Read THE Runway :: Chapter 5

THE Runway
Chapter 5: Can’t Stop, Can’t Quit

The planning meeting for the November issue had begun.

It was the first meeting with Hyunmin as editor-in-chief, and the entire staff sat in tense silence.

“Let’s begin.”

The moment Hyunmin stepped into the room, before he even took his seat, he announced the start of the meeting.

“We’ll go around the room, clockwise.”

As everyone hesitated, unsure who should go first, Hyunmin twirled his index finger in the air, signaling them to follow the order.

That meant Yura was up first.

“Yes, sir. I was thinking of a leopard print concept—”

“Next.”

A blunt dismissal. I didn’t need to listen any longer.

“I was considering fur as the main—”

“Next.”

Now it was Jeonggyu Park’s turn—one of the few men in the Fashion Style team.

“Yes, November’s when the weather starts getting chilly, right? Our readers might start longing for warmer climates. I thought we could bring in actor HaXX Lee and shoot in some warm Southeast Asian destination—”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” the editor-in-chief’s voice cut in, laced with amusement.

Not the kind that came from genuine enjoyment. No, it was full of sarcasm and condescension.

“I appreciate the laugh. Really, I do. But I’ve had enough now.”

The entire room went dead silent. The atmosphere turned ice cold in an instant.

“It seems you’re all stuck in a box.”

Hyunmin leaned back, lacing his fingers together, his smile sharp.

“Editors are supposed to be creative, right?”

That smirk of his slowly twisted into something else.

“Break out of that box, while I’m still asking nicely.”

His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

“Before I break it myself.”

His gaze was as venomous as a snake’s, like a predator ready to sink its fangs in, inject poison, and slowly paralyze its prey.

Oh, crap.

Under the table, Jian’s leg bounced anxiously. She bit her thumbnail, nervous as hell. And of course, her turn was coming up right when he was pissed off.

Back in school, she could stand in front of an entire auditorium without breaking a sweat. But now? Her hands were ice-cold from nerves.

“Next.”

It was her turn.

“Uh… I…”

She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, lowering her eyes to a safe 45-degree angle.

“November 9th is Firefighters’ Day, right? I thought we could feature real firefighters, set the backdrop as an actual fire scene, and capture their raw, intense expressions in a photoshoot. It would highlight their sacrifices and hardships, while also raising awareness about fire safety and prevention for our readers.”

Silence.

Jian hesitantly lifted her gaze to glance at Hyunmin.

He had been frowning the whole time, and now he was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

I’m screwed. He hates it.

She braced herself, preparing to bow her head in resignation. But then—

“Everyone except Jian, get out.”

No one moved. Blinking in confusion, they exchanged looks. Hyunmin exhaled, looking thoroughly annoyed.

“Do I need to spell it out for you like a bunch of kindergarteners? Every single idea in this room, aside from Jian’s, is absolute garbage. So take your trash and get the hell out of this meeting.”

His words were daggers, each one landing with precision.

“Bring me something worth salvaging before you clock out today.”

The daggers turned into arrows, striking every employee in the chest.

“Haa. Is it time to quit?”

The grumbles of frustrated coworkers filled the hallway as they shuffled out.

Now it was just Jian and the editor-in-chief, alone in the vast meeting room.

“Come here.”

He gestured with a lazy flick of his finger.

“Pardon?”

Jian’s eyes widened in disbelief. Hyunmin let out a small chuckle, one he never showed when others were around.

“You look like I just told you to walk into a lion’s den. I’m just saying, sit closer so we can actually talk.”

“Oh… Right.”

As Jian reached for her planner and moved closer, his voice dropped into a low murmur, laced with amusement.

“You don’t have to act so jumpy. It’s not like we haven’t already tasted each other.”

Thud! Jian’s heart dropped to her feet. and a flood of memories from that night in Paris flashed through her mind.

* * *

In Paris.

The two of them, strangers until that night, had walked side by side into Jian’s hotel room.

Each carrying a couple of beers and some light snacks.

It had been a reckless invitation—asking a man she’d just met to come up for a drink—but now that they were inside, things felt… awkward.

This is all because of you, Seongmin!

She could practically grind her teeth at the thought of her ex. But when she looked at the man in front of her, she suddenly felt self-conscious.

Unlike her, he didn’t seem the least bit fazed.

Still, he had enough manners not to sit down without permission. He simply stood near the door, waiting.

“Uh… Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just… take a quick shower.”

“A shower? Why?”

For the first time, his composed expression cracked.

“Huh? Oh, no! I didn’t mean it that way!”

Jian waved her hands frantically in the air.

“I—I just sweated a lot today!”

“Oh… Because you sweated a lot.”

He looked at her like she’d said something weird, but Jian pretended not to notice and turned on the TV.

The news played in the background, but it was all in French, nothing made sense to her.

“It must be nice... being fluent in French. You can actually understand all this, huh?”

“It’s not my first language, so unless I really focus, I miss things—especially with the news.”

“When did you come to France?”

“When I was about 22?”

“What brought you here?”

“Studying, naturally...”

“And you’re working now?”

“I am.”

“Where?”

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

“How old are you?”

“Wow. You really ask a lot of questions. Is this some kind of interrogation?”

He leaned back on the couch, one hand on a beer can, the other casually draped over the backrest.

“Oh... I’m sorry.”

“Apologizing all the time. That’s a habit, isn’t it?”

“Sorry—”

“See? I knew it.” He chuckled.

Jian bit her lower lip.

“Just go take a shower already.”

“Why?”

Without thinking, she found herself staring at him. He lifted the beer can to his lips, letting out a short, amused chuckle.

“So we can have fun.”

Having fun—it sounded like something kids would say at the playground.

It certainly wasn’t an overtly suggestive remark, yet coming from him, it felt undeniably sensual.

She was still reeling from heartbreak.

She was thousands of miles away from home.

The man in front of her was breathtakingly attractive.

But still, are you out of your mind?

How could you invite a man whose name you don’t even know into your hotel room?

This isn’t like you.

Why are you acting so impulsively today?!

Jian couldn’t stop berating herself the whole time she showered.

When she stepped out, still in the same outfit, her skin smelled faintly of L’Occitang body wash.

Meanwhile, he’d already finished two cans of beer. Arms crossed, he leaned back against the couch, lazily watching the TV. Every so often, he glanced down at his watch.

“You can shower too if you want,” she blurted, surprising herself.

“Why would I do that?”

He furrowed his brow. Flustered, Jian’s eyes quivered.

“I-it’s quite late already… and let’s be real, when you get back, you probably won’t want to shower. You’ve got work tomorrow, right? And a hot shower has a way of melting away fatigue.”

Her words tumbled out, rambling, unfiltered. He watched her silently for a moment, gave a small nod and without a hint of hesitation, disappeared into the bathroom.

Wait… he’s actually going to shower?

For some reason, her face flushed, heat rising in her skin, making her feel like a bride on her wedding night.

When he came out, he smelled like her, thanks to the body wash, but looked almost exactly the same as when he went in.

Except now, the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

The air between them felt thick with something unspoken as they sat on the bed, cross-legged, snacks laid out between them.

Neither of them seemed entirely sure what to make of the situation. Every so often, one of them let out a short, awkward chuckle.

One beer turned into two, then three. As the warmth of alcohol settled in, Jian—loosened by the buzz—started talking.

She talked about her ex-fiancé’s betrayal—how she’d spent five years loving him, only for it all to fall apart. And how her heartbreak had driven her to Paris on a whim.

The man listened without interrupting, showing no signs of impatience or judgment.

At moments like this, she thought, he actually seemed like a surprisingly good person.

As the drinks took effect, the tension eased, and their eyes naturally turned to each other.

The conversation slowly faded into silence.

Their eyes met and lingered.

“…”

The soft hum of the television filled the space, the French dialogue now sounding almost poetic. Outside, the Parisian skyline stretched beyond the hotel window, the city glittering under the night. The warm glow of the room’s lighting cast a languid haze over everything.

Jian’s gaze softened, hazy from the alcohol, and she thought his gaze was seductive.

Without thinking, her hand reached out, fingertips brushing his cheek, lingering there. For a brief moment, he seemed caught off guard by the touch, but quickly regained composure, letting out a quiet, amused chuckle.

“You’re drunk.”

“Jian Yoo,” she murmured, “That’s my name.”

“Alright, Ms. Jian Yoo, you’re drunk.”

“I’ve blabbed too much to a man I just met, haven’t I? I think I’m... a little frustrated.”

He was right.

She was completely drunk.

“Everyone has frustrations...”

“I mean, sexually,” she interjected, cutting him off.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?”

“I think I’ve been holding in a lot.”

He let out a short, incredulous chuckle, caught off guard by her unnervingly casual tone.

“So what? You want me to fix that for you?”

“Would you?”

“You’re playing with fire. Not that it’s any of my business, but you really shouldn’t drink alone with strangers.”

“Want to kiss?”

“I don’t like to be teased like that.”

“I’m not joking."

The trace of a smile vanished from his lips.

“If you push me any further, I won’t hold back.”

“Then don’t.”

The moment the words left her mouth, he pulled on her arm—firm, unhesitating, a touch rough.

“…!”

Jian let out a small gasp as the space between them vanished in an instant. Their faces were close now, the heat of his skin palpable.

He watched her carefully, as if searching for any trace of hesitation.

There was none.

“Really?” He continued, his lips curving slightly, “So you’re serious?”

Jian swallowed hard.

“Just… tell me one thing, You’re not seeing anyone, right?”

“Not every man is like your ex,” he said simply.

Chuckling, he tilted his head slightly and brushed his lips against hers.

He gently coaxed her lips apart, and when she parted just enough, he pressed in, his tongue seeking hers with a hot, insistent urgency, tangling in a possessive dance.

“…!”

He seized her lips with fierce passion, his tongue pushing into her mouth, full of vitality and hunger.

The kiss was relentless, stealing her breath. Overwhelmed, Jian barely managed to pull away for air, her chest rising and falling. The man frowned.

“Keep up. I hate anything dull.”

His lips curved into a smirk.

He took her hand,

slowly threading their fingers together, his palm pressing firmly against hers before they entwined completely. Leaning in closer, he whispered softly against her ear, “Lie down.”

“What…?”

“You asked me to release your frustration, right?”

His voice was hypnotic, and before she realized it, Jian had obediently settled onto the bed.

The crisp, clean scent of the white sheets enveloped her.

Soon, she felt his solid weight pressing down on her. His strong thighs bracketing her, he gazed at her slowly, savoring the moment like a predator poised over its prey.

His fingers skimmed along her ankle, then traced up her thigh—slow and deliberate, like a musician playing a familiar, practiced tune.

Her body betrayed her, reacting before she could stop it. A breathy moan slipped past her lips.

He dipped his head and reclaimed her mouth, this time deeper, more demanding, more consuming. But then he suddenly pulled back slightly.

“I don’t start things I don’t intend to finish.”

His dark eyes caged her in, his gaze traveling down, savoring her.

“If you don’t want this, say it now. If you want to stop, we stop now.”

Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, like a giant stomping inside her chest.

“No.”

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Just let go. What does it matter?

They weren’t going to see each other again anyway.