You are looking into Ju Min's eyes. His deep gaze never leaves you. You smile back at him and take his hand. You do not really want to disappoint him any longer.
"Ju Min.He may look distant and cold , he is ignorant towards others, but once he meets someone he cherishes, he will do everything for them. He is a sincere man.. " You described Ju Min properly.
He does care a lot about RFA members and treasures them a lot. So, if needed, he would use his authority to help the member without hesitation. Even though he shows his kindness in a way that not everyone understands, he is really sincere toward them.
Chairman Han smiles with your answer and feels satisfied with it. Ju Min is touched by your word. He... who is always being judged by others as a robot who has no feelings at all, is viewed as a person with great sincerity in your perspective. He feels grateful. He smiles at you with loving eyes and thanks you.
Ryu Min and Ha Na are the only two people who do not feel touched by your words. The younger brother was feeling uncomfortable and was clearing his throat multiple times. Ha Na takes a glass of water and gives it to him. Ryu Min thanks her and puts on his smiling face.
The remainder of dinner is spent in more pleasant conversation.The meal is fancy and delicious. Despite the rumors of his womanizing behavior, you can see that Chairman Han is such a doting father. He gives his two sons a gift to show his love; a very expensive gift, actually. Some people might take it as a show-up act, but it is only his way of expressing his affection.
The meal is finally finished.After saying goodbye to Chairman Han, Ryu Min goes to the parking area to get his car while Ju Min receives a business call. The two men leave you alone with Ha Na outside the building.
"All right....Hi.... It's our second encounter. Do you remember me? " The younger woman initiates a conversation with you. You respond to her with a smile and a short answer.
Kim Ha NaThere is no way you could possibly forget her. She gives a great impression on you as Ryu Min's girlfriend... well, his fiancee now. You still feel uncomfortable around her. The air filled with silence after a brief conversation.
"It's funny how you automatically stare at my fiance after receiving Chairman Han's question. I almost mistook you for loving my man instead of yours.It's ridiculous, don't you think? " She was laughing and acting like it was a silly joke. But you can feel that she has a hidden purpose in her words. Can she feel it? A woman's instinct is really scary sometimes.
"You know... Ryu Min oppa never looks at me the way he does to you......" Her light laugh disappeared. Her words confused you. You are about to ask her about that, but Ryu Min has already come back with his car. He gets off the car and walks toward the two of you.
"Ha Na...Let's go home.. " Ryu Min calls the girl who stands beside you. His eyes are drawn to you for a while, and he gives you his usual smile.
"I think we might often see each other from now on. See you later, Hyu Ri-ssi... " Ha Na greets you before entering the passenger seat.
At that time, Ju Min appeared. He catches you and Ryu Min together, just the two of you now. The CEO walks closer and hugs your waist in affection. You flinch at a sudden touch, but let him do as he wishes. Ryu Min's face turned grey as he observed this.
"Have a safe journey home, Hyu-Ri ah..."Once he talks to you, his usual smile is visible again. You also wish him a safe trip, and then you are left alone with Ju Min. He stares at you with a loving smile.
"All right, let's go..."Ju Min lead you to the car. Mr Kim tries to help to open the door, but Ju Min stops him. He wants to become the person who opens the door for you. And that's how the night ended.
The following day
Ryu Min is working at his studio, which is connected to his house. He is in the middle of editing some pictures at his private office. His office has an outdoor concept. He enjoys the sensation of nature, so he creates an open space in his office with a large window glass that leads to a beautiful garden, good air circulation, and a lot of green plants to produce fresh oxygen.
Suddenly, his bell was ringing. He stood up and walked to the studio's entry door. A man with his striped formal shirt, which always becomes his preferred outfit, is standing there. He doesn't wait for Ryu Min's permission to enter the studio. He walks around the studio, observing Ryu Min's work.
"How unusual of you, young, to be interested in my works."Ryu Min follows his older brother and greets him friendly.
"I am actually always curious about how your lessons with V for those years turned you into a professional photographer. You did show a similar yet different vibe in the photograph from V. He taught you well...." The older brother comments on his younger sibling's art with his usual deep voice. The younger sibling thanks him.
"I want to act more like a sibling with you and get close to you, so I want to ask your opinion about something." Ju Min was still observing the photographs without looking at his brother.
I'd love to. Let's get along well. I also want to get closer to you. So what do you need my opinion for? " Ryu Min acts as nice as he always has. He extended his hand to welcome his robotic brother.
"I plan to propose to Hyu Ri at the RFA party."What do you think? " Finally, Ju Min diverted his eyes to his brother. He is staring at Ryu Min's expression, which has turned dark now. Ju Min smirks.
"What's wrong?" (What's wrong?) He confronts his sibling and smiles cynically. Ryu Min automatically stares in the direction of his special room where he keeps your portrait. The door is slightly open. He forgot to close the door before welcoming Ju Min inside. He is kind of afraid that Ju Min might discover the content of the room.
"There is nothing....I just wonder if it is too soon or not. " Ryu Min diverted his eyes back to Ju Min. He just briefly looked at the room direction and didn't think that Ju Min might have caught his action.
"The party will take place next week."Ryu Min continued while stroking his neck. He didn't want to look at his brother's piercing gaze.
"Do you agree?"Ju Min tries to ask him even more. The little brother is not comfortable with this topic. He makes an excuse to escape by preparing a drink for the chairman in line.
Ryu Min sighs heavily when he is alone in the kitchen; the image of last night's event comes into his mind. He doesn't think that he could withstand seeing you being intimidated by his own brother. The scene of the previous dinner was repeated in his memory; the scene of you gazing at Ju Min, the scene of Ju Min hugging your waist. It is all too much for him. And now his brother just told him that he wanted to propose to the woman he loves. He is lost. He wants to stop everything.
He does want you to find your own lover and marry a person who can make you happy. But it is all the thought that he has if you can meet someone else and live your happy life without the possibility of him witnessing it. If the man you are going to marry is his own brother, he is not sure if he can keep his sanity. How could he stand watching you passionately love another man in front of him? That's going to be a very tough life for him. He was happy to be able to meet you again after a very long time, but now he isn't sure anymore.
After controlling his feelings and mind, Ryu Min goes back to meet his brother. When he enters the main studio, he can't find Ju Min anywhere. He walks around in search of the CEO, but he is nowhere to be found. He discovers that the door of his special room is slightly open. He does remember that the door was opened before, but now he has a bad feeling about it.
He walks toward the room and opens it widely. It reveals Ju Min standing in front of mega potraits of photo collages that show your smiling face and your confession about Ryu Min's feelings toward you. Ryu Min remains motionless.
"I.... Hyung..."His voice is cracked.
Ju Min turns around and looks at his brother with icy cold eyes.
"Do you really have a grudge against my wife?"Ju Min interrogates his brother sternly.
"This is something I did a long time ago."It is an honest answer. He did start and finish the portrait a very long time ago.
"But you kept it nicely up until now."Ju Min states another fact. He indicates Ryu Min to look around the room. It is clean and tidy. It is clear that Ryu Min takes good care of the room and the photograph.
"Can you still deny the fact that you love Hyun Ri now?" Ju Min asked the little brother again. Ryu Min can't answer him. He does love you. Always love you. But there is no way that he can confess it to his brother or anyone else.
"Take control of yourself."Han Ryu Min, Hyu Ri is my woman now. Ju Min emphasizes his words. But the word he chooses makes Ryu Min feel bothered.
Hyu Ri is a human being, not a thing you can own, hyung."Ryu Min, repeating the exact word that was spoken by you to Ju Min. It makes Ju Min laugh dryly. How can the two of you say the exact same word to him?
"What's the big deal?"Someone who keeps hurting her continuously, like you didn't have any right to teach me. At least I never hurt her. I don't know why you keep pretending that you are not interested in her and insist on staying by Ha Na's side. But you had your chance, and you just let it slip! " Ju Min is annoyed. He feels threatened by Ryu Min's true feelings. If he ever tells you the truth, he is afraid that you will leave him for Ryu Min.
"Just so you remember, I certainly will propose to her and make her become my wife, so back off..." He makes a pressed tone on his last word and leaves Ryu Min's studio.
Han Ju Min is now sitting in the backseat of his car. His mind is wandering around. It brought him back to an old memory that he had kept for years.
Since their childhood age, the two siblings have shown very different characteristics. His brother Ryu Min, unlike him, is estranged from their parents, particularly his mother.Ju Min's character slightly resembles his mother. She is cold, apathetic, self-absorbed, arrogant, controlling, and an extremely materialistic woman. The woman refuses to act as a mother unless her son acts as she wishes.
At a very young age, Ju Min had been controlled and coached by his mother. She always told Ju Min that she was proud of him because he grew up to be a person like her while being disappointed that Ryu Min never got her hopes up, so she never spent a single moment with Ryu Min. She is super materialistic and insincere. She wouldn't do something until it benefitted her.
Ju Min is offended when his mother refers to him as her clone.He doesn't want to grow up and become someone like his mother, who has never valued her own family. But the more he grew up, the more he realized that his mother was really affecting him. She always told him that having an emotion is useless and he got used to not showing his emotions. That is why he became a robotic man who has a cold demeanor.
Ju Min always has everything. He is a handsome man who has fame, wealth, and virtuosity. He has a certain bright future as the CNR's chairman in line. His biological mother, who even cut him off after the divorce, is even contacting him for selfish reasons, seeing value only in financial and social success. He is an image of a successful man and a dream of a woman. But somehow he always felt empty, like a hollow growing bigger and deeper in his chest.
Ryu Min is only an ordinary man who does not have a certain future. He doesn't own anything that Ju Min has. But why is it he always looks happy? People saw Ju Min in fear like some monster but always welcomed Ryu Min like an angel. It makes Ju Min grow into a "monster" who wants to feel happiness like his brother, to take what he wants for himself.
Someday, Ju Min saw his brother happily chatting on the phone. When he saw Ju Min, he greeted him warmly. He takes a seat on the bench and takes his bag, pulling out its content.
"Lee Hyu Ri," in Korean.It's really here. How in the world did I even put it in my bag? " Ryu Min talks with a girl and giggles. He takes a notebook and opens it. He laughs again after seeing a mess of drawings on it. It was a silly sketch portraying him, which was drawn by you. That was the first time Ju Min ever heard your name.
The second time he heard your name again was on your first day of working at the CNR company. He learns that you love Ryu Min, and soon he realizes that you are a special person to him. That was the initial reason why he took an interest in you. So when you told him he was only interested in you because of Ryu Min, he was surprised because it was true.He never imagined that you would recognize his intention.
On the day of Ryu Min's appearance at the CNR building, after he caught you running away from Ryu Min, he couldn't help but check up on Ryu Min's expression. The little brother, who always looks cheerful and happy, shows agony on his face for the first time. It confirms his assumptions that Ryu Min actually has a special feeling for you too. Your feelings toward him have always been mutual.
When Ju Min got another chance to make another confirmation, he did it again. That was when he was trying to stop you from going alone with Ryu Min. He was deliberately took your hand in front of Ryu Min to see his response. Ryu Min actually shows a bothered expression on his face, and it makes Ju Min's corner lip slightly up. But no one recognizes it.