How does a man and woman spend the night?
She'll never get a boyfriend.
Holy wow.
Hwayeon stood, mouth agape.
Sure, the Oh’s were elite and sure, they were wealthy. The expensive Swiss watch on his wrist and the opal cuff links weren’t fooling anybody. In fact, he was dressed so impeccably well and so fittingly, of course, it had to be the work of money.
And sure, she’s seen nice cars. But praise be to God, this was a very nice car that Oh Sehun had.
In fact, nice was probably a little bit too lukewarm of a word. If anything, the word car felt almost like an insult to this white, sleek masterpiece.
“So uh, yeah. This is Eden,” he began slowly, watching her expressions intently with warm, soft eyes. "She was a birthday gift from my parents.”
She watched with utter amazement as his fingers worked over his smartphone screen deftly which appropriated in a very fascinating sound: the unlocking click of a car. He glanced at her surprised expression. “It’s this bluetooth-powered keyless-entry system I got fitted so that it connects to my phone. Pretty cool, hey?”
“I didn’t even know you could do that.”
Sehun lifted the corners of his mouth in a small smile. “Well, now you know, Miss Hwayeon.” Opening the passenger door, he gestured inside, chuckling as he watched her gasp at the European leather seats.“You should also get in before you freeze to death out here.”
Nodding, she tottered obediently towards him and slid into the passenger seat and sat, marvelling at the luxurious interior of the car. Everything was padded in the finest leather her fingers had ever traced. The smell of a man’s heavy, musky cologne was the second thing she noted, so delicious and masculine, she felt herself getting a little flustered. “I’m sorry for being an inconvenience to-"
She drew a sharp breath as she felt his arm reach over and pull the seatbelt across her body, his face and his perfect nose only inches from hers. Pale white skin and the facial bones of a Greek god. Delicate cheekbones that framed his face beautifully. Eyes of a deep honey brown. Hwayeon flushed a pretty scarlet, her skin tingling under his warm breath. “That’s okay, it’s the least I can do,” he smiled, withdrawing and settling back into his seat.
It was as if she had forgotten how to breathe, exhaling long and deep in an effort to calm her hammering heart. It was thundering away so loud, she was sure he could hear her.
“Honestly, I should be the one apologising. My sister’s just worried I might stay a bachelor my entire life, so she’s been doing these things a lot these days,” he continued sheepishly, his right hand cupping the back of his neck in a gesture of bashful apology. "That aside, where do you live?”
Hwayeon who was still fidgeting with her fingers, jerked her head at him abruptly. “Me? Seocho-gu.”
“I don’t understand why they had to hold the party at their hunting lodges. It’s literally in the mountains."
I’ve never seen someone so good-looking, she mused as she prodded her knees shyly. For the past ten minutes, she had been stealing sweet glances at him, her eyes lingering on his long eyelashes and the curve of his pink lips.
What sort of girls got to kiss these lips?
What sort of women did he like?
Did he only date rich girls?
I could look at him all day, she sighed. I’m envious, really-
“Miss Hwa-yeon,” Sehun murmured, “is there something on my face?”
She immediately swung her face to the front so fast that her neck could’ve snapped. Burning with embarrassment, she felt as if she was a schoolgirl caught watching ography in her room. “N-nothing."
He chuckled and resumed to face the road. “I think, there’s something wrong with Eden. She’s been stalling at the red lights ever since we left. She’s never done that before. Strange.” He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before shrugging dismissively. “Maybe she’s just having hiccups. She was fine when I took her out for a drive this morning. Anyway, you’re still in college right? What are you studying?”
“Me? Business and marketing,” she laughed nervously.
He turned around in surprise. “Really? Business and marketing? Are you hoping to be in the marketing industry? Or an entrepreneur?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m really just planning on finishing my college degree and graduating. What about you?”
“I did my studies abroad in Vienna but I never really graduated. Father wanted me to come home and start working at the company.” He smiled almost regretfully.
“Oh! I guess that makes sense.”
There was a very long silence. “Do you like working at the company?”
“I’m a board director there, so I guess it’s not too bad,” he murmured, barely audible. “Obviously, I didn’t earn that position so I do feel guilty sometimes. When your father’s the chairman of a global conglomerate, you don’t have much choice.”
“I’m not surprised."
They stopped at a red light. “Maybe I’ll open up a bakery some day.”
She glanced at him, pleasantly surprised. “A bakery?”
“Yeah, like Mom.”
There must’ve been some painful history behind it because Hwayeon couldn’t help but feel as if he were somewhere else, not here but in a faraway, distant memory.
As the traffic lights flickered to green, a look of growing concern crossed his face. Sehun pressed his foot firmly on the accelerator but the car would not move. He tried turning the car off and restarting it, but to his dismay, the car had instead stopped responding altogether.
“What’s wrong?” Hwayeon began, unbuckling her seat belt.
Sehun was already opening the door and getting out, walking over with a troubled expression to the bonnet. After a moment’s silence, she heard him call out, “I think someone’s tampered with the wires.”
“What? Who?” It was already midnight. How are we going to get home, she thought numbly. Sehun sighed before tapping into his phone a number and waiting for the call to be picked up.
"This number cannot be reached. Please call another time and leave your message after the beep.”
Shaking his head, he tapped into the call keypad another number.
And several other numbers.
None of them were responded to.
He stared at his phone incredulously. “Even you, Butler Kang?” she heard him say under his breath in amazement.
Earlier in the day at the Oh residence.
Tiffany paced the room silently, her heels clicking away at the polished, timber floors and her arms folded.
“Tonight, after the party, none of you are to contact nor respond to Sehun’s calls or messages. Neither can his friends or business contacts. Butler Kang, please make sure of that. If an unknown number calls and he is speaking at the other end, you must also, likewise, hang up immediately.”
She stopped, before turning around to face the estate staff abruptly. “If any of you answer him and I find out, which I will and you know that better than anything, you will be in lots of trouble with me. Am I understood?”
A collective exclamation of “Yes, Miss Minyoung” resonated across the grand hall. Satisfied, she waved her hand, dismissing them to their duties.
However, Butler Kang remained, scratching his balding head.
“Yes, Butler Kang?”
He bowed deeply. “Miss Minyoung, is something happening tonight that we are not to contact nor respond to the orders of the young Master?”
She laughed, a small secretive smile upon her shining face.
“Yes, Butler Kang. Tonight, Sehun will not be coming home.”
Surprised, he ventured on. “And how will Miss Minyoung do that?”
She winked at him. “You know there’s nothing I can’t do. Also, you’ve reminded me of something. Butler Kang, is there a way I can access the studio where Eden is?”
He tilted his head in deeper confusion. “You have many cars Miss Minyoung. Why do you need-“
“I’ll need to access the studio where Sehun keeps Eden. Please find a way.”
“Hwayeon, may I use your cell phone? I’m really sorry about this - it’s never happened before. Something’s wrong with Eden and I don’t know what’s happened exactly. What I know definitely is that it’s been tampered with and by whom, I’m not sure. I’m not sure about their motive either.”
Hwayeon opens her clutch and fishes out her cell phone. Pressing the home button, she waits expectantly for the screen to glow.
But there’s nothing but the black screen staring blankly back at her.
“Don’t do this to me,” she mutters as she punches the home button furiously. “Come on, come on."
Sehun forehead creases, his eyes looking at her questioningly. “Is there something wrong?"
“I don’t believe this. My phone’s run out of battery.”
“Ah.” He bites his lower lip in a way that Hwayeon has to look away or she’ll really melt. “For some reason, no one’s responding to my calls or texts. It’s been a strange, strange night. Even my secretary. I’ve tried to call the staff at the estate but I’ve been unsuccessful so far."
“Maybe I could try to call my parents on your phone?” Hwayeon offers, extending her palm towards him.
Sehun shook his head firmly. “I don’t want your parents to come down all the way here in the mountains at midnight to pick you up like this. I’d feel bad. No, Miss Hwayeon. You’re my responsibility and I will be responsible for you tonight. I’m sure there’s a motel around here.”
He smiled warmly at her. “You’ll have a roof over your head tonight, you can count on me.” He took a few slow steps towards her and removed his jacket, placing it over her shoulders. “Stay warm. You can’t get sick or I won’t forgive myself.”
She felt her face redden. “Let’s hurry then,” she huffed hurriedly and turned to speed-walk ahead in her heels. But her turn was too quick and she toppled onto the gravelly road. She felt a peculiar sensation in her ankle that gave way to a sharp, searing pain.
“Ah!” She looked down to see a throbbing, evidently dislocated ankle and scraped knees.
You must be kidding, she thought to herself. God must be punishing me today.
“Moon Hwayeon! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Sehun had rushed to her side, his eyes looking over for obvious injuries.
“Ah, I think I might have dislocated my ankle. Ah, crap.” She touched the angry swelling with her fingers gingerly before quickly withdrawing, wincing at the pain and heat.
Then, without warning, she felt warm, smooth hands remove her heels from her feet and place them in her hands. Sehun had positioned himself into a crouch, his shoulders and back facing her. “Get on.”
She widened her eyes. “On where?”
He patted his back. “Here. Come on, we need to get that bandaged, at least.”
I knew I shouldn’t have stuffed my face at the party, she groaned. I must weigh a tonne. God, why do I keep making bad lifestyle choices?
“I’m really heavy-“ she protested.
“Just get on.”
“What about the car?”
“Let’s get you sorted first, okay?”
“Okay."
“Two rooms, please.”
Sehun and Hwayeon were in the lobby of a shabby motel, glancing nervously at the frayed curtains and shredded carpeting. She was still on his back, her heels held at the front close to his neck.
The old man turned to the guest log book, scanning the columns before looking up at the man piggy-backing the woman regretfully.
“I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused, but it’s been a busy month and we’re fully booked. I’ve only got one room left.”
“I’m sorry?” Sehun choked, as if not hearing properly. Hwayeon was having similar thoughts.
You’re kidding me. Sehun and I…in a room? Together? For a night? Hwayeon had not been prepared for this.
Protesting, she spoke up. “That can’t be. Surely, there has to be another room.”
And I’m a too~! A man and woman can’t be together in a room like this, even if we’re not doing anything!
“I’m sorry, Miss. You can take it or leave it.”
Sehun swivelled his head to look at her ankle, which was swelling to a considerable size. Sighing, he picked up the pen with his free hand and scribbled his initials on the dotted line.
“That’s fine. We’ll take it. Put it on this credit card please."
Author's note: I thoroughly enjoyed planning this chapter so I hope you guys enjoyed this update! I really liked focusing on Sehun in this chapter but I can't wait to write about Chanyeol next! This is a late update again omg pls forgive but also I'm starting to reach the end of my university exams so hoping to update a lot more faster bc my update speed is pretty unacceptable. Please, please, please comment. They mean so much to me! Well, b2utystarship out. < 3
chapter five is up it's a lot longer than the others so hope you guys like it
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