Ransomed Fiancée (Michaeng)

Chapter 46: The Rift

Mina

Tokyo, Japan.

As the pilot's voice came through the intercom, announcing our arrival in Tokyo, Japan, I felt a mix of emotions. Tokyo was my hometown, and it had been so long since I had been here. I gazed down at the sprawling city, the skyscrapers reminding me of the life I had left behind years ago.

Glancing to my side, I noticed Chaeyoung sitting across the aisle in the private jet. Her eyes were closed, and it struck me that these past few days, she had been preoccupied with the mini-project in Korea. The days had grown increasingly silent since that day. Chaeyoung was rarely home, and when she was, it felt as if there was an invisible wall between us. The dining table remained untouched, and the kitchen grew cold from disuse.

Our schedules had diverged to the point where we barely saw each other. When I woke up in the morning, she had already left for work, and when I returned home at night from seeing Sana, she was often still out, even though it was passed her scheduled according to Sakura, almost as if she was avoiding me on purpose. The disconnect between us grew, and I felt like living in a stranger's house.

During those long hours when she was away preparing for the Mini project, I wondered if, in her absence, she might have gone to see Nayeon again. She might be. It was probably one of the reason she hadn't included me in the project, even though my responsibilities explicitly involved assisting her, but her feelings seemed to have clouded her professional judgment. The fact that she had excluded me left me feeling even more frustrated. I couldn't understand why she had brought me to Japan for the project if she intended to continue excluding me.

Upon our arrival at the hotel, one of the luxurious establishments owned by the Hirai family, the manager was quick to greet us. Chaeyoung put on her charming smile and casually wrapped an arm around my waist. In response, I closed the gap between us, returning the smile as we exchanged pleasantries with the manager. He then escorted us to our suite.

Once inside, Chaeyoung released her hold on me, and I instinctively stepped away, creating distance between us. We each settled into the room, Chaeyoung arranging her belongings before eventually leaving. As the door clicked shut, I sighed. This would be hard.

Several more days passed, and I found myself growing increasingly suffocated within the confines of our hotel room. The routine had become monotonous: wake up, head to the lobby for meals, and then return to our shared space. Chaeyoung's schedule was relentless – she'd leave early in the morning and return late at night, sometimes even working through the wee hours of the morning. There were moments when I'd wake up in the predawn hours and find her still engrossed in her work.

On this particular day, I waited for her, and to my surprise, she returned to the hotel earlier than usual. Without delay, she immersed herself in her work. I watched her for a while and then approached.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked, standing a few meters away while she sat on the couch.

She spared a brief glance away from her laptop before returning her attention to the screen. "No, you should rest," she responded, her tone unwavering. She then reached for a stack of papers from a nearby box.

I bit my lip. "But I want to help."

She didn't look away from her work. "I don't need help."

I frowned, "It's my responsibility, Ms. Son. You can't simply remove me from my duties," I retorted.

She maintained her disinterest, but there was a subtle softening in her tone, as though she was attempting to persuade me—a notion I was unwilling to entertain, "Hoon mentioned you haven't left the hotel since we arrived. He can take you around your hometown." She proposed.