It's raining outside on that grey morning, but the master of the house couldn't find it in him to turn on the lights.  He walks slowly inside the dark lounge, his unfastened robe sweeps the floor with every steps he take.

He took a small swig from a glass of brandy in his hand before he stopped in front of a portrait hung in the wall.  He traces the familiar portrait gently with the tip of his fingers, his eyes soft and pensive.

"Sir, here's your medicine," the curt voice of his butler slice through the cold air.

The melancholy in his eyes immediately dissipates, replaced by indifference and coldness.  He turns around to take the aspirin from the tray and wash it down with his brandy.

"Sir, I think it's best if you don't go to work today.  You don’t look too well," the butler suggests.

"I'll be fine.  I have an important business to finish," the master answers short.  Jung Yunho gives a last glance at the portrait before he walks off.

The butler stand still in his place, eyes on the same portrait his master had gazed at just moments ago.

His lips curled downwards in dissatisfaction (maybe even in utter dislike) before he turns around and left to prepare his master's attire of the day. 

He hug his coat tighter to his body as he walk away.

The Southern Wing has always been the coldest part of the mansion.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sound of his phone ringing woke Hyunchul up from his sleep.  The pale-faced boy squinted his eyes to peek at the grandfather clock before he sighs and answer the vibrating phone.

“It’s 9 am and you’re still sleeping?” a familiar baritone greeted his hearing. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” Hyunchul immediately apologizes, voice still groggy from stupor.

“Save it.  Anyway, had you gotten any closer to Jung Yunho?”

Hyunchul gulp at his tone.

“Sir, I tried---“ 

“I do not like where this is heading,” Mr. Park intercepted.  Hyunchul suddenly isn’t sleepy anymore.

“Sir, I tried to get him to eat dinner with me last night, but his butler stopped me before I even get the chance to ask.”

Park Yoochun sighs from the other line.  “Hyunchul-ssi, I didn’t send you there for a holiday.  Do your part properly.  It has been a few days since you entered the house, yet nothing has changed.  You can’t stay in the house forever.  If the time for you to leave arrives and you still hadn’t achieve anything, our deal will be void.  Do you hear me?”

Hyunchul gasp in dissatisfaction.  “But sir, that is not fair!  I tried to get closer to him like you told me to, but it’s too hard.”

“Well, try harder!” the other said before he cuts the line.

Hyunchul sigh to himself before he tossed the phone away.  Why must life be so difficult to him? 

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

The door of his office bangs open before a red-faced Kim Jaejoong strides in.

Eric immediately hides the newspaper he was reading under his desk before he greeted Jaejoong with a faux smile.  The smile was unreturned.  Instead, Jaejoong flings a newspaper at him – the same one Eric has been reading – before he proceeds to murder the CEO with his eyes.

‘The Identity of the Business Tycoon Revealed.  Billionaire Jung Yunho and Model Kim Jaejoong – Our New ‘It’ Couple’

Below the headline was a long paragraph depicting how the two met.  What makes it even shadier is the fact that it was taken word-to-word from the story Jaejoong told him and Heechul the other day.  (“Actually, Yunnie and I first met in Milan,” Jaejoong had said, as he smiles coyly at Heechul and him.)

Eric suppresses the urge to smile.

“Why are you smiling, you creep!” Jaejoong bellowed at him, eyes murderous, “I thought told you not to tell the press who my lover is!”

“Jaejoong, I didn’t-“

“I told you, Eric!  He didn’t want his privacy invaded!  My Yunnie is pissed!  Very very pissed!”

“Jaejoong, calm down.  It’s not me.  I wasn’t the one who leaked it to the press.”

Jaejoong scoff furiously at that.  “It’s not you?  Oh, it’s not Eric, the money-oriented bastard?!   If it isn’t you, who el---- Oh.” Jaejoong trailed off, before he mutter in realization.  “Kim Heechul…”

“Yes, it’s Heechul-“ Eric says before he grins even wider, “-and for once, I’m going to thank him for having a big mouth.  I never approve hi