: Eight :

: Day 3 (night) :

Junmyeon stood in the hotel lobby wearing his best suit, a dark navy suit with a slick black tie. Even though for tonight Mr. and Mrs. Shim isn't having dinner with them, it feels strange being alone together, enjoying dinner just the two of them. He doesn't know what dress Chorong is wearing, four out of four chances that it could be either one that had blew Junmyeon's mind away.

He stood for who knows how long [10 minutes] waiting for Chorong to come down from the elevator. The elevator door opens as he stood back and watch, it wasn't Chorong, it was a couple coming down together. He let out a sigh and sat in one of the chair in the lobby.

"Why do women take so long to get ready," he thought as he watch the elevator door open and see another couple coming out of it.

He leans his head back on the chair and shut his eyes.

Chorong had come down from the elevator, wearing the navy dress with flower embroideries, her hair swept to one side and wavy. She spots Junmyeon resting on the chair and walks over to him, leaning forward, casting a shadow over him.

He squints his eyes then opens them. Chorong was in front of him, she was wearing the navy dress - the dress that got him tongue tied that afternoon.

"Did I take too long?"

He shook his head with a half smile and got up from the chair. They both headed towards the dining hall - it was weird to eat together without Mr. and Mrs. Shim acompanying them. Junmyeon felt the top of his head sweating or at least he thought from the tension of eating dinner alone with Chorong. He pulls out the chair for her - the gentlemen thing to do. They both sat at a round table, sitting across from one another. Dinner didn't start for another 3 minute and for those 3 minutes the inevitable silence lingers around them. Junmyeon looking at Chorong, Chorong looking at Junmyeon.

Junmyeon clears his throat as he straightens his posture. "So uh," he  clears his throat once again. "How's work?"

He felt like hitting himself, sure work calms him down, but asking someone else is another story.

"Pretty good - " Chorong looks up at Junmyeon, she could tell that Junmyeon was trying to make conversation from the awkward silence. "It's still running."

"Of course. Unless you had shut it down." Junmyeon held up his glass as he took a sip of his water.

Chorong squints her eyes as she watches him. "You seriouslly have no clue what you are doing to my store," she thought to herself.

               ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A month ago [Someday Treasure Antique]

"Unnie," she shouts from the distance. Her voice oddly loud enough to be heard from the outside. "Chorong unnie where are you!"

Chorong pops her head from the side the shelves. "I'm over here," she shouts in the direction of Bomi's voice.

"Unnie," Bomi walks up to Chorong, breathless, and carring a sealed letter. "Why are hiding over here?"

"I'm organizing. No one wants a store to look cramped and out of place."

"Oh okay but you have a letter from the that big company." Bomi hands Chorong the letter and sits on a nearby stool catching her breath.

Chorong flips the envelope back and forth. She unseals the envelope and pulls out the letter - at the top, the company's name; Guardian Corp. and signed at the signature someone's name of Choi Minho, director of the board.

"What is it?" Bomi got up from the stool as she hunches over Chorong reading the letter. "THIS IS INSANE! They can't just tell us to pack up just because they want to expand their company." Bomi looked infuriating, she crosses her arms and stomps herself out of the room.

Chorong follows behind still clinching onto the letter. "What can we do, they have more money and power."

"Yeah but this store has been open longer than they had - has it?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but we aren't the only one to have gotten this letter. Remember the art store a couple blocks down? And the retail store just across from us."

"I remember." Bomi pouts as she lays her head on the counter. "But this is so unfair!"

"What's unfair?"

"Eunji, Naeun - we finally got the letter." Bomi lips were curved downwards as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Outrageous!" Eunji's eyes flared up as she stomps her feet to the ground. "How many more stores are they going close down just to expand their company. Sure they a great company, but we people need to work too!"

"Unnie we have to stop them."

Chorong just stood back and watch her friends - she wants to do something but this is way bigger than anything. "The letter said someone will come in a couple days to survey the place."

Eunji, Bomi, and Naeun all turn around as they stare at Chorong. She let out a sigh and heads back into the storage.

Chorong sat on a box in the storage room, fiddling through the antiques stored way. There were old notebooks from the Joseon Dynasty, jewelries, chairs, nick-nacks, mirrors, jewelry boxes, and et cetera. But what Chorong loved the most about the storage was that there was this old hand crafed vanity that no one seems to want - only if Chorong's apartment were big enough she take it. If they did close their store, all of the priceless antique would be gone. "I need to meet this Director." She thought as she clinches her hands into a fist. She left the storage room and heads outside, the girls watch her in confusion.

"Unnie where are you going?"

Chorong didn't look back, she kept on going, she hopped into the first taxi that drove her way, appointed the driver to head towards Guardian Corp. (which was at least 30 minutes away). Guardian Corp. was a huge corporation, the building itself looked like it was at least 30 story tall, all made of steel. She steps inside of the building, people in suits and ties coming out and going in the elevator, walking around like they're  headed off somewhere. She walks over to the front desk where a man was standing over his computer.

"Is Director Choi Minho here?"

"Do you have an appointment," he said.

She bit her lip as she shook her head. "But I like to see him." Chorong took out her the letter and showed it to the man.

He took the letter and read it. Nodded to Chorong as he dials on his phone. "Director Choi is in his office. Eighth-teen floor."

She took her way to the elevator, luckily the people had already gone off so she was the only one in the elevator. The elevator short right up to the eighth-teen floor. Chorong steps out as she wanders the hall look for his office, since he is an Director that means his office is big. She wanders further into the hall and a the end of the hall comes a double door with a sign on it: Choi Minho, Board of Director. She held up her hand, in a fist and knocks on the door. Pounding quietly then louder.

"Come in," said a low bubbling voice from behind the door.

Chorong enters. Her hands place on her belly holding onto dear life. "Uh...Director Choi Minho?"

Minho looks up and sees Chorong. "Yes I am. Who are you?"

"Park Chorong. I received this letter today and would like negociate this further."

Minho took the letter and opens it, reading the contents and seeing his name signed on the bottom. He nods his head and puts down the letter. "I'm sorry Ms. Park but I can't do anything about this. I just sign the papers. Everything goes up to our CEO."

"I like to talk to him please."

"He isn't here, he is in America."

"Thank you." Chorong sulks as she exits from Minho's office. Still holding onto the letter she heads towards the elevator - her feet barely dragging. Her phone buzzes her pocket. A text message from Naeun:

"Bomi unnie and Eunji unnie are wondering where you are at? Are you at Guardian Corp? Is everything going to be alright?"

Chorong didn't reply back to Naeun, she didn't felt like it since there was no good news to report. She didn't head straight back to the store - Chorong took a detour to the where the previous stores were. See what happens after Guardian Corporation buys you. The art store - it didn't have a lot but there were cool things inside of it. Now the store has become a small business co-owned by Guardian and the news has been reporting on Guardian lately, that their stocks are way up on the charts. Chorong stood in front of the building as she sighs heavily.

"I'm not going to let this happen," she said to the building as if it was talking back to her.

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"Chorong are you alright?" He was staring at her. Chorong had on her resting b!tch face which made Junmyeon tense up a bit. He was waving his hand in front of her, but no yet response. He grin slyly as his eyes twinkle with delight. "Sweetheart," Junmyeon teasingly said. Chorong didn't respond. "Baby?" He continue to . Junmyeon held his stomach from the pain of his laughter - how can someone blank out for such a long time.

"Why are you laughing?" Chorong snaps back to reality as she watches the hysterical Junmyeon.

Junmyeon sat up as he stops himself from laughing. "Don't worry about it. Where'd you go?"

Chorong shifts her eyes as she looks around. She turns back to face Junmyeon and smiles, "Don't worry about it."

They both sat there in silence - why does it take so long to prepare for dinner. As they waited, each table around them began to have their dinner deliver to them, only time now when they could finally eat and stop this awkward tension that was happening. A server finally made it to their table as he place the dishes on their table - one in front of Junmyeon and another in front of Chorong. The plating was like it was from a five star restaurant, beautiful and elegant. Chorong and Junmyeon both started to eat their dinner (in silence) - couples around them were feeding one another while only two people were eating their own food on their plate.

"That was a good dinner." Junmyeon put down his steak knife and fork and grabs his napkin to wipe his mouth. He watches Chorong as she finishes her steak - completely clean. He grabs his glass of wine in front of him as he raise towards her. "To a nice day today."

Chorong swallows her steak as she reaches over for her glass as well. She raise towards Junmyeon's and clinks the glasses together. "A wonderful day, " she sips her wine.

Bzzzz

Junmyeon reaches into his pant pocket as he takes out his phone - a text message from Namjoo. "What now?" He thought to himself. "Excuse me for a moment," he says to Chorong as he gets up and leaves the dining hall. Chorong watched him leave as she takes another sip of her wine.

Junmyeon lit out a sigh, his phone next to his ear as the ringing continues.

"Oppa."

"What is it now?"

"Geez oppa, I'm not some crazy girl who gets into trouble all the time."

Junmyeon rolls his eyes - luckily she can't see it. "Okay if you didn't do anything bad, why did you text me telling me to call you."

"I can't call my big brother just to chat?"

"You can. Is that all you wanted, just to chat with me?"

"Um yeah," she pauses as she starts humming.

Junmyeon found himself rolling his eyes again. "Is there something you want? From me?"

"Okay oppa you offer." Her voice went up as soon as she said it. "There is this really and I mean really cute wardrobe it's hand crafted oak. There is also a sofa I want too, it's from the French 18th century."

"Where are finding these things?"

"Hayoung and me went out looking for furnitures for her apartment. Fyi she started to live with Sehun oppa. But yeah we went looking for affordable and cute furniture and we found a store that has it all. I forget the name."

"So you're buying it for Hayoung?"

"No silly! She already picked out her favorites, what I told you I want for my bedroom."

"Then buy," Junmyeon stopped as he begins to remember something. "How are you going to pay me back? You maxed out all your credit cards, so..."

"Ugh oppa! I shouldn't have called you!"

"I'm kidding, fine, fine I will buy it for you. How much does it cost?"

"Really? No take backs. The wardrobe costs $250 and sofa is $400."

"Really?"

"I'm not joking - what was the store name again? But it's a antique store so the things in there aren't too expensive."

"Did you say antique store?" Junmyeon scratched his head as he leans sideways peering into the dining hall. Chorong was still sitting at the table sipping on her wine.

"Yeah, huh, oppa did you go there?"

"Why would I go to an antique store - Namjoo tell me the bloody store name so I could write the darn check for you."

"I forgot really!"

He was feeling every bit of anger inside of him boiling up to this head. "Kim Namjoo," he said sternly like but not too loud.

"I think I have their card in my purse, be right back."

He didn't wait that long as Namjoo came back breathinig a little bit too hard.

"Someday Treasure Antique," she said.

He froze. Why did that name sound so familiar to him, like he heard it somewhere before but where?

"Oppa did you get the name?"

"Oh."

"Oh? You want me to repeat? Someday Treasure Antique."

Why did that name sounded so familiar to him, he couldn't pin point it but it was stuck to him like a sticky-note you can't get rid of. Then he remembered the first night, when Mrs. Shim was chatting with Chorong.

Junmyeon stood up from his chair and left with his phone in his hand, Chorong took another sip of her wine as she watches him leave. She wished she hadn't finish so early cause she still wanted more. That steak was good and the side vegetables were soft and well season.

"Dessert," she mumble to herself. "When dessert going to come?" She looks around to see anyone has gotten their dessert yet, it looks like no one has it yet. Chorong pouts as she drinks more of her wine - luckily the wine bottle was still in the ice bucket so if she ran out she could always get more.

She was now on her third drink, Junmyeon had been gone for a while, even though he's only been gone for five minutes. When a shadow over casts her from behind, his arm places two plate of dessert on their table. Startled Chorong looked up, still with her glass of wine in her hand. She blinks as she gulp the rest of the wine down.

The man turns his head as he stares at her. His round eyes hadn't blink yet. He was wearing a chef's uniform and he wasn't that tall neither.

He opened his mouth, Chorong reaches over to the wine bottle as she pours herself more wine. "Chorong?"

"Oh, uh, Woohyun?" She forced herself to smile to him.

His eyes hasn't looked away and she could sense that he was looking pretty closely. At how she had changed or so he is was thinking about.

"What brings you here?"

Her forceful smile was starting to hurt, a bit. "Vacation. You?"

"Work." Woohyun steps back a bit, he was wandering whether to go back inside the kitchen. "You look beautiful," he said softly.

Chorong looked up as she smooths her dress down with her hands. "Thank you."

She wasn't suppose to hear that, but the dining hall wasn't pretty quiet, well around her table it was quiet.

"Well..."

"It was nice to meet you too," Chorong interrupted him before he could finish. She turns around in her chair as she drinks down her wine.

Woohyun's mouth was still open, he wanted to ask her how she really have been but the words couldn't come out his mouth. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder as he turns around swiftly.

"Hey," said Junmyeon.

"Oh, hey."

Junmyeon looks over at Chorong, her back was facing them. She was now eating the dessert - a round chocolate molten lava cake. The chocolate inside slowly ooze out of the cake like it was lava from a volcano.

"The steak is very good."

"Thanks."

Junmyeon walks over to the table as he stands in front of his chair. Woohyun looks over, he furrowed his eyebrows and shifts his eyes towards Chorong.

"Is it good," Junmyeon asks Chorong.

She looks up from him surprise to see him back, she turns her head slightly and sees Woohyun still standing there. "It's good. Have some, yours is right there." She points to his cake with her fork.

Junmyeon leans in closer to Chorong, she watches him getting closer - his face inching closer. He lifts his hand over towards her face as he wipes his thumb across the corner of her lip.

"Chocolate," he said as he wipes his thumb with the napkin.

Chorong felt her lip to see if anymore were there, she once again turns head to see if Woohyun left already, he hasn't, he saw everything. The way his eyes were staring at her, at Junmyeon, it felt weird, sort of uncomfortable.

"Are you not busy in the kitchen?"

Woohyun turns towards Junmyeon, but his eyes were still looking at Chorong. "Not as busy as awhile ago."

"Join us." He motions Woohyun to the empty chair. Woohyun reluctantly walks over to the chair and sits himself down, he was sitting between Junmyeon and Chorong. "Oh Chorong have you met Woohyun, he's the special chef of the week."

Chorong puts down her spoon and quickly looks up. "We just met."

"How'd you guys meet?" Woohyun looks over at Junmyeon and back again at Chorong.

"Well we met..."

Chorong drops her spoon on the floor (accidently of course, or is it) and Junmyeon scoots his chair back and picks up her spoon.

"You okay?"

"Slippery," she said.

Junmyeon turns back to Woohyun. "What was I going to say?'

"How you and Miss Chorong met?" The way he said it was a little cocky, leaning back in his chair.

"Well we met..."

"We're engaged," Chorong interrupted Junmyeon.

He looks over at her confuse, the engagement thing was only suppose to be in front of Mr and Mrs Shim why on Earth is Chorong saying this. Woohyun's eyes lit up, his lip were twitching slightly, and he felt a sudden urge to punch Junmyeon for no apparent reason.

"Oh this cake is too good, I don't think I could finish." Chorong looks at the chocolate cake in front her, she didn't want to look up because she knew that Junmyeon and Woohyun were both staring at her. She didn't mean to interrupt Junmyeon but something just came out. "Well, I'm going to head up first. Good night." Chorong took the napkin off her her lap as she stood up from the chair.

"Chorong," Junmyeon said as he stops her by grabbing her wrist. Woohyun was still watching, underneath of the table he had his hands formed into a fist.

"Yes?"

"You forgot the key card." Junmyeon took out the room key from his pant pocket for her, since she forgotten to take her's. "Good night," he said with a smile.

Chorong bowed to him and took the key card. She looked up again and seees Woohyun staring at her. Even though they are no longer together, it still hurts her to see him and for some reason it hurts even more now with Junmyeon around. She heads out the dining hall and into the elevator, from there she could no longer see them, but in her head they were still there. She tries to shake it out by shaking her head, which doesn't work, it only brings a headache. Chorong enters the hotel room and makes a bee-line into her room, she didn't bother taking her dress off and lays on the bed still wide awake.

"Why did I say that," she said aloud. "We aren't engaged whatsoever. Only in front of Mr. and Mrs. Shim not Woohyun. Argh!" She grabbed the top of her head out of sheer anger. "Why did he have to be here? Why did Naeun recommend this place for a vacation anyways?" Chorong laid on her bed still awake wondering what was going on in the dining hall between Junmyeon and Woohyun.