Page 33 of Tell Me Where It Ends
“Everyone else saw an idol,” he says, his voice soft but firm. “I saw an actress. I thought you deserved to have someone in your corner who saw that, too.”
“You and your observations,” I say, trying to keep the mood light. “So you did notice how hard dance practice was for me… And since I couldn’t dance as well as the others, I was determined to be an actress—better than everyone else.”
The quiet conviction in his eyes hits me like a wave of validation I didn’t even know I was starving for. In that moment, it’s like a switch flips in my mind. It’s my turn—my turn to see him, to truly see the potential he’s been setting aside.
“It’s not too late for you, either,” I say, my voice sharp with sudden intensity. I sit up straight, my mind racing. “It’s never too late, Kang Shin!”
He shakes his head. “Min-hee, it’s not realistic—”
“You could start a blog. A YouTube channel breaking down basketball games.” A clear, actionable plan spins through my head. “You know that producer at KBS Sports? The one who’s a huge fan of mine? I could make a single phone call.” I realize I also have the power to invest in him, just as he invested in me.
He stares at me, genuinely taken aback, completely lost. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him without a plan.
“Hey,” I say softly, nudging him with my knee. “We’re a team now, right? That means I get to be your manager sometimes, too.” I grin at him, feeling a new, powerful sense of purpose. “Consider ‘Operation: Sports Commentator Kang Shin’ officially in development.”
He lets out a shaky laugh but doesn’t pull his hand away. He just looks at me—really looks at me—and in his eyes, I see something. I see a future. Not just mine, but ours. My eyes on him now, seeing the same spark in his gaze. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”
***
A few hours into the drive, the sun begins to bleed below the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and purple.
We sit in quiet, and it feels natural. But the thought of returning to my apartment in Seoul—to the silence and the reality of my suspended life—brings the same dull, sinking feeling as the last day of a perfect vacation.
“Hey,” I say, breaking the silence. “It’s getting late. And honestly, the thought of hitting Seoul traffic right now sounds like a special kind of torture.”
He glances at me, reading the exhaustion I don’t have to fake. He gives a single, decisive nod and, at the next exit, pulls off the highway into a sleepy town that looks like it’s been forgotten by time in the best way. He finds a small, cozy hotel tucked away on a quiet street.
At the front desk, a friendly clerk smiles warmly. “How many rooms will you be needing this evening?”
And just like that, the competent, unflappable Manager Kang vanishes, replaced by a slightly panicked man who has just been confronted with alogistical problem his training never prepared him for. A faint blush creeps up his neck.
“Just… one?” he says, the word coming out as a question, his voice a little tight. He glances back at me, his eyes wide with a silent, panicked plea that says,Is this okay? Are we doing this? Is this a line we’re allowed to cross?
It’s the most flustered I have ever seen him. And it’s ridiculously endearing.
I decide to save him from his own internal HR manual. I give the clerk a small, reassuring smile. “One is perfect,” I say, my voice calm and clear, making the decision for both of us.
He nods, still looking a little unsure but relieved, and handles the check-in smoothly.
Upstairs, the room is small and clean, dominated by a double bed draped in soft white linens. Shin sets our bags down, the air suddenly thick with eight years of unspoken things.
“Are you sure this is okay? It’s not exactly… spacious.”
My brain is currently a high-speed collision of‘There’s no return after this point’and‘Please, for the love of god, kiss me.’
As usual, Iopt for teasing. “We shared a smaller bed at your parents’ place, remember?” I wink, trying to act cool even though my heart is pounding.
We take turns showering, a polite, nerve-wracking dance of avoidance. But eventually, the night arrives.
It’s just us, the quiet room, and the palpable heat crackling in the space between us. I see something new in his eyes then—not just care, not just concern, but raw, undisguised desire.
He opens his mouth, “Min-hee… I—”
I can’t take the suspense anymore. “Oh, for god’s sake, Shin, just kiss me already,” I say, fisting my hands in the hem of his shirt and pulling him in.
The world around us falls away, and there is only our connection. Our tongues dance together, exploring and tasting, our hearts pounding in unison as we press closer.
Soon, our bodies meld together, hands roaming over each other, desperate for more contact. Our clothes become burdensome barriers in the heat of our desire. As our kiss breaks, I find myself helpless against him, panting heavily. My sweater is pushed up, revealing my breasts, and hetakes one into his mouth, suckling gently and drawing a gasp from my throat.