“Who the hell are you?!” Tiffany growled fiercely at the startled young man in front of her.

 

    She crossed her arms across her T-shirt that tightly covered her attractive curvaceous figure. Myungsoo cringed because of her sudden action and he wanted to explain everything to her to dissipate the confusion that clouded her thoughts. He asked first just to make sure.

 

“Don’t you remember anything about what happened last night?” Myungsoo asked her.

 

“If I knew, I won’t be asking you right now ,” Tiffany replied with a scowl on her pretty face.

 

“I ask you again, who are you?!” Tiffany gave him the glare.

 

“I’m Myungsoo but you can call me L,”

 

“Why L?” The latter furrowed her brows.

 

“Do you really need to ask?” Myungsoo quickly replied back.

 

“Fine, now tell me how did I end up in here?”

 

“You were drunk last night at the Saint’s Club and I brought you here. When you were drunk you told me that you had nowhere to go and you told me something about your father,” Myungsoo explained to her.

 

“Are you sure you didn’t drugged me last night?” Tiffany expressed her distrust to his story and himself.

 

“Of course I didn’t! Why would I do that?!” He can’t believe about what he had heard.

 

“I don’t know… you’re maybe a or something,” Tiffany bluntly exclaimed.

 

“What the… no! I’m not a ert and also not a offender!” L barked.

 

“But you seem like one,” Tiffany still can’t believe him.

 

“If I were one, how could you sleep comfortably on my bed and I didn’t jumped at you right now? You’re just being paranoid. Hey, if it’s not for me helping you out last night, you probably had ended up somewhere; unconscious or maybe dead at the streets,” Myungsoo gave his best to clear up her negative assumptions about him.

 

“Alright alright, I get it already. You don’t need to be like an old lady nagging at me.” She removed her arms from her torso.Myungsoo lets out a sigh and shook his head,

 

“Good,” He said.

 

    Tiffany’s brown hazel orbs wandered around the apartment house, It wasn’t that big and definitely not the cleanest too. But at least she had some place to lay low and hide from her father for now.

 

“You live here alone?” She asked the man who was picking up the scattered clothes.

 

“Yeah but my friends came here most of the times and we hang out together.” Myungsoo replied and she just nodded.

 

Tiffany’s pink smartphone suddenly rang on his bed, “I see my reflection~ (Hey~ Oh Oh Oh) Atsui connection~ (Hey~ Oh Oh Oh) Kanpeki na affection~ (Hey~ Oh Oh Oh) I see my reflection~ (I see my reflection)”

 

She turned her attention to the buzzing smartphone and saw ‘Daddy’ on the caller ID showing on the smartphone screen, She just nonchalantly ignoring it until it dies out on its own as she sat on the edge of the bed. A few seconds later it buzzed again with the same caller ID on the screen. To her father’s dismay she doesn’t give a single damn to his calls. Tiffany knew that he was dying of worrying about her, that’s why he called her. She wanted to make this as an example and a lesson for him that he shouldn’t forget.

 

“You’re not going to pick that up? It’s been ringing for many times now,” Asked Myungsoo as he placed the dirty clothes into the circular front opening washing machine.

 

“Just let it be, it’ll stop ringing soon,” Tiffany replied as she gave her arms a stretch.

 

The smartphone finally stopped ringing and there’s no more calls coming from her father. She lets out a sigh of relief and grabbed her smartphone and ogled at the screen. She swiped her finger on the screen and pushed the notification for her father’s missed calls to the edge of the screen.

 

“Hey L, are you perfectly sure that we didn’t do anything last night?” She asked him while fiddling with the gadget in hand.

 

Myungsoo tapped the buttons on the washing machine and lets out a sigh, “For the last time, yes, I didn’t touch you not oven once,”.

 

Tiffany gave him a look and he glanced away. She didn’t fully trust his words as they might have hugged or even kissed… But in her drunken state she won’t have the memory about it ever happened.

 

“Fine, whatever you say,” She replied while still making herself busy with the smartphone.

 

Myungsoo entered the bedroom and walked pass her. He then grabbed the towel that was hung on the wall hook and after that he went to the wardrobe and began removing his T-shirt. Tiffany on the contrary walked out the room with her smartphone in hand. Myungsoo looked over his shoulders and she wasn’t on the bed anymore. Only her pink bag and she jacket was there. Myungsoo hung his worn T-shirt with a hanger into his wardrobe filled with neatly folded clothes. Myungsoo draped the towel over his shoulders and exited the room.

 

“Hey you,” Myungsoo looked at her and called her out.

 

Tiffany lifted her face from the smartphone screen and turned her attention to him. Her heart skipped a bit and it made the girl felt hot; he had no shirt on. Tiffany gulped and did her best to look away from staring at his body and kept her composure.

 

“It’s not ‘you’, it’s Tiffany,” She scoffed as she felt offended to be called as a ‘you’ from someone that was definitely in a lower level than her.

 

Myungsoo scratched the back of his neck. Her name was Tiffany, he said to himself. He didn’t knew about her name since last night.

 

“When do you plan on leaving, Tiffany?” Myungsoo asked her.

 

Tiffany’s lips went dry at the thought of leaving. Sure, she didn’t want to stay in such a place like this but she doesn’t want to return back to the mansion. Well at least not yet. She was still furious with her father and she absolutely sure that he felt the same for her too. She does not know when will her anger or even her father’s will subside and return back to normal, as it used to be. She might return home when her hatred for her father lessened in time.

 

“No-n-no…” Tiffany stuttered.

 

“No?” Myungsoo repeated her word and stepped forward to her direction.

 

“Are you seriously planning to stay here, when it’s just the two of us here?”

 

    Tiffany blushed as her pair of hazel orbs lingered all over his topless toned body especially his six packs on his stomach. Now that she looked at it, his visuals weren’t that bad but enough to make her feel allured by it. Her mind was constantly stimulating her senses with dopamine, the pleasure hormone with an addition of naughty thoughts as her eyes rolled down to under his waist area.

 

“Wha--” The cat successfully caught her tongue and she couldn’t even answer to his question properly.

 

The digital buzz sound of the doorbell interrupted both Myungsoo and Tiffany. The two glanced at the main door, which then flew open within seconds. A silent curse escaped from Myungsoo’s lips after recalling only he and his close friends; Sungjong and Sungyeol knew the passcode for his apartment house.

 

“L-- oh hey. Uhh-- who, what… why are you…” Sungjong was at loss for words finding him partially with only his jeans on and he was standing close to a female stranger; an attractive and hot female stranger to be precise.

 

“Oh My God,” Sungyeol gasped, coming right behind Sungjong. The two exchanged glances and the same bad thoughts to each other.

***

 

    Yongguk pressed a button on the remote that he was holding in his hands and he heard a few knocks on the door. Then, a well black suited henchman walked into the room. Yongguk looked over his shoulders for a second and he then turned his back to the man.

 

“Any news about the woman yet?” He asked.

 

“No sir. We are still searching for her and we already increased the area of our…”

 

“Stop, I don’t want to hear that kind of news.” Yongguk cutted his words.

 

“My apologies, sir.” The henchman bowed respectfully.

 

    Yongguk lets out a disappointed sigh and stared back through the window. His love was still nowhere to be found and for her, he even pulled out an all-nighter. He was worried to death about what could’ve happen to the Hwang’s Company heiress.

 

“Fetch me Zelo, right now.” He ordered the henchman while he picked a small glass on his table that was filled with a yellowish liquor.

    

The henchman then bowed respectfully to him again and walked out. Seconds later Zelo arrived and he entered Yongguk’s office.

 

“How about you? The same disappointing news just like him?” Yongguk inquired to the man in the black suit and then he sipped the liquor down his throat while looking at the bustling city below.

 

“Well I still can’t find her anywhere but, I’ve got a lead that we could follow.”

 

“Spill it out,” Yongguk took another sip of the liquor.

 

“My trustworthy sources said that she was seen entering a pub in the northeast district area last night. I say that we make a thorough searching around the area within eight kilometre radius,” Zelo remarked and it made Yongguk’s worried heart a little less chaotic.

 

“Dispatch the men out and find the pub. I want her to be found immediately by hook or by crook,” Yongguk released an order to his private inspector that doubles as his chief henchman.

 

“Yes sir,” Zelo bowed and exited the room and carried out his received orders.

 

Memories of his moments with the beautiful Tiffany during high school replayed in his head like it was a film. What he thought was just a mere little crush, turned into a terrifying first love. Yongguk did everything and anything that he could during his highschool years just so Tiffany would take a notice at him even if it means that he needed to be a total jerk to her. Like throwing paper balls during class, calling her names, pulling the ends of her hair and so on. Sure, Tiffany gave him the scowl, yelled at him and made him feel that he was nothing and transparent to her. But at the end of the day, his heart was fluttering like a bumblebee that she even notice him by his antics. Oh the things human do for love.

 

***

 

Myungsoo tugged his friends into his room so they will be out of earshot from the girl who was constantly eyeing at them curiously from afar. Myungsoo then closed the door.

 

“Glad to see that you turned a new leaf L,” Sungjong grinned and proudly patted Myungsoo’s back. The latter merely pushed him away.

 

“I did not turned a new leaf,” He stepped to the bathroom that was connected to his bedroom. He really need to freshen up.

 

“Oh yeah? Who is she then and why is she in your house with you… shirtless?” Sungyeol pointed to his torso and Myungsoo covered it; feeling slightly self conscious for no known reason.

 

“Last night…” Myungsoo started his explanation.

 

“Oh, ‘last night’ huh?” Sungyeol cutted him and smirked.

 

“Shut up and let me do the talking, alright?!” Myungsoo threw Sungyeol a deathly glare as he smirked sheepishly. The latter then gestured him to continue.

 

“As I was saying, last night she was intoxicated as hell and I can’t just leave her alone at the pub. So I brought her here to stay.” Myungsoo explained to them as honest as he could.

 

    Sungjong furrowed his brows and eyed at Myungsoo closely. He examined every detail of his facial expression to see if he was lying or wasn’t. Myungsoo looked at him in the eye and nodded at him as if he was saying ‘please believe me’ to Sungjong.

 

“And that’s everything?” Sungyeol sat on his bed.

 

“Yes, all of it.” Myungsoo head into the bathroom and turned the tap on and then water starts to continuously gushing out from its end.

 

“What is this then? Lipstick on your pillow? L!” Sungyeol started shouting excitedly after he saw a lipstick stain on his friend’s pillow case.

 

    Sungjong inspected it closely and he agreed that it’s definitely a lipstick stain. Myungsoo stuck his head out the door and still wasn’t able to have  his refreshing shower.

 

“She slept on my bed, that’s why it’s there.”

 

    Sungyeol smirked, Sungjong couldn’t help himself but to chuckle and Myungsoo slapped his forehead in disbelief. He already knew what were they thinking after he said that at that moment.

 

“And I slept on the sofa in the living room,” Myungsoo added and he was sure that all of the syllables were audible to their ears.

 

“Whatever you say L,” Sungjong’s voice tone obviously didn’t seem like he believed his remarks but Myungsoo had already gave up on explaining things to them.

 

“Head in there, you’re wasting water.” Sungjong told him.

 

    Myungsoo didn’t need to be told twice and he had already shut the bathroom door. Inside, the steam coming from the shower that he longed for had already filled the whole bathroom. Out of the blue, a few knocks were landed on Myungsoo’s bedroom door.

 

 

“Hey L! Your phone is ringing!” Tiffany shouted.

 

Sungjong went to the door and he opened it. She shoved Myungsoo’s smartphone onto his hand. He looked at the caller.

 

“L, your boss is calling you!” Sungjong banged the bathroom door and he waited for Myungsoo to open it.

 

Myungsoo groaned loudly and came to conclusion that he won’t be getting a nice warm shower anytime soon. He opened the door, with water already turned off and a towel slung over his left shoulder. He grabbed his blue smartphone from Sungjong’s hand and he accepted the call. From the edge of his eye he could see that Sungyeol was talking to Tiffany.

 

“Hello boss. Yes, I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Myungsoo apologized at his boss who was yelling at him on the other side of the line.

 

“I don’t think I could make it to work today,” He said.

 

    His boss yelled at him and he threatened to cut his work if he decided not to go for work one last time but in the end his boss gave him the day off. Myungsoo thanked him and apologized again to him.

 

    Myungsoo walked out the bathroom and he was about to shut his smartphone off he realized that he had a voicemail waiting for him-- and it was from Yoona.

 

“Yo, Sungjong!” Myungsoo waved his friend over and the former went to him, peering over his shoulder.

 

    Sungjong asked Myungsoo why he called him and Myungsoo to look at the smartphone screen carefully and Sungjong understood it.

 

“Let’s hear it,” Sungjong said and he just realized Sungyeol and Tiffany surrounded them.

 

    Myungsoo’s tummy churned nervously. Maybe Yoona wanted to apologize for what had happened between them, maybe she was going to ask him to be together again and there’s no denying that he will agree with the idea, he thought. He felt his heart was beating rapidly in each seconds.

 

“L, just forget about me and don’t find me. Please,”

 

    Yoona’s voice was serene, like it was the simplest line there is. She didn’t know that it made Myungsoo’s heart broke into millions of pieces, once again. He felt that his legs could not support him any longer he endure it. It hurts too much for him. Sungjong saw his change of expression and squeezed his friend’s arm.

 

“We’re not destined to be together. Go find a better girl and be happy with her,”

 

    How could she? How could Yoona made it sound so easy to move on? Myungsoo shook in disbelief and the smartphone in his hands was shaking messily. Sungyeol took the smartphone away from him in case it fell down and held it by himself.

 

“Goodbye L. Thanks for the memories,”

 

“Yoona… no…” Myungsoo said disheartenedly

 

It was a digital voicemail and Yoona would not be able to hear his replies but it does not matter now for Myungsoo. He kept on talking to the imaginary Yoona, begging for her to not leave him. They just can’t end their years of relationship just like that.

 

“Goodbye…”

 

The poor man had his tears streaming down his cheek. He was still mumbling to himself that his Yoona was lying and everything she said was pure lies. The three people around him could not do a single thing and they just watched him fooling himself and looked like a wreck. They felt really bad for him.

 

“Myungsoo…” The voicemail ended there.

 

Myungsoo fell to his friend’s arm. Sungjong rubbed his back and did his best to calm him down. He threw worried glances to the other one who just shrugged his shoulders and he had no ideas about what he should do as well.

 

In the end Sungyeol dragged Tiffany out from the room while Sungjong lead Myungsoo back into the bathroom and he made sure that he turned the warm tap on.

 

“The water could help to drag away the sorrows,” Sungjong told him before he left Myungsoo all by himself and then joined Sungyeol and Tiffany in the living room.

 

    Myungsoo just stood still under the raining warm shower and his tears mixed with the water. He was too sad to even remove his jeans as it drenched and sticked on his skin. His felt a bit of pain from the warm water but it wasn’t really mattered to him at that time. His body was numb from the pain and he could only feel his shattered heart. Yoona’s remarks were replaying on and on in his ears.

 

    Myungsoo gathered his fingers into a fist and he then punched the tile wall. No! He can’t just sit there crying and do nothing! The love of his life had told him to move on and forget about her but he couldn’t just do that, ever. He slammed the tile wall a second time. He have to get her back as he still believe that they were fated to be and of course they were. One last punch and it is official, he was determined to get her back whatever fate needed him to do.

 

“Hyo?” Tiffany whispered through her in-built smartphone mic.

 

    The two men who came over to Myungsoo’s house glanced at her from the kitchen. While they left Myungsoo in his own solitary solitude, they decided to help fix breakfast for him and Tiffany who was also staying there.

 

“Is my father still searching for me?” Tiffany asked Hyoyeon. She was the only means of sources for updates back at the Hwang Mansion.

 

"My double agent said your dad asked Yongguk to find you. Somehow Yongguk got a lead on you and he went to the bar you went last night,” Hyoyeon replied after talking with one of her workers that she planted as one of Yongguk’s agent.

 

“Wait-- You went to a bar?” Hyoyeon just realized.

 

“Yeah I did,”

 

“So where exactly you’re at now?”

 

“I’m…” Tiffany searched her mind for a suitable reply.

 

“I’m at a friend’s house,” She found one.

 

“Well, just make sure your friend’s house is far away and doesn’t stand out since both of us know Yongguk could track you down. He has a whole legion of men in blacks in his disposal and has all the connection there is,” Hyoyeon reminded.

 

“I know and I’m not surprised if Daddy chose Him to find me,” Tiffany replied.

 

“Just-- stay out of sight, alright? Stay safe babe,” Hyoyeon lets out a sigh on the other end of the line.

 

Sungyeol tapped her shoulder and it drove her attention away from the call.

 

“Tell L that we are leaving and we cooked something for him in the kitchen, and please keep him accompanied alright?” Sungyeol told her.

 

Tiffany nodded and she waved them off as they walked to the main door. She glanced again at the main door to see if they had already left before she continued the call.

 

“Whoa… Where the hell are you and why did I hear a guy’s voice?” Hyoyeon sounded like she she was just woken up from a daydream; her voice was more louder and excited.

 

Tiffany lets out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

 

“See you later Hyo, bye,”She bid.

 

“Tiff…”The call was cut off by Tiffany.

 

At the same time, the owner of the house that she was currently staying, walked out his room and was fully clothed this time and he was drying his hair with a towel.

 

“Your friends had already left and they cooked something for you,” Tiffany said, relaying the message from Sungyeol whom she nicknamed as Giant in her head as she didn’t asked for his name.

 

The guy threw the towel onto his bed and he nodded. He head into the kitchen to see a bowl of rice and a soup with some small serving of kimchi on the dining table. He was surprised that they even bothered preparing for Tiffany.

 

“You hungry?” He looked behind to see Tiffany crinkled her nose and shook her head.

 

“I don’t eat those kind of food,”She paused for a moment.

 

“I only eat real food,” Tiffany continued.

 

"What are you talking about?" This is real food, cooked as well," Myungsoo was in disbelief of what he was hearing.

 

"In my dictionary, real food meaning the food my family chef cooked and the ingredients he used was all organic," Tiffany huffed at first and felt that there was no point arguing about it but she pushed on anyways.

 

"Plus, I don't trust those two."

 

"You're kidding right?" Myungsoo lifted one of his eyebrows.

 

"I really don't understand people like you, especially you," Myungsoo mumbled and pulled out a chair and then helped himself with the breakfast that his friends fixed for him.

 

"Spoiled," He whispered and somehow Tiffany heard it.

 

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at him and she felt offended to be affiliated with the adjective. She was never spoilt, she just simply wanted certain things in her own way and nothing else. True that she was picky and also yes she was also born with a silver spoon. But she was never spoilt. From her perspective, there was a big gap of difference.

 

“What did you just call me?” Her voice was low and dangerous. Wisps of killing aura was blazing around her.

 

The man looked up from his dish,”I said spoi...”

 

“*Tummy grumbles loudly*”

 

Tiffany’s stomach suddenly grumbled loudly. She cupped her stomach and her face was heating up from embarrassment.

 

"Spoi...led," Myungsoo smirked at her, unconsciously teasing her.

 

"Come on, sit." Myungsoo gestured an invitation to her.

 

It's been hours since Tiffany last ate and she was hungry as a wolf. She closed her eyes and pretended to hypnotize and brainwash herself in thinking that she wasn't hungry but her stomach betrayed her and it growled loudly again. She found herself pacing to the other seat in front of him. She pulled out a chair and sat on it.

 

"Help yourself," Myungsoo smiled as if he knew it was bound to happen. Tiffany scowled but nonetheless did what he had told.

 

The two began to munch on the breakfast. It was simple but effectively reduced their hunger. Tiffany picked a slice of kimchi and laced it with some cooked rice. It was tasty. Tiffany looked at him as if she has a question to him and Myungsoo noticed it.

 

"Go on, ask," Myungsoo said.

 

"Does everyone call you as L even though they know your name is Myungsoo?"Tiffany asked. Myungsoo nodded and asked why.

 

"The Giant and the other guy called you by that name so I just figured,"

 

"Giant? Oh you mean Sungyeol, and the other one is Sungjong by the way, " Myungsoo took a bite of his food.

 

“What kind of name is L anyway?” Tiffany asked and she was uninterested on who his friends were.

 

“What do you mean ‘what kind of name is L’?” Myungsoo set his utensils down and glared at the girl over the table. Tiffany doesn’t know that she had offended him.

 

“What kind of name is Tiffany?” From his tone, anyone could understand that he was angry.

 

“Hey don’t even go there,” Tiffany pointed at him with the fork turned upside down.

 

“My name is a proper and decent name. Yours are just a letter,” The girl stated her points.

 

    L rolled his orbs and he was tired with all this crappy bull. He doesn’t even know who she was and neither do she know him and there she is: eating and sleeping in his house like she owned it. With a huff, Myungsoo abruptly stood up from his chair and lifted his used kitchenwares. He then puts them into the sink to be washed later.

“Once you’re done eating, just put the plates, spoon, forks and other things into the sink and then take your stuffs and leave from this house,” Myungsoo ordered and he walked out the kitchen area.

 

    Tiffany’s eyes widened and she stood up hurriedly.

 

“I can’t just leave!”

 

“And why can’t you leave?” Myungsoo asked her.

 

“I just can’t okay?!” Tiffany bit her bottom lips.

 

    She can’t go back now, no way! She need to stay here for as long as she could. If she stayed at any of her friend’s house: Taeyeon. Sooyoung, Sunny, Hyoyeon, surely her daddy or Yongguk will find her eventually. It would be an easy fight for them and being feisty since child, Tiffany doesn’t fancy losing that easily.

 

“I’m sorry. Whatever the reason is, you can’t stay here. I would prefer you to stay at a hotel or some other places of your liking and I can send you there.”

 

“No…!” Tiffany shook her head and quickly went to him.

 

    Myungsoo just simply went around her and picked all of her stuffs on his bed and then retreated to the main door and he grabbed his motorcycle keys.Tiffany ditched to her final means of resort.

 

“I’ll pay you! I’ll pay everything for my stay here!” Tiffany ran after him.

 

“How stereotypical.” Myungsoo whispered.

 

    Tiffany grabbed Myungsoo by the arm and effectively stopping him from moving forward. Myungsoo turned his attention to her.

 

“*sigh* Now what?”

 

    Tiffany was perspirating. She need to somehow convince him to let her stay in his house. She thought hard. There must be something… something that she could use. to her advantage. She quickly scanned the living room and one particular item caught her eye. She went to it and Myungsoo watched from a distance.

 

“Yoona… Yoona,” She picked up the photo frame of her with Myungsoo and eyed at it.

 

“I can help you to get your girlfriend, Yoona, back-- somehow,” Tiffany stated her bargain.

 

    Myungsoo’s expression changed when he heard the name. She had definitely grabbed his attention. But he remembered her words perfectly, that is to not find her.

“I don’t think…”

“You think...? L, are you really going to miss this one opportunity to meet your Yoona back? Just a simple voice message from her and you’re already giving up on her and not love her anymore?”

 

“I didn’t say I’ve given up,”

 

“The point is, do you really don’t want her back? This beautiful girl, really?”

 

She took another framed photo of Myungsoo and Yoona and this time it was a photo of Myungsoo romantically back hugging the petite girl and showed it to his face. Myungsoo spontaneously snatched it from her.

 

Myungsoo looked at the cute photo of them together as a couple and he shivered at the thought of he not once seeing Yoona again and it made him breathless She was his light, his everything, she gave him hope and she had his heart. He want to meet her again even if she told him not to find her anymore and just forget about her.

 

“I can and will help you to find her L, but you need to trust me and let me stay here,”Tiffany remarked.

 

    Myungsoo thought hard and began to collectively sort out the pros and cons of this deal. He was unsure whether to say yes or no to her. Not that he didn’t trust her abilities, he already had a hunch that Tiffany would be able to pull out some tricks out her sleeves with her money, power and connections, he was merely unsure whether to agree and look pathetic or say no and lose his biggest chance to find the one he loved and lose her forever. He need to make up his mind.

 

“So, how is it gonna be?”Tiffany asked him and he already had jumped into conclusion.

 

“You better do a damn good job finding her. I’m counting on it.” Myungsoo passed back the items to Tiffany.

 

“And you need to pay for your food and rent as well,” Myungsoo added and placed his keys back to where he took initially.

 

“Don’t worry, just trust me and I’ll pay you in advance just in case I forgot to,” Tiffany opened her handbag and pulled out a few 5000 won bills from her purse.

 

    Myungsoo was shocked at how much money that she carried in her purse.

 

“Whoa, now I believe what I did last night was so right. You could’ve been mugged with that much cash.”

 

“This is just a fraction of my money. I have more in my bank account so no biggie,” Tiffany said.

“I don’t understand rich people…”Myungsoo sighed.

***

To Be Continued on Part 2