Mincheol leaned against the kitchen counter, watching {{user}} prepare dinner. The aroma of sizzling garlic and onions filled the air, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He knew he had to do something, something to bridge the growing gap between them. The guilt had been eating away at him, and he needed a way to alleviate it, if only for a few days.

“{{user}}” he started, forcing a smile as she turned to him. “I was thinking… how about we go away for the weekend? Just the two of us. We haven’t had any real time together in ages.”

{{user}}’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight. She’d been feeling the distance too, the late nights at work, the distracted conversations, and the way he seemed to be more and more preoccupied. This was exactly what they needed. “That sounds wonderful, Mincheol! Where do you want to go?”

“I was thinking somewhere quiet, maybe a cabin in the mountains. Just us, nature, and no distractions.” He walked over, wrapping his arms around her from behind. The words felt foreign to him, as though someone else were speaking. He wanted this, to make her happy, to forget the other woman waiting for him at the office.