“Did something happen last night?” Daniel’s deep voice shattered the silence in the car. Not that she noticed it she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts.

                “Sorry?” she stammered, not quite meeting her driver’s eyes.

                Every morning, Daniel would pick her up at the house and bring her to Soigne; it was something Hong Jung Yee insisted upon to ensure that they were keeping up their end of the deal. Nobody had seen Hong Jung Yee for a while and sometimes Daeun doubted he would come back from his “business trip”. Although this had been a daily thing, Daniel had never once exchanged a word with Daeun and they would sit together in the car listening to classical jazz. That seemed to constantly playing in his car.

                Even if they were to talk, Daeun was slightly intimidated by Daniel’s overbearing demeanor.

                “Did something happen last night?” he repeated again. The car jerked to a stop at the red light and he turned to look at her. She couldn’t see his eyes through the sunglasses that never looked like it’d leave his face, but she could definitely feel the intensity of the glare burning into her temple as she continued to stare ahead. “You seem… happier,” he said slowly.

                His words brought back the events of last night and she cleared in hopes to also clear the memories away. “Oh. It’s nothing. I just… got a good night sleep. That’s all,” she brushed away his comment.

                Seeing that the light had turned green, Daniel accelerated the car and Daeun’s body slammed back into the seat.

                “You need to stay at work longer tonight,” Daniel told her.

                “Longer? Until when?” she asked. Hoseok had mentioned briefly about wanting to meet up after she got off work that morning. She had tried to press for further details but he would not budge and she left him vaguely talking about calling her later.

                “Mr. Hong is back. He wants to see you,” he told her the news.

                “Oh,” was her response.

                Once again, the car jerked to a stop in front of Soigne and they both looked at Sapphire who stood outside to greet them.

                “Good morning, Daniel,” she smiled at him.

                He looked up at her who was standing over him at the side of the car window. A finger lightly touched the arm he had slung out the side. There was no betrayal of any emotion on his face but Daeun swore she saw a faint return of a smile before he said in a monotone voice, “Ms. Sapphire.”

                Sapphire stood straight when she saw that Daeun had gotten out of the car and was regarding the two of them with interest. “I’ll bring Daeun to see Mr. Hong when he arrives later on in the day,” she assures him. There is a slight nod before the window is rolled back up and the black sedan rolls away.

                The two ladies entered the building. Usual mornings, the building would be quiet as many of the girls were still asleep after a night’s business. However today, the hallways were busy as girls came in and out of their room. A couple of them greeted both Sapphire and Daeun promptly as they passed.

                “What’s the occasion? A VIP coming in tonight?” Daeun dodged as a girl ran towards her with a bucket of water and a mop.

                Sapphire guided her towards her office and ushered her inside. “Didn’t Daniel tell you? Mr. Hong is stopping by today. The girls are nervous and want to leave a good impression. Perhaps they’ll be promoted,” Sapphire said and tilted her head with the words.

                Daeun nodded as she remembered. Sapphire patiently waited in the office as Daeun slipped behind the curtains of a makeshift changing room into the Qi Pao which was a uniform of sorts. Quickly wrapping her hair into a bun, Daeun then returned outside and saw that Sapphire had started making tea for the both of them. It was a tradition of Sapphire’s to start the day with hot chrysanthemum tea.

                Once Daeun took a seat across from Sapphire, a mischievous glint overcame her eyes. “So, Sapphire… You and Daniel, huh?” she wiggled her eyebrows.

                Sapphire smiled coyly. “What about Daniel and I?”

                “You two seemed friendly this morning? Or should I really say every morning since he first drove me here?”

                “Can a man and a woman not be friends? We see each other daily,” Sapphire was unfazed by the questions.

                “Well sure. But Daniel’s attractive. He’s tall and muscular. Mysterious too. Probably has a couple of badass certifications under his belt like martial arts or something,” Daeun continued to half press and half friend.

                There was a brief moment of silence before Sapphire spoke again, “Actually, he likes horseback riding.”

                This caused Daeun to up an eyebrow. “Oh? And how do you know that?”

                Waving a graceful hand nonchalantly in the air, she said, “He told me. Last time he dropped you off, of course.”

                Daeun let out a small laugh as Sapphire adverted her eyes. “Alright. Whatever you say, Ms. Sapphire,” she taunted. Sapphire cleared and Daeun set her cup of tea down. “You mentioned about taking me to see Hong Jung Yee.”

                The usual seriousness returned to Sapphire’s face. “I’m to receive a call when he is on his way.”

                “Do you know why he’s coming?”

                “I’m unsure of the full details but I believe he’s bringing a client along with him. He wants the two of you to meet. He says you’d know what he means?”

                “I see,” Daeun replied. She did know what he meant. This was the client that Hong Jung Yee had so confidently exclaimed would draw the attention of The Boss. “Do you know what time?” As much as she knew this was important, Hoseok had seemed more agitated than usual when insisting that she meet with him after work. It wasn’t like she wanted to spend time with him but as he barely asked her for anything, she felt obliged to follow through with his request this time.

                “I’m also unsure of that. They say he’s attending a business meeting prior to this and then wants to go around seeing the different facilities as he was gone for a while. I’ll have to assume that it’ll be closer into the evening.”

                So that meant she would have to tell Hoseok they’d need to reschedule.

                “Are you in a rush somewhere?” Sapphire inquired.

                “No no. I’m curious. That’s all. Maybe we should go out and help the girls. They seemed to be in a panic when we walked in,” Daeun offered.

                Sapphire shrugged. “If you insist. They’re just cleaning but it would probably put their heart to rest seeing us with them.”

                “Why are they so nervous anyways?” The two of them put away the teapot and cups.

                “When Mr. Hong arrives, it means they have a chance to get away from here. To be moved where they could be doing something… better. Less physical.”

                “Sapphire, why don’t you leave then? You have a better chance than any of them to live better,” Daeun met Sapphire’s eyes.

                The other woman stared warmly down at her. “This is my home, Daeun. I could never think of abandoning any of the girls. There wouldn’t be anybody else to protect them.” There was no response to that which Daeun could think of. Seeing the lack of words from her, Sapphire gently laughed. “You’re full of questions today, aren’t you? I wonder if it’s due to the extra good mood you seem to be in. Did something happen last night?”

                “Alright, is there something written on my forehead? Why does everybody keep asking me that?” Daeun huffed.

                “There’s a happiness that’s emitting off your entire soul,” Sapphire said, “Nothing’s written on your forehead.”

                Daeun stared mutely at Sapphire before turning to leave the room. “That was sort of a rhetorical question but thanks, I think.”

                Sapphire laughed gently and grabbed a mop from the nearest girl and left Daeun behind with her thoughts.

                The day passed by uneventfully. However, it was early evening by the time Daeun had the opportunity to sit down. The girls were lounging and chatting in the common room as customers had not yet started arriving. Not many initiated conversation with her but she was content listening to the small talk that was shared between them. It was somewhat calming to hear their daily life stories and that they found contentment amidst the circumstances.

                There was the slight clearing of the throat and everyone in the room turned to look at the doorway. Sapphire smiled at them and then turned her attention towards Daeun. “Mr. Hong has arrived. He’s asking for you, Daeun,” she told her.

                A slight buzz spread throughout the room and she could feel their eyes on her as she walked up to Sapphire. They both stepped out of the room and outside, Sapphire smoothed Daeun’s hair back and pulled a little at her dress. From her pocket, Sapphire took out a dazzling blue brooch and pinned it to the top left corner of the Qi Pao. Daeun sent her a quizzical look.

                “It matches your outfit,” Sapphire quickly said. Daeun found it odd as the Qi Pao was the traditional red which contrasted quite evidently with the blue, but she didn’t question further. Silently, the two walked to the end of the hall until they arrived at the door of a very large room. While it was hard to miss its doors, the room was rarely used as it was reserved for only the most important of clients. Again, Sapphire gave Daeun an once-over before knocking lightly on the wooden doors.

                “Ah! Sapphire! It’s always a pleasure to see you!” Hong Jung Yee spread his arms wide open. Sapphire walked up to him and they exchanged greetings by kissing each other’s cheeks.

                The hard lines on Hong Jung Yee’s face were the same: from the corners of his mouth to how his crow’s feet crinkled whenever he smiled. However, he had adopted the flamboyant persona of “Hong Jung Yee: Business Man” that evening. He wore a purple suit and had been excessively waving his arms to accentuate everything that he was saying. She watched as his eyes finally met hers; there was a brief moment where his mask wavered but then a large smile broke across his face and he waved her over.

                “And this is Daeun. She’s the one I’m been telling you all about,” he grabbed her hand once she had started walking over.

                She gave a quick glance at Sapphire but could not read any expression off the other woman’s face. Turning her attention to the person in front of her, she was greeted with an extremely handsome and young gentleman. He stuck out his hand.

                “My name is Robert Viktor,” he flashed her a dazzling smile. She could feel an instant captivation towards this man. Of tall stature and a piercing gaze, Robert Viktor was an attractive man and he knew it.

                “Viktor,” Daeun repeats the foreign surname, not quite understanding its correlation to the outward appearance she sees.

                Robert’s laugh is a throaty one that emanated from deep within his chest. “My father is Norwegian and my mother is Korean,” he says to her.

                “Oh! I didn’t mean anything about it!” she hastily says.

                Again, the charming laugh. He does not say anything in response to her comment but turns back to Hong Jung Yee. The other man had been watching their encounter with amusement.

                “So now that everybody has arrived, shall we start the meeting?” he declares. The three of them take a seat and Sapphire stands to the side. With a nod, she is dismissed by Hong Jung Yee. Daeun follows her figure as she is leaving, still not quite understanding what is happening. The doors close with a resounding thud.

                “Robert is here as a representative for his father, Daeun,” Hong Jung Yee begins explaining, “We are going to be business partners.”

                There must have still been a confused look on her face as Hong Jung Yee purses his lips to further continue. “Business partners on,” he took a pause, “This.” He extends his arm and moves it across the room to indicate everything that the facility held. Meeting her eye, he tries to convey his message.

                She understands. This was certainly he - the influential business partner that Hong Jung Yee had mentioned at the start of it all. This is the man in whom he hopes will catch the attention of The Boss and will lure Him down. She bites her lip. She did not expect how… young this man would be.

                “Truly, I am honoured that you have reached out to us. I apologize once again that my father could not be here personally but I will tell him of the hospitality that you have shown us, Mr. Hong,” Robert says.

                While Daeun still is not sure of the exact reason she is there, his next words give her the answer.

                “Additionally, I’m thankful that you’ll be the one to show me around the facility, Daeun. I had thought that I would be around men due to the nature of this business but I’m certainly glad to have the honor of working with an intelligent woman like you.”

                She gives him a slight smile. Hong Jung Yee wants her to be the one to keep tabs on him. In a way, this showed that he trusted her enough to let her be involved; she hopes that this trust extends toward the rest of BTS as well.

                Hong Jung Yee brings his hand together loudly and his clap slightly startles her. “Perfect! Then I think this meeting has served its purpose! Let’s celebrate over dinner. My treat of course,” he said.

                Robert gave them an apologetic smile. “Unfortunately I’ve got to decline the offer. In addition to representing my father today, I’m actually meeting a client of my own. I practice law,” he told them.

                How ironic, Daeun thought to herself. It got her thinking just exactly what type of lawyer he claimed to be. Again, she must have been wearing her emotion on her face as Robert laughs.

                “I’m a prosecuting attorney,” he answers her question.

                She is caught off guard and laughs nervously. At least things made a little more sense now. Whenever he conducted a case against the defendant in court, he knew clearly what type of criminal law his client broke.

                “Well, the future is bright ahead of us, Robert, so hopefully we will be able to have a dinner sometime then?” Hong Jung Yee takes his hand firmly and shakes it.

                “For sure, Mr. Hong. I believe strongly that my father will be of utmost happiness to hear about our meeting today. He really was looking forward to meeting you.”

                “Tell him I wish him good health.”

                “I will. Thank you. Daeun, could you walk me out?”

                “Have you been here for a long time, Daeun?” he broke their silence first.

                She had been walking slightly behind him, still unsure of what to think about this unknown man. Everything about him said “confident”, “professional” and “attractive”. His wardrobe helped highlight his long limbs and slim torso. Facial hair tightly trimmed, it augmented his sharp jawline and enhanced the mixture of different heritages that ran in his blood which was evident with his facial features.

                “Just a little while,” she gave him her response. He also had a very curt but polite way of speaking. Perhaps this was the way lawyers were trained to speak in court. “How about yourself? Have you been practicing law for a long time?” She found that even her speech pattern was different around him.

                He shook his head. “Only for a few years. Initially, I was going to take over my father’s business. He isn’t… doing well these days. But I found my love for the justice system and pursued what I believe would make me happy.”

                “I’m sorry to hear about your father,” she said.

                His legs paused and he turned to face her. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. He accomplished a lot in this life and time is catching up to him. I’m proud of what he has done and shown me,” he said. He looked her straight and in the eye as he said this, causing her to slightly stumble back under the intensity. She quickly composed herself again and the same dazzling smile made a comeback on his face.

                This time, he waited until she made the first movement before falling in step next to her. Allowing her curiosity to get the better of her, she asked, “I’m just wondering, but do you ever get conflict of interests between your profession and the family… business?”

                The exit to Soigne was in front of them and he pushed it open, ushering her through first before leaving the building behind her. And they said chivalry was dead. Rays of sun blinded her when she stepped out. She squinted to find that the light was suddenly shielded from her by the body of Robert. The backlight casted a glow around him, creating the illusion of an angel that had descended from heaven.

                “It really has been delightful to meet you today,” he said. She blushed when he gently took her hand and lifted it to his lips, brushing them with a light kiss. “I look forward to our next encounter, Daeun-ssi.”

                Embarrassed by his forward advances, she only smiled and watched as he entered a limousine that had been waiting outside for him. He gave her a final wave and she stood dazed, staring at the disappearing vehicle. Her eyes followed it until it turned a corner in which she then promptly her heels. She froze for a second realizing she never got an answer to her question. In the corner of her eye, she noted another figure that had been waiting outside for a while.

                Hoseok stood across the street, leaning against his motorbike, two helmets propped on the backseat. He had finally caught her eye and raised his eyebrow at her as a form of greeting. She had absentmindedly told him to call her when he was ready but no matter how many times he had tried to return her call, she never picked up. He had decided to wait at the front of the store for her and that was where he had been standing for the past hour.

                She sheepishly gave him a small wave and entered the building again, rushing to grab her belongings before returning back to him. On her way to the office, she bumped into Sapphire.

                “Oh! Sapphire!” she called after the other woman. Sapphire turned and tilted her head in question. Daeun unclipped the brooch from her Qi Pao and handed it towards her. “I wanted to return this. Thank you for lending it to me.”

                “Keep it, Daeun,” she pushed the brooch back towards Daeun.

                Daeun shook her head avidly. “No! I can’t do that. This is yours.”

                Sapphire laughed and pushed the brooch again towards Daeun. “This brooch is for good luck. That man in there you met… be careful of him, Daeun. I feel…” She says a word that is in neither English nor Korean. “A bad feeling, Daeun,” she grabs Daeun’s arm with urgency.

                Not knowing how to respond after Sapphires tells her this, she only places a hand ontop of the two that were gripping her arm. “Thank you,” she says.

                Sapphire sighs and then reaches around to slap her . “Okay, go on. You’ve got a gentleman waiting outside for you,” she teases Daeun.

                “What? How did you - ”

                “Shh. Just grab your things. If he’s been waiting for you this whole time, he must be the one.”

                “Sapphire,” she whined. Daeun knew exactly what Sapphire was eluding to.

                “Go on! Don’t let me be the reason to stop you from pursuing your happiness.”

                Daeun smacks Sapphire but the other woman dodges it, giggles then walks away. Shaking her head, Daeun returns to the office and decides there that she needs to work on her poker face.

So when I was looking for inspiration on these new characters, the first person I thought of for Robert Viktor was Daniel Henney because wow. That man is seriously gorgeous. As for Sapphire, Jun Ji Hyun - she's just got this elegance and kindness around her. Just thought I'd share haha.