes.”
“Since the—”
“Yes.”
Haerin tilted her head. “She’s very charming, by the way. More adorable than you.”
Jaeyi opened her mouth to speak, perhaps to protest, but the combination of the shock and the countless shots of soju finally won. Her eyes rolled back slightly, and she let out a long, soft sigh before her head tipped forward, landing squarely on the table with a dull thud.
She was out cold.
Haerin burst into a fit of hysterical, breathless laughter, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, that was better than I expected! The look on her face! I should have recorded it!"
"Unnie!" Seulgi hissed, though she was already wrapping her arms around her sleeping wife to keep her from sliding off the chair. She looked down at Jaeyi. “You can't just drop bombshells like that when she's drunk!"
"Why not? She’s fine,” Haerin said, standing to help Seulgi adjust Jaeyi upright. “Her alcohol tolerance is just lower than she pretends.”
Jaeyi mumbled something incoherent against Seulgi’s shoulder.
“Jaeyi-yah, what’s that?” Seulgi asks, leaning her head closer to Jaeyi’s mouth.
Jaeyi stirred weakly. “…I don’t approve…”
Seulgi bit back a laugh. Haerin crouched slightly so she was eye-level with Jaeyi’s barely-open eyes.
“You don’t get a vote,” she said sweetly. “But you’re welcome to attend the wedding.”
Jaeyi made a faint offended sound and promptly passed out again.
Haerin straightened, thoroughly pleased with herself.
Seulgi looked between her unconscious wife and her menace of a mentor and sighed.
“This is going to be a nightmare at family dinners.”
Haerin’s smile turned almost fond.
“Oh,” she said. “I’m counting on it.”