Just an important note:

If there are any further changes or additions, I’ll post them in the A/Ns in the future. Continue reading :3

-Chapter 06-

“So you’re not coming back home, beautiful?” The person on the other side of the line heaved out an overly dramatic sigh as JuYeon rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Stop being such a drama queen. It doesn’t suit you. At all.” She sandwiched her rose gold iPhone 7 between her shoulder and ear while her hands were busy reorganizing her boss’ schedule a couple months’ early. Where? On her small iPad pro, where the metallic rose gold device nestled on her fast touch-typing petite hands.

“Beautiful, need I remind you that I am not a female? And besides, you still haven’t answered the question of the day. Stop dilly-dallying and just answer me already!” JuYeon raised the phone away from her ear, which was slightly ringing. “My god, handsome. No need to raise your voice. And FYI, yes, I won’t be back home anytime soon – well, maybe except for Christmas though. We’ll see. I mean, even if I do get to go back, it’s not going to be a long holiday for sure unless my boss gives me the green light. I’m a busy woman, see?” She spoke in a haughty manner at the last sentence before chortling at her stupidity as her nimble-fingers scrolled on the planner she reorganized for Mr. Lu.

“Aye, someone’s being a bit of a , I see. Well, I’d love to chat up some more with you, beautiful, but I apparently just realized I have a café to run. I’ll call you up again whenever?” The female hummed in reply as she settled herself on her back against the sofa seats as she put her iPad aside. “Yeah, yeah. Sure. Bye, handsome!” She smacked her lips for a faux kiss, and the man on the other line reciprocated the same gesture. “You too, . Stay beautiful in and out always, ‘kay?” To everyone else who didn’t know their relationship they would think that the pair were lovers. ‘Aisy, this idiot.’ She placed her phone down after they hung up. JuYeon then went to her room to change her outfit – Onzie’s white cropped tank and grey Adidas’ Jo shorts – into a much more casual autumn-winter wear – Majestic Filatures’ white turtleneck and skinny Levi’s denim under a Burberry’s ‘Sandringham’ black classic trench coat LuHan gifted her last Christmas and put on her Michael Kors’ black ‘fulton’ boots. She tightened her ponytail as she gripped the chain strap of her Versus’ logo plaque shoulder bag chain hung over her shoulder.

The female then snatched her iPhone on the sofa and strutted out the building after spritzing Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Love. If anyone was wondering where JuYeon was heading out in the chilly weather and on a working day, what else than waiting for LuHan to pick her up? They still had to pick up their outfits for the function that until that day, she never really knew what for. But she has decided that she didn’t want to find out. Who knows what LuHan had in mind? He was so unpredictable at times that she didn’t know what to expect. JuYeon frowned as she saw his red Scirocco just near her building with his one window down. He waved with his one hand propped the window, his Ray-Ban’s aviator shades perched on his nose. ‘This deer, really.’ She inwardly groaned at his obliviousness at the girls glancing at him and some whispering while others giggled.

“Han, really? In front of the building? Do you even realize what you’re doing to the world’s peace?” The younger said the first thing when she got in the shotgun seat. LuHan furrowed his eyebrows at her words. “Wait. What did I do…?” He narrowed his eyes as the Korean woman pointed outside where a bunch of girls were still staring and glancing and pointing at him and his car. “Oh…” He blanked out a bit as the female raised a single brow. “I think we should go now, before you actually cause a whole traffic jam.” LuHan nodded in agreement at her words and sped off from the residential area and into the city. They actually had an argument inside the car on where to purchase dresses and suits to which JuYeon gave up on.

Her argument:

Normal, regular shopping mall with average, nothing too fancy outfits because she quoted, “We’re just going to a function for business, Han. Business,” emphasizing on the last word.

And LuHan’s counter attack:

“Exactly. It’s because this function is a business event that we have to dress to impress. See, first impressions are very important in the business world.” JuYeon only gave him a deadpanned reaction. ‘Stupid LuHan logics.’

LuHan’s bonus side attack:

“And besides, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to miss out when he gets all jealous of me, how I’d love to see the fire in his eyes when we walk in together.” He added a sinister evil villain-like chuckle that made JuYeon question his sanity level.

So that’s how the pair ended up in the middle of high-end boutiques with JuYeon already imagining just how much zeroes she’s going to deduct today. The woman sighed pitifully. The both of them stood straight as one of the sales assistant came to them. “Good morning, would you like to come to our boutique?” She woman asked as she saw them standing in front of the boutique’s door. LuHan nudged her. “Come on, we haven’t got all day.” They trailed behind the lady as she opened the door. “Wow…” She silently gaped a bit, looking at all the types of dresses and suits displayed yet to be purchased.

After a whole hour and fifty minutes, LuHan found his grey Givenchy’s houndstooth pattern suit that he would wear with a black Stefano Ricchi’s crystal-trimmed dress shirt and Etro’s black-and-grey floral tie, topping it off with Salvatore Ferragamo’s Fontana brogues while the younger female had yet to find anything. “You know, this is why I don’t really like shopping because I’ll never get satisfied with anything I choose.” She grumbled under her breath, already giving up after her infinite-tries. “That’s it, Han. Let’s go back. I’ll find it by myself somehow.” JuYeon took off the current dress that seemed too out of place for a function. When she changed back into her own clothes, the two walked out of the boutique with LuHan’s purchases only.

She never really shopped for dresses or anything extravagant because she knows how hard it was to choose and usually, most of her dresses were LuHan-forced and LuHan-gift, EunHwa-forced-threat and EunHwa-gift that costed half her total salary of her working life. Because they were really, really expensive, and so JuYeon only bought accessories including bags and clutches just so she could lessen the guilt for them buying her expensive dresses. As an EPA and interpreter, she was so glad that her paychecks are big in number due to her services so she could afford luxurious and designer apparels when she felt like spoiling herself.

‘Because I deserve it, it’s my own money,’ She always thought when she was hesitant to indulge herself in the luxurious things she and her family could never afford during those days when she and her younger brother was still in school. One thing she was glad for was that she never lost herself to greed and social status pressures even though in her working world it seems almost inevitable. “Remember where you come from, my daughter. Don’t let money be your god. Never.” Her mother said before she had to take her flight to China. Now, her family’s economical status were more than just stable as her brother also worked hard in his own career to support the youngest two of their siblings and their only mother with her, the education for the youngest ones secured, and she only needed to worry about that bastard who ruined their family years ago and still threatened about their safety.

“You couldn’t even pick one? But the second last boutique earlier had nice dresses though.” LuHan commented as he drove towards a restaurant near the high-end mall. “I know, Han-ge. But they just… I don’t know. Don’t feel right, you know that feeling? Like-” JuYeon was cut off by LuHan. “It wasn’t the dress?” He earned a nod. “It’s okay, maybe you’ll find one before the event. But make sure you really have one before I pick you up, though.” LuHan smirked her glare and soon, they reached the front entry as he parked at a vacant spot. They were led by a waitress and ate their meal once they were served.

LuHan sent her home after more catching up in their work-life and him totally not gossiping about some “incompetent” workers who were bullying those “fresh meat” – they were interns, fresh, university graduates – just to do unnecessary and unrelated-to-work things.

JuYeon went to sleep back in her unit to get some rest after her futile attempts to get herself a dress for the upcoming function only to be woken up by the doorbell ringing. She was expecting an unexpected, real-life person behind her door instead of an unexpected package in front of her doorstep. A Roberto Cavalli logo was on the package, and she narrowed her eyes as she picked it up. She ran with the package in hand and grabbed her phone off the charger, speed-dialing the person she was so confident the reason behind the package itself. The said person picked up after the fourth ring. “LuHan! What the !” JuYeon frowned, especially hearing his annoying laughter on the other line. “Now, now, don’t I get a thank you? Why are you shouting in the morning, mei? That’s not very welcoming to hear.” The woman swore she could hear the smirk in his voice. Oh, he definitely knows what he’s talking about. “Welcoming? Welcoming?! Han-ge, I just woke up because the doorbell was ing ringing like crazy only to see a box with a ing designer’s name on top of it and a dress in it.” She emphasized on the word dress.

LuHan sounded nonchalant as he replied. “Yeah, it’s a dress. Beautiful, ain’t it? It matches well with my grey suit, doesn’t it? Then it’s all right, you don’t have to go shopping again.” She could imagine very well that he was shrugging as though he got no care in the world. “I thought I told you I would find one by myself, didn’t I? Gosh, I want to murder you so bad right now, Han.” She rubbed her temple in distress as she held the white dress up. The white made it look so pure and refreshing and it fell until the very end of her feet and with a single gold colour, the embroidery ran from the edges of the dress top in swirls to the back; never really overdone but so intricate and beautiful. The halterneck had the straps crossed at the back in mid-back section and a diamond-shaped space below the place where the straps ends. Simple. Beautiful. Very JuYeon-like style. The dress.

“It’s just a simple dress, JuYeon. Stop fretting over it.” He consoled her. “But Han, you should know better that I absolutely hate it when people spend their money on me. It makes me feel indebted.” JuYeon put the dress on her bed, crossing her arms as her phone was on speaker mode. “I know, mei. You said that every time I buy or give you something. But just for one night, think of this as a gift, like the other ones you got. Besides, if you don’t wear this, then be prepared for ZiTao’s wrath.” His statement made her frown in confusion. “What does he have to do with this?” LuHan chuckled. “JuYeon, JuYeon, JuYeon. Do you really think I was the one who did all the picking?” She could feel the gears turning in her head, forcing her morning fuzzy mind into thinking. “Don’t tell me…” She closed her eyes as he blurted out a snort. JuYeon groaned.

“Fine, fine. What’s all this function for anyways? I never got to ask about it.” She leaned against her headboard. “The Genesis & Co. are going to announce their new director, or at least, that’s what I heard so far.” JuYeon nodded. Genesis & Co. is a biochemical-specialized company in pharmaceutical products and has worked with many others in Mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore for two decades. The director and founder of Genesis & Co. had been deceased around a few weeks ago and the meeting board were trying to announce their new director. It was quite chaotic having lost their head, now they would have to work with a new one.

“See you at the function then.” He hung up on her. JuYeon heaved out a