Author's Note: Sorry for the long hiatus again! Work has been piling up and I have several big projects coming up over the next few months that is just driving me insane. Here's a short little chapter... don't worry if you don't understand what exactly is going on - this chapter was meant to confuse you and make you go "huh" but I promise it will all fall into place later. Enjoy! ~

ChapterEighteen

“Are you okay, Miss Park?”

Soo-Kyung was startled out of her reverie by Jinki’s soft voice. Giving him a small smile, she replied: “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look too fine,” Jinki retorted, raising his eyebrows.

“Are you now an expert on reading me?” Soo-Kyung questioned.

“Something of that sort,” Jinki answered. “I’ve learnt to read your facial expressions quite well.”

Soo-Kyung sighed loudly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Your choice of dinner venue tonight surprised me.”

“I said, I don’t want to talk about it,” Soo-Kyung repeated, frustrated.

“I didn’t ask you to. I was just commenting on your choice of dinner venue.”

“It wasn’t my choice.”

Jinki glanced at her briefly through the rearview mirror before making a left turn. “You could’ve said something.”

“Like what?” Soo-Kyung turned her face towards the window, watching the street lamps pass them by.

“Like… I don’t know. ‘I don’t quite like eating at the Daegalbi’ would be a good place to start,” Jinki told her.

“That would be a lie.”

“Would it? Since when was The Daegalbi your favorite dining out place?”

“Since now.”

“That’s news. I’ll have to spread that out.” Jinki announced.

Soo-Kyung felt a moment of small panic at his words. “Don’t you dare say anything.”

Jinki was silent as he came to a stop at a red light. He studied her for a while, then asked: “Is he important to you?”

“He?” Soo-Kyung asked, before realizing who he was talking about. “Yes. I mean, no. I don’t know.”

“Did you have fun tonight?” Jinki turned around to face her, and Soo-Kyung felt his gaze unnerving her.

“I did, until it was spoiled by one of society’s mistresses,” Soo-Kyung muttered.

“You could be one of society’s mistresses,” Jinki said pointedly.

“I’m not interested,” Soo-Kyung snapped.

“Too late,” Jinki turned his attention back to the road, just as the light turned green. “Your presence in the Daegalbi tonight has already been noted.”

“Damn that Jeong-min.”

“Jeong-min is one of the good guys,” Jinki reminded her. “He’s on your side.”

“If he was, he would’ve kept his mouth shut.”

“It wasn’t him,” Jinki replied.

Surprised at this revelation, Soo-Kyung ventured to ask: “Hong Joon-Seo?”

Jinki didn’t say anything, but his silence told Soo-Kyung everything she needed to know. “How’d you find out?” she asked him.

“He called me.”

“That little weasel,” Soo-Kyung fumed.

“I didn’t tell him anything. But I don’t doubt that he’ll have the name of your companion before the night is over.”

“And when he finds out that I had dinner with Choi Siwon…” Soo-Kyung left her sentence unfinished, the consequences already playing out in her head.

“He’ll step up all efforts to force you to sign the papers,” Jinki finished.

“Damn it,” Soo-Kyung breathed. “Damn it.”

“You should’ve known that this would happen, the moment you stepped into The Daegalbi.”

“I didn’t know he was taking me there!” Soo-Kyung snapped.

“Yet you still made the choice to step inside once you arrived.” Jinki’s voice was barely audible, but his words echoed loudly throughout the car.

“You’re crossing a line here, Jinki,” Soo-Kyung warned, feeling her temper rise. She knew he spoke the truth, though. Just why did she make the choice to enter The Daegalbi?

“I’m responsible for you, Soo-Kyung,” Jinki reminded her. “And while I respect your choices, I have to remind you that you’re treading a dangerous line here.”

Soo-Kyung remained silent, his words playing through her mind. Jinki pulled up in front of her apartment building, and she reached for the door.

Just before she exited the car, Jinki’s last words floated back to her.

“You have to decide for yourself: Is Choi Siwon really worth it?”

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