제29회

"You came." Sungkyu greeted her the minute she walked out of the elevator. Due to limping, she opted for sandal flats for convenience. Yejin replied with a smile. She had not notice the frown on Sungkyu's face, highly because she decided to turn up to work anyway. Yejin scanned her card before locating her cubicle. She stumbled back upon meeting another figure appearing before her. "Good morning, Miss Kwon."

"What's with the tacky slippers?" The latter pointed to her footwear. Excuse me, they're sandals. I bought them at H&M, thank you very much! "I fell off my bicycle yesterday." Despite the hostility, Yejin kept her composure in front of Yuri.

"You should've been more careful." The heiress approaches, their shoulders almost bumped in the process. "You'll never know who's out there to get you."

The words rang in his ears. It triggered shivers, out of nowhere, travelling down his spine.

"Spare me, Director Kim," The employee pleaded, showing his utmost regret. In the room were no one but them. Summoned by Sungkyu, he got no choice but to face the consequences. "Please. Me and my family depend on this job. I beg you." He continued, now at the verge of tears.

“You were toying with other people’s life. Should anything bad happen in the elevator, you’re the one going to jail.” Starting off with threat, getting into the latter’s head until he got him to spill the beans. Psychology should do the trick.

“Director Kim,” He looked up. His remorseful gaze gradually faded. Currently his eyes were clouded with fear. “It’s too dangerous. That person has power over us. Both you and me."

"Look, it's not my fault. Some guys were chasing me, then I got clumsy and fell off my bicycle-"

"Guys? Chasing you?" Yejin paused.

"Some kids... They decided to pull a prank and I happened to be passing by. I just got unlucky, that's all."

Sungkyu froze. It is possible. There is someone targetting on Yejin. But who?

"Team leader?"A hand moved in front of his face. He realized it belonged to Yejin. She was eyeing on him with curiosity. Earth to Sungkyu? She waved her hand once more to seek his attention. He's not imagining me as Seolhee standing in front of him, is he? She remembered the bag of muffin and coffee in her hand, the usual delivery from his girlfriend and put it on the table.

Now, time to get to work.

"Yejin," She turned around, only to be shoved with a bunch of files. Her reflex was an advantage. She managed to hold them together in time. The pile rested on her chest, suppported by one hand at the bottom and another one on top. While in the state of confusion, the person spoke. "I need you to type these reports for me."

All of this?! Yejin plastered a smile, hiding her agony from this colleague of hers. "Is there a problem?"

Yes! "No, not at all."  Her facade continues. Yuri justified her reasons, showing off innocence in her eyes. It's that kind of look that made Yejin hard to turn down any favors. "I just thought with your leg hurting, this job would be perfect for you. You wouldn't have to move around so much."

How thoughtful. But hearing it from Yuri, she could not help with sarcasm. "Sure,"

She agrees anyway.

"Good." In a split second, the sweet looking Yuri disappeared. "I want it done by lunchtime." This woman... Yejin mentally cursed, letting the heiress slip out of her sight.

She left me with shock, regret and extra work. Yejin inhaled deeply. "Better get started."

= = = = = = =

"May I take your order, sir?" 

"Espresso for me. Hoya, you?" He felt a nudge on his arm done by his cousin. He made a quick scan on the menu before settling on his final choice. Sungyeol was patient, letting the waiter to jot it down.

An hour before the flight, he glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes is all he needs. Sungyeol is leaving for Japan in an hour. He is leaving his cousin but yet not without achieving his goal; helping him to see the light.

"What?" Hoya sensed the latter waiting for the moment to say something. Instead of a verbal reply, Sungyeol pretended to be oblivious about it.

"You're doing it again. What is it?" Sungyeol sipped his coffee, inhaling the delicate aroma in the process. The silence briefly interrupted by the waiter arriving with a warm cup of lemon tea for Hoya. He sipped once more until the waiter left again.

That's his cue.

"How's the pudding?" His cousin raised an eyebrow, puzzled at the mention when they were only having coffee. Of course, Sungyeol smirked. He put down his cup and rested his chin on both hands. "The one that Yejin made."

The dessert Yejin made as a token of appreciation for saving her from the elevator. "You know I don't like sweet things."

"So you threw it away?" His eyes widened, dramatically exaggerating Sungyeol's reaction. "You could've just give it to me. I love desserts! Especially delicious, sweet caramel..." His voice trailed off before he continues. "...which you ate all of it by yourself. Am I right?"

The pleasure of seeing Hoya gets flustered was quite hard to resist. Sungyeol was barely able contain the childish grin of his. He was one of the people who is able to see through Hoya's mysterious personality. The other people would be Dongwoo and Sungjong.

Hoya gave up his tea, deciding to face Sungyeol. "What are you suggesting? That I'm in love with..."

"With...?" Sungyeol anticipated.

"None. I'm in love with no one."

"You can do better than that." Sungyeol leaned back. He wouldn't give up just yet.

"You deserve someone better than her."

Her. They simply refer the person as 'her'. He finds it difficult to say her name ever since. He dared not to say it.

A woman's soft voice echoed through the speakers. Following the announcement, Sungyeol rose from the chair. "It's sbout time you start over. You think about it."

"Oh, and by the way, I never said anything about love."

= = = = = = =

"Done."

Yejin stretched her muscles, loosening them after typing for some time. The task from Yuri was completed, three reports in total. It is now thirty eight minutes past lunch. She was exhausted. In her condition she does not have the will to walk around that far.

Three hours are not sufficient to finish her own work. Probably a glass of coffee is enough to contain her hunger for now.

Back to work.

She sensed a presence. When she turned around, Sungkyu already had a brown paper bag placed on her desk. "What's this?" She dared to peek inside the bag. Upon discovering its content, Sungkyu saw Yejin's pair of brown eyes shifted into crescents from smiling to her ears.

"You bought lunch for me?"

He quickly looked away. Somehow, the beaming expression she had looked contagious enough to make him smile back. The corner of his lips literally twitched as he refrained himself from doing it.

Why was he doing this?

It was because