fanmtl The Vow They Once Made (Part 1)
The Vow They Once Made (Part 1)
The Vow They Once Made.*Soft morning sunlight filtered through the glass wall*
*Yuna gently brushed a few stray strands from Haemin's face*
*Haemin slowly opens his eyes*
“Yuna…”
*Yuna's eyes softened as she smiled*
“Good morning, Haemin.”
*Haemin covered his mouth and yawned quietly*
“Is it morning already?”
“It’s only nine. Sleep a little longer if you’d like.”
*Haemin rubbed his eyes*
“Mmm… Yuna, you didn’t go to work?”
*Yuna chuckled lightly as she brushed her finger against his cheek*
“I took three days off. I just want to spend this little time with you.”
“Is it really okay for you to do that? You don’t have to worry about me. I understand if you need to go.”
*Yuna shook her head gently, still smiling*
“Harin is there to handle everything. It’s fine if I don’t go in for a few days.”
“I see…”
*Yuna smiled warmly and leaned closer*
*She kissed him gently on the lips*
*Haemin’s cheeks turned red*
“Why are your cheeks so red?”
*Her thumb brushing his flushed skin*
“W—Well…”
*Yuna smiled, her eyes warm but filled with clear desire*
*She leaned in again, kissing the corner of his lips*
“Last night… I might have overdone it, didn’t I?”
*Haemin looked away shyly, pulling the blanket up to cover half of his face*
“It’s fine… I don’t really mind.”
*Yuna chuckled softly at the sight*
*She reached out, gently lowered the blanket from his face before leaning in again.*
*Kiss*
*Her lips moved against his with gentle dominance*
*Pant*
*Gasp*
*Yuna finally pulled back*
*Haemin gasping softly, dazed and breathless, his cheeks flushed*
*Yuna looked at him with warm, lustful eyes*
“Don’t do that often, Haemin.”
*Haemin was still catching his breath*
“Do… what…?”
*Yuna brushing her thumb across his lower lip*
“The face you’re making right now. To look at me like this with this cute face of yours, it’s just too much for me.”
*Haemin’s blush deepened*
“Why…?”
*Yuna leaned closer*
*Voice dropping into a whisper as she gently pressed her body against his*
“Because it makes me want you even more.”
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_____
Later that evening
*Yuna taps a section of the countertop*
*A hidden display lights up*
“So, here, Haemin.”
*Yuna points at the display*
“If you want to activate the cooking surface, you press here first. The system will automatically recognize the cookware and adjust the temperature.”
“I don’t even have to set the heat?”
“You can if you want to. But the smart mode handles most of it.”
“I see.”
“Now try it yourself.”
*Haemin carefully presses the display*
“Like this?”
“Yes.”
“Then… this one?”
*Yuna nods*
“And after that…”
*Haemin presses another option*
“The cooking mode?”
*Yuna smiles proudly*
“See? You’re learning already.”
*Haemin looks slightly embarrassed*
“Take your time, okay? You'll learn everything eventually. But why do I get the feeling that you think I'm expecting you to memorize every single thing in this house?”
*Yuna lightly pokes Haemin’s nose, sounding jokingly annoyed*
“Haemin, didn't I tell you not to be so cautious around me just because of my status? You do know it’s completely fine not to know all of this because I’ll be the one cooking for you, don’t you?”
“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that… you know, it’s just… wouldn’t it be easier if I knew how to do these things? Because it doesn’t feel right relying on you for everything.”
*Yuna raises an eyebrow*
“Relying on your wife isn’t a crime.”
“I know.”
*Haemin scratches his cheek awkwardly*
“But I want to be able to do something for you too. You’ve already provided me with everything, and honestly, I don’t even know how to repay everything you’ve given me. This is the least I can do. Let me take care of you too, Yuna.”
*Yuna’s eyes soften as she gently wraps an arm around his waist*
“Now who’s the one saying sweet things?”
*Haemin becomes embarrassed and looks away*
*Yuna leans in and kisses his forehead tenderly*
“I won’t stop you if you insist. But don’t push yourself too hard thinking you have to do this for me, alright? I would hate it.”
*Yuna smiles softly*
“Like I said before, you’re my responsibility now, Haemin. That’s why I don’t want you doing something that will only burden yourself. Don’t think that you need to repay me for anything. The fact that you're willing to marry me is already more than I could ever ask for, and I'm truly grateful for it.”
*Haemin looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression before letting out a small laugh*
“What are you talking about, Yuna? Why do you make it sound like I'm someone so great that you have to be grateful to me? If anything, the one who should be grateful should be me instead. For someone as prominent as you to want to marry someone ordinary like me… I don’t even know what you see in me. But thank you, Yuna.”
*Yuna stared at him for a second before suddenly laughing*
“You really have no idea how attractive you are, do you?”
*Haemin immediately looked confused*
“What does that even mean?”
*Yuna gently flicked his forehead*
“Ouch.”
“Stop underestimating yourself, Haemin.”
*Haemin rubbed his forehead*
*Yuna smiled and shook her head*
_____
*Television running*
[Interviewer: “Ms Seo, as you already know, many people in this industry, along with the general public, regard you as one of the most influential business leaders of this generation. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing Nara Group today?]
[Yuna: “The biggest challenge? Honestly, growth itself isn’t the challenge. Any company with enough capital can grow. The real challenge is maintaining that growth without compromising the standards and values that built the company in the first place.”]
[Interviewer: “Could you elaborate on that so our audience can learn from your perspective?”]
[Yuna: “Look, many companies today become so consumed by short-term performance. Their focus is often placed on quarterly earnings and immediate returns. While profitability is certainly important, my responsibility is to ensure that Nara Group remains strong not just next year, but twenty or thirty years from now. That requires discipline, patience, and sometimes making decisions that aren't immediately popular.”]
*Haemin sat comfortably on the sofa, watching the screen in quiet awe*
[Interviewer: “That’s a very insightful answer, Ms. Seo. On a related note, do you have any advice for the young professionals who look up to you and hope to follow a similar path?”]
[Yuna: “My advice is simple. Focus on becoming reliable before becoming successful. Success may make you look impressive, but reliability is what earns trust. People can admire your talent, but if they cannot depend on you, that talent means very little in the long run.”
[Yuna: “So make reliability your foundation because most achievements are not accomplished alone. At some point, someone will have to place their trust in you. The question is whether you’ve become the kind of person worthy of that trust.]
*Applause filled the studio*
*Haemin couldn’t help smiling while watching the screen*
[Interviewer: “Wow, Ms. Seo… I’m honestly speechless.”]
*The interviewer laughed awkwardly while the audience continued applauding*
[Interviewer: I think I speak for everyone in this studio when I say that we have truly admired you since your early days in the industry. We watched you rise as one of the country’s most influential business leaders at such a young age before eventually becoming Chairwoman of Nara Group.”]
[Interviewer: “Many people may not realize this, but that means you’ve dedicated most of your life to your work and to the development of this country. Looking back, is there anything you regret sacrificing for your career?”]
[Yuna: “No.”]
[Interviewer: “None at all?”]
[Yuna: “You see, every choice comes with a cost. If I spend my time regretting every sacrifice I’ve made, then there would be no point in making those choices in the first place. I accept responsibility for my decisions.”]
*Click*
*A door opened somewhere behind Haemin*
*Haemin immediately turned his head*
*Yuna walked out from the study room while loosening the sleeves of her blouse*
“Oh, Yuna, you’ve finished your work?”
*Muffled interview audio continued playing in the background*
“Yeah.”
*Yuna walking over to the sofa*
“I’m sorry, Haemin. I said I was going to spend time with you today, but there were some urgent matters that needed my attention.”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”
*Yuna sat down beside him*
*The interview continued playing on the television*
*Yuna glanced at the screen and immediately sighed*
“You’re really wasting your time watching this interview.”
“Eh? Why? I like watching you talk, Yuna.”
“You do?”
“Yes! Because you look really cool whenever you’re talking about work.”
*Yuna raised an eyebrow*
“Cool?”
“Very cool.”
*Haemin pointed at the television enthusiastically*
“And honestly, I still can’t believe the person on that screen is sitting beside me right now.”
*Yuna looked at him with amusement*
“Is that so?”
“It is!”
*Haemin nodded repeatedly*
“You don’t even realize how popular you are, do you? Every time you appear on television, the broadcast becomes a big hit! The clips get shared everywhere, and everyone watches them!”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“It’s not!”
*The interviewer continued*
“And everyone in my class always talks about you. Most of them see you as their role model!”
“Well, that’s a little concerning.”
“It’s a good thing, Yuna!”
“What about you?”
“Hm?”
“Do you see me as a role model too?”