YEAR 2010: THIRD PULL

WHILE I nurture my education in exchange for my scholarship, I had other tough priorities to hold: the responsibility of being the assistant of the ever elusive notable decorator slash architect named Kim Min Kyeong.

Known as the reputable high-class decorator slash architect made her jobs piling up each day, and through this job I learned that one’s class is determined by one’s pride which can be bought with money.

There are a whole awful lot of people who like to flaunt their money to buy them the ticket to enter the extravagant gate. Apparently having lots of money doesn’t mean that you’re automatically admitted into the stuck-up and snobbish community consisted only of those who called themselves The Unreachable.

And that’s where my boss stepped in to help those in need to level up their class to be admitted as one of The Unreachable, Boss Kim assists them through their whole plan of building their new identity. She provides them the very base before the clients soar by themselves with the given direction.

Size doesn’t matter; material also doesn’t matter, because for all I know is that everything looks the same and somehow stands equally. Boss Kim begged to differ, a brand is all that matter.

I saw similar layouts, similar techniques and similar results. But each time, the clients always come back seeking my boss with the same issue and then the same solution. By the end of the day, money comes in easily so I shrugged it off and just follow her lead.

The way I dressed myself has changed remarkably in compared with my early state of life when I just arrived at South Korea, all thanks to working closely with Boss Kim. Being her assistant means that I should be like what she appears to be, all prim and pampered from the top to the bottom especially when I was given a task to replace her by taking the lead of the meeting with those special kind of client.

I never liked to don layers of make-up on my face but there I was, fully masked and topped with long fake eyelashes, looking proper with black sleeveless pantsuit and killer heels, pampered with well-styled hair and well-matched accessories including stylish clutch.

Smacking my well-tinted lips, I stepped out of the elevator with a big amount of desire enough to boost my confidence to win the heart of the new client who aim to enter the other side of the world. I guess time did change me; I befriend ambition and let myself be driven by money.

*******

Piece of cake, piece of as a matter of fact. I should feel contented that I was able to seal the deal as the client was under the agreement of having Boss Kim to cater their newly built residence outskirt of Seoul, instead I felt empty.

I should feel proud of myself, in just only a spare of thirty minutes that Boss Kim briefed me about her latest client from her special kind of atelier I managed to pull through everything and succeed on my first try, instead I felt nothing.

“Here’s your card, Miss Kim Min Kyeong.” The waiter slapped some sense back to me as I blinked and nodded before taking my boss’ credit card. I put on a polite smile and quietly left the sky dining area toward the elevator.

There were two men who were already standing there waiting for the elevator when I heard somebody called, “Miss Kim! Miss Kim Min Kyeong!”

At first I didn’t react but a second later I realized that it must have been me since I came under my boss’ name so I turned and quite surprised to be handed an expensive wine as a thank you token on behalf of the restaurant.

“I never thought that my sister is this young.” I heard a man spoke quite close to me; his voice rang something. That voice, that soothing effect, that light yet velvety, airy and husky in one go. I looked up and my eyes widened in surprise as he smiled, “Annyeonghaseyo.”

From one to ten, it was ten, the scale of my uneasiness to which had me leaning more on the rejecting side. Kim Jae Joong was offering me a ride even after spending some awkward elevator moment with me; I was mute throughout the whole way down only bowing and blinking as he tried to have a light chat with me and sometime tried to invite me to join his conversation with his companion.

But when he bid his good bye to his companion and still stood there right beside me nonchalantly even when his car has been parked in front by the valet person, I had no choice but to peek at him. What was holding him from going to his car and sped off? The answer that came to me had me more confused when I found him already looking at me as he chuckled and said, “Finally, you acknowledged my presence.”

So when he opened his car door and ushered me to just get in, I couldn’t say no, not when he sternly said that I had done enough in humiliating and hurting him with my passiveness. There was a big and heavy slump in my throat when I settled myself on the passenger seat; I was squirming every now and then.

*******

Professor Kim once commented about my love-hate relationship between me and my impulsiveness, she said that I should take a good hold of myself. Easier said than done considering how her impulsiveness is still in par with mine.

“So, Miss Kim-“

“I’m granted the right to meet the client under her name as she permitted me to keep her card.” I said solemnly while I kept my eyes on the road, the only complete sentence that I blurted out ever since I sat on the passenger seat, cutting him perfectly.

“I’m not that kind of stuck-up and snobbish kind of person just like the couple you just met earlier.” He replied not even a tad late, not even sounded like he was annoyed. If anything, his statement was out in a very calming vibe.

We stayed in silence as I rack my mind deducing whatever he was trying to do with me. He brought up the snobbish client whom I met before, comparing himself. I came with one conclusion as I gulped, “I don’t think of you like that.”

His reply came as soon as I closed my mouth, “And I know for sure that my noona trusts you.”

I took a peek at him and found him smiling though he kept his eyes on the road. Judging from his laid back posture as he steered the wheel, he didn’t seem awkward like me. He turned to look at me for a second before his eyes moved back to the road again; his lips donned a wider smile than before.

“Just relax.” He chuckled. “It’s not like we are complete stranger to each other.”

No doubt that they’re sibling, both likes to state out something easier said than done. I kept my eyes back on the road and settled my back a little bit toward the comfort. I gave thank to the almighty though, I met him while I was in sober condition with better appearance.

The rest of the ride turned out to be more of him with his inquiries and me replying, it felt more like I’m attending some sort of quiz or talk show. A very lame talk show, he is not Yoo Jae Suk and I’m not that brilliant on pumping up the mood unlike those people whom the Nation MC have always been familiarized with. It’s not a matter of me being difficult or stuck-up; it’s a matter of me being alarmed to my surrounding.

I let him drove to wherever he wanted to, I kind of missing the beat to tell him where I wanted to go. I was squirming on my seat, looking left and right trying to recognize the surrounding as I kept on replying his mundane question about my life here at Seoul. Though my reply came out very short, he seemed not to mind it as he kept on filling the car with his airy and husky voice.

He asked about my background, not too deep thankfully and asked about my education at the institute as well as my position as his older sister’s assistant. And from our mundane and lame talk show, I sensed that he seemed interested with the design world probably because his field of work always cross path with our field of work.

My distracted mind came into a halt as I finally recognized the neighborhood where he drove into and sighed in relief. But my relief only lasted for a while as soon as he parked his car right outside of Boss Kim’s atelier, I had no other means but to get out of his car and step closer to the gate with a very disturbed mind stating the obvious: I didn’t have the damn key to open the gate, and that the nearest public transportation can be accessed should I walk down the road for approximately twenty minutes which will kill me since I wore killer heels.

Even so, I straightened my back and turned to bow toward him with a polite thank you slipped out of my lips. There is always a good thing that we can find in our life no matter how hard our life has been, I am thankful that at least he dropped me in this elite neighborhood where not even a soul -that might raise the risk of catching me came out from that superstar’s car- could be seen wandering the road. He looked at me expectantly, we stayed in silent for the next minute before he called it quit with a wave and sped off.

*******

The car was filled with so much laughter, a male’s laughter to be precise. The driver couldn’t stop chuckling that somehow I let out a gasp amidst my blushing cheeks when the car swerved dangerously just because the driver let go of the steer to hold his aching stomach. He stuttered out a sorry, but resumed his laugh and chuckle in the next second. Was that a glimpse of tears that I see?

I looked down to my fingers, fiddling nervously in shame as my brain chose to replay earlier incident where he found me walking away from the atelier he had dropped me. I let my hair covered my face to hide my huffing and pouting. How many times have I make a fool out of myself in front of this man actually?

When the car slowed down, I peeked and realized that he had parked the car in the middle of nowhere. He was looking at me while biting his lower lip when I turned to see him with my peripheral vision.

“So, as to ease me out of my guilt from taking away your chance of telling me your destination, I’ll now wait until you tell me where you’re supposed to go.”

I groaned inwardly and shut my eyes. I was flabbergasted before when I found out that he actually parked his car right on the next block and questioned me why didn’t I just stayed overnight at the atelier. I told him that I couldn’t get in since I didn’t have the key to the atelier, he quickly caught on by asking me the reason of why I didn’t tell him from the beginning to which I supply him the answer of how I lose the timing to tell him that I never intend to go to the atelier.

“Itaewon.” I mumbled.

“Aah...” He said. “No wonder you dress up like that. I’ll drop you right in front of Club Rococo then.”

I whisked my face to look at him directly and protested a big ‘NO’ to him when I found out that he actually was making fun of me. He is the younger brother of Boss Kim, surely he would know about the other design firm owned by his older sister located at Itaewon. “The studio at Itaewon!”

Amidst his never-ending laugh, he managed to choke out his sorry. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t...okay, it’s just...since I know that you’re noona’s assistant somehow made me draw the conclusion that you work at the atelier.”

“Who would’ve thought that you actually don’t work at the atelier?” He said again as he started to maneuver the car. “Besides the obvious reason of you handling the big client that usually is associated with the atelier, the way you dress yourself differently tonight second my thought.”

He did have a point there. But no, I was Professor Kim’s assistant in her studio at Itaewon first before she appointed me to be her right hand there which prompted my base to be located at Itaewon although lately I’ve been going to and fro between the studio and the atelier.

As a matter of fact, I’ve only knew about her special kind of atelier recently. Around three months earlier or so, she began to introduce me to her atelier that is located at Hannam-dong. It is a stark contrast to the studio where I was stationed at in Itaewon, different vibe to be exact. While both places exuded well-maintained credibility, her atelier at Hannam-dong offered a more sophisticated vibe with all those special kind of client.

“Although seriously, you could’ve just cut me comfortably like what you did first hand when I tried to start a small conversation earlier and told me exactly your destination.” He said with a smile on his face while I grimaced as I remember how my impulsiveness has been controlling me most of the time today.

“Just make sure that you’re not going alone, this time.” I raised my eyebrow in confusion toward his statement as I looked at him grinning at me. “Considering the last time you were harassed by some drunken man, I’m amazed that you still want-“

“It’s not Club Rococo!” I raked my hair desperately, trying hard to erase those blush on my cheeks caused by his teasing. “It’s the studio at Itaewon, please!”

“Hey, it’s alright!” He laughed, his shoulder raised up and down. “No need to be shy! Everyone must have his or her secret guilty pleasure!”

I scoffed. “So in my case, I’m a party animal?”

“Club Itaewon it is.” He nodded with that big smile on his face as the car accelerated. “Let’s go for the night is still young!”

I covered my face with my palms and shook my head; his laughter filled the air as I groaned. He didn’t believe me when I told him that I was actually present at Club Rococo due to working issue, and kept on teasing me even to the point of him inviting me to his usual club where he likes to relax with his friends.

I missed his intention though, and somehow was quite stunned at the end of our ride when he parked his car right outside of the studio. He was looking at me with that gentle eyes of his and that warm smile donned by his lips, “Hey, you were slouching comfortably were you not?”

He didn’t wait for my reply and opened his door instead, I quickly followed with my brain still scattered everywhere trying to deduct his statement. He walked me to the glass door and asked me to show him the key, which I did then he got inside his car again and pulled down the window.

He rested his head on his arm when I bowed and politely say my thanks. He waved at me, shooing me would be best to describe it before he honked his car causing me to turn my body to face him again.

“Let’s be comfortable with each other the next time, alright?”

I didn’t know what to reply, so I just bowed to him. I resumed my way to open the glass door when I heard him honked his car again, effectively catching my attention.

“It’s nice to spend the night with you.” He smiled and waved. “I’ll be going first, Miss Kim and this time I won't be staying around!”

He wouldn’t just let that go, huh? I shook my head as I got inside the studio and head upstairs to my office room. With a sigh I plopped down the white sofa, staring into the white ceiling. My brain presented me two revelation, number one was that Kim Jae Joong is still the same human species with me despite what the world educated me of him and number two was that I somehow lost myself within his dominant presence, I didn’t sit upright on the passenger seat for most of the whole ride to Itaewon from Hannam-dong did I?

[A/N]

Boss Kim and Professor Kim is the same person. Our OC here maneuver her tongue to differentiate her conscience, while she works for the studio she will call her superior with Professor Kim but while she works for the atelier she switched it into Boss Kim. Different vibe, different feels. While in the studio our OC can freely speak out her opinion and actually rule it, she simply can't do so at the atelier since the place is still under Boss Kim's direct touch.