What he didn't know, however, was that Eun-soo had been waiting for him at the gala dinner for hours.
She had stood in the center of the warm, amber-lit room, her black tweed suit catching the light, but her eyes were always on the door.
She was so happy for him; the sheer brilliance of the phoenix he had created was all anyone could talk about.
Madame Elise Laurent had already expressed her desire to bring Jin-woo's artistry to Paris.
Even her brother, Tae-jun, had mentioned Jin-woo in a positive way to the VVIPs—a breakthrough she had been waiting for.
Eun-soo just wanted to talk to Jin-woo, to see the pride in his eyes and express how happy she felt for him.
She wanted to tell him that her brother had finally acknowledged his "royalty of merit."
But the more she waited, the more she became unsure; the joy she was carrying began to curdle into doubt.
She thought to herself: Is there any problem after the firework show? Is he busy with post-show work? Did something go wrong with the equipment?
She looked at her phone again and again, her finger hovering over the "Call" button for a full minute, but she eventually did not call.
She didn't want to be a distraction if he was truly busy.
As the time became late and the champagne flutes were cleared, the guests began to retreat to their rooms.
Min-ho and Ara said their polite goodnights, the gala was over, and the door Jin-woo should have walked through remained closed.
Eun-soo eventually came back to her own massive suite, the space feeling echoingly empty.
She changed into a simple pajama dress, needing the comfort of soft cotton after a day in structured suits.
The pajama was a cream-colored cotton set—a loose short-sleeved top and matching trousers.
Both pieces were covered in a playful, stylized pattern: black, heart-like blotches and simple, line-art drawings of a smiling bear face.
Small tan and dark brown heart shapes were scattered across the fabric, interspersed with subtle yellow smiley face line-art.
A few tiny text labels reading "Bear" and "Is." were printed in simple font among the doodles.
The casual, almost childlike print of the bear pajamas was a complete, comforting contrast to the "heiress" demeanor she had worn all day.
She tried to rest, but she could not; her mind was a feedback loop of anxiety and frustration.
She desperately wanted to share with Jin-woo what others were saying about him; she needed to see his face.
She wanted to be the one to tell him about the global interest and Paris and Tokyo calling.
She looked again and again at her phone, the minutes ticking by, her anxiety growing like a living thing.
Eun-soo thought: Should I call now? Is it too late? Or should I wait for morning?
She could not wait; she broke and began to call, her heart pounding as she listened to the connection tone.
She tried multiple times, the phone connecting, the screen on her side lighting up with his picture.
But each time, the call was not accepted; it simply rang and rang until it timed out into silence.
And then, after several attempts, the line changed—the next call connected and then immediately went dead.
A cold, synthetic voice told her the phone was switched off on the other side.
Eun-soo stared at the dead screen, the familiar, comforting pattern of the bears and hearts on her pajamas feeling like a mockery.
She tried several more calls, a new panic rising in her chest, but the reply was always the same.
She thought: Something is wrong. This is not like him. He wouldn't just switch off his phone.
She was worried, so she left her suite and went down to Jin-woo's parents' room.
She knocked softly on the door, hoping she wasn't waking them, but needing answers.
Young-sook opened the door, rubbing her eyes, her principal's observation skills immediately kicking in.
Seeing Eun-soo at the door in her nightdress, she asked: "What happened, Eun-soo? You are looking very worried."
Eun-soo did not waste time with pleasantries. "Aunty, I called Jin-woo for something urgent, many times. But he is not taking my call."
"Now his phone is completely switched off," she continued, her voice trembling. "I became a little worried, so I thought I would ask you if anything happened at dinner."
Young-sook looked at her, her expression softening. "No, nothing happened at all, Eun-soo."
"We ate out tonight and had fun after that," the former school principal explained.
"Then, since Jin-woo was very tired, he returned to his room in the North Wing to rest."
"Let me try," Young-sook said, picking up her own phone.
Then Young-sook tried to call, the minutes stretching into a tense silence as they listened to the dead line.
Jin-woo was not accepting the call from his mother, either.
Young-sook put her phone down, her brow furrowing slightly. "He is not accepting my call also."
"Maybe he is too tired and he simply fell asleep. How about this: I will go and check on him."
Eun-soo said: "Aunty, you do not need to go. You have also been outside all day."
"Maybe he is asleep," she continued, fighting down the urge to scream. "I will go and just check on him myself."
As Eun-soo said this and began to leave the doorway, Hajun, who was also listening beside his grandma, jumped up.
He stated firmly: "I will also go."
Eun-soo looked down at the boy, his sleepy eyes stubborn. "No, you should rest, Hajun. It is night."
But Hajun shook his head: "No, I will check."
Eun-soo looked up at Young-sook, who gave a small, tired nod.
"Take him. Let him go to see. He won't sleep until he knows," Young-sook said.
Eun-soo nodded and said: "Okay, come on."
She took Hajun's small hand, the soft cotton of his sleeve a match for her own comforting pajamas.
They both went to the elevator, the quiet space feeling colder as it descended.
After going down, they went to the North Wing, the long corridor filled with the quiet luxury of the elite rooms.
The area around his door was somewhat private, so no one was around at this late hour.
She knocked on the door, first softly, then with increasing force, calling out his name.
"Jin-woo! Jin-woo, are you in there?"
No one answered; no one noticed their presence on the other side of the thick door.
Jin-woo was currently in a deep, dreamless sleep, completely disconnected from the world.
Eun-soo became more concerned, her panic finally overriding her professionalism.
She thought of the worst: an accident, a medical emergency, or someone having gained entry.
She pulled out her phone and called Han Soo-jin, the Front Office Manager, for a master key.
Elegant and composed, Soo-jin was known for handling VIP guests and delicate situations.
Soo-jin was also emotionally intelligent and quietly supportive toward Eun-soo, having worked with her for years.
Soo-jin arrived within five minutes, holding the metal master key.
She did not call many other staff members, as she knew Eun-soo asking for the master key of a VVIP guest room one who had just had a massive public success would not be good.
Soo-jin came alone, her expression composed but her eyes sharp.
Soo-jin used the master key and inserted it into the lock of Room 1001 to open the door.