p a r t : t h r e e
S I T U A T I O N 

As per instruction, Irene came to Johnny’s office right before she finished her work. She wished whatever assessment or evaluation it would be, it wouldn’t take that long, because after a long night of work, the most thing she wanted to do was going home to her warm bed and comforters.

“I’m gonna talk to you to the point, I know you’re tired” Johnny said soon as Irene came in. 

She was thankful that Johnny was so thoughtful.

“I’m sure you know by now who’s our boss is since he came today” Johnny opened up the topic about Donghae.

“Yes, I do” she answered briefly.

“Chairman Lee is impressed with you, Irene”

The corners of her lips are lifted as Irene guessed that it was a good thing. It meant she’s not going into any trouble. She smiled innocently, somewhat felt proud of herself that she did her job well. 

“So, Irene, he’s wondering if you’re interested in spending a night with him” 

The sweet smile on her face was gone as she’s squinting her eyes. The obviousness of her perplexed expression made Johnny threw a sympathy look on her. However, if Chairman Lee had asked, there’s only one possibility for Johnny which was to comply.

“You know, be his company for one night” Johnny added some details but the girl still looked lost in his words so she was confused about what to answer.

“Alright, the simplest way is, he’s wondering if you can be his one night stand partner, as in having with him…”  Johnny said it although he felt so bad for asking. He saw Irene widened her eyes, she was completely in a massive shock. 

“What??!” she bursted and looked offended upon that unbelievably disrespectful question.

“What the heck did he just say? Like seriously? No, you didn’t say that, Manager Suh” said the voice inside his head.

Irene blinked fast as if she felt her soul left her body for a few seconds and then came back again from her stupor  when Johnny hovering his hand in front of her bewildered face.

To her believe in the sanity and morality in this society, as a quick response, she laughed it off awkwardly because that can’t be real, she must be misheard, she wished.

But no, Irene heard it right. Johnny even repeated to ask her the same question. And again, she was appalled by the absurdity. That was the craziest thing she’s ever heard. 

Then she remembered everything Joy said about that Chairman Lee and it made sense now, he’s such a true player and a complete . 

“So, will you give it a try? Of course you can ask him anything in return” Johnny said that casually.

“Excuse me? A try? Will I give it a ing try? To have with someone I barely know. Albeit if I have known who he was, that’s still a zero possibility” Irene ranted inside her head. She found herself standing statue-like and left ajar. It’s like she’s losing her ability to speak because the vocabulary of the language she believed she’d been using for her whole life just disappeared from her brain. 

“You’re free to refuse, Irene” Johnny said, he’s aware that she’s too stunned to speak. “Chairman Lee would never touch you without your consent, he believes in win-win situation, mutuality of interest” he added, now was feeling awkward because Irene didn’t say anything. 

“So??” Johnny reluctantly asked. 

“No!! Positively, absolutely, explicitly, legibly no!! Just no way!!” she finally found her voice and vented.

Irene saw Johnny was about to say something but she spoke ahead. “I would never want to do that, Manager Suh! What even that Lee Donghae was thinking about? I mean Chairman Lee, whatever! No, just no. He cannot buy me, please tell him the exact thing I said” she continued ranting while clenching her teeth. She looked mad, obviously.

Only with the thought that Johnny was nothing but being commanded by the presumably lack of morality person she was working for, she held the urge to kick his to ever say that. 

••• 

The rejection passed through Donghae’s ears pretty soon. Johnny reported everything Irene said to him at that night, just like Irene said. 

Rather than being disappointed, he was astonished. It’s the very first time in his records for a girl to ever refuse him. Rather than being mad, he found it’s interesting. One time, she rolled her eyes in front of him, and now she rejected him. Now he felt like being challenged by the girl.

••• 

Another couple of weeks passed real fast, it came to a day when Irene found an inner battle about her discomforts within her job. She started to find some hard-to-handle guests. Joy told her before that it’s a normal thing so she tried to understand. Irene didn’t think much about it till it hit her.

Irene didn’t like being pointed as an object, but some people treated her that way sometimes. She didn’t like to be addressed like an accessory, but some people perceived her that way sometimes. She didn’t want to give a tiny chance to anyone to disrespect her in the name of professionalism, but it happened sometimes. 

The stretching forced smile and the lively mask she had to put on her face every single nights had been tired her to the bones. She’s just not that kind of person, it’s just so much to take for a timid person as she was. And of course, that ear-splitting sounds of the music killed  her soul inside.

If only she had no bills to pay she wouldn’t want to be in that place. But her responsibility spoke louder than her principles.

••• 

Irene could be the ace, she was Donghae’s favorite girl, she could gain more popularity and it could risen up her salary. However, sometimes happened when she’s just on the tip of reaching something she’s been wanting to.

There’s a situation happening that night. Irene  accidentally — but quite not — slapped a guest that happened to be the vvip, Lee Hyukjae. The reason? He was an too, he’s some kind of jerk who acted inappropriately toward her. 

Where in the world did Hyukjae find the audacity to land his hand on some parts of her parts of body without her consent, just because he was labeled as the vvip guest. Irene just couldn’t understand and felt nothing but fed up. 

For once, when Hyukjae touched her hair continuously, Irene warned her with that painful forced smile. For twice, when he touched her thigh, she dodged his hand away with unhindered pissed off face. For the third time, when he touched her , she lost her temper — as she should.

It caused a little chaos when Irene yelled at him by his name without honorific and slapped him right on his face as she stood up for herself. Lee Hyukjae, with all his arrogance, couldn’t accept that someone dared to do that in front of many people. So, he yelled back to Irene and she swore she saw him raised his hand to almost hit her face. Almost. 

Thankfully, Johnny came to the rescue just right in time. This kind of situation happened many times so he managed to handle it so well. Quickly, he asked Joy to bring Irene to his office instead for safety reason while he was trying to calm Hyukjae down who was still so wrathful toward Irene.

Poor Irene was shaking while Joy leading her to Johnny’s office. Even Joy could hear Irene’s unsteady breath, she probably shocked too much. No wonder, it’s the first time she faced such crazy situation. 

“Sooyoung-ah… I’m actually so scared…” Irene whispered, her voice was trembling. That horrific scene seemed so vivid in her mind, Joy could tell by the look in Irene’s eyes. By now, she started to regret coming to Seoul and took the job.

“Oh dear, Hyun… I’m sorry it happened to you. I should’ve protected you” Joy was blaming herself all the while kept holding and comforting Irene.

••• 

The chaos was finally subsided as Hyukjae agreed to get out of the place. However, it didn’t prevent him to report and complain straight to the CEO at the very same night. While in his car and still in his angry mask, he made a phone call to Donghae.

In another place, Lee Donghae was still in his working desk at his mansion. He was expecting the call because earlier Johnny had told him everything about the incident. 

As soon as he’s connected to a phone call, Hyukjae started to blabbering around, letting out his annoyance of what just happened. He’s questioning The Blue Moon’s service and also said bad things about Irene. He even had the guts to rise his nose to Donghae, boldly threatened him to blow the case up. 

While listening, Donghae was clenching his jaw and unconsciously broke the pen he was playing with. Of course Donghae hated it so much, like how dared  Hyukjae, after making a mess in his place and then shamelessly threaten him. The most importantly, how dared he put his hands on the girl he wanted so bad.

Normally, upon that kind of disrespectfulness, Donghae would just find a way to broke Hyukjae’s bones and would keep his mouth shut with one way or another. 

Called it Hyukjae’s luck, Donghae didn’t have plan to do that for the simple reason he didn’t want to make anymore situation. He couldn’t let this chaos news passed through his father — President Director Lee Donghwa — who’s currently took a bed rest due to health issue.

The reason?

Donghae was in probation period before his father pass down all of the business chain to him. He would not let any tiny single obstruction or mistake failed his assessment to become the President Director of Jaesan Group, replacing his father.

It’s the same reason he’s not seen with any girl for the last three months. Until he gained the throne, he’s not going to do something risky, although Irene would be the only exception if only she agreed.

If he failed to prove his capability to his father, it’s not impossible that the business chain would be thrown upon his uncle instead — his father’s younger brother — Lee Dongwook.

Donghae, who gave more than a hundred percent of his thoughts and energy to the Group since he was a teenager, had no intention to lose the highest position over anybody, not even his uncle. He believed it’s for him, it’s definitely should be him. 

Letting out his anger breath, Donghae managed to stay calm. Through his gritted teeth, he even asked what Hyukjae wanted. He said he would grant everything he wanted as long as he shut his mouth. 

“Well Chairman Lee, what I want is….”

•••