Chapter 4

            There was something about this girl that he just can’t put his finger on. She was so fierce and demanding when they first met, unofficially. But throughout the trip to the hot spring the previous day, she was like a kitten trying to act like a tiger.

            Jongup laid in bed with his head resting on one arm, desperately trying to figure out the Nam Hayeon puzzle. Maybe she had a motive after realising that he was the CEO’s son? Jongup shook his head at the thought. He remembered that there was not even a hint of surprise or realisation on her face or in her eyes during their introduction in his Pop’s office. “Maybe, she is just a really good actress, Moon Jongup. You’ll never know.” A sly, cunning voice nagged at the back of his head. Frustrated, he threw the off-white covers to the edge of the bed and leaped onto the floor.

            “We’re going to get to know her today.” Jongup concluded to the empty bedroom .

            “Nam Hayeon, where are you?” Jongup spoke to his Bluetooth piece.

            “None of your business, Moon Jongup.” Her voice retorted. “Why not?” Hayeon could even hear the annoying triumphant smile on his face. She kept silent for a long time and Jongup thought that she had even hung up on him; but she continued, “How did you get my number?”

            She sounded angry.

            “Are you at the office?” Jongup attempted to change the topic.

            “Um… no.” She was distracted, with whatever she was doing. He needed to know where she was. He would be reaching the office in only a matter of minutes. “Are you drawing?” His designer instincts made him blurt out his guess. And he was right.

            “Stupid mind-reader,” Hayeon muttered and a crash over the line. He sighed. “I’ll be at your house in 5 minutes.”

            “How did you know...” Hayeon couldn’t believe her ears.

            “You threw your sketch book across the room,” Jongup stated matter-of-factly. “You are a grown up, so you wouldn’t throw such a temper in public.”

            Hearing the tone of the line going dead, he laughed, knowing that he was right. Yet again.

                                                            ***

            In exactly 5 minutes, Jongup was outside the lush, newly-renovated mansion. It still had the antique aura around it, but it was different from the previous time he visited Hayeon’s father with his own Pop. “Where’s your daughter?” His dad asked hers. “Ah, she went out with her friend. Is this your youngest son?” They chatted for a long period of time, but Jongup never got to meet Hayeon as a little girl, as a possible playmate, as a possible friend, to him. But at that time, when he was only 15, their fathers were probably already planning for it. For their engagement.

            “What are you doing outside my house, Peeping Tom? Stop staring at my house.” Hayeon emerged from the 2^nd storey’s window, cursing at him while still in her pyjamas. “What are you doing, Nam Hayeon? Get dressed and get down here. Now.” He shouted back. 

            “No way. And there’s nothing that you can do.” She smirked, sticking her tongue out at him and disappeared into the room.

            Jongup sighed, as he ambled towards the front gate. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

            “YES.” She screamed from inside the house.

            “Okay. Please wear something decent, though. PJs are childish.” He leaped from the ground, his foot using the grip of the jutting edges of the antique looking gate that was meant for the vehicles. Hayeon peeped from her window and was flabbergasted as she saw him already strolling across her front yard. “Hey! Intruder! Get off my lawn!” Hayeon screeched in rage, running away from her room’s window and rushing downstairs. But as she reached the front door, Jongup was already leaning at her door, as if he had been waiting there for her all along. “How did you hack my door code…?” Hayeon was indeed speechless. “I am a housebreaker.” He shrugged it off with a laugh.

            “Who cares. Get out now. Do not interrupt my perfect morning.” Hayeon glared at him, her tiny hands desperately pushed at his toned built. He stared her down, poking her clothes with a scrutinizing finger. “Good, you’re dressed. Let’s go!’ He grabbed her by the hands, ignoring the struggling of her minute hand in his. “I am going to call for help.” She threatened. “Go ahead.” Jongup chuckled, not bothering to stop dragging her toward his parked vehicle outside her gate. “Help! Help! HELP!!” Hayeon cried in vain, only managing to add fuel to his ever-growing amusement.

            “Fine,” Hayeon grunted, slipping into her place in the car next to his seat. “Where are we going? I need to do my upcoming project. Don’t tell me all you wanted was to bring me to the supermarket to buy something.”

            “Great idea,” Jongup nodded thoughtfully. “I might try to do that the next time.”

            “Then don’t blame me for your broken fingers.” She glared at him, but he ignored it, choosing to focus on the road. Jongup was already starting to realise that her threats meant nothing. She wouldn’t carry them out anyway. “Sure,” he chuckled, mentally reminding himself to try doing it, just to see if she would remember her threat.

            Hayeon’s eyes unfocused for a period of time, probably thinking about some matters that did not concerned him. But he was utterly taken aback when she broke the silence out of the blue. “WHY ARE WE GOING TO BUSAN.”

            “Will you just return to sleep? I have been travelling on this road for more than ten minutes.” He stated. “I wasn’t paying attention.” Hayeon protested. “Then that’s your fault.” Hayeon couldn’t find any other words to argue back.

            “So where are we going? Why must we go all the way to Busan? That’s really far from Seoul. And I don’t suppose you would want us to go back early. What if I can’t finish that project? What if my-“

            “It will all be fine,” Jongup sighed, interrupting Hayeon’s endless blabbering.  

            “Sure, I have utter trust in you, Moon Jongup. Really.” Hayeon’s voice reeked of sarcasm and she obviously wasn’t going to trust him. At least, not yet.

            “Lotte World. Are you kidding me? I’m not a kid anymore.” Hayeon grumbled, as soon as the themepark twirled into view. “Aren’t you behaving like one right now?” He laughed, subsequently earning a slap on the shoulders by Hayeon.

            When Jongup flashed his card of whatever special member benefits stuff, they got in almost immediately, flying past the people queuing in the cold. “Are you sure that’s okay?” Hayeon asked, looking a little apprehensively at the people behind them. “I mean, won’t it be unfair to them?”

            “They don’t have the priority pass, they can’t be at the front, can they? Then it would be really unfair to those who came to queue early in the morning.” She knew he was right, but somehow, it didn’t felt fair. Sure, they were rich. But shouldn’t they queue as well? Maybe, for the fun of it? Though she was pretty sure there was nothing fun about queuing in the cold with the merciless sun beaming at you.

            “AHEM.” A feminine voice interrupted her train of thoughts, and also blocking her way. She could see Jongup a few step ahead, and this person was just here, blocking her way. “HEY YOU-“ She wanted to scream at the girl’s face to get lost, but once her eyes danced through the distinctive features of the girl, she cowered away. “Damn,” she cursed under her breath like some teenager in a imminent fight. “Someone said she couldn’t make it, didn’t she, Jun?”

                                                            ***

            “Nam Hayeon, why you-“ She heard Jongup backtracking, coming to find her. “Oops? Company, huh?” The girl in front of Hayeon’s small build smirked, pivoting to take in his looks. And probably the thickness of his wallet. “Express pass, please.” She demanded. Who is this girl, Jongup frowned. “No.” He said firmly. “Fine, we will kidnap your girlfriend. Jun?” In an instant, the tall, blonde haired boy with highlights of blue had slung Hayeon over his towering build. Jongup stared, mouth agape at the swift, easy motion of the boy. He shouldn’t have been much older or younger than me, Jongup thought. And well, maybe I should just leave Hayeon with them, hahaha. “Okay. Bye, Hayeon.” Jongup turned, leaving them at the entrance of the themepark. “Yah! Moon Jongup!” He could hear Hayeon screaming at him, but he didn’t turn. “I’ll tell your father!”

            “Pop doesn’t know that I brought you out.” He smirked, almost enjoying torturing his dear fiancée. “Express pass; or she gets it.” The boy had this out-of-place evil grin that didn’t quite fit his adorable face. “Oh well, Nam Hayeon, I am only doing this to save myself from all the trouble.” Jongup said, pretending to sigh and sound dejected, while pulling out the express pass.

            “Delinquents.” He shook his head at the girl and the boy she called Jun.

            “I am not a delinquent! I am-“ The girl’s eyes burned with fury. Jongup raised his eyebrows suggestively to show that he was listening.

            “I am Ryujae. Ryu Jaeyeon.”

Author's note: heyhey~ so i'm back! sorry for not updating in such a long while... so here's an update haha! hope you'll like it~ it's kind of short, i know. but i'm sorry ;___; please comment to encourage me! eeehehe n____n