Lovely chapter banner from mrs_shawty. Check out her shop here. 

“What’s this?”

Ha-Jin felt her heart beating twice the speed at the sight of Jae-Yeong standing by the door. So many questions flooded her mind in a second: what was he doing here? Why was he standing there? And why, out of all the times he had to come, did he have to see her and his brother in such a situation?

Life was naughty sometimes.

His eyes fell on Tae-Won and her hands. For a second, she didn’t know how he’d react; his facial expressions weren’t always helpful. But she knew that if she didn’t let go, things could get messy.

Immediately, she removed her hand from Tae-Won’s and bowed at Jae-Yeong.

“You’re here,” she said, keeping her voice from squeaking out of nervousness. Her hands became cold—did she screw up? Tae-Won, on the other hand, was silent as a mouse.

Jae-Yeong shoved his hands in his coat pockets and looked and looked at his brother.

“I didn’t expect to see you,” he said, “I thought you’d be at home.”

“I dropped by to return Ji-Hyun’s books,” answered Tae-Won, “It’s been long overdue.”

“Ah really?” asked Jae-Yeong. He didn’t seem like he was scrutinizing both Ha-Jin and Tae-Won, but for some reason, the former couldn’t get a grip. Feelings of guilt dawned upon her again.

“You better return them, then,” he told his younger brother, “You know Ji-Hyun; his books are his religion.”

Tae-Won was at loss for words. It took him a second before he collected himself and nodded.

“I think I’ll go back to his study,” he said, then he faced Ha-Jin, “It’s nice talking to you again, Ha-Jinah. I hope we can do this again.”

His eyes said it all—he wants to do whatever again.

He bowed to his older brother and left them on their own.

Ha-Jin wasn’t always comfortable when she was left with Jae-Yeong at such moments. She wondered if the universe was being cruel for leaving her to deal with awkwardness—it was the last thing she wanted. But here she was, standing as still as wooden plank, faced with the young CEO-to-be, who wore a blank expression on his face.

Someone had to break the ice.

“I was looking for you at the café,” began Jae-Yeong, “But the boys told me you weren’t there so I figured you’d be here.”

His voice didn’t sound upset, but it didn’t sound like him either.

“Why were you looking for me?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Don’t I always?” he said, “But I guess you’re too busy flirting,” then he walked out of the door.

His sudden disappearance was some sort of bad news for Ha-Jin. She knew she couldn’t let him go out without a word. That meant trouble. Immediately, she ran after him, following him through the garden path towards the exit.

“Hey!” she yelled at his retreating back.

He was still walking away.

“Hey!”

Still walking.

“HEY HWANG JAE-YEONG, STOP!”

He did.

Ha-Jin ran after him and stopped only a few inches away.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked, “You tell me you come looking for me then you find me, then you leave? What the hell?”

His shoes scrubbed the ground roughly as he turned to face her.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see you with my brother,” he shot back.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you mean what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked incredulously, “I come in and I see you guys holding hands.”

“We weren’t holding hands!”

Jae-Yeong smacked his hands together in front of her. “Then what the hell do you call this?” he asked, “Air smacks? Pretend high-five? Imagination?”

“It’s not what it looks like!”

“Then what was that?”

“I don’t know!”

“How can you not?”

It was the battle of high pitches between her and Jae-Yeong; both of them stared at the other indignantly, almost as if lighting would shoot out of their eyeballs. Ha-Jin couldn’t believe he was being so immature; the way he reacted made her think she stole a bank or took candy from a child.

Jae-Yeong rubbed the spot between his eyes in exasperation. He looked tired, she noticed.

Tired and cranky.

“Ha-Jinah, I—“

“Jae-Yeongsshi—“

They stopped, realizing they spoke at the same time. Jae-Yeong took another deep breath.

“I just have to know,” he said.

“Know what?”

Another deep breath.

“Do you like Tae-Won?”

It was the second time he asked that question; the first time, it was during that Christmas trip. The scenario was almost the same—he caught them holding hands. The outcome was also the same—he asked her that question.

“I know that when we got together, it was entirely on me,” he continued, “You didn’t say anything but I assumed we were together. And I…I know I don’t have the right to act like this but I just have to know.”

He then looked into her eyes.

“Do you like him?”

The sun was setting behind Jae-Yeong, sending an illuminated casts of shadows. The sight of him was breathtaking with the wind playing with his hair, his eyes dead straight at hers, and his mouth unsure. The sight of him reminded her of how the past year has been—from that stuck-up Wang So lookalike to this CEO-to-be whose devotion she cannot question.

And he had the nerve to ask her if she liked his brother based on what he saw?

Without thinking, she did what she had to do.

She grabbed his face, contorted with confusion, closed her eyes and tipped her toes to reach his lips.

He was too tall, forcing her to exert more effort, but at that moment, she didn’t care. At first, she did that so he’d shut up, but now that she was actually kissing him, she couldn’t help but just let go.

Ji-Hyun always told her to sort her feelings for Wang So and Jae-Yeong. At first, she thought all feelings for the latter were manifestations of the former; after all, he was her unrequited love. But now…it was a different story.

He wasn’t just Wang So anymore.

Was she finally willing to take the risk Tae-Won warned her about?

--

(Three Weeks Ago)

Ha-Jin was strolling down the neighborhood, smiling at the memory of Ji-Woo encouraging (or more like threatening) Ki-Joo to finally make a move on Park Hanna. The latter, still stung from his friend’s so-called flirting, was hesitant, accusing Ji-Woo of being nice but actually scheming underneath. He received a harsh slap on the head after said accusation.

In the end, Ki-Joo managed to get a “Hi!” out of himself when he served Hanna’s cup of coffee, but that was just about it.

She smiled, remembering the redness of Ki-Joo’s face as he stumbled back to the counter, all flustered.

The neighborhood was quiet for the night—the way Ha-Jin always liked it. People were tucked in their houses, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

As she made a right, she heard a click.

What the hell was that?

She turned around to see if anyone was there.

No one.

Ha-Jin shrugged it off and continued to walk. Tomorrow was a new day at the iSOi cosmetics shop; she had just been promoted and she couldn’t wait to serve her customers. Si Eun and Luna were also planning a celebratory drink for her afterwards.

Click!

She turned her head again.

That’s odd. I swear I could’ve heard a click, she thought.

The quiet street suddenly became a scare for Ha-Jin. No one was visible, but she was sure she wasn’t alone anymore. Rather than check on what it was, she hastened her steps and walked quickly.
 

Click! Click! Click!

“Who’s there?” she demanded, looking at the empty street.

No one.

Her instincts told her to run, which she did.

As she tried to get away, she heard the countless clicks chasing her. When she looked back, she saw a flash.

Someone’s taking my photo.

She covered her face with a scarf. “Get away! Stop taking!” she yelled, “Stop it!”

Her scarf partially obscured her view, but Ha-Jin knew she had to keep running. Her mind was torn between finding a way of escape and wondering why someone was taking her photos. The flashes continued and clicks intensified; she just wanted to get away.

Her obscured view, however, resulted into her bumping into someone.

“Ah!” she exclaimed, stumbling. She ended up on her shins, grazing the hard ground. The streetlight illuminated the shadow of the other person—a tall person. Looking up, she saw the indignant face of Hwang Tae-Won. Only this time, he wasn’t looking at her.

He was looking ahead.

“You,” he said, “You stay away.”

Ha-Jin turned her head and saw a man clothed in all black clothes with a beanie and mask hold up his camera.

“Ah, is this a love triangle?” said the man, “This would be great for the tabloids: One Girl Gets Two Hwangs at once. Everyone would be interested!”

Tae-Won pursed his lips. From her point-of-view, he looked terrifying as he slowly approached the man. His shadow cast upon hers, slowly walking towards the man (it was obviously a paparazzi) taunting him.

“Give me the camera,” he told the man.

“No way!” objected the paparazzi, “This is pure gold. Do you know how much newspapers would pay for this?”

“Give me that while I’m asking nicely.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

Ha-Jin slowly stood up, brushing her knees. What was Tae-Won going to do?

Without another word, he punched the man not just once, but three times, until he fell on the ground. Tae-Won stopped down to get the camera and talk.

“Never surpass the chance of me asking nicely,” he said. Tae-Won then clicked on his phone as the paparazzi groaned, holding his face and his stomach. The former answered his hand phone, said something about getting the job done, and closed his phone. He then cast the paparazzi another look before standing up, throwing the camera on the floor multiple times. He got out the microSD.

“I’ll take this,” he said, “Meanwhile, my team of lawyers will come here to sue you—unless you say not a word about tonight.”

He then walked towards Ha-Jin, pocketing the memory card.

“Come with me,” he said.

“What?”

“I’ll explain. Come with me.”

-

He was calmly sipping his tea as Ha-Jin waited for Tae-Won to say something. She usually wasn’t awkward with him; by now, they would’ve shared a joke or two or probably talk about business or the weather.

Now, Tae-Won was quietly looking outside the tea shop’s window, gazing at the passing cars. He took another sip before his eyes fell on her.

There was something different about him. But now was not the time to dwell on that.

“What just happened?” she asked.

He pushed the cup aside.

“A paparazzi was following you,” he said, “I got word earlier this morning that someone was planning to do bad press on us again—specifically, Jae-Yeong hyung. But so far, there weren’t any paparazzi around. So I figured…it had to be you.”

“And I was right.”

“Why is a paparazzi following me?” she asked, “That sounds ridiculous. I mean…I’m not a celebrity.”

He looked at her in disbelief.

“You really don’t know, huh?” he asked.

“Know about what?”

Tae-Won got out a newspaper from his bag, opened it, and pointed at a small part on the entertainment/ gossip section. She saw what looked like a blurred photo of two people under a gazebo. It was then she realized—it wasn’t just any people.

“H…how?” she asked.

“The paparazzi never tire of following hyung around,” he explained, “Wherever, whenever. It just so happened he was careless that night and this came out. Even though it’s blurred, snoops managed to find your name and they ended up looking for you. Tonight, they could’ve succeeded, but as you can see,” he pulled out the SD card, “I got the best of them.”

“What’s going to happen to that man?”

“My lawyers will attend to him,” he said, “They’ll take care of him.”

He placed the SD card back in his pocket and gazed at her seriously. He folded his hands. Ha-Jin, on the other hand, was too flustered with the new information. People were following her; apparently, some of them had seen her on the gazebo with Jae-Yeong.

People knew.

She looked at Tae-Won. He was still staring at her.

“I…thank you,” she said, “Thank you for looking out for me.”

He heaved a sigh. “Of course, I’m always on the lookout for you,” he said.

“I promise to be careful next time. I’ll sneak out where they can’t see me,” she said brightly, “Also, I’ll try to be more discreet—“

“Ha-Jinah, is this the life you want?”

His question caught her off guard.

“What do you mean?”

He emptied his cup. “Do you know what it means to be a woman liked to THE Hwang Jae-Yeong?” he asked her, “For years, my brother has never given anyone an ounce of attention. He rarely interacts with women; even Nari’s was kept under wraps because it was never official. But with you, it will be an entirely different story.”

“The mere fact he met up with you—it suggests a new story to him and not the romantic one.”

His finger pointed at the title on the paper. Her eyes read the words Business Magnate Fooling Around with Woman During Big Event followed by speculations of Hwang Jae-Yeong supposedly neglecting his duties to be with this unknown woman…who happened to be her.

“Fortunately, no one takes this tabloid seriously,” continued Tae-Won, “But the press and his opposition are already digging up more dirt they can throw against him; in this case, you’ll be one of them.”

Tae-Won folded the paper and shoved it inside his bag, clueless to Ha-Jin’s blank expression.

“So…you mean they’ll use me against him?”

“It’s not just that,” said the youngest Hwang, “Sooner or later, people will hear more about you because to be honest, my hyung’s being very reckless again. He’s not thinking straight. That night under the gazebo…anyone could’ve seen you.”

She noticed his voice trailed off. Ha-Jin spotted that look of disappointment on his face before his cleared his throat and shifted to a new one.

Speaking of the gazebo…

“Tae-Wonah,” she said, “What were you supposed to say that night?”

Her worries about the press and paparazzi were immediately replaced by her curiosity with what he was supposed to say that night. Right after he excused himself from Ha-Jin and Jae-Yeong’s presence, he rarely talked to her anymore.

He was staring at the table, thinking hard. Ha-Jin waited patiently, hoping for some sort of resolution. Tae-Won was her friend; admittedly, she missed the presence of his light-heartedness and friendly demeanor.

“Tae-Wonah?”

He finally looked at her.

“I like you.”

Wait, what?

She froze, her eyes rounding wide like saucers. tried to form words but couldn’t.

He continued. “I was supposed to tell you that I like you,” he confessed, “But, I guess I was too late.”

Too late, meaning he saw that kiss between her and Jae-Yeong. The idea that Tae-Won witnessed everything made Ha-Jin sick to her stomach. She was unsure if it was because of embarrassment, guilt, or something else.

“Tell me honestly,” he said, “Do you like my brother or is he forcing you?”

He didn’t look guilty with his insinuation that his brother might have forced Ha-Jin that night. Did he mean that she wasn’t as sold with Jae-Yeong as he was to her? Did it look like that to him and to others?

“Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know. I just need answers.”

Another stoic silence.

“Do you have anything against your hyung?” she asked him.

Tae-Won rubbed his eyes and sighed. “To be honest, it’s hard not to feel anything negative for the brother who got the girl,” he revealed, “But that’s not what I want to know. I just want to know if you return his affections.”

“What if I do?”

“Are you sure?”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her anymore, suggesting he wouldn’t stop until he gets a good answer.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I told you already—going out with someone like him, it’s not going to be easy,” he said, “People will follow you. They will use you to get to him. You know they’re not big fans of him; so, they won’t stop until they get something good. As the chosen son, he’s bound to draw attention and since you’re with him, so will you.”

“That paparazzi? He won’t be the last. There will be others,” he continued, “Are you sure you want to be in a relationship that will never have a moment of peace?”

“Doesn’t the same apply to you?”

“On a lesser scale. Since no one cares about me, I’m freer than him.”

It sounded so selfish—Tae Won’s claims. Ha-Jin tried to see it from a different perspective but…she couldn’t see any.

“So you think leaving him is the answer?” she challenged him.

“Why? Are you just as attached as he is to you?”

It’s been months of push-and-pull for Ha-Jin and her feelings with Jae-Yeong. Sometimes, she’s drawn to him because he strongly reminded her of the Fourth Prince; but there were times when she saw him for who he was. Everything’s been such a whirlwind, making a decision was tough. But with Tae-Won’s question, she wanted to respond properly.

“That’s none of your business,” she said coldly.

His face transformed into a gentle one—the face she had known for months.

“Ha-Jinah, I’m not trying to be the bad guy here,” he said, “I’m just telling you what would happen. I don’t want to see you getting hounded by the wrong people just because of him. You’re the last person who deserves it—and my hyung should know that. I don’t want to hear anyone harassing you or ruining your day.”

“If you continue this thing with him, it wouldn’t be good for either of you and I think you know that. People will never leave the both of you alone—is that the life that you want?”

There was sense of urgency in his voice. What did he want her to do, then?

Admittedly, the idea of paparazzi or people following her because of Jae-Yeong was overwhelming. She wanted a quiet life—it’s the same dream from the start. It was one of the reasons why she was willing to forget her life as Hae Soo altogether.

But when life shoves the change at you, can you really ignore it?

She stood up from the table.

“I appreciate the concern, Tae-Won,” she said, “But I’d rather live my life as it wants to be—whether I like it or not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.” She got out of the booth and bowed at him. “Thank you for saving me. I really appreciate it.”

Without another word, she left Tae-Won and went her way.

Ha-Jin had a lot to think about tonight. What Tae-Won said was no joke; she knew he had a point. But what was at stake? Who would she risk? There were so many questions in need of answers, she wondered if all of them were still worth pursuing.

She looked around to see if anyone was following her. Luckily, there was no one.

Life would probably change right after. She wasn’t a big fan of people following her; the mere idea that her face appeared on the paper, albeit it was blurred and not a relevant tabloid, scared her. Part of her wanted to heed Tae-Won’s warning.

But when her phone rang and the name HWANG JAE-YEONG appeared on the screen, she paused.

--

The kiss lasted for what seemed like an eternity before Ha-Jin let go. She looked at him and saw a stunned expression on his face. Ha-Jin wondered is his eyes were open the entire time. One thing was for sure though—he couldn’t believe it.

Jae-Yeong’s fingers touched his lips.

“Omo,” he said, “Did you just—?”

He touched his lips again.

“Oh my god,” he said again, “You…you kissed me.”

“Why is this a big deal?” she asked, walking ahead of him but secretly smiling. He caught up with her and held her arm.

“You never make the first move,” he explained, “It’s always me.”

“So?”

“I thought I’ll forever be making the first move,” he admitted, “You’re always this cold person and I’m always the one chasing you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

The sun perfectly illuminated his light brown hair and that sheepish look on his face. At times like these, Ha-Jin found it hard to see him as that stone-cold CEO-to-be, Wang So lookalike she bumped into the museum. It was a different picture altogether.

“No, it’s not,” he said, “I just like it when you do things that make me believe.”

“Believe in what?”

He placed his arms behind him and smiled knowingly at her. “Believe that you love me too,” he said.

Woah there.

She was pretty sure her eyes widened at his claims.

“Who says that I love you?”

He smirked. “I don’t know of any girl who would willingly kiss a man without any feelings,” said Jae-Yeong, “Either they’re in love or they’re crazy.”

“What if I’m neither?”

“You could be crazy.”

“Shut up.”

She removed his hand from her arm and continued walking ahead. She tried to project an annoyed expression, but secretly, she couldn’t help smiling.

“Hey Go Ha-Jin.”

She turned around to face him.

“What?”

He stood in front of the posies and the beautiful trellis of roses. It was as if the sun always made him look good—like a prince in the flower garden. Jae-Yeong smiled serenely at her, his eyes shining.

He really was different from that young business tycoon she first met.

He took large yet slow steps to get to where she was, hands still in his back. Once they were mere inches apart, Jae-Yeong leaned forward so that she could see his eagle-shaped, brown eyes. She swore they were twinkling.

“I love you,” he said.

The moment was so perfect, she wished she could capture it forever. Surrounded by the flowers and the butterflies, she stared at this young man, that cocky smile stretching on his face. She couldn’t help but be thankful for the deity for this day…and for this man.

As she stared back into his eyes, she remembered the risks of being with him. Tae-Won was right—there would be trouble, there would be difficulty. She could be hounded by paparazzi day and night to learn more about him. They could do intense research, invade her privacy, and others.

She might be subdued to discomfort.

But she didn’t care; she had finally decided.

In this life, she was determined to never leave him alone again.

--

A/N: Again, forgive me for the long wait. I got sick over the weekend after a Christmas party at work. Let me tell you—white wine plus drunk friends are no fun at all. I’d rather stay at home, cozy up to my big bear, and watch Goblin (I’m really into it. It’s where I draw inspiration from this fic right now). But I’m back. Please be patient with me though. As the conflicts draw near, I force my mind to fill the gaps.

Hopefully, I did this one justice.

I’m just really glad that EXO released their Winter Album. Twenty Four is life, my friends. Kai doing the main vocals is just lit. I can’t even.

Hope to hear from you.