Wednesday came and went. The awkward aura between them slowly began to die down. Jaejoong was still quieter then usual but Gyuri tried her best to convince him and herself that nothing between them was changed. She was relieved when he began to act like himself again.

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[8:15 AM] Thursday

Presentation day.

The success of a month's worth of work and dedication all came down to one meeting. It was the moment of truth.

Already prepared, Gyuri stood beside Jaejoong and the executives from the cell phone company filed into the conference room. It was show time, the time when Gyuri shined more then anyone else. During the presentation she even outshone Jaejoong.

---

[9:02 AM]

The conference room was now empty. Just a couple of minutes ago there had been applause, hand shakes and most importantly signatures. Escorting the executives out they talked happily about the now contracted campaign.

"We look forward to working with you. We are very excited about this project. Saya never fails to surpass our expectations."

"Thank you sir. We also look forward to the launch of the campaign." Gyuri said shaking his hand again.

They closed the door and watched the executives drive off. Keeping her excitement bottled up until she reached the privacy of her office Gyuri walked back inside with Jaejoong behind her. Finally in her office Gyuri let out her excitement. She turned to Jaejoong, forgetting the awkward and confusing dynamic of their relationship and hugged him. He had helped her land the single biggest contract of her career to date. She only felt gratitude towards him. As she wrapped her arms around him, she smiled brightly.

Jaejoong felt her arms on his back. It was strange, the same feeling was rushing back to him again. This time it made him feel guilty, but he still returned her embrace in an exhale.

Feeling his arms around her, Gyuri let go. Jaejoong didn't. He finally broke his silence.

"So this is what it's like to hold you. I've been wondering how it felt." He continued to hold her.

"We've hugged before." she said moving away from him.

He let her go, "It wasn't like that before though."

"Yes it was. A hug is a hug is a hug." Gyuri said trying to convince both herself and Jaejoong.

"So you'd have no problem hugging me again then?" Jaejoong asked, trying to read Gyuri.

"No problem whatsoever." she replied confidently.

"Then?" Jaejoong opened his arms towards her.

"Just because I could do it with no problem doesn't mean I'll do it." she moved over to her desk and Jae put his arms down disappointed.

Things felt as if they were back to normal. The elevator incident continued to slowly become a forgotten incident.

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[Friday]

The work day was fortunately short since Gyuri & Jaejoong had planned so thoroughly for the implementation of the campaign that everything was set. The only work in the office for them were little things. As a celebration of the first success as partners, Jaejoong decided to take the team that helped them out to dinner after work. Not including themselves, their team consisted of three people; Jungmin and junior marketing planners Younha and Hyunjoong.

Jaejoong choose the location. Not surprising to Gyuri, he choose a spot near the food stand he had taken her before.

"They have the best bulgogi here." Jae said happily to the employees.

"A free meal is a free meal! I'm happy!" Hyunjoong said.

They found a table and sat down.

"Order whatever you want." Jaejoong smiled.

"Ajumma! Can I get two bottles of Soju!" Hyunjoong shouted.

Gyuri looked over to Hyunjoong. "Who's driving for you?"

"Uh? Oh yeah, I asked Jungmin-hyung already." he winked at his boss, "Don't worry."

"I'm definitely not drinking tonight. I got such a horrible headache last time, I need a break." Jungmin said reassuring Gyuri. "If anyone here should be drinking tonight, I think it should be you."

The bottles came to their table and Jungmin poured his boss a glass of sweet lemon soju. She didn't like drinking but considering her current situation, she needed a drink. She grabbed the poured glass of Soju. Just one wouldn't hurt.

---

[11:39 PM]

"Ajummaaa!! Can I have another bottle over here!?" Gyuri asked.

The group had been out for hours talking about their lives and work. Within the time spent together Jaejoong found Hyunjoong, who he now referred to as 'Joongtwo', to be a person he could call 'dongsaeng' and Younha had turned out to be a cute flirtatious girl with an apparent crush on him.

The only two sober people at the table were Jungmin and Jaejoong. Jaejoong had taken an initial drink but stopped after seeing Gyuri put her glass up for a second shot.

"No wan wanted me to get promoted..." Gyuri said slightly slurring, her face lightly flushed from the Soju. Through her actions, it was evident that  Gyuri was the type of drunk that ended up pouring out all their hidden emotions. 

"I wanted you get promoted." Jungmin said to his boss, enjoying her recent inhibition.

Gyuri looked over to him and smiled.

"Mee tooo, I don't like In Young... she's scary." Younha said.

"Aaaaiiiiiiiiioooooooooo~ Our Younha is so cute~." Hyunjoong said pinching her cheeks.

"Dooon't do that. I don't like youuu. I like Manager Kim." Younha smiled at him sweetly. Her gaze then turned serious. "Manager Kim, would youuuu like to go out with mee~?" She rested her face in her hands and smiled again, waiting for a reply.

"Sure." Jaejoong smiled at her.

"Yay! I'm soooo happy~"

Jungmin laughed seeing the tipsy girl clap happily, while Hyunjoong looked visibly disappointed.

Reacting to his reply to Younha, Gyuri looked over to Jaejoong and verbally threw up. "I really hate you. You're never serious and play around to muchh." Jaejoong smiled as Gyuri kept talking.

"You're also a lying, cab stealing, mind reader that pulls and pushes me around constantly. I hate you a lot... "

"Well, I think you've had too much now." Jungmin said as he removed her glass from her hand. "How 'bout we pack it up for tonight?"

"I think we should." Jaejoong replied.

"Noooooo~ I wanna stay... Unless Manager Kim takes me home." Younha whined.

"You came with me and Jungminnie-hyung. You're leaving with us too." Hyunjoong said upset.

"Okay guys, are y'all okay to walk a bit to the car?" Jungmin asked.

"I'm good, let's goo!" Gyuri said, standing up slowly to maintain her balance.

"I'll take her." Jaejoong volunteered.

"No!" Gyuri rejected.

"It's no use arguing, Jaejoong-shii lives the closest to you." Her assistant replied.

"I can walk home." Gyuri said slowly walking.

Jaejoong turned to Jungmin, "Get those two home safely, I'll take care of her."

Jungmin nodded and proceeded to them to his car. Once in the car, Younha shouted through the window.

"Managerr~ Don't forget our date, Okay!?"

Jaejoong gave a wave and turned back to Gyuri. She had been walking towards her apartment. He quickly ran to catch up with her.

"You're a pretty stable drunk." he said walking beside her.

"Don't follow me, I'm going home." she said in an irritated voice. 

"When do you plan on reaching home? Tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'm a runner, I could be home in 15 minutes if I wanted."

"You're really funny." Jaejoong said watching the slightly tipsy woman continue to walk in a determined fashion.

"Well I'm glad I could entertain you sir". She made a slight bow catching a glimpse of his face. "Why do you smile so much? I hate it. I hate you."

"I smile because you're funny."

Gyuri sighed and asked him about something that was bothering her.

"Do you just go on dates with anyone that asks?"

"Usually."

"So you're a player then?"

"I've been called that, but I don't juggle girls if that's what you mean."

"I meann you play around with anyone and everyone. That's also a player... You treat everyone the same don't you?" Gyuri said sadly.

"I don't treat everyone the same." he said.

Gyuri stopped walking. "I wanted you to kiss me." she said, looking over to Jaejoong. 

Her sudden confession surprised him and reminded him of the moment they had lightly touched.

Gyuri looked to the concrete beneath them. "I think I still love someone else tho... that makes me a player too huh?"

"You love that Hyukjae guy still?" Jaejoong asked, watching her stare at the ground.

She nodded then realized she had never told him his name before. She looked at him.

"Jungmin told me." he answered before she could ask.

"Stop that! Get out of my head, mind reader!!" she put her hands on the sides of her head, causing Jaejoong to laugh at her.

She put her hands down and asked him another question. "How much do you know?"

"Enough."

"I'm a player aren't I?" she asked again.

"Well yeah... but I don't feel played." he watched her lift her head up, "Does that make you feel better?"

"Thanks." she said as she started walking again. Jaejoong stopped her.

"You're not still thinking of walking home are you?"

"We're already halfway there!" she responded.

"You really are drunk." he turned her around to face where they just came from, "We're hardly 20 feet away from where we started."

Gyuri put her hands up to her face and started laughing, but her laughter turned into soft sobbing. She was letting out her frustrations again.

"What's wrong?" he quickly asked, it was the first time he had ever seen her cry.

"I... I don't know what to do." she said covering her eyes. She was thinking of Hyukjae again.

"Come with me." Jaejoong said, offering her his arm as she looked at him. Wanting someone to give her answers, Gyuri linked arms with Jaejoong.

He then lead Gyuri to his car and started driving.

---

After driving in silence, they ended up at his apartment.

"Why are we here?" Gyuri asked wiping her tears.

"I didn't want to leave you alone tonight. Eunjung is spending the night at her boyfriends tonight isn't she?"

"Stop knowing everything! It's annoying!" She yelled. She had forgotten that during the course of the night she had told everyone about Eunjung's date.

"Come on." Jaejoong said motioning for her to walk with him.

Not wanting to be left alone, she followed him.

In the apartment ,Jaejoong sat her in the kitchen as he went to retrieve something. "Take this. It'll help you avoid a painful morning." he said entering the kitchen again and handing her a glass of water and two pills.

"Thanks."

"Are you feeling a little bit better now?" he asked as she downed the pills.

"Your apartment is nicer then mine and reminds me of you." she replied off topic.

"That's a good thing?"

"Yeah." Gyuri nodded and stood from the table. "Did it cost a lot?"

"Not really." Jae said examining his home.

As Gyuri walked away from the table she bumped into the corner and her glass fell.

"I'm sorry!" she said as she reached to pick up the broken glass.

"Be careful!" Jaejoong said, jumping forward to stop her.

With her motor skills still impaired, she underestimated the length her arm to her distance from the floor and cleanly cut her palm on a piece of glass.

"I said be careful!" Jae yelled at her.

"It was an accident!" she yelled back, holding her hand.

Jaejoong pulled her away from the broken glass and held her now bleeding hand.

"It doesn't look like you got glass in there, but I can't tell for sure. Let's clean it up." He pulled her to the bathroom and washed her hands gently.

"That really hurts." Gyuri winced. The pain was mentally sobering.

"You're the one that cut their palm." he said, drying her hand off.

"Ouch!"

"Wow. It's still bleeding, you really cut yourself pretty good." he said as he started bandaging her hand up.

She scowled at him.

"You can make that face right now even though I'm helping you?" he said smiling.

"As long as you act the way you do, I can always give you this face."

"Well you shouldn't." he finished wrapping her hand, "You'll get wrinkles."

"I told you I don't care." she said looking down.

He touched her forehead like he had before.

His close proximity caused another confession to escape Gyuri's lips.

"I like you..."

Jaejoong smiled as he lifted his hand from her forehead. "I like you too, you're interesting."

Gyuri looked up watery-eyed at him and shook her head. "No... I mean, I don't want you do go on a date with Younha... or anyone else." She reached for his face with both hands and brought it down to her.

Jaejoong had still been thinking about the softness of her lips from last time and now they were his again. He could feel a chilling sensation spread as he moved to hold her and returned the kiss, it tasted of sweet lemon soju.

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Wow! We made it to chapter 20! ~(^0^)~ Thanks for all the encouragement readers!! ilu <3

I hope you liked this chapter n_n