When Lee Min-ho's luxury car stopped in front of Adis's house, both Ria and Lee Min-ho stepped out.
Behind them stood the bodyguard Mem, rigid as a statue, her stone-cold expression making her look more like a programmed machine than a human being.
At that moment, Adis was standing on the veranda wearing a lungi and a sleeveless vest, brushing his teeth. The sight of an expensive car and an unfamiliar bodyguard startled him. He hurried downstairs.
Scene: Adis vs Bodyguard Mem
Without even looking at Ria, Adis walked straight up to Mem and stood right in front of her. She was nearly six feet tall, wearing black sunglasses—the kind that never revealed emotions.
Adis widened his eyes dramatically.
Adis: "Whoa! Ria, is this your new girlfriend? Or did Sir Lee Min-ho import a robot straight from Korea? Such a beautiful face, but why doesn't it smile?"
Mem didn't move an inch.
Adis stepped closer and tried tapping on her sunglasses.
Adis: "Hello, Miss Mem! Do you stand in the sun all day like this? Can you tell me which fairness cream you use? And this earpiece—are you listening to music or talking to James Bond?"
Lee Min-ho turned away, trying hard to suppress his laughter. Ria signaled Adis to stop, but stopping was never Adis's specialty.
Leaning closer, Adis whispered dramatically,
Adis: "You know, with that angry look, you resemble Wonder Woman. How about taking the back seat of my bike someday?"
That was it.
In one swift motion, Mem grabbed Adis's wrist, twisted it behind his back, and locked it in place.
Adis screamed in pain.
Adis: "Aaaah! I'm dead! Sir, save me! Your robot is breaking my bones!"
Mem (coldly): "Mr. Adis, maintain a five-foot distance. Repeat this behavior, and I will demonstrate practical self-defense."
Lee Min-ho stepped in and signaled Mem to let him go.
Adis staggered backward, rubbing his arm.
Adis: "This isn't a bodyguard—this is a living volcano! Ria, where did you find her? With her around, even the groom would run away from the wedding stage!"
Lee Min-ho: "Her name is Mem. She used to work in Special Forces. Flirting with her is like taking a selfie with the god of death."
Adis trembled.
Adis: "Understood, sir! From today, Mem is my elder sister. Mem-didi, shall I bring biryani for you? Or do you prefer eating human hearts raw?"
Ria and Lee Min-ho burst out laughing.
But inside, Adis felt humiliated.
Me? The neighborhood don? Defeated by a woman in public? I'll take revenge.
Scene: Adis's Spicy Mission
In the kitchen, Adis pulled out a biryani packet from the fridge.
Then, secretly, he brought out his weapons—Naga chili pickle and red chili powder.
He prepared a special plate for Mem, stuffing the meat pieces with extreme spice and pickle, decorating it beautifully so nothing looked suspicious.
Adis (politely): "Mem-didi, please don't be upset. You protect Ria, so I respect you. I've prepared this special biryani just for you."
Mem hesitated but accepted the plate.
Ria: "Adis, why are you suddenly so nice?"
Adis: "Great people deserve respect!"
Mem took a big bite.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Her face turned bright red. Sweat streamed down her forehead.
But she didn't scream. She swallowed calmly and smiled—an unsettling smile.
Mem (steadily): "Mr. Adis… the biryani is very… powerful. But I like spicy food."
She finished an entire one-liter bottle of water in seconds.
Adis was shocked.
Then Mem stood up and walked toward him.
Mem: "My grandfather used to say spicy food builds strength. Come, let me thank you properly."
She grabbed Adis by the collar, lifted him effortlessly, and placed him on the dining table.
Mem: "You prepared this food. Now we'll finish it together."
Adis: "Nooo! I can't eat spicy food! I have piles! I won't survive!"
Lee Min-ho was laughing so hard he nearly fell off the sofa.
Ria joined in mercilessly.
Mem forced a spoonful into Adis's mouth.
Adis: "MOOOOOO!!!"
His eyes streamed with tears. His face turned tomato red.
Only after the plate was empty did Mem finally hand him water.
Adis collapsed.
Adis: "Sir… please send her back to Korea. She's not human. She's fire itself."
Mem adjusted her sunglasses and whispered,
Mem: "Before adding chili next time, remember—I grew up in the Rajasthan desert. We chew chilies and drink no water."
Scene: Old Memories Awaken
Adis ran to the bathroom, pouring water over himself.
Ria followed, worried.
She knew Adis couldn't tolerate spice. And there was history—one no one else knew.
They had once been lovers in college.
Ria wiped his face gently.
Ria: "Calm down, Adis. You'll be fine."
Overwhelmed, Adis suddenly hugged her.
Adis (broken voice): "Why did you do this to me, Ria? I can bear the chili… but not seeing you with someone else."
Ria froze.
Ria: "Don't be foolish. That chapter is over."
But Adis held her tighter.
Scene: Cherry Blossom Memories
Adis: "Do you remember the cherry blossom tree behind our college? The day you gave me a flower and said you loved me?"
Tears filled Ria's eyes.
Ria: "I remember everything… but time has changed us."
Adis: "I'm still standing under that tree. You moved on. My tree died."
Ria gently held his face.
Ria: "It didn't die, Adis. It became a tree of friendship."
At that moment, footsteps stopped outside the bathroom door.
Lee Min-ho: "Ria? Adis? Are you inside? It's been a while."
Ria panicked.
Adis hurriedly fixed his shirt.
The door remained closed। but misunderstanding waited right outside.Scene: Lee Min-ho Enters – A Heavy Silence
Lee Min-ho could no longer wait.
When there was no response from inside, he slowly turned the doorknob. The door wasn't fully locked—one gentle push and it opened.
The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
Ria and Adis were standing far too close.
Ria's eyes were still wet with unshed tears, while Adis's shirt collar was damp, his face flushed red—not only from the spice, but from something deeper.
Lee Min-ho's sharp gaze settled on Ria's swollen eyes. His jaw tightened slightly, yet he did not lose his royal composure.
Lee Min-ho:
"Ria? Why are you crying?
And Adis… what are you doing here?"
Ria quickly wiped her eyes and tried to smile, though her lips trembled.
Ria:
"No… sir—I mean, Lee…
Adis's stomach was burning badly because of the spice. He almost fainted. Seeing him like that… my eyes just watered. After all, he's my childhood friend."
Lee Min-ho looked at Ria for a long moment—as if trying to read the cherry-blossom memories hidden deep in her heart. Then he turned toward Adis, who was now pressed nervously against the wall.
Lee Min-ho (calm but firm):
"Adis, are you still unwell?
Or is there some other pain troubling you?"
Adis stammered,
"No, sir… it was just the spice. Mem-didi's special attack. I'm better now. Ria was only helping me."
Lee Min-ho placed a hand on Adis's shoulder. The touch carried friendliness… and a quiet warning.
Lee Min-ho (softly):
"Memories can hurt, Adis.
But remember this—Ria is under my protection now.
If tears appear in her eyes, it feels like my heart is bleeding.
I hope you won't make her cry again."
He turned to Ria, gently held her hand, and wiped the last tear from her cheek with his thumb.
Lee Min-ho:
"Come, Ria. Your father is calling us to the drawing room.
Adis, you should join us too. Drink some cold water and calm yourself."
Lee Min-ho left with Ria.
Adis stared at his reflection in the mirror and sighed deeply.
He realized that Lee Min-ho might not know everything—but he had sensed the invisible thread still lingering between Ria and Adis.
Scene: Inside the Car – Questions and Cherry Blossoms
The car moved through the quiet city streets.
An unusual silence filled the space.
Lee Min-ho focused on the road, but his mind was on Ria.
She stared out the window, watching the city lights rush past, her eyes still swollen.
After slowing the car slightly, Lee Min-ho spoke gently.
Lee Min-ho:
"Ria… what I saw in Adis's eyes wasn't only pain from spice.
And what I saw in yours wasn't just sympathy for a friend.
What existed between you two?"
Ria exhaled deeply and finally looked at him.
Ria:
"We grew up together…
We were young. The world was simpler back then."
Flashback – Ten Years Ago
Under the famous cherry blossom tree on their college campus stood eighteen-year-old Adis and seventeen-year-old Ria.
Pink petals floated gently in the air.
Adis (holding her hand):
"Ria, I know I'm a bit crazy…
but I swear on these cherry blossoms—I can't imagine anyone but you.
Will you be my princess?"
Ria (resting her head on his chest, smiling):
"Idiot… I don't need to be a princess.
I just want to live inside your madness forever."
They dreamed together—
sharing ice cream, walking under one umbrella on rainy days, laughing beneath falling blossoms.
But reality interfered.
Ria's father's aristocratic world and Adis's middle-class struggles slowly pushed their love into the safer shape of friendship.
Ria stepped back.
Adis never truly could.
Back to the Present
Ria wiped her eyes and spoke firmly.
Ria:
"Adis is my past.
Like that cherry tree—a memory whose shadow still touches me sometimes.
But Lee Min-ho… my present and my future are only you.
The tears weren't love.
They were a farewell to an old attachment."
Lee Min-ho stopped the car by the roadside.
He turned to her and held both her hands, his eyes filled with warmth—not anger.
Lee Min-ho:
"Everyone has a past, Ria.
If Adis once loved you, I respect that.
But remember—cherry blossoms bloom once a year and fall.
My love doesn't follow seasons.
It's eternal."
He kissed her forehead softly.
At that moment, Ria's phone buzzed.
Message from Adis:
"Ria, tell sir—
the cherry tree may be dead, but the soil is still sacred to me.
I won't come between you anymore.
Be happy, Princess."
Ria read the message. Her heart tightened briefly—
then she suddenly laughed.
Lee Min-ho looked at her in surprise.
Lee Min-ho:
"Ria? What happened?
Did Adis send a joke?"
Ria (laughing, resting her head on his shoulder):
"He says he won't come between us.
But I bet tomorrow morning he'll show up at our office café with some excuse.
His cherry tree may be dead—but his hunger never is!"
She showed him the phone.
Ria:
"When Adis gets emotional, he talks big.
Next day he'll say, 'I cried all night—now let's eat biryani.'
He loves food more than heartbreak."
Lee Min-ho laughed.
Lee Min-ho:
"So Mr. Adis plans to break through my security again?"
Ria:
"A hundred percent!
And when he does, please seat him right in front of Bodyguard Mem again!"
They both laughed as the car moved forward.
Scene: Royal Dinner – Wedding Date Fixed
At the city's most luxurious seven-star restaurant, a grand round table awaited them, decorated with candles and royal flowers.
Ria looked stunning in an emerald-green silk gown, her tall figure resembling a Greek goddess.
Lee Min-ho sat beside her in a navy blue custom suit—together they looked like royalty.
Across them sat Mr. Chowdhury, smiling proudly.
Mr. Chowdhury:
"Ria, my eyes feel blessed today.
Lee Min-ho, you were right—my daughter is a rare gem."
Lee Min-ho (gazing at Ria):
"She's not just a gem, Uncle.
She's my entire world."
During dinner, Mr. Chowdhury took out a diary.
Mr. Chowdhury:
"I've decided—next month, on the 15th, we'll arrange the wedding."
Ria and Lee Min-ho exchanged joyful glances.
Suddenly—
"WHISTLE!"
Adis appeared out of nowhere in a three-piece suit, tie slightly crooked.
Adis:
"Whoa! Ria, did you fly in from a Hollywood movie?
And Uncle—15th is fixed? Great!
Can I be the dance instructor?"
Everyone laughed.
Scene: Jewelry Store Chaos
At the city's most famous jewelry store, Lee Min-ho rejected every necklace.
Lee Min-ho:
"No… none of these match you."
Then he spotted a giant diamond tiara.
When Ria wore it, her height nearly touched seven feet.
A passerby gasped,
"Are you human or a fairy?! My neck is breaking!"
Lee Min-ho placed a ring on his own forehead and joked,
"She walks on clouds—I hold her hand from below!"
The store burst into laughter.
Scene: The White Gown
At the wedding boutique, Ria stepped out wearing a pure white off-shoulder satin gown with a long trail.
The room fell silent.
Lee Min-ho (breathless):
"Ria… you're breathtaking."
Adis, wrapped in a curtain like a ghost, yelled,
"Sir! Am I the official trail-holder now?!"
Everyone laughed.
Adis then turned serious.
Adis:
"Jokes aside… seeing you like this beside him
I wish your marriage stays as pure as this dress."
Lee Min-ho placed a hand on his shoulder.
Lee Min-ho:
"This dress is final.
From today, Ria isn't just my assistant.
She's my life partner."
Ria smiled—her life finally felt complete.