Chapter 152. I Want To End This Relationship (1)

Minkyung crouched to tie her jogging shoes tightly. Sweat dripped onto the track, and though it was early morning, the sun was already quite hot. Minkyung’s favorite early morning runs seemed to come earlier each day.

The short flowering shrubs along the track’s edge were now full of resilient green leaves. The azaleas, which had vigorously absorbed the spring sunshine and seemed as if they could bloom year-round, had vanished.

The spring, which had lingered unusually long this year, was finally fading. Minkyung wiped the sweat from her forehead and began running again.

It had been two weeks since the June issue of W Fashion Magazine was published. The response to the much-anticipated photo shoot had only intensified after its release. Despite additional print runs in this digital age, they couldn’t meet the demand. The June issue was being resold at exorbitant prices, and TK’s public relations department, along with Minkyung, worried about potential negative impacts on Lee-Seob’s image.

The Spring Breeze acquisition had been smoothly completed, and interest and demand for TK Fashion, including the Durell Homme line, continued to soar in the Chinese market. News outlets covered the scenes of people lining up the day before to receive limited edition souvenirs at the reopening of the renovated and expanded TK fashion mall. The souvenirs included not only K-POP idol characters and photos, but also the highly sought-after June issue of W Fashion Magazine.

TK Fashion’s stock price had been hitting a three-year high for the past week. Lee-Seob had been in continuous meetings to coordinate the tight schedule for the GV collaboration, before flying to Paris with Durell Homme’s designer Derrick Chae and other directors.

Minkyung’s earbuds announced an incoming call from Lee-Seob.

“Huff, Director.”

— You’re exercising, aren’t you?

“Yes, jogging.”

— On the track?

“Yes.”

— It must be getting hot.

“Um… it’s summer now. It’s hot.”

Lee-Seob chuckled softly.

— I’m looking at the Paris night view.

“Yes.”

— I thought of you, Minkyung.

Minkyung paused, unsure how to respond, and finally said,

“Yes.”

She then quickly added,

“About the model you gave me…”

— You mean the robot?

“Correct. It’s very handsome when you look closely.”

She didn’t mention that she fell asleep each night looking at it instead of him.

— I told you it’s a handsome robot.

“Yes.”

This time, his laugh was a bit louder.

— I want to go back to Seoul.

“Are you tired?”

— A little.

His schedule had changed. Originally, he was supposed to fly back to Seoul today, but instead, he had to head straight to Shanghai from Paris for another business trip due to the rapid expansion and issues in the Chinese market and the reopening of the fashion mall.

“I’ll try to adjust the schedule in China.”

— No, it’s fine. I need to meet everyone in person. Building trust with face-to-face meetings is crucial there.

“Don’t overwork yourself.”

There was a brief silence. Minkyung closed her eyes and opened them again, feeling the lukewarm breeze on her sweat-cooled skin. Wasn’t that the spot where he had stood watching her?

She vividly recalled the moment he walked toward her, his hair damp with sweat, the sunlight glinting off his skin, his eyes bright and filled with tension, and his frustrated curses.

It was as if his scent lingered, and his warm body was just in front of her.

— This is the longest we’ve been apart.

‘I’ve only been his assistant for a season, and he’s been gone for just a week.’

Minkyung couldn’t say it. To her, a season felt like an era, and a week without him dragged on like a broken clock.

‘How will I cope once we part ways?’

The thought of separation filled her with a sense of suffocation. She felt like her chest was filled with a rough, foreign substance.

When she finally spoke, her voice was strained.

“Take care of yourself and finish the business in China well. Stay healthy.”

— I will.

The call ended, and her Chinese language lessons resumed in her ears, filling her mind with rapid, cheerful phrases. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and pressed her fists against her eyes. The pressure turned her vision into a swirl of red and blue hues, reminiscent of bruises. In her mind’s eye, Tae Lee-Seob approached again, sweaty hair and all, cursing.

Minkyung closed her eyes.

‘I miss you.’

The words she couldn’t say sank like stones into her heart.

***