Stranger 14 : After Effects

Previously :

Yonghwa took into his mind what Jonghyun had said to him.. he kept thinking of it… all the way to her mansion. Her beauty as she walked to his car was outstanding that he struggled to breath and his mind went blank.. forgetting what’s been bothering him only to be awaken when she had kissed him on his cheeks.

His ears went deaf.. looking at her lips that is saying something.. but nothing was heard. He gulped nervously.. totally oblivious at her worried gaze and genuine concern over his well being. His body was moving on auto pilot, opening the car door for her.. giving her a rose.. sitting on the leather car seat like a log. His eyes barely blinking all the way to the Hotel. She gently touched his hand when the car had arrived at the destination it was designated to go to.. despite all the flashes coming from the cameras. He jolted away in shock of the tingling sensation it left all over his body. He looked at her.. and his ears started to work again. He looked at her face, realising the fact that..

He loves her.

***

‘My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations.’

John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)

Seohyun stared at him, frowning. He was behaving weirdly. His hand felt extremely cold today, he was perspiring.. the sweats kept forming on his forehead. He looked panicked and stunt. She leaned in closer to check on him slightly grazing her hand over his, but he withdrew himself from her.

“Are you okay?”

“….”

“Yonghwa? Answer me?”

“I’m fine.” She tried to touch his hand again when he quickly jumped out from the car, opening the door in an instance. She eyed him as she saw how his shoulder moves up and down repeatedly as if he was trying to catch up on his breath intake. It takes quite a while before he actually moved and opened her door. She was not sure whether to link her arms with his or not since whenever she touched him, he flinched. It’s not helping that he is standing there as rigid as a man could possibly get. His back was the only sight she could see.. there’s no warm crooked smile directed at her just his back view which looked very distance to what she had grew accustomed to.

“Hey…” She said slowly, but those voice of hers sounded so soothing, it’s like a melodious concern voice ring into his eardrums and he can’t do nothing but to exhale all his concern away. “Do you not want me to touch you?”

His eyes widened, did she not care of how distance it will feel? Did she ever do care at all?

She glanced at all the crowd contemplating of ways to seem like a couple without actually touching. She chose to slightly held the tip of his black tuxedo, consciously pulling it asking him to move.

It pains him somehow, bravely he took her hand and clasped it tightly. He walked through the crowd, grinning like he always did and lead her to the grand door entrance. As he arrived, he quickly let her go afraid of his own hammering heart. He took a step away from her not glancing at her at all.

This is it, she couldn’t take it anymore. She walked fastly to his position and blocked his path to go on ahead. She looked at him gently and held the chin of the now looking down Yonghwa to meet her eyes.

“Am I doing something wrong?”

“Not you. It’s us.” He slightly tilted his head to his right, not wanting to meet her gaze. It seemed that his awareness towards his own feelings might lead to a more huge realization of the feeling that he felt. Those stupid tingling sensations, or how he melted under her soft eye contact with his, of how amusing he had felt during their exchange of conversations.

Seohyun stood there frozen not wanting to say anything anymore but understand that Jung Yonghwa might be the dreamy bachelor for girls out there but certainly he are not fond of entertaining any ideas of courting her.

They went through the night being nothing but sweet to each other though she knew how different he was reacting towards her gestures when she might had slapped his arms sometimes when he started to make cheesy jokes or how he flinched when he heard her laughter as if trying to ask her to not laugh anymore. It might not be obvious to everyone because they never did appeared in public until this particular event which was held to announce to the world that she’s his girlfriend so hopefully no suitors for both side at the end of the day. Some of them did noticed, like Jessica or Jonghyun. It was finally the time for Yonghwa’s speech.. by that time she had snuck in at least 4 wine glass.. drinking them in one gulp after making sure that no one actually did noticed. By the time Yonghwa reached the stage, another glass of wine appeared in front of her eyes.. she knew her limits 4 glass was enough and she already made sure that the waiter knew that.. But here was a guy, quite tall.. slightly taller than Jung Yonghwa saying that it was on the house.. the threat he had meant.

“Tough day you must have, a wine to cheer you up. It’s on me.”

“Don’t you know I have a boyfriend who was about to announce our relationship at the stage?”

“I do but I know you like red wine.”

“I’m a if I do accept it.” Seohyun was about to walk away when her steps are halted as her eyes drifted to the guy nametag.

‘Lee Changmin.’

‘Changmin? Shim Changmin.’ She smiled trying to hold down her excitement. He gestured for her to take the red wine.

“I’m doing some customer surveys that’s why I’m working here.”

“Rebel.” Seohyun muttered.

“Likewise. Enjoy the wine as the announcement was made. The wine was a mix of sweet and a tinge of sour.. it might be the way it feels after this. Complement from the heir of the hotel itself. Shim Changmin.” The waiter bowed in all his glorious ways and Seohyun ignored the fact that she actually knew the waiter and nodded in poised and honor to notice Yonghwa was penetrating her soul with his gaze towards her.

“Ladies and gentleman, I’m Jung Yong Hwa. The host of tonight gala.” The crowds stopped doing whatever they was doing and concentrate the figure that was talking using a mic.

“As you all know, I’m hosting this event to introduce to you someone very special. Yes, she’s the girl over there. I’m happy that I meet this woman. She is Seo Joohyun my girlfriend.. The most blindingly attractive creature from both inside and outside to me. The moment I realized I have fall so hard to a woman, you can’t believe how I scared I am. Not that she’s a tigress and all.” She sipped the wine, controlling her composure when she had realized that it’s fine to show at least a little bit of emotion. So she just let her cheeks colored by a bright red color.

“So, guys and girls.. please try to not be blinded by our attractiveness.” When she was about to think that Yonghwa had completely erased any sort of vanity in himself the trait of himself made its grand appearance again. The sounds of loud applause seemed to be endless as she became the highlight of tonight gala. All eyes are on them and if Yonghwa did not explained the sudden change of his behavior and get back his act together, this might end in all its disaster.

‘We need to kiss.’ Was the text he had send her 3 minutes before the speech which she freaked out at. It’s not like it was an engagement party and all.. but they need to appear deeply madly in love.

He was leaning towards her, planting his kiss on . Soft and short but still manage to drain all her oxygen in her lungs. She opened her eyes and saw Yonghwa eyes was like a meter away from her, he had closed it but he wanted to see her relenting to the kiss naturally.. he wanted to see how she closed her eyes. He had to make sure, and the result was astonishing, he can’t tear himself away from her.. she literally owned his heart and soul, it was a risky move. A kiss was not necessary for the night but he had convinced himself that a kiss was one of the PDA’s that Seohyun must know of by the end of their platonic agreement, but it was pure selfishness on his part. He had avoided her, but he was also closed to her. It was push and pull like his messed up head and feelings that night. He turned away, flashing his crooked teeth to the rest of the crowd and raised his glass to toast in the success of his growing company expansion and Seohyun’s journey as a writer.

He had accompanied her throughout the night but only silence was filled. As he had excused himself from the crowd to engulf in his own deep thoughts, Seohyun gazed followed him. He was standing at the open air balcony amidst all the engaging conversation and business connections was occurring in the room.

He was standing alone there, and his back was facing the room. To be exact his back was facing hers, and it was the most cold feeling she had received after quite a while. Naturally, she excused herself from the crowd of ‘hungry businessman’ that Yonghwa had called it.. silently she stood by his side. It goes on for about 10 minutes.

“Why aren’t you talking?” His eyes are not on hers at all.

You don’t seem to want to talk to me at all.

“Why are you not looking at me?”

Because I’m confused

“Why don’t you mingle with the crowd?”

I’m never fond of such attention

“Why are you asking me that stupid question when you already know the answer!?” She raised her tone for the first time that night.

“Stop answering my question with another question.”

They stood there again, no words of exchanged when their silence was interrupted by a few “congratulations” from the crowd which made Seohyun all the more confused.

“Don’t you know?” Yonghwa smirked, still not looking at her.

“What?”

“That you and I are being played right now? Exactly under our nose.” He said despitefully.

“The air here is breath taking despite being in the middle of Seoul.” She twirled around for a second, her dress was flowing along with her hair as she spreads her arms welcoming the air totally oblivious of the gapping man on the room that sneaked a look on the couple though a particularly man eyes showed nothing but an evident hurt.

“Why are you being so calm here?” Yonghwa gritted his teeth, controlling the seething anger he is having at the moment.

“Don’t you know Yonghwa? That ignorance is a bliss. That it’s so burdensome to take all the problems in the world and carry it in our shoulders.”

“I can’t do it! It’s such a stupid thing to be doing.” He had slammed angrily at the stone gate that was separating them from the outside world.

“It’s hurting you.”

“This don’t equal to the amount of hurt I’ve been going through.”

“Can’t you stop doing this? Noticing things is only going to hurt you more.”’

Exactly, it pains me more the moment I know that I’m in love with you.

A click of glasses was heard in the room, and then the deafening silence started to whisk its way through the room. Yonghwa gestured the lady to look into the room to prove what he had said earlier about them being played.

“To the love birds who has been taking into deep consideration regarding their marriage plans. We might be looking on the future fiancés.” Yonghwa’s grandfather smiled in triumph at the party, people believing what he had said despite still not knowing of the old rich man relationship with the host of the party. The representative of Seo’s clan which was both Seo Kyung Ho and Seo In Guk was seen talking to Yonghwa’s grandfather after the particular ‘well wish’ to the couple.

“What are you trying to do, the couple themselves didn’t inform any of us about this.”

“The high and mighty Seo would have never agree to this don’t you think, I’m taking precautionary step to make sure my grandson rout to happiness.”

“I know it, we could never get along.. I should have make sure my kids stayed at least 500 meter away from you..”

“Oh.. don’t make it sound so rivalry-ish. We used to be closed.”

“Used to doesn’t define now.”

On the other hand, Yonghwa was back on facing the other part of the world noticing some of the reporters that managed to sneak in to the garden. So he waved and smiled.

“Do you know that I learn a really harsh lesson today..” He hummed to the classical music playing on the background and moved his hand like an orchestra conductor will do. “I’m not a classical person that waved their wand on stage and direct people that played their instrument while you are that type of person.” He snapped his finger before started to show some guitar move.. “I’m more to rock type. Another one will be, we can’t be greedy in life. There’s always a price to pay.. and the path to achieve my ambition is an eternal loneliness.”

That night, she felt a sudden urge of nerve hits her. Because that night, Jung Yong Hwa was a total enigma that she couldn’t decipher. She was scared… but he could never possibly end whatever they have because the final say was given to hers and Jung Yonghwa was a man of his words and so was she.

Seohyun walked away from the balcony, leaving Jung Yonghwa to think all by himself. It used to be amusing to watch him sprouting his thoughts at her but this Yonghwa seemed miserable and genuinely wanted to stop his own thoughts. And it pains her that she might adding the fuel to the fire by unintentionally provoking him like he said by saying his thoughts out loud.. They did that to each other. He was about to go to the restroom when he saw a clown at the end of the hallway he grabbed the door handle, panicking.

He hated clown! No hate is a soft word. He loathe CLOWN!

The clown came to him happily and he took each step back whenever the clown came forward. The clown started to make some clown jokes at him.

“It’s not funny …Don’t y..you dare…re. You weird yellow red creature.” He stuttered a bit. The clown was about to withdraw something from its jacket.. Yonghwa panicked and grabbed a water bottle from the trash can nearby and was aiming to the clown that is still searching for something in his jacket.

“What are you doing? You will get in the news!” Seohyun backhug Yonghwa, stopping him. That clown withdraw his balloon and laughed giddily before making a teasing face at Yonghwa and Seohyun compromising situation.

“Yaa!”

“Yonghwa!” Seohyun pulled Yonghwa to the back when he was about to run towards the clown. Yonghwa and Seohyun about to crash to the floor.. he’s about to crush Seohyun’s body with his so he turned her over and let his body hit the floor and let his body be the cushion for Seohyun.

 “Get the clown out of here..” He said sternly to the assistant that he just called at. “Called the person in charge of this thing… argh.. damn it.”

“Are you okay?” Seohyun asked concernly… when they both realize how awkward their position was. Yonghwa jerked away from her and they coughed awkwardly.

“Don’t disturb me clown.. I’m sorry for what I’ve done though..”

Soon after, they went back to the crowd. Mingling with each other, trying to dismiss any question about the ‘engagement thingy’

Both Yonghwa and Seohyun were observing the cleaning up process that the employee was doing when the manager in charge of the hotel that organizing the event came and bowed to them respectfully.

“Why is there CLOWN in my party?” Seohyun glanced at Yonghwa, slightly shaking her head.

“It’s not in the party sir.”

“Not?” He frowned. “It was within 100 meter radius. It is counted as my territory. As the person in charge of the event you should know the customer preferences.” Seohyun kept her silence knowing what Yonghwa said was correct.  Shim Changmin ran in a bit of a hurry before bowing to them as Yonghwa called in the higher ups to attend the event. Seohyun curved a slight smile at Changmin as she knew him.

“B..but how I should know this?”

“You are a freaking professional.”

“I will reprimand her.” Changmin interrupted.

“How do you train her?”

“I heard you have a reputation but you should know better than this Yonghwa sshi. A clown as an issue? Are you that scared?”

“Changmin oppa.” Seohyun panicked. Yonghwa threw the water at Changmin face but missed when he dodge. So he threw it again and Seohyun blocked it. The water was splashed on her face.

“Seo Joohyun what are you doing?!” Both man screamed simultaneously but it was Yonghwa who pulled her and quickly wiped her face with his handkerchief.

“Leave us alone.” Seohyun almost glared at Yonghwa but it was said to the both of ‘others’ who was present in the room. “I trust oppa to keep the secrecy from your employee and I know you were here to check Yonghwa weak point and you find out. Is it that much easier to do a business deal like that? But I owe you oppa, that’s why I block the water for you.”

“Seohyun ah..”

“Do me a favor and zip your mouth shut.” Changmin sighed in frustration before pulling his staff by his collar.

“I knew you sniffed something was wrong.” Seohyun said curtly. “But you don’t have to go by leaps and bound to throw the water on his face.”

“I’m that type of person Seohyun. I’m a jerk.” Seohyun grabbed the towel from Yonghwa quite strongly suggesting that she was quite angry.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Seohyun.. you know about the engage thing it was out of our agreement. Don’t you think it’s the time for you to call this thing off. I’m a person who stick by my words and this was not one of the arrangement.”

“You do remember that I can ask whatever I want right? I don’t mind engagement.. it’s not much of a different as dating.”

“Engagement leads to marriage. I hate when people handles marriage like it’s a business deal.”

“Do you really want me to say this is the end?” Yonghwa stood there frozen not knowing what to say. She sighed.. “Do you hate me that much? I don’t get why are you being all weird tonight.”

“I’m not weird.. mostly this is the real me!”

“Is this the real you, or the you that you want to potray? Yonghwa, you should know that we REALLY do accept the love we think we deserve.” Seohyun threw the orange juice on his face.

“I can be a total jerk too you know!”

“Say this the end!”

“I won’t”

“Don’t you want normal marriage life.. proposal?! Romantic date? Real kiss!?””

“Who are you to care?”

“Say this is the end!”

“Why!? Why are you so insistent”

“Because I want TO TELL YOU I LOVE YOU! Genuinely.. but I can’t fall for you if this parade of us to keep up with.” Seohyun eyes widened.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I..i…… I don’t know.”

“Then let me..” Yonghwa pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips slightly grazed each other when Seohyun tilted her head, avoiding the kiss.