A/N: Hello Everyone! Thank you so much for commenting and subscribing! I’m back after a long time :D This is the longest chapter I’ve ever written, and it took me ages to get this out, so if you’re reading this, thank you for being so patient. I’m going to try something which I don’t usually do, but I’ll post a link to a song that I feel fits the chapter at the beginning so that you can listen to it if you want to. This may/may not also be the chapter title each time.

Song: Monsta X – Blind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs5ULQnGbLY

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Chapter – 4: Blind

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[Text Convo]

Mission: Get Wonho’s in Gear

Mincorgi: [Video File]

Chaeturtle: What is this?

Mincorgi: Just watch.

Chaeturtle: Fine.

Kihyunster: . . . is that Wonho at the club? And why is he not in this group chat?

                                                                                                                                 Mincorgi: You are clearly NOT watching carefully.

Joojoobee: I’m still telling you that you’re gonna regret this.

                                                                        Mincorgi: It’s like you want me to put another spider in your shower.

Joojoobee: Don’t even think about that .

IMButter: Woah! Hyung’s still got the moves.

Kihyunster: Yeah and they’re still just as ridiculous as always.

Showbear: Looks like it was fun.

Joojoobee: Papa bear’s out of hibernation!

Chaeturtle: . . .

Mincorgi: NO ONE IS LOOKING.

Chaeturtle: Wait. Is that who I think it is?

Mincorgi: THANK YOU.

Kihyunster: NO WAY. CHOI JI HYUN?! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!

Chaeturtle: What even

Showbear: I guess they’re getting along?

IMButter: Wow. That’s some mad .

Kihyunster: Yah!

Joojoobee: Seriously, man?

IMButter: Calling it like I see it.

[Chaeturtle has left the group chat.]

Joojoobee: Are you happy now, Minhyuk?

Mincorgi: YES.

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Minhyuk’s internal happy dance at his personally crafted mayhem lasted all of three seconds before his phone was yanked out of his hands.

‘Lemme see.’ Wonho said casually as he scrolled up through the conversation, and Minhyuk began to pray for a painless death. Confusion, curiosity, and the inevitable infuriation took over Wonho’s features. Minhyuk yanked his phone back and ran.

‘COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE !’

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By lunchtime, the blond menace was still nowhere to be found, and Wonho decided to bury the remnants of his ire with the help of a steaming plate of kimchi fried rice as he ignored an immensely smug Kihyun who sat across from him.

‘What?’ he asked irritably.

‘Nothing. I didn’t say anything.’ Kihyun replied smoothly.

Wonho heard the distinct click-clack of a certain someone’s footsteps echoing out on the polished floor as they drew nearer, and he fought to maintain his poker face as Kihyun’s eyebrow quirked up in interest. A sly smile took over his features, and Wonho knew he wouldn’t like what was going to happen next.

‘Chief Choi?’ the younger man asked, ‘Would you like to join us?’

‘Oh. Sure.’ She said awkwardly as she took a seat next to Wonho, who was now holding back a full-blown frown.

Her companion, Hyungwon, made himself comfortable next to Kihyun, a disapproving look already gracing his features.

‘Chief Shin.’ She greeted curtly, and he nodded in response, wondering if it was just him or if her voice didn’t quite have all of its usual bite.

‘No food for you?’ she asked Kihyun conversationally, noting that he hadn’t bothered to buy anything.

‘My sister’s bringing me lunch today.’

‘Oh wow. I didn’t know you had a sister.’

‘Really? I must not have talked about her a lot. She just came back to Korea yesterday.’

‘Came back?’

‘Yeah, she’s a professional ballet dancer.’

‘That’s amazing!’

‘Yeah, well . . . ‘

A small smile curved Chief Choi’s lips as Kihyun launched into a story. Hyungwon silently watched as Wonho’s curious gaze softly roamed her face.

What . . .?

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Yoo Yeojoo hummed a cheery bop as she walked through the Starship building, taking in the cute logo on the walls and the artfully modern décor. She hadn’t had the chance to visit her brother’s workplace before, and she’d made sure to pack all his favorites for lunch. Her phone buzzed, and as she dug into her purse to look for it, she crashed into a wall. Or at least that’s what it felt like. Strong hands halted her fall with a firm grip on her upper arms, and she found herself staring up into a familiar but foreign face.

There were a lot of things to notice, like how he had gotten taller than she remembered, how his once-lanky frame had filled out, or even how the baby fat in his cheeks had given way to a sculpted jawline which accentuated his cheekbones and full lips, but she couldn’t look away from his dark eyes.

A low whisper left her lips in recognition.

‘N-Namjoo Oppa.’

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Eighteen Years Ago . . .

A 10-year old Hyunwoo watched quietly as a tiny girl struggled to get out of the temporary kiddie pool set up in their building courtyard. Her bright pink swimsuit stood out in the sunlight as her small fingers grasped at the edge, but her hand slipped, and she promptly plopped back into the water.

‘Go help her.’ His mother said, breaking her conversation with the other aunties gathered there to gently nudge him.

‘I don’t even know her.’ He replied, having just got out himself, and hence reluctant to move in the heat.

‘She’s your new neighbor, be nice.’

Hyunwoo marched off in her direction, and held out a hand, which she grabbed immediately.

‘What’s your name?’ he asked as she stood there sheepishly dripping onto the concrete.

‘Yeojoo.’ She replied with a bright grin.

‘Yeojoo? What kind of a name is that?’

‘That’s my name.’

‘That’s not a name.’

‘It is, it’s my name!’

He looked at her in assessment, his childish brain spinning. Yeoja (woman) + joo = Yeojoo? Is that how she thinks it works? So, if I’m a namja (man) . . .

‘In that case, I’m Namjoo.’ He scoffed.

A short laugh erupted behind them, and Hyunwoo turned to find a younger boy with sharp eyes.

‘Her name actually is Yeojoo, though. I’m Kihyun, and that’s my little sister. Nice to meet you.’

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Their project deadline for Hyuna’s makeup line was coming up, and the Creative and Media teams had sent out the heads and a few members to their usual studio on the outskirts of town to start prepping ideas. Ji Hyun tried to concentrate on giving directions to Hyungwon, but her attention kept wandering to the man sitting at one of the desks in the corner of the room. Through a tacit agreement, neither she nor Wonho had addressed the events of the previous evening, but she couldn’t deny the subtle change in the atmosphere between them. Even now, she could feel his eyes on her, and as Hyungwon walked away, she met his sharp, intense gaze. She waited for the distaste, the irritation, or even his insufferable smirk, because his open curiosity was simply unnerving.

Chief Shin blinked slowly, his dark lashes brushing the delicate skin under his eyes and the moment was so charged that she felt gooseflesh erupt across her skin before she tersely walked away.

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Wonho nodded at whatever the hell was being shown on the screen in front of him, convincing himself that it was his fourth unneeded cup of coffee that was making him feel edgy, instead of a certain female co-worker. This was getting exceedingly harder since she had decided to pair a black satin blouse with a dark maroon skirt and blood red heels. There was also the small matter of her currently standing behind his chair, hovering over him.

‘So, if you see, this color scheme is sophisticated, yet y, but not in a tacky perfume ad way . . . ‘

Her lavender scent washed over him again, and as Wonho turned his face to look at her, he found himself staring at her expertly tinted lips.

‘Why don’t you follow me, I’ve had my department set up a preliminary shoot in the room down the hall. . . ‘

Mechanically, he got up to follow her, his eyes narrowing as he studied his confusing reaction to her. As they walked down the narrow corridor that smelt of paint and craft materials, her phone beeped, and her horrified gasp jarred him out of his thoughts as she suddenly opened the door to a tiny supply closet.

‘What are you doing?’ Wonho asked her bluntly.

‘Nothing. Just remembered that I have to get some stuff from here. Since it might take a while, why don’t you head back.’

To anyone else, that may have sounded like a plausible excuse, but she was being way too skittish for him to not pick up on it. He raised an eyebrow at her obvious lie, and then watched in disbelief as she tried to inconspicuously slip into the small space.

‘Spill.’ He demanded.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘What did the text say?’

She sighed, knowing that he wasn’t about to give up on it.

‘Oh Woo Jin is headed here.’

What. The. .

Oh Woo Jin. As in most annoying and creepy human being on the planet. Also, as in Director Oh’s beloved nephew.

‘So you were just planning to leave me to him by myself?!’ Wonho exploded, his tone rising as his shock leaked into his voice.

‘It wasn’t exactly on purpose, but yes.’

And with that simple response, she shut the closet door in his face.

‘Bull!’ he exclaimed, yanking it back open, ‘What about me?’

‘Every man for himself.’

‘Move.’

‘WHAT?’

‘Who says you get the closet?’

‘It’s my hiding spot!’

‘Says who?’

‘I found it!’

‘Well, share.’

‘No way. Besides, it’s not big enough.’

‘It totally is.’

The sound of the studio door opening distracted her momentarily – and in that moment, Wonho took the opportunity to shove himself into the closet with her. Desperate measures and all that. In hindsight, he had to admit that there really wasn’t enough room, especially now that she had ended up crushed against him, her palms on his chest, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.

He mentally counted down the seconds before she blasted.

‘SHIN HOSEOK!’

‘SHHHHH.’

‘Fine! Shin Hoseok!’ she whisper-yelled, her eyes burning into him.

‘It’s Wonho!’ he whispered back, and he could’ve sworn he saw her hands inch towards his neck before she took a breath and tempered down her outrage.

‘Get out.’

‘Hell no, the guy’s a ing creep.’

‘I know, which is why you should get out. The last time I saw him, he sniffed me and told me I smelled good enough to eat!’

‘Oh boohoo, he’s done that to everyone!’

‘He’s been trying to get me to go out with him for years and I’m not about to give him another chance!’

‘Well you’re not the one he followed around a bloody sauna!’

‘So?’

‘So, he spent three hours complimenting my “big muscles” and then stared below my waistline!’

There was a pause after that, and he definitely didn’t like the derisive look that entered her eyes as her gaze deliberately slipped downward.

‘Confidence issues?’

He probably shouldn’t have said what he said next, but the next moment, his deep whisper was out in the air.

‘Slip your skirt up and I’ll show you.’

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Ji Hyun couldn’t control the gasp that slipped out of . And then her instinctive belligerence took over.

‘Do it, I dare you – ‘

She cut off in a sharp inhale as she felt his palm graze the side of her knee at the hem of her skirt. His dark eyes arrested her in place, and she stood breathlessly as he slowly started to slide the material up her thigh. The clean, smoky scent of his cologne suffused the scant amount of air within the small space, and her heartbeat thrummed through her whole body as she stared at the intense, concentrated expression on his handsome face. She strained to keep her hands from clenching into his pale blue shirt, trying desperately not to think of his well-sculpted pecs beneath her touch, or the way she could feel every inch of his hard frame pressing into her. His eyebrow quirked up in a direct challenge, and as his smooth fingers crept towards her upper thigh, her gaze fell on his lips.

Ji Hyun gulped.

Abruptly, Chief Shin pulled his hand away, and her skirt fell back into place.

And then, she felt his palm gently pressing against her back. As she looked back up into his mesmerizing eyes, his brazen expression softened into something that was so much more open, yet so commanding that she was frozen in place. Ji Hyun could feel each inhale and exhale between them as he leaned down towards her, his handsome fac