" make a left” The GPS that started whispering directions was the only thing that made any sound as Jae leaning against his window, focused all his energy on the road. The pills he forced down his empty stomach have done what they were designed to do as they turned him into the emotionless freak Hyeon always referred to him as. It took her only one glimpse, only one shot of his face, to recognize that his medication was now in control. His white face, the blank look in his eyes, his body that looked and felt robotic . . .everything living was out of him. The machine-like executive director that was always in control everybody knew him for was back.

30 minutes. Hyeon had counted the minutes it took to the private driveway that leads to the gate of the house she ran out of the day before. Her car, still parked behind the gate, was the first good thing that warmed her heart and gave her a slight moment of joy as she started strategizing her exit away.

The 30-minute drive was the right amount of time she needed to fight against herself and come to the false conclusion that she would be able to resolve and let go of her anger on her own. It only took half an hour to convince herself that she really could work on being acquittance and eventually become friends with Jae.

“ I am willing to work on being friends” as she pulled the sleeves of the hoody she had on, she broke the silence.

I think we can both benefit from that,” She added, turning her eyes from her car to Jae, whose hands dropped from the steering wheel. There was no sign of any type of reaction to what she said, leaving her more nervous and confused. The car that came to a complete stop right before the gate was a clear sign that he knew she probably wanted to get her car and leave rather than see anybody in the house. He knew her too well to drive in, and that was the sign she needed to know he was aware of what was happening. Even under the control of his medication, the jae she was trying to reach and talk to was still there. At least a glimpse of him, which is all she needed.

“ There's the kids. If I take the job, I will be working for you, and you'll sign my paycheck.”

“ I want to take advantage of the position, “ she went on, trying to list all the reasons why they should have a positive relationship but was cut short by Jae, who brushed his hair that was covering the right side of his face and turned to her. “ those pills” hyeon couldn’t help but curse her frustration in as he turned and she got a good uck at his face. The emptiness in his eyes, the complete lack of interest in his face, it was all apparent. His pills, in the months she spent being the closet person in his life, she had never dared question those pills. Now she had missed her chance even to understand what they do, let alone why he allows himself to be enslaved by them. Those types of questions are not going to be permitted once boundaries are set, and she isn’t let the same privileges she had before.

" I know you find me annoying and nauseating. But I would really love it if we could find some common ground and work this out," she added, sending her eyes to her fingers playing with the sleeves of his hoodie she had on; she went on explaining. With his silence, which she was never fond of reminding her of how much she really couldn't tell what he was thinking, hyeon was lost, realizing that maybe, just maybe, she really never was able to read and understand the man hiding behind it all. The question that started lingering in the back of her mind was quickly shut down.

" We can work on the boundaries," trying to silence the stupid question, hyeon went on talking. Her sixth sense, which she should trust more, was poking at a truth she didn't want to be curious about. Just the thought that he was never truly himself and lied, pretended, put on a face or whatever you might call it, thought out their short relationship was too absurd for her to relaize. Even now as she sat next to him, she couldn't tell if he caed about the words she was saying or not

"He puts on a mask. He's really good at" joons voice echoed in her ear as she recalled the nonchalnat way the person who knows him the most had answered her question when she asked how He was able to co-exist this long with his family he hates so much. If she wasn’t floating in cloud 9 and circling her own orbit of happens she might have noticed the instance she had caught him do it infront of her. There was so many but even when she cough tit she was swayed by his smile and charming words to not dig too deep into it.

" Does that mean I get to ask you to do what I want?" Breaking the silence and bringing her back to relaity Jae whispers as he brushed his air and finally gave her what she wanted, a smile. Her six sense warning her to question his soft smile, gleeful eyes and charming voice was quickly silenced as she just went along. She couldn’t help but not go along, he knows exactly how to charm his way to convince her, and unfortunately for her, she was still under his spell to notice the show.

“ Well, technically, I don't work for you. I am an outside contractor, so No,” she responded as she sent her own soft smiles his way. Her nervousness and anxiety that started fading in seconds as a reaction to his response and smile left Jae more amused than he should have. He really was good at this as even Hyoen was able to be fooled. But that realization quickly fades away as he gets lost in her beautiful smiles. Although she went on describing whys she should be consdierd an outside contractor, jae was too enamored by her smiles to process what she was saying. There was nothing left but empty smiles as he was hit with the fact that he would live on with every type of suffering if it means he gets to see her smile. A fact he realized the moment he crossed the line and kissed her the first time.

“ I see” he smiled as he went on taking mental pictures of her smiles along with her playful fingers shyly playing with the sleeves of his hoody she had on. If she only know what it does to him to see her cuddled in by his cloth. If she only knew.

“I don’t think it's appropriate for me to be under you” She brought his attention back to her moving lips.

“You're not going to like me as an employee and also that would give you more power and you already have too much power” she started pulling her hair into a ponytail. All her worries having disappeared in seconds, her whole demeanor had turned causal. Talking and acting as if this was nothing.

“ So you want to be on top”

“that's a change,” Jae whispered, knowing precisely what he was doing, and sat back, turning his body to Hyeon. He didn’t want to miss a second of the reaction he would get and he was blessed. Her shocked eyes that doubled in size returned to him, her lips hanging open, her hands holding her pulled-up hair, frozen as his words, accompanied by his mischievous smile, reached her ears. Hyeon's brain couldn’t even form a sentence as it needed a second to process what was said. The boldness in his words was nothing compared to his sly smile that was enjoying her surprise.

“I thought you immensely enjoyed being underneath, “ he added, as he started laughing to her gentle slap that landed against his shoulder

“ YAAAA” Hyeon's immediate reaction forced her right hand to drop down from her hair and land on his shoulder. She was still a bit shaken to process what he was emptying let alone that she had just touched him, which he didn’t give her a break to recognize as he reminded her

“ I don’t think you should touch me” brushing his hair behind his ears, he brought his eyes up to hers as he pointed at his shoulder. Pointing at the spot she just slapped.

“ that should be rule number 1”

“ if we're going to be co-workers or acquittance or friend or whatever it is you want to be,” he added, leaning back, thoroughly enjoying how she was utterly startled by what was happening.

“ huh,” bringing her hands to herself, Hyeon took a deep breath. She needs a second to gather herself.

“ What do they put in your medication?” she asked, trying to turn the focus on him

“I am giving you what you want,” he responded, not giving in to her efforts to divert the topic and keeping the focus on her. There was no way he was going to have nay conversation about himself or his medication or anything related to that with her. In minutes he was able to ease her worries and give her comfort to the point she was fixing erh hair and casually chatting with him. That is what she is asking of him. That is what she wants fromhim an dthat comes with boundaries. Question that she wont be allowed to ask and space she will not be allowed to have access to.

“I am trying to make this work,” he said, pointing at the distance between them.

“ I said let's be acquaintances or friends not . this.” She couldn't find the words

“ We need ground rules. I can’t keep up with your multiple personalities” She changed as she brushed her hair down and pulled the hoodie over her head. Trying to hide underneath his hoodie was no help too as the tantalizing feeling started right underneath her skin as she took in the whole situation she was in. Sitting in his car, her warm body cuddled by his black hoodie that was unconsciously intoxicating her with his perfume and scent she adores so much, his smiles that were making her question her decision to even get in the same car, his eyes that scanned her up and down, forcing her hands to reach for her dress cut and slowly cover her exposed legs as the fraction of a second gaze he placed on them making her feel unclothed . . Covering herself was not helpful but made the situation worse as Jae was able to recognize the confusion she was processing.

“ Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked as his smile slowly started fading. It was too easy to notice the discomfort all over her body but he had msiatke it for uncertainty.

“ Wouldn’t it be better just to hate me and cut me off” he added

" I know you're not going to forgive me" he knew that much. He might not have the emotional awareness to recognize a lot of things but he knew there was no way on earth hyeon was ever letting him off for what happened or letting him into her life as he once was.

" I would rather we talk about it or you just kill me " he whispered out his dying wish. The soft smiles they were exchanging and fake ease they were laughing about were gone in seconds as the heavy and suffocating feeling were back.

" There are things I want you to know including what happened and." She didn't let him finish

" What if I don't wanna know" she cut him off.

" Would you let your dad off if he explained why he did what he did " she gave an example, hoping it would force him to understand why she doesn't want to hear any excuses, stories, or anything from him.

" huh" Jae's small laughter came off wrong as she received it as mockery rather than the complete disbelief in what he just heard that forced him to laugh. The words she sent his way were a bullet aiming right for his heart, piercing through his worn-out flesh and massacring his every being. Unable to even distill what she just said, Jae couldn't help but laugh. His body didn't have any other reaction but an awkward whisper of laughter. To be compared to the man he wasted his whole life hating so much was a full-circle moment for Jae.

What better way to recognize how much she resents him than by comparing him to his dad. There was no better way. There was nothing else hyeon had to say as just the realization that he might just be like his father had broken any and every bit of energy he had left to fight back and make sure hyeon knew everything.

" You're just like your father," his stepmother's voice started whispering and got louder as the dark voices started forcing themselves and fighting against the chemicals that have been tasked to silence them.

“ That chapter of my life is closed" hyeon's voice sounding like a distant echo, reached his ears.

" I don't want to think about it, talk about it. Time will heal all the wounds, as it always does" she went on as she sent her eyes to her car across the gate.

" It is done.”

“Can we at least agree on that?” turning her head his way, she raised her right hand and sent it his way

“ Let’s agree to leave the past behind.”

It’s done,” she added as she waited for his response. His right hand was slow as it reached for hers. More than the touch itself it was what ever was behind his dark eyes that made her aware of herself as he gently grabbed her hand. Not even in control of his body, Jae would need a day or two to even remember this handshake.

“ Your handshake is not as firm as it used to be ” trying to break the tension, Hyeon tried making a joke as she swiftly pulled her arm away from his grip.

“ Thank you for doing this,” she added as she turned to her side and opened the door. Her sixth sense warning to leave listened as she started preparing for her exit.

“ I know you don’t want to,” she added as she slowly got out of the car.

" But you'll see. It's best for both of us”

“ We were never meant to be each other’s happy needing anyway" she gave him one more smile before she turned around and headed to the fully open gate. Her dress held tightly. She was thankful she had in his hoodie, as the cold breath started attacking from every direction. Her quick march to her car ended with a happy smile as she found her ca