Ji Hyo glanced down at her watch: five more minutes. Today was her first dinner date with Chang Joo since her engagement. She had felt sorry for neglecting their relationship for the past month and after the promise to herself a few days ago to appreciate her fiancé, she put in extra effort into her outfit. She wanted to look stunning for him. In the past weeks, their conversations had grown brief and curt, and she could tell that he hadn’t been in the mood to speak to her at all. She could tell that it was stress from work and hoped that tonight would help take his mind off it for a while.

Facing the mirror for the last step in her preparations, she parted to apply a thick layer of deep red lipstick before turning her head from side to side in inspection. Donning a crimson dress that hugged her curves and revealed her , she twirled around shamelessly in excitement, checking herself out in the mirror. Her diet was really doing wonders. She had never felt so good about herself. Slipping on a pair of black heels and grabbing her purse, she sprinted out of her apartment, afraid of being tardy. She had heard enough of his beratings on punctuality.

Ji Hyo waited impatiently in the lobby as she rocked back and forth on her shoes. He was late, again. Reaching into her bag for her phone, her fingers brushed a hard, cold material she had dropped into her purse in the afternoon, suddenly reminding herself of indeed another last step in her makeup procedure. After feeling around for it, she paused to pull out her engagement ring and slip it on. The dazzling diamond was no cheap sum and with her absent-minded tendencies, the last thing she wanted to do was to lose it. The promise behind it was enough for her to carry around every day, and she found it unnecessary to flash it around everywhere. Well, at least that’s what she told herself. The ring was safely kept in her jewelry box, and it was only reserved for special occasions, like today.

The night was warm, but the icy silence coaxed her back into the labyrinth of her mind when she lost interest in watching a dry leaf dance across the concrete. Still in her slump, she hoped that tonight’s positive outcome would help jumpstart the escape from her psychological turmoil. Would he notice her efforts in dressing up for him? Would he even find her attractive? She hated the nagging feeling of self-doubt in her mind and the heaviness on her shoulders. And in front of her ever-pestering manager, who was growing ever more obsessed with wedding plans for a non-existent date, maintaining her usual light-hearted demeanor had become exhausting. Being content with herself was like a distant memory and she frequently found herself wondering how even when performing the same actions from weeks earlier, the joy was suddenly missing from it. It was an additional burden to the entire engagement predicament on which she had yet to completely sell herself.

She was grateful that the headlights of Chang Joo’s car finally shone into the parking lot and saved her from her thoughts. Ji Hyo leapt out from the lobby and eagerly opened the car door to sit beside him in the front. She never thought she’d need the company of another human being so much.

“You missed me that much?”, he glanced over giving her a knowing smile all the while reaching for her left hand and giving it a warm squeeze.

She could feel his fingers gloss over the ring. “Of course”, she piped up in an equally sweet tone. “Let’s go. I’m starving”, she rubbed her stomach and gave him a pout with her big eyes.

He chuckled before stomping on the gas, jerking them forward and onto the street, earning him a harsh “yah!” from the lady in red beside him.

“You said last night you had an important meeting today. How did it go?” She heard him answer her without hesitation and she smiled, knowing that things must have gone well for him. Dealing with an angry Chang Joo was the worst.

Within a few minutes, they had pulled up to the entrance of the restaurant. Ji Hyo exited first to check-in her reservation, while her fiancé parked the car.

She was sitting in the waiting area when he emerged through the doors with a smile. It was the first time she had been able to see him properly that night. She had to admit he didn’t look too shabby with his black suit, loosely buttoned blue shirt and gelled hair. Her heart continued to race past her initial amazement as she noticed the arms behind his back slowly moving towards her to reveal something. Her inner princess giggled at his gentlemanly gesture. Man, a successful proposal can really change someone’s behavior.

Ji Hyo was suddenly torn away from Chang Joo’s act as she heard her name called and a waitress signaling them to following her. Her eyes narrowed and she cursed at the uniformed woman in front of her. Hmph, she must have been jealous.

As they headed toward their seats, she suddenly felt a heavy fabric on her shoulders. Swiveling around, she found him in the midst of laying his jacket on her shoulders.

“What are you doing?”, she asked, genuinely wondering why he had picked his moment when they were in the middle of walking.

“Your dress. I think you should cover it up.”

“But why? It looks just fine. Are you worried about the back? It’s not that…”, she trailed off as she felt his fingers dig into her shoulders. “…Neh, oppa”, she replied, lightly lowering her head in apology as she reached up to adjust it around herself. She masked her disappointment and anger behind a smile and nod as the waitress turned around to check on them having heard commotion behind her.

Finally seated, they turned to glance over the menu. From behind the pages, Ji Hyo snuck a look at her fiancé across the table. There was still a small smile on his lips. He must have thought nothing about the jacket gesture. The night must be going so smoothly for him. She bit her lip in frustration and she tried to busy herself with the dessert menu.

After placing their order, they were left in silence, and as he looked back at her, the weight of his jacket on her shoulders felt like a lead blanket. She became painfully aware of the itchy label that now lay against her sweaty neck and she rotated her shoulders to scratch the spot. Too afraid of taking it off, for fear of him thinking that she was purposefully defying him in public, she resorted to downing the glass of ice water beside her.

“Are you okay, Ji Hyo?”, he asked, catching her in the middle of furiously fishing for ice cubes in her glass.

“Neh, oppa. I’m just really hot. C-c-can…can I take this off?”, she carefully pointed to his jacket, an uncomfortable expression played on her face.

She watched his eyes flash red before muttering a “fine” as he noticed the approaching waitress with their dinner. Her eyes caught his as she shook it off, growing fiery for an instant to challenge his authority, before softening at the reminder of the bigger picture. She would just have to ignore those previous bumps in the road for now. Today, she just wanted to genuinely enjoy herself with him.

The dishes were served, and Ji Hyo’s eyes grew large at the hefty plate of food. She let out a low “mmm” as the aroma wafted into her nose.

“My chicken looks really good. Do you want some?”, she asked, picking up her chopsticks to grab a piece without waiting for a response.

“Ji Hyo, we don’t do that here”, he warned and she watched him glance around the restaurant, embarrassed.

“Sorry, oppa”, she apologized immediately; replacing the chicken, and coldly watching him take a bite of his steak before starting on her meal.

“What are you other open projects?”, Ji Hyo tried once again, unable to stand the stiff atmosphere between them.

She let him drone on about his business plans, nodding obediently along in comprehension as she wondered if he would ever harbor that much enthusiasm when talking about anything else. His eyes shone as he described the development plans, and she grew jealous that her interests would never be the source of them. She could only bring out his usual monotone, concise speech.

Suddenly, she thought she heard Jong Kook's firm voice. Practically dropping her chopsticks, her head jerked around to search for the muscular man, both hoping for his presence and absence. Part of her wanted him to be there so that he could see her all dressed up and looking her best, having always wanted to subtly impress him. The other part of her hoped he wasn’t so that he wouldn't have to witness her dinner out with her fiancé. She wanted to keep the two far, far away from each other. After a few seconds of searching, she suddenly felt a warm hand cover her right hand. She looked down to realize it was Chang Joo's and her heart dropped.

"Are you alright?", he asked, concern written all over his face.

"Neh, I just thought I heard my name somewhere", she replied without hesitation, blaringly aware of how naturally she had answered with a lie that omitted the man’s name.

"Really? I didn't hear anything."

She smiled at him weakly before they resumed dinner as Chang Joo continued his rambling, and Ji Hyo traced circles on her plate with chopsticks as she listened to him with feign interest, busying herself with kicking over and uprighting her heels beneath the tablecloth as she waited vain for any break in which she could speak for a change. Amongst many other topics, she was dying to share with him the latest jokes Jaesuk and Sukjin told her. She had found them so hilarious that she laughed out loud on many occasions just thinking about it. The way things were preceding, it seemed like she had to stifle her laughter with drinking each time the punch-line floated through her mind as she silently rehearsed it for maximum effect when she shared it with Chang Joo.

Her passion to share the humor soon died and she slipped into a silent daze of staring at the swinging pendulum of the clock above his head with her head propped on a tired arm. Wow, is this what the rest of her forever was going to consist of? She really had committed after all. She tried not to dwell on it, but the gnawing feeling of hopelessness began to sink into her spirits once again. She watched his mouth move and heard his voice ringing in her ears. Those thin lips, those empty eyes, the rough voice, she was going to have to listen to and see for the rest of her life. She wanted to think she had made a mistake, but at the same time, what did she have to prove that she was wrong? She convinced herself that she was going to grow to love him.

“Ji Hyo, do you want to go home? You look really tired”, he asked, re-alerting her as she snapped up and straightened the napkin on her lap.

“Yes, oppa. Can we? I’m sorry.”

“Of course. Anything you want. Get your things ready and I’ll go take care of the bill.”, he responded with a reassuring smile before flagging down their waitress.

Both seated and buckled, Chang Joo suddenly turned to reach for something in the backseat, as Ji Hyo watched with mild anticipation. She had already been tricked once, and she wasn’t stupid. From the back, he pulled out a shiny red rose. “I’m so glad you’re mine, beautiful Ji Hyo”, he spoke gently before handing it to her.

A bright smile sprung onto her face as she accepted it before hiding her face behind her hands to giggle shyly. Knowing she was happy, he started the car and they headed towards to her apartment to drop her off. Now that he had to pay attention to his driving and could not stare at her to further embarrass her, she uncovered her face to attend to the rose at hand that drooped under the weight of the rosebud which on occasions had swung dangerously close to hitting her forehead.

From the corner of his eyes, he watched her study the rosebud before her grin grew even larger as she peeled off the red foil to reveal a large white chocolate rose truffle.

“You like it?”, he asked smugly.

“Thank you, oppa! This is my favorite kind!”, she replied cheerily.

Despite the silence, the rest of the drive was under a much lighter mood, and she found herself hopeful of the direction of their relationship. It was moments like this that proved to her that he still cared for her. She wasn’t just another female companion to him, and the proposal wasn’t just for show. He had made room for her in his heart, and the cheesy but reassuring gesture tonight helped calm her nerves for the time being. For the first time in a while, his car didn’t feel like a suffocating cage.

They finally approached her apartment lobby and he placed a soft kiss on her cheek before watching her exit. Exchanged waves before he sped off, she entered into the lobby area and jabbed a tired finger at the “up” button. Waiting for the elevator, her left thumb started picking at the ring on her fourth finger to loosen it. Without realizing, it slipped off and fell onto the tile floor with a loud cling that echoed throughout the empty area.

She dropped down to retrieve it, and now with the ring in her palm, she studied it carefully, noticing all the meticulously crafted metalwork and stone inlays. To symbolize what? Love? Commitment? Was it really that beautiful? That special as to call for such an intricate piece of work? She scoffed at its absurdity. She was engaged and she didn’t feel any more spectacular than before, surely not to the extent to which the ring was crafted.

The elevator dinged and she continued her scrutinization inside the car.

She had only agreed to the relationship because he had helped her feel needed and wanted during a low time in her life. Months turned into years and now enough time had passed that an engagement was the obvious next step. It bothered her how a seemingly irrational and emotional entity as love had been played out so logically in front of her with such a vanilla tone. She wondered what it felt like to know and be with someone she was madly in love with. She wanted the kind of confidence that lead women in movies and dramas always carried. How did they know? Even if she didn’t feel butterflies, was it still that elusive everlasting love?

She dared not think of backing out of the relationship. He had helped her so much with career, something she would forever owe him for, and leaving him seemed like the most ungrateful and ridiculous option. And even if she did, she doubted she’d ever find another man willing to take her on. Might as well treasure what was already hers; somehow though, her complacency with the situation felt even worse than being completely alone. There were no more chances now.

The doors opened and she stepped out into her hallway with her long red dress dragging behind her. Within a few seconds, she was in her apartment kicking off her heels and collapsing on her couch, breathing a loud sigh as she relaxed into the comfortable atmosphere and closed her eyes. It had been a long day.

It was short-lived however because a shrill ring interrupted the silence. She glanced over at her flashing phone to find “Umma” flashing on the screen. She didn't want to talk to her for fear that once she opened , all her complaints of discomfort and doubt about come spilling out. Ji Hyo wanted to maintain her image as a happily engaged woman as long as she could. She could feel tears of frustration peeking out from her eyes as she was torn between the very painful and seemingly sinful act of ignoring someone coming to help and exposing herself to reveal the conflict wracking her heart and mind.

Unable to bring herself to turn it off, she let it ring as she walked to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her as she fell into her bed, burying her face among her covers to block out the noise. Somehow a supposedly great day had turned sour again and she was so very tired from dealing with it day in and day out with no signs of change. She stared into space, wanting to escape reality for a bit. Eventually her eyelids grew heavy and still in her red gown, she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: Ehh, sorry for the lackluster chapter. I've been kind of stuck on which direction I want to take it. Also, I apologize for the lack of SpartAce in this chapter. I just wanted to set up the relationship first. Once again, thanks for sticking with me through my very slow updates!