He wasn’t excited even when he heard the news he had been waiting for, and he wasn’t worried even when the other side gained momentum.
He would have been nervous if it was before, but now he felt light.
He had freedom in his heart.
That night, the Milky Way spread across the sky of Miami Beach.
Countless stars shining like jewels lit up the dark night.
He could see it clearly through the open ceiling of the camper.
He lay on the big bed and his mouth opened involuntarily.
Jeong Da-hye, who was looking at the same place next to him, felt the same way.
She just stared blankly at the sky.
The sound of the waves of the night sea became the background music.
When Yoo-hyun silently held her hand, she interlocked her fingers.
He felt the warmth and the heartbeat through her palm.
In the quiet and beautiful atmosphere, she opened her mouth.
Her calm voice floated in the air.
“When I look at the stars filling the night sky, I feel strange.”
“It feels like my worries melt away like snowflakes touching the water. It feels like my troubles are nothing but dust under this vast universe.”
“You must have had a lot of worries.”
“I did. How can I be more successful? How can I climb higher? How can I get more recognition? I lived with gritted teeth, in my own way.”
Yoo-hyun had thought that her life was similar to his past, when he only looked ahead and ran.
But his thoughts changed as he went through this.
She was much more amazing than he knew.
“You did well. You got a lot of support from many people.”
“That’s right. I achieved great results. I achieved everything I wanted. That’s why I was going to quit the company without any regrets. As planned.”
“So you’re going to New York.”
“Yes. But I guess there was still a desire for success in the depths of my heart. I kept thinking that I wanted to challenge myself to a higher place with my current career.” ŘÅ𐌽Ｏ₿Ě𝘚
“That makes sense. Your career is too precious to throw away.”
She could stay in Sprint Company and demand more, or move to a bigger consulting company like BCG with a higher position.
It was an opportunity to get everything he had hoped and wished for at once.
Now that the plan to return to Korea and work with Yoo-hyun at Hansung was gone, it wouldn’t be strange for her to make any choice.
But Jeong Da-hye’s answer was not that.
“It would be a lie if I said I didn’t care. I was really troubled until before this trip.”
“Yoo-hyun, do you remember when we stayed at Oak Mountain for a day?”
Instead of answering, he asked a question, and Yoo-hyun recalled what happened a few days ago.
“I remember. We had a meal with the couple who came camping.”
“That’s right. They looked so free.”
“They were people who traveled around the world for years.”
“That’s why I was amazed. I realized that there was such a life, and maybe I was too narrow-minded and struggling in vain.”
Just like he was tied to Hansung, she was also tied to Sprint Company.
And she didn’t even have the luxury to look elsewhere, unlike him.
He could imagine what her seven years at Sprint Company were like.
When he showed his sympathy, she continued.
“When I thought that, my career became meaningless. Instead, I started to wonder what I really wanted to do, and what kind of life I should live apart from work.”
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Yes. A lot. I pretended to be relaxed, but I think I can let go a little now. I think I understand a little what it means to empty before filling.”
It wasn’t a lie to match her.
-When I shook it off completely, I saw things I couldn’t see before. It’s not that I forced myself to relax, but I think I have some room in my mind.
He finally understood what Park Young-hoon had said to him before he left Korea.
What he had thought in his head and what he felt in his heart were different.
Jeong Da-hye, who felt the same way, turned her body and looked at Yoo-hyun.
She spoke her sincere feelings.
“This trip was a big inspiration for me. It was really nice.”
“We even fought last time.”
“That’s because you said something about my driving. I had no complaints about anything else.”
“You also teased me for not being able to dance.”
“That’s because you really couldn’t.”
When he whined, Jeong Da-hye laughed and put another hand on his hand with the interlocked fingers.
Her soft hand stroked his back of the hand.
She smiled with her eyes and asked.
“Do you think I’ll ever have something in my life again?”
“Of course, why not. I’ll always be by your side, Da-hye.”
“That sounds nice, even if it’s just words.”
“It’s not just words. It’s the truth.”
He brushed away a few strands of hair that covered her face.
She looked prettier when he saw her whole face.
When he stared at her quietly, she closed her eyes slowly.
He only heard the sound of her heart beating.
He put one arm under her head as a pillow and moved closer to her.
He passed the distance where he could feel her breath, and his lips were about to touch hers.
The phone on the bedside rang.
He ignored it and wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to reconnect the interrupted moment.
He didn’t want to be disturbed by anything right now.
But she bit his body lightly and covered his mouth with her hand.
“Answer it. It might be an important call.”
“I’ll stay . So answer it.”
She smiled with a blush on her face.