~~~~~

Jongin was so ecstatic and swept by calm that Namjoo was here with him that he spent a majority of the night watching her and listening to her breathe until who knows when he drifted off. Sensitive to her presence, his eyes automatically opened when he felt Namjoo getting up the next morning. A part of him dreaded hearing her wash up and get ready for work.

Everything felt almost normal but it wasn’t. Jongin ended up lying where he was until Namjoo stepped out of the bathroom in her work attire. A light blue blouse and black pants. She didn’t even shoot him a glance as he watched her walk out. Jongin turned away with a smile realizing it was just like Namjoo to be that way now, ignorant.

Sitting up he watched her grab her car keys and purse. “Lets go to work together today.”

This time Namjoo shot him a glance through her narrowed eyes that spoke obvious disapproval. “I’m leaving first.”

Alarmed, Jongin got to his feet. “What do you mean you’re leaving first? We have to eat breakfast, check on Jaegeun, and then go…”

“I’m having breakfast with Kyung this morning,” Namjoo explained then hooked her purse over her shoulder. Jongin grinded his teeth lightly as he watched her turn on her heels to walk out.

She was just doing this on purpose to spite him. Fine then, he thought, go have breakfast with Kyung. For the rest of the day Jongin promised he’d keep Kyung so busy he stayed out of Namjoo’s sight.

~~~~~

Jaegeun was at the table without the IV drip this time. His mother was currently finishing the table with the last of that morning’s entrées when Jongin walked in. He caught the way she looked up expectantly, but became puzzled when she didn’t see Namjoo with him.

“Where is Namjoo?” she inquired.

“She left first,” he said.

“Already? Why didn’t she have some breakfast first?”

Jongin scanned the healthy dishes she’d woken up extra early to prepare and felt apologetic. He lied, “She had some business matters to take care of. We can have dinner tonight.”

“Is that so?”

“Auntie left?” Jaegeun asked, his wide eyes on him.

“She has to go to work,” Jongin said walking by then slipped into his chair.

That Namjoo, he thought, he’d make her sit down to have dinner with them tonight. No excuses.

“Auntie will be home later,” Jongin glanced at the boy observing him.

“Did Auntie really come yesterday?” Jaegeun wondered. “Is she really staying here? Uncle’s not lying?”

“Jaegeun,” his mother called from her seat.

“She’s here, Jaegeun,” Jongin assured.

“Did she really sleep with you last night?” the nephew innocently pressed on.

Flustered, Jongin pressed his lips together. “Of course.”

“Then what about me? I want to sleep with auntie, too.”

Growing even more flustered, Jongin felt bashful. “Next time, Jaegeun.” Although Jongin didn’t think he wanted Namjoo to be sleeping apart from him yet. Not when she just returned to his side. He needed to savor more of her beside him first.

~~~~~

“It’s been a while since we did this,” Kyung commented.

They were seated at a table with two trays filled with muffins, bread, and a couple cups of iced coffee.

“Indeed,” she agreed.

“Weird that I seem to hang out with you more than Hwan now,” Kyung lightly laughed.

“Looks like he’s the outcast now,” Namjoo mused. “What are you doing for lunch later?”

“Probably spending it out. I have to go see a client,” he explained. “You?”

Namjoo ended up shrugging. “I was wondering if we could have lunch together. Or maybe I could even help you with a file.”

He frowned at her. “Why? Aren’t you still busy with your paperwork?”

Namjoo gently bit her tongue. “It would help to get some air away from it.”

“Won’t Jongin be unhappy you’re trying to get away from it?”

“Why do his feelings matter?” Namjoo argued.

Kyung stared at her blankly before laughing. “I was just saying. Don’t get worked up.”

“I’m not,” Namjoo assured even though she felt that Kyung was intentionally bringing Jongin up to make her realize she honestly cared about him.

“All right. I’ll call you if I’m near so we can have lunch,” he promised.

Biting into her muffin she glanced up at Kyung, wondering if she should tell him about her situation. Yet she wasn’t sure what she intended for if she did tell him about it. Kyung’s righteousness nature would be to ask if she was running again because she was afraid of what lie in her heart. There would be no way Kyung would pull her out of that house like Joohwan unless Jongin did something to wrong her.

Luck was that Jongin hadn’t wronged her.

So she was afraid to tell Kyung about it. He liked her but her happiness was his first priority, and she knew that like her he hadn’t forgotten that night when she called for his help for the first time.

“What do I do, Kyung? I think I love him, but I can’t go back there.”

The second most reality was that she was back there still troubled and unable to figure herself out. Kyung would make her face her inner-self, but she wasn’t ready to dig back into the wounds she had buried.

All she could manage right now was to be patient and think about Jaegeun. Jongin would just have to come last.

~~~~~

Jongin’s eyes shot up when the door opened and Namjoo walked in. She only glanced his way for a second before walking to her seat. He’d been counting the minutes till she got in for work. Breakfast had taken her almost half an hour, and in that time he had imagined what she’d been doing with Kyung. For that matter he’d had Secretary Hong hand down a bunch of ignored cases to Kyung to handle. Keep him busy for the rest of the week. If Namjoo wanted to complain to Kyung about him, she wouldn’t be able to even get him to pick up his phone. The thought was merely satisfying.

Once Namjoo settled into her spot he set down his work and walked over. Plopping down into the seat across from her he spread his arms out, as if telling her to look at him. Jongin waited quietly until Namjoo was irked enough to glance up from her laptop. He grinned victoriously when she caught the similarity of his outfit with hers.

Couple clothes.

“What are you doing?” he asked. “You don’t need me to ask you to put that down.”

“Oh,” Namjoo murmured, “I didn’t know you wanted to talk. Should have said something or else I wouldn’t have noticed you since, you see, I’m so busy with the work you need me to do.”

“And I thought you were educated. How did someone smart like Kyung allow you to become his secretary?”

He watched her shoot him a glare. Anything about Kyung from his mouth always seemed to anger her. Had she relied on that guy so much that she was prepared to defend him whenever?

“What do you want?” Namjoo grumbled.

“Put the laptop down,” Jongin ordered.

“Yes, Chairman,” Namjoo said quite calmly and set the laptop down onto the table. Something about the way she called him that irritated him to no end. She was spiting him and so very easily.

“Secretary Hong is taking leave for a few days,” he forced himself to go on, “I need someone to fill in for him.”

“Should I find someone for you?” Namjoo offered which heightened his annoyance with her.

“No need.”

Namjoo stared back calmly, yet with defiance.

“You will do it.” he finished.

“Excuse me, but I think you’ve forgotten something. I didn’t come here to work for you. My direct boss is Lawyer Han.”

“Your Lawyer Han’s boss is me,” Jongin reminded. “If I say something is so, it is so. Why? I’m the one in charge. Starting from tomorrow, you come to work with me. Understood?”

Namjoo’s flat eyes turned hard. Jongin wanted to hear her say “Yes” but she refused to open in agreement. Deciding he had the advantage over her anyway he stood up to leave her to work, feeling fulfilled.

~~~~~

Jongin was trying to pin her into a corner. Secretary? Who was he kidding!

Namjoo felt like screaming from the top of her lungs. She spent the entire afternoon waiting for Kyung to call her, but he didn’t. In the end, she dragged on work, using as much time as she could to furiously finish inputting the data into the computer as fast as she could.

“Work hours are over. Lets go home.” Jongin called out from the coat stand in the office as he slipped into his jacket.

“I’m not done yet. You go first.” Namjoo muttered without looking up from her screen.

Silently, Jongin stared at her from where he was. She thought maybe he would come over and steal the laptop from her like he had before but he just stood there, staring. It was, surprisingly, even more annoying than doing nothing at all. Even as her eyes focused on the screen she could feel his stare burning holes through her skull. In that instant she could sense that he wasn’t intending to walk out and leave her there.

Damn him.

Deciding to let him wait for 15 extra minutes, Namjoo continued pounding on the keyboard deliriously until time was up. Quietly turning the laptop off and fuming silently, she stood and grabbed her bag. When she neared the door Jongin asked, “Was that fun?”

She turned to look at him without masking her irritation. Turning away from her Jongin held the door open. Still fuming, Namjoo walked out and heard him following her toward the elevator. The moment she reached her car she planned to cruise around the city, maybe grab a bite somewhere before returning to that house.

As soon as the lift opened to the lobby Jongin said, “I’m going to follow you home, so don’t think of going anywhere.”

Again, she shot him another dark frown before turning to walk off, wondering how far he was going to take this with her. Namjoo slammed her foot on the accelerator once she got in her car and as promised, Jongin followed her all the way to his house. She didn’t think he would be so persistent, but he proved himself not to be a lie.

Just what was it that he wanted from her? Did he actually plan on seriously driving her insane? What part of this was his revenge? Why was he doing this to her and what was running through that head of his?

Jongin followed her just as quickly to the front door the moment she arrived on the first step. Like earlier, he didn’t say anything to her but merely looked at her like he was her master and she his follower. Something about that earnestly ticked her off.

“You’re home?” a voice greeted as she made way through the door after taking her shoes off. Namjoo felt everything around her freeze when she saw her mother – Jongin’s mother – standing in front of her. Face sunken and eyes huge but she was smiling as if the sun never went down. Namjoo ultimately stared at her with mind blank and all sorts of emotions spiraling through her at the speed of a roller coaster. From abandonment to meeting her again as Jongin’s mother. All the torn anger and despair that had followed her like a shadow the many past years was still so relevant, unforgettable. And she had never moved on from it.

Namjoo stared at the woman distraught both angry and wondering if the woman, like Jongin, had mourned for her death. Yet Namjoo was in no position where she should be sorry she believed. She had nothing to apologize for – at least not to this woman. And she had nothing of value to say. Jongin would have told the woman everything the moment he discovered her alive.

Noting the desperation in the elder woman’s eyes to interact with her long lost daughter, Jongin stepped up, “Is dinner ready? I’m quite hungry.”

“Oh…yes,” the woman’s eyes unwillingly drifted from Namjoo’s face to her son. “The table is set. Do come eat.”

She felt Jongin touch her arm to urge her forward. Losing her appetite, Namjoo turned to glare at him,  but his eyes were strict with demand and he tugged her along with him. The short fight she put up with him quietly lasted only a few seconds before they were in the dining room, the table decked with plenty of delicacies.

Namjoo was forced to sit down and even when Jongin took the seat beside her she refused to touch her utensils. She wouldn’t eat her mother’s food. Not tonight. She had to first mentally prepare herself for all of this…all over again. Suddenly, she wished she really could have left the past behind and never met Jongin again. Everything was so difficult. All of her emotions were tangled in messy knots.

“Eat up,” Jongin said filling her plate with various foods. Her eyes burned into the table filled with a variety of foods, unable to get herself to move her hands. She was unhappy, maybe a little angry, and most certainly not ready to face the life with her mother and Jongin again. Why did it have to be like this?

“I said eat,” Jongin handed her utensils and watched from the side.

With all effort Namjoo somehow managed to suppress the burn in her chest and bit down hard on her spoon, forcing herself to chew and swallow. Halfway through her dish she decided she’d had enough. She would go see Jaegeun and turn in for the rest of the night.

“I’m going to see Jaegeun.”Sliding the chair back she got up and headed down the hallway to the nephew’s bedroom.

There was music playing when Namjoo opened the door and discovered the young child coloring his book on his bed filled with toys. The IV drip was unused and set to the side on its metal bar. Beside that sat the air purifier that had long been turned off.

“Jaegeun?” Namjoo called, puzzled by the sight. She thought he was sick and expected to see him tucked in bed sleeping. Yet she thought he looked 100% happy and healthy with his feet kicking the air. The color on his face wasn’t flushed or pale.

“Auntie!” he fully sat up, grinned and quickly got off the bed. He grabbed her hand, “You’re home! You’re really home like Uncle promised!”

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Namjoo lightly frowned.

Jaegeun shook his head, “I’m not sick Auntie. So lets go watch Spiderman! I want to watch Spiderman with you!”

A brick wall came crashing down piece by piece inside her head. Something hot washed over her upon hearing Jaegeun say this to her.

“You’re not…sick?” Namjoo repeated.

Jaegeun shook his head again, “I’m not sick Auntie. I played all day today and I even had chocolate.”

“Jaegeun, are you in bed?” Jongin asked as he approached. Wheeling around Namjoo stared at him with wide and hard eyes of disbelief. She was outraged. She had been tricked! Forced back here against her own will!

Shoving Jongin aside she stomped down the rest of the way to the bedroom, immediately found her suitcase, ped it, and flung open the closet. Instantly grabbing the clothes hanging inside she stashed them into her suitcase never minding how they would wrinkle and crease by tomorrow. All she could think about was her escape from this home. By the time Jongin came in she had zipped up her suitcase so hastily that she’d left a few of her blouses sticking out. He would stop her at no cost, she knew, but she wouldn’t let it happen. Now was her time to leave. Dragging the suitcase after her she started past him for the door, but Jongin wheeled her around by snagging the suitcase handle, acclaiming his hold on it.

 “You can’t go.”

“You can’t stop me,” Namjoo hissed, seething with fury.

“I can and I will.” Jongin determinedly stated with eyes burning into her.

Pulling the suitcase from him and to her side with all her might she yelled at him, “You used Jaegeun and you lied to me!”

“And you didn’t do the same?” he interrogated.

“No, I didn’t,” she bit down on her words. “The difference between you and me, is that you fell for it on your own. I didn’t use a weak excuse to get your sympathy.”

“Is it not the same thing?” Jongin questioned aggravated with how she was turning this on him. “So you got a taste of your own medicine. How does it taste? Is it bitter?”

The way his eyes belittled her made her even angrier that he’d gotten his way this time. She really couldn’t stand him. Was this his revenge?

“If you want to talk about that, lets do it through court,” Namjoo heatedly suggested before stepping past him.

***Jongin's scheme comes to a quick end :\ The rest from here is their tug of war! 

***Ah...I missed KaiJoo. Writing this again is like a taste of fresh air xD