Ji-Ah quietly closed the door behind her.
Click.
For the first time that day... Silence. Real silence.
No Yoo-Na complaining.
No Min-Hyuk arguing with somebody for absolutely no reason.
No Madam calling from Korea.
No Seo-Jun reminding Ha-Joon about meetings.
Just...
Her.
She slipped off her boots first, placing them neatly beside the door before shrugging out of her thick winter coat.
"Ah..."
She stretched her arms high above her head until her back gave a tiny pop. "I can finally breathe."
She laughed softly to herself.
The room was warm.
Comfortably warm.
Outside, Vancouver looked chilly, but inside the suite, everything felt cozy.
She wandered around slowly, taking everything in properly this time.
The enormous bed.
The fireplace.
The tiny coffee machine she had absolutely no idea how to use.
The bowl of fruit.
She picked up an apple. "...Fancy."
She put it back.
She opened the curtains all the way.
The evening light spilled across the carpet, painting the room in shades of gold and amber.
Her eyes drifted to the mountains in the distance.
"...Wow..."
She whispered it this time.
Not because she was surprised anymore.
Because she genuinely couldn't find another word.
She reached for her phone.
The first thing she wanted to do was take a picture.
She snapped one.
Looked at it.
"...It looks ugly."
She looked outside again.
Then at the picture.
Then outside.
"My phone is insulting Canada."
She sighed dramatically and slipped the phone back into her pocket.
Her suitcase sat quietly near the bed.
She crouched down and unzipped it.
The zipper made a long soft sound.
Inside...
Everything was folded perfectly.
Sweaters stacked together.
Scarves rolled neatly.
Gloves paired together.
Thermal shirts.
Even her toiletries were arranged in small travel pouches.
She stared for a second. "...Kim Ha-Joon."
She smiled to herself. "You're terrifyingly organized."
She picked up one sweater.
"...Did he fold this..." She unfolded it slightly. "...Yes. Definitely him."
She laughed under her breath. "Nisa would've rolled everything into one ball."
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
Three calm knocks.
She didn't even need to guess. "...Come on."
She walked over and opened the door.
Sure enough...
Ha-Joon stood there.
Still wearing the charcoal sweater from the flight, though his coat was gone now.
One hand rested casually inside his pocket.
The other held his room key.
He looked... less like the CEO everyone feared.
More like someone who had finally escaped work for a day.
Ji-Ah leaned against the doorframe. "...Didn't we just separate?"
"We did."
"You missed me already?"
"...No."
She smiled. "That pause was suspicious."
"I was choosing the right answer."
"The correct answer was yes."
"I know."
"So?"
He looked at her with the calmest expression imaginable. "...I came to check something."
She stepped aside. "The room?"
"No."
"The heater?"
"No."
"The bathroom?"
"No."
She frowned dramatically. "...Then?"
He glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. "The view."
She followed his gaze. "...The view?"
"I wanted to make sure they gave you this side."
She blinked. "You came back to inspect my window?"
"I did."
She stared at him for a few long seconds before slowly nodding. "...Okay."
"What?"
"I've accepted it."
"Accepted what?"
"You're eighty years old on the inside."
He actually laughed.
A quiet one. Short. Warm.
Ji-Ah immediately pointed at him. "There!"
"What?"
"You laughed."
"I smiled."
"It made a sound."
"It did."
She folded her arms triumphantly. "I win."
"I'm not sure this was a competition."
"Everything is."
He shook his head, still smiling. "I should've expected that answer."
"You've known me long enough."
"I have."
"And yet you still stay around."
"I do."
"...Weird."
"A little."
He walked farther into the room while she quietly closed the door. There was something strangely normal about it now.
Months ago, she would've panicked if her boss entered her hotel room.
Now... She simply followed behind him.
Ha-Joon stopped in front of the window.
His hands slipped into the pockets of his trousers as he looked outside.
The city shimmered below.
Cars moved like tiny lights. The harbor reflected the evening sky. After a long moment, he nodded once.
"I was right."
Ji-Ah walked over beside him. "About what?"
"This room."
She looked outside again. "It has the best view?"
"It does."
She smiled proudly.
"So... I won."
"You did."
She quietly celebrated by raising both fists. "Yes."
He glanced sideways at her. "You celebrate very small victories."
"They're still victories."
"...Fair."
They stood there together.
Neither saying anything.
The silence wasn't awkward.
It had changed over the past few months.
Before...
She always felt like she had to fill every quiet moment with jokes.
Now...
Sometimes it was enough just standing beside him.
Looking at the same thing.
Sharing the same view.
Ji-Ah rested both elbows lightly against the window ledge. "...Thank you."
He looked at her. "For what?"
She shrugged. "...For bringing me."
"You were already coming."
"I know."
"But..." She smiled softly. "I don't think I would've ever come somewhere like this by myself."
He nodded once. "I thought so."
She looked outside again.
"When I was younger..." She laughed quietly. "I used to watch travel shows."
"I remember."
She turned. "You remember?"
"You told me."
"...I did?"
"You said your dream was to visit somewhere cold."
She stared at him. "You actually remember that?"
"I remember most things you tell me."
"...That's scary."
"It's useful."
"It's unfair."
"Why?"
"Because if I forget something..." She pointed at him. "...You always remember."
"I usually do."
She sighed dramatically. "I can't even win arguments anymore."
"You still try."
"I always will."
"I know."
A soft breeze from the air conditioner drifted through the room.
A loose strand of Ji-Ah's hair fell across her face. She puffed at it. It didn't move. She puffed again. Still nothing.
Ha-Joon watched quietly for a second. "...You're losing."
"Don't comment."
"You've been fighting the same strand for thirty seconds."
"It started it."
"I don't think it did."
She tried blowing it away one last time.
Instead... It landed right over her eye. "...Traitor."
Ha-Joon reached up instinctively.
His fingers gently caught the loose strand and tucked it behind her ear.
The movement was slow.
Careful. Almost absentminded.
When he finished... Neither of them moved.
Ji-Ah blinked. "...Thanks."
"Mhm."
She looked at him.
Really looked at him.
He seemed different today.
Not because he had changed.
Because he wasn't hiding behind meetings.
Or paperwork.
Or expectations.
He looked... lighter.
She smiled without realizing it.
"What?" Ha-Joon asked.
"Hm?"
"You're looking at me."
"So are you."
"I asked first."
She laughed. "...Fine. I am."
"Why?"
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You know.. I've always thought you were handsome."
The words came out so casually that she didn't even realize what she'd said. Three seconds passed. Then her brain caught up.
"...Wait." She covered her mouth. "I didn't mean... I mean I did mean... I mean..."
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, that's embarrassing."
Ha-Joon looked at her for a long moment.
Then... He smiled.
Not the polite smile people saw in boardrooms.
Not the tiny smile he tried to hide.
A real one.
Gentle.
Warm. "It wasn't embarrassing."
She peeked at him through one eye. "It wasn't?"
"No. You're just saying that because you're nice."
"I'm saying it because it was honest." She slowly lowered her hand. "...You're not going to tease me?"
"No."
"...Not even a little?"
"I've considered it."
"And?"
"I decided against it."
She laughed in relief. "Thank goodness."
Then she looked at him again. "...You know..."
"Hm?"
"I think you smile more now."
"I do."
She blinked. "...You admitted it."
"I did."
"No excuses?
"No."
"No pretending?"
"No."
She folded her arms with exaggerated satisfaction. "I knew it."
"I wasn't trying very hard to hide it."
"Why?"
He looked out at the city.
Then back at her.
"Because..." His voice was quiet. "...It's tiring pretending not to smile around you."
Ji-Ah felt her cheeks warm. "...That's unfair."
"Why?"
"Because..." She laughed softly, rubbing the back of her neck. "...You keep saying things that make it difficult for me to make jokes."
"I've noticed."
"I need my jokes."
"I know."
"They protect me."
"I know."
She looked at him for another long moment. "...You're really handsome when you smile."
He didn't look away.
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he smiled just a little wider. "So I've been told."
She laughed. "Confidence?"
"Observation."
"Arrogant."
"A little."
She nudged his arm lightly with her shoulder. "There."
"What?"
"That smile."
He met her eyes.
This time, he made no attempt to hide it. "I'll probably smile a lot more on this trip."
"Oh?"
"Good company has that effect."
For once... Ji-Ah couldn't think of anything clever to say.
She simply stood beside him, looking out at the glowing city.
The mountains.
The lights.
The reflection of two people in the glass who had long since stopped feeling like a chairman and his employee.
Neither noticed that the sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains.
Neither seemed to mind the silence.
Some conversations didn't need many words anymore.