“If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you’ve made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand” – Unknown

~~~

‘I’ll give you 2 months to find a replacement for the contract that you had put off before’.

Sooyeon palms her face with both of her hands and she let out a loud sigh. How is she supposed to find a company that is going to start a business venture with them within just two months? What more in China? She is very new in this business and she did not have any connections to help her establishing a deal. It is not that she doesn't believe in her own capabilities, but in order to be successful one has to know where they stand. She knows that she can come up with a very good proposal, but in the competitive and bias environment of the corporate world, it takes more than just an excellent proposal to make people work with you. Did her grandfather planning a plot against her? Because it seems to her that he does, but she knows that it is either she makes this  deal a success, or she just screws her chance to prove herself to her grandfather.

‘Believe in yourself, Jung Sooyeon’.

She muttered under her breath and presses the intercom on her table that connects her to her secretary. She is going to start working as soon as possible, she can’t waste her time. Times means money in business, and she is not going to blow her chance to prove that she is capable of handling every challenge and obstacles; she will prove that she takes her job seriously. She has asked her secretary to bring her all the records of their previous business ventures, she needs to study it all. She will start from zero, no matter how difficult it is going to be, she is not going to give up.

~~~

‘Oppa!’

Siwon is startled upon hearing the familiar voice that he missed so much, but he is not expecting to see her, not here at least.

‘Sooyeon? Wha... What are you doing here?’

‘I just finished meeting the managing director here. Oppa, it feels like forever since I last met you.’

‘Uhm, yeah, well you know works has been consuming most of my time lately’.

Yes, work did consume most of his time lately, but he knows better, he busies himself with work, because only with work he can find relief from his broken heart. He feels sorry to Sooyeon, he has been avoiding her, because he is not ready to deal with the reality that Sooyeon’s heart is now belongs to someone else. Siwon catches the glint of sadness in her brown eyes upon hearing his answer. Sooyeon is not the one to be blame in this situation, he himself is the one that should be blamed, because he has been drawing himself apart from her.

Sooyeon nods weakly, she can feel that Siwon is not being his usual warm self. The tone of his voice is cold and it seems like he is not comfortable upon seeing her. She wonders if she has done anything wrong that might have offended him.

‘Hey, Kyuhyun told me about this whole thing with your grandfather wanting you to find a substitution for a business venture that you put off, and he gives you... 2 months, is that true?’

‘Yeah... Apparently it is true, and I need to find a company that want to put a deal with us, and I’m here today to try my luck, but unfortunately I’m not good enough for them. Looks like I have to find some other company that is able to see the vision of my proposal.’

Siwon can sense the sound of disappointment in her voice. They met unexpectedly in the lobby of Han Group; one of the affiliates of Choi Company for the past 5 years. Han Group is undoubtedly a strong and huge business empire in China but has managed to establish their name in Korea. There are many companies out there that are competing against each other just for the sake of gaining a business deal with Han Group.

‘Do you need any help? I do know quite a number of China based companies that is interested to develop their business in Korea’.

Siwon understand how difficult it is to handle a business deal, and with a short deadline given, one may face such a difficult phase, what more when you are still new to the business, people will usually doubt you, he knows this better than others; he has been there before. He wanted to help and ease the burden that she is facing now, even though he doubts that Sooyeon is going to accept it anyway. Knowing her, she is very independent; she is not the type that will let people read her weakness, because she believes that it will put her in a vulnerable state.

‘Thanks Oppa, but as much as I appreciate your offer, but I think I will handle this one, by myself’.

‘Sure... Of course... Just please know that I’ll always be here if you need any help’.

Siwon can feel his heart clenched in ache upon hearing Sooyeon’s answer. Even though he has been expecting that she will reject his offer, it still pains him, did Sooyeon really don’t see him as the one that she can be dependent to? What is he to her? Siwon took a glance at his wrist watch and at the same time trying to come with a reason to excuse himself; seeing Sooyeon only make the pain in his heart worst and somehow the awkward atmosphere between him and Sooyeon is killing him.

‘So, I guess...  Urm, I have to excuse myself... I have an important appointment to attend in less than one hour. I’ll... I’ll see you soon okay’.

‘Wait... Urm Oppa, I’m moving into my new apartment this weekend, if you don’t have any plan or anything, do you mind to join us? You know arranging stuff and maybe doing some catch up with each other’s life too. It feels like forever since we spent time together. I barely knew what you are up to these days, you know’.

‘You are moving out of your grandfather’s house? Kyuhyun didn’t say anything about this when we met earlier’.

‘Oh, this is like a last minute plan. So, will you come Oppa?’

‘Sure... I’d love to. Just let me know the address later okay’.

They bid goodbye to each other and as he walks to get to his car, Siwon had noticed earlier that Sooyeon addresses herself and Kyuhyun as ‘us’ now. There is no more Siwon, Kyuhyun and Sooyeon, it is now just Kyuhyun and Sooyeon. There is no more spot left for him. He can guess that Sooyeon invited him just for the sake of courtesy, not because she wants him there anyway. But how can he say no to the pleading voice and the hopeful brown eyes that  pierce deep into his soul? Whatmore he miss being with Sooyeon, he miss her smile, her laugh... everything. He cursed himself for being so weak, but he knows that he never can resist being around Sooyeon. 

As he gets in his car, he rests his hands on the steering wheel, resting his head on the seat and he closes his eyes as he is trying to convince himself that he is just imagining things, of course their friendship will stay the way it has always been, Kyuhyun and Sooyeon relationship won’t change anything, will it? He knows that he should not act this way, he shouldn’t feel whatever feelings that is tormenting his now. He should be happy for both of them, they are happy, shouldn’t he deserves to be happy too?

‘God, why is this so hard?'

~~~

‘Cho Kyuhyunnnn... What are you doing there? I need your help’.

No answer.

‘Oppa...’

‘Coming’.

Sooyeon is now tiptoeing on the chair trying to reach for the top of the kitchen cabinet. She is in the middle of arranging the set of colorful plate collection as a decoration for the empty spot; seeing her struggling like that makes Kyuhyun smile. He loves seeing Sooyeon like this, not in her formal clean cut attire, but in a very simple black baby T paired with washed jeans, and her long brown locks are tied in a casual ponytail. It warms Kyuhyun’s heart seeing her so domestic.

‘Hey, it’s very dangerous to stand on the chair like that.’

‘Huh? Finally, what are you doing in the main room? I need your long limbs here’.

‘Long limbs? Tccch, it’s not my fault that you are always the short one, and let me remind you that it is very dangerous to stand on the chair while tiptoeing like that, you might fall. Now, if you may excuse me...’

Sooyeon make way for Kyuhyun to do his work, but the mischievous grin plastered on her face tells that she is up for something.

‘Aaaaahh... What was that for?’

Sooyeon poked Kyuhyun’s underarm while Kyuhyun stretched his arms to arrange the plates, and since he is holding the ceramic plate, he has to bear with the merciless ticking attack. She knows that Kyuhyun can’t stand of being tickled and he has put himself in a vulnerable state to be teased. Sooyeon pokes her tongue out as an answer and started to laugh as she runs from Kyuhyun who is now ready for a payback.

‘Jung Sooyeon, you are not going to get away from this’.

They are running in the apartment; being silly together, laughing and teasing each other. Kyuhyun managed to grab Sooyeon wrist and he pulls Sooyeon closer because he is going to make her pay for her deed earlier, but the ring of the doorbell startled both of them and Sooyeon immediately free herself from Kyuhyun’s grab to answer the door.

'That must be Siwon Oppa’.                                                                               

Siwon? Kyuhyun don’t recall himself telling Siwon about his plan with Sooyeon today, not even mind telling him that she finally has decided to move out from her grandfather’s house and started living by her own. Kyuhyun had to mentally slap himself when he realizes that there is a part of him that don't want Siwon to be here.

~~~

TBC