NOW

MARCH 2017

THE orange juice Naeun had was freshly peeled and squeezed but the taste that kissed her taste bud was not the taste she was familiar with. It tasted like betray, like how she felt right now sitting across the table with Minhyuk grinning apologetically at her.

That shameless bastard.

“I hope you’re not mad, Naeun,” Minhyuk sliced his half smoked salmon and shoved it down his throat. “What you saw in the photos was all there is to it.”

“Was all there is to it?” Naeun repeated heatedly, gritting her teeth before dropping her utensils on the white china and it clanked loudly against one another. “For God’s sake Minhyuk, you are going to be my husband in less than a month, and all you could say about the pictures of you going into a strip club with some bimbos is all there is to it?! I honestly don’t know how those words could even escape from your filthy mouth. Maybe we should cancel the wedding off.”

“You know I have no problem with that,” Minhyuk said mockingly. “But your dad might.”

“There are tons of other golf experts in this whole Korea. I don’t see why losing you would affect greatly on us.”

“We signed the deal, Naeun. You cannot bail. I own you.”

“Watch your mouth! You do not own me, you piece of worthless ! You better drop your ladies’ man attitude, or I will make you regret it!” Naeun shouted, teary-eyed as she shoved her chair and stormed off.

I swear if I know any martial arts you would be kissing the floor by now, .

NAEUN was crying, choking on her sobs, and her shoulders were shaking endlessly; partly because the night was cold and she left her jacket at the dinner earlier. She finally arrived at her apartment after stepping on gas pedal, full speed, in a drive that only took her less than 15 minutes. She hated him, that rotten man, but she hated herself even more for allowing herself to be engaged to him.

Her scarlet tipped finger ran on the lean passcode monitor as she tried to remember back her code.

I need to calm down, she reassured mentally as she tried again for the code. The monitor beeped negative.

Was it 1234?

Beep.

Of course not. I’m not 10 years old. Was it 0000?

Beep.

Of course not. That was too easy to slip my mind. Was it my last four ID number? Naeun pursed her lips, hands wiping her tears away, and tried for the code.

3515.

Beep.

“DAMMIT YOU STUPID SOPHISTICATED SECURITY SYSTEM YOU THINK YOU HAVE A CHANCE AGAINST ME JUST YOU WAIT I WILL HAVE TORN DOWN IN ZERO SECOND YOU DAMNED PIECE OF GLASS DOOR!”

Naeun surrendered, weeping at her endless failures and kicked the glass door with clear snot running down from her nose. Naeun turned around and sat on the steps. She flung her legs out, wanting to be carefree of what the pedestrians were thinking of her, and, for this once only, she wanted to give zero to anything.

Except to remembering her passcode – that was something she needed to give a , constantly.

Her phone in her pocket rang and Naeun quickly fished out in surprise. The screen lit up to reveal Minhyuk’s name greeting her way.

Like I would pick up.

Naeun rejected the call with a deep scowl across her face and kept away her phone. She didn’t know how or why, but suddenly Jongin came across her mind.

“NO ing way,” Jongin spat mercilessly at Naeun as he flopped on to his couch after he was done with the dishes. Sehun already went home an hour before and his small-scale housewarming party has come to an end.

“Yah!” Naeun shouted, deafening Jongin’s ears. “I’m not gonna barge into your house anyway. I just need your passcode so I can get inside.”

“And how will exactly you get inside your house?”

“What are you talking-”

“You know damn well you still need your own passcode to get into your house.”

Naeun did not say another word at the end of the line as she just realized the important information she missed.

“Are you seriously gonna leave me alone out here? Are you seriously gonna leave a young beautiful woman outside, in this lonely scary night where flashers and kidnappers and serial rapists are freely roaming the road as we speak right now?”

“Where did you go last time when you were locked out?”

Naeun scoffed in disbelief at Jongin’s insensitive question.  “You mean when you shut the door in my face and lock me out?”

“Yeah.” A small laugh escaped from his lips unapologetically.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Exactly. So buh-bye. See you at work tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“YAH KIM JONGIN!”

“What is it Son Naeun?” Jongin’s tone was surprisingly despite being shouted at multiple times in one single phone call.

“Just give me your passcode. I have a spare key to my apartment. I’m not that stupid, okay?”

Jongin paused, slightly frowning at Naeun’s bargain. “I don’t trust you.”

“Please,” Naeun almost begged, clenching her teeth and fist tight as she managed her rapid breathing. The night felt hot all of a sudden. “I won’t misuse your passcode. I have no reason to misuse your passcode.”

“Fine,” Jongin drawled, sighing heavily. “It’s eight… eight...”

“Okay,” Naeun breathed out great relief, and without realizing, her tears were long dried.

“And the two last digits are prime numbers,” Jongin said quickly before shutting off his phone call. He smiled and went to his room as he called it a night. “You’re most welcome, and good night.”

Naeun gasped, flustered and confused at his last words. “YAH KIM JONGIN I WILL ING FAIL YOU YOU HEAR ME!”

IT was understandable why Naeun was being grumpy and chewing at her workers early in the next morning. She asked Gary to pick up her usual morning coffee and then vented out on him for sticking a straw.

“You don’t drink hot coffee with straws, Kang Gary,” Naeun snapped as she dropped the coffee into her bin. “Get me another one, in less than 40 seconds and you can bet your I’m counting down to that.”

And then there was another lady in beg framed glasses who brought in the memo from the upper department – the administration and record department where her dad was the chairman – to remind her about the family dinner she was having tonight, and Minhyuk would be joining them for certain.

“How dare you,” Naeun clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the poor lady, like a prey stalking its dinner. “You know damn well I don’t like pink stick-its. How dare you come up to with that horrid news, written on a pink stick-it. You know I have epilepsy. I don’t go well with neon colors!”

“I’m sorry, Miss. I’m terribly sorry. I will be sure to remember that,” the lady bowed frantically at Naeun in a trembling voice and quickly excused herself out.

Jongin finally came up to Naeun’s office after hearing all the ruckus in the whole floor.

“Yah,” a guy with sweat covering all part of his forehead pulled at Jongin’s hand to stop him from going near to the lion’s den. “You’re dead if you go inside. You better bring some good news to her if you wish to come out alive.”

“Well,” Jongin said dryly, rolling his eyes to recall something in the back of his mind. “She does a family dinner tonight. That should be good news, right?”

“And you wrote that on a pink stick-it?” A scoff greeted Jongin’s statement.

“No,” Jongin answered abruptly, his face twisted in slight confusion. “I don’t have pink stick-its.”

“Good,” the guy then heaved a sigh. “She doesn’t like pink-stick-its. Her dad’s assistant came up to her just now with the exact same message on a pink stick-it and she got roared at the moment Naeun held the note in her hands. She said she has epilepsy because neon colors don’t go well with her. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She was never like that.  I wonder what happened to her last night at her dinner with his fiancé.”

“That’s not our business, is it?” Jongin forced a grin. I didn’t know she has a fiancé.

“It is if it concerns our lives.”

Jongin paused, and finally nodded in agreement. “That is true.”

HE picked one of the many scattered document and studied its content. It amused Jongin. Blue Diamond hotel not only was certified, but it also has a growing number of branches across Asia that could make a small little Korean like him proud. He leafed through one of the proposals Mina has prepared and read through.

It was about the updates regarding this hotel’s second opening in Jeju Island. This time, the plan was greater than the first base. It had its own private beach in every room – the rooms were actually built on water, like the ones in Bora Bora – and some of the suites were provided with its own Jacuzzi. The cost spent on Jacuzzis alone was already half a million Won. That particularly amused him. He leafed another page, and saw the opening date for the date for the resort was at the end of March.

I’m totally coming down.

“Yah Kim Jongin,” Naeun suddenly appeared in front of Naeun’s desk and stamped a flat palm on his table – Mina’s actually. “Pick up my dress from Ralph Rucci boutique at 11.00 AM and send it over to my parents’ house. The address is written on the tag so you’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he said, getting back to the proposal.

Naeun was stupefied; she did expect more than just ‘okay’ from him, especially after what he did to her last night.

“Yah,” Naeun called again, tucking a strand behind her ear as she leaned forward. “Don’t you have anything to say to me? Something that perhaps rhymes with lorry but start with an ‘s’?”

“I gave you my passcode. And you haven’t thanked me for that yet.”

Naeun scoffed off, completely dumbstruck by his smart retaliation. “Yah Kim Jongin, do you know how much it troubled me to do math in the middle of the night? Don’t you think you’ve crossed the line? There’s limit to everything. I will make you pay for this, y’know. Just you wait.” Naeun ended sharply, glaring at him in total resentment before she walked off.

“Naeun,” Jongin called softly but it managed to cease her movement. Naeun turned around, hoping Jongin would finally apologize from the calm tone of his voice.

“You don’t have epilepsy, do you?”

Naeun raised a brow, bewildered. “What?”

“Because, for someone who has epilepsy, you look good in bright yellow.”

Naeun looked down instantaneously at her yellow coat, and she felt deeply mocked afterwards.

 “Shut your mouth,” Naeun glared spitefully and flipped her hair. She wanted to say much more to him, and even shout if she could, but she held back grudgingly as she realized some of her workers were secretly keeping a close eye on them two. She grunted before walking away, infuriated and insulted.

Douche!

NAEUN peeled of the skin of banana and threw it inside the bowl. She took a generous bite at it and offered the remaining to Mina.

“You want me to eat this?” Mina asked, a little confused by Naeun’s weird offer.

“I only tasted it for the baby. It’s good.”

“Okay.” Mina took the banana and took a small bite. She has been quite picky about her food intake ever since she was hospitalized, but her doctor told her not to be picky about fruits, so she had no other option but to eat fruits, every day. It’s good for the brain, the doctor had said to her.

“How are you feeling? Aren’t you a little late for the due?”

“Yeah,” Mina sighed. “I’m due yesterday, but the opening of my -”

“Woah there sister,” Naeun held up her hands to stop Mina from spilling further too much unnecessary detail. “Too much information.”

“Is it?” Mina giggled and took her second small bite at the banana. “Anyhow, let’s just say the baby head won’t pass through my you-know-where on such tight opening so the doctor told me to wait up a couple of days. He placed two fingers, like literally up my you-know-where to encourage the open- ”

“Oh come on!”

Mina giggled and offered her banana to Naeun. “I’m sorry, girl. It’s really fun seeing you this mortified. Can you please finish this banana for me? I have no appetite.” Mina punched the pillow behind her and laid her head down. “I’m full. And now I’m sleepy.”

“You had only two bites.”

“Yeah. I’m so weird these days. You know, I had a dream about my husband cheating on me last night, so I woke in the middle of night to call him. When the phone call got through, I was just, like, crying, bawling my eyes out at him. And then the guy who I thought was my husband went, who da ya callin’ cheater, woman? As it turned out, I was calling his boss. It was really embarrassing.”

“How did you get his boss’s phone number in the first place?”

“Oh I used my husband’s work phone because my maknae decided to adopt my phone as her fish.”

“Literally?”

“Literally.”

“Wow,” Naeun laughed shortly. “Your whole family is weird.”

“I know,” Mina smiled. “But they are my weird and I love them. So, tell me, how’s you new intern? Is he good with his work? Is he good-looking, if you know what I mean?” Mina wriggled a brow at Naeun - looking ever so disgusting in her eyes.

“Stop that or I will run over you with a trailer.”

“You cannot drive a trailer. You can barely drive your own Audi.”

“That’s not the point here!”

“Then tell me how is he? What was his name again?”

“Jongin. And oh my God, do you remember the rude guy who I told you about? The one that shut the door in my face?”

“Yeah. The night that you got locked out because you forgot your passcode.”

“That was him.”

Mina’s gasped, clasping with her palm in surprise. “Y’know it’s not so civilized to lie to a heavily pregnant woman.”

“I’m not lying. He literally lives in the same apartment as me.”’

“Same floor too?”

“No!” Naeun spat out, wearing a disgusted look. “What is he? A minister’s son? That jerk couldn’t afford a penthouse. He couldn’t even afford to be human and apologize to my face.”

“What do you mean?”

“As embarrassing as it was, I regretted, still, having to ask for his help. Some nights ago, my mom just barged into my house literally in the middle of the night because she missed me. And I got angry actually because I hate it when every time she does that. So-”

“So you reset, yet again, your passcode and forgot about it?”

“Yup,” Naeun nodded, gulping down the bitter truth. “So I asked him – Jongin - to give me his passcode so I could get in. I had to like beg him to give me his precious passcode because the night was ing cold and I left my jacket at some restaurant.”

“Don’t tell me you forgot you actually worn them before leaving the place?”

“Yes, and don’t cut me off. Anyhow, he finally agreed to give me his passcode, but with a little effort.”

“What is it?”

“He gave me the first two digits, and asked me to solve another two.”

“No ?”

“Yes !” Naeun snapped, her blood still boiled at the tragic nightmare. “He told me the last two digits were freaking prime numbers!”

“Oh dear,” Mina said, her face looked as sympathetic as her tone. “You didn’t get the passcode, did you?”

“No I don’t,” Naeun pouted her lips, nodding her head spitefully. “I hate him.”

“So, did you think of getting even with him?”

“I did,” Naeun sighed, dropping her head down. “But I don’t have good healthy brain like you.”

“You don’t need good healthy brain to execute a genius plan. You just need the right access.”

“Oh my God, what’s on your brilliant mind?”

“You’ll see,” Mina smiled wickedly at her friend but her expression turned gray in a few second. “But first, I need to take a dump.”

NOTHING like a family dinner Naeun liked. Her mother was dressed a little too over-the-top with matching big brooch across her left shoulder and her jewelries. Her dad on the other decided to be logical and just put on a casual night wear. As long as it looked presentable, his dad always said.

Minhyuk, on the other hand, was something Naeun would like to think of as a statue. A talking statue, in fact. He was not important and she has right to dismiss him in any way she liked.

“So,” her dad – Jihoo began breaking the silence after the main course was served. “Are you going with Minhyuk to this weekend’s charity night ball?”

Naeun chewed on her pasta but it just won’t break into tiny pieced enough to go down . Naeun grabbed her drink calmly and shook her head. “No,” she said in a hoarse voice.

“Why?”

“We decided to take some time off,” Minhyuk interrupted suddenly and smiled at Naeun, filled with empty lies. “The wedding is actually closer than we think, and we have been some time being together a lot. So, I decided to let Naeun have some time off so she could have a change to miss me and actually hug me when she sees me coming.”

Sofia – Naeun’s beautiful pianist mom laughed just enough; only showing her gorgeously white set of teeth like how a lady should always smile – when she heard her future son in law’s thoughtful remark.

“Are you sure she will be the one missing you? She just doesn’t miss anybody, y’know. Trust me, I have been her mother for 23 years now.”

Naeun frowned and continued to eat her dinner in silence. Minhyuk is spitting obvious lie and she had no intention of stopping him. She actually thought the idea was not bad,

Wait – does this mean he’s been a good liar?     

“It’s okay,” Minhyuk said as he gripped Naeun’s hand and startled her with that small act of affection. “I don’t mind being the only one who misses her. She is, after all, not just anybody.”

“True that,” Jihoo agreed as he raised a glass in air. “Let’s drink to Naeun and Minhyuk, shall we? They are going to be somebody important in our little family soon enough and I look forward to that.”

Naeun forced a bitter smile as she watched all her family, and Minhyuk rose up and raised their glasses. She got up forcefully and brought her glass together and it clinked with the rest.

“To our beautiful future,” Jihoo enthused with a fairly wide smile -  a famous smile only businessmen would wear.

“To our beautiful future,” the rest had followed along and took a one-shot at their remaining champagne.

Beautiful future my . I don’t have a beautiful future with this jerk. Heck, I don’t even have any future.

Naeun glanced at her wrist watch and was disappointed when it was only 8.26 PM. Naeun sighed, but jumped for a moment when her loud DBSK ringtone went off suddenly, filling the peaceful surrounding with an upbeat music.

“Why didn’t you turn off your phone, honey? Sofia asked, looking a bit irritated. She hated it when Naeun – or his husband – didn’t turn off their phones during dinner time because they will be, for sure, distracted from the bonding session and would begin talking business for some minutes before getting back to dinner. By then, dinner would cold and less enjoyable and she did not appreciate having to wait idly for them to finish talking.

“I’m sorry,” Naeun quickly managed before taking out her phone to reject the phone call. Her finger however stopped halfway when she saw JONGIN written on the screen.

Oh well, look who’s calling for help now.

****

Happy reading :)