Once again, the new day at the office began with a delicious cup of coffee.
Su-min made coffee and waited for the rest of the team to arrive, savouring the rich biscuits she had bought at her father's coffee shop on her way to work.
About ten minutes later, Mr. Jun-ho, Mi-yeon and Min-jae stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the kitchen, where the velvety aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air. The only person missing was Hae-in, which was unusual for her as she usually arrived right after Su-min.
Director Park also appeared, but at a leisurely pace, as if he had less on his plate today than usual. He was followed by his assistant, Kang, who kept his eyes glued to his tablet, planning the director's day.
"Good morning, colleagues," the director greeted them, stopping beside them.
"Good morning, Director Park,' Su-min replied, feeling slightly flustered as this was the first time in a long while that the director had spoken to them before work had even started. "Would you like some coffee?" she offered.
"Thank you, but I already have some," he replied, holding up the latte he'd picked up on his way to the office.
"Assistant Kang?" Su-min asked the young man.
"What? Oh, right," he replied, looking up from his tablet for a moment. "No, thank you. I don't like coffee."
Su-min just grimaced in response, but he didn't notice because he was back to work on his tablet already.
"Su-min, where's Hae-in? Is she running late?" asked Mrs. Mi-yeon.
"I have no idea. She hasn't texted me," the girl replied.
The elevator dinged in the hallway.
"Oh, Hae-in!" her friend exclaimed, spotting her.
Hae-in walked into the office. She was wearing dark, flared jeans and a loose-fitting white T-shirt. A blue jacket draped over her shoulders accentuated her slender waist, adding a touch of lightness to her look. Her long, thick, chestnut-brown hair was left down and tied into a small ponytail at the top with a white bow. A small handbag hung from her left shoulder and she held a suitcase in her left hand.
Last night, Hae-in had sat alone at the table for a long time. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. The silence was already suffocating her. She felt cramped and lonely in the spacious apartment. As she packed Min-hyuk's suitcase, she could barely swallow the painful lump in her throat.
Was this really going to be her life from now on? Would it always be like this?
"No, it won't!" she told herself silently.
After packing her husband's suitcase, Hae-in pulled out a smaller one and began packing her own things. She took only the bare essentials: a pair of trousers, a few T-shirts, two light dresses and shoes for every occasion. There was nothing extra, since they weren't planning to sunbathe on the beach or stroll through the city in the evening. It was a business trip.
After placing her husband's suitcase by the door, Hae-in stashed hers in the wardrobe, in case he saw it and made a scene. He'd be away for a whole week. He wouldn't even suspect that Hae-in had been away too. But he didn't need to know — he wouldn't ask anyway.
The last thing she did was send the director a private message saying that she would be joining him on the business trip as a translator.
After greeting the dawn with a cup of coffee, Hae-in saw her husband off and hurried to get ready herself. Throwing a jacket over her shoulders, she caught the bus to work, smiling. But her heart was pounding with excitement the whole way.
"Oh my, Hae-in? Where are you off to?" Su-min asked, looking a little shocked, when she saw her friend with a suitcase.
"Good morning, everyone," Hae-in greeted her colleagues. "Good morning, Director Park," she said, bowing and shyly hiding her gaze beneath her fringe.
"Mrs. Hae-in has agreed to accompany me on a business trip," Director Park replied quickly, unable to help smiling slightly.
"Really?" Su-min exclaimed. "That's wonderful news!"
"Yes, it really is," said the director. "I'm glad you agreed to go after all."
He spoke calmly and composedly. Just yesterday, anxiety had weighed heavily on his mind: the deal could have fallen through entirely, or been left in limbo. But this morning, after reading Mrs. Hae-in's short message, Jae-won was genuinely happy to hear some good news for the first time in a long while, and his fists clenched slightly with anticipation.
"Good evening, Director Park. I apologise for writing so late. I accept your offer regarding the business trip to Thailand."
Without wasting any time, Jae-won called his assistant, Kang Ji-woo, and instructed him to book two tickets on the next flight to Bangkok. After his usual morning routine, he hurriedly packed his suitcase and headed to the office to meet Mrs. Hae-in in person.
"I'll do my best to close the deal," she replied.
"Mrs. Hae-in, our flight leaves at noon. Assistant Kang will be waiting for us in the car downstairs in an hour, so don't be late."
"Yes, Director," she called after him as he walked towards his office.
"Oh my, Hae-in, I'm so happy for you!" Su-min rushed over to hug her friend.
"Well done for making the right choice," Mrs. Mi-yeon said without further ado, heading to her desk.
"Hae-in, don't let us down," said Jun-ho.
"Go for it, Hae-in!" Min-jae clenched his fists.
"Hae-in, how did Min-hyuk react?" The smile instantly vanished from Su-min's face.
"Min-hyuk doesn't know. I mean..." She hesitated for a moment, gripping the handle of her suitcase tighter. "I told him about it, but he didn't pay any attention."
"Omo, omo..."
"He won't find out. Min-hyuk left on a week-long business trip. That's why I didn't tell him that I'd accepted the offer."
"That's right," her friend agreed. "He would definitely be against it and wouldn't let you.
"That's exactly why it'll be my secret. Only the people at the office will know about it. No one else."
"Yeah," Su-min nodded. "Yay! I'm so happy!" She started hugging Hae-in again, bouncing up and down with joy.
"All right, that's enough, Su-min. Let her go and get to work," said Mrs. Mi-yeon from her desk, finally forcing Su-min to stop.
Hae-in quietly put her suitcase down by her desk and looked out of the window for a moment. The morning sun was already rising over the city, and Seoul seemed completely different to her for some reason today.
The workday had begun.
At 10:00 a.m., Director Park emerged from his office, carrying a laptop and a small shoulder bag that looked as though it could hold no more than pajamas and shampoo.
Hae-in got up from her desk, threw her jacket over her shoulders and was just about to grab her suitcase when the director beat her to it, saying,
"I'll help you."
"Have a safe trip, Director Park," said Jun-ho.
"Hae-in, don't let us down!" her friend called out from her desk, pumping her fists for good luck.
"Goodbye, everyone. Work hard," said the director. "Are you ready?" he asked Hae-in.
"Yes, Director."
"Let's go. The car is already waiting for us."
They headed for the elevator.
A black luxury car was parked right by the entrance of the building. Assistant Kang was waiting nearby. As the director approached, Assistant Kang opened the door for him and placed his bag and Hae-in's suitcase in the boot. He then gestured for the woman to get in on the other side of the car, opening the door for her just as politely. In response, Hae-in smiled at him and blushed slightly at such courtesy.
The car smelled of leather and luxury. The light beige interior looked expensive and the soundproofing was impressive. All that could be heard were the quiet hum of the engine and the music playing on the radio. Assistant Kang was driving. The director sat silently with his laptop, immersed in his work. Only Hae-in looked around, gazing out of the window at the scenery flashing by.
She barely remembered this route to the airport. The last time she had driven it was when she and her husband had set off on their honeymoon. She spent that trip lying in a hotel room bed, suffering from food poisoning, while Min-hyuk took full advantage of all the services included in the honeymoon package.
The car stopped in front of the airport's main entrance. Assistant Kang opened the door for Hae-in just as politely, retrieved their luggage from the boot and, as a parting gesture, handed the director a folder containing all the necessary information about Moretti, as well as tickets, documents and a hotel reservation.
"Aren't you flying with us, Assistant Kang?" Hae-in asked, noticing that there were only two tickets in the director's hands.
"No, I'm staying in Seoul. My presence in Thailand isn't necessary. The two of you will manage just fine," he replied, bowing before getting into the car and driving off.
"Let's go, Mrs. Hae-in. Boarding is about to begin."
"Yes, let's go," said Hae-in, almost in a whisper, as she felt fear slowly begin to envelop her.
For some reason, her hands began to tremble, but she tried not to show it in case she worried the director. Spiders were Hae-in's biggest fear, along with flying.
She had completely forgotten about this when she agreed to the trip last night, for some reason.
The airport was crowded. It was easy to tell who was a tourist, who was travelling on business and who had just arrived. Many people were dressed elegantly and expensively, and most of them were men in black business suits.
Some were waiting for their flights in the waiting area, seated in chairs. Others stood in line for tickets. Some had just arrived in Seoul and were searching the crowd for familiar faces. Others were checking in for their flights and going through security screening for dangerous items.
Among those waiting was Hae-in's husband, Min-hyuk.
Boarding had already been announced and he was third in line. He began to feel nervous, but he noticed an interesting couple walking confidently past him. The man was wearing a black business suit and had a small bag slung over his shoulder. The woman had long chestnut-brown hair tied back in a ponytail and adorned with a bow, and she was wearing a blue jacket. She was carrying a black suitcase that looked very similar to his.
The two walked past the check-in and security checkpoints used by economy and business class passengers. With light steps, they headed towards the first-class boarding gate, where champagne and appetisers are served and you can comfortably nap by reclining your seat.
Min-hyuk watched them walk away for a long time, imagining that one day he would walk with the same effortless stride towards the first-class boarding gate, whether for a business meeting or a holiday in Spain or Haiti.
Lost in these dreams, he didn't recognise the girl in the blue jacket as his wife. After all, it was she who was boarding first class along with her director.
Hae-in was surprised when they walked straight through the security checkpoint, where there was a queue of people, and headed to the boarding gate as soon as it was announced. Their luggage quickly passed through the baggage scanner and an airline employee scanned their boarding passes and checked their passports without asking any questions. They were then wished a pleasant flight.
The flight attendants welcomed the passengers on board politely and escorted them to their seats.
First class.
Hae-in's eyes widened in amazement. It was her first time flying first class. First class, where passengers are served champagne. First class, where individual meals are served. First class, where you aren't bothered by the passenger behind banging their knees against your seat. First class, where you can sleep with your seat fully reclined and no one will complain because you're not bothering anyone. After all, there are only twelve seats.
As Hae-in settled into her comfortable seat, she couldn't help but smile. Even her fear of flying vanished for a moment. The director noticed Mrs. Hae-in's excitement.
"Is this your first time flying first class?" he asked, settling into his own seat.
"Yes, it is."
"Here's all the information about our project and Mr Moretti," he said, handing her the folder that Assistant Kang had given him at the airport. "But..." he suddenly stopped her as Hae-in opened the papers. "You'll start a little later. First, enjoy the view from the window right after take-off," the pilot announced, informing them that the plane would take off in fifteen minutes.
"I think I'd better start now," said Hae-in anxiously, nervously flipping through the pages.
"Are you afraid of flying?" Jae-won asked.
"Yes. Very much so," the girl replied briefly, looking away.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. The take-off will be smooth. I've been flying with this airline for years and I'm always amazed at how easily the pilot can get a plane like this into the air."
"It's easy for you to say," she replied quietly. "But for me, this is only the second flight of my life. I'm still a long way from your level of experience."
"Calm down. Think about something pleasant. Breathe more deeply," the director tried to reassure her.
But it was no use. Her panic intensified as the plane began to move and pick up speed.
Hae-in closed her eyes and grabbed the first thing within reach: Jae-won's hand. She squeezed it so tightly that the knuckles on both their hands turned white. The plane shook slightly as the wheels left the ground. She felt a slight pressure from the change in altitude and her heartbeat gradually steadied.
"Ms Hae-in…" came a voice from somewhere in the distance.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"Mrs. Hae-in, are you all right?" The voice became clearer. "Mrs. Hae-in."
"Yes... Director Park," she replied, exhaling heavily.
"We've already taken off. You can let go of my hand."
Only then did Hae-in realise that she had been clinging to him as if he were her last lifeline.
"Oh..." She abruptly let go of his hand. The director flexed his fingers ever so slightly. "I'm sorry."
"It's no big deal. You have a strong grip," he remarked calmly.
Hae-in smiled awkwardly.
"Look out of the window," said Jae-won, nodding towards the porthole.
"Wow..." she whispered.
The sunny weather revealed incredible views: cities, villages, green forests and mountains. Rivers, seas and islands were scattered across the blue water. This beauty brought a sincere smile to her face and a strange warmth to her chest — a mixture of joy and peace. And they hadn't even reached their destination yet.
Hae-in slept through the rest of the flight and never read a single page about Moretti. The director carefully draped a blanket over her to keep her warm without waking her, then went back to work on his laptop. It was quiet and peaceful in first class.
Meanwhile, complete chaos reigned in economy class. Children were crying and misbehaving. Someone had locked themselves in the restroom, causing a queue to form outside. Some passengers were dissatisfied with the service. Others were fidgeting in their seats and disturbing their neighbours. Another passenger had reclined their seat and was pressing against the passenger behind them.
Amid this chaos, Min-hyuk sat, already regretting not buying at least a business-class ticket. Not only was he not sitting by the window or even in the middle, he was on the edge where his elbow kept bumping into the flight attendant's cart carrying drinks and snacks. During take-off, the overhead compartment opened and a bag fell right on his head. The only time he had ever been in first class was in his dreams.
Hae-in woke up when the crew announced the landing and asked everyone to fasten their seatbelts. Jae-won had just leaned towards her to help. In that brief moment, he noticed how long and thick Mrs. Hae-in's eyelashes were. The pleasant scent of light perfume, reminiscent of spring flowers with distinct notes of jasmine, tickled his nose.
"Director Park?" she asked in surprise, seeing him so close.
"We're landing. You should fasten your seatbelt." He seemed slightly flustered by the awkwardness of the situation and cleared his throat with a quiet "Ahem".
"Oh, right," she replied, removing the blanket and quickly fastening her seatbelt.
"You can hold my hand if it makes you feel more at ease," he said with a hint of irony.
"No, it's fine. I can manage on my own," she said, blushing as she remembered how tightly she's been holding his hand just a few hours earlier.
The plane touched down smoothly on the runway.
Thailand greeted them with heat and an incredible golden sunset on the horizon. The air was heavy with the scents of a foreign city and their long journey. A car was waiting for them at the exit to take them to their hotel.