Chapter 9: The Jeju-Wine Confession
Clara sat on a small terrace on Jeju Island, the place where she had fled after leaving Min-ho's apartment with that desperate lie about Paris. The dark, open sea stretched out before her, the salty air a balm for her frayed nerves. Finally, she could breathe.
But her heart wouldn't stop racing. Min-ho's words kept echoing in her mind: He wanted her by his side, even without the deal. Guilt gnawed at her. She had lived like a ghost for so long, hiding from a past that could never catch up to her. How could she ever explain the web of lies? How could she tell him that Ji-soo and Ariadne were the same person?
"I just need to apologize," she whispered to the wind. She opened her laptop.
Dear Min-ho, please excuse my behavior... No. Too stiff.
Min-ho, I sincerely apologize... Ugh, no.
"Fuck! Why is it so hard to write five sentences?"
She grabbed the bottle of wine next to her. One big gulp. Then another. It was sweet, dangerously smooth.
"Come on, Clara. You're a bestseller author. You can do this. Professional. Just be professional."
Her fingers began to glide over the keys as if on a cloud. The wine was talking now.
To: Kang Min-ho
Subject: Me is sorry
"Min-ho, dont worry, isch—I mean, I will make the deal happen with me. I mean with my boss, the author Ariadne. I know her very well, I am with her right now. So here, I apologize that I need my assistant back so fast, but that's just how it is.
Isch—I respect you as a producer and also as a man. You are the best. Please be careful, especially when you cook and have a knife in your hand. We see us when we see us because you are there and I am not here where isch am. Many greetings, see you soon."
She hit SEND with a triumphant grin.
"Super. That was easy," she giggled. A second later, her stomach did a somersault. "Oh... I feel sick."
The Pastel Rescue Mission
"Mr. Min-ho?" Mr. Kim whispered into the phone, his voice trembling. He was currently standing in a high-end boutique, trapped in a salmon-colored blazer that was so tight he could barely breathe. "I am... currently in a tactical meeting with Mr. Lukas. He says I need a 'visual realignment'."
Min-ho's voice crackled coldly through the line. "I don't care about your blazer, Kim! I just forwarded you an email from Ariadne. Read it. Now."
Lukas, sensing the sudden tension, snatched the phone and pulled Mr. Kim's head toward the screen. As they both read the chaotic, wine-soaked message, Mr. Kim's eyes went wide. "Is she... is she having a stroke?" he stammered.
Lukas, however, recognized the "Clara-in-disaster-mode" vibe instantly. He knew exactly what had happened: Jeju Island + Blackberry Wine = This Mess.
"Give me that!" Lukas chirped into the phone, his brain working at lightning speed. "Listen to me, Min-ho! You clearly don't understand the creative mind. This email is actually a good sign!"
"A good sign?" Min-ho growled. "She's talking about knives and 'isch'!"
"Exactly!" Lukas lied smoothly, winking at a terrified Mr. Kim. "Ji-soo is with Ariadne right now, discussing the deal. But you have to understand—Ariadne is a method writer. She gets so lost in her countless characters that her emails often turn into a confusing collage of whoever she's writing at the moment. Right now, she's probably writing a clumsy, drunk assistant. It's art, Min-ho! Don't be so literal."
Lukas didn't wait for an answer. "Anyway, stay away from the office tonight. The truth lies in the wine—uh, I mean, the truth lies in the script! We'll see you tomorrow. Kisses!"
He hung up and let out a long breath. "Lord, Clara... I'm going to charge you so much for this," he muttered, before turning back to Mr. Kim with a predatory grin. "And now, Kim-Bärchen, let's find the matching glitter flip-flops for that lavender Capri-pant. We have a soul to save!"