A/N: Again, you might want to read back a few chaps. Enjoy.

Chapter 20. Déjà vu

Ha Ni had a very awkward start of the day.

As expected, Ommoni fussed over her while Eun Jo cheerfully asked what it was like to be drunk. She could not discuss that to them, could she? CEO Baek just smiled and said that it was part of growing up, and anyone would have to experience that at least once in their lives. The CEO’s reaction was a little unsettling to Ha Ni, to think that the old man was supposed to be appraising her if she could be a suitable daughter-in-law or not.

The only good thing that happened was that Seung Jo left early and missed eating with them. Otherwise, it would have really been a painful Monday morning.

The scene at breakfast was nothing compared to the situation at school.

A lot of girls, He Ra’s cronies, threw her dagger looks and it was apparent that a lot of people already got wind of what happened in the bar. However, they only heard about her losing in the drinking bet with He Ra and collapsing on stage. They did not know anything about the incident outside where Seung Jo and Jin Woo had a spat over Ha Ni.

And so most fortunately, the news that Ha Ni was to marry Seung Jo was only made known to Jin Woo and Min Ah.

But talking to Min Ah was another problem.

Ha Ni had to chase her around the campus. Min Ah was not very happy about being kept out of the important news and so she ignored Ha Ni whole day long.

“Min Ah! Wait, can’t you give me a chance to tell you about everything?” Ha Ni said after finally catching up to Min Ah in the afternoon.

“You had a lot of time to tell me before. But you chose that I find it out accidentally from someone else.” Min Ah replied indignantly.

It’s your fault, Baek Seung Jo! Now I will really tell Min Ah everything. Screw Rule 1!

“Mianhe, Min Ah. Cheongmal mianhe. If you’ll let me explain, I’ll tell you everything. Promise, no more secrets” Ha Ni implored.

Min Ah yielded to Ha Ni’s cute puppy faces. “Fine… so tell me everything from the beginning.”

And so Ha Ni did. She did not miss a single detail about the situation. Including the arrangement with CEO Baek, the rules she made with Seung Jo and Seung Jo’s treatment towards her. She only filtered the information about the scene by the pool when she hurt her foot, and the kiss in the parking lot.

“So that means everything now is part of the plan? That’s why you shifted your interest to business, when all our high school life you talked about wanting to pursue something related to designing.”

Ha Ni nodded. “Yes. But my family’s happiness is more important than mine. And who knows, I might actually enjoy running a business.”

Min Ah could only hug her friend. “Ha Ni yah… I’m so sorry for what happened. And I’m sorry I nagged you for being secretive.”

Ha Ni shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You had the right to be mad. I would have been, too, if I were in your place.”

“Just tell me when you need help, okay? Anything. Even finding ways to hex that arrogant future husband of yours!”

Ha Ni laughed and Min Ah joined her. One problem solved.

“But how are you gonna explain it to Jin Woo? The guy likes you very much, you know.”

Ha Ni blushed. “Does he?”

“Of course, he does! Are you blind?”

Ha Ni sighed. As much as she wanted to shake off her minute presumptions that Jin Woo might have liked her, hearing it from Min Ah made it all the more real.

“Can I just not tell him?”

Min Ah raised her brow. “What do you mean not tell him? He has to know. He heard it. And you, being his friend, should at least tell him that you two do not have a chance because you’re already committed…”

Ha Ni groaned. “You make it sound like I am someone in a real relationship who needs to reject a suitor. And besides, it’s very presumptuous of me to tell him off when he has not even confessed to me yet.”

“Tsk…tsk… you are too naïve, Oh Ha Ni. Anyone can see he likes you. A lot, mind you.”

Ha Ni thought about the times she was with Jin Woo. She thought he was just overly polite and kind and thoughtful. All the efforts he exerted for her. She buried her face in her palms with the realizations. He even calls me almost every night! Oh Ha Ni, babo!!!

“Did I lead him on intentionally? Oh, Min Ah… now it’s complicated. Plus Seung Jo hates him so much for some reason I haven’t figured out yet.”

“Really? From what I heard, they were good friends in highschool but they had a fall out for some reason.”

“So what am I going to do?” Ha Ni sighed.

Min Ah sighed too. “I don’t know how you’re gonna do it, but you at least have to let him know that you are not free anymore. Drop it casually when the timing is right… and do it soon.”

Another deep breath. “Fine. But that will not happen today. I still need to go to the office after we talk.”

“Then that will give you a little more time to think about it.” Min Ah pulled Ha Ni towards the parking area. “Come on, I’m gonna give you a ride to the office… in exchange for my being a brat today.”

The mood lightened a bit. A friend to share problems with was definitely what Oh Ha Ni needed to survive.

“You know what, maybe you could keep Jin Woo and be like those women in dramas involved in secret love affairs.”

Ha Ni slapped Min Ah’s arm. “You’re kidding me!”

“Or maybe keep him as your safety net just in case you and Seung Jo don’t work out. Your reserved rebound boy…”

“Yah!”

And the two of them just laughed at the silliness of the thought as the car drove out the campus.

********************

Ha Ni was surprised when Seung Jo arrived in the office. He had been avoiding her since the musical incident and for all she knew, he probably changed his work schedule just so they would not meet. It was the first time they got together in the office since.

Try to be civil, Oh Ha Ni…he helped you when you got drunk…however irritating he behaved because of that. Smile!

 “Hi,” she greeted with utmost effort and drank water as an excuse not to say something more.

 “I did not know you’re coming today.”

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am here today. I am still following my normal schedule… unlike someone else I know…”

Seung Jo ignored her snide reference and said, “I thought you might need to go out with your friends after class today…”

Hmmm? *DING!*

“Oh! Were you suggesting that I might need do some damage control after you told my friends that I need to marry you?” she said sarcastically.

Seung Jo nodded.

“I already explained it to Min Ah.”

“And what did she say?” he asked curiously.

Ha Ni gave an evil grin. “She said she’ll help me put a jinx on you when needed.”

Seung Jo snorted. “And did you tell her not to tell anyone? Girls can be gossipy…”

“Yah! It was your fault that she knew! And Min Ah would never breathe a word, I trust her that much.”

Seung Jo felt relieved. “Good. How about your suitor?”

Ha Ni blinked. Suitor? “Who?”

“Park Jin Woo…” Then he added in a low voice “…babo.”

“Yah! I heard that! I am not stupid! And he is just my friend.”

Seung Jo smiled mockingly. “Oh Ha Ni. Now I know why you are accident-prone.”

“Eh?”

“You have very poor senses.”

Ha Ni remained clueless.

“I don’t know what he saw in you but Park Jin Woo definitely likes you.” Seung Jo finally dropped.

Now that’s already two people telling me the same thing in one day. Jin Woo likes me?

“If you’re surprised, I am too. I just can’t understand what he could have possibly seen in you. You are short, not even remotely beautiful. You are stubborn and you can get drunk easily… There’s no fun to go clubbing with girls who can’t drink. You are also very clumsy, even Eun Jo says so. You can trip on your own every 5 minutes. So maybe he just wants someone he can make fun of…” he said continuously.

“He used to like better girls in highschool,” he added.

Couldn’t he just skip the rudeness?!

Too much vexed by Seung Jo’s comments, she unconsciously nudged the pitcher of water off the counter and sent it crashing down to the floor where it shattered to countless pieces. And because of her shock, the glass she was holding would have also dropped too, if not for Seung Jo who immediately closed down on her and clasped her hand to its grip firmly around the glass.

“Watch it!” Seung Jo said.

‘Is this happening again?’ Ha Ni thought, suddenly remembering the same thing that happened in her recent dream.

“What did you say?”

Seung Jo took the glass from her hand and put it on the ledge. “What do you mean?”

Aish! This is not a dream…But I’m sure it happened in my dream… a part of it.

While still deep in her thoughts, she mechanically went down to her knees to pick up the pieces of the broken pitcher.

“OUCH!” Ha Ni looked at her bleeding finger.

Seung Jo shook his head and went down next to her. “Tsk… Oh Ha Ni babo!”

Ha Ni tried to pick out the tiny shard of glass that pricked her finger, but to no avail.

“Give it to me.” Seung Jo pulled her injured hand and squeezed the bleeding finger.

“AHHHH!”

“Keep it down… the secretary will hear you.”

“I can’t keep it down because it’s painful!!! And why did you have to squeeze it hard?”

Seung Jo let go of her hand and showed her something in his palm. The culprit shard of glass.

“To extract that out.” Then he stood up, pulling Ha Ni up with him.

Ha Ni struggled free from his hold. “Yah! What are you doing?”

“Let’s clean your wound.” He walked off to his table, obtained a small medicine kit and proceeded to the couch in a corner.

Ha Ni followed and flopped down near him.

Seung Jo took her hand and unceremoniously wiped off the blood from the punctured finger. He poured into it some antiseptic and wrapped it up with a small bandage. All the while, Ha Ni just stared at him in wonder. When he finished, she immediately looked down.

“There, it’s done.”

Without looking up to him, Ha Ni murmured her thanks. “Gomawo”

Seung Jo sighed. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. You always get into trouble. Do you expect me to always be there to clean everything up for you?”

Ha Ni pouted. “Who asked you to clean up?”

“Oh Ha Ni, whether we like it or not, you’re going to be my wife in the future, so you’re my responsibility.”

“What?!”He always refers to that marriage thing at the most unexpected times!

“And going back to our earlier discussion, you have to tell Jin Woo. His skull is so thick that my warnings cannot get through.”

“What warnings?”

“I told you many times to avoid him. And because you’re too stubborn to do it, I just went the other way. I directly warned him not to get too close to you.”

“Oh no, you didn’t! Tell me you didn’t!” Why didn’t Jin Woo tell me anything?

“I did, repeatedly. I even showed him why he should not come near you…”

Ha Ni, her head still buried in her palms, suddenly looked up. It looked like a thought dawned on her.

“So that kiss in the parking lot… to tell him off…” Ha Ni declared slowly. 

Seung Jo nodded.

“Obviously, that did not warn him enough… so I told him to back off. What I told him outside the club should be clear enough to------“

WHACK!!!!!!

Ha Ni smacked him hard with a magazine.

 “Yah! What was that for?”

And Baek Seung Jo faced a very livid Oh Ha Ni, with tears already pooled in the corners of her eyes.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. :)