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Good mood. Sehun didn’t think he’d been in such a state before. Smiling as he sat down he reached for the first thin binder on his desk and looked up when the doors opened. And for one the first time in a while he didn’t mind seeing Hayoung walk in.

“Morning’ Hayoung. You must have been busy this morning.” He greeted cheerily.  

With a firm smile she placed some envelopes onto his desk along with a folder. “I walked over the review with the candidate and checked in with some managers. We have a total of fifty books to look over before sending them in for publishing. A contractor also wants to talk to you, probably about fee terms and debuting a writer.”

He nodded attentively.

“You look quite the happy person today,” she commented. “Did something good happen?”

“It’s nothing,” he replied. “I’ve just been in a good mood recently.” Then he looked up at her. “Good job, Hayoung.”

She smiled in return, “Then if you need anything, I’ll be at my desk.”

Pivoting on her heels she started toward the door then paused midway there. “Ah…” she slightly turned around, “I stopped by Choonhee’s this morning. I met Kai there.”

Sehun glanced up at her, the smile still heavy on his face. He wouldn’t have expected anything since he knew Namjoo came with Kai to work, and he’d purposely waited for them this morning. He silently waited for her to continue.

“I heard something very surprising, but seeing as how you’re in such a good mood, I don’t think I should be the one to tell you.” With a last grin she turned to head out the door, leaving him dying of curiosity.

As the hours passed he his mind drifted back and forth from the work at hand to the image of Kai and Namjoo this morning. The possibility of something very impossible dawned on him.

“No, no,” he shook his head but even as he said it the thought became more haunting, more vivid. Dropping his pen down he pressed a hand against his forehead. It wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t.

But Namjoo was a woman and at that, Lee Choonhee. More than that, Kai had spent numerous hours with her. What if he really liked Namjoo now without realizing she wasn’t Choonhee. What if Kai was drawn to the true person Namjoo was inside without knowing the truth?

Sehun wanted to deny the fact why Kai kept Namjoo glued to his side, as if they were already married. He didn’t want to believe that Kai could love his same person.

His eyes jogged toward the clock. There was an hour more before he could see Namjoo and ask her what Hayoung heard that morning. He was dying to know that she didn’t have an ounce of feelings for Kai.

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Five minutes before the clock struck ten Sehun upped from his desk and out of his office. Hayoung rose from her desk as he walked out.

“Where are you going?” she questioned.

“Bathroom break,” he muttered, his steps urgent. Instead of the elevators he pushed the door to the staircase open and hurried down the steps. Pushing the door to the second floor open he looked around the empty halls before turning left and glancing into the empty rooms. Satisfied with his search he went in search of Namjoo.

For a long minute he paced in front of the door waiting impatiently, wondering and praying that Namjoo would be able to escape Kai. He even went to chewing on his thumbnail, afraid that this meaning had become nothing.

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Nervous, Namjoo eyed the clock. She was tense and filled with worry. Would she be able to leave?

Chewing her lower lip she turned back to the book without even looking at the words then back to Kai who was immersed in work. Why hadn’t he left yet? Why were there no meetings today? Her insides whimpered. She really wanted to see Sehun, even for five minutes she’d do anything to be happy.

Suddenly putting the book down she stood and smoothed down her pants, “Um…I need to use the bathroom.”

Kai shot a glance at her then asked disturbed. “Am I your mother or something?”

Namjoo let out a breathless laugh, “Ahh…right. Then…I’ll be back.”

Turning she quickly headed out the door and walked through the department seeming calm and busy. Once she was out the office doors she dashed down the hall avoiding the elevator in the case she would run into anyone. In no time she started down the stairs with her heart ramming against her . She was all excited, nervous, and anxious.

Was this what it was like to look forward to seeing someone?

Quietly pushing the second floor door open she poked her head out before slowly stepping out and glanced down her left. A shout of surprise escaped her when someone pulled her arm from the right and she recognized Sehun. An immediate grin erupted onto her face. Holding a finger to his lips he led her down the hall and into an unoccupied meeting room.

“I almost didn’t think you’d come,” he said after turning around.

Shyly glancing into his face Namjoo smiled. “Of course I’d come.”

Overjoyed he smiled handsomely. “Namjoo.”

“Yea?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to say your name,” he timidly touched the back of his head which cause her to grow shyer.

Sweet tension swirled around them, wrapping them in warm air. Namjoo stole another glance at him and her heart raced erratically.

It shattered instantly when she held her hands together before her and Sehun’s gaze landed on her ring finger. His eyes shot back into her face. The smile disappeared from his face. At first the confusion worried her until he said, “It changed.”

Catching her breath she quickly fumbled her right hand over it. Guilt strung her. There was no excuse to offer him and she felt even worst for realizing it. She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to tell him the truth either.

Silence continued to flux around them shoving the sweet tension out the window. Namjoo wished she could have been more careful. She didn’t want it to go all wrong already.

“You’re really getting married.” He quietly breathed.

“No!” Namjoo immediately cried out. She looked up at him flustered then averted her eyes.

Another moment of silence ensued before he asked, “What should I do to help you? I don’t want you to go to him.”

She glanced up at him with a worried frown. She hated herself for being helpless, for letting them control her like they had her sister. She hated for not being stronger. But she really didn’t want to go to jail, and everyone was threatening her about it because she knew they would.

“The wedding is next month.” She lowered her eyes to avoid witnessing his reaction.

Cold penetrated her. She expected him to drown into helplessness with her, but instead he merrily said, “There’s still time, so you don’t need to worry about that yet. Don’t worry about that right now. Your birthday is coming up and since my schedule is full next week, lets do something this Friday.”

Namjoo stared up at him, wondering how he could sound so happy even after such news was driving her mad with worry. October was just around the corner! Any day now and Kai would drag her to his home.

“How can you say that so easily?” Namjoo asked. She regretted opening when his light expression turned heavy with trouble. She bit her tongue then glanced up at him again. “Kai knows who I am.”

\\\\\

Sehun’s brown eyes burned into her big orbs.

Kai knew who she was...and yet the wedding was still going to proceed. What was he thinking, planning?

“Everyone including Choonhee’s parents, they know.” She told him. “If I can’t do something now…”

“No,” he cut her off, “it won’t. I promise you, it won’t happen.”

Darkness shone in her eyes daintily and he smiled in hopes of lifting off her worries. Rubbing her hair he said, “Smile a little. You’re pretty when you smile.”

A faint grin appeared on her lips and he wished so much he could sweep her off her feet and take her away. When they separated and he headed up to his office he worried even more about what Kai was doing.

“You’re back?” Hayoung greeted. “Since there’s a lot of paperwork to finish today, do you want me to order some Chinese for you today? There’s a new shop around the block and they make delicious dumplings.”

“I’m not hungry,” was all he said passing by. Once the doors to his office close he started over to his desk and turned his computer on. His parents would be out of the city this weekend, which meant if he couldn’t take Namjoo out to celebrate in case they were caught they could spend some time in his home.

Sehun was certain; confident he could stop the wedding. Just if Namjoo could give him one more of her night and he could get her pregnant

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Wednesday evening they were back at Kai’s house, only Choonhee’s parents were in when she and Kai arrived after work. Like usual his parents greeted her warmly and they chatted joyously over dinner. Once the dishes were cleared she was led into the next room and joined his mother and Eungi at a table where she sat with Kai.

“Just look what I got today,” Seulgi exclaimed in her high-pitched voice setting a thick fat catalog on the table. The front white cover depicted a model in a stylish wedding dress. Namjoo didn’t take to concealing her tedious feelings as the women awed noisily over the pictures inside.

“What about this Choonhee?” Seulgi pointed to a classic white ballgown dress. “I think it’s perfect! And we can get a tiara for your hair too. You’d look so beautiful. Oh, Choonhee, I’m so excited for you. Lets go with this one, hmm?”

Namjoo held completely no interest but the strapless dress would not do. If her hair had to be up the scar on her shoulder would show. God, she really hated this.  

From her left Eungi watched her observantly. Eungi’s eyes were literally burning a hole in her face. Namjoo knew if she did anything out of hand her punishment might be more than just a slap. Honestly, she was scared of the woman too. She seemed crazy. At one moment she was treated like Choonhee then a split second later she was Namjoo in the woman’s eyes.

If she wanted to rebel now wasn’t the time. How could Sehun tell her not to worry when everything was like this?

Namjoo pulled the fakest of her smile on and almost spoke but Kai quickly interject, “No. I don’t like it.”

“Why not?” his mother asked. “I think it’s beautiful.”

“No.” he repeated himself. “I said I don’t like it. It’s too…revealing.”

His mother looked befuddled before breaking out into a laugh. “It’s not you who’ll be wearing the dress. Let Choonhee decide.” The woman turned to her with that motherly smile that said she expected her to agree with her.

Namjoo shot her eyes back to the dress on the model. She would rather die than let them know who she was and end up rotting behind bars.

“I’ll do what Kai says.” She told and watched Seulgi sigh disappointed.

“Alright, if that’s what you want. Look and see what you like then.” Seulgi bitterly said then turned to Eungi, whispering happily, “Look at them. They’re already a match made in heaven.”

Namjoo sat there completely depressed and bitter. Leaning over Kai pulled the book toward him and started browsing through it. She side glanced at him, still wondering why the hell he was doing this.

“You’re not even going to look?” Kai quietly said to her. “It’s going to be your dress after all.”

“I don’t want to.”

Kai glanced at her, “Then I’ll pick for you. You have no choice but to wear what I like.”

Namjoo sat there sullen. A minute later Kai set the catalog down loudly. “We’ve decided mom.”

That was when Namjoo turned to look at him both appalled and shocked. He’d been serious about it…

“We like this one.”

Namjoo’s eyes zipped in on the long sleeved dress with a long sweeping tail and dangerous V-cut at the back that ended at the lower back. The glorious white beads attached along the front and sleeves of the dress were caught in detail at little boxes at the side. At once the women approved in glee. She abruptly turned to Kai with wide eyes and in turn received a coy smile from him.

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“No, I won’t wear it!” Namjoo refused, hurrying down the steps after him. The flash of his headlights as he unlocked the car with his beeper turned everything orange for a second.

“Why are you only deciding now?” Kai asked opening the door. Then he looked at her, “I helped you, so shouldn’t you thank me instead?”

Namjoo bit her lower lip, “I didn’t ask for your help.”

She watched him smirk before getting into his car, mumbling about why it was he who took her here and there.

“We’re going to check out reception halls this weekend to decide where to hold the wedding. Since you’re so upset you didn’t get to make a decision on something involving you tonight, you’ll do so this weekend, won’t you?” he asked.

Namjoo frowned angrily at him then turned away to look out the window.

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Friday afternoon when Namjoo stopped by the cafeteria due to sheer hunger, even after having lunch with Kai, Sehun pulled her from around the corner just before she made it to the elevator. Pinned against the wall in the secluded hallway he held a hand against to keep her from screaming.

Smiling at her he lowered his hand upon her recognition. “It’s really hard seeing you these days.”

Her lids fluttered with the same exact thought.

“You haven’t forgotten about tonight, right?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Of course not.”

“Let me know when you can come out tonight.” He told. “I’ll come get you.”

Her heart beat excitedly and she nodded. Sehun turned to leave but not before giving her a quick peck on the lips that had her senses awakening four-folds. She caught his overly excited smile as he rushed off.

After working to calm herself down she returned upstairs. From his desk Kai asked, “What took you so long?”

“Nothing. There was a line.” She lied sitting down. When she glanced down at the book she saw he’d already gone over her answers.

“You still need to study a bit more,” he said with eyes glued on some stapled papers in hand. “I guess you’re not so bad though.”

Was that…a compliment?

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After a light dinner that evening Namjoo crept up to her room and waited for Eungi to disappear into her husband’s office. They would assume she was still in her room having gone to sleep or something. Namjoo discovered that after dinner they usually didn’t take to minding her, which was pretty much to her luck tonight.

Running to Choonhee’s closet Namjoo searched for half an hour for a pretty dress, retouched her makeup, and went in search of nice shoes to match.It felt as if she was shopping in her own home. Good thing Choonhee had pretty much a variety of everything.  

Once the coast was clear she escaped and waited out front for Sehun to come for her. Never before in her life had she imagined that she would be spending her birthday with someone so special. If only today could last forever.

Fifteen minutes later bright headlights blinded her and as she blocked her eyes saw a figure step out from the car.

“Did you wait long?” she recognized Sehun’s voice.

And when she looked up at him, she prayed that nothing would go wrong tonight.  

***Ha~ with Sehun's plan. But wow I'm so close to finishing this story now!