Living on the Edge

Yunna was a young woman full of life, in love with Jeon Mingi, an older and respected man in the city. They were an unlikely couple, but perfect in the eyes of those who knew them.

 Yunna loved the balance that Mingi brought to her life, while he felt renewed by her contagious energy. Despite the age difference, they had built a relationship based on respect and love. At least, that's what it seemed like.

Everything started to fall apart one afternoon. Mingi had an extremely difficult day at work. Business was going badly, debts were starting to weigh on him, and the pressure seemed unbearable. 

When he got home, he barely had time to breathe before discovering that Yunna had accepted a ride from a friend of his, known for his dubious reputation.

"Did you get a ride from Kyungmin?" Mingi's voice was sharper than Yunna had ever heard.

"Yes, why? I didn't have a ride, and he offered to help," she replied, trying to remain calm. — You know who he is, Yunna! He's a scoundrel, he's always getting into trouble. How can you be so reckless?

The young woman looked at him in disbelief.

— Mingi, I just accepted a ride. Don't you trust me?

His silence was deafening. He looked away, unable to answer.

— Then why do you keep friends with someone like that? — Yunna replied, crossing her arms.

Mingi sighed, visibly uncomfortable.

— That's not the point. What matters is that you put yourself in danger. And besides... — he hesitated for a moment before continuing — I don't want my name to be associated with gossip. I'm a respected person, Yunna.

His words hit Yunna like a slap. She felt her blood boil.

— Are you worried about your name? Are you insinuating that I'm easy, Mingi?

He fell silent again, but this time the coldness in his eyes was more than Yunna could bear.

“I just want to avoid trouble, Yunna. You don’t understand the position I’m in.”

Yunna took a step back, her heart clenching. She had tried to get closer to him, to ease the tension with sweet words, even with a hug. But he pushed her away, more concerned with his reputation than with how she felt.

“You know what, Mingi? Maybe the problem isn’t what people will think of me. Maybe the problem is you.”

“Let me go, Mingi! You don’t understand anything about how I feel. All you think about is yourself and your precious reputation!”

— And you think it’s easy for me? — he countered, moving even closer. — Do you think I don’t go crazy with worry every time you do something I can’t control?

Yunna tried to pull her arm away, but he held her tightly enough to prevent her from escaping. He wasn’t aggressive, but he was intense.

— I worry because I love you, Yunna. Is it that hard to understand?

She stood still for a moment, staring at him, as if trying to decipher the sincerity behind his words. Then, suddenly, she pushed him with both hands on his chest.

— If you love me, then treat me like a partner, not like a child or a problem to manage! — she shouted, her voice breaking.

Mingi didn’t move at the push. Instead, he took a step forward, moving even closer.

— I don’t know how to do this, Yunna. Do you think I’m perfect? Do you think I can handle all this? I'm just as broken as you are.

 His words took her by surprise. He suddenly pulled her by the waist, holding her firmly but gently. Yunna tried to resist, but her strength gave way before the heat of his touch and the vulnerability in his eyes. 

"Let me go, Mingi..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "Not until you understand that we are the same. You are stubborn, impulsive, and I am proud and cold. 

But that doesn't mean I don't love you," he said, his voice deep but softer. 

She looked up at him, tears finally streaming down her cheeks. Then, without thinking, she was the one who grabbed him this time, gripping his shirt tightly. 

"Then prove to me, Mingi. Prove to me that I am more important than this damn reputation." He didn't respond with words. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her, a kiss that was a mix of anger, passion, and desperation. 

Yunna responded with the same intensity, holding his face between her hands as tears continued to flow. The kiss felt like a battle, neither willing to give in. But at the same time, it was as if they were finally speaking the same language, letting all barriers fall. 

When the kiss ended, they both fell silent, foreheads touching, breathing heavily. Yunna let go of Mingi's shirt with a heavy sigh. She could still taste the kiss and the strength of his words echoing in her mind. But deep down, something was still broken. 

"Mingi... I don't want things to stay like this," she said, her voice low and tired. He just watched her, looking as lost as she was. But he didn't say anything. 

The silence between them was suffocating, full of things neither of them knew how to express. Without another word, Yunna turned and walked to the guest room. She didn't want to leave him, but she needed space to think. 

Their relationship had always been like a rollercoaster: intense highs and devastating lows. But now, it felt like the mountain had stopped at a tipping point.

Mingi stood in the hallway, staring at the door she had closed behind her. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself.

 He knew he had done wrong, but the weight of his own insecurities seemed more than he could bear. After a few minutes, he made his way to the master bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed.

There, in the silence of the room that had once been their space, Mingi realized how afraid he was of losing her. But it wasn’t something he knew how to fix right away. It was as if he was stuck in a cycle, trying to protect Yunna from everything while pushing her away at the same time.

Across the house, Yunna lay on the bed in the guest room. Her eyes fixed on the ceiling, silent tears streaming down her face. She didn’t want their relationship to end like this.

 She loved Mingi deeply, but it was exhausting to always live on the edge, between intense love and fights that left her exhausted.

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