~~~~~

A dreadful day was waiting for him. Jongin sensed it deep down to his bones. He sighed heavily as he stepped out of his car and stared at the hotel building where the convention was to convene. As he reached the doors he already began guessing the count of heads, the types of food available, and how it would look inside. He discovered he wasn’t far off when he finally walked in and began shaking hands of those Chairman Goo had associated him with the past year.

Finally free after being suffocated near the doorway for 15 minutes he made his way in, his eyes diligently searching for Yeji’s father. He wouldn’t have come if he urgently needed to talk to the man, and today he was going to sit Chairman Goo down and make him listen. The wedding just couldn’t happen if he didn’t agree to it, but the urgency for it disappeared from his mind when he recognized Namjoo across the room. A knot tightened in his chest and he strut forward when he saw that she was in the company of a man.

Instantly grabbing the man’s arm Jongin shoved him aside and stepped between them before muttering his apology. Namjoo had some explaining to do. Why she was here and who she’d been hitting it up with. Before he could open his mouth to demand her answer Yeji stepped up. “You’re here?”

His brows knotted together suddenly stressed.

“You two go on ahead and talk about what you need to talk about,” Yeji gave one them one of her fashionably kind smiles. Jongin turned to stare Namjoo in the eyes, warning her not to take even a step away. She glanced back but her eyes never read the message in his.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Yeji asked then came forward to push Namjoo toward the man whose name Jongin was dying to find out so he could teach him a lesson or two.

“If you take a step anywhere,” Jongin whispered, “it better be back here.”

Namjoo shot him a long stare with a slight frown. Cutting her off from sight, Yeji grabbed Jongin’s arm dragging him elsewhere. They only made it a few steps away before Jongin pulled his arm out from her hands not taking caution to mask his annoyance.

“Leave me alone,” he hissed and glanced in the direction they’d come from to see Namjoo walking away with the other man.

Damn her.

Without transmitting the order to his brain, his feet shifted to go after her but Yeji caught him just as fast and called out loudly, “Uncle! Hello there! It’s nice to see you today.”

He bit his lower lip irate when he heard the sound of the old man laughing haughtily, “Yeji. It’s good to see you. It’s a full house today, isn’t it? It’s been a while Jongin.”

Turning, Jongin subconsciously smiled politely and greeted the man by shaking his hand.

“Your father’s been hinting at something he wants to reveal today,” the uncle laughed gleefully. “Congratulations, Yeji.”

Jongin’s eyes jumped back and forth between them, wondering what the heck they were currently up to.

He spent the following several minutes frustratingly glancing back every so often to find Namjoo conversing finely with the man she was with. She was so smooth, wasn’t she? Was she aiming for his money, too? The thought made him bitter effortlessly.

The microphone on the platform screeched and everyone flinched before the afternoon’s announcer began giving thanks to everyone in attendance, not forgetting to mention Chairman Goo who everyone unanimously applauded for. And then he said, “We would like to give a moment to invite Chairman Goo’s son-in-law to come up and say a few words.”

The room hushed and if there was a spotlight it was currently on him. Low murmurs filtered throughout the ballroom and everyone shifted to look around curiously before spotting him. Jongin’s brow twitched at the unexpected situation and bit his tongue. So this is what they were going to pull on him?

Yeji’s uncle from earlier patted his back, “Don’t be shy. Go on up and introduce yourself to everyone. It’s about time.”

The knot in his chest twisted. Namjoo was watching him. She had heard them call him their son-in-law.

Gripping the hand by his side into a firm fist he trudged through the crowd and toward the platform. The announcer nodded at him before stepping aside to let him take over.

They were pulling his leg. This was the aftermath of constantly avoiding lunch dates with Yeji and her father. The pending wedding? Over his dead body. He could never spend his life with someone not of his choosing. Up on the platform Jongin scanned the crowd. All eyes were on him, watching like vultures.

Thinking of his father Jongin first pressed on politely, “First of all, I’d like to congratulate Chairman Goo for successfully completing his convention, and I hope that in the many years to come he’ll continue to be just as successful. I’m grateful Chairman Goo thinks of me as an important member of his family, and am honored by his kindness but I’m afraid there must be a misunderstanding. The Chairman’s daughter and I are nothing but good friends. She is someone whom I’ve relied on wholeheartedly since my father passed.”

The crowd continued murmuring and they looked around the room confused, thrown off by him. Among them he easily spotted Yeji standing amidst the crowd staring at him with burning eyes. In her mind’s eye she was already tearing his limbs off his body. The anger seething beyond her breath was as similar to the dangerous flames a dragon was about to release.

If he was going to hit them, she was going hit back twice as hard. Jongin clearly understood that.

“Second of all,” he pressed on, “I’d like to introduce someone to you all here today. My wife.”

Ending his short speech there he walked off the stage. The only one in his eye’s view was the woman standing beside the refreshment table. Ignoring the wide-eyed elders he passed, Jongin walked confidently toward Namjoo with head held high. When he reached, there was no such thing as heart fluttering about the announcement of their reunion. As expected, Namjoo’s hard gaze stared back defiantly with a deep, dark frown. Still, Jongin bravely held his hand out and waited for her to take it.

If she took his hand he might look past all that had occurred, because right now he needed her back in her spot as his wife. Namjoo’s gaze was formidable. All sorts of angry and disapproval. Wheeling around she scurried toward the entrance of the ballroom, quick to leave. Jongin wasted no time going after her. His feet stopped at the front doors upon seeing that it was raining out, but when he saw Namjoo dashing across the parking lot he continued his chase.

Namjoo was midway to her car when he caught her and refused to let her go. With all his strength he lugged her after him toward his car while listening to her thrash and demand him free her. Fumbling for his car keys he unlocked the door and pulled it open when he reached. They ensued into a short struggle as he fought to shove her into the passenger seat. Namjoo landed into it a second later with a cry and immediately tried leaping back out, but Jongin was quicker with shoving her back in.

“Let me go! Jongin!” Namjoo screamed stubbornly wrestling against him, her hands punching his shoulders, and legs threatening to kick.

“Why? So you can go back and hit on someone else?” he hissed. “Did you get his number? Give it to me.”

Namjoo lashed her arm out against his chest but she wasn’t strong enough to make him stumble backward. His hair was wet, glued to his face and his clothes soaked from cold rain. Shivering and annoyed that she had tried walking out on him, he pinned her to her seat and struggled his way into the car. Namjoo slapped her hands against his chest when he climbed on top of her.

“Get off me!” she screamed and tried to shrug her way out from under him. Biting his teeth together Jongin listened to the seatbelt zip as he strung it over her. Once it clicked into the lock he glanced at her and heaved a few deep breaths before struggling into the driver’s seat.

“You’re always making everything so hard,” he mumbled, leaning forward to slam her door shut then started the engine. “Why’d you walk off? Are you embarrassed because I claimed you in front of that man?” he shot her a stare from his seat as he drove down the road. Namjoo returned the glare but refused to talk. “Fine, then lets do this all the way until I get to my house.”

At this, Namjoo abruptly shifted in his direction stiffly demanding, “Stop the car.”

He scoffed, “Give me one good reason why I should.”

Namjoo refused to reply, her eyes strictly on the road ahead before she muttered, “He’s a divorce lawyer and I didn’t get his number.”

Peeved, Jongin let out an exasperated laugh. “So that’s why you went there? To get hooked up with a lawyer? Why? Is one not enough for you already?”

“Shut up,” Namjoo ordered lividly.

“Why?” he argued. “Oh,” he sarcastically added, “did I accidentally insult you? Because you only go for men with money? Why don’t you just come home with me? I can give you twenty times more than what a puny lawyer can. Two years of my hard work can amount to more than that. Do you want to hear about it?”

He could feel the burning anger washing off Namjoo like angry waves and became even angrier with himself for ticking her off so intentionally. They both lurched forward in their seats when he drove over a pothole. In the next second his car refused to continue running no matter how many times he pressed the accelerator. The engine coughed and spat before it died. Namjoo groaned, aggressively unbuckled her seatbelt, and pushed the door open allowing the cold rush of rain to pour in. Jongin caught sight of her walking past the car and rushed out after her, frustrated but desperate not to let her escape.

“Where are you going?” he inquired hurrying around the car to snag her arm.

Namjoo tugged herself back unsuccessfully. “Let go, Jongin.”

“I asked you where you’re going!” he raised his voice.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Namjoo breathed, her eyes menacing. “It might hurt your kiddy feelings if I tell you.”

Jongin bit his lower lip then burrowed his fingers into her arm even more to tell her he wouldn’t be releasing her.

“Why are you angry with me?” he asked, toning his voice down. “I should be the one angry with you.”

“Is this what you’re doing?” she questioned. “You want to get back at me? Good, I’m angry, you got to me, so are you satisfied yet?”

Why was she making him so angry?!

“Let go, Jongin.” Namjoo once again demanded.

“No, I won’t let go,” he tugged her toward him. “You hate the sight of me? Don’t like being near me? Then lets be even closer.”

Namjoo’s hand landed against his chest when he pulled her forth. Bolts of lightning struck him when the gap between them closed on the empty tree lined road. Like an abyss, his eyes became into the galaxy of hers. His heart thudded and he momentarily saw his own reflection in her eyes. Yearning passed through him and he felt swept up into the gray clouds. His body missed this.

Functioning without brain control, he leaned in to give her a soft kiss without even thinking it. It was as if his body had so deeply engraved this heartfelt sensation into his body that it was acting on its own, to replenish itself after a long unnecessary drought. The moment they touched his feelings spiraled back into the universe when he was still innocently head over heels in love with her.

Jongin in a cold breath when he drew his lips away. The pulsing organ in his chest leapt against his rib cage wanting out as an uncalled for emotion zapped through his being. Electricity jolted across his body when Namjoo gripped his shirt, her eyes constricting between pulling away or remaining glued to him. Fearing she would seek the former, he quickly gave her another kiss in hopes of drawing her into him. As Namjoo’s lips fed him tender warmth his knees wanted to buckle, bring her with him, and cry as he took her just the way he used to. This touch was so familiar, her breath that flowed smoothly into his mouth and her body as it moved up into his while she in a breath – his breath.

He nearly trembled when he withdrew again. For two years he had missed out on so many of the kisses he could have had. It was dreamy; it was oxygen to his blood and pollen to the dead flowers inside him.

Their eyes locked. Numb to the drizzling rain all he could see was the Namjoo he’d known two years ago staring back at him. That she wanted him too, that she missed him, yearned and longed for him. And he was in love again. All the intimate moments floated through his memory and he heard the sound of Namjoo’s lovely laughter echoing in his ears.

The grip on his shirt tightened yet again before her lips opened and locked around his in a desperate measure. In that mere instant something inside him crashed into oblivion and all he could think about was having her back, restoring everything back to what it used to be.

Jongin sunk. He drowned into the movement of her lips; he succumbed to the tenderness of her touch and tasted what she was. His hand uncontrollably touched her waist and traveled to her lower back to secure her.

It was good. So good.

Greedily, he yearned for more.

With no thing such as a warning Namjoo abruptly shoved him away and stumbled back. Appearing ashamed she darted her eyes away before turning from him. Hastily moving forward he grabbed her lower arm, desperate to know what had gone wrong, why she had suddenly cut the moment off.

“Don’t,” Namjoo pleaded. His hand slipped from her arm when he detected the agony there.

Helplessly, Jongin watched her step onto the curb and under the shelter of a roof. In the next moment she was speaking into her phone.

Jongin joined her under the roof when she hung up, leaving a thick gap between them. He wanted to be nearer; right by her side but something in the air warned him he might break the spell falling upon them if he did. It was rare that Namjoo let him be even this close.

The pouring rain sounded like nostalgia on a rainy day that called for hot chocolate, a book, and indie music. Only there wasn’t sweet chocolate, a ballad to accompany him, or a book with a happy ending promised. He wanted to talk. This was the moment. This was the sudden twilight zone that came to once in a blue moon. It was the right moment for an occurring chat that might last hours, but he didn’t know what to say and it made him feel bad, useless, and like a morose loser.

“I’m sorry,” Namjoo spoke up, voice soft, “you thought I was dead, but I wasn’t. I was in Britain with Kyung.”

His eyes shut and he let out a sigh to rid of his jealousy. He didn’t want to argue or become angry with her. Not after they finally kissed. Not after finally revisiting the privilege of her lips that once belonged to him.

“Can you not talk about him in front of me?” he uttered indignantly.

Gaze on the ground, Namjoo went on, “It feels like we were at the finish line but only I stepped forward into the next level and I left you behind. You couldn’t even grieve properly for your father before you thought I died. When I left that night, I called Kyung. I thought, ‘If I go back to the hostel, Jongin would know where I would be. I don’t want him to find me.’ I didn’t go into the hostel. I didn’t get trapped in the fire and I didn’t go down with the building. I was on a flight to Jeju to prepare for a new life and get my passport. I was reading books and studying at a hotel. I was watching the ocean waves. I was enjoying fresh air and already moving on. I wasn’t dead, Jongin. If I knew about the fire, if I knew you believed I was dead, I would have found some way to let you know I’m alive and that I was well.”

Jongin’s heart trembled and ached in unbelievable ways that made his entire body sore. No. He didn’t want to hear it. He just wanted to be back out there in the rain and kissing the breath out of her.

Shut up, he wanted to tell her but he couldn’t say anything. He had thought he might force the story out of her some day but not like this. He didn’t want her to voluntarily say it. He had wanted to force it out of her. Now he realized that he didn’t want to hear her story at all.

“I heard from Joohwan that the debt was paid off when he went to see them,” she said. “Was it you?”

Gritting his teeth together, he lowered his gaze unable to even look at her because it hurt.

Yes, he had hunted those bastards down. Namjoo had died and the guilt that had tortured him had made him believe Joohwan didn’t need to have those money hungry bastards in his life like his sister had. He paid every single cent for her!

“That’s why, Jongin, we should get a divorce so you can move on,” Namjoo told. “Get rid of your ugly past and start anew like you should have two years ago. I’m sorry to have let you go through that. I feel even sorrier we had to meet again this way. If I was to run into you again, I wanted to see you happy at least.”

Jongin lifted his head up at the sound of an oncoming car that soon pulled up to the curb. Through the windows he recognized suave Kyung behind the wheel.

Of course, of course, he thought. Who else would Namjoo call but this guy that had stolen her for two years? This man that Namjoo had lived two years with!

His guts spilled anger when Namjoo stepped out from under the roof and started toward the car without even looking back at him. And if he could, he would drag her elsewhere with him but his car was dead and he was too vexed from hearing her story.

“You should call someone to pick you up,” was all Namjoo offered instead of asking him if he wanted a ride with them, because he might have.

Bitterly, Jongin watched her get into Kyung’s car and stared intensely as it sped down the road. 

***Well, they have one thing cleared off but that doesn't make anyone happier.