That Monday, Shin Hye went inside the office, feeling refreshed. By now, she could work with renewed energy after all that week of vacation. Knowing of Jong Hyun's lazy tendencies, she brought in breakfast.

"Annyeong?" she greeted Jong Hyun, who was busy typing away.

Jong Hyun turned around to greet her, but when he remembered the incident that Monday night on the phone, he blushed. He could not imagine this formal Shin Hye and that-- uhm-- vixen Shin Hye.

"A...annyeong?" he greeted.

Shin Hye saw his blush and laughed, as if to taunt him. 

"Just keep it between the three of us, Hyunnie," she whispered as she handed him his breakfast.

Jong Hyun did his best to not get , so he hastily grabbed the breakfast and turned his back away from her. Shin Hye was not sorry that Jong Hyun had been included in that night over the phone, but she wished she and Yong Hwa could just keep it to themselves. Later on, their friends, Min Hyuk and Woori came in and went to her station to chat for a bit. And after some time, Jung Shin flitted in like a fairy and went to Shin Hye's cubicle.

"Waaa! I think you owe me a souvenir," Jung Shin pouted.

"I..uh.." Shin Hye began to stammer, then looked at Jong Hyun, who realized she was looking back at him. Then, at Jung Shin again, "Yeogi..."

"Why the stammer?" Jung Shin wondered. "Ya! Don't tell me you forgot to bring me something!"

"Mianhae..." Shin Hye said. "I... I don't know if you like this stuffed toy... so..."

She pulled out a plush toy of a cat. Jung Shin's face lit up to instantly realize it was Neko Koneko from the anime "Azumanga Daioh." Jung Shin loved dogs and cats, and stuffed toys of dogs and cats (and other cute animals) always makes him smile like the Cheshire cat.

"Waaaaaa!!! Gomawo!!!" he gushed as he received the toy cat and ran all the way to the clinic. He almost collided with the company doctor, that the latter had to berate him for playing with stuffed toys despite his age.

Taecyeon, meanwhile, pulled out something and gave it to Jong Hyun. 

"Eh?"

"Don't you 'eh' me," Taecyeon said. "Shin Hye has a gift for you too."

"S...Shin Hye?" Jong Hyun asked with a blush.

Taecyeon rolled his eyeballs and handed his gift to the vampire boy. Shin Hye also handed her souvenir and turned back to her work. When Jong Hyun opened the gifts, he found out that Taecyeon and Shin Hye had given him t-shirts from Little India. The thing is, both have the same designs and the same size.

"MWOYA!!!!" he screamed. "Are you both kidding me????"

Shin Hye and Taecyeon turned around and saw both designs. They apologized to him and turned back to their own work, leaving Jong Hyun to "cry" about having identical shirts.

"This is a joke..."

Yong Hwa, later on, arrived with his pile of folders. When Shin Hye saw him, memories of two nights suddenly rushed to memory and made her blush. When Yong Hwa saw her, he lit up into a charming smile that accentuated his snaggle tooth. The other employees but Shin Hye greeted the boss politely as always. And as Yong Hwa went inside his office, the gossipmongers began to flock again at Eun Jung's station for some juicy updates about Yong Hwa and Shin Hye.

"What do you mean?" Eun Jung asked.

"Aish, should you leave us out of the juicy details? You started telling us some things already," one said.

"What I told you, that is it," Eun Jung said firmly.

From her cubicle, Shin Hye realized that rumors about her and Yong Hwa and shot an indifferent glare towards Eun Jung's cubicle. Jong Hyun saw his seatmate's expression, and though feeling awkward, asked her if she was all right.

"Ani," she whispered. "I... just can't believe Eun Jung would be telling our officemates about Yong Hwa and me."

Jong Hyun sighed. Office romance indeed is hard, most especially if a boss and his subordinate are caught up in love. He reached out to touch Shin Hye's hand and squeezed it. Shin Hye looked at him and blushed, remembering that Jong Hyun was also "included" in what had occurred last Monday night. Taecyeon stood up, went to Eun Jung's cubicle, and reprimanded the gossipmongers.

"Ya, if you continue to gossip about Shin Hye's love life, will it even increase your salaries?" he asked.

The gossipmongers related what the company told them once about gossips being not able to increase one's salary. They got ashamed and got back to work. Taecyeon got back to his seat and assured Shin Hye that the guys, Woori, and he will take care of those gossipmongers.

"Gomawo, but I will also settle it on my own," she said to him.

****

Min Ho arrived at the office where Shin Hye worked and went to the receptionist. He began harassing her and telling her to call on Park Shin Hye, or else he will make a scene.

"Why are you here?" a deep and husky voice finally piped up.

Min Ho saw Yong Hwa and ran to him, and gripped him on the lapel of his suit.

"Please, I really need to talk to her," Min Ho begged, but sounded more of a demand.

Yong Hwa snickered as he slapped Min Ho's hands away from his suit.

"What for?" Yong Hwa asked. "Shin Hye broke up with you because you fooled her. And you want to get back with her?"

"I promise, I will change," Min Ho insisted.

"You will change, huh? So does that mean you did not change yet?" came Yong Hwa.

"I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO HER RIGHT NOW!" Min Ho insisted as he raised his voice.

Because of that, the building security ran to him and held him tight, with Min Ho struggling to break free.

"Eotteokheyo?" Yong Hwa coolly asked. "Shin Hye's my girlfriend now."

All eyes, including those of the receptionists, turned to him. The receptionists gasped and began to murmer, whisper, about the rumor. So, it was true!

"M...mwo?" Min Ho asked, unable to believe what he had heard. "Shin Hye...your... maldo andwae!"

Shin Hye and her friends stepped out of the operations area to see the commotion. When Min Ho saw her, he struggled to break free from the guards, who still gripped him tight.

"Shin Hye-ya, please, can you get back with me?" he begged.

"If I do, can I get a guarantee that you will not flirt behind my back, huh?" she asked in her hurt. "You were my first love, but you screwed it, big time!"

"Shin Hye-ya!" Min Ho begged.

"Mianhande, Yong Hwa loves me," she replied. "And he is my boyfriend."

"Can you give me a chance?" Min Ho begged.

"What chance can you have?" Shin Hye asked in anger, angry because Min Ho could not get it. "I told you Yong Hwa is my boyfriend!"

The guards dragged him out of the building. Woori and Min Hyuk patted Shin Hye on the back to calm her, and Jong Hyun fetched her a glass of water, for there was a water station at the reception area. Shin Hye took the glass from her friend and drank it all up. Yong Hwa went to her, grabbed the empty glass, and handed it to the vampire boy. When Jong Hyun took the glass, he called the attention of the staff, including all but one of the receptionists, and instructed them to gather inside the operations area.

****

In there, Yong Hwa explained that he and Shin Hye fell in love in Singapore, much to the surprise of most of the people there. The rumor was finally confirmed, but the one thing that will surely bother Shin Hye for as long as she worked in the company is the fact that she might receive easy treatment in case she does wrong. But Yong Hwa addressed their sentiment, telling them that he will be fair and square to each one of them, Shin Hye included. He told them not to worry, and if ever they have issues, they can just go to his office any time.

****

Jong Hyun and Jung Shin walked at the park that night. The two of them discussed what had happened earlier that day.

"I was a bit surprised, but I was also affected by what Shin Hye said," Jong Hyun said. "She is insinuating that once a player, forever a player."

Jung Shin smirked as he kicked the dried leaves off their path.

"Geunde, if you just realize it yourself and act on your conviction, you will change, right?"

"Ne, that I do," Jong Hyun said. "That's why I am abstaining for ten months already. I want to renew myself and show the new me to a girl I might meet in the future, and I hope she will realize that I changed and will accept me."

"Waaa, you are so cool!" Jung Shin clapped his hands.

As they walked along, Jung Shin began to sing 2NE1's "Good To You" by himself without minding if Jong Hyun even heard him. As for Jong Hyun, he was planning to start looking at his future and prepare for it. 

The first thing that came to his mind is investing in the stock market.

Investing, not trading, because those two are two different things.

~~~~