Hi new subbies <3

13.

“You have to believe me when I tell you that you’re honestly the most beautiful girl in the room tonight.” His soft words brought the warmest of flushes to her cheeks. She was silently thankful that they were slow dancing so she could hide her face under his chin and out of view. “Actually, I have a feeling I’d be able to say that no matter what room we walked in.” Jinae had to bite back a squeal. This man was going to be the death of her.

She placed her palms on his chest to put some space between them, but instantly felt how taut he was. Could this man get anymore perfect? “You’re flattering me,” she uttered shyly.

He laughed as he spun her in a circle with his index finger. “I’m just being honesty. You’re gorgeous.”

“If you keep complimenting me, I’m going to leave you on this dance floor alone,” she teased. “Do you work at the company? I’ve never seen you around before.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t. Business isn’t my forte. My parents were invited tonight but they couldn’t attend. So ta-da, here I am. I’m guessing you work for Hwang Enterprise then?”

“I do. In the Legal Department. It’s very boring.” He laughed again. Jinae honestly would be happy to listen to his laughs all day and not grow tired. “You must be very well off then, if your parents were invited.”

“Don’t tell me I’ll have to use my bank account to court you,” he joked.

“Don’t you worry, I have no interest in your money. Absolutely none at all.” Despite the lighthearted way she spoke, he could sense the underlying discontent and her clear insouciance for any wealth he had; enough of it to make him secure his grip on her waist to ensure they stayed on the dance floor for another song from Kyungsoo.

“You said one song,” she whispered at him gently.

“I couldn’t help myself.” His reply was barely audible. She felt his warm breath on her nose. He slowed his movement, watching for any signs of objection from her before inching his lips closer to hers. Jinae closed her eyes in anticipation, but a sudden image of her father flashed in her mind. Suddenly, she remembered that she was a promised woman, and that no matter how beautiful this moment with this man was, she couldn’t lead him on. It was no longer relevant how emotionally available she was, she had to be smart enough not to create a disastrous sandal and put her family name to shame.

Quickly, she recoiled from him. Jinae opened her eyes as he coughed and tried to remain composed as to not give away his surprise or the hurt to his ego.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised. “That was really brash of me. I hope I didn’t scare you.”

“No, it fine,” she answered feeling uncomfortable. She pushed against his forearms gently, getting ready to release herself from his grasp and leave. But to her surprise, he gently pulled her closer against him.

“You haven’t even told your name yet,” he smiled down at her.

His eyes were mesmerising. She parted her lips to answer him. “Jinae!” Jakyung appeared next to the pair with a frantic look on her face. Still startled, Jinae blinked dumbly at her friend without offering a verbal response. “You have to come with me quickly. I found Baekhyun passed out in the hall, it’s really not good!” Concern immediately overwhelmed her. How did Baekhyun manage to drink himself to unconsciousness? It was only 10 P.M.!

She gave the man one last lingering look before voicing a sorry and scurrying off hand in hand with Jakyung.

She could already hear Baekhyun’s groaning before she turned the corner to the sight of him hunched against the wall. “What happened?” she looked at Jakyung.

“Honestly? I think he’s been drugged, most probably by accident. I mean, who would want to take advantage of this idiot anyway?” Jakyung gave the boy a lingering distasteful look and a soft kick in the side. “He has almost no control of his motor skills and he’s been incessantly complaining about feeling hot. He even tried to remove his pants at one point! I was so panicked I just pulled his zipper up with all my force and well, I may or may not have zipped in his boxers in the process…”

True to her words, Jinae could see the navy blue silk peeking through a section of Baekhyun’s trousers zipper. My poor eyes!

“I couldn’t carry him alone and I couldn’t find anyone to help. And I spotted you before I did Areum so I guess we’re the unlucky ones who’ll have to deal with him.”

Jinae shook her head. “Let’s just get the idiot home.”

______________________________________________________________________

“Sehun-sshi. Sehun-sshi!” Sehun turned back and apologetically waved to her but continued striding away. He had claimed that he had to return to oversee the event’s proceedings. Areum’s shoulders slumped in defeat. She had tried so hard to flirt with the man. She had twirled her hair, blinked extra slowly, and even touched his arm with every vaguely humorous thing that either of them said. Unfortunately, Sehun had not seemed to register any of her blatant seducing. She sighed. At least she should be thankful he hadn’t actually noticed and then opted to turn her down and avoid her.

“Give it up, farmer girl.” She looked up annoyed.

“Don’t you have some songs to sing and girls to woo, Kyungsoo?”

His expression was smug. “I do woo a lot of girls don’t I?”

“Don’t make me puke,” Areum rolled her eyes and walked away. To her annoyance, Kyungsoo made a conscious effort to keep up.

“You’re not Sehun’s type. And even if you were, you clearly don’t know the first thing about seducing a man,” Kyungsoo mused in a provocative tone. Areum took a deep breath and tried to ignore him. She had to admit that he might be right. She really didn’t know how to flirt with a man. She had been basing all her moves on fictional novels and films.

Areum had never really had to pursue the male species. She had a lovely face with dainty features and hair worth envying, but it was really her regal figure that won all the boys over. Areum was the curviest a woman could get whilst still being labeled as undeniably petite. If she were a little taller, she believed she could have made an incredibly successful career out of modeling.

“Don’t be such a know-it-all.”

“Oh, but I do know it all,” Kyungsoo grinned, following her around the corner. She had already made her way out of the ballroom but Kyungsoo was too bent on pestering her, he refused to turn back around even if he had no clue where they were going. “I bet if I dressed up as a hideous, manly girl, I’d still be able to court Sehun faster than you ever would.”

Areum stopped walking, making Kyungsoo stumble into a halt. “Prove it then.” Her eyes challenged him.

“Prove what? You want me to dress up as a girl and pick up my best friend?” Kyungsoo frowned at her dubiously.

“What,” she lifted her chin at him. “Can’t? You sounded so confident, Do Kyungsoo.”

He scoffed.  “It’s not about confidence, Areum. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to improve your flirting instead of testing mine?” he rolled his eyes.

She looked at him with an unreadable expression. Kyungsoo realised that without their bickering, he really didn’t know how to behave in front of the girl. His eyes dropped briefly to the bodice of her dress. They way her dress hugged the curve of her hips and tightened at her thigh before graciously ending to reveal her slender toned legs put an irregular skip in Kyungsoo’s heart rate. 

Areum crossed her arms and avoided eye contact. “In that case, can you help me?”

“What?” he blinked at her. “Why should I do that? What’s in it for me?”

Areum bit on her lower lip. “Wha… What do you need?”

He frowned at her, “Why do you want to win over Sehun do badly?”

“I don’t have to tell you that,” she snapped at him embarrassed, frustration oozing from her.

Was this really the appropriate way to carry yourself when you ask someone for help? What was so great about Sehun? Kyungsoo could see her growing impatience and humiliation. He couldn’t help her succeed anyway. He knew Sehun would never fall in love again if it weren’t with Minyoung. He was going to brush off the pitiful girl and leave her, but the desperation that shone through when she spoke kept his feet rooted on the ground.

“Fine,” he pursed his lips together. “I’ll help you. But you’ll have to help me with one thing.”

She bit back a smile, reminding herself to be cautious. Do Kyungsoo might be a ert on top of being a narcissist. “What is it?”

“You help me avoid an upcoming presentation with my manager and producer and I’ll school you in the art of seduction.”

The grip he had on his phone tightened with every ring. Pick up, Eunjung. He clutched onto the railing. Jongin knew it was the wine he had consumed that convinced him that dialing her again was a good idea; but he willingly gave into the need to speak to her. He would leave regret and self-scolding for tomorrow morning.

To his surprise, after the fifth ring she picked up.

“Oppa…”

“Eungjung-ah…”

“Don’t call anymore, oppa. It’s going to drive us both crazy.”

“I- I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you,” he whispered. The sounds of her sniffs echoed through the phone. For a while, neither spoke. They found it comforting enough to simply listen to each other’s soft breathing.

“Have you met her?”

“I have… She’s obnoxious and unpleasant,” Jongin frowned.

“I’m sorry to hear.”

“I don’t deserve your kindness, Eunjung. I’m sorry I can’t be the man you deserve.”

“This is out of your control, oppa. I understand.”
 

“I’m so sorry, Eunjung-ah…”

“I have to go now, oppa. Treat her well. I- I’ll always love you.”

“Eunjung, wait!” his call fell upon deaf ears. He quickly tried to redial her, but was routed automatically to her voicemail. He kicked the garden railing in anger. Over the hedge, Jongin spotted a couple with their arms entangled. Before he could mentally criticize them for their unashamed public display of affection, the female turned in his direction.

“Hwang Jinae?” He scoffed. So she was this kind of girl too. “Not even an hour after the public announcement of our engagement and you’re already cavorting around in public with another man’s arms all over you.” He watched as she hailed a cab and let the male slide in first before collapsing onto his lap. The cab accelerated towards the lowlier part of town.

Jongin felt his blood boil. She didn’t respect his parents. She had the audacity to ruin his most expensive dress shirt. And now she was going home with a man despite being promised as his fiancé. He decided then and there that he would never will himself into an amiable relationship with such a person as Hwang Jinae.

____________________________________________________________

“Baekhyun, your head is like a rock! Get off my shoulder before I punch you in the face!” Jinae hollered from the backseat of the cab, using both hands to try and push the limp man off of her.

Baekhyun responded with a groan. “Ae, stay still my head hurts,” he mumbled before sneaking his arms around her waist and holding onto her like a giant pillow.

Jinae slumped in her seat and sighed in defeat. Damn Jakyung and her weak bladder. She would definitely guilt trip Jakyung and Areum for this later. “How did you even get yourself drugged, idiot.”

“You look beautiful tonight, Jinae-yah,” Baekhyun slurred with a hot breath into her ear. Assuming the intoxication had his hormones working in overdrive, Jinae roughly slapped his head away and turned to face the window.

Losing Jinae’s attention made Baekhyun pout like a child. He reached out, squeezed her cheeks together and turned her head back to face him. “Yah! Hwang Jinae! Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you!” It didn’t take long before she snapped out of shock and started prying his hands off her face. He let out a low grumble from dissatisfaction before shutting his eyes and quickly pressing his lips to hers.