I can see beauty when others see ugliness. That either makes me an artist or a person of a very poor taste.

♫
 

"I don't want." Chanyeol disapproved firmly. Although he was not able to meet his father's demands, he was very sure about his decision.
 

"Chanyeol." The two men sat in the office, a table separating their conflicting emotions. "Mr Lu is a good friend of mine and-"

"And his son is not a good friend of mine. For goodness sake, really? You know what he did in the night club?" Chanyeol stood up, fists balled in anger, reminded of that fateful Christmas night.

"I refuse."

"Luhan is a good kid," Mr Park explained slowly, "Remember, you two used to play when you were kids!"

Chanyeol rolled his eyes, his father actually meant two decades ago when he was still wearing diapers. 

"Yeah, kids.

"Chanyeol," Mr Park sighed in defeat. Almost every time, he had allowed Chanyeol to do whatever he wants, even opening a club, But not this time.

"I know Haerin is your everything. But you shall not forget that first and foremost you carry the name of the Park."
 

By this time, Chanyeol's hands had reached for the door knob, twisting it open. He will not hear of such nonsense and just breathing the same air and living in the same city as Luhan irks him.
 

"And being a Park means that you shoulder the responsibility of being the future CEO of Lotte and everything else that comes with it. This 2 month collaboration with the Lu's will prove your capability and I, will not allow any mistakes. You hear me?"
 

"You should be grateful that he didn't put you on the blacklist." Jongdae's hands were stuffed in his pockets as they sat at the VIP counter watching the people on the dancefloor. "I can't believe you tried to get into the pants of his girl."

Luhan was not processing Jongdae's incessant mumblings. He swirled the whiskey in his hand as he scanned the crowded dance floor, not spotting the said girl or guy. In fact he hasn't seen them ever since that Christmas night three weeks ago.

"Hey," he called out to Xiumin, the bartender who made the best mix in Seoul. "You know who's Choi Haerin?"

"Oh, Haerin ah." Xiumin's skilful hands poured the blue liquid into a martini glass. "Why?"

"Just."

"If you're lacking of girls, I'll introduce someone else. Throw all your thoughts about her to the edge of the universe. Choi Haerin isn't a girl you can bed and Yeol isn't a person you can mess around with, not when Haerin is in the picture." Xiumin handed the glass to the male across the marble counter.

"Who is she?"

For the past 3 weeks the curiousity inside of Luhan had already tipped over its peak. Fortunately, the big mouth Sehun who would surely about his hyung's interest in a girl wasn't here. So he could ask three weeks worth of questions to Xiumin, the quiet bartender who worked since the opening of Artieme.


"What exactly is she to Park Chanyeol?"

"Let's just say. If Haerin wanted a rose, he will gift her a bouquet; if she asked for a star, Chanyeol will bring her a constellation."

Xiumin wiped the glasses carefully before adding,

"Artieme existed because of her."

"Sorry?"

"Artieme was built for h-"

 Xiumin paused in his speech, smiling at the lady sashaying in a red tube dress, barely covering her walking in their direction.


"Hey there lovely."

"Hey there Xiu." she gave a tiny wave, sitting down beside Luhan.

"The usual?"

"Please."

Luhan's gaze landed lazily on the lady next to her. She was his type. White milky skin, big eyes, sharp nose paired with a small set of lips. Skinny and fragile looking yet a perfect S line. But strangely tonight, he didn't feel like bringing her home. Luhan hasn't brought a girl home for three weeks.

"Luhan right?" the lady smiled recognising the man next to her. "I'm Yoomi." She hoped he remembered her name.

The name seem to register in his mind. Just this morning, Sehun was telling him about this world renowned artist Jung Yoomi, a young age of 21. She seem to fit the picture very well. Being Sehun's type.

"Hey." he replied boredly.

"You remember me? I-"

Luhan already took off before she could finish her sentence, an empty space separating Jongdae and her. 

"Daisy for you, pretty girl."

"Thank you." she gave a small smile, picking the glass up only to set it back onto the counter, the clear liquid spilling onto her manicured fingers.

Yoomi's grasp on the glass cup was unstable as her fingers quivered uncontrollably. Downing the shot, she set the glass on the counter with a loud clink. A hand slipped into her purse as she looked frantically in her clutch. Getting desperate by the second, she finally touched the familiar glass bottle. A click of the lid, slip of a pill. Yoomi's facial features taut as she tried to control her breathing. Her fingers curled into a fist to stop them from shaking.
 

"If you want to be loved, you should start by loving yourself."

Yoomi's breathing finally stabled as she turned towards the man, flashing a bright smile. "I'm fine and thank you, Mr Kim."

"Stupid mindblock." 
 

Splashes of black and white filled the once blank canvas. But anyone could tell that it was a sloppy piece. Chanyeol stood behind Haerin, folded arms and a butter toast clasped between his lips. His head tilted from one side to the other and he even thought of doing a handstand.

He didn't understand what in the world Haerin was painting. 
 

"Grey, oh. Yeah, why didn't I think of that?"
 

"Would you mind curing that speaking-to-yourself habit? People would think you're crazy."

Haerin spun around, brush pointing towards Chanyeol menacingly. 

​"Would you mind leaving the room so I can draw in peace?" 

"Alright," He raised two hands up in surrender. "I'm leaving for Artieme anyway. Dinner is in the microwave and I better not see it tomorrow night untouched."

"By the way what time are you due to work tomorrow?"

"Ten. You don't have to send me, I'm fully capable of walking there myself."

"Tch, did I even say that I'm going to send you?" Chanyeol was upset by the fact that Haerin hasn't told him where she was going to work at, claiming that it was unconfirmed and a job interview was still needed the next day. It was a job recommended by Eunah who similarly, refused to comply to Chanyeol's pleadings over the phone.

"Lotte has a collaboration with Menik, please tell me I'm going to enjoy working with Luhan for two months, starting from tomorrow."
 

There was no reply from Haerin who resumed to mixing the colors on her palette, deep in concentration for her newest art piece. Chanyeol made a mental note to text her a reminder. As he exited the room, his eyes landed on the bulletin board he stuck up 8 years ago. It was old and tearing at the edges but filled to the brim, the many photographs of them together. It always left his heart overwhelming of a strange sense of contentment looking at the board. He ran to pick up his shoes and left the tiny apartment.

"Ugh forget it." Haerin dropped the brush after two hours of unmotivated painting. Moving to the kitchen, her eyes lit up. Kimchi fried rice. She heated the kimchi rice and took it out, only to frown and stuff it back into the microwave.

"Chips and soda can do me good right now." 

It was her worst nightmare as she stepped into the convenience store, meeting eyes with very man she hated to the guts. Talk about coincidence.

Luhan.

Luhan was equally shocked, the instant noodles almost slipping through his fingers if not for his tightened grip. His stomach was growling after leaving Artieme with only alcohol in his system, and so he went to the nearest convenience store he could spot in sight, only to chance upon the girl he was looking for the past 3 weeks in the club, in hoodie and slacks. She was there, standing at the end of the row in slippers, a can of soda and a pack of chips in her hands with no make-up on.

Rolling her eyes in displeasure, Haerin paid the cashier and exited the convenience store hastily, sitting on the same plastic chair that Christmas Eve.

"Hello." Luhan set his steaming hot instant noodles on the table but Haerin raised her legs onto the chair across her by instinct.

"Sorry, occupied."

Haerin was still a girl, a strong pull from Luhan sent her legs flying back to the ground, "Don't be so petty, we can be friends."

"Friends?" Haerin shook the chip in Luhan's face. "I rather not."

Blowing on the noodles, Luhan slurped them in a sitting.

"I'm a nice person, really."

"Sorry?" Haerin almost fell from her chair. This person's head was blown up so wide in proportion that he didn't know that the sky's the limit.

"Don't kid me, I know people like you."

"I'm serious." Luhan said in all seriousness, shrugging.

"Yeah, sure Mr Luhan. And unicorns can fly."

Luhan's concentration wasn't on his noodles anymore, noodles about to enter his mouth but was halted in the moment her sweet voice sung his name.
 

"How did you know my name?"

"Who doesn't know you, the precious baby of Menik."

Menik. Mr Lu's blood and sweat all poured into. Strangely, it doesn't feel as pleasing to the ear to know that she actually knew about him.

"Choi Haerin."

"How did yo- you remembered?"

"Remembered what?"


Really Haerin scoffed at her stupidity. He was dead drunk that night so how would he even remember.  

"Yah, Haerin." A head poked out from the convenience store. Two heads turned to look at the staff in green. "I helped you on Christmas Eve and let him sleep for the night. And you know what? You almost got me fired."

Luhan pointed to himself, noodles in his mouth. "Me?"

"Yes, you." The staff pointed a finger at him. "My boss came and screamed at me, saying that you could be robbers in cahoots an-"

"Yah! I'm speaking here!"

Luhan turned towards where the male was pointing angrily at. 

A bag of uneaten chips and a half finished soda drink.

An empty chair.

"So we've met before."

"I'm sorry, do I know you? Get the away from me."

"We did. He told me."

"Baekhyun." Haerin glared at the man in green, scanning her chocolate bar.


"Well, he gave me a 1 million won bill so..." The boyish male smirked cheekily.

Haerin pushed open the door and exited the convenience store only with Luhan stumbling after her with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Stop talking to me, you'll only bring me bad luck."

Here she was, on a Monday morning going to work for the first time, at the new art gallery in Gangnam, recommended by Eunah. Only to meet a jerk.

"Trust me, whoever meets me will-"

"I don't trust you."

"It's rude to cut people off like that."

"I guess it isn't rude if it's you." 

Luhan frowned upon the chocolate wrapper Haerin was tearing.

"You shouldn't be eating chocolate first thing in the morning."

"I eat whatever I want."

"You'll get-"

"Dude, can you please shut up and let me enjoy a peaceful morning?"

"Where are you headed towards? Work?" Luhan guessed, seeing that she was wearing a formal white collared blouse and pencil skirt. "And you ought to return me my watch, it's my favourite piece."

He earned no reply from Haerin who had already plugged into her earpiece, blasting her favourite pop music. It was 10 minutes to ten and the gallery was just a 5 minutes walk away. Glancing at the concrete pavement, she could saw a dark shadow mirroring her every footsteps. She tried to ignore the man following her but as she neared the address sent by Eunah, Haerin could still feel the strong lingering presence behind her. She turned back in annoyance, shooting Luhan a death glare.

"What?" Luhan furrowed his eyebrows, having an idea of what Haerin might be thinking. "I'm not following you."

"You are."

"You don't own this pavement my dear."

"Whatever." Haerin spun around and quickened her pace. Luhan looked at his watch, it was 2 minutes to ten. He shouldn't be late in his first meeting with his collaboration partner, that would be a terrible insult to Menik. He gulped down his cup of coffee and started walking with larger footsteps. Haerin felt creeped out by the fact that he was still behind her, following her every footsteps and it made her terribly insecure. Now, he was even closer to her. All of a sudden, she bent down and removed her two inch heels, causing Luhan to stop abruptly in his footsteps, almost banging into her.

And she ran. 

Barefooted.

Luhan saw her disappearing figure down the street, finding it hilarious that this girl actually thought he was stalking her and even resorted to running away barefooted. Shaking his head, he continued on his path.

"Phew." Haerin reached the three-storey art gallery after turning a bend. The sunshine hitting the glass and wood infrastructure welcomed her warmly. She slipped into her shoes and took a deep breath, tidying her hair before stepping in.

"Choi Haerin hwaiting!"

"Good morning, uhm I'm here for a job interview, I'm looking for Miss Jung."

"Ah yes. Wait a minute." The secretary pressed speed dial 3 and spoke in hushed whispers.

"Haerin."

That voice was too familiar to miss. Coming down from the second storey was Chanyeol donned in suit and tie. 

"What are you doing here?" Haerin spoke harshly.

"Work?" Chanyeol frowned, an ominous emotion brewing in him. "But-"

"Oh there you are, Mr Park." Miss Jung ran past Haerin, knocking her in the shoulder. "Welcome to Goth." 

Chanyeol cleared his throat, bringing out a hand as he tried to brush off the fact that she almost hurt Haerin. "You must be Miss Jung."

"Yoomi will do. We've met bef-" she turned towards the girl she almost knocked over, something about her made Yoomi felt uneasy. "You are?"

"I'm Haeri-"

"Mr Lu!"

That name caused Haerin to freeze. Following Yoomi's bright eyes, Haerin spun around to find a man in suit and tie similar to Chanyeol. His hand was stuffed lazily in his pocket, another holding onto a cup of coffee. An unreadable gaze spread on his face as he stared at the trio.

"So we meet again. Choi Haerin." He turned to meet the blazing gaze of the man standing beside her. "Park Chanyeol."

It was only then that Haerin finally notice the huge banner beside him, an outstanding black against white.

GOTH 
Menik x Lotte