The venue was filled with jet set.

The elegant hall was decorated with beautiful lights, flowers and the jazz music resonated around the room. Long sparkling dresses, tailored tuxedos were creating a sea accompanied by loud conversations, laughs and champagne glasses. This year's party for the K&B Financial Group was hosted to gain new supporters and create alliances that may come in handy in the future. The delegations from all over the world could be found in the crowd. USA, China, Russia, Spain, France, Germany and many more.

The party seemed to go smoothly. 

"I've heard that they plan to sign contract with Samsung." One of the fancy ladies gossiped with people around her. "I'm telling you, soon there won't be a single company in Korea that isn't collaborating with them." Few laughs. Few eye rolls.

"Apparently there are some news that the CEOs will sign a contract with UNICEF. Talking about promoting literally everywhere."

"They are just kids. Hard to believe they actually run all of this by themselves."

The main door on a first floor opened. Everyone turned their heads to the source of interruption. On top of the stairs, surrounded by bowing butlers, stood three figures. The first one were Mr. and Mrs. Kim. The male was in his 50s, the professionalism and class were screaming out of him. He hooked his arm with one of the ladies. She wasn't younger than 45 but with her looks she could easily pass as a 30 year old. She held her head up high with confidence as her long hair swayed with every move and a wide smile was glued her face. The couple's outfits were matched, both dressed in indigo.

As they made their way down, one of the young butlers approached the other women behind them and offered his hand to help her get down the stairs.  The aura was different around her. In comparison to the Mrs. Kim, whose persona was like a graceful waves of an ocean hitting all gathered, hers was more like a burning fire. She was dressed in a black suit decorated with strong red patterns, single ruby brooch right above her heart. Her hair were short, barely covering her neck and the red lipstick was bringing attention to her face. Her gaze emanated intimidation, making everyone respect her. Always collected, unshakeable Mrs. Bae Jin Kyung. 

Those were the founders of K&B Financial Group, which for over 50 years has been providing commercial and investment services. It made its way to the top in the largest financial groups by value and market capitalization in South Korea. Now it's inherited by the 3rd generation of CEO's. The three made their way to the main floor and greeted everyone with a humble bow, thanking for coming to the event. The crowd welcomed them with an applause. After that, people started to wander around, searching. The grand door didn't close. All employees responsible for greeting guest remained on their positions and they all did 90 degree bow.

Coming from the corridor behind the entrance, another couple was revealed. They looked much younger, probably in their late 20s. Their arms were intertwined as they approached the balcony. The young man had a serious look on his face and yet he looked like talking with him would be a privilege. His black suit fitted him perfectly, showing his athletics physique. Under the jacket, golden watch stood out, making his hands look expensive, attractive veins popping out. His black hair was styled and gelled out of his handsome face, showing his manly features. 

His female companion was no different in case of an appearance. Her height reached slightly above his shoulder, mostly because of the high heels she was wearing. She was dressed in a floor length white dress decorated with stones and feathers, making her look like a embodiment of a swan, matching her milky colored skin. Her dark brown hair reached her mid back, contrasting with the angelic glow. All Damiani accessories were shining in the brightness of lamps. Her face looked like it was sculptured by gods, she was that beautiful. 

Walking down the stairs, they had a vibe of owning everything in the room but still staying moderate. People were amazed by their visuals and energy. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the band leader announced their arrival through the microphone.

" Ladies and gentlemen. K&B's presidents: Kim Junmyeon and Bae Joohyun."

   »»————-　　————-««

The party seemed to be more alive after that. Everyone now tried to somehow make their way into the conversation with the young CEO's. Some because of the business reasons, some for personal connections. Two women stood by the liquor cabinet, eyeing Junmyeon with dreamy expressions. 

"Just look at him. Rich, true gentlemen and he looks like a real prince above that." She took a shot. "If I weren't engaged I would probably make a move on him already."

The other one nodded while Junmyeon elegantly covered his mouth from laughing. One of the female guests probably told him something funny. It gave them a chance to see his eye smile. "He is a full package but if I were him I would grew tired from all the attention. Look at the shameless way they are flirting with him. No class whatsoever."

"You flirted with him."

"Until he gave me clear signs that he's not interested. Besides..." She looked to the other side of the room and sipped on her wine. "I think I would have some serious competition."

   »»————-　　————-««

Joohyun threw her head back from laughter, keeping her lady-like posture at the same time. This French ambassador could easily pass a comedian. "Bae-sama!" Another, much younger, kinda Yakuza looking, Japanese businessman interrupted her pleasant talk."Atsushi Hamada. We were discussing over the phone the creation of a new Tokyo bank network."

She send him a warm smile. " Of course, I remember. I hope that convincing the real-estate owners was not difficult. I know from experience they are difficult to persuade.” She answered in fluent Japanese. The other ambassadors seemed impressed with her language skills.

"Of course not. Everything went well. I mean, it's K&B we are talking about. Only idiots would refuse such offer." He said with confidence. Flirtatious kind of confidence. Joohyun noticed that but decided to ignore it.

"Well if that's the case, then I hope for a great collaboration that will bring all of us benefits. The development of our company is a great deal for us.”

While she was talking, he took her hand and placed chivalric kiss on her hand. "The pleasure is mine.'' His voice got deep and silky, followed by flirty smile.

Great. Another one of those. 

When he left, she let a quiet sign of relief. She felt calm until her eyes locked with Junmyeon's who was now ignoring what the random woman was trying to tell him. People passed them, but their eyes contact never broke. There was a weird tension between them, so it was hard to guess what was going on in their mind. The two women from earlier caught that.

"Wow, look at them. The way he looks at her. So intense. He probably is irritated that she lets other man flirt with her."

"Agree. You know, people think that the only thing they share is company, but I think there's something beyond that."  

   »»————-　　————-««

"I would like to thank everyone who honoured us with their presence today. As you know, K&B is at its peak right now. It is thanks to your support and trust that we can continue our activities and serve our clients. We are grateful that you show that it is necessary to unite, not divide." Junmyeon raised his glass to make a toast. His speech was awarded with a grand applause. On the side, his father joined and sent him look of approval. "Would you like to add something, Joohyun?" 

Joohyun gladly took microphone from his hands, giving him small smile which he mimicked. "I would also like to thank all involved for help in organizing a fundraising for the Fantasy Kid's Hospital. We're honored to be part of it and the fact that we raised awareness means a lot to us. I'm glad to announce that we will also sponsor a charity event that will be held in two weeks. We count on your support. Thank you once again." Joohyun caught the proud smile on her mother’s face.

Another applause. The couple continued to smile for photographers and the guests. Junmyeon grabbed Joohyun around the waist, then continued to wave for the cameras. Everyone were mesmerized by their hosts. Clapping, people started whispering to each other.

"Not only beautiful face but also with beautiful soul. The chairman really found himself an angel."

"Imagine how powerful those two are."

"I'm waiting for their marriage announcement!"

"I envy her. Not all of us can capture such charismatic prince charming."

"They truly look good together."

   »»————-　　————-««

The ride home seemed peaceful. Seoul in the darkness; the city lights sparkle and comes to life. Colorful images of Han River create an illusion of rainbow waterfall. The stars were shining brightly tonight in company of a full moon. Junmyeon was tapping something on his iPad. Meanwhile Joohyun was looking at the passing cars on the bridge. Sensing the knots in his neck from standing straight all day, he wanted nothing more than take a hot shower and call it a night. 

"I've heard you talked with the Nature Republic vice-president about collaboration on the next campaign."

Junmyeon sinked comfortable into the seat with a stoic expression on his face. "I did. They will contact us in a few days. They will also assist with media patronage.” He didn't bother to look at her.

"Good job." She did the same.

The silence fell between them.

Joohyun pushed herself from the car door and started to take her earrings off. "Oh, and by the way." She groaned tiredly from the tension release from her ear.

"Next time you grab me in a place you shouldn't, I'll make sure to dig my heels so hard into you foot, that your eyes will pop out."

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Junmyeon laughed in amusement. " Oh, you and your joyful personality." He turned to her, iPad forgotten. "You know, I was especially happy when you left the room and didn’t bothered me with your presence for glorious 15 minutes. The envy I feel from people who had a luck of not talking to you tonight."

"You know, I would agree with you but then we both would be wrong." She confessed flat out, brushing her hair behind the ear.

"You see, to feel offended I should first value your opinion. Nice try though. I just feel sorry for that Japanese guys that I didn't manage to talk to them first. They had misfortune of listening to you and the stupidity that's coming out your mouth."

Joohyun snorted. "Oh Myeonie." Junmyeon's eye twitched and he brushed his jaw in irritation. He hated when she used that nickname. Only his Granny had that privilege. "Jealousy it's a very ugly thing. And so is you in anything you put on. Didn't know the Salvation Army had a clothes giveaway."

Without answering he flicked her forehead hard, leaving a red mark. She whined like a child. As a response, she pinched his arm to the point where he let out a yelp. He grabbed handful of her hair and pulled in down. Next thing, she grabbed his tie and began to slightly choke him. He slapped her hands away, somehow managing to make her let go and instantly grabbed her in a headlock, as she tried to break free by elbowing him to the stomach.

Jongdae was flickering his eyes between road and them in the mirror. He gripped the steering wheel tightly. "One evening. I just wanted ONE evening away from it. Since when did I got promoted from assistant to driver?"

Squeaks and insults were coming form the backseat. Jongdae sighed and picked up the dark partition separating the front seats to shield himself from the wrestling match behind him.

"I knew putting them into one car was a mistake... I need a raise."

   »»————-　　————-««

"I'm telling you. One day I will blow up and push her in front of the car. And you will help me hide the body." 

Sehun hummed while concentrating on hitting the billiard ball. He missed. "You know Jun. If we are being so open with each other, from all the things I wanted to do tonight, talking about Joohyun wasn't one of them, as much as I like her." He answered frustrated but accepted glass of whisky from his friend.

They were now in Junmyeon's mansion. Oh Sehun, a heir to the one of the biggest development institutes, just wanted to spend some time with his friend, play pool, drink something stronger. Now he was forced to listen to his friend's rant about how much he hated Joohyun. Not that he wasn't used to that.

"Seriously, now I'm starting to see that these therapy session are useless." Junmyeon stated as he sat on the next couch.

"Yeah, I bet Yixing will be thrilled for the next session with you." He plopped next to him. "Listen man, you have a tendency to present things bigger than they actually are. I guess that's part of your charm." He rested his arm around the cushions. "But have you ever wondered if your relationship with Joohyun had to turned out that way?"

Junmyeon scoffed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Well, you’ve known each other since diapers, you've been working together for like, I don't know, 9 years already. And that's even before you inherited the company. You are both experts in your field, you can't deny you both have traits that complete each other."

Junmyeon finished his drink in one go. "Where are you going with that?"

Sehun swayed the ice inside the glass. "I'm asking, with pure curiosity of course, have you ever looked at her as an actual woman?"

    »»————-　　————-««

"You guys couldn't even let it go for one ride? Now I'm feeling bad for not answering Jongdae's calls! This guy has a newborn baby at home, you know that!"

Joohyun scrunched up her nose as Seulgi yelled at her through FaceTime. The female president was in the middle of drying her hair with towel. "Well, blame that moron! My mom literally forced us into going home in one car! I swear Seulgi, everytime we are in the same space, my brain sells are commiting suicide one by one." She threw herself on the velvet sheets on the king sized bed.

"Oh my god, you start again. Would you mind at least spare me the details on how much of a my boss is in your opinion?” Seulgi groaned, stopping from chewing on her pen.

"Hey, I'm your boss too!"

"To my inconvenience, apparently!”

Joohyun pouted after being yelled at by her assistant. This was one of the times she regretted letting Seulgi talk to her so comfortably. No matter how right she actually was.

"Sorry. I'm just tired. There were a lot of people today at the party and I had to deal with business talks with a big bunch. It didn’t help that Junmyeon was too busy flirting with female models instead of focusing on the important matters. At least that's the version she created for herself.

"Okay. So it bothered you.” On the other side of the screen, Seulgi was laying on her couch trying to sort all documents she was supposed to deliver to the accounting department tomorrow.

" Of course it bothered me!"

"And you're admitting it." 

"What?" Joohyun sat up.

"That you're interested in him." Seulgi cocked her brow and rested her face on her palm, curious of her answer.

There was a long pause before Joohyun burst out laughing.

   »»————-　　————-««

Sehun observed his friend as he was trying to stop himself from laughing. He just implied that Junmyeon would ever consider looking at Joohyun as a woman. Judging by his reaction, that suggestion was off the table.

"Me? With that thing? Dude, you know how to make me laugh." Junmyeon wiped the invisible tear that was trying to come out of his eye. "What even makes you think that I would feel any sort of attraction towards her? She’s unapproachable!” He poured himself another glass. Sehun just rolled his eyes but scooted closer and leaned a bit.

"So, hypothetically, you’re saying you are totally okay with her starting a relationships with someone?” 

Junmyeon almost choked on his drink. “First of all, there’s no guy on Earth that would be sane enough to get involved with her romantically." He said between coughs. "Secondly, I feel offended that you assume I would give a single damn about who she’s dating.”

Sehun didn't look so convinced. "You give so many damns they are visible from space." He muttered under his breath. He was glad Junmyeon didn't catch that.

            »»————-　　————-««

“What?! Am I hearing correctly?” Joohyun was rolling in her purple, satin pajama on her bed trying to process the ridiculous question her assistant just asked. “Me? And that jerk? Seulgi, you think like this is some Beauty and The Beast fantasy?”

“I'd say yours is more like Dumb and Dumber” The assistant muttered to herself, so her boss couldn't hear.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Scoffing, Joohyun just couldn’t picture it. She and Junmyeon were on a rocky terms since they were 10. Just imagining them being anything other than business partners seemed weird and uncomfortable.

She could vividly remember being pushed from the swing, fighting over the turn to ride a pony, competing in having better grades that then turned into competition of who would gain more business partners, pranks in the office and insults quarrels. On top of that, something inside her made her boil with irritation whenever she saw him and she was sure he felt the same. 

“So, nothing? Not ever?”  Seulgi asked cautiously, testing the waters.

“Yep. Never was. Never will be.” Joohyun stated firmly. 

“Okay. But what if?” 

Joohyun rolled over onto her stomach. “I’m gonna say this once...”

        »»————-　　————-««

Sehun lower his head on a back of the couch, observing how whisky was dancing in his glass. “Hey Jun.”

Junmyeon was now by his large window, staring at the starry night behind it. “Yeah?”

“Have it ever crossed your mind? Asking honestly.”

“Stop drilling already.” Junmyeon was getting annoyed at this point. "This is too much Joohyun talk for one evening." Considering that he had another long week of seeing her everyday in the office.

“This is hypothetically, remember? All I’m saying is that you two would make a nice couple." He pushed himself forward and leaned on his knees. "You work together in the same space, you see each other everyday. Any sane man wouldn't at least cross the possibility of a romance.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Junmyeon turned around and let out a heavy sigh. “Listen. I’m gonna say it once...”

          »»————-　　————-««

"If I ever fall in love with him, then that just will mean that I went crazy.”

"If I ever fall in love with her, then that just will mean that I went crazy.”