My Dad hung up on me leaving me frozen in astonishment. He never once acted the grown-up one; it was always I who was left responsible. Jaejoong looked at me from the corner of his chagrined eyes. He smiled peculiarly I guess, but the smile disappeared so fast that it was hard to tell.

            “You know something about this do you?” I faced him now, trying all my might to look severe.

            “I called your dad,” He wasn’t still looking at me.

            I tried to breathe to calm my nerves, hopped down from the railing as Jaejoong followed. “Why in the world would you do that?” I asked irritated.

            “Well, he probably knows you were with Jessica earlier anyway.” He gazed now at my eyes and it was harder to think through. “But I couldn’t bring you to dinner now, sorry.” He grinned widely.

            “I’m going home now, and no thanks to you.” I scowled and went dramatically inside his room, but I wasn’t fully balanced and stumbled through his glass door. He laughed and covered his mouth while he followed me again.

            It was almost as embarrassing as the fact dawn on me how I could go home, as he followed me out his room yet I completely forgot which way for the stairs. So by then I let him lead me. He was smiling triumphantly as he led the way.

            When we climbed down the massive marbled stairs, Butler Seo appeared by the foot of it. Jaejoong glance up at me rapidly and took a letter from Butler Seo’s hand.

            “The bar already received our payment for the broken glass table sir… and the broken liquor glass.” Butler Seo peeked at me with his formal subtleties that almost overwhelmed me.

            Jaejoong nodded. “Have you prepared my car?” He asked casually, almost rudely. Butler Seo hardly reaching his shoulders.

            “Yes sir, are you ready to go?” Butler Seo was more polite than I have ever heard him.

            Jaejoong ignored him bowing; he took my hand to drag me out the house. I scrambled and tried to tug his hand, but it was a grip of steel. Outside the mansion was his black Porsche, weirdly new polished, parked against the curb, the chauffer gave Jaejoong the keys. He opened my door and pushed me inside, hastily he round the car and climbed to his side. His car smelled fresh and clean, no trace of my vomit.

            “What’s with all the haste?” I demanded irritated again.

            “Your father is in a hurry, I promised to take you home by seven,” He tossed a white envelope at the dashboard and looked at the starry dusk sky. “I guess I abused your time limit.”

            I clenched my teeth. “Why would you call him? He thought I was at Jessica’s.”

            He wasn’t paying attention to me as he drove through the semicircle driveway, passing by the fountain and the maze lawn; he drove through the bricked bridge, over passing the beautiful blue stream. I looked out the window and decided to give him the silent treatment since I couldn’t force out from him the details I vitally need to know.

            The dark sky had turned into shaggy splints of dark blue, and the stars shone brightly, consoling me with its beauty yet again. One minute Jae was confessing again, confessing his other side, the side I liked and the next minute; he was back like his old self. I sigh angrily.

            How could he say he had change when his sudden mood swings is infuriating me. I suddenly remembered my clothes left at the guest room. I peeked at him and found him staring down at me, hands steady on the wheels.

            “Your clothes are at the trunk,” He said, guessing my mind, or reading my face.

            I turned back to look at the window and neglect him. The mansion was encroached in a dark forest, and the asphalt driveway was the only trail from the beautiful house I have just witnessed. I could still feel him staring at me.

            After a few moments and a few uneven breaths, I turned to face him. He was still staring, which alerted me.

            “Put your eyes on the road,” I commanded and he did obeyed, face secluded.

            “What was with that letter?” I asked eyeing the letter Butler Seo had given him that he had tossed at the dashboard. There was only less hints of annoyance in my tone.

            “Nothing,” His expression was unreadable.

            “Butler Seo said the bar was paid from broken glass table and liquor glass…?” I gasped as realization hit me late. “I broke something from the bar last night?”

            He turned to me and whispered in an inaudible tone. “No, I broke it.” His eyes held regrets and agony; it was painful for me to bear.

            “While I was drunk?” I blushed.

            “Because you were so white, like I said earlier, so colorless and it made me insane.” He flushed now, in torture again, it oddly hurts me.

            “Tell me exactly what happened in the bar, before I lost myself.” I claimed, hiding my shock and embarrassment.

            He hesitated to answer at first, but dealt to tell the truth as he always now does. “You were effusing more about Siwon when I took your glass from you.” He stared at the road with distressed eyes. “In my anger, I broke the liquor glass with my hand, I might have been holding it tightly I guess.” He chuckled irresistibly in a hope to lighten the mood. “But then you fell fast asleep in your seat, I called Butler Seo to fetch us, you were so lifeless that it scared me like I told you.

            “While I was waiting, I blamed myself for even inviting you in the bar. I should have known like obviously you haven’t done it before. I insist you to try on mild drinks but you jumped on to vodka— the least of my expectations. I thought you would settle with a more feminine.

            “Eventually, I was responsible so I broke the glass table.” He glances at me anxious, but my face is composed. He seems to be skipping into details that might worry me. “When Butler Seo arrived, he took care of the management and I carried you to my car with a paramedic.”

            I absorbed this abashed and blushing. “I’m… sorry… Jae.” My voice was trembling.

            He looked at me with the tortured expression still. “No, I’m sorry.” It was, like another, first time I’ve heard him apologize to someone, and it was me. I was too worried to be flattered.

            “No don’t blame yourself, I was stupid.” I wanted to peel away the torture from his face. I smiled tightly. “But it was fun.”

            “Fun?” He repeated with vile. He was furious now.

            “Well, it was a first time, don’t get me wrong though. I swear I won’t do it again.” I recomposed. We were only by the gates now. They opened automatically, and the Porsche sped past it to a turn for the highway now. His mansion was in an estate, beyond question.

            After a long electrifying silence, I was growing accustomed to each of his movements, putting them to memory.

“Why didn’t your father remarried?” He spoke in a soft velvet tone. He is no longer tortured to my relief, but he was discreet.

            “If you saw my mother, you won’t ask such a question.” I replied softly too taking in his mood.

            “Oh I have seen her; she looks very much like you, exactly her copy.” He laughed softly. He was lost in thought now.

            “Do you miss her?” He asked again which startled me.

            “Of course,” I tried to read his expression, but it was hard to look now in the dark. “But I think she’s happier now, up there in heaven with God and the angels.” I stared at the road like him. The angels made me smile, I now thought of Jaejoong as my personal angel. And if it was only possible to have a personal heaven here on earth, it wouldn’t exist without him now.

            “You said that it was painful when she left. How did you… cope?” I hear him carefully choosing his words.

            “I thought I just had to let her go, and accept the fact that she won’t come back.” My voice betrayed me, I sound weaker that I intend to. “But it wasn’t easy for me though. Like I said, it’s my greatest fear.” I don’t want to talk more about my mother, it had been ten years and yet it cuts deep like fresh wound.

            “She was a concert pianist right? I saw her in TV a lot.” Jae glances down at me again.

            “Yes, she appears in television and operas a lot.”

            “She taught you how to play?” His voice was the lighter shade of husky, very tempting.

            “No, never once. Nobody taught me.”

            “Why didn’t she teach you?”

            “She doesn’t want me to follow her… er path.” I sigh warily. “She never really said the reason though.”

            He let it drop to my relief. “So you played hereditarily acquired?” I met his remote smoldering bronze eyes.

            “Yes,” I replied pondering, lost in wild thoughts through his hypnotic eyes.

            “What’s your mother’s name?” He broke his gaze that brought shivers down my spine.

            “Kim Yong Jin.” I replied automatically.

            There was another momentary silence as he drove professionally down the sprawling city of Seoul.

            “How are your relatives?” He spoke startling me again. I could smell his breath through the short distance between us, it was intoxicating and addicting.

            “Fine, as usual.” I said casually. Jaejoong knows my relatives more than I do, but we are not closely related. The Kims are the widest range family in Korea, and my relatives are once business partners with Jae’s immediate family.  My father is the only one who walked a different path. Business is never his thing.

            Even though I didn’t pass as a scholar in Seoul Elite High, I was offered full scholarship by the Kims of Jaejoong’s immediate family because of very distant blood draw. But I’ve passed full scholarship since kindergarten in Seoul Elite School because of my above average IQ.

            Jaejoong was driving by our street now, my irritation absolutely gone. I faced him smiling and about to tell him thanks. But his face was so close to mine, less than an inch apart. His eyes were leveled to my eyes and his scent was so deliciously flaring my nose. He spoke coolly as his breath aired my face.

            “Good night So Eun, I’m sorry if I irritated you.” He leaned closer but stopped. My heart was pounding painfully against my chest, and then gradually it stopped too. “You should know that I’ve never craved a company like this, it’s addicting.” He gazed unto my eyes. “You’re the only woman I never get tired of.”

            Promptly, he placed his cold lips to kiss my nose. He pecked it gracefully then leaned away, leaving me surprised and breathless. He chuckled treacherously.

            “So Eun, breathe please.” He whispered. I realized I was still holding my breath. I took a deep breath as he said. He got out his car and opened the trunk at the back of his car. My body was aching and stiff as I moved and opened my door.

            He has carried a bag slung to his back on the way to my porch, probably my clothes. I was imbalanced as I walked clumsily to him. My father already opened the door wide, his face was grim.

            Jaejoong bowed to my father as he settled the bag of my clothes. “Annyong haseyo!” He greeted and my dad instantaneously smiled warmly at him.

            “Good evening too, Jaejoong.” His smile, as quickly as he smiled at Jae, disappeared when he faced me. “So Eun, go upstairs now, I’ll talk with you later.” His tone was a forced commanding pitch, not in the least bit as commanding as Jaejoong’s.

            “Dad—“I tried to coax, but he cut me off.

            “Now.” He said gravely. I tried to think of reasonable thoughts but his face was made up. I gave in.

            “Good night Jaejoong.” My voice was cracking. I didn’t wait for his response, but I saw him nod as I turned away and headed for the stairs.

            As I was climbing up and stumping my foot irrationally, I heard Dad talk to Jae with solemn tone. I felt irritation again as I entered my room and slammed the door. What was wrong with my dad?