Stranger 5 : The Lost One

BGM : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwKiGy2A_nU

“Would you like to dance with me?” This is the 9^th guy for tonight. They really have the guts to keep asking her.

“No.” She smiled sweetly at him, not even looking at him.

“My oh my. What a tigress we have here.” He laughed, and the sound of the laugh is so familiar so she looked at him again.

It was… Jung Yong Hwa and Jessica.

“Unnie?” She frowned.

“Will you?” He offered his hand again. She was having a battle with herself. Her inner struggles. Whether to accept or not. She wanted to throw words of hatred at him for disturbing her once peaceful mind.

 “Or do you rather dance with those men.” Jessica was nodding, so she eyed back at him.

He raised his eyebrows and directed his gaze at everyone who is looking at them. She looked at them and suddenly she started to shake. She was nervous. She forgot how judging their eyes can be. If she continued to be this cold, and unaccepting.. her family name would be tainted.

She reluctantly placed her hands on him.. and he grabbed it gently before kissing her hand softly like a gentleman he was in the public eyes.

***

The murmurs were everywhere.. all eyes are on them. Eyeing them with interests were their potential investors, jealousy faces came from all the admirers and suitors while the concern looks were everywhere from the Seo’s clan but no one can beat the proud looking face of Jung Sajangnim. Smiling to himself while bumping his glass of champagne civilly with his other acquaintances.

“That’s my grandson.” He said proudly. Acknowledging Yonghwa presence, eyeing his grandson with a big smile on his face.

Show me Yonghwa, your true potential.

The world seems to stop and stare, to see they dance.

 “Hi.” He said awkwardly. She curved a gentle smile before bursting into fits of laughter.

“What’s so funny?” He frowned, holding her hand out and putting his hand on her wrist.

“You.” She giggled. Poking his tense arm giddily, looking seriously like a little kid.

“Huh?”

“You smiled so cockily before so why are your body so tense right now?” She pulled him closer. “Who dance so far from each other anyway.” Yonghwa coughed awkwardly and tried to look at some other place except for her eyes.

“Too close.” He mumbled. Seohyun who heard that bitted her lips nervously noticing the short distance between them. So she took a step backward.. and bowed to him. Trying to hide her blushing cheeks from the intense glare of Jung Yonghwa.

“I do..don’t mean that.” He stuttered letting out his right hand trying to hold onto her arms but he could only manage to touch the tips of her dress and she was gone into the ocean of people. His eyes lingered at the direction where she went missing, hoping that she would come back while he stood there frozen amidst the people dancing on the floor.

“Yonghwa, grandpa asked for you.” Jessica approached him from the back and patted him.

“Me?” He turned and snickered. “Why?”

“Your scene with Hyunnie cause such a reaction.” She sighed. “I knew it. This is not a good idea bringing you here. I got this terribly bad feeling.”

“What’s with a guy dancing with a woman appropriately. Should I repeat appropriately? Again”

“She don’t dance with just anybody Yonghwa.” Jessica looked at the grandpa’s clock on the wall of the enormous staircase. “I counted it, and it’s more than 1 minute. She only danced within 5 seconds with every guy that fit the standards. And she exchanged her partner all the time. You were being friendly with each other and she only dance with you for tonight plus more than 1 minute, and this is her coming back party. Do I really need to explain all of this again?.” She rolled her eyes. “Just remember do anything stupid, I will push you out from her life in a flash of light Yonghwa. Not just me. Those people too.” She directed her gaze at Seo Kyung Ho followed by the other member of Seo’s clan together with the SNSD members and lastly to her suitors.

“Worry doesn’t suit your ice princess image Jessica.”

“It’s not my image you should be worry off. It’s yours. You mess this one up, you are dead.”

“I never mess anything.” He smirked in enjoyment before proceeding to approach Jung Won Do.

“Oh by the way, of course she will dance longer with me. Because, I not only suit her standards but complement her in every way.” He winked before showing his glorious crooked teeth much to Jessica annoyance who was giving a knowing look at the girls.

***

“Yonghwa huh?” Seo Kyung Ho stood by her daughter at the garden.

“Ne.” She nodded unconsciously when suddenly she noticed how nonchalantly she answered the question. “I’m sorry abeoji. It’s not that.”

“Are you in love?”

“I sure am not.” She chuckled.

“Phew… that’s safe.”

“Waeyo?”

“Jung’s family is not a family you want to get in Joohyun. Believe me. Their ways are corrupted.. long abandoned is their moral values, they cut ties like they cut an unimportant meat. They even chew out their own family sometimes. They are too different than us.”

“I can see that.”

“Yonghwa is one of the family that got chew out right?”

“Well, maybe.. ugh I don’t know. I don’t even know him. It just.”

“What just?”

“I pity him.”

“Oh Seohyun.. I don’t know whether it’s a lovely quality to have it in you or it’s a bad thing… you should never pity those kind of people.. I know what you will do just to help. If he's really Jung Yonghwa then he's the son of my really good friend back in the days. Maybe he's a great person who knows. But all the negativity around him won't do him any help."

"Then shouldn't it be for the better if we help him abeoji?"

"Aigoo.. Juhyunnie. Stop saying stuff like that. You are making me worried. There's something that you should just not meddle in Joohyun."

***

“How well do you know the Seo’s daughter?” Jung Won Do asked the young man, Yonghwa curiously.

“It’s not the Seo’s daughter. It’s Seo Joohyun. It would be nice if you start to call her name instead sajangnim.” He bowed politely.

“Still formal Yonghwa? When are you going to stop being so tense around me?”

“I dare not sajangnim.” He said with a flat tone. “Are you sure you can talk to me? Even with the fact that they are still left out of the blue about my status as your grandson. You know very well that my company can rival one of yours right now.”

“It’s yours and Ill Woo competition. Not mine anymore. Even if you excel in it, I will applause you for it. As there’s still a Jung blood in you. The Jung’s generation will still produce one heir after another.”

“You don’t admit my family as one of yours.”

“I will, if you can redeem your family name. How’s Kang Yoo Hee now?”

“She’s fine.”

“You know you won’t succeed without her right?”

“I still will but the difference is it will be longer. She benefited from me.”

“If your dad and her had gotten marry before. Can you imagine the power it will bring to us and how great of a mom she will be for you.”

“I would appreciate you won’t bring it up sajangnim. She doesn’t even love my dad, she’s happy with her new found lover. And my mom is a really great person.”

“Same old you. As tenacious as usual. You should know better as a businessman that you should be able to take any low blow at you if you told so and if by means that make you succeed. You won’t be long in this position Yonghwa. The difference between Ill Woo and you is that he can sacrifice what he wanted but not you, Yonghwa. That’s you and your father biggest weakness.”

“How can I, when you broke a really long friendship my mom has with Kang Yoo Hee. Does status really matters? It’s my mom, my father loves not Yoo Hee aunty. The only reason she despise me is because of the Jung’s family.. and the only reason Kang Yoo Hee accepted me is because of mom. I try to be close to your peak but damn it I still don’t understand… maybe I should find a normal girl.. maybe then I can see how scrutinizing you are.” Yonghwa sentence got interrupted when an old man wearing a sleek black suit, walked to them. Smiling a million mega watts smile with a woman on his side. Or to be exact, Seo Joo Hyun walking with her grandfather towards their side.

“Good morning Jung Won Do sshi. How’s the party?”

“Great as usual, you still got the flairs to throw this kind of stuff.”

“It’s not my doing like usual, it’s her grandmother’s doing. She enjoyed doing this kind of stuff to celebrate her granddaughter. This is Seo Joo Hyun.” Seohyun who take the cue bowed politely to Jung Won Do.

“This is my grandson. Jung Yong Hwa.” Yonghwa bowed to him.

“Hi there Seo Joohyun sshi.” He grinned cheekily while Seohyun returned his hi with a frown on her face. She’s not going to lie and said that she didn’t saw anything that happened before because she did. They are having a really intense conversation.

“Oho, you guys know each other. This is great.” Seohyun’s grandfather laughed merrily.

“How close are you?”Jung Won Do asked.

“Close enough.” Yonghwa smiled at his grandfather while Seohyun just kept her silence digesting the complicated family tree of the Jung’s clan.

“May I steal this beautiful young lady away from your arms harabeoji, because I’ve been searching for her all night long.”

“Tsk.. young blood. Of course you can. She from all needed to experience this thrilling romance. She’s been pressuring herself too much. A little heartbeat and fluttering moments won’t do any harm.”

“Harabeoji, it’s not in that way.” Yonghwa eyed the flaring nose of Seo Joohyun amusingly. “We are just friends.” Both of them answered simultaneously.

“A good catch shouldn’t let be out in the water for too long. Grab it.. and stop friend zoning each other.”

***

“Let’s date, I’m serious.” Yonghwa sipped his wine but his eyes are still on Seohyun’s. The way her brown hair fell  softly on her shoulder, the waving brown hair who flew when she moves around.. and how she nervously touched her hair and pouted her lips to think. She’s a real diamond and he hope he won’t scratch it with his thoughtless offer.

“This is purely platonic, what’s there to lose. You could take me as a jumping stone for you to learn how to love.”

“Hmm what’s there to lose. Let’s see my freedom?”

“I won’t hold you back. You can do anything you want. Even kissing some random guy like you did earlier. Why did you let him kiss you anyway?”

“Firstly, no question shall be asked.”

“Fine.”

“Second, why do you need me in all this parade game of yours?”

“I want to give what my grandfather want from me but in return I hadn’t wish to break my dad’s heart with such a spoilt girl.”

“This is the reason?”

“Yes, I’m not asking you to settle down. Just to stir up a couple of headlines, be in my arms when needed. That’s it. I can be your boyfriend in return. Loyalty came in the same package.. in yours I give you freedom.”

“Hah, so are you saying that I can use your body for whatever reason?”

“Correct.”

“Why, just why do you guys can say this kind of stuff that is so full with despising words right at my face and assume me to accept it?”

“Because it’s me. I’m different…”

“I can’t never love your type of guy Jung Yonghwa.”

“You won’t ever accept a guy with money Seohyun sshi? That’s what you mean?”

“No.. not at all. I’m an open book. Money and status hold no meaning for me. It give me a comfortable life… but I have never expect my guy to have this kind of status.” She eyed down to the first floor where everyone were behaving like they are the king and queens of the world. “Accept me then I will accept him.”

“I will accept you.. and everything that come with you.”

“Money?”

“Not just that.”

“Education.”

“More than that…”

“You sound so freaking desperate now, are you aware of that?”

“Very well, I do. I had wished to be in love with a normal girl, finding normal love. Adore her in my ways. I’m about to throw this dream of mine maybe for just a little while and try to love you the girl who’s not in anyway fit this category of normal.”

“When will this end.”

“When you say it’s going to end.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate myself too.” He said looking at her for a moment, smiling slightly before diverting his gaze to downstairs where he could see his grandfather looking at him from one moment to the other.

“Then, splash your wine in your face now.” She asked challenging him, with her heart is starting to burn in anger with this guy obnoxious responses.

“Then will you be my girlfriend?” She bobbed her head up and down. “You know what, throw the wine at your face three times. Let’s triple the fun.” She laughed, snickering at times.

“Fine.” He emptied his glass of wine with one gulp and proceed the waiter next to him. He grabbed the first glass of wine and threw it on his face, making sure that it’s empty.

“One..” He said.. while Seohyun eyes widened in shock not believing that he’s doing it for real. “What are you doing.” She asked incredulously before he grabbed two glasses of wine and threw it on his face again.

“Two and three. Done.” He said directly, closing his eyes for a while because the wine is still flowing through his face. All eyes are on them now. Seohyun mouth quivered in shock, she had never seen such a man. So adamant on such a ridiculous offer even destroying his image.

“Like I say before. I can do anything and everything to have you in my arms and now just be mine already.” He said it will all seriousness, drenched in wine.

“By the age of 19, they give me all the freedom that I want. I live my early life lock away in a tower just to study.. to please my family who education is what they value the most. I took care of myself not to see a single frown in their face, loving and nurturing environment was one of the rare things that I still received. They never wanted me to do anything in order to give them a convenience. In fact, they hated it. I got thrown out by the age of 13 to an island by them just to make sure that I can survive this world that they about to let me in. The world of chaebols, but I never expected this. A very estranged guy that got caught up with all the drama pleading at me with his eyes.”

In a scene where tiger, crocodile and even lion hunts.. there was this hungry puppy standing in front of me. What should I do?

Author's Note

This is one of the shortest time i took to update Arrogant Stranger lol. So forgive me for any flaws. If i sort of make their character despiseful, please pardon me. It's beyond necessary :P hahahah. Enjoy.