"Hello," Hyeon's voice that echoed in his ear was startling as Joon, too caught up picking up his favorite cheese onto his plate, looked up at the women smiling at him. He needed a second or two for his mind to process what was happening in front of him as he took in Hyeon's small smiles directed at him and then at his boss next to him. He should have expected her presence when Eunbi was going on and on about why she was excited about everybody who would be there to watch her performance. He should have known.

Of course, Hyeon wouldn’t miss Eunbi’s big recital.

Of course, she would show up and show up with smiles.

"Hi," Jae was the first to respond as he couldn’t even hide how startled he was by the woman that showed up out of nowhere. It had been weeks, almost a month and a half since he last saw her when she spent the night at his house and made him agree to be friends. The six weeks he had spent trying hard not to think about what type of situation might place them in the same was answered right now. He couldn’t say he didn’t have time to prepare for this as he had weeks to consider what the outcome would be of his agreement.

" Hello," Joon placed his fork down and smiled at her.

" am I late?" she asked, glancing at her watch, which forced both to notice her black two-piece suit and the black bag filled with the paper she was holding. Joon, as tho it was automatic, turned his eyes to his boss. Jae shook his head giving Joon the only sign he needed to affirm that even jae wasn’t aware that she was coming.

" I lost the invitation card and didn't know the time" Hyeon turned her eyes to her bag, and started going through her bag. Joon, still not over the shock that she was there, had kept his eyes on hyeon than on his boss to notice every movement of both.

She really was there, talking to Jae.

" It hasn't started yet" turning his eyes to her, Joon replied to her question.

" Oh great," she gave him a small smile as her right hand pulled out her phone.

" she said it's a big show, so I didn't want to miss” Even though Joon had convinced Jae that being friends with her might be the best thing for both of them, this felt weird. The woman who screamed at him in the parking lot when he first saw her is not the same as the one sending soft smiles his way right now, and it felt beyond weird.

" How are you?" her hands typing on her phone, asked. Both men have noticed her nervous hands which she busied with a text. Her hair, for the first time, was neatly tied into a bun. Her dress shirt with the two top buttons opened and leaning more wide open to expose her right shoulder that was carrying her heavy bag. It was beyond heartwarming to see hyeon in her work cloth. She looked like she came straight from the court which both could easily tell from her outfit; even Joon couldn’t help but be taken aback remembering what she does day in and day out.

“Just busy with some work" Joon trying to ease some of the tension, spoke first, smiling at her. Both then turned their attention to Jae.

“ am fine," he responded avoiding both eyes by turning his head to the neatly laid out buffet behind them.

He needs a drink.

A heavy drink.

" oh, this looks good" Hyeon was either trying too hard, or she was really over the past, Joon assessed as he kept his eyes on the woman who picked up a plate and started putting some of the fruit.

" is the cheese good?" She asked, pointing at Joon's plate filled with chess and crackers.

" yea, this one is my favorite" he picked one and placed it on her plate.

" and this one is his," he added

" I know," she startled both again. Of course, she knows.

" and that one, right? She asked, pointing at the blue cheese. Joon devilishly, enjoying the moment, turned his eyes to Jae, who the question was directed at.

" yes," Jae whispered.

" I don't know how you eat it. It's disgusting to me" as tho it was nothing, she continued the conversation. Jae, who hasn’t taken his pill in the last 24 hours, nor yesterday or the day before sent his right hand to his pocket; whoever was in charge of time needed to make the next hour pass as tho it was a minute so he can tolerate her presence.

" it's an acquired taste. He grew up on it" Joon defended his boss

" rich people stuff," he added as both started laughing.

" Well, thank God for being poor. I'll stick with my poor people's food" the smiles between her and Joon were starting to annoy Jae. How on earth Joon was able to smile thought this is a question Jae will save for later.

“ How is work?” Joon asked as he caught Jae's hesitation and decision not to take the wine glass the waiter placed next to him. No pills. No alcohol.

“ Work is work” Hyeon covered that was chewing with the napkin as she responded.

“ I just came from a case actually” she added trying to hint at them that she still hasn’t accepted the position offered to her by Seung.

“ what’s the case about?’ Joon whose face was so clear in showing how shocked he is that she is having a normal conversation with them asked.

“ Workes right, benefits, wrongful termination .you know” hyeon responded sneaking a glance at Jae. Finally noticing the wine glass that he hasn’t lifted and his hands that stayed in his pocket.

“ How is it going?” Joon turned her attention back to him

“ We just want to settle but they want to fight it so. we’ll see” She kept her eyes to her food and just went along chatting with Joon rather than following her curiosity about the alcohol jae is choosing not to drink. If she had searched her memory she might have realized how her curiosity steams from this being the first time she ever saw him turn down alcohol.

“How much are you asking?”

“ We’re only asking for around 4 million” Placing her plate on the buffet table she picked one of the iced water bottles. Considering the line of meetings she had after this, staying with the water was the best choice but she couldn’t hold side-eye the wine and champaign being served to the guests. Why an art school was giving parents alcohol at a performance show was beyodn her but she couldnt spend that mch time quetsiing it. Rich people do rich people things that are way above her pay graed.

“ Wow, that's a lot” Joon was keeping the conversation going.

“ Is it?”

“ I mean Jk pays out about 15 billion won a year on settlement” hyeon responded with a smile directed at Jae.

“I worked for you all “ she added trying to explain why she knows the amount before they even asked. She also didn’t want them to think she is still keeping tabs on the company she claimed she hated so much.

“ Considering how much I know about the company. You should be glad that you're not the parent company for this case cus I am going to go that high if they want to fight” she turned her attention to her food. Focused on her fruits, she had missed the awe she had left them in as they were both reminded of the type of lawyer she was and how she will fight against a corporation by herself if need be. This was the woman that caught both their attention when she walked into Jae's office.. .the fire she delivered the line was the same fire that slapped Jae across his own office and the one that caused the biggest havoc in the company's history with the land purchase.

“ That’s why he heisted hiring you” Joon broke the silence. Jae needed a minute or two to process all the emotions that came rushing as he was just reminded of why he was so enamered and captured by her when he first met her.

“ and am sure you read every file and got every information you need using Lay as an excuse” Joon added as she hesitated and started weighing if he should say what he was thinking about but just went along with it anyway. He wanted to test how much she had moved past it anyway.

“ and sleeping with the main boss might have helped as well” he added as he took a step back to get a good look at both as they heard what he said. As he expected their eyes didn’t turn to him but towards each other. Sending the cracker to his smiling lips he enjoyed the look they exchanged. It took a slice of a second for the distance between them to diminish and the energy between them to be so apparent as Joon couldn't help but smile at what he was witnessing before Jae's angry eyes and Hyeon's amused ones turned to him.

“ Actually it didn’t. maybe I should have tried their dad” Hyeon's smile was too endearing even for Joon to go along with the scenario put forth.

“ Their dad is a big flirt but am sure he wouldn't have liked you” he responded

“ Not pretty enough?’ hyeon asked as she glanced up and sneaked a look at Jae's smile that he tried to hide away with is hand. The clear bandana on his two fingers were noticed.

“ Too opinionated and too smart” Joon answered her question

“ But am sure you would have found a way to charm him” he added trying to think about all the CEO’s women he knows about that the PR team had to work really hard to keep hidden from the public or even the company's eyes.

“ But am sure you knew this one was the most important person in that building” Joon pointed at jae. Hyeon covered her lips with her napkin and sent her eyes to Jae. She didn’t realize and slightly didnt care how she was caught by both as she scanned Jae up and down.

“ How am not swimming in diamonds and luxury after being with supposedly “ the most important person in the company” and one of the richest men in the country is beyond me”. Her eyes that started at his white loafer indeed right at his eyes, Joon who agreed with her point also turned his eyes to jae which they both placed at a corner waiting for a response.

“ It was obscene then and I could only imagine how rich you are now?” hyeon enjoying the discomfort and hesitation in jae responding to her statement asked.
“ Ohh you don’t wanna know”

“Hyeon trust me, you don’t want to know” Joon gave her the answer she needed. The gentle right hand of Joon that landed on her shoulder was not even something she reacted to as she and Joon went on smiling.

“ You out of everybody else don’t want to know. You would be shocked to know how he spends it as well” Joon added as he quickly read the worried look on Jae's face. He knows there is nothing Joon will not share with hyeon. especially if he thinks it will help jae, he will spill every secret he knows.

“ is it more cars and houses?” hyeon asked her unawarness forcing Joon into laughter as his hand landed a slap against her shoulder again.

“ What?” the smiles the two were exchanging were worrying jae as he was reminded of how dangerous the two were when they teamed up against him.

“ never mind” Joon knowing it wasn’t the time or place to bring the topic redirected

“ But you’re right. How you are not swimming in luxury while and after dating him is insane” their curious eyes went to jae. They could both tell he was thinking, he was hesitant to respond.

“I thought being with me counted as swimming in luxury ” Jae whispered keeping the conversation light and not taking their stabs against him seriously. Even Joon who is used to Jae's playfulness was surprised that he was able to make a joke in the situation they were in. His eyes from jae went to the women Jae's eyes were focused on.

“ But if you’re still up to it, I can make sure you swim in diamonds” he added the soft smile he sent her way wasn’t what had forced the small hue of pink to appear on hyeon’s cheeks which she immediately hide away with her napkin. It was his eyes. His eyes that were sending their own message.

“ We have baths, and swimming pools that can be filled with as much as you want” he added as he brushed his hair behind his ears, giving her a chance to see his