Growing nervous, Namjoo gulped and turned away. So immersed on making herself invisible she didn’t notice when the elevator door opened.

“You’re not coming?” Sehun asked and that was when she realized he was already in the metal box.

Hurrying in Namjoo turned to face the doors with hands clasped in front of her and head lowered, like a student headed for the teacher’s office. It was so quiet she could hear the machine humming as it brought them up. Maybe she could even hear him breathing she thought. Then when she thought about it he didn’t sound angry.

Namjoo wanted to laugh out loud at herself. Of course, what had she done to anger him? Nothing! Exhaling calmly she straightened her shoulders and lifted her head up. There was no reason Sehun should be angry at her. It was just the way he looked sometimes that made him look angry, she told herself. Yes, that was it.

Without allowing them to her eyes slid toward her right and noticed him glancing in her direction. The moment he caught her eyes he quickly looked away. His reaction made Namjoo feel funny, maybe a little embarrassed like she’d done something wrong. Why was he doing this to her?!

The temperature in the elevator slowly rose making her sweat and she found herself gulping with a closed throat. Once the doors dinged open she rushed out without looking back.

\\\\\

Biting his thumbnail Sehun irritably listened to it click against his teeth repeatedly while ignoring the papers in front of him.

“Ah…there’s a meeting this weekend to talk about the wedding. Why don’t you come if you have time?”

Wedding…

Married…

He really hated the sound of that, especially if it involved Choonhee. Just who did Kai think he was to orchestrate this?

Sehun didn’t believe it was happening. Choonhee hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t bothered announcing her plans to him. How could she not say anything to him?!

The frustration boiling up inside him was too much. The irritation grew even more when the doors opened and Hayoung’s heels clicked against the floor. He didn’t want to face her. What did she want now?

“The documents from the lawyer just came in. You got the best of the best. Seems like you solved the mess Choonhee made,” she slid a thick white sheet of paper in front of him with the lawyer’s confirmed signature at the bottom in squiggly unreadable lines. “Congratulations.”

Sehun couldn’t look at her, knowing that she was there to say something else to purposely aggravate him.

“Alright, thanks,” he slapped his hand over the paper and pulled it toward him.

“Ah…did you hear about it? Madam Lee spoke to me about a dinner date this weekend,” Hayoung told.

A fist tightened around his heart. Sehun fought to keep a straight expression. He didn’t want to become a fool by showing that he was despicably upset about it, and he didn’t want anyone to know about his regretful lingering feelings for Choonhee. It was embarrassing and it stung his pride.

“I know,” he coolly said then looked up at her. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

Hayoung stared back, her eyes observing him for the worst. Then coolly smiling said before walking out, “Yes.”

\\\\\

They were all underestimating her – their biggest mistake. Hayoung wasn’t a fool. She knew how to pull her strings. There was always one thing those who had money did. They never looked around them. They never cared to look at those who lacked proper homes, education, or money. They only saw themselves. But she wasn’t like them. She’d groomed herself to observe her surroundings, her environment, and their world.

If there was one thing that could shatter them in an instant, it was their reputation which they held dearest.

Sitting down at her desk Hayoung pulled open her drawer to look at the two envelopes she’d carefully sealed last night. Namjoo had also made a grave mistake by rebelling against her. Hayoung was curious to see just how the girl would deal with the situation when it blew up, but she knew just how Kai would react though he wasn’t her target. She would get to him through his father.

In the end, it would just be her and Sehun, untouched. Once the others crumbled, they would snatch it all.

\\\\\

Ostracized yet again, Namjoo remained glued at her desk trying to weigh out the options she had. If she wanted to skip lunch with Kai, she had better had a good reason. Should she just say she wasn’t feeling well again? That would be too obvious.

She needed to meet Tao and talk to him. Everything would be ruined if she was wedded off to Kai. She was anxious. The emotions spiraled, spun, flew, tingled, zapped, and zigzagged throughout her entire body as she sat there. She needed the days to go by faster and for someone to slip, but dammit! Everyone was being too careful that she didn’t know what she needed to know about Choonhee and her life.

Without realizing she seemed in pain that someone finally approached her to ask if she was ok. And before she realized it Kai was calling her.

Dragging herself out she found his car patiently waiting for her at the front of the building. He greeted her with his famous splendid smile with his heart showing through. The uneasiness it gave Namjoo was something she wished she wasn’t experiencing. She wasn’t Choonhee, she kept reminding herself.

“Did my secretary speak to you?” he wondered over their lunch at a quiet restaurant. The view outside was more captivating than the air hovering sullenly over her and Kai, but he didn’t seem to quite feel the same.

Namjoo swallowed the piece of chicken steak he’d cut up for her down and glanced at him. Her fingers tightened around the cutting knife and fork.

“What?”

He looked up at her, “We should start looking for a house, shouldn’t we? I had him look around the area for some quiet homes.”

Without meaning to, Namjoo coughed. The impact of her chest forced up the chicken going down and she choked. Wrapping a hand over she reached for her cup of water with her intestines screaming.

“Are you ok?” he asked oblivious about her shock.

Namjoo forced herself to nod, for saying she wasn’t ok would only force upon them another conversation.

“Unless you want to move in and live with my parents,” he suggested which had her raising her head so abruptly it surprised him.

“No,” she deeply breathed the word out and realized what she just did. She’d meant no in both ways, as in no I don’t want a house and no I don’t want to live with your parents.

When she saw the smile spreading over his face she wanted to smack her face. Her hands eager for the food slowly dropped without energy onto the table and she slouched. She’d just doomed herself.

When they finally left the restaurant he drove her home Namjoo ultimately wished they’d crash and she would get some kind of amnesia. She wanted to forget all of this, pretend it wasn’t happening, but then the car stopped and she was at her borrowed home.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Ok…” was all she managed to mutter and slid out of the car. She watched him drive away and once she was confident he was out of sight, rubbed her hand against her cheek.

He was so in love with Choonhee, wasn’t he? It made her feel guilty but uncomfortable, for it was her he was with. Namjoo was so disturbed by these feelings that she could no longer enjoy just looking at the handsome man any longer.

It was so wrong in all ways to take her sister’s lover from her.

Certain that no one was around to see her she dashed off toward the street in search of a cab and arrived at Tao’s house, uninvited again. He wasn’t home again. Groaning out of complaint Namjoo slid against the door. Helplessness overwhelmed her.

Bored, she pulled out her phone and texted Tao. “Why aren’t you home?”

He replied back five minutes later. “At work.”

“I’m at your house. I need to talk to you.”

The next time it took him ten minutes to reply. “Then you come here.”

Rolling her eyes she knocked her head back against the door she couldn’t break and got up.

\\\\\

“Where is Choonhee? Call her down,” Eungi said when Auntie Shin placed another bowl of food onto the table.

“She didn’t come home, Madam,” the elder woman responded, rearranging the plates so they were closer to the homeowners.

“What do you mean not home?”

“She’s probably still at work,” Lee Kwan coughed and grabbed his cup of water.

The kitchen maid nodded and turned to step away, but shifted back to face her bosses.

“Please, excuse me for what I’m about to say, but it’s been bothering me quite a bit.” She spoke softly, politely.

“What is it?” Eungi wondered. “We’re going to eat, so hurry up.”

“I’ve been thinking the Young Miss has been quite different lately,” she confessed after hesitating. “Her behavior…isn’t quite the same. She doesn’t seem to be herself lately.”

“Nonsense!” Choonhee’s father waved her suspicions away.

“Yes, what nonsense are you talking about?” Eungi shot a frown at the woman.

“I apologize.” The woman bowed before turning to walk away recalling Secretary Oh’s suspicions as well. Then she was suddenly sure that something was definitely wrong with her Young Miss. The woman now didn’t feel like the girl she had watched over.

\\\\\

Namjoo stood awkwardly in front of the shabby garage shop, listening to the miscellaneous and loud noises coming from inside. The area smelled of extreme sweat and oil. The mixture wasn’t very appealing. In contrast to the dirt and grime surrounding her, she stood there brightly in Choonhee’s pretty clothes clutching her purse in front of her while the man walked in and out busily. Customers coming to pick up their cars stared at her curiously, but none came to talk to her.

Namjoo didn’t know how long she stood there uncomfortably catching the gaze of men that made her feel embarrassed and even more awkward. It was a mistake, she thought, why had she come? Dammit! Where was Tao?

About an hour later she heard shouting coming in front through the half closed garage doorway and the side door slammed open. Tao walked out in jeans and a dirty tee whose color she couldn’t determine. He was wiping a dirty towel streaked with black over his face and arms.

He had a good build she saw. He didn’t look like the average Joe she would find on the streets. Pressig her lips firmly she awkwardly averted her gaze when he walked toward her.

“What are you doing standing there?” he asked. “You’re a nuisance to those guys inside. You don’t want them to work, do you?”

“What?” Namjoo asked confused.

He waved his hand at her, “If you were coming you should have worn something different. Something less flattering.”

Inching back, Namjoo frowned at him wondering what in the world he was going on about. Ignoring her confusion he turned to start toward the shop.

“You’re not coming?” he called.

Namjoo hurried after him and stopped when she reached him by his motorcycle. He was currently digging something out from the cubby hidden under the back seat. Namjoo glanced down surprised when he handed her a helmet.

“Wear this,” he directed and shoved it against her as he slipped into a clean leather jacket which she thought, made him look tough and cool. He turned back to look at her with his eyebrows nearly intertwined irritably.

“What are you doing? I told you to put it on,” he said. Taking the helmet from her hands he slipped it forcibly over her head.

Suddenly bashful and embarrassed Namjoo flung his hand away, “I can do it!”

Shooting him a glance she buckled the lock under her chin and watched him get onto the motorcycle, kicking the thing to life. It roared noisily nearing deafening her. Namjoo hesitated before hopping onto the motorcycle behind him, growing shy with the fact that she would have to hold him during the ride. Placing her purse between them she nervously grabbed his jacket, clinging onto it with all her might.

Turning his head to the side he asked, “Are you really going to ride like that?”

“W…well, I…I’m pretty sure I won’t fall off. Don’t worry about me,” she hastily replied rudely. “And you…you’re not wearing a helmet?”

“You just watch out for yourself,” he snorted then warned, “I’m going.”

The second the motorcycle started off Namjoo let out a shout as gravity pushed her against Tao. She clung onto his jacket so hard her fingers felt sore. It wasn’t like her to be nervous over getting another ride from him. She’d ridden his motorcycle before, but she didn’t remember clinging onto him like this or that he’d driven this fast. The cars blurring past them made her nervous during the first few minutes, but she eventually calmed.

The fresh air whipping against her clothes was relaxing and she wished she was breathing it instead of her muddled breaths in the helmet. That was when she realized it smelled of shampoo, Tao’s shampoo. It was covered in his scent. Namjoo was wowed. She didn’t think she’d ever been so sensitive to the scent of a man before that this was different for her.

Gradually leaning forward against him she wrapped her arms around him. Yes, she thought, she was right. He wasn’t the average person anyone would find on the streets. He was strong. He worked out. His muscles were tight. Peering over her shoulder she tried to catch a glimpse of his face, curious about how Choonhee had felt about him.

\\\\\

“Did you find out something?” Tao wondered.

They were back at his home. Again, Namjoo was sitting at his table watching him whip up a meal for them. His home felt strangely peculiar, but homey this time making her all the more curious about who he really was.

“No.” Namjoo mumbled, tracing the tabletop with her finger.

“Then why are you here?”

She stared at his back with a slight glare. “I had breakfast at Kai’s yesterday.”

“What’s significant about that? If it’s not an interesting story, I don’t want to hear about it.”

Namjoo pouted then bit her bottom lip. “Did Choonhee love Kai?”

 He seemed to stop what he was doing then picked up his task again after a moment.

“That a yes?” Namjoo wondered.

There was a quiet, “Mmm…”

“Did he love her too?” she continued. “To the extent where he wanted to marry her?”

“I don’t know.” It was a low mumble.

Namjoo stared at her fingers, recalling how Kai held them and the many time he kissed her thinking she was the woman he wanted. But she wasn’t. It hurt her and made her feel worse than a sinner. And it would hurt him later on that she wasn’t who he thought he was loving.

What a mess everything had become. She hadn’t foreseen any of this. Now it was all just troublesome. Namjoo didn’t want to invest her feelings into anything, but she was already feeling guilty towards the dead Choonhee.

That she had died so early. That instead of living out her own life, Namjoo was doing it for her. That instead of bathing in the love she should have received, Namjoo was in her place receiving those sacred feelings.

And it hurt her that she was living a lie, where nothing belonged to her.

“This weekend,” Namjoo told, “they’re having a dinner to decide the wedding date. Kai started looking for a house already.”

There was a long pause between them. The exasperation grew strong in her veins.

Helplessness overwhelmed her.

“What should I do?” Namjoo asked. “Do I get married?”