The very next day, Yoona was on her way to Jihyo’s office until she was stopped by an employee on the way. “I think you should go in a bit later…” the woman in front of her showed a distress feeling. There, Yoona had a glimpse behind the woman to see Kwangsoo being yelled by Jihyo. She could hear her loud echoing yells from outside her office.

“Did I not ask you to recheck stock prices for the new items!? Is this not a simple task to do? But what is this?!” Jihyo slams the folder on the table. “You only did not humiliate me but you also made your team suffer. Review your work before the presentation!” She continued to yell at Kwangsoo. He wept while standing pitifully with both of his hands trembling.

“I-I-It slipped my mind, I’m really sorry. I had other work to do and I spent the whole night working on another report.” He stuttered through his words as well as trying to catch breath from his cry.

Without any sympathy, Jihyo let out a huge sigh before she started to talk again. “Yah, are you crying?” Kwangsoo wiped a tear away and continued looking down on the floor. “Do you expect me to feel sorry for you? Are you a child?”

“I’m really sorry.” Kwangsoo apologized by bowing again and again.

She deprecated the look on his face, “Crying won’t solve the problem here. I can’t tolerate crying in work.” She turned away while taking a folder from the table. She stood up leaving without even thinking of looking back at Kwangsoo who was left there with the torment she gave him

Meanwhile Yoona saw Jihyo’s fierce personality thinking weather it was right for her to loath Jihyo. She thought of her to be an uncaring self-absorbed woman. Her spiteful thought directly led her to conclude the Jihyo was not very kind and someone who abuses her authority without giving considerations to others. Although, she knew that she should less care about it because developing emotions towards her might make her recall Jaejoong who was engaged to her. She didn’t want to think that the man she loved is getting married to that vain woman she think is.

--

Jihyo was at a nearby café while waiting on line to order a sandwich and Americano for her lunch. She patiently waited online until someone approaches her. “Song Jihyo?” The voice was very familiar and it only took one wild guess to assume who it is. She turned around to see the right person who she thought of. Her heart skipped a beat as soon as she made an eye contact with Jessica. She was a classmate she had in the US. She is very pretty and slender, and she dresses like she’s from a high class society. The two women were very similar in style and fashion and their personalities almost matched up. “Oh my gosh! It really is you!” her high pitched American accent made Jihyo anxious. She was the last woman she wanted to see in Earth.

It almost seemed like Jihyo had just met her yesterday. And they haven’t been in contact for years. “Oh, Jessica. How are you?” she composed herself in front of the woman and at the same time hiding her annoyance.

Just about then, they both noticed each other’s handbags. They had a similar pink satchel, it made them feel bothered to be close to each other while carrying the same item. The crowd inside the cafe quickly had their eyes on them. The two women had a dignified vibe. Their chins where up to show their overflowing confidence. “You know, I’m living great. Dongwook oppa and I are staying here in Korea for a while before we go back to New York by the end of summer.” She took out her hand brushing her hair behind her shoulder to flash a 6 carat diamond ring on her finger. “We got married 4 months after he graduated.”

Jihyo tried to hold back her laughter thinking that she must’ve practiced doing that act, “Congratulations! I should’ve sent my greetings.” And right about that moment Jihyo pulled up the sleeves of her blouse crossing both her arms to reveal a diamond coated wristwatch. Twinkling lights tripled compared to Jessica’s diamond ring. Without noticing, other customers had already skipped Jihyo because she took too long to move up the line.

Jessica gritted her teeth, but then again she thought of a comeback to Jihyo. She smirked checking her from head to toe, “You seem to have changed a lot. You lost weight.”

That should sound like a complement to her but at the same time she didn’t want to hear that from her. “How is Dongwook oppa these days?” she asked

“He’s fine, he’s caught up with work here.” She raises an eyebrow, “Do you still have a thing for my husband?”

Jihyo snickered, “I don’t think you know, but I’m engaged.”

“To who?” she asked curiously.

“I’m not sure if you’re familiar with him. But he’s a hallyu star.” She said. “His name’s Kim Jaejoong.”

As soon as that name was said, a few people turned to look at Jihyo. Jessica also saw people’s reaction. She heard a whisper from a couple behind her, “That really is her, the girl in the news who was engaged to Jaejoong.” They had been talking loud enough for other people to purposely hear them.

Jihyo smirked because that was to confirm that she was telling the truth about being engaged to Jaejoong. “I don’t really know who that man is, but we should arrange meeting sometime. We have a lot of catching up to do.” She said.

“Hun!”

A tall handsome man wearing a suit came walking towards the two women, it was Dongwook. He was also Jihyo’s crush throughout college but it didn’t work out with them because he became Jessica’s boyfriend at that time. The couple greeted each other with a warm hug. Jihyo felt as if she was in college all over again, but Jaejoong suddenly came into her mind. She did not feel hurt but at that moment she wished that Jaejoong came that instant and hugged her just like that.

The three spent the whole lunch together. They talked about their time in college again. Jessica purposely tried to tease Jihyo by being all mushy with her husband. “By the way, you should really introduce your fiancé sometime.” Jessica said.

“Jihyo-ah, you’re getting married?” Dongwook asked.

Jihyo cleared and answered, “Yeap, it’s been a while now.”

--

On a Saturday night Jihyo and Jaejoong stood in front of each other at the parking lot. They just stood there staring deeply into one another’s eyes as if they tried to drill holes through each other’s heads. Jae wore a black cap and black sunglasses under the night sky. He wore that so he wouldn’t be recognized by anyone outside. Jihyo wore plane jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops. She looked very casual. The two looked like normal people standing near each other. It was as if they recalled their time back in New York.

“Are we just going to stand here all night?”

“No…”

“I was busy shooting all night, I should be sleeping… You’re making my life difficult.”

Jihyo finally felt apologetic. She started rubbing both her hands together in front of him. “Just do these for me once!” she begged him with a pitiful face. “I’ll suffer extreme humiliation if you don’t help me! Besides we are engaged! We should go through this to the end! When we do break up, I promise I will never appear in front of you again!”

He stared at her and felt great because for the first time she did not look high and mighty. In his eyes he saw an ordinary girl, “Alright, but why do we have to do this at my place? You live in a house!”

“I still live with my parents and brother! You are the purpose of this whole meeting. Jessica really wants to meet you!”

“Fine! But I am not making dinner.” He insisted.

Jihyo started whining again, “I can’t cook!”

“Aish!”

The two ended their argument and walked towards the entrance of the grocery store. They went shopping late at night were there was not much people around. The two shopped around acting like a real couple, Jae was pushing the cart while she grabbed things he asked her to get. “Yah! Why are you getting a toothbrush! We’re here for food.” Jaejoong called out.

Jihyo tossed the toothbrush inside the cart, “So that it looks like that I sleep at your place sometimes. We need to look like a lovely-dovey couple.” She giggled blushing at the same time.

His eyes widened, “ert, why are you looking like that.”

Jihyo teases Jaejoong while putting her head on his shoulder, “Honey!” she wrapped her hand on his arm.

“Omo, omo, omo, don’t get too into it!” he said, looking at her face looking up high to him.

“This is practice!” she slapped his arm.

The two giggled and laughed together. Jihyo did show her feelings towards Jaejoong, even though she played around in a friendly manner but her heart was smitten by the way he responds to her. He did not dislike it, but he also enjoyed her childish behavior. He somehow knew her feelings, he could not bear to ignore it. Although he may be confused but he knew that he did not want to reject her.