My gosh, life is hectic and crazy. I'm preparing for a huge move back to America and it's all super crazy and weird, but I'm back and updating!
Thank you all for reading, and thank you so much to krysyuy for being the best beta ever

Wang So

"I don't care what you think is right, Mr. Yang, I want the entire team investigated. They may be making money but their ethics are skewed."

So glanced over at Soo as she talked to someone on the phone, her eyes closed and her free hand pressed against her forehead. Her strained voice and focus on breathing informed So that his girlfriend was almost tipping from annoyance to anger.

Soo seemed to be on edge ever since she had called him to her office to inform him that Chae Ryung knew about their relationship. So had berated himself for being careless, but he had stayed calm for Soo, telling her it would be alright.

He continued driving as Soo hung up and groaned from where she sat beside him. She dropped her phone into her purse and slipped her palm into his, sighing as she looked out the window. "Why do I bother shouting at men twenty years older than me?" she asked.

Chuckling, So squeezed her palm and pulled it to his lips, kissing her skin as he continued to drive. He could smell the rosy hues of her hand cream and licked the lightest trace of sweetness from his lips. "Because you're their boss and have every right to do so."

"This is a new route," Soo remarked as she looked out the front window. "You don't usually take this one when I go to lunch."

So nodded his head as trees and walkways passed by them. Meticulous planning, an innate knowledge of Soo's schedule, and a morning of endless fretting had led to this very moment.

"I'm not taking you to your usual lunch restaurant," So said, smiling as Soo frowned and pursed her rouge-coated lips. Her expression quickly loosened and she raised her eyebrows at the scenery.

"Is this… the Han River?" she asked, excitement tingeing her voice.

"I can never fool you, can I?" So chuckled and pulled into a small parking lot at the edge of a walking trail. He stopped the car and looked over at Soo with a wide smile, eager to surprise her with something he had planned for weeks. "Your lunch break today is going to be a Han River date with me."

When Soo's initial surprise melted into a smile, So leaned in when she motioned for him to come forward. His suit strained against his seatbelt, but when he reached the center of the car, his efforts were rewarded with a sweet kiss from his girlfriend. "I love you, Wang So."

"I love you, Hae Soo."

So left the car and walked over to the other side to open Soo's door.

With the widest of smiles, he held a hand out for Soo to hold. So gazed down at the eager face his girlfriend made and remembered listening to Soo tell him that as rebellious a child as she was, she still loved the romantic. Her love of romance novels, poetry, and pretty things had led So to decide that a date on the Han River—perhaps the most cliche of dates—was something Soo would enjoy.

And he was right.

Soo held his arm as he walked her to the back of the car and opened the trunk, presenting a backpack and a small, shiny pouch.

"I cajoled the chef into letting me use the kitchen this morning," So explained as he shouldered the backpack. "We're going to have kimbap, bean sprout soup, and zucchini jeon."

"You made it all yourself?" Soo asked incredulously. So nodded and chuckled when Soo pressed closer against his side, her pink coat wrinkling his black one and her equally pink scarf nudging against his shoulder.

So leaned in to kiss Soo's cheek as he tore into the slim, silvery package. "I nabbed a couple of the side dishes from the fridge, but I did make the main course."

He pulled a white mask from the package and leaned back, opening it and gently placing the cloth over Soo's nose and mouth, hooking two straps behind her ears and making sure they did not get caught on her long earrings. "The smog is bad today, so I'm sorry you have to put this on," he said. So pinched the bridge of Soo's nose that fit the mask perfectly against her face and chuckled when she made a face at him.

"What about you?" she asked. "What about all the smog you're swallowing? I don't want you getting hurt."

So pulled the backpack higher over his shoulder and pressed his lips against Soo's mask, kissing her lips through the barrier. "I'll be fine, my darling," he said.

He led her towards the trail, clasping her hand in his and smiling as the sun shone down on that beautiful day. The Han River flowed between two walking trails and large parks, where people spent the lovely Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm not a former smoker," Soo decided, taking her mask off. So frowned at her before smirking when she placed the mask onto his face, comfortably situating it against his mouth and adjusting the nosepiece to fit his taller nose. Her peach-painted nails moved close to his face and made sure he was well protected. "We have to protect your lungs as much as we can."

Soo pressed the same kiss So had given her to his lips, and So laughed at the feeling of the mask pressing down onto his mouth. "Let's find a shady place to lay the blanket out and have lunch. I have some stuff planned since you moved your lunch to coincide with your break today."

"You know, when I said I'd give you three hours, I didn't think we'd be having a Han River date," Soo said, airily sighing as she took his hand once more.

"Your man is full of surprises," So said with a chuckle. He led Soo to a grassy area by the water shaded by a tree that was almost in full bloom. A cool breeze brushed past them, informing them that it was not yet spring.

Taking the backpack off, So released Soo's hand just long enough to open the bag and remove a large beach towel. He spread it over the grass and knelt when Soo adjusted her coat and plopped down onto the soft seat. "The weather is so nice!"

Smirking, So sat with a space between himself and Soo, removing metal containers from the backpack. "I changed the weather just so you'd like it. Your partner has that kind of power, Hae Soo," he declared.

Opening the lids, So presented the colorful dishes he had prepared all morning after his workout. Brightly colored kimbap rested in neat little stacks while a clear, golden broth with bean sprouts came right behind it. There were round slices of zucchini grilled in an egg batter, and small containers of side dishes like stir-fried anchovies, raw seaweed in pepper sauce, jellyfish salad, and kimchi.

When Soo marvelled over their pretty lunch, So felt his pride inflate, and he leaned in just as Soo pulled him close to press a kiss to his cheek. "I love you so much," she said before eagerly snatching the wooden chopsticks he offered right out from his hands and snapping the wood apart.

"I will eat this well!" she declared, immediately reaching for a piece of kimbap and popping it into her mouth. So watched with mute anticipation as Soo chewed for a few moments, her cheeks ballooning to fit the large morsel. Her eyes turned towards him and So laughed when she held two thumbs up. "Iff fo wood!"

"Don't you scold Mi and Yoon for speaking with food in their mouths?" So asked, pulling his mask down to bring the soup container to his lips and take a sip of the hot, refreshing broth. He could easily taste the anchovies and dashida, and his teeth crunched into blanched sprouts with ease. So grinned at Soo and handed her the soup so she could also lift the bowl to her lips and drink.

"I'm their mother, so I make the rules," she declared once her mouth was empty. So chuckled as Soo immediately reached for another piece of kimbap, layering it with some anchovies, adding a piece of zucchini, and holding it up to his lips with a long "ah".

So ate the little combination Soo had prepared for him and chewed through its many layers, grinning in relief at the fact that the rolls did not taste bad at all. He could taste the grilled meat, spinach, carrots, pickled radish, and fried tofu that had all gone into the roll along with the sushi-grade rice he had asked the chef to prepare the night before.

They ate and ate, chatting aimlessly and watching the sun shimmer over the somewhat clean waters of the Han River. So wrapped an arm around Soo and opened his mouth to whatever she offered, happily enjoying a normal date with his girlfriend. He hoped to take away at least a bit of stress that weighed her shoulders down.

Once they finished lunch, So packed the empty containers within each other, dumped them into his backpack, and folded the towel after helping Soo up.

They walked along the river, sharing an ice cream cone Soo had decided to have after they passed by a convenience store. She took large bites of the sweet, cold treat while So lightly nibbled on the cone when she offered it to him. "You must be a sour, sour person if you don't like sweets," Soo remarked as So crunched into the cone.

"You must be asking for hypothermia for eating ice cream in this weather," So muttered back, avoiding touching the cold confection to keep his body temperature stable in the increasingly strong winds.

Soo only laughed as So shivered. "I have to do everything in this relationship!" she said with a giggle, pulling her scarf off and reaching her arms around his shoulders. So protested as the soft pink cashmere was draped over him. The scarf was like a cloud resting on his skin and smelled like Soo, warm from being around her.

"Soo, you'll get cold," he said, trying to return the scarf to her.

"No, I'm eating ice cream because I'm actually about to start sweating," she said with a smile. Soo patted his chest and So shook his head at his partner. "It suits you, Wang So. You need a pop of color."

Pulling Soo by the waist, So smirked when her hip bumped into his. "I don't need to wear color, I have you. You're my walking crayon."

"I will kick you."

They kissed.

So led Soo away from the path they were on and towards the buildings that shot to the sky all around the Han River. He had another destination for them to reach, and with Soo's lunch and break almost ending, he hoped to get there quickly.

A small bell jangled when So took Soo into a jewelry store. It was a quaint establishment that made small, bespoke items, and So had first used the place to make hairpins he would later coat with poison for past targets, as well as a pair of diamond earrings for his mother's sixtieth birthday. Bad memories tinged the charming store, so So hoped to create a new, prettier memory there.

They walked past a pair of jade dragons awaiting a new owner, a glass case holding a ruby brooch shaped like a firebird taking flight, hundreds of little trinkets made of pricey stones, and other pretty things So wished he could buy for Soo. But he felt that none of these things would suit her.

"A jewelry store?" Soo asked. She tugged on his hand as if to leave without insulting the owner, but So pulled her forward. He did not make nearly enough money to buy the jewelry in the shop on the salary Soo gave him, but with the massive nest egg that had accumulated in his various bank accounts from his unsavory past, So could buy Soo something he truly wished to give her. "So, you don't have to–"

"Mrs. Hae, I'm insulted," So said with a chuckle as he led Soo to the front counter, where the smiling jeweler set a long velvet box onto the glass case between them. "Don't worry, Hae Soo, I can afford this."

"From your past job fixing problems? So, I don't want you to think you have to spend money on me, it's fine."

Nodding his head, So accepted the box he had already paid for beforehand. "Soo, I made good money, I just quit because I hated my job."

"But you don't have to–"

"Come on, when was the last time I bought you anything?"

He could hear her grumbling that he had loaned her cash for her birth control the month before, when she had forgotten her wallet while out.

"That wasn't romantic," So retorted.

"It was the nicest eight thousand won gift I've ever received."

So rolled his eyes. He held the soft, black case out to Soo as she made a face at him. "Hae Soo, if you don't accept this, I'll throw it into the river and then you'll be the reason I wasted money."

With an exasperated laugh, Soo accepted the box from his hands and So put an arm around her waist to watch as she opened it.

Within soft velvet cushions was a bracelet made of a delicate gold chain. Three ivory peonies—no larger than his pinkie nail—were tied in place on the band, disconnected from each other by two red, jade beads. So smiled and kissed Soo's hair as she gasped at the gift, her fingertips tracing the flowers.

"It's beautiful," she finally admitted. "I love it."

Soo removed the bracelet and handed it to him, asking him to put it on her. So took the chain from her and waited for her to push her sleeve aside to uncover her wrist. He laid the bracelet over her pale skin so the flowers looked out, and then clasped the chain.

He smiled again and held the small of Soo's back as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I love you, Hae Soo," So said, closing his eyes as he nudged his cheek against her hair. "This bracelet is my promise, okay? That I'll love and protect you forever."

He felt her grip tighten. "I'll have to get you something too! Because you can't be the only one loving and protecting!"

They kissed outside the jewelry shop, and So kept his eyes on Soo as she marvelled at the bracelet, letting the beads glint in the sunlight. "I love it," she repeated softly, her other hand clasping his.

They walked back towards the car at a leisurely pace. There was still time for them to enjoy their date, and So wanted to savor every little moment he had with Soo. They discussed random topics, but So loved every single one of them. From zoo animals to Mi's favorite cartoons, from their favorite types of foods to their first time getting stitches.

"I'm thinking about getting off birth control," Soo said out of the blue. So frowned for a moment before asking why she arrived at that conclusion.

"I read an article that turned me off," she explained, squeezing his hand. "And I don't like how I've begun breaking out. I think it's the medication."

Nodding his head, So brought Soo's knuckles to his lips and gave her a little kiss. He could see the parking lot and the black Equus they had arrived in. "I guess I'll have to buy condoms, then," he murmured against her skin. He accepted Soo's change of heart with little thought, and reached into his pocket to find the car keys.

"Mr. Wang," Soo said.

"Hm?" So glanced over at her as she set a hand onto the car window. He raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend as she gave him the sweetest smile. So grew worried.

"I love you!" Soo declared, her beam bubbling into giggles. So chuckled and blew her a kiss.

"I love you, Hae Soo."

A week later, So rubbed the back of his neck as he walked into his bedroom to undress and get ready for bed. He remembered first starting his job and completely adhering to the strict dress code, before slowly foregoing the uncomfortable aspects and walking about in clothes he usually wore. A sport coat and button-down were much more comfortable without a tie, anyways.

He hung his jacket and tossed his shirt into the laundry hamper by the door. His hand made for the belt buckle at his waist, but he stopped at the sight of an anomaly.

Turning on one heel, So looked straight at his bed and blinked at the large paper bag that sat on it, tufts of chiffon paper jutting out in an elegant manner.

A silver heart shone on the front of the bag.

"You're either from Hae Soo or you're a bomb," So muttered idly. He sighed and reached a hand forward, tossing pink and white paper aside to look at a small slip of pink paper with pretty, well-trained calligraphy on it. "From Hae Soo," he decided.

I saw your watch was hanging onto its last threads of life so I got you a new one. It's waterproof and can apparently withstand a bomb, so I think it'll be able to keep up with your dangerous life of chasing my girls around and keeping tabs on me. I also got you the same scarf as mine so we can match. I wore yours around a bit just so it'd smell like me. I would say these are my "I promise to protect you" gifts, but I doubt I'd be able to protect you from much… a small dog, perhaps. So these are my "I love you and want you to be warm" gifts.

Kisses,

Your partner

So chuckled at the note and pressed the paper to his lips before setting it on his desk. He reached into the packaging and removed a black scarf that matched the pink one Soo had draped over him on their date. So brought it to his face and inhaled, immediately picking up Soo's perfume and traces of her shampoo.

Winter was over, but So adored the cozy scarf his girlfriend had gotten for him. His heart felt warm as he remembered wondering why Soo was wearing a black scarf during one of their outings.

Noticing one last item in the bag, So reached in and removed a soft case with a designer logo on its front. Opening the top, he raised his eyebrows at a shiny, silver watch with a deep blue face, and a small golden crown just above where gold Hanja characters displayed his name. So wondered how expensive the watch was as he looked at the leather one on his wrist.

The scratched, beaten, mutilated timepiece held onto its final strings of life with fierce determination. Soft, worn leather held his wrist, and a clasp that broke all too easily had assisted him in keeping the time throughout his past life as a hitman. He had purchased the watch after graduating from college, and it had managed to survive every bit of horror So had dragged it through. Of course, he had chosen the most inconspicuous leather watch due to how untraceable they were. But now that he was no longer a hitman, he had no need to avoid being tracked.

His old watch made a racket as he tossed it into the trash can without a second thought.

So removed the new watch from its box and examined the hefty piece, testing its weight in his hands and turning the face over to examine the back.

His eyes rested on another inscription done in loopy English.

"I love you," he read softly. So smiled before sliding the watch onto his wrist and locking the cool metal in place. He examined the stunning piece of art that bore his Soo's love and care, and decided he would never go anywhere without it.

Once dressed in only a pair of sweatpants, So laid in bed and sighed. He wished Hae Soo was beside him, muttering about her day and rubbing her eyes before giving him a last kiss and falling asleep.

Alone with his thoughts, So brought up his promise to never lie to Soo. He had already broken his promise hundreds of times by avoiding telling her about his past job, but he hated each instance in which he shied away from telling her the truth. The fact that he was a hitman was something So had planned on taking to the grave, but it weighed on his soul with each passing day. Every time he looked Soo in the eyes and silently promised never to lie to her, his heart grew heavier, and exhaustion overtook him.

Soo promised she would keep him by her side.

He banked his relationship with Soo on her promise.