Fingers shivering, I shakily pushed the number 18. The door closed with a soft sound. Inhaled deeply, I tensed when the lift slowly went up. I dreaded what was waiting me at the destination, the 18th floor. I bit my lower lip, tightened my grip around the bag hanging on my shoulder.

It was his birthday gift for me. The bag. Just a few months ago.

"I saw Sang Joo entering Grand Hyatt hotel with some girl. I don't know, but.... I checked, room 1808. Don't hate me for telling you this ok?"

I honestly didn't know what was that message supposed to mean at first. I was like "wait what is this what is happening?". I was spacing out for 5 good minutes until mindlessly stood up from my desk, grabbing the jacket and fled out of the office. It was like my feet led me here while my mind just stopped working momentarily.

The ding sound chimed, I was startled and snapped out of my thoughts. Hesitantly, I took small steps further to the hallway, looking for the room number 1808. Should I knock? Then what would be next? What if what Hye Mi saw wasn't real? Maybe it was not Sang Joo, just someone looked like him? Maybe he was with his sister?

Or should I act like nothing happened?

"What are you gonna do....." A voice spoke up right next to me. "....if what you gonna find is what you don’t wanna face?"

Retreating my trembling hand, I turned to where the voice appeared.

A man in suit is standing next to me, hands in pockets. He had this torn expression on his face, making me assump about who he might be.

"From your gestures...." He continue to say with a grim face without looking at me. "I give you a chance to run from the truth. For me, I need to face it."

We just stood facing the wooden door like that in silence for several minutes, no one spoke up a word. Finally, decided that I had enough time to consider his offer, the man pressed the doorbell.

It took nearly 10 minutes for the door to swing open with a force, enough to send a light wind to my hair.

"WHAT?"

Sang Joo. It was really him. Irritated, fuming and angry. He looked like he could kill anyone right then and there. May I add he had nothing on except the towel around his waist? And it didn't look like he was having a shower. He had bed-hair though.

"Did we interrupt something?" I heard the man asked with a bitter chuckle.

That was when Sang Joo's eyes landed on me, and his eyes nearly popped out their socks.

"N-n-n-na Yeon?" He stammered. "W-what are you doing here?"

The man welcomed himself to the room, leaving me with Sang Joo at the door. Sang Joo was still too shocked to do anything, and my eyes just followed that man. I saw him stopped in the middle of the room and turned 90 degree. He folded his arms and smirked.

“So this is why you rejected my lunch offer?”

I heard some rustling sound coming from what I think might be bedroom. He spoke up again, in a calmer tone.

“Don’t bother to greet me properly. I don’t came here for that.” He clicked his tongue. “I just wished you didn’t choose this room, it’s my favorite number.” He sighed. “Now I soon have to erase it out of this hotel.” He shrugged then walked away towards the door, where I was still standing motionless.

“N-na Yeon…” Sang Joo reached out for me but I quickly stepped back.

“When?” I asked, trying to keep myself from quivering. “Since when this happened?”

“My birthday…” Sang Joo mumbled while biting his lips, avoiding my gaze. I gasped. It was 5 months ago.

I didn’t know why, but the next thing I knew was me rummaging through the bag - his gift for me - and tried to retrieve my purse, phone and key car.

“N-na Yeon….” Sang Joo softly called me.

Then, I just dropped the bag on my feet, right in time a girl in her bathrobe dashed out of the room, screamed. “BUT YOU IGNORED ME FOR WEEKS!”

The man in suit stopped on track, spinning his head around to face the girl again.

“You kept saying you’re busy with works and had this and that meeting, while all I needed was a dinner with you, or a normal date.” The girl continued to sobbed, dropped herself to the floor. She was a beautiful girl, I had to admit. Her face looked like an angel, and her lips, so luscious. “It was hard to be your girlfriend, don’t you know?”

“You already used the past tense?” I heard the man asked, his voice somehow sounded soft to me. “And, just because I could not have dinner with you, so you could find another man to sleep with.”

“They started this 5 months ago.” I said, loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear.

The man in suit turned his head to look at me with an expressionless face, and I stared back at him. At that moment, I knew there was something only me and him could understand for each other - the feeling. The feeling of what we were going through at that moment, it was an awful feeling. Betrayal.

“Shut up. You know nothing to say!” The girl said angrily, I guessed to me?

“What?” I laughed. This was getting ridiculous. “Did you just tell me to shut up?”

“You left Sang Joo lonely to pursue that damn project of yours. He was not taken care of for months, until he could not take it anymore. You’re not good enough to be his girlfriend.”

“If it’s so,” I turned to Sang Joo, who looked embarrassed while glancing back and forth between me and that girl. “He isn’t worthed to be my boyfriend either.”

I felt tired, emotionally tired. Clutching my belongings tightly, I walked off. There was some force pulling me back, and I was again facing Sang Joo. “Na Yeon, listen. I….”

I could not stand it. I had to, even though it hurt me as well. I slapped him.

“That restaurant was supposed to be our project.” I held back my tears. “Until you suddenly said you didn’t wanna do that anymore. Now I know why. It was exactly 5 months ago.”

I brushed off his arms. “Forgive me for not taking care of you well enough as a girlfriend.”

This time I left for real. I didn’t care what was Sang Joo yelled at my back anymore. I was done. 5 years, it’s nothing now.

I was about to close the elevator door, when the man in suit came into view. I held the open button, letting him in.

We drove down in silence, each one was drowned in our own thoughts. Until I heard him asked me. “Are you ok?”

“Are you?” I smiled faintly, still not looking at him, hugging myself tighter.

“It’s been 3 ing years.” I heard he said with a bitter chuckle.

“For me it’s 5.” I replied. “Time doesn’t matter, when the passion is gone.”

“Why did you leave your bag?”

“It was his birthday gift. Now just thinking about that made me sick.” I messed my hair. “He said he had to meet an important client today and refused my lunch offer, too.”

“We’re all idiots.” He chuckled.

“I’m sorry for you.” I turned to look at him, extended my hand. “This is not the right time, but, Kim Na Yeon.”

“I’m sorry for you, too.” He smiled sadly and took my hand. “Kwon Ji Yong.”

The elevator opened, and I released his hand. “At least we’re not idiots anymore from now.” I said.

“If you ever need anything, just come here. This is my hotel. I will give you special services.” He offered.

“Sure.” I smirked. “You’ll be my VIP customer when my restaurant opens, then.”

We laughed a bit, momentarily forgot the situation we were in.

“Then, I guess, goodbye.” I slightly bowed at him for leaving.

“Goodbye, Miss Kim.” He bowed back and said to me.

That was my first encounter with Kwon Ji yong - the roller coaster in my life.

_____

A/N: thank you so much for your sub & comments & upvotes! Much love from Rosie ♥