A few days in, Hyun Chul is pretty much convinced Mr. Park hadn't been truthful to him.  His intention can't be that simple.

Because things suddenly seemed much much more complicated now that he arrived in this place. 

'Tell me my dear Hyun Chul," Yoo Chun says to the eager Hyun Chul as he sips his wine lazily.  "Have you or have you not realize my affinity for delightful pranks?"

Hyun Chul frowns.  He was talking about helping his brother just now, why did he suddenly deviates to such questions?  Nevertheless, he nods, not failing to forget the number of times Mr. Park over here made him grimace in horror over his jokes.

"I'm currently planning a grand one and I'm inviting you to be a part of it," he drawls before he went back to cutting his steak.  "And as a return, I'd do anything you'd want me to.  Anything," he finishes meaningfully Hyun Chul knows he's hinting at his brother.

Hyun Chul's close his doe eyes in distress as he tries to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of his head.  He knew Mr. Park isn’t telling him something, but there’s nothing he can do now, really.  Not when he had already been a part of this.

This is his third day in the Jung Mansion in Jeju Island and he’s not the least happy with it.  The mansion was grand, with expensive ornaments Hyun Chul just knew would cost him more than his life should he accidentally scratch them.  The room he’s currently occupying is more than comfortable and there’s nothing to complain about when it comes to the accomodation. 

Except perhaps Hyun Chul has a feeling as though the owner of the house despises him and he’s not really welcomed in this place. 

Speaking of which, the tall figure of a man can be seen walking down the bank of the lake from the window of his room.  For the nth time, Hyun Chul found himself staring at that broad back in awe. 

Hyun Chul couldn’t see his face, but judging from his posture, the man seemed to be absorbed in something.  The only times Hyun Chul had seen such posture on anyone is from Mr. Park.  Funny how those two can be so strikingly similar.  They both have cold dark eyes and smiles that fails to reach their eyes. 

The only difference in them is Hyun Chul can at least see Mr. Park laughing at times (but only after Hyun Chul fell prey to his prank), the same couldn’t be said to this man in front of him, however. 

He didn’t know why, but the man's eyes is unbelievably cold when it is directed to him.  There are a lot of servants in this mansion (which is quite understandable due to it’s massive size) and Hyun Chul had countlessly observes his interaction with his staff in case if he treats them the same as he did to him.

But he never did.  He’s not exactly friendly to his staff, but he wasn’t as cold to them as he was to Hyun Chul.  And that truly made him wonder what is it in him that peeves the man so much.

Hyun Chul snaps out of his reverie when he saw the figure of another man, a butler this time, running towards the tall man near the lake, a phone clutched in his hand.  The butler is Mr. Lee, the head servant of this house.  Mr. Jung must’ve gotten another call from his client or something. 

The man turns around and grab the cordless phone, face still void of any expression as Hyun Chul has always seen him. 

Perhaps he felt Hyun Chul’s staggering gaze on him, or perhaps the corner of his eyes caught Hyun Chul’s silhouette standing near the window of his room.  The man looks up and their eyes locked for a brief while. Hyun Chul holds his breath as he stares back.  He can almost hear the sound of his own heart beating inside his chest.  And then, to Hyun Chul's dissapointment, the other man looks away wordlessly and stalks off while answering the phone, his butler hot on his heel.

Hyun Chul sigh.  That Jung Yun Ho is a force to reckon with indeed.

“Do you know Jung Yun Ho?” Yoo Chun asks as he wipes the corner of his lips with napkins. 

“Jung Yun Ho?”  There’s only one Jung Yun Ho that Hyun Chul is aware of.  “The owner of Jung Corps?”

Yoo Chun blessed him with a rare smile as he nods.  “Yes, that Jung Yun Ho. You and I, we both will be plotting the greatest play on him.”

The greatest play?  Jung Yunho?  A small part of him warns him that everything can't be that simple.  But instead of voicing that out, he chose to ask a question instead. “You two are friends?” Hyun Chul asked dumbly.

“We are acquaintances.” Yoochun answers curtly.

Hyun Chul gaped, suddenly feels fascinated by the world of the rich South Korea’s elites.  He had always seen them on tv, doing remarkable things that can bring more money than he can ever dream of.  But seeing how one is acquainted to another in the lavish setting of the rich and famous made him feels a little special, especially since he’s just a commoner.  He can just imagine the night clubs, the expensive wines, the trips abroad these people carelessly do with each other without a care for their expenses.

“There’s only one thing I need from you,” Yoo Chun suddenly says.   “I need you to live in the Jung Mansion for a couple of weeks.”

Hyun Chul frowns at him.

“You need to do just that, and I’ll do anything for you in return,” he promised.

“Only that?” Hyunchul murmurs in disbelief.

“Yes, only that,” Yoo Chun finishes with an air of mystery. “But first, you need to undergo a make-over.  To change up your looks.  Because you will be there as Park Hyunchul, a promising model from Milan rather than Park Hyunchul, the chauffer boy from Seoul.”

“From Milan?  But why?  I’ve never been to Milan before, what if they found out I’m lying?” Hyunchul was quick to protest, only to slump back on his seat when Mr. Park raises a brow at his callous tone.

“Just because…” the young business man answers after a while.

He bet half of his limbs it isn’t only that.  There's just something about Park Yoochun that unsettles him. Hyunchul had only agreed to him because his brother's liberty comes first. 

And now that the play is currently in motion, he realizes that things are much more complicated that what it appears to be.  If it’s not, why did he forbade Hyun Chul from even muttering his name in the household? 

‘Do not tell them you know me, Hyun Chul.  I mean it.  If you do, the deal is off,’ Yoo Chun warns.

And if he really didn't mean any harm, why did he had to ask the help of his friend (Kim Jung Soo?  Kim Jun Su?) to pretend as though Hyun Chul was his friend who got stranded in Jeju without a place to live in?  (From what Hyun Chul learns, Kim Jung Soo or Kim Jun Su or whatever his name is, is one of the few living family member of Mr. Jung).  Why did he had to use Jun Su’s name instead of using his own? 

“His name is Kim Junsu.  And he will be your best friend.  He is one of the few remaining relatives of Jung Yunho,” Mr. Park says after he throws a brown envelope containing pictures of the said Kim Junsu to Hyunchul.

This is Hyunchul’s third day in Mr.Park’s suites in Seoul.  He had spent the past few days learning etiquettes.

“You went to Milan for work and met him there.  You are a model and he is a designer.  You two became best friends and lives next to each other.  If anyone asks you about him, just tell them he’s doing well and that he has been promoted as the head designer in the company he works at.”  Hyunchul nodded to everything Mr. Park says.

 If these past few days teaches Hyunchul anything, it’d be not to cross the man.  He never realizes how powerful Mr. Park actually is. Whatever it is he has in store for Mr. Jung, the man was willing to do anything for his purpose, even going to the length of recruiting trainers from overseas to oversee Hyunchul.

Mr. Park’s phone suddenly vibrated.  He flipped open the cover and his non-chalant exterior immediately changes upon seeing the ID of the caller.

“Hi, Jun Su-ah.  It’s me.  Had you told him the thing I told you to?  Oh, good.  Thanks,” Yoo Chun says through the phone.  After that, he got quiet for a while, listening to the other’s words. “I told you, I’m not in Jeju right now.  And my house is under renovation, so he can’t stay there.  The hotels are full, there’s an ongoing election.  The hotels around are all overbooked by the election staffs.  Don’t worry, I’m not planning anything.  Sheesh…..”  

Hyunchul stares at him quietly. 

“Alright, thanks.  I owe you one,” Yoochun smiled charmingly throughout the conversation.  “Of course.  I’d buy you dinner once you visit Jeju.  Okay, bye.”  After finishing the call, Mr. Park cast the phone a last contemplative look before his icy demeanor comes back.

Hyunchul clears his throat to get Yoochun’s attention. 

“This isn’t just a prank, isn’t it?” he demurely asks. 

Yoochun didn’t answer him. 

“Mr. Park, there’s just no way you are willing to go this far just for a prank.  There’s got to be somethi-“

“And about your brother-“ Mr. Park suddenly intercepted.  Hyunchul shuts up almost immediately.  “-we will bail him out in 2 days.  After that, he will stay with my men and will only be released once I am satisfied with your work.  Nobody knows you’re with me, right?”

Hyunchul shook his head.  “No, I told my parents I was sent to Jeju by my agency for a couple of weeks on business purposes.”

“Good.  Because I don’t want any hindrance in my plan.  Now go to bed.”

Hyunchul’s eyes follows Park Yoochun as the latter walk out of the room.  After he is gone, Hyunchul gingerly takes one of the many photos and stares at it. 

This Kim Jungsoo/Kim Junsu looks so nice and angelic.

And all those make-over he forces Hyunchul to have, it can’t be for nothing.

Hyun Chul froze in his seat, his face as white as paper.  In front of him is a blonde-haired man, scrutinizing him with his bright blue eyes while propping himself lazily and somehow elegantly against a table. They are currently in Mr. Park’s study. The only other man in the study, Mr. Park, currently has his back against them, seemingly deep in thoughts while occasionally sipping on his whiskey. 

“No, no, no.  How many times do I have to tell you.  Do not sit like that, like a bloody deflated balloon,” the blonde European man chided.  The man is wearing a long fur coat and is donning a black leather jeans and boots.  He probably is the classiest man Hyunchul has ever seen in his entire lifetime. 

“Sit straight,” he barked.  The stumped Hyunchul immediately follows his order.  “Chins up, shoulders down.  Feet close to each other.  Hands on your laps.  And smile.  And if the chair has an arm-rest, instead of putting your hands on your laps, put it on both sides of the arm-rest.  Act as though you own the world,” the blonde man sings out his sentences like a poet as he elegantly fixes all the wrongs he saw in Hyunchul’s posture.  “You are a magnificent creature.  Act like one and steal everybody’s gazes.” 

He grinned in satisfaction once he deemed Hyunchul’s posture perfect. 

“When you smile, make sure you cover your mouth with your hand,” Mr. Park suddenly added, eyes never straying from the views outside.  Hyunchul nodded timidly.

“Great,” the blonde man announces, “-now let’s practice the proper etiquette when drinking wine or hard liquor,” As the blonde made his way towards a wine selection behind Hyunchul, Hyunchul takes the chance to divert his eyes to Mr. Park, his face solemn. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“From now on, your favorite color is purple and white,” Mr. Park declared as Hyunchul gaped at the rows and rows of new clothes (most of which are white) being brought into his room in Mr. Park’s suite.

“And-“ Mr. Park signals people to bring in a cluster of books, “-your favourite genre will be historical harlequin novels.  You read them in your spare time and aspires to be a writer one day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~