Title: Of Afters and Concealers

Rating: G

WC: 2,132

A/N: Because Bigbang is now in my country and I’m left at the corner sulking. Nah, although I would admit that I’m jelly to the fortunate ones who can party live with them, I’ll just distract myself with HyukRi hehe. Speaking of which, some of the readers gave me an idea and now I’m trying to make the story, if not realistic, seem realistic. Big thanks!

P/S: I guess I have never thanked my subscribers and readers huh? Well, I wouldn’t write down who you are but know that I am certainly thankful for the support.

                It sure is different now than before in the life of the young CEO. Gone were the days of his moodiness replaced by one pleasant morning in work, Hyukjae now visits his employees’ departments more often than not. Slowly, he’s becoming more familiar in their eyes; he’s the boss but not the CEO behind that chair that they work so hard for. He did not stepped down in his position though; the bachelor just sees the world in a different perspective at present time. The world where he can share his happiness with someone aside from his friends, the world where it’s not all about money and fame, the world where a certain Park Gyuri exists.

The world where Lee Hyukjae thought is impossible for someone like him to have.

It started off simple with that one morning call that was soon followed by the following days of the new weeks in their lives. Then, whenever one of them (it was him usually) could not stand the distance between them two during day, another phone call would checked in on their monthly bill that would last until one of them gets a call from their door – again, it was usually him who gets to say goodbye first. After all, Lee Hyukjae is still Lee Eunhyuk.

When the sun runs away and the moon takes place, the gentleman in Hyukjae shows off itself like vampires at night. Picking Gyuri wherever she is, be it at the gallery wasting time or in her location site for whatever photoshoot she has. Then dinner it is, only not in some fancy restaurant his money can get them, rather, Gyuri chooses one of those food stalls in the lively street of Gangnam. Her reason, which brought out Hyukjae’s infamous gums, “I’m dating Hyukjae not Eunhyuk.”

There are far more other things, small little things, that the bachelor cannot put a stop to the double beating of his heart. Because despite the fierce stracture of her yet cold beauty, Gyuri is actually a softie. Deny it or not.

Aside from Hyukjae’s new favorite alarm call which wakes him up at exactly six in the morning, Gyuri sends him messages at the most random of times. Messages that contain her How are you’s, or, Should I wear flats? A one time incident, in the middle of his meeting with the board of directors, his phone vibrated under the comforts of his armani pants. When the gentlemen evacuated the place after two hours and a half, Hyukjae had on a smile in spite of the argument that went on with the directors regarding their new plans for the company. Gyuri, being the culprit had managed to send him a photo of her, pouting at the camera’s lens with the accompanying words of I’m bored.

His girlfriend can be cute if she wants to.

However, when things get a bit hectic on her side, Hyukjae does all the cheering. Given that he has a bag full of aegyo in his secret pocket. Even if Gyuri woke up on the wrong side of the bed, everything gets forgotten. Not to mention that Hyukjae is a cheeseball even from the start and Gyuri is forever gainsay. Put two and two together, their harmony is never totally equipoise, just equipoise, hence the good relationship.

So far

Five weeks was all it took for the others to know the secret. Although Ryeowook had already sensed something when Gyuri’s name unconsciously slipped from his boss’ lips while they were talking about food, the others somehow – no matter how hard they try to have it out from Hyukjae – were kept in dark. What is there to get anyways if during her seldom hang-outs with them, both made sure to stay in character and out of each other’s reach. Not only they were quite the strangers towards each other, it seemed like Kyuhyun is more of the boyfriend rather than Hyukjae. The two were closer than ever. And if it’s a role play, then Heechul would be ‘other guy’ in their ever growing ‘relationship’, and Hyukjae will be forever jealous.

Nevertheless, Gyuri requites right after.

With her own charm from her unyielding character, showing even just a bit of physical affection gives Hyukjae a lot of reason to smile. The uncertainty and faint blush on her cheeks whenever she does something akin to romantic is enough to have Hyukjae calling the ambulance. And when Gyuri finds her pride after, those long speeches about how she is not going to do it again or to just simply put it – keep your mouth shut or else – Hyukjae would be in a pit of laughter by the time her ears explodes from embarrassment.

 Gyuri didn’t even have to try hard.

However, it was quite different when it comes to their private physical affection. In those five weeks, they have at least done it twice, the first encounter in his office not included. It would be a lot more than that if only they don’t have such conflicting schedules, Hyukjae had blurted out after their third encounter on a Tuesday night in their sixth week in relationship, both drenched in sweat with clothes nowhere to be seen. Gyuri just laughed him off and cuddled beside him as she allowed fatigue take her to dream land.

As simple as that and yet, on normal days, it wasn’t.

Mornings after would be the most embarrassing. Especially since Hyukjae loves to whisper snippets of what went down. It doesn’t sound offensive though, if more, it turns them on both. Hormones being themselves, hormones. Still, the clock never stops even a heart beat. After a cup of coffee and a cold shower on Hyukjae’s part, the couple will leave his flat no matter what. Not even the mention of the fresh existing mark on her neck and her empty bottle of concealer or the mantra of different curses can stop their treak back to her place.

Gyuri needs to be at home before her parents wakes up, with or without a concealer.

So with a heavy heart, Hyukjae starts his car after one last goodbye from her and went off to Siwon’s place. The model should have enough knowledge about the wonders of the concealer.

He was undoubtedly impatient on this particular Wednesday, not only he had a cup of coffee for breakfast and Siwon taking so long to finish his shower after that flashy smug like smirk that the model had probably learned from Heechul when he had discussed his some sort of a problem about the make-up product. Hyukjae is certain, he’s in trouble. Gyuri never showered her morning with a curse before and in any other day he should be sending her a reply message now, only he hasn’t received any yet. Thus, he needs to find that concealer.

“Dude!” he knocked on Siwon’s room door once again, “Come on hurry up!” He stressed each syllable, noting how Gyuri never liked anyone knowing of her activities. She had made it clear after their first encounter the very same day Hyukjae received his first morning call.

“Just be patient will you?” The model roared as he opened his door in perfect time to catch the young CEO’s scowl. “I need to look good for my date.”

“I don’t care about your date,” he uncrossed his arms and his heel, walking directly towards the front door.

“Wow Hyukjae, can you be any more supportive than that?” Siwon slightly slammed his room door in annoyance and tailed behind, stopping only for a moment to fetch his keys. “Have I ever told you before not to put hickeys where people can see it?”

“Shut up,” he whipped his head around and hissed at the model, “Don’t you dare tell anyone about this. I’ll get you what you want just promise to keep your mouth shut.”

Siwon smiled and walked on ahead of him towards his parked car, never looking back when he said, “Even with your bribery, the others will find it out eventually.”

“There’s a reason why the concealer is made, I believe that,” he halted in his vehicle’s side that was parked beside Siwon’s. “Just this once”

The model sighed, “Fine, but you owe me big time.”

The moment the waitress handed him his bag of muffins and cup of macchiato, Hyukjae speeded down the way to Gyuri’s. All of his seven calls had been dismissed and not a single reply from his five messages reached his phone. The last resort he thought and is quite effective enough was to threat her. Leaving her a voice call message did the little trick; just seconds after he got a few bottles of concealer (because Siwon insisted that Gyuri will need them a lot) he got what he want. Although the reply wasn’t friendly at all, Hyukjae have a peace offering to make up for it.

Minutes after he had parked his car a few houses from hers, Gyuri slided down in his passenger’s seat wearing his favorite baseball t-shirt of hers and an aqua colored shorts. Just as predicted, her blonde locks did a pretty good job in hiding the iness in her neck.

He carefully shifted in his seat and faced the photographer who isn’t looking at him at all, “Hey.”

“Make it quick,” relief washed over him, not a tinge of madness is evident in her voice.

He grabbed the bag of breakfast and handed them to her, “I got you some muffins and macchiato.” When Gyuri didn’t even move an inch in her seat, he placed the bag in his dashboard and bravely held her hand.

“Look, I’m really sorry. I know better now, I’ll be carefull next time. Please baby, talk to me,” the photographer groaned and slowly (dramatically) looked at him, Hyukjae pulled off his pleading face with a pout and all of that.

“How many times have I told you not to call me baby? And please stop that, you look ugly,” instead of getting mad at the insult, Hyukjae beamed, because Gyuri with her sharp tongue means good.

“But you were fine with it last night when I called you.”

“That was last night, today is not.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve got you one more thing,” this time around, she willingly reached out her palms. With a little bit of frown and curiousity, she eyed the make-up bag knowing exactly what’s inside, “Included in my prior peace offering.”

“Why would you give me a peace offering anyway? I wasn’t even mad at you,” she opened the bag and grabbed one bottle, “Pissed off maybe but not really mad, and do you really think I would need this much concealer?”

He shrugged; obliviously answering her question, “Siwon says so.”

“Siwon?” If her dagger like eyes can kill, they would be reminiscing the life of the late Lee Hyukjae, “Yah! Hyukjae what did you say? How much have you said?”

Whether Gyuri did or didn’t notice how Hyukjae flinched in her menacing glare, he had done it good, “He promised not to tell a soul, baby I just want to make it up to you that’s why I asked him about these.” He pulled off his pleading weapons once again and secretly crossed his fingers.

The pleading look didn’t last though; Gyuri ignored them and looked back at him disappointedly, “I can’t believe you.” And as silently as she could, she grabbed the bags and opened her door. No goodbyes or look backs, Hyukjae was left alone in his car practically reaping every single strand of hair in his head as he wail frustratedly.

Recovering, he grabbed his phone and dialled her number, yet it was busy. He tried once again but still couldn’t reach in, the last thing he knows and is quite risky but had no other options, is to knock on her door and be greeted by her mother or worst, by her father. Fortunately enough, even before he decided to make a fool out of himself, his phone vibrated. Within a flash, Gyuri’s new message turned the table upside down.

From: My Baby 09:38:26AM

You’re not mad right? I was just joking. I really like your cute face. But please, just because I said it doesn’t mean I want to see it oftenly. I prefer the authoritative look in your face, it makes you look charismatic. That’s better I guess rather than not praise you at all even if you didn’t notice that I wore your favorite shirt of mine >.< Quickly, go to your work, don’t let Ryeowook oppa do all the job. I’ll call you later and thank you. I appreciate them.

Really, Hyukjae’s girlfriend doesn’t have to try to be cute. Natural runs in her blood, her unearthly beauty attests it all.