Chapter 8: Unrequited Affection
Wanderlust
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
― Albert Einstein
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
Jieun’s POV
My back faced my office and my arms were crossed tight across my chest as I stared out into the open view that my window offered. On such a beautifully bright day, it was unfathomable that my mood had to be ruined by Daehyun’s arrival. I knew that at any second now he’d be bursting through the door, and I knew it was foolish of me to have wanted to avoid this confrontation. I still cared a lot about Daehyun, just not in the way that everyone wished I would.
It was silent in my office, except for my electric fan that moved back and forth in a semicircle, blowing wind in my direction every few seconds. It would have felt relaxing if I didn’t know what was coming next. My eyes closed when I heard my office door open. I didn’t want to turn around, hoping to elude this reality without making eye contact with him and of course, my efforts were futile.
“Jieun-ah,” He called in a calm and alluring voice followed by the door closing. He sounded like he already made it to my desk so Hyosung probably closed the door behind him. There was a long pause. I couldn’t even hear his breathing over the fan though I knew he was there. I wanted to savour this quietness before facing the potential that all hell would break loose in my office if one wrong word was said. After one deep breath, I demanded,
“Why are you here?” With my eyes still shut, I relied on my ears to tell me what he was doing. There was some rummaging by my desk and then a sudden thump as a small object dropped onto the surface and rolled.
“Whoops,” Daehyun coughed, completely ignoring my question, “Aren’t you going to look at me when you talk? Is the view from your window really that dazzling?” I could hear his footsteps nearing closer to me, but he made no other sounds. I couldn’t even guess how close he was, so inevitably my eyes opened. Daehyun’s face hovered just a few centimeters away from mine; a triumphant grin stuck on his face as I stumbled backwards, almost knocking over a potted plant. I glanced over to my desk where he had been fumbling and saw my beloved fountain pen resting near the edge and a splash of blue ink staining a few documents beside my monitor. Suddenly irritated, I repeated my inquiry,
“Why did you come to Vancouver? Did my father tell you to come?” I grabbed my fountain pen and placed it in my pen holder, then gave him a warning glare. Dressed in all white, he leaned against my window sill, enjoying the sun as it reflected off his hair and clothes, casting a complete shadow on me.
“Didn’t he tell you?” He eyed me confusedly, and then emitted the same cunning grin that annoyed me, “We’re engaged. I don’t think I need to justify my visits to my fiancé.” Every word he breathed and step he took radiated cockiness, such that I had never seen from him before. I could tell that all he’d been doing in Korea without me was playing the puppet to my father.
“We’re not engaged.” I denied, having never agreed to any of this. Did I not have a say in the course of my own life anymore? He faked a frown for a moment, and then inched closer to me. Impulsively, I backed away. I couldn’t wrap my head around what he was trying to do. Was this the new level of low that he’s willing to stoop to just to please my father? In order for them to get what they want, did they have to play dirty? I could almost guarantee that after my unpleasant phone call with my father, he knew of my opposition and told Daehyun to come and try to change my mind, but this method was just too pathetic. I wouldn’t let myself be seduced by my father’s puppet.
“Did you forget?” I muttered, a tear escaping my eye as my back stiffened against my bookcase. At the sound of my voice, Daehyun paused in front of me, but kept me pinned to where I was. The arrogant grin he had was no longer there, and for a moment I saw the same innocent eyes that he had when we were just kids.
“You promised me that we’d be best friends forever. How could you agree to this?” My voice cracked as more tears flowed down my face. I couldn’t contain the helpless misery I felt, and seeing the face of the person I had once trusted with my life doing this right now was just too much. His arms dropped back to his side and he stared blankly at me, not saying another word. Without wiping my tears, I took this opportunity to run out of my office. I didn’t care who was outside to see me in such a reduced state, but anywhere was better than here.
“Ji—“Hyosung’s voice gasped as I burst through my office doors, accidentally shoving Yongguk’s shoulders as I left through the front doors. I had a lot of explaining to do, but right now I just wanted to be alone.
Yongguk’s POV
Jieun’s body was shaking uncontrollably when she brushed past me. She eyed me for one brief moment before disappearing out the doors, and I could tell that their discussing didn’t go well. Hyosung looked at me with a worried and confused expression before scurrying after her. My eyes were locked on the half open door to Jieun’s office. Daehyun was still in there. Boldly, I walked into her office and leaned against the door frame, watching Daehyun leaning awkwardly with his forehead against the bookshelf. His previous overconfidence seemed non-existent now, so I approached him.
“What do you want?” He snarled, not looking up at me. He probably already guessed who I was.
“Call it off.” I advised sternly, examining how pathetic he looked right now. He turned suddenly to face me and then shot me a deceitful smile.
“What do you know?” He was slowly regaining his composition along with his ego.
“Enough to know that this engagement is driving Jieun up the wall.” He looked offended as I shared my thoughts, as if his chaebol pride had been cut in half.
“She’ll learn to accept it, and then she’ll know that this was a good decision.” He seemed so sure of himself, but his ignorance to others was what gave chaebols in general such a bad reputation.
“This isn’t about just adapting to a few simple changes. She doesn’t want to marry you. How do you expect her to accept being next to you for the rest of her life if she doesn’t like you that way? People can fake status and even wealth, but love cannot be fabricated by such means.”
“If it’s not me then who does she have left to choose from? The likes of you? Tch, low-lives like you shouldn’t dream so big.” Daehyun retorted, pushing past me as rudely as he could as he left Jieun’s office. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. He definitely lived up to every negative stereotype that pertained to chaebols, and I worried for Jieun. There was no doubt that he’d be back. At first I only dared encounter him for Jieun’s sake, but now he just made it a little more personal.
A/N: My apologies for not updating in a long time. Life's been busy x]! I'm actually planning on trying to write an actual book/novel (at least start it) this summer so I have a lot of writing projects to do. I'm still fond of this plot though (: The thing is I'm leaving for a 2 week camp TOMORROW(July 16) and won't be back until July 28 so I won't be able to update during that time. Sorry everyone!
And I have a terrible record of not sticking to just one fanfic at a time so being me, I started a new one titled COUNTDOWN TO SUNSET
It's an EXO Fanfic but it's based on real life--my life. And considering my non-existent love life, this fanfic will probably sum everything up quite nicely. The plot is personal to me, but my friends insisted that it was story-worthy so I'm turning it into a fanfic too. Check it out if you like my writing ^^ (I don't write to express fangirl feels, I write with the honour and pride of a real author. I want people to enjoy my stories for the plot and writing style, not merely for the characters used in the story itself.)
Comments