A/N : This year has been a busy year with projects to turn hobbies into a career(hopefully) so I wasn't active here at all. But because of the love that this story has gotten, I thought I could at least get in a chapter before the end of the year. AND hopefully next year I'll be a busier with various opportunities and projects. In any case, thank you so much for reading :)

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For once, he relished being back at home, even if only to feel the comforts of his own bed. He had opted to avoid the room that his parents had prepared for both of them. There was still a part of him that was wallowing in the shock at the unfolding events of the past 24 hours. The plan was to avoid their bedroom for as long as possible. But what will he do come the night time, when it came timef for bed? And what was his parents thinking, putting them in one room like that? What thoughts were going through their minds? 

Trying to figure out the elder's think process was a bad idea, because the images of intimacy that flooded his minds after caused him to roll around on the comfiness of his bed. The silliness was out of c/Mharacter for someone like him; the chaebol who is expected to have this stony front because someday, he was going to be the heir to a bajillion won business and that poker face is an early investment. It's ruthless out there and there's no room for any kinds of weaknesses. But it sure did the trick of acting as a buffer for his train of thoughts. 

Any which way that he thought about it, he wasn't going to be able to cope and it was either going to be a sneak out to his room kind of a situation or he could straight out tell his parents he would pass out if they stayed in one room. He could use the not yet wed excuse but honestly, his parents, especially stepmother was probably hoping for a mini Won running around soon. But it was worth a shot. 

And as if listening to his predicament, the universe saw it suitable to manifest both his  stepmother and his father's mistress at the same time. He could recognise that rat chittering kind of bickering anywhere; mostly because his father's mistress was the only person in the entire mansion who had a volume above the average 60 decibels of human speech. 

"You get everything your way anyway..." The mistress wailed.

"And you don't? Remember that you're only here because I want you to. And because of Tan. " They were finally near enough for Won to hear his stepmother. And following that he thought he heard something along the lines of a female dog being uttered by the mistress. At this point he sat up on his bed, ready for a draining encounter with his two constantly bickering parents? Guardians?

Either way, there was no backing out of it anymore when Tan's eomma spots him from the doorway. "Oh?" His stepmother collided face first into Tan's mother causing the lankier woman to lose some of her  balance and falling forwards a little before catching herself. 

"What? You don't even know how to walk now?" His stepmother growled, annoyed at having been stopped in the middle of the hallway. 

"Won ah, what are you doing here?" Tan's mother leaned against the doorframe and finally his stepmother noticed his presence in their formerly two way exchange of words. 

Won did little more than bow at the two, as he always has. Not much the talker. 

"Oh, getting some things from your room? I could have sworn I told the maids to move everything you need to the other room." The chairman is nothing but a formidable woman and if Won let her carried on, she would have summoned all the staffs at hand to explain themselves and why they weren't treating their guests to the best of their abilities. 

He could keep quiet, but he won't because he remembered the sudden agenda he had come up with while lying in bed. It had to be done and what's there to lose anyway. "Eommuni..." The word tasted strange, funny in his mouth. When the parental unit had all sat down together to discuss...well, everything, leaving him and Tan locked out like they were little kids, it was agreed upon that he should call his stepmother eommuni and his father's mistress as imo. Both terms felt foreign still. 

"Yes?" His stepmother's composure was something to be saluted. 

"Can I ask you something?" He scooted over to the edge of his bed in order to face the two better. He took a deep breath to keep his voice even, something he doesn't do even before meetings. He took the slight nod from the chairwoman as an approval to present his case. 

"Well, about the sleeping arrangements, I was thinking maybe the two of us could be in separate rooms..."Noting the look of shock and bewilderment from both women, he changed his tactic slightly. "...Or maybe separate beds..." Confidence was something he relished and lived by, especially when he was in a business room or when dealing with sudden problems. 

But even he was powerless in front of his parents. Protest as he does, he would eventually do as he was told. The very few moments that he actually dared defied his parents was when he was really and absolutely sure that he was right. These moments come every two to three years or so. 

He was pretty sure that he had a nervous and scared, at the verge of losing his mind, with that controlled crazed look on top of it all. But it seemed that the two women interpretted it as distressed. Well, maybe he felt somewhat like that. But he was hopeful too, that they could agree without any further questions. 

His imo was the first to speak and it wasn't in any way good news for Won. "What is it? No way... did...did you two fight?!" Won was pretty sure his imo spat all over him, but it really wasn't the time because following her, his stepmother turned to him wide eyed and with her hands on her hips. 

"What's this about fighting?" Ever the commanding general that she is. 

"It's, it's not that..." Speaking of this now brought back the expression on SooJin's face. The scowl on his face must have alarmed the two women even more. So much so that they both sat on either side of him, with a distressed look of their own. 

"Tell us, what happened. What did you do?" His imo. 

"What did she say? Did all of this start before the move?" His eommuni. 

"Well she didn't say anything...per...say..." He turned it over in his mind a few times, letting the two women suffer in anticipation. He thought that he probably had lost his mind because why else would he dwell on this one thing that before he wouldn't even blink an eye at. Hell, his abuji and stepmother used to think he wasn't attracted to any . It scared them a little, increasing the amount of blind dates he had to go on. 

But here he was, seeking advice from the two people that he tries to avoid most of the time. Finally he sighed and thought, to hell with it all. If this was going to bother him from here on out and interfere with his work, then might as well get it over with. "These past few days...have been rough...for both of us, especially for her." He tried as best as possible to explain without letting known that in the past few days, not only has SooJin been hounded by her ex, the only thing that her mother has left her has also been completely destroyed over and over again. 

Both the women didn't seem satisfied with the minimal explanation and though both were silent for some time, the chairwoman was the first to speak. This surprised everyone in the room, including the chairwoman herself, because in that moment, she really did look like a concerned mother/mother in law to be. "So, tell us, what's wrong, how can we help if you won't tell us?" 

Won rubbed at his temples. He knew that it was going to be difficult to get a straight answer from the two, but it wasn't impossible and he had no where else to ask anyway. A pang of longing goes through him as he remembers his late mother. "I cannot say. Things have just been bad." That didn't seem to satisfy them either. But before either could open up their mouths to ask, he added, "It's just, she seemed so discouraged...It's like blankness...everytime I see her face." And once he started, he couldn't stop. For once, he felt like a little child confiding in his mother. "I don't know what she is thinking or who she is...as if she has closed herself up, not herself....and maybe...that's....scary?" He didn't even notice the rise in his voice at the end, turning the whole thing into a long question. He was too busy being nervous as he waited for an answer. 

But all he got was two gawking faces. 

And although the two never mentioned it, but they were both thinking the exact same thing : "That was weird.." And it was exactly that because the Won that they both knew rarely spoke and from the grimace that he always wore, they expected him to be more heartless than he was being in that moment. But they let him continue anyways. 

"I don't know what to do...Or if she is going to be okay." He looked away feeling a kind of vulnerability come over him. A feeling he didn't like, but tried to ignore. 

"Well." his imo gasped. "Well...is she perhaps...angry? Sad? Stressed?" She pushed on. 

Won's tut of his tongue went unnoticed as they were too engrossed to sense his blatant disrespect. "No...no...I think...she is experiencing all of them." 

The two women exchanged puzzled looks. They were weirdly numb in this situation, something that they were not used to. "Okay..." It took a second for their brains to adapt but in they both managed in the end. "If that's the case, how about a gift? Diamonds are always a great choice." The chairwoman interjected. He weighed it in his mind and it didn't sound half as bad. 

"No! No!" Both he and his stepmother had jumped at the mistresses' interjection. "A lady always prefers the romantics." She said, and Won wondered why was she so excited over the whole situation when it doesn't actually concern her. The Chairwoman, at least, was his stepmother. 

But weirdly enough, he found himself sitting on the edge of his seat as he listened, taking mental notes. There was just something about seeing the expression that was on SooJin's face earlier made him feel sick to his stomach. It got so bad that he kept replaying that moment on the gazebo over and over again. 

"SO. Here's what you do." Won's imo clapped her hands together that made Won jump and the Chairwoman use a pinky to clear her ear canal. It was the most amazing sight to whoever knew the President. His comments were usually snarky and his mood often at times overcast at best. He now looked like a child, hearing his parents tell a story, a wide eyed awe on his face and only once in a while nodding to show his understanding. Not that anyone who knew him would believe it anyway. Hell, the Chairwoman looked at her stepson as if it was her first time seeing him. 

Even when the two had left the room, they could obviously see the wheels in his head turning, forming his next move. The two shook their head as their left, clearly not used to what they were seeing. The good thing that came out of their counselling session was that whatever  argument they had had earlier on was forgotten and Won knew what he was going to do next. Not that he cared, of course. 

...

Won never thought that it would come a day when he would actually take the advice of his two mum seriously. But here he was, standing outside their shared bedroom, with his phone in a deathgrip in his hand. The reservation was done and before he went out, he wanted to tell SooJin of their plans first. 

He raised his hand up to knock before realising that he didn't have to because it was their bedroom. Subconsciously, he cleared his throat and pushed the door open. SooJin sat at the end of the bed, absentmindedly playing with the details of the canopy bed. She was lost in her own world and the look on her face sent his gut twisting this way and that. 

He didn't know how to approach and thought that by making her aware of his presence first was the way to go. He cleared his throat and when SooJin didn't move from her post, he moved closer to her and rather than clearing his throat it sounded more like he was choking on his own saliva. "Oh Won ah...are you alright?" He tried to nod yes while running his hand in soothing circles across his chest. 

"I..." He has never heard his own voice crack the way it did since he was in his teen years and his hand stopped right over his heart and the look on his face looked as if someone had offended his ancestors. 

"I'm fine... There's something I need to tell you...." He cleared his throat once again for good measure. But maybe that's why he forgot that he was there to deliver a message. Even SooJin was starting to look at him weird before he realised he had been standing there, like a statue and staring like a creep. 

"Oh, sorry." He could have sworn he felt his ears heat up. Again, never happens for as long as he could remember. "Ummm...you're free tonight right?" Anyone would be suspicious of the question. It wasn't a direct statement either. Makes you feel like they have some kind of ulterior motive. 

"Yeah...I guess..." Won cringed at the look of suspicion on her face. Might have been the stupidest question, but hey, at least he was trying. 

"Good, let's go out to eat tonight." That was more his style, straightforward and short. 

"Go out? Are you sure your family's going to be okay with that?" The look of defeat on her face returned. He had an inkling that if they were to join the family for dinner, she would just push her food around, take a bite or two and leave her food mostly untouched. 

"I already told my parents just now." No, he hasn't. But he'll probably just tell his stepmother. 

"Oh." Her voice sounded so soulless that he felt like doing the jester's dance or maybe making a fool of himself just to see her smile. Nope. He definitely does not care. Not at all. 

"Come on, there is this great place I wanted to try and I don't feel like going alone." He couldn't believe what he was going to say next, but he did anyway. "Come on, we're chinggus right? A chinggu should have another chinggu's back." His toes curled up on themselves in his house slippers, but that's okay because finally SooJin did more than stare weakly into space. She scoffed, but still..

"I promise it'll be worth it. And if it's not, we'll go someplace you reccomend next time. Both will be my treat." SooJin leaned back, sizing him up. Yep, he was making progress. "Hey, a chinggu always does things together right? And besides, they specialise in your favourite food too."  He gave her the most mischievious smile he could muster. 

There was still reluctance in her voice and her expression, but with a sigh she gave in. "Fine. But it better be good." She raised a severe finger at him. 

He held up both hands in a sort of surrender. "Woah...okay. I promise it'll be great. " the smile, no matter how little it was that spread across her face, gave him an unusual jolt. But for once in his life since forever, he felt like he looked forward to something. And he found that he quite liked the feeling. 

...

He left SooJin to the wonders of their library and the movie room that came with it.  It had felt good to be driving his own car for once. Although SeungHo had offered to drive, a little threat and maybe a little under the table benefits had help to keep the guy off his back for a little while. Although he hated bribery, but he considered it as a bonus so the guy could go and relax for some time. 

Seoul is a beautiful city, one that became even more beautiful when night time came and the lights start to flicker on like a million stars. It was that time of day when the technological thriving part of the city came out to play. For those who love to have fun around the clock, there was always something out there for you. You could go bowling, or maybe take a walk along the Han river, or even sing the night away or maybe you preferred the wilder dance the night away approach. 

Whatever it was, Seoul is a city for people who had wanted to feel alive. At least, during the night time, that is. 

He entered the establishment that he has always called for help in finding the perfect gift for a loved one or the wife of a business partner. Never has he ever bothered to ventured to the store himself. He just didn't have the time. But here he was and by the sudden activity that went on in the store, the store attendants were just as surprised as he was. 

"President Kim, what a pleasant surprise." Someone he could guess was the manager from the many phone calls with the guy greeted him with a 90 degree bow. He hated that. The way people was all of a sudden nice and polite when they know your position. He gave the man a simple nod. 

"So, what can we help you with today?" The man wasn't exactly subtle as he waved for his employees to hurry up and present some samples. Won let himself be lead to the back of the shop, the VVIP section where all the rare stuff was. He had to admit, he hadn't been there before and had to position himself awkwardly on the suede, velvet stuffed chair. The oak table before him was soon filled with diamonds of all varieties, some encrusted into necklaces, others made into exquisite earrings and there was a line of rings on display. 

One, caught his eyes however, a ring with little diamonds encrusted around the band and a flower just sitting at the top. The middle was a round diamond, and two sets of four petals layered one on top of another. The manager must have noticed his stare because he chuckled. "Ah...beautiful isn't it? Perfect for that special someone in your life." He couldn't help but scoff at that. Was there anyone special anymore in his life? What a joke. 

Then his eyes fell on the item right next to the ring. For some reason, flowers of any kind reminds him of SooJin. It was a normal flower, nothing special, a five petaled flower, smaller than his own thumb, linked closely together. The diamond itself was a beautiful pale pink colour. It was both unique and eye catching but also elegant and sophisticated at the same time. Yes, it was what reminded him of her the most. 

"I'll take that one." He said, without even blinking. For once, he was thankful that he could afford these kinds of gifts. He walked out of the store a few hundred thousand won lighter in the wallet and a little lighter in the steps. SeungHo who couldn't help but give his employer the look as he opened the door for Won but for once Won hadn't cared. For once, he let his guard down. 

Just as the CEO had been busy for the past few months, the media circle has also been on their toes. Of course, there had been talks of the Jeguk Group heir having a significant other, yet to be married, they had all suspected. And everyone, the media and the public alike has made a bold prediction that there was going to be a 'royal' wedding by the end of the year. 

And without knowing it, the Crown Prince's return to the palace had made quite a stir in the kingdom and of course, the people who were first on the scene was the media. After quite some time of absolute silence and drought, every media outlet jumped at the opportunity to uncover who the secret lady is, who is about to be the crown princess of the empire. The time when the second Prince had revealed his own Duchess, everyone had gone wild and the media had blown up, even 'broken' the internet. A pauper turned Duchess. So, if anyone were to find out who the Crown Princess is that has taken the heart of the Crown Prince, it wouldn't be too wild to think that there would be a total shutdown of the country. 

Won, having been out of his abuji's palace for so long has not been aware of the politics that he had always focused on before. He was still re-settling in and because of that, he hadn't taken into account that people talk and the people will always talk their way to the media, if there is significant pay. So, as happy as he was, he probably shouldn't have had his guards down because by the end of the day there was going to be an article about the CEO of Jeguk Group buying jewellry for his Princess and by the next morning, there would be articles about how they are engaged and are to be wed. 

Because as he slipped into the car, the man, dressed in unnaturally ordinary clothes slipped out of the shadow. His camera held high, composed to take the last few pictures he could before the Prince was driven away. Satisfied, he brought the tech down and scrolled through the pictures. A smile etched across his face at the thought of getting a raise. The Crown Princess has been a rumour up until now and he was the one with the proof that the Crown Prince is smitten. He stopped at the bracelet Won had picked out earlier. It didn't come without a little pain as he remembered the sharp pain in his foot from twisting it the wrong way, trying to balance on a few empty crates out back. 

Yes, this would do. But wait, what if he could take it a step further? What if he actually found out who the girl is. He could already taste the fresh air of his new office. No more stale air, no more mouldy rooms and maybe he could finally get a bit of sunlight where he worked. With all that in mind, he was determined to find out who the Prince was seeing. He hailed a cab and with specific instructions, he was off....to go get his promotion.

...

SooJin didn't know what had gotten into Won. All at once, her entire life had been uprooted and she had been thrown into this life straight out of a fairytale. But she  couldn't even enjoy any of it. She had her pick of the dresses that her mother-in-laws had picked for her. On the one side, there were elegant dresses that reminded her of the ones that the British Royal Family would wear; appropriate for either a brunch date or something for a dance. And on the other, there were more provocative options and if they weren't revealing in certain places, then they would be a tad bit too short in places. 

Even though it took a while and with the threat of getting help from both my mother in laws, she finally picked a red puffed sleeve blouse that wrapped around her torso, showing off some of her tummy and showing off her figure. Under, she wore a light washed skinny jeans with a pair of high tops. All of this she had found in a miniscule corner where some casual clothes had been stuffed in. Despite herself, she made a mental note to get more later. The bags were another thing. She ended up picking a transparent, hard shell bag with a long chain so she could sling it over her body and not bother with it. She had no doubt that the bag was worth more than what she would spend in a shopping spree, judging by the double C logo in the front. 

If her outfit wasn't appropriate, then Won would tell her. She was way too exhausted to care much anymore and given her way, she would like to just curl up under the fluffy blankets that her "boyfriend's" family had prepared. But then the thought of getting into bed with Won made her cheeks flush almost as red as her blouse. She shook the thought off and went to walk out to the parlour to wait for Won, who, she hasn't seen since earlier. Can't he at least show that he cares? That was the thought that went through her mind then. 

Just as she was about to walk out the door, she was literally cornered by the Chairwoman and the Mistress. For a second there, a crazy scenario of the two becoming zombies and just chasing after her flashed through her mind. "Are you going somewhere?" The mistress asked and she uttered a hushed response. "You're not going out like that right?" There was a quick feeling of hurt as she tried to ignore what the Chairwoman had said. She tried to say something, anything but all that came out was a mass of uh..er...and ahs.

She had no doubt that whoever would be the Jeguk Group daughter in law would have a lot of work cut out for her. Thankfully, she was only doing this temporarily. "Oh no, you don't." Before she could even decide what to do, the Chairwoman grabbed hold of her shoulders and spun her back inside. "Come here." She was led back into the closet and was left standing there, while the Chairwoman was frantically looking around the display case. 

The grin on her face did not comfort SooJin and when she pulled out a pair of teardrop pearl earrings, she knew why the Chairwoman was so happy. "Here, try these on." To avoid from crying from the earlier comment, she immediately busied herself with putting the earrings on. She could hear both of her "mother in laws" rummaging through the displays. 

"No, this one is better."

"Are you crazy? She's not trying to be trashy, she's trying to be classy."

"I can't believe you, is she only your daughter in law?" 

"Whatever, you're wasting my time." 

She drowned their bickering out and she nearly jumped right into the middle display when she felt someone string something around her neck. She could only hope that the terror in her face was not immediately obvious because she didn't want to offend her host, even if she was forced out of her house. Especially, because she had been forced out of her house. 

Thankfully, she caught sight of the Chairwoman's reflection in the little mirror in front of her, stringing a dainty gold choker with little pearls all through the chain. "Now, she's perfect." The Chairwoman swept and caressed her hair lovingly. There was a weird sensation, a warmth that she felt in her belly. Ever since her mother had passed away, she had rarely gotten that kind of motherly affection from anyone. 

"Wait." The mistress approached her and it was a miracle that the Chairwoman moved. Her other mother in law strapped on a white leather watch with gold finishings to match the choker onto her arm. "Now, she is." She held onto both of SooJin's hand, another sign of affection. 

"Go...I think I heard Won downstairs." 

SooJin doubted that they could actually hear anything with the sheer size of the mansion that they were in, but maybe it was a mother's instinct, even though none of the two women were his biological mother, she went down to see the man already waiting by the door. 

...

Won dug the toe of his shoe into the ungiving floor, with his hands stuffed into his light washed jeans. His white knitted jumper was only warm enough with the black coat on top. Looped through one of his arm was a beige coat his mothers had asked him to offer their daughter in law when she got down. He knew that he had done all this to try and cheer her up, but he couldn't figure out why he could feel his heart in his chest and why, he could feel the coolness of condensing sweat on his forehead. This has never happened, not even when he was faced by the toughest of the tough in the industry. 

He let out a sigh and felt a shiver go through him and all he wanted to do was to punch himself in the face to shake off whatever spell he was under. And that was when she saw her. If only he could be sure that he wasn't staring at her with his mouth half hanging open. He could only hope that he wasn't drooling and just the thought of that was enough to kick him into action. With a clear of his throat he moved to meet her in the middle. 

"Ready to go?" With a sudden lack of anything to say, he moved to help her slip the coat on. 

"Yeah, and where are we going chinggu ya?" With his help, she twirled easily into the coat. 

"You'll see. Come on, SeungHo is waiting." He offered her his arm which she took and another shiver went through him. And if he hadn't known better, he would have thought that he was currently having heart palpations. 

And as stupid as it sounds, before SeungHo could open the door for them, he beat SeungHo to it, holding it open for her. She gave him a little smile that he unknowingly returned. He slipped in after her, the jewellry box weighing heavily in his coat pocket. 

"Okay, you know where to go." He called to SeungHo as he closed the door. 

...

SeungHo sighed at the command. He still couldn't believe where he was told to go. He didn't know if his employer was being serious or not. From first glance, he could tell that kind of nervousness anywhere but he didn't know whether his new boss was being serious about doing it there or not. Either way, he already got twice the confirmation with an almost fist in the face with the last one. So if he ever was going to be blamed for taking them there, he could just bring that up, a kind of insurance if you will. 

But for some reason, he couldn't help but feel himself rooting for the man, feeling a weird kind of brotherhood, as annoying as he thinks the man is. The streets of Seoul was not a problem for SeunHo who had been a delivery guy as soon as he was old enough. And when an acquaintance had offered to set him up with a security job in one of South Korea's biggest company, he switched immediately. The pay was okay, but he could do better. So he couldn't believe his luck when he had practically been promoted to personal security status. If the chaebol hadn't tried to escape, then he probably wouldn't have been offered this job. Maybe that's where the empathy came from. 

All these thoughts reminds him that he had a weekly meeting with the Chairman tomorrow morning. In his opinion, the man was being way too much. The son is a 30 something years old adult that could do whatever he wanted. So SeungHo doesn't get why he needs to have control over every aspect of this man's life. But then again, he would have loved it too if he had someone to take care of him that way too. 

He shook the thought away. He was doing this for her, all of it was for her. He should be grateful that she was still around with him. He refocused his mind on the task at hand. By then, his mind had instinctively brought him where they wanted to be. The market was alive with people, being that it was near the weekend. But he was told to simply drop them off and when his boss calls them he'll do a little drive by to pick them up. 

"Where...what?" He didn't blame SooJin for her surprise. He was told...no. He was warned by both of the madame in the house to make sure he does his job right on this date. To make it more dramatic, they treated it like a life and death situation. And he wonders if they even know what their son's plan is. A life or death date in a market? It wasn't the most romantic of places. 

...

SooJin's day had passed by in a blur and through it all, she hasn't even wondered about where they were going. She hadn't even bothered thinking of the dinner until she was forced to get up and pick out an outfit. "Won, what are we doing here?" She asked but Won was already sliding out into the busy night. On impulse, she took Won's outstretched hand. Her shock was so great that she didn't even notice SeungHo driving away.

Of course she knew where they were but she hadn't expected to be there. "Come on." He gave her a little tug to get her going. She probably didn't need the guide through because she knew exactly where they were going. She had been the one to bring him there first and it didn't occur to her that he would remember the way or even bother to. 

But pretty soon, walking past the little alleways and shops, they come across the Crystal Daisy. From inside Hyuna gave her a little wave and she barely waved back before she was dragged away again. An intrusive thought cleared the mental fog for a while : There was still some cleaning up to be done and not only because of the latest incident; stocks to catalogue and sections to rearrange. 

Another tug from Won pulled her back in the moment and here was another alley that she recognised and a moment of realization hits her in that moment. But she still couldn't believe any of it until she was actually standing in front of the chicken place. And sure enough, there it was. 

If you didn't already know about it, you probably wouldn't even notice the place. SooJin has wonders through the years, about how the place even stayed afloat with the very little customers they have. Even then, with Won, pulling at her to come in, she could see an occupied table or two but only that. 

She sees her childhood babysitter waving to the both of them and she didn't know how to feel when she sees Won and Madam Lee exchanging a look that meant she wasn't in the know. But it seems like the menu was already decided as the owner immediately went to work in the back getting everything ready. Her stomach started to involuntarily growl at the scents and smells and she can't deny the hunger from almost eating nothing all day. 

Won started talking, saying stuff about work, about the progress and what he thinks they could do to improve the movie. Despite herself, a small smile started to etch itself on her face. Because the whole thing was so ridiculous that it made it a little funny. I mean, who cheers someone up with work? Kim Won is the only one who could ever do that. And SooJin found that she did feel a little better. Maybe food wasn't such a bad idea after all. Right then and there she felt like she could take a deep breath, eat dinner, go to bed, wake up tomorrow and take it one step at a time. She knew that something had to be done in the coming days, but she didn't know just how much just yet. 

Similarly, the chime of the bell didn't matter much to both of them in the moment, other than another customer coming in. That one single chime was really an invisible turn in the new reality that they were facing and onto something much more wilder and out of hand. 

...

The man figured the best hiding spot was to be in plain sight. So he came with his normal clothes on and a phone for a camera. He didn''t think the bulky camera he usually brought along with him on these missions would cut it in such a little restaurant. 

For one thing, the ahjumeonni, who looks to be the owner of the place had already been giving him the stink eye the moment he came in  and sat down on the far side of the space, opposite the couple. Subconsciously, he pulled his cap down lower. He considered saying hello to diffuse the suspicion but he lost his chance when the woman went straight to the back. In pettiness he thought maybe that was the reason the woman didn't have too many customers. But he had no way of knowing that the woman didn't care in the slightest. 

A young man, in his early twenties probably was the one that finally came up to him to get his order. He didn't mind either way, as long as nobody threw him out into the streets, he could keep watch over the two. And if the woman could just turn her head a little, he could sneak in a photo or two. He wasn't going to stand for the blurry, scandalous style that tabloids always had. No. He wanted it to be clear. He wanted everyone to see her face. 

So he would order his food, bide his time and pick the perfect moment. Thankfully, it didn't look like the couple had ordered anything yet. And thanks to the wonders of the modern day, nobody would suspect a dude in the corner fumbling with his phone. He ordered samgyetang and beer and settled in. 

He had his camera app on but pretended that he was scrolling through something to avoid suspicion. Every once in a while he would look over to see what they were doing and pretty soon, their food started arriving and to be honest, he was starting to get jealous and wondered if he should have ordered more. 

....

"Anyways, I feel like if we could just make it more ridiculous, and instead of a serious like comedy, we could make it into a comedic movie with a hint of romance..." SooJin chuckled. It was in these moments that she could see the more human side of her friend and honestly, she was touched by the fact that he was trying at all.  

"Here you go...." Madam Lee appeared with her hands full of food, a skill she picked up from years of being in the f and b business. She placed dish after dish down; a variety of fried stuff, kimbap, side dishes that she could carry and behind that there were plenty more that her new part timer helped bring out. 

"Eomunni...what is all this?" Her eyes went wide at the sight. "You did not need to do all of this..." She said as the plates started stacking up. 

"Yah, am I one to refuse business? This place is sinking as it is. When someone offers to pay for something I can manage, there's no reason to say no." She gave a wink to Won who turned pink at the gesture. "Am I not right President Kim?" Won simply nodded. 

"Here...I'll get the seaweek soup out a little later....What do they call this? Appetitte? Appetiter?" Won tried as hard as he could to hold it in but the way that he was going as red as a tomato showed that he was about to burst soon. 

"Appetizer eommunim...appetizer..." SooJin too tried to keep her amusement to a low because she knew that if she went overboard she could get a little tap on the back of her head. Madam Lee waved her off as she went back to kitchen. 

"Speaking off, how much did you pay her?" SooJin picked up one of the kimbap. 

"Enough, I guess...to last her a few months." As Won stuffed a fried vegetable into his mouth, SooJin was ready to throw up what she had just chewed. It was either that or she was about to choke. 

"Yah! You don't have to do that." She managed to say through her mouthful of food and she can't tell if the smile on Won's face was an act of teasing or embarrasment. 

"I know..." He stuffed another fried food into his mouth before saying. "I just wanted to do it...Honestly, it felt good....And her food fits the  standard..." 

"Oooohhhh...you've come a long way my friend..." SooJin appraised. 

Won scoffed at that. "What was that? That was so cringey" He leaned back in his seat, in mock disgust. 

"I know...Just wanted to try it out..." She picked another kimbap, one with a flaming red inside. 

"What is that?" He squinted his eyes to figure out just what she was eating.

"Only the best underrated food creation ever. JinAe and I grew up eating this stuff. It's spicy tteokboki kimbap." Just like anybody else's reaction to this particular food combo, Won leaned back even further. 

"Wae?" SooJin asked, oblivious to his discomfort. She had gotten so used to it that she forgets that to others it is similar to the issue of pineapples on pizza or pouring your milk before cereal. "Ei, don't look at me like that. It's really good. There's spicy rice cakes, eomuk, sausage, green onion all wrapped in seaweed..." She saw the look on his face and decided that trying it for himself was the only way to convince him. 

"Here." She picked one up and tried to feed it to him. He leaned back more and shook his head. 

"Open...ah...." She even did the airplane move but he remained firmed. 

"No, thank you. I want to eat this..." He was trying to pick up another food but she quickly caught it and made him put it down. 

"No, open your mouth. Ahhhh..." She let the food hover in front of him, refusing to move an inch. 

...

In the end, as much as he didn't want to, he could only shake his head and open up so she could feed him. If he was being honest, it was delicious but it wasn't the most life changing taste out there....

Maybe because he had tasted the creme brulees of the world or the finest steaks in the world, he couldn't really say it was the best thing he had ever tasted. Still, it was a comforting taste. Plus, SooJin was looking at him expectantly and she seemed to be in a better mood than she had been all day so he didn't want to ruin that. 

He it up and he wasn't exactly lying when he said; "Wa....neomu masisseo!" He threw in a little shocked face in there along with it. His head was empty apart from the thought of how stupid he must look. But the look on her face made it worth it. It sent that indescribable sensation through him. 

"See! I told you! It's great isn't it?" At this point, the best thing to do was to just nod so that's what he did and they began eating again. They were quiet for a little while and it occured to Won too late that he didn't know how to hand her the gift. For the time being, it was hidden next to him. As he thought this through, he fidgeted with the casing on his lap. From where she was sitting SooJin couldn't see what he was doing. 

He didn't know then it was going to be a grave mistake that sent everything spiraling out of control. All he knew was that he was subconsciously eating as he planned how best to approach it. At some point, he finally decided to go with the most simple way possible. Sure, it was going to be cliche but at least, it was safe. He would ask her to close her eyes and have her hand out so he could put it on her. 

He was mentally preparing himself when the part timer came around with two bowls of seaweed soup on a tray. A little about this part timer is he is a college student, looking for a little extra cash. He started working around a week ago and let's just say he does not have the best grasp of his job yet. And unfortunately for Won, he was seated facing away from the kitchen so he couldn't possibly see the dude trying to balance the plates on the tray. 

Without looking to see who was behind him, Won had his arm out a fraction of the way trying to get the jewellry out of the box. He unintentionally hit the man in the gut with his elbow and as the part timer tried to save the two bowls of soup, Won's hand got knocked in the process. One thing led to the other and the part timer lurched forward, catching himself just in time before everything was spilled onto the ground. 

Won, on the other hand, did not have such luck. He fumbled forwards a little trying to catch the half open box that was falling through the air but halfway, he already knew there was no saving it. So he ended up kneeling on both knees on the ground next to their table. 

There was gasps from everyone in the restaurant. Considering how little people they were, the little reaction they got was amplified in the process. At first, he thought it was probably because of the huge diamond jewellry on the ground so without thinking, he picked it up and he guessed that maybe that was when the connection was made between one and the other that a big rock must equal a proposal, especially in the way that he was positioned. 

"Em...Won?" He realised his mistake only when he saw the confused look on SooJin's face and the reactions of everyone around them; excited and expectant. Then, the sound that he never wanted to hear, the sound of a camera shutter. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound then, including himself and SooJin and there was this man, with a cap over his head, snapping pictures of them. Before he could register further what was going on, the man bolted out of there. 

Some part of his brain told him then that something big was about to happen soon. And they were going to have to find a way to do damage control as soon as possible. But for the time being, he had to get himself up. Scooping everything up, he slid back into his seat. But it was too late. Madam Lee was barking orders to get cake from the bakery nearby to celebrate the occassion. 

The only problem was he didn't know what occassion that was. By the look on her face, SooJin didn't either. 

....

He had never ran like that in his life. He smokes, drinks alcohol when he can and has never exercised apart from going to the convenience store near his house for snacks. But that night, he felt like his life depended on it, so he ran. He ran, leaving his food untouched. Turns out there was no need to because as soon as his food arrived, the Prince got on one knee. 

Nobody knew about this. Nobody but him. This was going to be his career breaking piece. And there was no way he was going to sleep before finishing up a draft to send to the editor. He flagged down a taxi, knowing he was not going home for the night and there was going to be a lot of food delivery sent to his office for the night. He had to get the breaking news out before anybody else. 

He was going to make it!