Seul Mi sat on the chair. She scanned the restaurant while Min Young seemed she was lost in thoughts. They had arrived at an expensive restaurant with Hyun Joong paying for the bill. Seul Mi was glad that he had made an excuse not to come but something told her that he wouldn’t have come after all. He seemed really busy with work. Something to do with Shinhwa Enterprise, she assumed grimly.

“Seul Mi?”

Seul Mi looked up at Min Young who had a confused look upon her face. “Yes?”

“Is there anything going on between you and Hyun Joong?”

Seul Mi sat there stunned for few minutes. Was she that transparent? “Min Young…”

“Did you know that his previous secretary and receptionist were fired because they fell in love with the boss?” Min Young didn’t wait for Seul Mi to confess.

Seul Mi shook her head.

“Well, I wouldn’t want that to happen to you,” she said.

Seul Mi stared at her. She couldn’t believe this. She thought Min Young was in love with Hyun Joong. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Min Young once again interrupted her. “That’s good!”

“But I got the feeling that you may like him,” Seul Mi said.

“I do. You see, I won’t tell him until after the Company’s party. He would be already in love with me by then.”

Seul Mi sighed. Min Young wasn’t very good at listening but she was very good in interrupting. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” But there was no use. Min Young was in her own world and Seul Mi didn’t have it in her to shatter her dreams. She sighed. She was in one wrong end.

~*~*~*~

“So how did it go?” Hyun Joong asked when Seul Mi was waiting for him outside the building after work. She had long ago stopped waiting for the bus at the bus stop. Hyun Joong would always be there waiting to give her a lift.

Seul Mi didn’t say anything. She just got inside the car. She kept quiet when Hyun Joong started up the car.

“Are you okay?” Hyun Joong was quick to ask. He frowned. He had never seen her like this before. She was really upset. “What happened?”

“Can you first take me home?”

Hyun Joong didn’t say anything anymore respecting her wishes. He wanted to pursue but he wanted her to say whatever she was thinking of on her own term. Silently he rode to the motel. He parked outside then turned to her. He was surprise when she climbed out the car as soon as he killed the engine.

Hyun Joong rushed out following her. “Seul Mi!”

Seul Mi fiddled with her set of keys. She found the right key was just going to insert it in the keyhole when her hand was yanked away. She cried out in shock. “Let go of me!”

“No,” he said. “Not until you tell me what is going on.”

“Nothing’s going on,” she replied angrily. Her face was masked. He couldn’t understand her. He stared at her not convinced. “Let me go!” she yelled.

Hyun Joong still didn’t let go. He took her key and opened the door. He went inside taking her with him. Soon as the door was closed he spun around to face her. “Why are you being like this?”

Seul Mi couldn’t take being cold towards him. She knew it wouldn’t last. She can never be harsh towards him. She liked him too much. She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t meet his eyes.

Hyun Joong didn’t say anything. He took her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

“Min Young likes you very much and I don’t want her to get hurt because of me,” she said.

Hyun Joong pulled back to cup her head with his hands. “This is why I like you.” He leaned forward to kiss her. Just when his lips were about to touch hers, his cell phone went off. He stopped still staring into her eyes. The phone kept on ringing. When it stopped he was going to finish what he planned but his cell phone rang again. He let out an agitated breath. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Seul Mi watched as he stepped back and took out his phone. She wondered what just happened. She couldn’t even get him to move on. She couldn’t move on. What is she going to do? What will happen when he finds out her true identity?

“Hello,” Hyun Joong spoke over the phone. “Shinhwa Min Hyuk called? When?” Seul Mi’s mind snapped at when Hyun Joong mentioned her father’s name. “I need this meeting to go through if I want to buy his company.” Hyun Joong was breathing hard. She guessed he was suppressing his anger. “I want you to call Mr Suzuki and schedule a meeting.”

Hyun Joong snapped the phone shut angrily. He turned to face Seul Mi. His anger vanished. “Sorry about that,” he apologized.

“Were you talking to Min Young?”

“No, Min Ho,” he said. He stepped closer to her. “He knows this is important to me.”

“Why is it important?” Seul Mi asked. She made it sound as if she didn’t much care.

“I want to put Shinhwa Min Hyuk in his early retirement,” Hyun Joong replied.

Seul Mi froze. Did she hear right? He wanted to put her father in his early retirement? What was going on? Why is she left out in the cold?

“Why’s that?” she masked her face not wanting him to see her shocked face.

“What he done to my family, he has to pay,” he said. He was lost in thoughts.

This couldn’t be happening! Why? What happened? Would this affect their relationship? She stared at him. She couldn’t tell him.

“Wha – what… has he done?” she stuttered.

Hyun Joong snapped out of his thoughts. “Let’s not think about that.” He sat down on her bed and reached out for her hand. She let him take hold of it. He pulled her down to sit next to him. “Why don’t we talk about us?”

Seul Mi didn’t say anything.

“What’s wrong?” Concern was written all over his face. “Seul Mi.”

“Why are you so keen on getting your revenge? What had he done to you?”

Hyun Joong let go of her hand abruptly. “I don’t think that is any of your concern.”

Seul Mi jerked her head back. She gave him a questioning look.

Hyun Joong quickly tried to take his words back. But it was too late. She was already hurt by his words. “Seul Mi, no. I didn’t mean that. Please, don’t.”

Seul Mi shook her head. She got to her feet and moved away from him. “No, Hyun Joong! You don’t. I know I’m not important to you.”

“I’m sorry. I never meant it like that,” he tried to reason with her.

“It’s too late,” she whispered. “You said it, now you can’t take it back. I want you to leave.”

Hyun Joong opened his mouth to protest. But he caught his breath when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He couldn’t believe this was happening. It wasn’t meant to go like this. He sighed. He just had to give her time to think. He’ll let her have her way this time.

“I’ll leave now,” he said. “But I’m not giving up on you.”

Hyun Joong left the motel room.

Seul Mi flung herself on the bed as soon as the door closed behind him. She buried her face under the pillow and cried.