8

“What do you mean by that?” Jiyeon asked Myungsoo as they lusciously enjoyed their dinner at a steak restaurant nearby the hotel.

Myungsoo ignored her question and continued eating.

“Do you really regret doing that?” Jiyeon was referring to the time Myungsoo picked some flowers for her.

“Nevermind, I said that in a spur of the moment.” Myungsoo said. “Don’t think too much about it…. Let’s go back to the hotel and I still have a lot to do.” He added and wiped his mouth with the table napkin before standing up.

Myungsoo lay on his bed, with a laptop on his lap. He was busy organizing the reports and data that were sent by Woohyun concerning the Anderson project. Jiyeon came out of the bathroom after washing and momentarily glanced at Myungsoo. She felt curious but she hid her questions to herself.

She stayed in the couch and browsed her phone. Just then, a call from Sehun came.

“Oh, Sehun..?” she answered.

“How are you? Are you all right?” Sehun said from the other line.

“Oh, I’m all good here. You were right, the conference was plain boring.”

Sehun chuckled. “Where are you staying?”

“Oh—I’m at a hotel..” Jiyeon answered confidently as if she was the only one in the room.

“Alright… I’ll see you soon. I miss you.” Sehun sweetly said.

Jiyeon looked at the door to the bedroom and softly replied, “I miss you too.” She wondered why she felt bad saying that. She knew Sehun was all smiles across the line, but why does she feel like she’s committed something to be guilty of?

A little after midnight, Myungsoo finished organizing the report as well as constructing a plan for the project. He rubbed his eyes and covered his mouth upon yawning. He tucked in his laptop and stood up to get water from the kitchen. When he passed by the living room, he saw Jiyeon sleeping on the couch with her pajamas on.

Her slim body fit the couch and the blanket hung until it reached the floor. She slept peacefully but Myungsoo can’t help but to emphatize with her uncomfortable position. So after drinking a glass of water, he carefully carried her in a princess-like manner and walked to the bedroom.

Jiyeon’s hands initiatively wrapped around his neck and Myungsoo was quite flustered by it. He successfully laid her on the bed and lifted up the blankets to cover her. She fidgeted for a while and Myungsoo for a moment was afraid that she would wake up and put him into an awkward situation. Nevertheless, this did not stop him from staring at her goddess-like face.

From then on, he grabbed the extra blankets and curled himself into the tiny couch.

--

Busan’s sun shined and pierced through the tightly shut windows of Myungsoo and Jiyeon’s hotel room. Jiyeon woke up a little before 8:30 am and as she rolled along the sheets, she paused and wondered why she ended up sleeping on the bed.

Her hair was a mess when she hastily stood up; she looked around and was just bewildered. She went to the living room and upon looking at the clock, she discouraged the idea of eating breakfast and picked up clothes from her suitcase that was delivered last night.

In a short period of time, she changed into a glamorous dress and did her hair and make-up. One last look in the mirror and she was all set for the day’s event.

Myungsoo came out of his hotel room torn between the thought of waiting for Jiyeon or to go ahead of her. When he made up his mind to go ahead, Yoona called him.

“Heyyyy,” she said. Her room was coincidentally at the end of the hallway and she seems also ready for the day two of the conference.

Myungsoo turned around. She walked towards him. “Oh, Yoona ssi….”

“We keep on bumping to each other…. But I don’t want you to think that I’m being clingy.” She joked.

Myungsoo laughed as well. “No, no. Just think of it as hmmm, what do you call this, having a business relationship.”

“When are you planning to visit me in my company?” Yoona lightly touched Myungsoo’s shoulder and gave off a y vibe.

Myungsoo was not flustered. “I don’t know… but I will surely come sometime.”

Just then, Jiyeon came out of the room and saw the two of them. She stared at Yoona and tried to recall when and where they met because she seemed familiar. “You…….,”

Yoona put down her hand which was previously on Myungsoo’s shoulders.

“I think I met you before…. Hmmm, where was it?” Jiyeon talked to herself.

“I was talking to her yesterday. You probably saw her.” Myungsoo said. “Come on, let’s go.” He added and walked ahead; Jiyeon followed.

Yoona was left behind, fuming in anger. She remembered how ProHomes beat her company in a huge project bidding two years ago. She also recalled how most of her clients turned to Jiyeon for their transactions. Jiyeon almost made New Era Infrastructure fall into bankcruptcy. But more than anger, she was filled with curiosity. Did she just come out of the same hotel room with Matthew? To the extent of sharing a room, what exactly is their relationship?

All through the conference, Jiyeon and Myungsoo haven’t had the time to talk to each other. Myungsoo was busy walking around the hall, creating conversations with the people he knew and people he wished to know. When there was a chance, Jiyeon would try to talk to him but Myungsoo ignores her. Jiyeon felt that Myungsoo was indeed avoiding her, but she didn’t know why.

She just continued to shove the negative thoughts away and endured the afternoon session.

“Where are we going?” Jiyeon asked. They were walking outside the venue, only the two of them—no more businessmen whom Myungsoo could talk to. But Myungsoo just walked, as if he was by himself.

They crossed the busy street and eventually, Jiyeon was left behind. She was busy looking for him that she forgot the tons of cars running across. Unknowingly, she stopped in the middle of the road and kept on finding him.

 A car swiftly running was about to hit her when she was pulled out.

 “Are you crazy?!” Myungsoo gasped. “There were tons of cars and you were about to get hit!!” he yelled.

“You left me behind. I lost you in my eyes and I desperately looked for you. How would you feel if I got hit?” Jiyeon said, trying to control her emotions.

Myungsoo calmed down. “I wouldn’t let that happen.” He replied and still walked ahead of her. But he turned around, held her hand and they walked together.

“Get changed. I’ll order food.” Myungsoo said to Jiyeon as they entered the room. Jiyeon picked up her clothes and went to the bathroom to change. “Hi, uhm can we have a dinner meal delivered to room 401? And a bottle of whiskey too. Thanks.” Myungsoo said to the other line.

Jiyeon came out in her comfortable clothes and sat down on the couch. “What was that…. You left me behind and then you’ll eventually hold my hand.” She pouted.

Myungsoo looked at her. “I don’t want Sehun to think that I am not taking care of you… if ever something bad happens.”

“Tch. Sehun doesn’t even know we’re here together—sleeping in the same room. How will he expect you to take care of me?”

Myungsoo took off his suit and placed it in the clotheshanger. “The question is, will you let him know that we’re sharing the same room?” he challenged.

Jiyeon was left speechless. Fortunately, she was saved by the doorbell.

Myungsoo opened the door and the hotel service crew entered, pushing the table with their meal and a bottle of wine.

“Thanks.” Myungsoo said. The crew exited, leaving the two of them alone again.

Jiyeon started to eat the smoked beef; she looked very hungry. Myungsoo also began eating, and sat down across her. They didn’t talk, just the sound of their breaths and chewing echoed.

When Jiyeon finished eating, she noticed the bottle of whiskey. She tried opening it with the bottle opener but failed to do so. Myungsoo took it from her and with just an effortless pull, the bottle was pried open.

Myungsoo filled his glass first, before going back to sit with the bottle still in his hands. He didn’t want Jiyeon to drink, since he remembered how she became drunk one night. But Jiyeon did the opposite.

She went to him and extended her glass, as if telling him to pour some whiskey. Myungsoo certainly didn’t want to, but she looked very firm about getting it. And so Myungsoo filled her glass half full.

To his surprise, Jiyeon sat beside him the moment her glass was filled. She drank it one-shot and her face felt the acid making its way straight down her stomach. She put the empty glass on the table and started murmuring.

“Matthew, Myungsoo, Matthew, Myungsoo—whatever. You are a bad jerk.” She pointed to Myungsoo. “I hate you because you left me without a word. I hate you because you think of me as a thoughtless, unkind, and ungrateful rich woman.”

Myungsoo just listened as Jiyeon stuttered.

“Do you really regret the things that happened between us in the past?” Jiyeon stared at him, trying to keep a straight face. “Me? I didn’t regret them even once.”

“Jiyeon, you’re drunk.” Myungsoo said and tried to avoid her gaze.

“Ever since we stopped seeing each other, I wake up thinking about what you had for breakfast. I keep waiting to hear your voice yelling ‘Newspaper’ on early mornings. When school ends, I stop by your school just to try to get a chance of seeing you. I thought of you every day until I graduated highschool, went to the university, and began working at the company…”

Myungsoo can’t help but to stare at her. “That was in the past…”

“When you came back, I felt like a huge thorn was taken off of my chest. But, why was it so hard for you tell me you still think of me, and that you’re very happy to see me again?” Jiyeon, now a little bit teary-eyed, looked at him.

Myungsoo failed to keep his emotions intact and so he eventually gave up the tears he kept for so long.

Jiyeon held his face and looked at him who was on the verge of breaking down, “Can’t you feel it? I still love you….”

Jiyeon wiped his tears away and leaned in for a kiss. Myungsoo momentarily forgot the past as he kissed her back passionately. Their lips danced and they drowned in the moment of happiness. But then when things were about to get hot, Jiyeon heard Sehun’s voice in her head saying, “I miss you.” She was overcome by guilt as she let go of her lips from Myungsoo’s.

“I… I must be drunk,” She said in confusion.

A/N: Just when we thought things were going right, it seems like Jiyeon is torn between the two men. How will they be able to handle this? Please stay tuned! As much as I wanted to do a double update, I got sick yesterday so I was only able to write today. I’m sorry :( I love reading the comments’ section! :)