If Hyun Joong had been wearing a shirt, So Min would have been the victor in their latest encounter.

But he hadn't been wearing a shirt and when he'd raised his arm and leaned against the doorjamb, he could have been Bae Yong Joon posing for his "iest man" picture.

In fact, when faced with so much male in the flesh, as it were, So Min couldn't remember exactly what Bae Yong Joon looked like, which was another thing to be angry about and which reminded her that because of Hyun Joong, she'd lost her chance to see Bae Yong Joon in any kind of flesh…er, see him in person. 

Anyway, she'd been…flustered was all she was prepared to admit. She'd wanted to make Hyun Joong feel bad or express remorse. Considerably more than the lukewarm apology he'd offered.

Obviously, he'd just climbed out of bed.

He had no shame. None.

And she was serious about him changing apartments — preferably moving out of the complex, but she'd settle for out of hearing range and hope for out of sight, as well. The sight of Hyun Joong shirtless had had more of an effect on her than she liked to admit, even to herself.

At that moment, the phone rang. It must be a lesson cancellation. Damn it! Look at that. Kim Hyun Joong was making her swear. But honestly, why couldn't her students give her more notice? So Min snatched up the phone and tried to answer civilly.

"Jung So Min? I'd about given up on getting through. Your line has been busy all morning. This is Sonia, the producer of Single Designs."

All the air left So Min's lungs.

"Congratulations! You and your single neighbor…let's see…Kim Hyun Joong have been selected to be on our show."

Yes! No. Talk about an immediate high and low. So Min knew she was supposed to react. "Wow!"

Fabulous. She sounded simultaneously inane and fake.

"Since it's been several months since you applied, I need to verify that you both still reside in the West Village Oakes apartments?"

"Yes," So Min said faintly. The call couldn't have come five minutes earlier? Before she'd yelled at Hyun Joong?

"Both still single?"

"Oh, yes." She said this with more firmness.

Sonia laughed. "Let's hope we can do something about that."

So Min's eyes swiveled to her empty dining nook. An elegant space for romantic dinners was within her grasp.

Sonia continued. "As you know, the format of our show is to make your space more date-friendly. In fact — are you two dating?"

Was that a requirement? "Not exactly…"

"Ahhhhh, but I can tell you'd like to be. That is so great! We'll use that tension."

Rather than correct her, So Min closed her eyes and visualized dining furniture. Then she visualized soundproofing Hyun Joong's bedroom.

"We're punching up the show's concept and by the time your segment airs the show will probably be called Designer ."

"What?"

"Don't worry. It's just marketing. Now, I need to verify a few details and set up a time when the designers can meet with you both and see the spaces. Also, you'll need to have the apartment manager sign the consent-and-release form."

"Not a problem." And it wasn't. Her problem was right next door.

After hanging up the phone, So Min closed her eyes. Oh, yes, the fates were amusing themselves today. She might as well get it over with. Yes, she was going to ask, and possibly grovel to, Hyun Joong. And she was going to do it right now, before her first student arrived.

She knocked on his door. After several seconds, she rang the doorbell. There was a noise and then silence. She knew, just knew that he was looking out the peephole. She wiped all traces of anger from her face and smiled. She would have tried for a smidgen of chagrin but didn't think she could manage it.

"Yes?" he asked from behind the closed door.

So Min maintained her smile. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"I already apologized."

"Well, yes, but I may have overreacted." Visualize the dining nook. It'll be worth it.

"Don't worry about it."

"Look, would you please just open the door?" Not a good start to groveling. "This is about something else."

The door swung open. A wet-haired Hyun Joong stared at her, his face partially covered in shaving cream. One hand remained on the doorknob, the other casually, very casually — one might say loosely — bunched the edges of a towel at his waist. Didn't this guy ever wear clothes?

Erin couldn't help noticing that those edges sure didn't overlap much. In fact, they overlapped less now than when he'd first opened the door. "I see I've come at a bad time."

He gave her a lazy half smile. "Is there ever a bad time?"

She tried to ignore him and his one-track mind. "Here's the thing." Her gaze dipped, marking the location of those towel edges. They were slipping, as was her concentration. She was going to have to talk fast. "You know those decorator shows? The ones where the neighbors decorate each other's homes?"

"Why would they do that?"

"That's the show's premise. They provide the decorators and supplies and everybody works really hard all night long and then they get to see what they've done to each other's house."

"They don't know what's going on ahead of time?"

"No. That's the fun part."

"If you say so. What's the point here?"

"Well…" She laughed. Actually more of a cackle. Not a good sound. "Seoul has a local show like that. Single Design?"

Hyun Joong shook his head.

"I, umm, got picked."

"And you're worried that the noise will bother me? Don't. Give me a heads-up and I'll spot you a sleepless night. I owe you one." He started to close the door.

"Wait." This was harder than she thought. She drew a deep breath and blurted out, "I need a neighbor to exchange with and it has to be a single male because it's about making the places date-friendly and you're the only single male I know around here and I really want a dining set and since you're the reason I can't see Bae Yong Joon, I thought you might agree to be on the show with me." She ran out of air.

Hyun Joong's expression didn't change. He just stared at her with those big, brown Bae Yong Joon's eyes. In fact, now that he looked at her, she noticed that his eyes were a touch deeper, his gaze more sensual…

Quickly she cut off that train of thought. Time for some serious groveling. She swallowed. "Please?" That was all she could manage.

His gaze roamed her face, lingering on her lips before returning to her eyes.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay as in okay, you'll do it?" So Min gave him a wary look. "That was too easy. What's the catch?"

That's what Hyun Joong wondered. Why was he agreeing so easily? He had to admit their verbal sparring was the most fun he'd had in weeks — maybe even months. And here she was offering him the opportunity to square things and spend time with her all at once. A winner all the way around, as far as he was concerned. "Careful, So Min. You've made the sale. All you have to do is close."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me what I have to do and where and when to do it. This afternoon after you finish teaching…" that is, torturing every dog within miles "…would be fine."

"Are you always this…accommodating?"

"When it'll get me what I want."

She blinked.

He smiled.

"I — I'll check with the producer. She has to come and make sure our apartments can accommodate a camera crew."

"Gotcha. I'll stop by after I get back and see what's up. We can get something to eat afterward." Hyun Joong shut the door.

And that was how to close a deal. Hyun Joong grinned to himself. He wondered when So Min would realize that they had a Saturday night date.

To be continued...