(Just picture this scene in winter and you've got the idea)

Sungkyu pulled to a stop in front of a mansion of no small standing, just outside the imposing, dark, wrought-iron gates. Yeeun sitting in the passenger seat, smoothed her dark blue skirt nervously. She was dressed in an elegant cream blouse with a hint of ruffles around the collar and sleeves. A long, beige trench coat was settled over her shoulders and she sported a pair of dark, designer sunglasses.

Sungkyu turned to look at her, “You know the plan well? You remember it all?” His serious eyes hardly blinked.

Glancing over at him, Yeeun raised a fine eyebrow. “I helped invent the plan if you remember.”

“Just checking.” Sungkyu said, “I just don’t want this to go wrong.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He glanced out the windshield at the striking mansion.

“Alright. Smiles in place,” he turned back to Yeeun and winked to help her relax. She giggled tensely. Although she appreciated the gesture, it didn’t do much to pacify the car full of nerves prickling on full alert. Pulling up to the closed gates, Sungkyu stopped his car next to the little black box off to the side if the brick walling that held the communication device and a security camera.

“Who is it?” a formal, almost bored sounding voice emanated from the black box.

“My name is Sungkyu, Kim Sunkyu and this is my close friend Park Yeeun.” Sungkyu replied beaming at the camera.

“You do not have an appointment. What business do you have here at Choi Manor?” the voice asked.

“Well, my friend Yeeun-ssi is an incredibly talented interior designer. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? She’s actually just starting out, but already lots of the well-to-do families of Korea are starting to come to her to touch up their homes. Yeeun-ssi has always been an avid fan of Choi Junhong’s style. It has been her dream to meet him in person and do an interview with him so we stopped by to ask if that wouldn’t be possible.”

“It would not be possible.” The voice responded, “If you would be so kind as to leave, Master Choi is extremely busy running the Choi family affairs. He doesn’t have the time to give interviews to aspiring gold-diggers.”

Sungkyu’s smile slid from his face. Beside him, Yeeun opened the passenger door and placed one delicately stilettoed foot out onto the beautiful drive. She emerged from the car slamming the poor door vehemently closed behind her.

“Gold diggers?” she screeched in outrage rounding on the camera and pushing her designer sunglasses onto the top of her head so that the camera would have no trouble mistaking the anger in her eyes, “Did you seriously just call me a gold digger? I have never been more insulted in my life! I am of a reputable family who has worked hard to be where she is at. I do not believe that you even checked with Master Choi before you tried to send us away. That is not just a lack of etiquette on the part of a staff member, that is unacceptable! If I leave here, this instance will be the new story circling through the higher ends of society by tonight. I bet everyone will be interested in how Choi Junhong refused to realize an aspiring artist’s dream. With how delicate his balance of power is right now in trying to settle so many affairs and transition everything, I’m sure even a slight rumor might make things difficult for him. Do you really want to be responsible for a rumor spreading about your boss?”

Yeeun tossed her curly head in indignation and crossed her arms over her chest. Her breath puffed in the frigid air before her and her foot tapped impatiently as she continued her rant, “I demand to see Choi Junhong this instant. Unless he himself sends me away I will stay right here!”

The superior voice on the other end seemed a little less certain as he replied, “I will speak to Master Junhong. Please wait a moment.” The microphone turned off as the man left to check with Choi Junhong about this unexpected scenario.

Sungkyu leaned across the passenger seat to stare at Yeeun through the passenger window. A look of incredulous admiration danced in his eyes as he smiled over at her. “That was brilliant,” he chuckled. When you started up you even convinced me you were some Agassi from some well-to-do family; totally in your element.”

“Hush,” Yeeun mumbled back still keeping an unhappy mask on for the benefit of the camera, “Don’t say things like that if you don’t want us to get caught.”

“Deeee Agassi,” Sungkyu snickered as he straightened back up behind the steering wheel. “Well, I guess all that’s left now is to wait for the verdict.” He turned up the heater to stave off the winter chill and settled in his seat to wait.

******

Choi Junhong sat across from Gaein in the renovated bedroom of the basement. He reclined back in an armchair near the door, one leg crossed over the other in a comfortable fashion. His dark hair was gelled back in a professional sort of way, becoming a president of a mighty corporation.

Gaein sat in the center of her plush bed, legs crossed. She was arrayed in a ridiculously expensive flower printed blouse that had been given to her that morning and some bronze colored, comfortable stretchy pants. Her hair was clean and pulled back in a messy up do and she stared pointedly at her lap not acknowledging Choi Junhong’s appearance at all.

“It must feel suffocating being down here for so long,” Choi Junhong’s smooth, pleasant voice seemed as if he was having a simple everyday conversation, “Even with all the pretty amusements I bring down here for you.”

Stony silence greeted his remark.

“My darling you know it doesn’t have to be this way…you have the power to end this” Junhong called out to her. He uncrossed his leg and leaned forward clasping his slender hands in front of him and continued, “You know it pains me to see you so unhappy.”

Gaein’s head snapped up, fire in her eyes, “Liar,” she snarled. “You are a sick psychopath. You enjoy keeping me trapped down here like a bird in a cage who is forced to sing for your own amusement. You are a…a…a… sadistic villain!”

“A sadist?” Choi Junhong tilted his head slightly as though considering the possibility, but then shook his head. “No, despite what you may think, I do not enjoy locking you up. I am happy you are by my side even if it is like this, but I would much rather you choose to be by my side of your own volition. I would rather flaunt you to the rest of the world to show everyone that you are mine. You would stand by my side as I became the most powerful man in Korea, and you would be the woman everyone worshipped, adored, and all the other silly women imitated.”

“You’re insane. That’s not what I want,” Gaein shook with rage, “I may have chosen you once Choi Junhong, but I will never choose you again. I’d die first.”

“There, there, don’t be so melodramatic Gaein-ah,” Choi Junhong said coldly, “Besides, I wouldn’t allow you to die. You are too precious and I have worked too hard to have you disappear from me so simply.”

The dark-haired man stood and walked to the edge of the bed looking down at her. An unreadable expression crossed his features, “Besides if you’re really miserable, like I said before you can end the misery any moment.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a small, exquisite looking deep blue almost black box and tossed it into her lap.

“Don’t you have more important things to do right now?” Gaein felt the rage, still there, but an exhaustion was settling into her system as she stared at the unopened box resting in her lap. The exhaustion was familiar; it was the kind that always came after word games that did nothing but go around in circles with this man. She was ready for him to leave.

“You know I don’t my love,” Choi Junhong replied. “Running an empire is never done, that is true, but it couldn’t be considered more important than visiting you. He turned and headed to the door. Reaching out and grasping the handle, he opened the door. But before he left, he turned back to her once more…

“I’ll let you think on it tonight. I will be back to see you in the morning. I will wait Gaein for as long as necessary. The time that has gone by already? Five weeks is nothing. I am prepared to wait years. Forever if need be. And if you still don’t choose me in the end, then I will just have to settle for this…a lifetime of stealing away to you in the basement. But as long as you’re here, this place will be as beautiful as paradise to