08: OBJECTIONS

There was a full minute or two that lasped between them as they just stared at each other, lost in thought. It was the knocking that brought them back to reality.
"Where can I hide?" Jong suk finally found his voice and asked her while looking around. 
"My bedroom.." she takes his hand and pulls him inside.
He stops short and looks around. "I can't believe I'm entering your bedroom because I have to hide and not to do something else" 

Hyo Joo lets out a loud groan, "it's not the time for jokes" she looks around the bedroom and decides that he should stay in the private bathroom connected to her room. 
"Please don't make a sound, Jong suk ssi" she instructs as he steps into the bathtub. "I'll be back for you"

He nods his head obediently, his eyes wide with wonder.
At that moment, Hyo Joo began to feel guilty.

Why in the world was she hiding him for? Didn't she trust her manager and stylist who has been with her for years? 

"Hyo Joo ssi?" Jong Suk touched her arm lightly, "I think the people in the door are ready to tear it down if you don't hurry and open them" 

She paused and met his eyes.

"Let's open it together" she decides to his sheer surprise.
"Are you sure?" he asks her, wondering if she actually wanted that.

"I don't know" she shook her head, "but let's just get this over with"

Hyo Joo opens the front door and let's out a smile. She could see the surprise in her manager's face but not of her stylist, Mi Hyun who was just smiling pleasantly without a trace of surprise in her face.
Jong Suk on the other hand greeted them politely.
"Are we..." her manager paused looking at her then to Jong suk briefly, "...interrupting anything?"

"Um.." Hyo Joo started to say when Jong Suk steps in. "Not at all" he finished for her.

"Is it awfully late to be rehearsing right now?" her manager piped in, still looking from Hyo Joo to Jong suk.
"And it is awfully late for a visit to Hyo Joo" Jong suk replied pleasantly yet Hyo Joo could feel the heavy tension around the room.

"I'm her manager, I can visit whenever I want to" he answered flatly.

"All right, all right!" Mi Hyun stepped in her voice high and loud. "Let's all----" she began to say when Jong Suk suddenly took Hyo Joo's hand and gave it a gently squeezed.

"We are actually seeing each other. With this, I hope everyone especially those who are close to both of us would respect our privacy" he said bodly although Hyo Joo can feel how cold his hand felt over hers. Plus she could see from the corner of her eye that his ears were
a shade of red. 
THe look of her manager's face hardened a bit but his eyes had this knowing look, while Mi Hyun just nodded trying to surpress a smile.

"When---" her manager began to say, but he stopped abruptedly and shook his head. "Nevermind, I think I understand now"

"Understand what?" Jong suk asked.

"How all this came to be" he started to say, and wanted to say more but then he shook his head again and lets out a loud sigh. "Let's talk about this tomorrow" he looks at Mi Hyun who agrees readily with him.

Then he looks at Jong Suk briefly, "please take the utmost discretion on your way home"

Hyo Joo walked them towards the door, her manager gives her a brief smile his