Stranger 9 : Closer

BGM : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3dgfIPBXHk

Previously :

“Are you not scared to be with me alone, in my house as a plus. Do you trust me?” Yonghwa moved his gaze from the star to Seohyun’s side profile. A pointy nose with milky skin.. gazing to the star. The light were somehow shimmering on her. Creating an illusion of a dream.

“No, but I want to.” Seohyun looked at his eyes back, replying to his gaze.

“Then don’t. Expect the worst from me, because I don’t trust you either.” He gazed sadly into her eyes she laughed a little which earned her a frown from Yonghwa.

“You get your heart broken so many times, I got used so many times. It’s bound to be that way.”

“Should we start our first lesson on teaching you how to love?”

“Ne songsaengnim.”

“Shall we kiss?” 

***

Seohyun gulped nervously.

“This soon?”

“So when do you start kissing people then?” She shrugged her shoulders to Yonghwa’s question.

“You know we need to be normal when we are displaying public affection right. PDA.” Yonghwa took a sip of her ‘chinese yam drink’ or ma which is on the table.

“PDA? What is that.” She frowned while Yonghwa coughed nearly chocking at her question.

“What?!? You don’t know that. It’s called ‘public display of attention’.”

“I know that, I just don’t know the short form for that.”

“You are a really straight person aren’t you.”

“I’m a writer, I don’t use short form.” She answered nonchalantly.

“How arrogant, dear.”

“I learned from the best.” She grabbed the cup of ma and sipped it when she realized it was empty. “You finished it?” She exclaimed.

“I did.”

“Getting comfortable really fast aren’t we.”

“You are at my home in the middle of the night aren’t you?” He paused for a while before continuing his sentence. “So does kissing a guy is that big of deal to you?”

“Nope.” She whistled.

“Huh? So you go around kissing people freely?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That Won Geun guy.”

“I just want to try whether there’s any feeling.. and I conclude there aren’t.” Yonghwa shook his head to her answer.

“So when are we going to kiss?” She asked, seemingly without any sort of feeling.

“Bwohh?!? You know what, first lesson don’t go kissing guys freely.” She pouted at his response. “And don’t make that cute mouth at any guy either.”

“What cute? This is me.” She about to protest when she found Yonghwa nowhere to be found.. but then she felt a warm moist thing on her lips. She saw a mesmerizing dark brown orbs in front of her when he closed his eyes.. so she did too. It was a peck but it lingers for 5 seconds. Weirdly, she counted it. Weirdly, she felt warm when it happened unlike the one she have before.

Then the feeling is gone, the kissed has stopped.. so she opened her eyes, feeling shy of the sight of Yonghwa staring at her worriedly. There was something that’s so attractive about the setting, a simple yet sweet kiss under the moonlight and the guy was checking whether you’re okay or not. She felt like she was being taken care of like she was the most fragile thing on earth. The fact that somehow her feeling is the uttermost important for him. It’s a rare thing for her.. usually a guy will just made a point to approach her without caring the way she feels, demanding her to feel the way they feel. She likes guys that are considerate. Wait, why does she has this kind of thoughts with this stranger?!

“Is it okay?” He gulped nervously.

She stared at him for a while, gathering words to say only causing Yonghwa to feel even more nervous than he already is when suddenly she smiled back at him. “It’s okay.”

“Phew.” He wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead when she suddenly stood up a bit and gave him a peck on his forehead.  His eyes widened with the sudden contact.

“Thank you.” She ruffled his head. “It’s been a tough day for me though it’s great for you. I find that kiss really refreshing. I guess I can go home and wrote some stuff up now.”

“So soon?”

“Why, do you want me to sleepover here?” She chuckled.

“Nah, I’m going out myself too. I mean it’s safer if you just stayed here.. I’m not around anyway.”

“Where are you going?”

“Trying to find some calmness in order to have a proper sleep.”

“Your medication?”

“You notice?” She nodded slightly.

“I’m trying to lessen it. It’s not that good depending on the medication too much.”

“I know, I was about to tell you that but not till your condition improve. You should meet with my grandma, maybe she can arranged you with some expert besides she knows more than me.”

“What did you know?”

“I’m a med student before.”

“That was not on your background profile.”

“I thought someone like you would read it, that’s why I erased it.”

What more did you erased in your profile Seo Joohyun?

“At where?”

“Somewhere you don’t know of. I actually worked as it at some secluded hospital. I gave up halfway, it wasn’t my thing. I get involve too much.. and I lost my sense of direction.”

“So young?”

“Can we please stop talking about this. Being a doctor is not about being a genius. It’s something so human.. that the person like me never deserve to be.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Why?”

“Because you are the most human person that I meet after such a long time.” Yonghwa said sincerely, looking directly at her twinkling eyes.

***

‘I’m going to choose my dream, whether I could fly with my dream or not. At least I know for myself that I strive to achieve it because I’m passionate about it.’

She heard a soft snoring sound coming from Yonghwa who is leaning on the driver seat. She looked at the watch its 3 AM and a car already waited for her outside. She closed the book she was reading at him, her book that he hasn’t completed. She gently opened the door afraid of waking him up and ran to the car.

“It’s cold.” She rubbed her hands together.

“Ahgasshi… your pencil.”

“Thanks.” Seohyun reached for it and started to write with a few quick glances to make sure Yonghwa is still sleeping. The driver was silent the entire time, not wanting to interfere with his ahgasshi ‘golden time’. She can be quite immersed when she was writing. She needed her precious pencil to write it, if it wasn’t around she could write but she get cranky due its low quality.. The one she is using right now is the one that her grandfather used. The one that he entrusted to her.

His house was empty like the look on his eyes.. That’s the look that she kept seeing on the entire human race that she met lately. It seems that his life were full with emptiness.. The kitchen that he used were empty, his house were white, his bed sheet were unmoving, there wasn’t any stained on his house, his chair was mostly only for a single person to seat.

He was daring to approach, to make mistake.. so why did it felt like if you knock inside of his life. It will be really loud because the inside was so empty.

He won’t let people in.. she knew that. She knew it from the moment she saw him. Of how he observed people around her. His favourite habit is hurting himself. But it’s not because he is afraid of getting himself hurt it’s something else.

“Hmm.” Seohyun stopped writing and took a glance at the Nissan GTR parked beside the car she is sitting on, scrutinizing the way he sleeps. “Recognition maybe, but the question is from who? Why is he so deprived to be on top? Money is not the thing that he wanted. I just knew it.” She mumbled to herself when weirdly she starts remembering the kiss. So she gently put her hand on her own lips… She shook her head when she realized she suddenly remembered it.

***

Yonghwa woke up, weirdly without feeling any pain on his body parts even when he slept in that way.

“I just slept properly. Really thanks..” Yonghwa looked at his side when Seohyun was nowhere to be found. He frowned.. he took a look at his watch.

10 AM.

“Damn it!” His eyes widened knowing fully well how terrible this was, he took a look at his phone only now did he noticed that his phone was in off mode. Is this Seo Joohyun trying to ruin his career? He the engine and reversed his car, speeding off to his office not noticing a sticky note is sticking on his forehead.  

He got a freaking important meeting from what they say the most prominent figure in the book publishing history. This is super vital for his next move in making a classic coffee house with mini library in the new develop walk in shopping mall. This kind of small things are very important for the joint venture in making his new shopping mall a classic-esque plus with a tinge of noir feelings centre in Seoul metropolitan with a sky view of the new airport building around there. Seeing airplane flew, will make them feel like a sense of dream like feeling. And he was about to make a film using that as a setting of meeting of the lead character with producing copyright of the song together with the film. He believed it will be a mega hit. Yes, he is branching in real estate, because before he is focusing more on his film company that he was a head in but since Aunt Yoo Hee decided to give him a go in this one, he don’t want to waste it.

Indeed Jung Yonghwa is working on a company that excel in 3 field, producing film and making film sets.. which now is going to turn into a real shopping mall. Killing three birds with one stone if you might call it. Although, his company is more based on real estate above anything else.

Yonghwa opened the door, rushing to the office ignoring the employees that is bowing at him and opening the door for him.

“Wait, he wore the same clothes?”

“Maybe he doesn’t sleep at home? It’s unlikely of him to be this late?”

“Perhaps, he’s with a girl last night?”

“Impossible our boss is not that kind of playboy.”

“Yaa.. don’t you hear the rumor?!”

“What rumor.” An outsider chimed in.

“He is with the heiress of the Seo clan.” Although, feeling shock with the sudden appearance they answered the outsider question.

“SERIOUSLY!?” Yonghwa who is fixing his suit glared at the staff who is busy chatting up to the rumors. “See you in the office in 3 hours.” He said sternly.. noticing a female hiding her face from him which he found weird but walked ahead ignoring whatever weird stuff that is happening.

“Sajangnim!” A staff ran toward him.

“What?” He frowned, looking albeit angry because he was rushing and he need to ignore the embarrassment of wearing the same clothes that he is wearing earlier.

“Your forehead.”

“WHAT?” He raised his voice which that staff grew scared at the instance.

“Sticky note.”

“Huh.”

“It said there. Yonghwa sshi, I’m going first because I have to meet my grandpa. And oh don’t worry I send in clothes and some undergarments for you to change in. I don’t know where to get it so I went to buy in the clothing store and bring my driver along with me. It’s a bit shy don’t you think.” Yonghwa gulped feeling a hot feeling crawling on his skin, feeling embarrassed when he heard his staff and some of people passing by giggling. He snatched the sticky note.. and coughed awkwardly walking to the office. He continued reading it.

I switched off the phone because I’m afraid It will disturb your sleep. I postponed the meeting for you. So just relax okay. :)

-Seo Joohyun-

“Where’s the representative for the Writer’s council.”

“Inside of the meeting room sajangnim.”

“I’m so dead. Nobody is entertaining him or her? Or whatever it is.”

“Yoo Hee sajangnim is inside.”

“Phew.”

“Give me the background detail.”

“Sajangnim.”

“What?” He felt cranky out all of sudden because people kept calling him out but still he opened the meeting room door flashing a smile. He swore his jaw almost dropped, seeing the figure in front of him sipping a green tea with his aunt.

“Ahh Yonghwa yah!” Aunt Yoo Hee greeted her bestfriend son’s

“Annyeonghaeseyo Yonghwa sshi.” She bowed politely, a 90 degrees bowed.

“Annyeonghaeseyo uhmm.”

“Seo Joohyun sshi would be nice.”

“Ahrasseo.” He sat down and asked the girl to sit down along with him.

“I’m sorry for being late.”

“Don’t worry I know the reason.” She tried to suppress her excitement but let out a soft giggling sound.

“So let’s put aside our personal relations and make this work.” Seohyun said seriously. “I’m Seo Joohyun the representative of this negotiation for perhaps just today. The representative is going to change but you can just directly contact the president of organization to know who’s the next representative.”

“She’s the representative among the young writers today Yonghwa yaa. Be serious okay. I’m going first. I’m not a board director moment from the moment I say this. Seohyun, be sure to stop by with Yonghwa at my house okay? I’m liking you already.” She made her way out of the room. “But his family is scary.. so himnae!” She laughed merrily before closing the door.

“So shall we start?” Yonghwa smiled amusingly which the girl returned with a smirk.

***

Yonghwa grabbed a plate of food together with a drink for Seohyun. He sat down on the table, just the two of them with lots of watchful eyes among them. They went for a stare off when suddenly Seohyun bursted into fits of laughter which the staff grew wide eyed on. They practically never saw Seohyun in real life because she barely showed herself up but they heard of her reputation. She did seemed like a goddess in real life especially when she laughed.. They were anticipating whether the rumor mills are real or not

“You are such a sly person.” He smiled bashfully ignoring how the staff were shocked seeing him smiling like that.

“I am. Indeed.” She smiled sheepishly at him.

“Is it that much fun?”

“Yes! Your reaction is epic! Hehe.”

“Seo Joohyun. I’m dead mad.”

“You need something excited to turn your boring day to something fun. That’s why.”

“People is looking at us.”

“Don’t you think it’s time for us to be on the newspaper front page as the new power couple?”

“So you do know how powerful we will be when we are together.”

“Of course I do but I need to go now.”

“I should send you out then.”

“No. You postponed a lot of your schedule already.”

“Seohyun, when are you free? I need to bring you to meet my family. The main purpose of why we are doing this.”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night, I will pick you up.”

“Okay.” She ruffled his hair and walked out from the cafeteria laughing a little at his shocked reaction and the staff reaction.

‘Man they were funny.’

***

Yonghwa was buzzed with a few feeds from his email along with a lot of unnecessary phone calls and texted with the news that he is dating with Seo Joohyun of the Seo’s clan making its way finally to the news portal site. One man was particularly fond of it, his grandfather.

He cringed at the thought of him dating a chaebol girl because he sort of despise their species but Seo Joohyun wasn’t bad. Wasn’t bad at all. It’s like he making a new friend that he could actually talk to. Maybe she can become his girl best friend along with this platonic relationship they are going for.

He were checking his workers progress when he saw a suspicious woman walking around the hallway. He silently called the security guard and moved slowly towards her when suddenly she ran to the door heading to the outside. He ran and ran, losing track of his own whereabouts the sight of the girl when he bumped in with a girl.

“Sorry.” He mumbled… when he noticed her. He looked at her appearance so different than the usual. A cap, green jacket, white t-shirt inside.. skinny jean with a pair of sport shoes barely putting a make up on.

“Seo Joohyun? You say you are busy? What are you doing at..” He looked at his surrounding.. it was a dump over place. Where homeless person loitered around.

“At this kind of place!?”

Author's Note

A really tone down chapter as it's not that dark anymore. It's more of a build up plot with a more fluff parts. Sorry for the late update. I'm still going to be busy for 4 more weeks. Be patient okay? And enjoy reading ^^ A bit of a rush update though so i didnt do any rechecking