The young Chinese woman whispered to the tall man that had entered behind her, and Joonmyeon stifled a nervous cough. His parents liked to surprise him. His dislike for surprises had grown since they had the 'surprise' talk about his family businesses future in China, followed by the 'surprise' announcement of his betrothal to a Chinese heiress, followed by her 'surprise' visit -- a 'surprise' he was currently coming to terms with. Especially since he'd merely being informed to dress nicely for a meal with his parents, only to sit alone for minutes before she entered. She. His fiancee. Their first meeting. He had complimented her, to which the tall man had passed on and responded with quite accomplished Korean. But Joonmyeon could tell he was foreign. They'd sat in stifled conversation for a while before the waitress had appeared and they had been saved for only moments.

"Miss. Li, would like to extend a thank you for the invitation," the tall male spoke again, and Joonmyeon wondered if he had once heard his finacee's voice above a whisper. Everything she said came from the man she had entered with.

"Ah, yes. I'm glad she could make it," Joonmyeon spoke awkwardly, the words forming with hesitation marks on them. He didn't even know she was in South Korea, but he didn't know how to explain this to her at all.

This time the man whispered to the Chinese heiress, Xifeng, who returned with a nod, a small polite smile given to Joonmyeon before she bowed her head a little. Joonmyeon struggled, bowing in return and a little deeper. Formalities were always his strong point in school, but he couldn't get past the idea that this stranger would be his wife. Should he speak as if they are close? Or should he remain formal until they were closer? Would his formal language translate into Chinese? A nervous smile came to Joonmyeon's lips as he glanced between Xifeng and the translator. He still didn't know the other's name.

"Is she enjoying her time here, in Korea?" Joonmyeon attempted to start a conversation, but his focus was directed on the only other party at he table who could understand him.

The male motioned towards Xifeng.

"Direct your questions to Miss. Li, as if I'm not here," the unnamed male answered strictly and Joonmyeon coughed the anxiety from his throat again, nodding his head. He didn't know how to talk to her when all she did was gaze at him; polite smile never faltering and her focus solely on him. 

Joonmyeon nodded a little and focused his eyes on Xifeng. "Are you enjoying your time in Korea?"

A couple seconds were passed as the two on the other side of the table shared whispers before the man spoke again.

"Miss. Li says that she is enjoying her time, although.." there was some hesitation as the translator glanced at Xifeng before he continued, "she wishes she knew the language so that you two could become closer on your own."

There was another nervous laugh from Joonmyeon's lips as he nodded. "She will.. You will grasp the language quickly when you start learning."

After the words left his mouth, he watched Xifeng stand up from the table and he immediately jumped to his feet as well. Had he offended her? What had he said? His parents would kill him if he ruined the engagement and the business deal. It was the surprised look on her face that made Joonmyeon look down to the still sitting translator who's expression almost never changed and hoped for an answer the the abrupt movements of the female.

"Miss. Li needs to go to the bathroom to freshen up," the translators words made Joonmyeon exhale in relief.

"Ah, yea," Joonmyeon motioned towards the door to their private table, one hand wrapped around his forearm as the other laid palm open. "Take your time."

There were glances passed between Xifeng and the translator before the tall male nodded his head as if saying it was okay for her to leave. All Joonmyeon could do was feel his inside's knot and squirm -- 'take your time?' Why had he said that? What did it even mean? The atmosphere made him jumpy and anxious, and as the door closed behind Xifeng, Joonmyeon couldn't help but regretfully lower his arms back to his side and smile in an embarrassed manner at the translator.

"She didn't understand what I just said, did she?" Joonmyeon had hope that the language barrior would save him.

A shake of the head from the translator who seemed to be using the moment to have a drink of water.

"Did you need another drink?" Joonmyeon directed another question, talking out of nervousness. He still couldn't sit down quite yet. Something kept him standing on his feet; an explanation he could give to someone to make him self seem less weird would be good.

"Pretend I'm not here. This water is enough," the translators voice was comforting, but then, anyones would have been for Joonmyeon in the moment. Least then he wouldn't be standing at a table in silence.

"It's kind of hard to pretend that," Joonmyeon's words came out in anxiety and he paused when the translator looked at him. "You're really tall."

For the first time, the translators expression faltered and Joonmyeon finally felt a crack in the immense and heavy brick wall that stood through the center of the room. But the crack was sharply filled when the door shot open and Xifeng stepped back in, followed by the waitress and the food. The room was filled with a breath of hot air as the food was placed out, Xifeng and Joonmyeon once more seated across from one another in a silence that felt ominous to the Korean male. He couldn't help but feel something bad was going to happen.  

The food was quietly eaten, although, Joonmyeon couldn't help but notice the translator had nothing to eat. He would have questioned it if he hadn't already felt he hit his quota of strange things to say and ask for the meeting. Xifeng ate very little from her food, and Joonmyeon couldn't help but think that she was starving herself to look more like a lady. Or may be it was just the girls he'd been around before who ate a lot. When she had stopped eating, Joonmyeon still had a lot to left on his plate and he consistently felt eyes watching him eat. It was enough to make him not hungry anymore.

As soon as his chopsticks were placed aside, there was whispering and his eyes shot to the two across from him. Had he eaten too much? Or not enough? Or done something else?

"Miss. Li was wondering when you wanted to--"

Joonmyeon's phone buzzed and he jumped to pick it up, clicking the screen in haste. But the nausea welled in his stomach suddenly. Why did he get a message from that boy? They barely spoke. Do Kyungsoo. 

"--arrange for future dates to start preparations for the engagement and wedding," the translators voice made Joonmyeon's eyes shoot up to look at the other two. He knew his face showed panic.

"Whenever she has time, she can call my assistant and organize it with my schedule," Joonmyeon spoke slowly, mind processing the words him mouth was saying in his place. His mind still reeling from the message on his phone.

"Is everything okay?" The translator seemed to speak for himself then, but Joonmyeon could only nod.

"I need to go. Emergency. I'm sorry," Joon used short abrupt sentences as he climbed to his feet, phone still in his hand as he turned and left in a mild daze. All he could feel was the need to get out of that room and away from their eyes watching him and somewhere else. Anywhere else. 

Jagged, uneven breathing clashed with the warm air outside and Joonmyeon glanced left and right. Where was his car? Did he bring his car? He started walking a little before he felt pains in his chest and he braced himself against a wall. It didn't take long for his knees to feel weak and his head to feel dizzy, one hand clutching at the pocket of his shirt and his eyes stung with tears that fought to get out. Uneasily he crouched down, the hand holding the phone still pressed to the wall of the restaurant he'd just ran from and his head bowed while his shoulders shuddered with his sharp breaths.

He was dying. He felt like he was dying. What were the signs of a heart-attack? How old did he need to be to have a heart-attack? 

"Count backwards from 100," a close voice made Joonmyeon jump, nearly throwing him off balance and causing him to curl up further. He didn't want anyone to see him die. It was embarrassing to have someone watch him die, but he couldn't bring himself to stand up either.

"Ka," Joon snapped at the person, not even stopping to consider who it was. He just wanted them to go.

"100. 97. 94. 91. Count with me," the voice continued in a soothing manner. "88. 85. 82. 79."

Joonmyeon found his mind focusing on the person counting, and even started counting himself.

"76. 73. 70. 67. 64. 61. 58." They counted together.

The tightness in his chest loosened and he felt the tension in his body fade away. 

"55. 52. 49. 46. 43. 40. 37. 34." 

Slowly Joon raised his head, looking up to meet the eyes of the translator who had been sitting across from him all night. The panic returned with frustration. He ran away so they wouldn't see him, or find him. Why did the other follow him?

"My..." the translator seemed to search for the appropriate word, "a boy like a dongsaeng to me suffered panic attacks. I'll get you some water."

"I'm fine," Joonmyeon snapped, managing to gather himself onto his feet. The taller man following him as the both stood.

Joon dug his hand into his pockets, retrieving his leather wallet and producing a sleek company card. "Pay with this. I need to go. Apologize to Miss. Li and tell her to contact this number to set up another date." 

A second card was produced, a neat looking business card that Joon forced into the others hand before he pivoted on his heels. He rubbed his neck as he walked a little further along to find his car, its lights flickering when he clicked the button on his keys and he glanced back as he opened the door. The translator remained standing there. Joonmyeon could see the others expression had softened from the stiff look he had worn most of the night. There might have even been a hint of concern, but all Joon could do was rub his chest where the pain still felt like it radiated from and climb into his car. 

He still wanted to get far from there. 

- - -

Joonmyeon sat rigidly in the chair across from the doctor.

"So when did you say the symptoms returned?" The voice of the doctor sounded warm and concerned, but yet, his eyes hadn't moved from the computer screen once since Joon was called in.

"Three days ago. I had.. Well, I think had a panic attack," Joonmyeon answered, his eyes remained behind the darkened sunglasses and he chewed his lip. "I haven't had one since after college entrance exams."

The doctor hummed a little before he spun his chair suddenly to start digging around in his documents as Joonmyeon watched. There was a pause as he produce a sheet of paper and scribbled down on it with black ink.

"What I'm giving you might help. You take one if you feel stressed or feel an attack coming on. It might help relax you, but it's only mild," the doctor explained, pressing his glaasses back towards his face as he continued to write. "But what you really need is someone to talk to--"

"No," Joon cut the doctor off.

A deep exhale came from the man who tugged off the paper and handed it to Joon with a hesitant expression. "If you continue to have them, it could get worse. What treatment did you get--"

"I'll be fine," Joon cut the doctor off again as he took the paper and climbed up from his seat. "I'll take these as prescribed and avoid stressful situations."

That didn't seem to ease the doctors look, but Joonmyeon couldn't care what the doctor thought. The only reason he came was for some kind of drug that he could take if a panic attack happened. Psychotherapy? Joon could hear his parents telling him that they would not have a mentally ill son. They would not accept it. It was weakness. It would cast a cloud over the succession of the company and pressure the share holders into backing out of the company. It would lead to a loss in money, more money than Joonmyeon could imagine. These thoughts circled his head as he stood at the pharmacy, dark sunglass still over his face as he waited for the pharmacist to bring him the medication.

Disgruntled whispering behind him, made Joon turn his head a little to see two younger boys hissing words at each other. A blonde boy was hanging off another, arm wrapped around his ribs and an awful expression on his face. He clearly looked in pain and the boy next to him was flustered; red cheeks and urgency written over his face.

"Sir, your medication," the pharmacists voice made Joon twist back around to see the simple paper bag being placed on the counter.

Money was exchanged, and Joonmyeon thanked the pharmacist who smiled at him before turning his focus on the two boys who still seemed to be arguing in hushed whispers.

Just as Joonmyeon left, he could hear one of the boys abruptly speak in a loud and defiant tone. "I just need something for the pain, I don't need to go to the emergency room. It was only--"

The door chimed above Joon's head as he stepped back into the mid-morning sun. So much for the rain they said would be coming.

A sigh rolled from Joon's lips as he fell into the drivers seat of his car and put the medication onto the passenger seat. He leaned forward to start the car when his eyes flickered to his phone and its scratched screen. Kyungsoo's message was still in there. Joonmyeon hadn't responded to it. He didn't know how to. It would have been better if he hadn't gotten the damn thing at all. But he didn't have time to deal with old history.

No doubt his break was over. He checked the time on his watch. Even the chairmans son had deadlines to be met.

Yifan will appear more in the next chapters, and get a proper introduction. He's just got some secrets of his own and I don't want them all revealed.