Stranger 8 : Trust Issues

Previously:

Yonghwa entered his office after his meeting only to meet a familiar silhouette standing by the window pane observing the vast Seoul scenery with a pout and a book on her hand. Her book. He looked over his table and saw her book that he was trying to read is gone.

“Hey.” He uttered, not knowing how to start the conversation. She turned her head to face him and curved into a gentle smile showing off her tired looking eyes.

“I don’t expect a guest here. Especially you.” He chuckled.

“It’s easy though. Surprisingly, your staff let me in without a question once I mention my name.”

“I told them to let you specificly in at any time.”

“Oh.” She gasped a little.

“So why are you here? It’s a bit out of the norm don’t you think.”

“I don’t even imagine coming to here but I was wondering what so interesting in your office that you like coming here in the middle of the night where normal human sleep.”

“I work.” He grinned.

“I can see that and you read too.” She laughed and waved the book on her hand.. “My book?” She smiled.

“Yes your book, but I’m finding it really hard to read especially with your advance grammars.”

“You, what’s with your swollen eyes?” Seohyun took a step forward but still far away from Yonghwa.

“Tired. Can’t sleep.” He tried to curve into a smile. “But it’s normal.”

“No you don’t. You need a proper sleep.”

“I can’t. All these things in my head are giving me a hard time.”

“I can help you with that.” She smiled genuinely. “You said you can’t read… but if you did you might be able to sleep. So.. let me help you? I saw a secret room there where you kept your comfortable bed to yourself, workaholic.”

“I can’t you are busy.”

“I’m your temporary girlfriend so let me be a proper one while I can and I need your help.”

“What is it?”

“I need to stay by your side and observe you. So can you at least let me in your life even if it’s for a little while or even a little bit?”

“Why is it?”

“I don’t mind to explain the reason to you but I will when its the right time. Consider this is the part of my gain in this relationship.”

“It’s a personality that can seem stifling, but I think that’s the line I’ve drawn”

-Seo Joo Hyun-

I cannot approve of myself crossing my own standards. If I'm about to cross the line I set, I tend to limit myself instinctively.

-Jung Yong Hwa-

***

“Doubt is my bestfriend. Trust is something I’m unworthy of having, love is plain impossible. That’s how pathetic I am.”

Yonghwa was trying his best to pick up his clothing for the day. It’s a very important meeting that he will be having with a German client. Foreigners weren’t his expertise. He’s not even good at communicating in English, how would he able to speak fluent German. The only communication skills that he has been sharpened throughout the years will be the act of convincing.

There’s a saying that you become more choosy and annoying when the event is more important than ever. That is him now… complaining about his clothes, the colour of his clothes, even the size aren’t up to satisfy him. The shoes weren’t polish correctly, the tie colour is too dull. Name it, he undoubtedly managed to complain about everything.

“All of you! You are fired!” Yonghwa spoke sternly and showed them the door. The maid ran out after seeing the chaos and dialed in a number.

Seohyun took a step backwards when she saw the chaotic scene happening in. It wasn’t helping her that she never did visit his apartment before and it’s been a while since she met him. She was promoting her newest book in Thailand before.

The maid who opened the door for her, pulled her in. “I’m sorry ahgasshi. I’m really sorry but I don’t know anybody who can calm him down and your number was in speed dial. I heard that you told his worker to contact you in case of any emergencies. We need your help. It’s a mess here. He’s later than usual.” Seohyun peeked at the chaos in the dressing room and giggled seeing the composed Jung Yong Hwa being meticulous and throwing all his clothes out like a mad man. She walked calmly while observing the surrounding and sat at the leather couch on his living room. She looked around and noticed a few little details. Like how his kitchen looks so clean like it hasn’t been touched since the day he moved in. The furniture is arranged properly but it looks like a ‘display room’ than an actual house. His house looks so detached like he wasn’t habiting there at all.

“So what’s the deal here?” She took a deep breath and asked the panic maid.

“He has always been meticulous of his clothing ahgasshi but this one it’s a bit..”

“Hard to handle?”

“Ne.”

“Who is the investor?”

“Sneijder something, ahgasshi.”

“Oh Mr. Sneijder!” Seohyun curved into a gentle smile in a way trying to calm the maid down. She didn’t know how exactly the exact way in calming him down but she knew she got something under her sleeves to maybe blackmail him and act as a dotting girlfriend “I know who he is.” She grinned, and made her way to Yonghwa.

“What are you doing here?” Yonghwa frowned at Seohyun’s presence in his dressing room. He doesn’t remember calling her.

“How you know I’m here?” She walked towards him and put her forefinger on his lips.

“Is that the way to ask your girlfriend questions?” She pointed to his staffs using her eyes before leaning back and walked around the dressing room opening the wardrobe one by one. She carefully looked through the suits and chose a suave black suit and gave it to his maid that is walking by her side.

“No..nope this. Not this either. Ahh.. this one will be nice.” She picked a white pants, along with a black vest.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m helping you.. Do you want me to try match some clothes up it might suit your taste for all you know.”

“Well if you say so. But why are you skipping the tie section? It’s in the drawer.”

“No tie today, too formal. You don’t want to appear uptight in front of him or even snobbish. Mr. Sneijder doesn’t like things that are too casual and he’s not fond of chicken either so no to that too.” Yonghwa took the clothes on his maid hand and the vest from Seohyun’s hand.

“That wasn’t on his profile?”

“I know him.” She gave him a pair of brown shoes together with a brown belt.

“You sure know what you are doing.”

“I need to.. because apparently everything that I’m doing must have its purpose. Born and raise under a very rich family has it perks in that sense. You need me to come and assist you as your date, I seriously think I can easily convince him.”

“Nah.. let me do by my own. Maybe when I got him under my palms than I will introduce you to him.”

“I need to talk to you though as soon as possible. Need your help in something.” Seohyun helped him to put his coat on.

“Sure do, but I think I might finished work around 3am.”

“I wait outside then.” Seohyun continued to help him wear the Rolex watch that she just picked, asking the maid to go outside instead because she will do it herself.

“Too dangerous. Wait inside then.”

“Oh.” She gasped a little. “I thought this was like a sacred place for you.”

“Just go on in, I will text you the passcode. Bring bodyguards if you are afraid of me harming you in any way.”

“Yonghwa sshi.” She held his hand worryingly, still not finishing clasping the end of the watch together.

“It’s Yonghwa. We are together now.”

“What’s with this?” She slowly touched the wound mark on his wrist when he jerked away.

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about it.”

“Why?”

“Why are you getting curious about me now all of a sudden. Even coming to my assistance.”

“I’m this type of a person Yonghwa. And I got a reason.. you are sort of my test subject now.”

“I’m not comfortable talking about this. You know..” Yonghwa tried to explain it to her properly.

“There’s no need to talk about it. I get it you don’t easily let people come in.” Seohyun took a step forward and helped him fix his collar and buttoned his shirt. Her face just an inched away from his.

“I bet your heart doesn’t even skip when you meet a girl.” She snickered, her sweet scented Listerine breath tingling his neck. It was too close.. Really close and seriously how could she said that his heart doesn’t beat when it’s hammering his chest like crazy now.

“You are wrong. Because I’m still a man Seo Joo Hyun. I will tell you when the time comes. I let you know my password, because I’m trying to adjust. Nobody knows my password especially when they only know me for 2 weeks. You are far way across my line than what I expect you to be, if you keep barging in without a warning now, I’m afraid I might really fall for you.” Seohyun eyes widened and her lips quivered trying to let out a word.

“Are you scared of me now?” He asked worryingly at the stunned Seohyun.

“No. It’s good you are being honest with me. I should try to limit myself. Be sure to tell me if you might find I went over the boundaries that you set.”

“I will let it down eventually but I want to take it step by step.”

“Let’s talk later then, I’m quite late now.” Yonghwa leaned to kiss her cheek but Seohyun withdrew for a bit. He and her looked at each other awkwardly, he didn’t expect himself to do something like that but it just happened. She didn’t know that he was heading for a cheek kiss.. she was afraid..

“I’m sorry.” She looked at him guiltily.

“It’s okay, I push things too fast when I’m giving all the talk about taking things slow..”

“We can try again, if you want to.” Now this sentence really do wonders to Jung Yonghwa mind..  he felt insane right now.

“The romantic feelings are flying away now. Maybe next time, when it’s right I will coach you how to properly treat your boyfriend okay?” He bowed a little and did a gentlemanly gesture by kissing her smooth milky hand.

“Goodbye gorgeous.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Yonghwa. Can you at least give those workers their job back. It wasn’t their fault that you got so emotional today.. they were staring at us like puppies.” Yonghwa turned his head and saw three men peeking in his dressing room. He glared at them and they fell like dominos due to his deathly eyes.

“Stop glaring at them.” She whined cutely. He needs to adjust to it, a girl behaving cutely in front of him without he feeling like shoving them away but instead making him feel ‘awwwwh’.

“Ahrasso. Come to work like normal tomorrow. Study your task beforehand even this miss right here know what you are doing when her job is far different than the task given to you.” He hissed.

“Yes sajangnim.” They bowed and leaved.

“Good boy!” She slightly pats his back and somehow it felt really warm. “Now go.”

“Okay, let’s talk about your bargain in this relationship tonight.” He waved happily, grinning like a fool.

“Shhssh. Stop talking like that. Go. You are late!” Yonghwa closed the door and stood there for a while. It’s been a while since someone pats him at the back and say something nice about what he done or someone said goodbye to him, waving to him all smiley and happy.

It’s rare but he welcomes the change, if that were going to set his mood for the rest of the day.

He went in his office and all of his staff passing by are bowing at him greeting him, usually it was supposed to be like that. And all he did is gave them a small nod, as a sign of acknowledging them. Today, he felt really good about himself maybe the clothing he was in but he doesn’t know, he was off for a good starting. First, greeting the driver and sang along to FT Island – Severely on the car. Next, he was having a great time dancing in the car. The next thing he knew, for the first time he was eating lunch with the staffs’ senior officers and greeting his employee with a big smile plastered on his face.

“Sajangnim. How was your meeting with Mr Sneijder?” Jonghyun bowed to Yonghwa respectfully.

“Aigoo, I can’t tell you that. I must tell someone that help me with this meeting first.”

“Who?”

“Just someone.”

“So do you know you need to go for this year Winter Gala as my representative?”

“I don’t”

“Well, now you are.”

“Sajangnim, why are you so happy? It’s creeping us out.”

“I’m a happy person.”

“Yes you are, but its rare. When you are mad, its obvious. When you are happy its obvious. But take note you are rarely happy at work except when you gloat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“A good thing.”

“People were talking. That’s because of your girlfriend. Don’t tell me that you involve any feelings in this platonic relationship of yours right aside from benefitting each other?”

“Noo.. of course not. It just she’s a very comfortable friend that I have.”

“They are celebrating Jungshin’s failure to ‘wow’ Sooyoung. You know one of the infamous member of SNSD. So are you coming?”

“Nahh, I need to go back.”

“Why, someone is waiting?”

“No..nope.” He stuttered for a bit. “Fine, yes.”

“Hyung. I hope all your dreams and ambitions won’t come to waste. Don’t let your wall down too fast. Remember benefit. When there’s a gain, there’s a loss. Just a bit more hyung, and you will be on top. Your ideal that you have implanted on me, I’m looking forward for it.”

“It’s been a while, since I have a girl in my life of course there’s bound to be excitement in reminiscent something so good. Like how famous I am during my school years.” He grinned teasingly while Jonghyun just sighed in annoyance.

“It’s great that you found a friend in this kind of way, I hope your plans later on won’t interfere with your friendship.”

“I have no intention in using her that way.”

“I know. But are you sure you want to agree with all her condition on going around with you whenever she wants.”

“Why? Having a companion on one of the lonely trip won’t do any harm.”

“I’m afraid she might use you. You remember that I say how her records are wiped clean before for a few times. It’s a bit doubtful. She’s a writer, don’t you think she’s using you? She’s a heiress and a genius one too.. be careful.”

“If she wants to use me go ahead, I used her first. I’m going to introduce her to the Jung’s soon but not till she knows what she’s facing before walking down the thin line.” Yonghwa walked away from Jonghyun but his expression changed. Completely sour more so than before. The thoughts has been messing on his head.

What the heck is he doing right now? Taking things slow is stupid.

“Do your job swiftly.” Is what his grandfather always said to him.

On the other hand, Jonghyun who was watching Yonghwa entering the car felt guilt creping all over him. Of the fact that he might just twisted his newfound friend who has nothing but pure intentions towards him to the dark side.

A necessary doubt was always needed to poke around his worst fear.

He answered his phone who was ringing since minutes ago. “Hey.”

“Oppa..”

“Ne Shinhye ah.”

“I’m coming home.”

“Wait.!” She hung up the phone even before he answered her. Clearly she just wanted him to know not help her make the decision.

Jung Yonghwa, you said you want a normal love to make you feel your life is worthwhile. To make you feel a sense of warmth. And that was your dream.. Should I give it to you?

***

“Yonghwa sshi.” Seohyun stood up from the chair at the balcony of the 15^th storey high building.

“Sorry, I meant Yonghwa.”

“It’s fine.” Yonghwa loosened up his tie. “So about the deal.” Yonghwa sat at the opposite side of the white coffee table.

“I will accept it. Never ask for permission because you will be given it once you asked.”

“What’s wrong, don’t you get the deal?”

“I got it.”

“Great.” Seohyun was now standing behind him, giving a massage on his shoulder.

“Good job.”

It was nice.. somehow to see this house aren’t so empty because you are here.

“Seohyun, are you using me?”

“Yes. We agree to use each other since day one right.” She answered without any hesitation.

“Am I that useful?”

“Not really, everyone will do but you came at the right time with the right attitude and the right offer.”

“Thanks, for at least being honest.”

“I’m not the lying style.” She sat back at the chair.

“The stars are nice right?”

“Uhuh.” Seohyun bobbed her head up and down.

“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?” 

Author's Note

Holla my readers, i try to lessen the dark theme here in this chapter lol. So it's a bit light? I'm hoping it's light though LOL. Okay.. enjoy reading. And oh it would be nice if you send me a feedback on this chapter. By the way, thanks for the upvotes, subs and relentless comments. You guys are awesome and i appreaciate those nice gestures :)