After luxuriating in their bath, the two found solace in each other’s arms, embracing the warmth of their shared connection through the night. Yoon Hyun-seong’s spacious embrace cradled Yi-soo, lulling her into a profound sleep as her ears rested upon his sturdy chest, guided by the rhythmic melody of his heartbeat.
The clock marked the passage of time, gently nudging Yi-soo awake just past six. Her consistent waking routine spared her the intrusion of an alarm, and she greeted the day with natural serenity. With a blink, Hyun-seong materialized into her view, his presence unveiled as she fluttered her long eyelashes.
“You’re awake,” he observed, leaning down to plant a tender kiss on Yi-soo’s warm cheek. Already dressed and prepared, Hyun-seong displayed commendable diligence.
“Another workday. Time to get moving a bit,” she murmured, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep. After a brief cough, she wiped her eyes with her hand.
“It’s Friday, just endure a bit more. Tomorrow is the weekend,” he reassured, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yeah… But Fridays always seem to drag on the slowest,” Yi-soo remarked with a touch of drama, eliciting a chuckle from Hyun-seong.
“Don’t be overly dramatic. I’ll get breakfast ready; get ready and join me, Yi-soo,” he said, tying his tie before departing the bedroom, leaving Yi-soo to shake off the remnants of sleep.
Yi-soo, lost in thought for about five minutes, gently tapped her own cheek, realizing she couldn’t afford to start the last weekday on such a lethargic note. Extricating herself from the inviting bed, she stretched before heading to the bathroom, contemplating the revitalizing effect of starting the day with a splash of cold water on her face.
***
“Are we all set? Is Secretary Kang picking us up again today?”
“No, I’ll be driving. I’ll take you to the company.”
“Great, thanks. This key, right?” Yi-soo asked, presenting the key next to her briefcase.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Hyun-seong seemed to recall something and spoke up, “We still have some time.”
“About 10 minutes? It seems like we have a bit of a buffer. Why?” Yi-soo inquired.
“Come over here. I have something to show you,” he said, naturally taking Yi-soo’s hand as they headed into the study, a space she rarely visited.
Intrigued by the prospect of something to be revealed, curiosity settled on her face as Hyun-seong pushed a mahogany bookshelf to the right. A hidden safe behind it came into view, prompting an admiring remark from Yi-soo.
“They say wealthy people have safes in their studies… It seems like the dramas weren’t exaggerating,” she mused.
“Don’t be silly,” Hyun-seong replied dismissively. Recognizing the fingerprint on his right thumb, a ticking sound resonated from the safe. In no time, he entered an eight-digit numerical password, releasing the locking mechanism. The thick door swung open, revealing a box slightly larger than a fist that Hyun-seong carefully retrieved from inside.
“What’s that?” Yi-soo inquired, her curiosity piqued. Opening the box, she discovered a wristwatch and a USB inside. Her attention was immediately drawn to the USB, an item she had been carrying in her bag until recently.
“This is a copy. The real one is still inside the safe,” Hyun-seong explained.
“A copy? It looks exactly the same. Even the serial number here…”
“I made it completely identical. I even replicated the scratches as accurately as possible.”
“Indeed, but… why did you make a copy?” Yi-soo inquired, running her fingertip over the smooth surface of the USB. Hyun-seong, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, responded in a low voice.
“Just in case. Carry it with you. Don’t worry, the files aren’t exactly the same. The original will be safely stored in the safe here.”
“Alright. There might come a day when we need it for bluffing… So, what about the watch?” Yi-soo shifted her attention back to the box. Inside was an ordinary analog wristwatch with a brown leather strap and a smoothly moving second hand. Hyun-seong clasped it onto her wrist.
“It has recording and GPS tracking functions. Use it if needed. It looks completely inconspicuous, so no one will suspect. You can feel a small bump here on the bottom right.”
“It just looks like an ordinary watch… And it records too?”
“If you press this button for 3 seconds, recording starts; press it longer, and it gets saved. Hopefully, you won’t need to use it, but feel free to use it whenever needed in your daily life.”
“We might end up going back to places like the Colosseum… It could definitely be useful.” Yi-soo looked down at her wrist, pulling down her shirt sleeve to partially conceal the watch. Pursuing safety as a prosecutor was essential, not only because of the recent incident.
She nodded gently. “Thank you. It really makes me feel more secure.”
“If things get resolved well, I’ll give you an even better gift, so wear it all the time for now. It doesn’t stand out, so it should be fine,” Hyun-seong assured her, casting a gaze that held both concern and tenderness.
It was inevitable for him to worry, whether it was about the vengeful stalker or the multitude of suspects she prosecuted each month. Yi-soo playfully moistened her lips and nudged his shoulder, squinting her eyes in a playful manner.
“I’ll make good use of it. Now, let’s head to work. It’s already Friday… Just one more day to endure.”
“Don’t work overtime, leave early. We’ll go to the police station together at the agreed time.”
“To do that, you’ll have to work diligently without slacking off. Let’s go, us,” she added, laughter laced with mischief flowing between them. Exiting the study together, Yi-soo stretched with a prolonged yawn.
The seemingly interminable weekdays were finally drawing to a close. Morning sunlight streamed through the transparent living room window, casting a hopeful glow on the day ahead.