“So are we cool then?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll pretend I’m going out with Kim Jongin for a few months and tell my parents he’s not my type and find a way to get away with it, meanwhile you’ll be taking my place and go on dates with him until then.”

“Deal!”

“I’ll be getting the freedom I need and you’ll be getting the guy you like.”

“Fine... What? NO Daya it’s not like that!”

Daya giggled watching how the serious business mode of her friend suddenly switch into a panic mode and the girl trying her best to avoid the accusation. “No need to hide Jisoo, it shows all over your face that you like him. Your eyes sparkle when you talk about him.”

Jisoo grumpily dropped on her bed. “I hate this lying thing though.”

Daya sat beside her, and patted the girl’s hand. “We can reveal him everything if things really go well between you two. And if he is serious about you, he will definitely understand.”

Jisoo sighed.

* * * * * * * *

Two weeks went by, the overloaded work at the college and company giving the two girls absolutely no time to even lift their heads off the tables. Still Jongin found time to sneak out Jisoo during the small breaks between her lectures, or waited for her to step out of the faculty in the evening so he could take her out for dinner. Taking necessary precautions, Daya had bought her friend quite a bunch of new decent outfits, and when Jisoo stepped out of the house dressed in floral mini dresses and frilly midi skirts, her parents started noticing the different because their second daughter always preferred simple tomboy cloths, unlike her elder sister who was more girly in every aspect. But Jisoo was quick enough to come up with an excuse, saying that her friend Daya was clearing her closets and had let Jisoo take out whatever she needed.

She was lying way too much these days.

Meanwhile Daya was stuck in her office all the time except for the hours she had to attend compulsory lectures, and when Jisoo was going out with Jongin outside office hours, she stayed in the office, until she got Jisoo’s call to tell that she was safe to go home.

Their act was balanced very well, and no one fell into trouble.

And Baekhyun was trying his best to help Daya.

“Try shaking hands with me.”

He started with shaking hands, because it was much needed regarding her business life.

The girl stared at his hand for a long while on the first day. And she finally lifted her head to meet his eyes. “To me, you feel so foreign and...No offence Baekhyun-ssi, I just feel really uncomfortable about skin contact. It’s not just about you, it’s the same for everyone.” She said, sounding helpless.

He didn’t take his hand back.

“Then shall I take your hand?”

The girl remained still, until he stepped forward and reached for her hand which was pressed against her side. Daya visibly winced, but he took her hand and feigned a soft shake hand. “Why don’t you loosen these rigid fingers and hold my hand in return?” he asked. “Or else it looks like you do not want this gesture. People might think you’re rude or something.”

However it took almost a week to get the girl to willingly take his hand and shake it, properly hold onto it. “A firm shake hand gives the best impression.” He advised one morning. You’re holding my hand so gently like I’m a new born, Miss Jo.”

She smiled at his chuckling. “Come on now. Firmer.”

And after two weeks time, the Annual Sports Day of the JY apparels arrived, giving the entire staff a chance to show their colours in sports and activities, win medals and trophies, or win over their interested ones.

The type of events Daya despised the most.

She sighed watching Taeyong and Tiffany warming themselves up in the passageway to the company’s indoor stadium, and heaved a strained sigh. Taeyong had the weirdest way of warming up, as he sang SNSD’s ‘I got a boy’ and did Shinee’s ‘Ring Ding Dong’s choreography to it.

Soon after Donghae joined the two, and started praising Tiffany about her sense in fashion regarding her sportswear.

“Aren’t you getting changed Miss?”

Daya turned to meet Baekhyun’s questioning gaze, and realized that he too, was wearing a full black track suit.

He’s the type of guy to make any kind of clothing good on him.

“Aren’t you going to participate in any games? Kibum hyung will be disappointed. He said he’s gonna cheer you from the bleachers all day. I guess he’ll be drawing a banner with your name as well.”

There he goes with that cute chuckling again.

“I don’t wanna join the event Baekhyun-ssi.”

She heaved another sigh. “I absolutely hate crowded placed like that. Or maybe rather fed up with them. Have been to such events since I was a kid and I’ve had enough of them.”

Baekhyun didn’t know, but she had received Jisoo’s help, and already activated their plan for the day. Jongin was coming to fetch his fiancée from the company head quarters and take her out since she didn’t want to blend in with the crowd, and will safely bring her back to the HQ by the evening. He will take her from the company premises and call her parents. Problem solved.

And Jisoo was already waiting for Jongin at the HQ entrance.

A silver-grey Tesla Roadster stopped in front of the JY apparel headquarters building, turning heads of almost every pedestrian that was around the area. The door opened, and the six footer figure of the owner stepped out, flashing his boyish smirk at the girl who was standing on the pavement, her eyes nearly popping out of sockets at the site of the brand new gleaming automobile. It was his first time bringing his new car out to meet her.

“Am I late?” he asked, walking around the car to open the door for her. “Not at all. I just got here.” she replied with a beaming face. “Come on. Get in before anyone of your staff sees you.”

Jisoo got in, and he jogged back to get in quickly as well, and in no time, the car whizzed away from the head quarters.

Seconds later, a team of twenty to thirty staff hurried out of the building, and stood in a perfect strait line in front of the building, and a procession of imported cars arrived, stopped in front of them and chauffeurs got off every one of them, to open the back door of each vehicle. And one by one, the executive directors of the JY Holdings stepped out of each vehicle, and finally, a middle aged couple stepped out from the last vehicle.

And everyone present at the place bowed deep down in respect.

The gentleman straightened his custom made Italian blazer, and waited for the lady to who was dressed in a white knee-length shift dress and a beige fur over her shoulders, to walk around the car and join him. She gracefully patted her neat up do of hair and served the staffs with a composed smile, and the couple entered the building to be followed by the executives right after.

Baekhyun ran back to their office from the stadium, since he had left behind the physical reports file of his team members, that he was supposed to submit before the starting of the event. He took the file and was about to step out of the office, when a gentleman in his forties walked out of their team leader’s office and stopped him from leaving.

“Excuse me... are you a member of the planning team 2?”

“Yes.” Baekhyun nodded. “How can I help you?”

The older gentleman turned back to the Daya’s office, and saw a couple seated on the couch inside the office. “The chairman and madam are here for the sports day. And we heard that Miss Jo is currently not inside the HQ...” he tilted his head hesitantly. “Do you...by any chance, know where she’s headed to?”

“Miss Jo was here a while ago.” Baekhyun answered. “I guess she’s already in the stadium. Why don’t you call there and check?”

The gentleman, who appeared to be the chairman’s personal assistant, nodded with a relieved smile. “Thank you. I will.”

And he walked back into Daya’s office.

Turning to leave again, Baekhyun saw a glimpse of a figure, standing inside the room they used to prepare coffee and snacks. Giving a glance at the chairman and his wife, he slowly made his way into the tiny room, which Taeyong had given the name ‘Tiffany noona’s mini kitchen’.

And she was in there.

Parting the blinds that hung over the glass walls and restricted the view inside her office from the mini kitchen, she was peeking at her parents.

He couldn’t help but smile. Walking up to her in silence, he took time to admire her attire, which contained a white lace blouse and a dusky pink pencil skirt, white stilettos and a white rhinestone hair pin which held her jet black hair which fell down to her waist.

Cute.

“IS THIS HOW YOU RAISED HER HYEJIN?”

The chairman’s roaring voice heard from the room next, made her almost jump in shock, releasing the blinds and step back in fear.

And she bumped against the man who had been standing right behind her for a while.

She jumped again in shock, and started turning into a bright shade of pink as soon as she met his puzzled eyes.

“Now what do we say to the directors? We’ve been bragging all the time about our one and only daughter who’s more than capable of taking over the business even at a young age, and what now? She’s run away to somewhere when we have to be attending the sports day as a family?”

‘They’re looking for you’ Baekhyun mouthed at the