Chapter 03
Artificial Affection
I woke up to the sound of deafening knocking at my door. Turning slightly so that I was now facing my alarm clock, I discovered it was still in the early hours of the morning. The time had confirmed my suspicion about who was at the door. It was none other than my older brother, Park Chanyeol. He always had a bad habit of rising early to begin with.
The knocking had ceased for a millisecond before my door was blasted open, revealing a young man awkwardly standing under the door frame. “Hana Park. You need to explain what’s going on.” Refusing to get up, I lazily laid in my bed. A new weight was placed on my bed, creating an uneven surface to sleep on. Undoubtedly Chanyeol had decided to sit on the edge of my bed.
“What is it, Chanyeol?” I couldn’t help but feel irksome. Anybody who dared waking me up at such an early hour would later on regret it, my brother included. Glancing over to my brother, who at the moment was tightly clutching on a piece of paper torn from the newspaper, I leaned over his shoulder to read the bold headline.
“Kim Jong In Seen with Hana Park…” I read aloud before gasping in acknowledgement.
“Now that you’ve read the headline, would you care to explain what’s going on.” His voice was calm—in fact, a little too calm if you asked me.
“It’s all Abeoji’s doing. If you’re so curious, go ask him yourself. I’m not in the mood—“
“I’m here to ask you, Hana. Not Abeoji.” Chanyeol cut me off sternly. “Tell me. Why are you seeing Kai again.”
“I got set up, Chanyeol. I’m getting married.”
****
“What were you thinking when you were lounging on the park bench out in the open? Most importantly, with Hana!?” Mr. Kim furiously threw the front page of the newspaper in front of Kai’s face, causing Kai to warily scoot his chair back.
“If all of a sudden the companies announce our marriage, the public will question how genuine the marriage is.” Kai tranquilly replied though his heart was wildly hammering against his rib cage.
“And you choose to do this after being caught with a hostess!?” Mr. Kim took a deep breath, knowing that if he didn’t stop himself sooner or later, insults would spew out of his mouth. He tiredly closed his eyelids, “Just go. I don’t want to see you.” Kai knew that his father was disappointed with him, but his father’s words stung his heart in every way. He scooted his chair back and left the room.
****
Flashes, flashes, and more flashes. Kim Incorporations and Parks had decided to hold a press conference relating to the article that was published recently. Mr. Kim and Mr. Park were the only ones present, and this was only decided after they held a lengthy discussion regarding their children. The lawyers from both companies advised it was best to keep Kai and Hana out of sight for the time being. However, they suggested mentioning the “romantic relationship” Kai and Hana shared. Later in time though, the companies would announce the marriage so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to the public.
“President Kim or President Park, do you know why Jong In decided to meet up with Hana?” A curious reporter held up her hand before preparing herself to jot down a few notes.
“Yes, we do.” Mr. Park solemnly nodded before taking a sip of his sparkling water.
“Would you care to tell us why?” Another paparazzi added in.
“I hope this doesn’t come to much of a surprise for most of you—though I’m pretty sure you’ll all be astounded by this. My son and President Park’s daughter have been seeing each othe
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