Secrets are a natural form of defense.

Da Bin supposes she should have gone directly in the restaurant.

She probably should have went in early to say all her greetings, get to know everyone, make a couple of jokes and strike a couple of deals, because that's what she usually did.

But today, she didn't feel like it. Sitting in the car and driving around the streets of the area was her own type of rebellion. She never came late, so her parents would believe her if she said she got caught in traffic.

Da Bin sighs, putting her head against the headrest of her seat, contemplating whether or not she should skip.

She had seen other kids from her circle do it all the time, and more than once had she been the only one left behind with all the adults.

She hated being the good one, but she guesses that what she does best.

And that's the reason why it felt so liberating when the clock’s hands began to dangerously tilt over the 4 o’clock hand mark, officially marking her late a minute.

But her happiness was short lived as her phone buzzed the very next minute, demanding a reason for her absence.

“Da Bin, why aren't you here? Is something wrong?”

“No, umma, I just got stuck in traffic. I'll be there in a few minutes.”

“Alright, that's what I thought. You would never pass up this opportunity; you've been trying so hard to get in touch with K. I'm so excited for you! I'll see you in a bit honey,” her mom exclaims in a rush before hanging up the phone to no doubt deal with her fantasies set out for her daughter.

Because, after all, her mother didn't know her.

Da Bin was stuck in a world where she had to be perfect, and that's the appearance she gave. She wasn't cold and she never rejected anyone in their offers unless it truly harmed her, so people ended up believing that when they did something for her that it was in her favor. However, chances are that they aren't, but Da Bin wouldn't be the one to tell them that, especially to her parents,

And especially to their expectation of an arranged marriage.

They thought that like any other girl, Da Bin was struck dumb by the idea, but it was the opposite.

Da Bin was already independent with a position as the head of a fashion empire and heiress to Y&E Designs. She wasn't willing to accept any other company’s help, and she sure wasn't about to accept their love either. So Da Bin had to deal with the matter with her own hands.

She had had so many of marriage dates that she had to attend that she sold them off as boyfriends, because Ae Sook would have never approved of the higher circle’s way of finding love. But in the end, it's not like it would matter because as the angel that Da Bin is, she would send them off with a huge apology, a phanthomed excuse, and a suggestion for another potential bride.

It was a small price for an oppressed and unhappy life she would have to live with any of them.

It took about 10 of the most eligible bachelors being sent home to finally alert her parents that something in their daughter’s dating life must be going wrong. Da Bin’s excuse was that she just hasn't found “the one”.

Add about 6 more dates, and her parents began to get anxious. That's when she made her ultimatum: the mysterious son of K.

Both around her age and in the same industry, he was the perfect match for her. If it wasn't him, she wouldn't get married.

Her parents mistook it for fate, but Da Bin took it as foolery.

The heir to K had never been exposed to the public media before, and he was nearly impossible to track down. He was a phantom. So, on her and her parents’ part, it was chasing a needle in a haystack.

Da Bin knew he would never show up and that would give her enough time to either find someone or convince her parents to be accepting of her single status.

But it wasn't a part of the plan when K’s heir showed up, saying he wanted to meet in person.

Or the fact that he was standing in front of the restaurant, waiting for Da Bin right by the door as soon as she exited her car.

Life liked to screw her over like that.

But it still couldn't prevent her from putting on her shell, the fake outer coating that pushed down her real self and created a mirage of the person everyone wanted to see and speak with.

Pulling her jacket closer to herself, Da Bin walks over to Kai, her smile pushing up her cheeks in a false mask. Once she reaches next to him, she holds her arm out in a courtesy gesture.

She ignores the spark that glitters it's way up her bicep when he takes her arm and instead focuses on not falling off her heels.

“Afternoon. How was your day?” Da Bin chirps.

Kai takes a second to open the door for her before he takes her arm again, huddling closer to her than he did outside in the cold wind. Da Bin tries hard not to pull back when he lowers his lips to her ear. “Why didn't you answer any of my texts?” Kai asks, referring to the multiple messages that have spammed her phone since she met him yesterday.

“Oh, those? Sorry, I was busy.” Da Bin pulls back while she replies, tilting her head to give him a serious glance. She glares at him for half a second before flashing another smile. “I was working on my catalog.”

“But you could have answered once,” he argues, holding her back as she tries to speed up. “Do you know how many girls would love the attention you’re getting?” Da Bin’s eye twitches at Kai’s persistence.

It seems as if he’s only acting like a jerk to trite her, obviously showing that she should be flattered that someone like him was spending a second of his life on a girl like her.

Well, it must be news to him, because Da Bin didn't take well to pretentious jerks like himself.

“Oh, really?” Da Bin asks, her lips curling up even more than before. It adds a cruel tint to her good-natured smile. “Because to me, it looks like I’m the one being pursued. And measuring your persistence on a scale, I would wager that you’re pretty hung up on me, not the other way around.” Da Bin holds up all ten fingers in a mockery of the number 10 while casually surveying them before connecting eyes with Kai and flashing her know-it-all smile.

Kai lets out a bark of laughter.

“Says the girl who’s tried to schedule 10 marriage meetings with me.”

Da Bin’s smile falls off her face.

With that, he takes her by the wrist and with no force at all on his part, pulls her back into his chest. Taken by surprise, she takes a fistful of his shirt into her hands, trying to use it to stabilize herself. When she realizes what happened, she looks up into Kai’s mocking eyes with wide ones. He lowers his face so that it’s only inches away from hers.

“So, measuring that on the same scale, what score would you get?”

“ you,” Da Bin hisses.

And that’s the moment history is made.

It is the first time Yeong Da Bin has ever cussed someone out publicly.

Sure, she had done it multiple times in Ae Sook’s presence, because the girl is her best friend and the only person she can be a normal 20-year-old with. But no matter how many times she had said it in Ae Sook’s presence, Da Bin had trained to never let it slip while she was in contact with people from the circle.

Even though the fact surprises her, she can't bear to stop now when her anger has already boiled this much.

“It’s ignorant princes like you that make me want to move out to the country and be a lonely maid. And my parents wonder why I’ve left so many marriage meetings? How can I be expected to get married to a member of this generation when all they care about is their precious egos, lines of women, and wads of cash that could polish their brand-name cars?”

Da Bin rips her hands from Kai, who had come to grab them with his at her struggled attempts to jab at his chest. Now having full use of her limbs, Da Bin takes a piercing step forward with her heel. The point of it drives down on the carpet in the exact place where Kai’s Armani dress shoe was just a second ago before he started to back up in response to her advances.

Da Bin continues after she detects an ounce of weakness in his eyes. Bringing up her clutch, she uses it to poke him in the chest, pushing him further back into a corner to the point that he’s stumbling over his feet.

“You can laugh at me for requesting a meeting with you-”

Jab.

“-but don't think you're anything special-”

Jab.

“-because you were the only way my parents would shut up about me getting married.”

While he was blindly walking backwards, Kai couldn’t sense the distance at which the small side table against the wall was at. With Da Bin’s pursuit, he couldn't move in time to avoid it, and a second too late, he registered the hardwood pressing against the back of his knees.

In a second, he was down, his back bending at his fall and his hands bracing his fall on either side of the table. Da Bin leered over him, and in that moment, Kai was completely taken aback by her capabilities.

Before, when he met her for the first time, Da Bin’s height was shrunk by a couple of inches in comparison to his, but now, with those killer heels, she stood at the same height he is. Taking into consideration his bent position, Da Bin towered over him, threateningly.

But the surprises didn't end there. She grabs him by the tie, wrapping it around her palm multiple times to lift him off the table and closer to herself.

Leering at him, she asks, “The proximity doesn't feel so good now, does it?”

She brings him up all the way until he's left standing on his own feet. Seeing the crinkles in his white button down, she smoothes it down using the gentle touch of her fingers.

While smoothing the wrinkled fabric, Da Bin peers into Kai’s eyes. “You're a smart boy in business, am I right? Our situation is called a technical fallacy. I used your phantom existence for my benefit, because truth is, I don't need a partner in life or one in business. If it weren't for those failed marriage meetings, I would be planning my wedding right about now. So you did me a favor, but now you're a nuisance. Not only do you bother me, but my parents also are delighted by your response. Let's finish this today and get the hell away from each other, because if it continues this way, I really will move. So let’s get in there, strike a few additional deals, and then part ways because we’re not the right fit, alright?”

After saying that, Da Bin lets go of Kai, letting him fall back to his original position before she turns on him. As soon as he can’t see her face anymore, she let’s out a ragged breath that stems from her insecurity at her actions just now.

It had never happened before, but she had broken her image. With so much practice around people and guarding herself to this extent, this was the first time she had let anything slip. Da Bin had never been mean, and she certainly hadn’t been cruel.

But it was her natural defense against the strange feelings she had with Kai. She wanted to hate him, but something in her prevented her from doing just that. In fact, his warm touch felt so nice that in the end, she didn’t want to let go.

Shaking her head subtly, Da Bin waits by the door until Kai comes to stand by her before she opens the door, giving a fake smile to a crowd of expecting people.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

Kai had never felt more upset than he did now.

When Da Bin declared she didn’t want to ever see him again after this next hour, Kai’s heart had constricted in a way that was foreign to him. He would never admit it to someone else, but what she said was more hurtful than a silver bullet.

Kai does acknowledge that he may have acted like a jerk to her, but that was his own defense system as much as Da Bin had her own. He didn’t know how to react to his own feelings that swelled towards a human girl in less than 24 hours, so that’s why he acted rashly and treated her that way.

But even then, up until now, Da Bin had never really expressed anything remote to displeasure at his actions. Plus, when he had inquired about his coworker’s dealings with her, Kai had only heard nice things about Da Bin, including the fact that the she had never yelled at an individual.

That's why Kai thought they would get along well together and their relationship from then on would flow naturally.

But that was only one fact that they seemed to have mistaken about her because they never seemed to mention how distant she seemed.

He could feel it even as he sat next to her, listening to the endless ramble that the adults had prepared about their stocks.

It was like she was present, but something held her back from fully announcing her existence to the room. She was reserved in a way that confused Kai.

Almost like she didn’t want to be noticed.

He could smell the tension rolling off her in thick waves, and it didn’t bode well with him. Adding to the situation, Kai could make out his parent’s nervous glances from across the room.

When he told them he wanted to schedule a meeting with Y&E, surprise was too mild of a word to describe their reaction. They couldn’t believe he found someone who might be his mate.

But to Kai, it didn’t seem like a question but more of an answer. His body immediately responded to Da Bin, and he was already tuned in to some of her emotions, especially the one of discomfort that was bothering her right now.

The only thing that scared him, however, was the fact that Da Bin didn’t want anything to do with him. If they were mates, how could he only feel it and not her?

Kai gave the girl a sideways glance as she picked at her food, her eyes averted down to the plate in which she swirled her imported vegetables. She was staring hard at the china, almost like she could disappear into the mush she was making out of her food.

Suddenly, the room grew quiet as the adults concluded their conversation about business and moved on to a more personal topic.

Da Bin shut her eyes tight almost like she knew a blow was coming.

Kai looked to the Yeongs, in particular the Mrs., who were smiling brightly at the two of them. With showy teeth and wrinkled eyes, the older woman leaned her elbow on the table to support her smiling face. She looked to her daughter first, who continued to ignore her attention. When she saw that Da Bin wouldn’t reciprocate the contact, she moved on to Kai.

Her smile seemed to grow even wider. “I’m so glad that you joined us today. Da Bin has been trying to contact you for the longest time. She’s your biggest fan.”

With her head still down, Da Bin scoffs into her hand. Kai’s ears perk when he hears it, and it obviously seems like that’s not the case. When she doesn’t respond, Kai can feel the vibrations from Mrs. Yeong’s foot hitting Da Bin’s shin all the way to his fingers.

At the signal, Da Bin lifts her head and gives a tentative nod as well as a tight lipped smile before returning her gaze to its previous object of focus.

Scrambling to cover her daughter's behavior, Mrs. Yeong laughs. “She’s probably so shy that she’s sitting next to such a handsome boy like yourself. Tell me Kai, what do you think of our Da Bin?”

Once Mrs. Yeong’s words leave her lips, Kai is overwhelmed with a swirl of emotions that aren’t his. Embarrassment and anger with a dab of… Could he say it, curiosity? It was so thickly veiled that he almost missed it in the melody of Da Bin’s other feelings, but even though it was slight, it was there.

Kai’s confidence skyrockets at the notion, and his smile shows it. “I would say your daughter is a bit outspoken. Good for business, but could get her in trouble in social situations.”

Mrs. Yeong’s smile falters at the comment, and Kai can feel Da Bin’s bewildered eyes on him. He gives another toothy grin while continuing.

“And quite a strong arm, if I might say. A real fighter. Did you teach her that, Mr. Yeong?”

The man’s face is astonished, obviously never having heard of this side of his daughter. His eyes switch between Da Bin and Kai like they're in the middle of an intense tennis match.

“But-,” Kai starts, opening his mouth to finish his thought. However, he's interrupted by a hiss.

“Kai.” Da Bin’s voice warns of consequences if he doesn't stop there, but Kai won't, because he's just getting to the best part. He opens his mouth to start again, but he feels a grip close to his knee, one that tries to shut him up with force. It is obviously intended to hurt a bit, but because of his thick skin, it doesn't even feel like a prick to Kai.

Reaching further under the cloth of the table, he runs his hand along his thigh until it connects with Da Bin’s. He pries her grip open so that she releases her grasp on Kai’s leg. Using his other hand, Kai turns her hand over and threads his fingers through hers, finally letting their intertwined hands fall in his lap.

In response, Da Bin gives Kai a surprised sideways glance before trying to pull away, but Kai just holds on tighter.

“What I was meaning to say was, she's just perfect, the way she is.”

For a second time, Da Bin’s eyes whip to Kai’s face, where he returns her bewilderment with a warm smile. When he feels her hand tense up with the rest of her body, he uses his thumb to draw large circles on the back of it, in which he hopes will help her relax.

Sure enough, her hand begins to melt into his, and a warm feeling blossoms in Kai’s chest. He was beginning to realize his mate was just rough around the edges, just like him. And even though it may be slow, she was starting to warm up to him, though it may not be by much.

Kai would count his blessings.

A squeal from across the room rips Kai’s and Da Bin’s gazes from each other, urging them to refocus on Mrs. Yeong who had exclaimed at the scene before her. “My daughter has found the one, I'm so glad! And Mr. And Mrs. Kim?” Mrs. Yeong asks Kai’s party, whose expressions turn from doubtful to fond at their son’s choice. He can see that they're starting to believe that Da Bin is his mate, so in response to her mother’s request, they nod at the occasion. “I would have never thought that this would happen with all the guys she went through before, but you, my son,” she says while pointing to Kai, “are a lifesaver.”

Kai lets out a laugh before turning to Da Bin to check on how she's handling her mother’s excitement. Despite her blushing cheeks, seems to be doing better than she was before. Kai’s happiness at her acceptance just continues to grow, and foolishly so.

“And both of your divisions just launched new lines in coalition, isn't that right?” Kai nods at the statement about the DB&K collaboration line featuring a men and women fashion and stylist duo launch.

Mrs. Yeong bursts at the fact. “This is such great timing! Soon, you'll be able to consolidate your parts of the company. Imagine the public’s response!”

Da Bin’s hand twitches in Kai’s hold, and in response, he squeezes her hand for reassurance. But on the other hand, Da Bin is beginning to get annoyed, and Kai, too overwhelmed by his joy that his mate won't be leaving him so soon, can't detect it.

Da Bin did feel something with Kai, she won't deny it, but how fast her mother jumped on her feelings and her company was astonishing. DB was borne of Da Bin’s hard work, sweat, tears, and blood, and saying that it would be consolidated came off as offensive to her.

Kai’s kindness began to turn sour like a bad taste in , and Da Bin began to feel strangled by the plans that were being made right in front of her without her opinion even being taken into consideration.

After all, no one knew her. What did she expect?

She was always nice, and that's what people thought she was: accommodating, docile, easy to manage. And she didn't want to be that way anymore.

But old habits die hard, and that's why she could only protest in the way she knew best when her mother started discussing wedding plans.

“Oh, and after college, a large ceremony-”

Ripping her hand from Kai’s, Da Bin stands up, leaving Kai stunned in his seat at the sudden action. “I'm sorry, but I don't feel so well. If you would excuse me, I'm going to the restroom.”

Mrs. Yeong looks at her daughter with concern. “Are you sure honey? Was it something that you ate? Why don't you take Kai with you, we can talk when you get back.”

Da Bin bites her tongue. Why do I need a guy to me to the bathroom? I'm not a princess. She tries to even her words out so that they come out less sharp, but by the third syllable, they end up cracking like a whip. “Let him stay. Not like it matters if I'm in the room or not, you'll plan my life either way.”

Da Bin can see the immediate hurt on her mom’s face, but she's too angry to care. Without taking another glance back, Da Bin rushes out of the room, the steam of her anger filling her ears. She lets the expensive door fall with a loud bang! back into its threshold, making her disagreement known.

For a second, Kai sits in his chair in loud surprise. Flexing his left hand, he can feel the cold air replacing the warm touch of Da Bin’s fingers. Without her parents having to tell him to do i