A month into the agreement from the directors to give the structure a shot and so far, it has been going well. At the beginning when each of the team’s first project was to come up with a new technology system and convince Donghyuk and Youjung why they should accept their new system and possibly put it into their own technology. With that test, the groups went from thirty to twenty before they were regrouped again after an anonymous survey conducted online. Those who were comfortable with their teams, they stayed together after the regrouping. It has been a trial and error for the first two weeks, trying to fit everyone into a correct group that wouldn’t lead to blood shed.

Hours after the conference ended led to Donghyuk and Youjung to be the most searched on Naver, shocking the couple and when they looked into it, most of the netizens were gushing over how cute the both of them were along with pictures from the conference where Donghyuk was hugging her and whispering in her ear – one even with him presenting a forehead kiss.

It upset Youjung terribly since she wanted her moments to only exist between Donghyuk and her. It had led to her fiancé to comfort her with aegyo and back hugs for her anger to be appeased. Knowing that it was tiring for Youjung to be scrutinized for every action she did, he arranged a car for her to drive her around whenever he wasn’t there, assigning Kihyun as her driver.

Right now, they were returning back to the office after a meeting with their potential client and Donghyuk was on the phone with his mother. “Eomma, we’re not going through this again,” Donghyuk says, annoyed.

“Why can’t we? Son, Youjung and you have been engaged for almost three months and the both of you have no intentions to get married?” his mother questions as the son shoots over a look to the female who was suppressing her laughter. “I don’t know if you’ve been checking on the rumours online but there are people who found out that the both of you lived separately and are questioning your relationship. Marriage is the best solution to this mess!”

“Eomma!” he exclaims exasperatedly. “I don’t need to marry Youjung to just kill these rumours. If they are questioning our separation of living quarters, then let them be!”

“Donghyukkie,” Youjung cooes as the mentioned glared over. “Eomma-nim, if it worries you, I can live with Donghyuk to ease your mind. This way, the rumours would die down and Donghyuk wouldn’t have to marry me just yet.”

“Ah Youjung is just so understanding!” his mother exclaims happily. “Kim Donghyuk, be more like your fiancé!”

He releases a hum, clearly not giving much thought before bidding goodbye to his mother. “I swear my mother loves you more than me,” he grumbles and she smiles before poking his puffed-up cheeks as a stifled laughter came from the front of the car. “Yah Yoo Kihyun! What you laughing at?!”

“Nothing sir,” the driver immediately replies but a smile was plastered to his face.

Donghyuk looks out of the window in annoyance before he felt slender fingers rubbing his temples. “Donghyuk, don’t worry too much. Right now, the company is our main priority alright?” she reassures before slipping one of her hands into his and starting her relaxation reserved just for him.

A contend hum releases from his mouth as a smile crept up his lips. “I’ll tell Minji to arrange for someone to pick up my things from my apartment tonight,” she continues as another hum was heard. “Just focus on the company, Donghyuk.”

The car stopped. “Sir, Miss, we’re here,” Kihyun informs with a smile as Donghyuk’s eyes opened.

“You saw nothing,” the CEO threatens with a tinge of playfulness and the driver replies to humour him before Donghyuk got off.

“Nice to see that you’re comfortable with him now, little sis,” Kihyun says with a grin, making eye contact with Youjung.

“Shut it, Oppa. Do not tell the others if not I will expose your secret of singing and make them force you to start a cover channel online,” she threatens with a playful grin.

“I’m so scared,” the other replies dryly before turning to look at her. “It’s really nice to see you and him doing well. Maybe you can finally settle down.”

A proud look was evident in his eyes as she smiles gratefully. “Please pick up my things from the apartment, Kihyun,” she says and he nods before she got out of the car as her fiancé peered at her curiously but doesn’t mention anything about her interaction with the driver.

“Oh, Appa?” Donghyuk says once noticing the owner of the company at the lobby of the company, a crowd gathered.

“Nice to see your bastard of a son join us,” an unknown male sneers before seeing Youjung in son’s arms, “along with his little plaything.”

Her muscles tense as the grip on her tighten. “Mr Son, please do not make a ruckus. I do not wish to have security to drag you out,” Mr Kim states firmly, his eyes reflecting a totally different emotion. “Please.”

“Mr Kim,” Mr Son starts before walking closer to the mentioned. “When I swore my life to help you take over this company from that greedy man, you promised me that you would let me run this company. See where we are now. Your bastard… running this company. Making headlines everywhere for being the youngest CEO ever in Korea, even more in the tabloids.”

Mr Son scoffs as Youjung grips onto Donghyuk’s hand to calm him down, knowing that his anger wouldn’t help anything. “You were supposed to appoint me as CEO! I would have brought this company to greater heights than this bastard!” the older male points at the CEO who had a stoic face but internally wishing to hit the older male who was spewing hate and anger out of his mouth for something that had happened almost a year ago. “I wasted my years helping you – like a dog.”

Youjung noticed a change in Mr Kim’s eyes as they turned stone cold, devoid of any emotions as they pierced into the male challenging him. “Take your leave now, Mr Son. When I am still being nice. I would appreciate it if your face never appears here ever again,” the owner states as he beckoned the security. “Also, I never asked you to work like a dog for me. There are so many other people who would help me. You insisted that you did it.”

With a wave of his hand, Mr Son was dragged out of the building, anger evident on his face. Youjung gripping Donghyuk’s hand tighter, feeling scared seeing the glare directed at her. Her fiancé moved in front of her, keeping his eye on the older male till he was finally out of the office building. “Sorry for that, Youjung,” Mr Kim says with a smile as she nods with a polite smile, her grip not leaving the other male. “I would like it if you showed me the progress of the workers now.”

For the next hour, she leads the group and showed how much the office has change according to the proposal presented. When Donghyuk led them to the meeting room, she collapsed on the couch in his office. It had been ages since she had stepped into the office due to university work and ensuring that her proposal didn’t flop right in front of her face.

Taking in the minor changes to the paintings and display items. Her heels left abandon below the glass coffee table as she explores the room. Seeing some of the famous paintings up close caused to open into a small ‘O’. Turning to view the busy hub below her feet as a small smile wanders upon at the thought of being unknown and hidden – something sacrificed when she stepped into this world.

Her smile fades as the thought of losing all her privacy before she turns her back towards the window with her eyes tight to get rid of any wandering thoughts. She wonders if she would be able to get back the life of being just another faceless person in the busy crowds. She scoffs at the irony of how the people down there wished to be something while she wished to be nothing. Her eyes slowly opened and fluttered towards the office table.

There were paper works strewed across the glass table – a very uncommon sight for CEO Kim Donghyuk. Sighing before shaking her head slightly at his disorderliness, she picks up the paper and scans over them before sorting them out.

Getting to the bottom of the pile, she finds scrap papers with messy Chinese characters with their meaning scrawled in Hangul next to it. Below that, a contract with the logo of a large China company was printed neatly with a dragon around it. Scanning the contract, it was filled with characters where Donghyuk had circled furiously around. An original contract was in the brown envelop at the side after taking a peek inside it.

Youjung laid the papers out neatly, putting the Chinese contract right at the top. She smiles at her accomplishment as her eyes unintentionally wander to a very foreign object on the CEO’s table. Moving closer to pick the turned over wooden frame up, the picture shocked her.

The very picture that caused an uproar in the media was framed perfectly – the picture where Donghyuk planted a forehead kiss, her eyes closed with a blissful smile. It depicts the perfect couple that youngsters longed in this day and age. A soft smile graces her lips but it was immediately snatched away when the reminder of their ‘engagement’ popped up.

It was just an act with no script that had to be delivered to perfection so that no questions from the audience would arise. She wondered to herself when did she have the confidence to star in an unwritten performance that held no promise for her. She wondered who she was lying to – Seoul or herself? Did she really want to continue this kind of life and then eventually leave Donghyuk, pretending that they never knew one another?

She closes her eyes in favour of getting rid of the thoughts. After a while she felt gentle fingers rubbing her temples. Letting out a pleased sound, she relaxes further. “What were you thinking about?” the familiar voice sounded.

She immediately tensed up but doesn’t attempt to open her eyes. Should she tell him what she had been thinking? Would it affect their relationship – something she wish never to happen. “It’s nothing,” she mutters.

The pair of hands travelled downwards to her shoulder before gently kneading the tensed muscles. “Youjung…” Donghyuk mutters. “Aren’t you going to question me about my father’s actions?”

Her eyes opened at the memory of what happened almost two hours before. “I’m curious… But it is not my position to ask or question your father’s actions,” she replies but when a reply never came, she sighed.

“There isn’t a need to question. Your father obviously had his own reasons as to why you became the CEO, not Mr Son. Something we both are unable to see. Personally, the way your father handled this situation is something that makes me uncomfortable but thinking about it, it was the easiest way to handle it wouldn’t cause too much commotion. Your father had already warned him and it was his stubbornness that resulted in him being dragged out of the building by security.”

Youjung grabs onto the hands on her shoulder before gently turning around to face him. At the sight of his down casted eyes, it worried her. Every emotion was on display as his brows furrowed slightly. Her free hand reaches forward to gently ease the tension between his brows, in hopes to distract him a bit.

He never would have allowed himself to be this vulnerable when they just met. Everything was usually covered under a veil to conceal his real feelings that tremendously helped him during conflicting or uncomfortable situations.

“You’re thinking too hard,” she whispers before moving her hand back to her side.

Donghyuk’s eyes looked at her and she saw the fear that flickered like a flame. His eyes shot around the room as if there was someone observing him from afar as it lands on Youjung from time to time.

Her hands gently cupped his face to gain his attention. The warmth from her hand rolled onto his cheek as the fog in his sight faded till only the girl was only left. He tugs her towards himself before engulfing her into his arms tightly at the sight of the evident soft and caring smile. “Please…” he mutters as his grip became tighter, confusing the girl.

He releases his grip on the girl and takes a step back as she stands up, making it easier for him to look at her. His eyes travel to the ground, not wanting to look at her. She gently cups his face as remorse filled his eyes. His breaths were pace too perfectly apart as she patiently waited.

“Youjung, I wasn’t meant to be the CEO of this company. After Father took over the company, the board of directors stated that he couldn’t be the CEO and the owner at the same time. To ensure the condition wasn’t broken, he slotted me in, claiming not wanting ‘outsiders’ to handle the company,” Donghyuk explains. “He imparted everything he knew to a successful company and I quickly proved my worth when I finally overturned the crisis that the company was facing.”

She stayed silent as she the conflict in his eyes flickered across. “The name ‘bastard’ Mr Son gave to me is true,” he says, voice falling to a whisper. “ Appa isn’t my real father. I was the result of a one night stand.”

Youjung felt her comforting words that she always had on the ready die in as she stand there like a gaping fish out of water. She was thrown into a new situation that she had no idea how to respond and it greatly affected her since she always knew what to say at the correct time. “Donghyuk…” she starts as her mind frantically scrambled around to find words to say.

A forced smile appears on his lips, desperately assuring her that everything was okay. Their foreheads met one another as Donghyuk’s eyes closes, enjoying the warmth provided, a contrast to Youjung whose eyes was wide open. The door opens and she immediately breaks their skin ship to see a gaping Minji at the door with a stack of folders balanced on one arm. Minji immediately bows in embarrassment before reminding about the meeting with the Chinese company and leaves with the shutting of the door.

Donghyuk seem proud as he grins before approaching Youjung and gently guides her out of the room to the meeting room that became their second home. “I told Kihyun to pick my things up,” she off-handedly mentions and he frowns but doesn’t make any protest.

When they arrive at the meeting room, their employees were setting up the place for the negotiation between two companies. A clear greeting ringed out and he waves his hand as acknowledgement before taking a seat while she slips into a seat next to him, provided just for her.

Youjung flips through the folder presented to her, a small smile forms at the sight of the improved paperwork. She waves over an employee before telling them to praise the person who did the paperwork. The representatives of the Chinese company arrive and the meeting starts.

Throughout the whole meeting whenever Mandarin was heard, a flicker of doubt appeared in the presenters but with a small encouraging smile from Youjung kept them going. The tension between Donghyuk’s brows was obvious as Chinese characters flew around the room. His tense body as his face slowly warps into loss. She moves closer as she quietly translates for him whatever she hear as the meeting continues.

Once the presenter was done, the Chinese representatives look at one another as they murmured in Chinese, not knowing that someone in the room was fluent with their language. She continues to translate for him while a soft frown sets onto her face. “This isn’t a place to be flirting, CEO Kim,” a heavily accented English was heard as both of their heads turned to one of the representatives who was glaring at the couple. “I would like it if you keep it professional in your work life. Woman, after all, are just objects that would distract us from achieving our goals.”

Youjung’s hand immediately latches over Donghyuk’s fist that was ready to fly. “Mr Zhang,” she starts in Chinese, leaving all the representatives with widen eyes for a second before scrambling back to being emotionless. “I’ve listened to everything that all of you representatives have been saying and honestly, I am shock at the little faith you have in the Korea market.”

“Korea is one of the leading countries with technology and we still want more. I can assure you that in around five years, our technology would be on par with Japan’s. China is currently the biggest market in the world but if you are willing to invest in the Korea’s market, there will be no loss. Technology is the first thing in Korea after basic necessities,” she continues in clear Mandarin. “We may not be the first Chinese-Korean collaboration in a project but who is to question that it couldn’t be the greatest?”

The representatives look at one another as they nod, pleased with what they heard. One of them stands up and sticks his hand out. Donghyuk immediately stands and shakes hands to seal the deal between both companies. Once the contract was signed, the employees sent them out as the couple remains in the meeting room, hugging one another tightly out of joy. “When was my Youjung so good at foreign languages?” he wonders out loud as a grin sets onto his face.

“I’m not as close as to being yours,” she replies with a light shove but she mimics the grin plastered on his face. “Well, one has to be well versed in different languages in the business world. If not, you’ll lose out.”

She grins even wider before tilting her head slightly. “After all, I learnt from the best what competition means.”