Seunghyun could not stop staring at her. She has the most dazzling smile that he had ever seen. When he had been introduced to her by his father, he felt so disappointed with himself - somehow his ability to impress a woman had failed him miserably. He did the most embarassing act that he knows he will never did in any situation before. When he felt at that moment his ability to utter a single word seems lost, like a dummy, he bowed 90 degree in front of Chaerin as an act of greeting. Exactly the same like the Japanese did. And when he realised that, he tried to step back but end up, knocking his own father who had been standing behind him. As the result, his father goes sprawling on the floor. He cringed with full of remorse as he recalled that very moment. 

"Appa!! Mianhe, I did not see you were standing behind me." Seunghyun quickly help his father to get off from the floor. From behind him, he could hear his brothers sniggering at his clumsiness. His mother tries to rectify the situation. She laugh it away as she ushered their guests to the dining area.

"Will you be ok, Minsoo?" asked the worried Jaeho watching his friend had been help by Seunghyun to stand from his unexpected fall. Seunghyun mother continues, without even a glance back to her husband direction, "Don't you worry, Jaeho. He is in a good hand." She keeps persistently ushering the Lee family to the dining area.

Seunghyun watched them heading to the dining room. Chaerin just like her father, keeps on looking at their direction with worried looks. Great move, Tempo.

"Now let's return to our guest shall we, son?" Minsoo patted his son shoulder and without waiting for reply, he just head to the dining area. Seunghyun obediently follow his father.

Over at the dinner table, as he had expected that he will be sitting by her side. Throughout dinner, the flow of the conversations surround both of them had been mostly dominated by the 2 head of each family. Both men had been amicably conversing on topics such as the politic that happens in their country and in the world and also on business economy. Their fathers conversations had been so boring that the eldest of the Choi brothers had started their own conversation topics. Dongwook had start things off with conversing about soccer and fashions. Both Seunghyun and Chaerin had been listening silently, without interrupting or even join in the conversations with either their fathers' or Dongwook conversation.

Seunghyun had been trying his hard to think of something to start normal conversation with Chaerin, just for the two of them. But his brain had seems not functioning ever since his heart throbbing when he laid his eyes on the beautiful woman sitting be side him. He honestly felt bad for not able to strike a conversation with her. When he turns his head to his father, the old man eyes had been signalling him to Chaerin. And from his body language, Seunghyun understand that his father wanted him to entertain Chaerin. I know that appa. I am trying to think of something to talk to her and the topic will not sound stupid or embarassing for me.

Seunghyun eyes linger to Chaerin sister who was sitting in front of him. She was in deep conversation with the youngest of the Choi brothers, Jonghoon. How I wish I could be like Jonghoon at this moment. By the way, what is she doing now? He takes a glance to the said woman Chaerin. She was taking her sweet time eating her Salmon grilled. Seunghyun heave out a sigh. She must be bored. Look at that, she is playing with her food. 

"Ehem..!!"

Seunghyun looks up to Chaerin and he felt his heart longing for her. She smiled at him. He could not help and return the favor. 

"Hey girl...you look super fine..!!"

And he watched her like a drunk fool as Chaerin laughing at him.

"Hyung!!"

And yet again, Seunghyun had just fool himself again by his own stupidity.

~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~

Minsoo pull his son aside and dragged him to his study room.

"What is it, appa? I want to follow Chaerin who is apparently heading to the garden." Seunghyun was none too happy with his father sudden attack. Finally when he was able to nurse his sore pride after yet again he had been embarassed by his own stupidity, he had decided to go all out to just be near her. What will I say to her? Well let it just go with the flow. Tempo don't desert me already.

Minsoo just ignored Seunghyun. He needs to know his son next strategy to win Chaerin heart, not that they had discussed it before. Throughout the night activities, he had watched his son and Chaerin. And from what he could gather, his son had failed miserably. He knows he was needed to step in to help Seunghyun to get back to his A game. All this while, he knows that in this part of scene Seunghyun should be able to pull it off. But Seunghyun nervousness overwhelm the younger man. Well it was good to see that Chaerin might be the answer to Seunghyun weakness but Minsoo does not want the younger man to appear weak to anyone, even to Chaerin.

Son, you are my only key to achieve my heart desire. Do not fail me.

"What are your next move?" 

Seunghyun knows it too well what his father is referring to. With all respect to you appa, I want to want Chaerin for my own reason, not according to your devious plan. Yes, maybe this time round you had succeed in finding the woman to match my current desire but I have no intention to follow your needs.

"Well...not to further embarass myself again. If you do not notice it, earlier-"

"I know I know...I saw it and watched it. I was even part of it!!" Minsoo closed his eyes as he recalled painfully the embarassing scene from the moment upon the arrival of the Lee family.

"Appa, this had never happen to me. I know what the right thing to say and what is the best move to go for. But her!!" Seunghyun points out to the direction of the garden where Chaerin was currently scrolling about the beautiful set-up. "She had destroyed me without even attempting to do so."

Minsoo watched his son who acting like a crazy maniac. "Well, you can't allow that to happen, Tempo!! Not even for my own benefit. You got to think for yourself to save your own dignity to a woman like her!"

Seunghyun glared at his father. Did you not see that I am trying my hardest?

"Well, just relax and think something happy..."

"Appa, I don't think this is the time for you to say some line out of the cartoon 'Powerpuff Girl'!!"

"Am not!! Anyway why can't you just let me finish with what I am trying to share with you?" Minsoo scowled before pulling his son to stand nearer to him. Seunghyun followed. "Now listen up, Tempo. All you got to do is relax and when picking a topic of conversation...well just stick to a simple topic."

Seunghyun looked at his father with a blank face.

"Well, you know simple topics such as the weather, entertainment stuff and maybe you can touch on topic like hobby. Something like that.." Minsoo smiled at Seunghyun encouragingly. His son had looks so tensed and it was nerve-wrecking for him to watch him fail at his own game. Seunghyun was just like me when I was at his age. But his mother was nothing like Chaerin, not even close.

Seunghyun just nodded his head without acknowledging to his father whether he understand the advice that the old man had given him. He just walked out from the study room and head off to search his Chaerin.

You will do just fine, son. I believe in you.

~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~~||~

Chaerin felt at peace as she strolled the garden path while just enjoying the silence of night and breathing the sweet smell of the beautiful red roses that had been planted. She could see they are a few statues that have been place at the very strategic area in the garden. But the one that really attracted her was the statue of a woman who looks like Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess for love. Her statue was magnificently large with water fountain flowing down her and to highlight of how magnificent she was, a spotlight had been built underneath the water fountain.

Her statue was the first thing that caught Chaerin eyes when she reached the Choi mansion and she had been raring to visit her. And here she was. She was so mesmerised by the beauty of Aphrodite, even though the statue was built in white colour, Chaerin did not realised the present of another person who had been watching her.

"Wow...you are beautiful, dear Goddess..."

"Well, you are much prettier than her."

Chaerin quickly turn to the voice. She did not expected to meet him again after his stupid pick-up line during dinner. I thought he might not want to present himself again and goes sulking somewhere in the arm of daddy dearest.

Chaerin smirked. "In what way am I prettier than the Goddess?"

Seunghyun take it as a good sign for him to continue his well deserve redemption. With his hand at his back, he approach Chaerin, acting like a teacher. "Well, Aphrodite was all white. She was so pale that no colour filling her pretty face and in case you are forgetting Chaerin that she was just a statue, how could you want to be compare to a mere lifeless statue?"

Chaerin just smiled at him without taking her eyes off him. He is indeed handsome bastard. 

"Come on, you are way better than anyone in here." He leans closer to her. His breathe ghosting her cheek as he whispered, "Much much better..."

Chaerin gave him a quick push on his chest. Laughing, "Woah you are a player, Choi Seunghyun."

Seunghyun pretend to look hurt. Deep in his heart, he was floating with happiness. He felt happy seeing Chaerin laughing happily in front of him and even when she was laughing at his stupid pick-up line, he did not felt hurt a bit. He then invited Chaerin to the nearest bench. Chaerin was gladly accepted the offer. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that Seunghyun take a seat on the same bench but there was a distance between them. She was happy with the gesture though because she really hated man to take advantage even how small the opportunity was. At least Seunghyun did not YET fall to such category of .

"Your parent must paid thousands of dollars to build such a magnificent garden."

Seunghyun chuckled. 

"They did not give out a dime for this beautiful garden, Chae."

Chaerin just simply love the way he called her name...Chae.. "How come?"

"This garden had been built by the hand of loveof my late grandmother. She had built this whole area from scratch with no one help her. Well, my late grandfather did help her out during his retirement." His mind flow to the memories of the 2 people that he had been closed to since at the young age. Seunghyun had been literally brought up by his grandparent instead of his parent and worse, between his parent, it was always his father who spend any spare time that he had with him. His mother? 

Seugnhyun stiffled a sigh.

"What's wrong? Did I make you sad by making you remembering your grandmother?" Chaerin asked. There was concern in her voice which was true. She had been told earlier by her father of Seunghyun family history that was he had been brought up by his grandparent, not his parent especially his mother. Rumor has it that Seunghyun was the only real son to Choi Minsoo and not the other 2 son. How authentic the rumor has been, it was not my place to pass judgement. But I should not be the reason for Seunghyun sadness tonight.

Seunghyun just shake his head as if to wave the matter away. "You did not but this place sometime gets under my skin though."

"Then why not we just leave this place then. Let's find somewhere that you rather feel comfortable then." Chaerin had stood up and ready to move to somewhere else.

"No, it is not like that. I love this place so much that I always comes to visit this exact place whenever I visit my father." Seunghyun too had stood up.

Silence.

"Please let's just sit again for awhile before-"

"Chaerin!!"

Both turns toward the direction of the voice. It was Chaerin mother. 

"I guess it is time for me to go home..."

Seunghyun nodded his head. But he quickly stop Chaerin before she could leave him again. "Can I have your number?"

"Sure." Chaerin offer her palm to Seunghyun for his handphone. She quickly saved her number and return the handphone to him.

"Do call me, Seunghyun. Don't disappoint me."

And she walks away with Seunghyun still watching her leaving him, but not without hope.

"I will not, my dear Chaerin."