The whole flat was almost dark with only some ray of light from the street lamp outside the glass window illuminating the room. Chaewon sat there on her living room, staring at the name card on her hand. There, on that small piece of paper was written Joongki's name, office address and contact details. She bit her lips, her eyebrows raised high.

Beside her, the blue baseball jacket rest on the hand of her small couch. She remembered how he had draped the jacket around her shoulders and his gentle voice telling her to text him when she got back home.

Or I don't think I can sleep peacefully tonight, like a recorder, her mind played it over for her.

The image of his smiling face appeared in front of her. Both ends of his lips were stretched to the side, and his eyes were gleaming. In the silence of the night, she noticed her heart beating faster and harder. It was pounding inside her chest.

No, no, no, Moon Chaewon, don't!

She squeezed her eyes close and for a while, his image disappeared. She shook her head firmly.

"It was a small gesture of kindness," she talked to the empty room, "don't get mistaken. Don't get carried away over small thing that probably means nothing."

The breath she drew in was heavy. It got stuck in before she exhaled it out through . Gradually, her heartbeat went back to its normal pace.

"Now, you are going to text him out of courtesy, even though he is probably sleeping already, peacefully on top of that."

She keyed in the number that was written on the card and typed a short message.

I've got back safely, she wrote, and with one last move, she pressed the send button.

There, she had done it. What should she do now? A warm shower sounded alright. It probably could help to clear her clouded mind.

She was about to move to the bathroom when her phone vibrated. She got startled that she almost dropped it to the floor. An unknown number that didn't exist in her contact list were shown on the screen. The same number she just keyed in a few moment ago.

Why is he calling?

She looked questioningly at her phone screen, couldn't comprehend the reason why he would be calling. Sliding the answer button, she took the call.

"Chaewon-ssi?" his voice greeted her from the other side.

"Yes, Joongki-ssi?"

"Are you sleeping?" he asked.

"Not yet, I just got back?" Her eyebrows went raising again. Didn't she just text him? That automatically meant she was awake, wasn't that?

"Ah yes," there was pause, "thank you for texting me. I was waiting for it."

THUMP.

Like a roller coaster, her heart sank for a second then it  started to pound really hard agai. She could even hear the sound of it in her ears.

"I shouldn't have drink earlier," he went on, "then I could take you back."

All the muscles in her body tensed up. In her chest, her beating heart just got more intense and her breath was caught in .

What is it? Why is this guy being like this? And why am I feeling like this?

"Chaewon-ssi, are you still there?"

She was tongue-tied, stunned in the spot she was standing.

Moon Chaewon, get your head together! Why are you suddenly being like this? You were not the type of person who would get moved just because of some words and acts some men did to you.

"Oh-y-yes, I'm sorry, I'm spacing out," she cleared .

"You must be tired."

Was she imagining things or he did sound a bit disappointed?

"Ah, y-I guess so."

Suddenly, the darkness made her feel uncomfortable. She got up from the coach and turned all the lights on.

Joongki didn't say anything for a few passing seconds, hesitating on the end the line without her knowing. He wanted to talk a little bit more, but there would be another days and chances to do so, he concluded.

"Alright then, good night. Sleep well."

His tone was gentle and soft, and it didn't help her heart at all. The only thing she wanted was for this to end as soon as possible.

"Y-yes."

She was holding her breath as she waited for him to cut the call first since he was the one calling, but there was no disconnecting sound coming from the phone.

And, suddenly, he was talking again.

"Aren't you going to wish me the same?"

"W-what?"

Joongki's chuckle rung through their distance.

"Nah, nevermind," he said, "Can I ask you one last thing?"

"What is it?"

"Is there...anyone who would be angry if I call you at this time of the day? Someone like...boyfriend or fiancee?"

Chaewon was stupefied. She knew this question. Someone once asked her the same exact question years ago, when she was young and naive.

The bitter memory came again into her mind. Not that she ever completely forgotten it anyway. But, she thought she was getting closer to getting healed. Maybe not yet.

"Chaewon-ssi?"

She had been silent for a while and his voice pulled her back to the present. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, though she didn't know whether it was because of Joongki or her anxiety. But, something inside her was pushing her to tell the truth, and not to lie like she always did to the other men who approached her. And this time, she decided to follow her inner voice.

"No, there's no one like that."

Chaewon couldn't see how wide his smile was after she said that.

"One more question and I'll stop," he added, "Can I see you tomorrow?"

Her mind flashed back to their coincidental meeting right about a week ago and how their ways kept crossing for the past days. A random and nonsensical idea popped in her mind. The truth was, she was taking a day off tomorrow, but she wouldn't tell him about it. With that, if they still could see each other tomorrow, without her having to tell him her whereabout, then maybe there was really something about them. But, if it didn't happen, she should say goodbye to this damned beating heart.

"Okay," she answered.

"Great! Then, good night. Sleep tight."

Chaewon crossed her finger. She knew there was a really small chance for them.

Not this time again, heart, not this time.
.

The host pulled the glass door opened for her when she reached the front part of the restaurant. He greeted her politely, asking her if she had reserved a table or not.

"Yes, reservation by the name of Mrs. Nam Kyunghee," she told him her mother's name.

The young man led her inside the restaurant. It was a big and infamous western dining in Seoul. They went by classy and elegant vibe, the place was adorned with high quality wooden furniture and paintings.

It was not crowded, in fact, there were only a few people taking lunch around the room. The place was more preferable for dinner, a romantic or formal one even more. They had gotten into the innermost part of the restaurant, and she could see a man sitting alone on the table that seemed to be their destination.

As she had predicted, the host stopped by the table. The man turned around and spotted her just a few steps away. He stood up and the host pulled a chair for her.

They exchanged a bow, she sat down, the host signaled a server to come and after they poured water into her glass, they took their leave.

"I'm sorry, am I late?" She asked out of politeness.

"No, no, I came a little bit early."

The man sitting in front of her was wrapped in a semi-formal and neat suit. He was everything opposite Joongki, she thought, thick eyebrows, thick lips, a little bit tanned skin, tall nose bridge and sharp eyes that gave her a dangerous impression.

"I have ordered the menu for you, it's okay, right?"

He was smiling, but it didn't make her feel good. It was different from Myungsoo's forced smile, or Sungjae's bright one, or Taehyung's childlike grin. It felt like he was holding something back, like it was staged and controlled to some point.

The appetizer came and she let the servers worked in silence. She could feel him observing her but she acted like it didn't bother her at all. The server explained the menu he just placed on the table, and left.

It was the two of them again and she waited until he picked up his fork and she followed.

"You're not the type to talk a lot, it seems."

Chaewon stopped her hand movement.

"I can't think of anything to talk about," she said honestly.

It made him smiling, amused, but she was not even looking at him.

"Is that why your previous six dates didn't work out? Because you didn't talk with any of them?"

Chaewon looked up from her plate, the furrow in her brows was more than apparent to show her surprise.

"How do you know about the amount of matchmaking my mother had set up for me?"

He smirked, taking a sip of the water inside his glass.

"I'm a businessman, I never step into something unprepared. I even know about your past," he lingered, "what should I call it, relationship?"

He talked about it so lightly but she felt like being struck by a lightning. The thing her mother tried so hard to hide was just a piece of cake this man in front of her could lay his hand on when he wanted it.

But, it was good then, it would be easy for her this time, wouldn't it?

"Well, I guess we have no more reason to sit here and play puppets to our parents' wish."

For the first time since meeting him, she could finally smile. If he had the right information of her past, there would be no way he would want to continue this. The wound she carried with her for years had turned into a weapon she used against her mother's scheme.

Just, she was yet to realize she was facing a strange man this time.

"We have more than enough reason though," he crossed his legs, "we're going to get married anyway. I have a packed schedule for this upcoming week, so, we better spend this time to the fullest. I'm giving you the chance to ask everything you want to know about me."

The smile on her lips vanished immediately. She stared at him in disbelief. What kind of nonsense was this man talking about?

"You can start," his hand gesture ushering, "or should I be the one to? I'm thirty years old, three years older than you, and I'm currently leading my family business, not something I'm proud of because I inherited it, but I do a great job, unlike some stupid heiress. I don't do serious relationship, where's the fun to stay commit to one person, anyway? But, I always stay away from scandal so you shouldn't be worried, moreover we have the best team of lawyers to take care of some noisy women. And, I'll permit you to keep running your small shop, but you have to be home when I tell you to."

Chaewon thought to herself if she was currently sleeping and this situation was just a part of a bad dream.

The server came again, asking if he should serve the main course now. She took the opportunity to pinch her arm. To her disappointment, it hurt. She was mot dreaming.

"Yoo Ah In-ssi," it was the name of this man in front of her, if she didn't hear it wrong when her mother said it.

The servers came again, taking their plates of appetizers that weren't touched properly, and arranged two new plates of beef steak. When thw young man left, Ah In picked his knife and fork, and started cutting the meat.

"I thought you didn't know my name, Moon Chaewon-ssi. It's good that you listened well to your mother this time. I hate having to say my own name, especially to a woman, unless she's a business partner."

Her frustration built up to its peak. She regretted coming, regretted giving in to her mother and re-scheduling the shoot to yesterday. She should just stick with the original plan. What had she done that she had to get stuck with this human being in front of her now?

"With all the respect," she began, "I don't have any plan to go further than this with you, not marriage, not even being friends," she told him.

"Then why are you here now?"

It made her shuddered at how undisturbed he looked even after what she said.

"Because I can't say 'no' to my mother. It doesn't matter though. Look, not everyone who went to a matchmaking date ended up getting married. There's no obligation for that."

He nodded knowingly, as if they were in a business meeting.

"What you said can be right," he muttered, "not with me though. I regard to time as investment, and when I invest, I always get something out of it. The time I spend here today is no different."

He put a piece of meat inside his mouth, munching it three times before he decided it wasn't cooked up to his taste. He spit it out on the napkin.

"This place is such a bubble. Next time we meet, I will choose the place. I see that we can't talk today. I will give you the time to think and decide, to cooperate with me or not, though I don't recommend the later. My mother will give you a hard time if she finds out about your past, but if you follow me obediently, our marriage life will be much easier. I'm leaving."

He stood up and left. She stood there for a long time, staring blankly at the empty chair before her.

Inhaling a deep breath, she gathered the fork and knife into her hands, and she started eating. She might step on a , but her mother had paid an expensive price to book the table and the whole meal. She should at least eat, that way she could have the strength to face whatever coming to her later. Yoo Ahin's insanity or her mother's rage.
.

Author's note :
So, I finally brought up a bit about Chaewon's past, the thing that her mother had warned her to hide. What could it be?
At first, I was thinking about making a rival character that Joongki could compete with "healthily" but when I wrote this chapter, it suddenly turned 180°. I ended up writing a really frustrating character. Maybe, it will be good for more dramatic element. A dear reader from Wattpad suggested Yoo Ah In for Joongki's rival character (thank you so much girl). I watched his movie, Veteran, and I decided that he suited the character (though I won't turn him into such psycho).
The continuation of Joongki and Chaewon's fate will be unveiled by the next chapter. Will they meet again coincidentally? Will Chaewon has to shut her heart away?

I'm looking forward to read your thoughts for this chapter. See you on the next uupdate. Thank you ^^