“I’m home~~” Chaerin arrived at her family home and quickly make herself comfortable at the living room.

“Oh? Chaerinnie… you’re not going to work?” Aunty Choi appears at the living room.

“Oh… I’m on leave today” she smiles.

“You want anything to eat?”

“No, thank you aunty, but I’m just going to go upstairs to rest okay?”

“Yeah, sure…..” she monitors Chaerin and noticed her mood is a bit down. Usually she will greet her with her perky voice and hug her but today her vibe is different.

Chaerin climb the stairs feeling weak. She had done a lot of thinking while on her way back. Jiyong’s words stuck in her mind and she’s having mixed feelings. She closes the door behind her and places her bag on her bed. Bending down, she reached for a box underneath her bed and took out a semi-finished white shell necklace and look at it dearly.

One by one her tears roll down her cheeks.  “Why did you have to leave me so soon mom…. Why?”

She climbs on her bed and take the necklace to her chest, hugging it. After having a lot of thought during her ride home, she understands where Jiyong is coming from. He actually slapped some senses to Chaerin. She hates him. No. She hated that he have that kind of impact to her. He’s not her friend, they’re not close but why when he said something it’s affecting her emotion? Her tears rolls down again, she closes her eyes to wash away the longing for her mother right now.

She’s not ready to go to her apartment. She’s not ready to face him, not that she’s still mad but she’s embarrassed at how on point his words are. She wants to avoid the awkwardness. Tomorrow going to be the weekend and Chaerin doesn’t care anymore. She won’t go tomorrow. He can do whatever he wants with the pictures.

She just doesn’t care.

**************************************

“What’s wrong with this design?! You ask me what’s wrong?? You saw nothing wrong with it?!” Jiyong retorts to one of the designers in their showroom. Youngbae rushes out from his office to see what the commotion is all about.

He can see the poor young lady is looking down the floor while Jiyong is holding a fabric in his hand and another hand on his waist. Everybody else keep their head down low trying to avoid Jiyong’s stare. Nobody dare to make a sound when the mighty GD is in a bad mood.

“Let me ask you something… when is the fashion week?”

“Ne…next month…”

“Then… is this acceptable? Tell me?!” he raised his voice once more and Youngbae quickly move to his side.

He pats his shoulder “I’ll handle things here…”

Jiyong stare deeply into Youngbae’s eyes before looking at the designer again and throw the fabric on the table.

He storm to his office and everybody pretend to be busy with their work. He slump in his couch and pressed his forehead. He’s been stressing about the thing that had happened just now. He hates to admit it, but he has a hard time to focus because of Chaerin.  Her empty expression is haunting his mind and he can’t seem to get it off. For the umpteenth time he look at his phone and staring at her number, contemplating to text and call her but the moment he wants to press the green button, his pride messes with his mind.

“Aissshhh!!!” he throws his phone away again and brushes his face abruptly.

Youngbae soon enter into his office and sit across Jiyong.

“How’s the girl?” Jiyong ask with his arm covering his face, head tilt to the back.

“Traumatized.. Embarrassed.. What the hell is wrong with you Ji…? I’ve been monitoring you whole day, you yell at your new secretary, you yell at Seungri, you yell at the girl just now and I swear I saw you yell at the coffee machine too”

“I didn’t yell… I only raised my voice…”

“Are you okay? You seemed stress about something”

“Nothing…nothing… just leave me…”

“Geez, you sound like Dara on PMS”

“Dude…” Jiyong look at his cousin, too tired to say anything.

“Fine… just do me a favour and don’t leave this office… I don’t know what will happen when you go out there…”

“Hmmm….”

“By the way, Seungri want to have men’s night out with the four of us…”

“I’m not in the mood”

“I know… you’re on your PMS…”

“Yahhh!”

“That poor Seungri… yah… you should treat him better.. He was crying reminiscing the past this morning” Youngbae chuckles and Jiyong notion to him to quickly go out of his office.

Seungri is the least of his concern right now. Jiyong sigh once more and reached for his hand phone. He stares long and hard at the name on his phone.

‘Argh! it!’

To: Wild Brat

Hey.. Have you cool down yet?

Sent. Done. No turning back this time. Jiyong places his phone on the table watching it intensely while the minutes passes by.

5 minutes.

10 minutes.

Every minute passed he feels like punching something to cool down his nerves. After having staring contest with his phone for almost 30 minutes he picks it up and lift his phone to throw it on the floor. Then he realized something. Why is he being like this?

‘Jiyong… gather yourself up…’ he brushes off his face a few times and put his phone back in his pocket. He cracked his neck and move to sit on his chair. He convinced himself to focus on work first, personal later.

‘You can’t let a girl take control over you again, especially one who have no interest at you and whom you have no feelings over. Right?’

***************************

Seunghyun enters Chaerin’s bedroom with his father following from behind. He has just arrived from Jeju and was picked up by his father and Uncle Youngdon. They monitor the surrounding, Chaerin is sleeping soundly with the necklace in her embrace. Seunghyun turn to look at his father with concern eyes and Junghwan pat his son’s back taking over the lead towards Chaerin.

Apparently, aunty Choi was about to enter her room with a glass of hot chocolate this afternoon but stopped when she heard a whimper from her room. It was unusual for her to see Chaerin here during weekdays and knowing her, there must be something going on because she is not the type to take leave that easy. The Lee family are hardworking people. She was right after confirming the cry she heard coming out from her room. Concern, she called Junghwan to check upon Chaerin and here they are now.

Junghwan sit on her bed and take the necklace out of her grasp, he look at the necklace and emotions starts rushing in.

“Dad..” Seunghyun touch his shoulder and he smile at him.

“I think it’s that time again….” He whisper to him and start caressing his daughter’s head lovingly.

They know she’s been crying judging from that visible smudge of her eyeliner. Seunghyun watch his sister. He remembers how hard it was for his father and him during their grieving period. She was harshed to them, she pushes everyone away and she locked herself in her rooms for days, he just couldn’t bear to see her in pain again.

Chaerin open her eyes bit by bit, she felt the in her hair and when she opens up her eyes she saw the two people she love the most are looking at her. Blinking a few times to clear her vision due to her smudge eyeliner and mascara, as a reflex she quickly wipe her eyes, she doesn’t want them to worry seeing her like this.

“Oppa! You’re here~” Chaerin sit up yawning and fixes her hair. Then she throws them a sweet smile indicating that she doesn’t want to talk about it hoping that they will take the hint.

“Yeah…. Why are you lazy-ing around at home? Aren’t you supposed to be at work or something?” he act as normal as possible, going with the flow.

 “I’m on leave~~ hi dad!” she hugged him dearly and jump from her bed to hug Seunghyun. She is so happy to see her brother.

“Aigoo!!! Did you gain weight while I was gone?” Seunghyun teases her and she pouts.

“Dad~~~~” Chaerin seek help from Junghwan.

“She’s been eating on behalf of you when she’s here” Junghwan joins in. If this can light up her mood, so be it.

“Fine. This is how it’s going to be then? Team up you guys~” she pouts again.

“I was kidding…” Seunghyun pinch her cheeks and pull her to his arm.

“Why are you guys watching me sleep? You guys are weird…” Chaerin is oblivious over things.

“It’s because we heard that a certain someone didn’t go to work today…”

“Yah, Tabi… I said I was on leave~~~~”

“Really? I’ll ask Teddy…” Seunghyun pretend to dial his phone.

“Urghhhh~~~ fine fine… Don’t be mad and listen to me first…. I actually had a minor accident…”

“Minor accident?? When? Where? Why didn’t you tell us… did you hurt yourself??” Junghwan turn her around to check up on her.

“Dad… calm down…” Chaerin chuckles.

“Chae, is that even funny?” Seunghyun show her deep stare, she turns to look at her father and he is also giving him that look. If she has a camera right now, she would take picture of them to show how alike they are.

“Umm… calm down you two… I twisted my wrist, but I went to the Dr, everything’s okay now…see~” she wave her wrist in front of the two men.

“That’s it? Are you sure?” her dad holds her wrist while looking at it.

“Sure daddy..”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” her dad start lecturing her and she can only looked at the ground.

“I don’t want you to worry~~”

“And do you think I’m not worry after hearing about this, now?” Junghwan can’t help it. As a father, even the slightest thing will trigger his feelings. Seunghyun turn to look at his sister who is feeling sorry in his arms.

“Dad I think Chae learnt her lesson… no more next time okay… you will tell us everything~”

“Okay I promise, dad I’m sorry” Chaerin move from Seunghyun to her dad and wrap her arm around his waist, she knows Junghwan will cool off immediately with her charm.

“You found my weakness~” Junghwan give in and flick her forehead lightly as her punishment and she show a wide grin to them.

“Does Jiyong know? I’m going to lecture that kid…” Chaerin was taken aback when Seunghyun suddenly mention his name.

“Who’s Jiyong? Junhee’s son? Why does his name suddenly came up?” he looked at Seunghyun.

“You haven’t told dad yet?” Chaerin shakes her head and bite her lips. “Chae.. What’s wrong with you? Dad, Jiyong move to the same apartment as Chae’s, he move across of her…”

‘Great… just… great’

“Really?”

“They already become neighbours for weeks~” Junghwan search for confirmation from Chaerin and she nod showing a guilty expression.

“Aigoo!” he flicks her forehead once more. “Why are you keeping so many secrets?” she saw her dad smile.

“Mmm.. why are you happy?” Chaerin squints her eyes.

“Because now I don’t have to worry about you living alone knowing that there’s Jiyong there… but wait, right… didn’t he know about your injury? I’m going to tell Junhee that his boy is not a considerate neighbour…”

“Okay if it makes you guys happy, he was the one who took me to see the Dr… and gosh you guys, he’s my neighbour, not my butler~ he doesn’t need to know everything that had happened to me” Chaerin rolls her eyes seeing their expression become more relax.

“I knew that boy is dependable…” Seunghyun is making a statement to his father and he nodded showing his satisfied expression.

“But, are you friends now?” his dad asked. Chaerin know he’s confused.

“No.. We’re just…..neighbour.” she’s actually doesn’t know how to explain what they are. People keep asking her this question and honestly she doesn’t know. They have the contract that tied them together and with that, they certainly aren’t just neighbours. But they are definitely not friends as well.  So, to be safe she just says neighbours.

“Didn’t you say you work with him?”

‘Great… Why not spill everything..’

“You work with him?? What is this… I’m lost” Seunghyun frowns.

Chaerin sigh. She starts to explain everything to them to clear any confusion in the air. Not everything, of course she left the ‘maid’ part.

“Just how much do you keep from us Chae? Next thing we know, you’ll be running back home saying ‘I’m marrying Jiyong’” Seunghyun is imitating his sister’s voice.

“Shut up!! Never in this life, or next life or next next life…”

“Careful honey, don’t hate someone too much, you might end up with him…”

Chaerin slam her body down to her bed, frustrated. All of this this talk about Jiyong is beginning to suffocate her and both men just chuckles.

“Since you’re here, let’s go eat Galbi dad!” Seunghyun nudge at her with his feet.

“Sounds good…”

“Yeayyyyy Galbi!!!!” Chaerin shouted loud enough to make the two men cringe then she laugh. Finally, they can change the topic.

“Go get ready… you look like crap~” Seunghyun pushes her again with his feet and points to the bathroom.

“Yah!!”

“Seunghyun~” Junghwan glare at his son.

“Whoops… sorry..” Chaerin stick her tongue out and pushes the two men out from her room.

“Aigoo this little princess”

“Hee, I have to kick you guys out because I’m going to get ready, wait for me downstairs…”

“30 minute max!” Chaerin heard Seunghyun right after she closes her door. She closes the door and lean her back on the door. She bites her lips.

‘Why am I so emotional right now…aishh’ she wiped off the tear that rolling down again. Chaerin smile to herself. Even if there’s