MICHAENG : THE STORY UNFOLDS WITH YOU

CHAPTER 39 - STUPEFIED

Chaeyoung appears bewildered. "What do you mean by downgrading my taste in women?" His eyes widen as he looks at Mina, completely halting his eating.

Mina takes a sip of water before responding, "I didn't mean to diss or underestimate anyone here, but isn't she a woman from a bar? You know what kind of women they are," she says, her brows furrowing with her assumption.

Chaeyoung leans back and chuckles. "Nah, I think my taste still high, Mina-yaa," he replies, leaving Mina puzzled, evident by the wrinkles on her forehead.

He then pulls out his phone, scrolls through something, and finally shows it to Mina. "Look at this, Mina-ssi," he says and smirking, waiting for her reaction.

Mina squints as she reads the headline from the article Chaeyoung shows her, "Jeon Somi, a solo K-pop star, makes history as one of the new faces in Haper's BAZAAR cover magazine...?" Her eyes widen, and her face drains of color, turning as pale as chalk.

Chaeyoung bursts into giggles, "See? I told you I still have good taste in women and I'm upgrading well." He teases Mina, rolling his eyes.

Mina throws his phone on the table, annoyance growing within her. "What do you mean by upgrade? I'm your girl...your ex girlfriend..Are you saying now my standards lower than hers?" She roughly pulls her chair, causing a loud screeching sound that echoes through the kitchen as she coldly rises from her seat and tries to walk away.

Chaeyoung suddenly grabs her wrist, restraining her from moving. "Are you jealous of her?" He stands before Mina, his hand gently tightening on hers. "Look at me," his soft voice pleads with her as she avoids his gaze.

Mina bites her inner cheek, her gaze glaring at Chaeyoung. But as soon as their eyes meet, she slowly melts into it, her heart throbbing faster, but she tries to remain cold. "What?" She sternly asks.

"I've never told you that your standards are lower than anyone else's. You have your own beauty in my eyes . Besides, me and Somi, we are just friends, nothing more. I'm not thinking to find anyone else right now. I want to focus on myself and Hoonie first. So I hope you won't brag about this anymore. Alright??" He presses his lips together, his eyes smiling all at once. He gently pats Mina's head before walking away, leaving her dumbfounded by his words.

There's no way she couldn't feel butterflies in her stomach at Chaeyoung's compliments, and she can feel the sincerity in his remarks. But it's puzzling her even more when Chaeyoung is this gentle and shows his affection for her, especially when she desperately wants to cut him out of her life.  Mina's heart feels like it's being torn apart all over again, as if the wounds she's been trying to heal have been violently ripped open. The suffocating feeling of confusion and longing overwhelms her, making it hard to breathe.

-TIME SKIPPED-

It been a month now, Chaeyoung finds himself caught up in the demands of his new role as CEO, with meetings and campaigns taking up much of his time. He's been unable to spend as much time with his son as he would like, even on weekends. Meanwhile, his relationship with Mina has become increasingly unclear, with Mina focusing on her work, her son, and her relationship with Bambam. The distance between them grows, leaving Chaeyoung feeling disconnected and uncertain about Mina.

The final meeting regarding the latest accessories with a big company is underway in the conference room of the company building. Top management, along with important clients, are attentively listening to the marketing team's presentations. Chaeyoung is deeply engrossed in evaluating certain aspects of the presentation when he is suddenly interrupted by a flood of messages on his phone.

Glancing at his phone, he sees a spam messages from Mina, but he chooses to focus on the meeting and ignores them for the time being. However, his attention is once again diverted when Sakura approaches him with a worried expression.