Important author's note : I left a link to SooJin's outfit for the engagement party down at the end of the chapters, I already divided it into dress, shoes and jewellry, so if you want to check them out, you can and also I'll give a reminder that you can before the paragraph of the dress reveal. Thank you so much and happy reading :)- Ellie

 

 

Revel (/ˈrɛv(ə)l/)

Def : lively and noisy enjoyment, especially with drinking and dancing.

 

His stepmother and his abuji's mistress had taken over the party planning and he didn't mind it. Looking towards SooJin, she didn't seem to mind it either. After their lunch date yesterday, Won found that he couldn't stop thinking of his fiancee. So much so that he had changed her contact information from SooJin  to  Fiancee <3. This would usually make him sick to his stomach, too childish for his tastes. But after adding a photo of her he had taken secretly, he couldn't help but smile and stare at his phone, waiting for her to call. 

And at one of these times his phone did ping. "Date? Tonight?" 

He couldn't even control the grin that spread its way across his face as he replied, "Yes, definitely." 

"Okay, see you at home :)"

For the entire day after, he could not bring himself not able to concentrate on his work and for the first time ever, he  found he didn't mind. But there was something deep in the back of his mind, clawing to get out. It was the feeling that all of this wouldn't last. Either he told  her or not, it won't change a thing. If he told her, and if she didn't feel the same, she was going to leave. But if he didn't tell her, she would for sure leave him behind.

No. He was going to keep this to himself, at least for the next few days. He wanted to enjoy it all, even if it was just for a second, before she could break his heart. 

 

...

 

SooJin has been thrown into a pile of work as soon as she walked in through the door. She brought right back into the throng of the entertainment industry. There was always something to do, some event to organize and she felt kind of out of it after having almost no work for the past few weeks. Now, she could feel  a headache burrowing its way into her head. Rubbing her temples helped a little. But at some point, she decided she couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her purse and phone and dismissed herself from the hecticness of the office. 

It was barely a minute walk from their office, the cafe. She needed caffeine if she was going to survive the rest of the day. Thankfully, there were barely anyone around owing to it being working hours. The only person before SooJin looked to be an intern, if his disheveled looks and the blue tag he was wearing was any indication. With a stack of coffee orders, too much to even balance in both hands, the guy raced out of there, keeping an eye on his orders rather than to where he was going. Dangerous, SooJin thought. Which was exactly why she hadn't wanted their interns to be placed in the same kind of pressure. 

But still, she knew, some might still be placed in that very same situation. A loud oof came from the direction of the front door. SooJin and the cashier turned to see the intern recovering from a minor collision with the front door. Thankfully, he was able to save the pile of coffee in his arms, but the coffee sloshed around, trying to settle in the plastic cups. Rebalancing them on his arm, he rushed out the door with the sound of sloshing ice accompanying him. 

She rubbed the shudder out of herself by rubbing her arms, at the image of the man sprawled out on the street a dent in the car that was looming over him, a crowd already forming. 

"Welcome!" The chirpy voice of the cashier brought her back to where she was. She ordered her drink, paid and hovered off to the side as she waited for her order. Was it just her, or was it chilly in the cafe. She shivered, hugging herself, as if the harder her hold on herself, the more likely she was to disappear into herself. After staying at home for so long, she was beginning to lose her edge. She could push herself and try and do as much as she could, bury herself in work. But she had a feeling that it won't be the best option. If anything, with the added role of public figure, all she wanted was to be far away from the spotlight. 

Her mind went back to the couple, if they really were one, at the restaurant earlier. Kurae, if she was going to do this, she might as well give them something to chew on. There was no way she was going to let her harabuji take the upper hand. She knew, that if he did have it, he would most likely sink his teeth in. No mercy. 

So while waiting, she texted the one person she knew understood her perfectly right in that moment. 

"Date? Tonight?" 

She fiddled with her phone, turning it around in her hands as she waited for a reply. She can't remember being this nervous before. Not to mention, she had typed out the invitation a few times and erased it, before deciding on those one worded question. Mostly, it was cowardice on her part but it was also uncertainty. She wasn't sure if he wanted to. But then she remembered that she shouldn't be this nervous since they were friends and if he rejected her offer then it would be like a friend saying he or she is busy and couldn't make it. 

No need to be embarrassed, she told herself. Nothing changed. But somewhere deep down, she knew something had. The moment he revealed he ended it permanently with HyeonJu, she couldn't explain the relief that came over her, let alone the feeling that her heart was being lifted up by an invisible force. 

She forced herself to stare at the pick up area, watching as her order was being made. Then, she let her vision wander to the display case. All at once, a craving for something sweet hit her. But she was only doing all of this to distract herself. Distracting herself from checking her phone every second or worse yet, just stare at it to wait for a reply. 

And when her phone did ping, indicating a notification, she felt her heart jump and it was ridiculous the little tremble of her fingers as she unlocked it. She even contemplated not seeing his answer for a little while, only to think just how stupid that was. If he was going to reject her, she could tell herself that he was busy. He was, after all the heir to Jeguk Group, no small position. So she took a deep breath and clicked on his name : Kim Won. At first, she hadn't processed his reply, though it was just as short as hers was. But after rereading it for the fifth or sixth time, a grin stretched across her face. It wasn't until she was back in her office that she wondered if anyone had noticed the dopey expression on her face as she stared at the two worded reply. 

"Yes, definitely." 

He had used definitely. A word akin to of course, like it was a surety, a matter of fact, like of course they should be going on dates as an engaged couple. She felt the delicious hop hop hop of her heart as she typed back :

"Okay, see you at home :)"

At the same time she hit send, her order was up. She walked over to the pick up area only to hear her phone ping again. It should have been embarrassing how fast she scrambled for the device, her coffee forgotten and as she read his reply, the same dopey expression appeared again. 

"Okay, see you. Fiancee :)" 

She had to physically stop herself from squealing and jumping up and down right there in front of the barista. But before she left, there was one other order of business. "Excuse me..." The cashier turned towards her before she even reached the counter. "Could I get one of those please?" She pointed to a rainbow cream cheese cake. 

A pleasant smile etched across the girl's face and she answered simply, "of course." Before leaving SooJin to pack up her order. It was such a great day. SooJin thought maybe something sweet would tie everything together, sticking to that whole treat yourself motto. 

And as she walked out, coffee in one hand and a slice of cake dangling from the other, she has never felt happier. It was stupid, but as she enjoyed her little treat back in her office, she couldn't help scrolling through that short bit of exchange she had with Won earlier. That was when she realized just how impersonal his contact name is. So she changed it. Afterall, friends sometimes only used emojis to save their friends into their contact list. 

Won 

She changed it at first, but without meaning to or without much thought, she added....

Won <3 Fiance 

She was mildly surprised by the added heart emoji and title at the end, could not believe what she had done. But then she decided that she actually liked the way it looked. Plus, it could be an inside joke someday. Once the both of them had gone their seperate ways....

She pushed the thought away, because it left a sour taste in and overall made the feeling of euphoria from earlier start to slighty dampen. She also promised herself then, taking a sip of her coffee that she wasn't going to worry about it, not right then. Not until it actually came time to say goodbye. For now, she would stare at her phone and smile that unguarded smile and just enjoy her cake. 

 

....

 

It was killing her on the inside too. Every waking moment was spent with nail biting, anxious worrying of what she would do. Or worse yet, what her unnie would do if she ever found out. Her nights were practically sleepless, staying up for hours, just staring at the ceiling trying to figure out what she should do. She now had this internal battle that was waged between two sides. 

"Ignore it and let everything just die out on its own."

or

"Tell SooJin herself, consequences be damned."

Both options had their own effects. The first one, if and only if she was found out, their friendship would be destroyed. SooJin would never forgive her and if that didn't get to her first, the guilt would probably kill her. Time too seemed to go slower than usual, when she thought that it was nearing the end of the week, it had only been a couple of days. By which time, she felt like she was quickly spiralling out of control, the guilt making its way through her system. 

The PC in front of her was all a blur of words and numbers. Her unnie depended on her, leaving her to hold the fort down while she was gone on a meeting. Downing her fourth? fifth? cup of coffee, she has finally had enough. She was determined to tell her. That, at least gave her a renewed motivation to get on with the mountain of work she had before her. Everyone else had gone out for lunch, even SooJin, leaving with a smile on her face. She recognized it simply because her unnie never really smiled that way all too often. There was really only one person that had made her smile like that. And what EunHye didn't know was that it was making its way towards her right then. 

She hadn't even noticed until the slight bang of a bag on the table next to her brought her back to the little office space that was hers. A curse was at the tip of her tongue before she remembered where she was and the cost of insulting a colleague or a client would be her job. The second she laid eyes on who it was however, she thought she might just go ahead and do it, "You." She said, accusingly. "What do you want?"  

"EunHye ah... come on... it's me..." even as he said this, his eyes were shifting around the space. EunHye had no idea what he was looking for but she will not have him there any longer. Her unnie had looked the happiest she had been in a long time. And more than once had MyeongSu been the culprit behind SooJin's distress. She was determined then, to see him out the door as soon as possible. 

"You better leave." She said pointedly, conveying her anger with her eyes. 

"Don't be like that...I'm just here to say hi..." The table groaned at his weight but the command still stands. She wants him out, hoping that her arms crossed stance would seem intimidating enough that he'd take her seriously. Even though, she was shorter compared to him and that was saying something considering he wasn't that tall either. "Uh...where's..." another scan of the room. "...SooJin? Is she not having her lunch?" This time, he tried to look behind the drawn blinds of her unnie's office. Hah. No matter how much he strained to see, there was no use, she thought to herself. 

"She's already gone out to lunch." EunHye's voice was distant and hard, making it clear she would rather not talk to him. But hopefully, after knowing that his prize wasn't there, he would simply slink away to wherever he hung out these days. Thinking back, EunHye couldn't believe just how gullible she was. She cringed at the memory of her ever trusting face, not knowing what lay beneath the 'kind' exterior of MyeongSu's face. She questions whether his affectionate treatment of her in the past was all just an act, just because she had been his girlfriend's staff and bestfriend? That didn't matter anymore. All that facade is gone and here was a man who was desperate enough to do anything, to destroy anything. She won't let that happen. 

She went back to her work, turning away from the twisted expression on his face. He was thinking, she knows, wondering why SooJin had broken a routine he has seen and probably gone accustomed to. Finally, he takes his weight off of her desk and she almost sighed in relief at his departure. That is until she realized that he wasn't ready to leave at all. Instead, his voice echoed through the empty office floor. "Out? Does she have a meeting with investors?" EunHye couldn't contain the little smirk from the sound of hope in his voice that he too was confused with and soon after tried to hide. 

"No." This time there was a giddiness in her voice. "She eats lunch with her fiance now. " A satisfied smile stretched across her face at the fuming look appearing on MyeongSu's face. A second later however, it occurs to her that she was getting a little afraid of him and her hand hovers nervously on top of her phone. He didn't even look pained and confused anymore, the anger breaking through the cracks. She was close to dialling the emergency number, when Myeong Su started to speak again. 

"Her fiance? She's still with that guy?" She didn't notice his balled up fists, or the straining of his muscles as he tried to ball them up further. 

"Yes, of course. Their engagement party is coming soon." EunHye needed to bite her tongue to stop herself. She had been so excited at the defeated look on this man's face that she forgot for a moment that nobody was supposed to know about that party, not yet anyway. She didn't want to lose anymore of the trust that her unnie would have left for her. So she kept quiet, hoping that MyeongSu would walk away in anger, or start breaking down right then and there so she could call for security. 

"Engagement party?" Of course he was already riled up enough to pay attention to what she was saying. But the engagement, the fact that SooJin was going to be officially tied to this man. And it rubs him the wrong way, that it was not going to be him. So that one part of what EunHye was saying was the only thing he zeroed in to. He hated it. Wanted to push it as far away as possible. 

"Yes. And I think it's best if you just go." EunHye was clutching onto her phone then, the security desk already pulled up on her screen. 

"Yes, maybe.." He moved to walk away, but just before she could sag into relief, he stopped and turned to look at her. "You know, I always knew that SooJin was ambitious, but I didn't know she would go this far...." Despite the sadness in his voice, it brought EunHye's anger to the surface for the first time through their entire exchange. How dare he suggest that SooJin was only doing all this for money. Implying that she was selling herself to someone just because they could give her the funds she needed, as if her unnie wasn't any better than just a gold digger. No. He doesn't see just how happy SooJin had been recently, nor does he realize that what he was doing was pushing her unnie more into Kim Won's arms. He doesn't know that while he was out here trying to wrench SooJin away, Kim Won had done everything he could to help her. The way that SooJin had talked about what he had done, to help her against her tyrant grandfather. 

Of course, MyeongSu never had the resources, but the least he could do was to realize that what he was doing was hurting her. And if he had ever loved her, he would understand that and let her go. But he doesn't and that made EunHye even angrier. How selfish of him and she told him too. 

"You're so selfish! You don't even stop to think about how she feels, about what you're doing and how it's affecting her." Once she started, she couldn't make herself stop and that was her first mistake. "She cries and stays in bed, is forced to stay in that mansion, not knowing when she could leave. And yet here you are, feeling sorry for yourself when you left her first." 

"But why doesn't she just leave?" He sounds like a lost child but she was having none of it. 

She rubs her temples in frustration. She could think of many reasons. This was a high stakes business and upsetting one of the biggest conglomerate in the country won't be the best look for their company. Investors would doubt them, even though the two should remain separate but private lives are always scrutinized if you're high up enough. Then there's the awkwardness of it all, having to work with your ex, even if it was fake to begin with. His family would certainly make tensions rise quickly. 

But she decided on the most honest answers. "Well maybe she doesn't want to leave anymore." 

He shook his head. "Then she'll have to fake her way, hang in there until she gets to the altar." He says in a huff, turning to walk away. 

How dare he? She thought to herself before making her second mistake. "It is real. Even if it was fake, it's not anymore. They love each other, I see it."  But she didn't think he heard anything she would have said after, judging by the look on his face as he whipped his attention back to her. No, the part where she had said that maybe it was fake was less suspicious than what she had said right after that. 

"...You keep saying anymore... or not anymore....as if it was true before..." He was thinking, the gears turning in that head of his. His thoughts wouldn't have gone any further if only she hadn't made her final, biggest mistake. And she didn't even need to open to do it. "Does that mean she wasn't before? That this was all fake?" 

It didn't matter that not everything was fake, that it only recently became real. But at the mere thought of that her expression changes and the look on her face was enough of an answer for him. This time, it was his turn to smirk. "I'm right aren't I? Right?" The happy look on his face made her want to throw up. Thankfully, she hadn't eaten anything yet. 

Weirdly enough, this was what had finally made MyeongSu leave, doing a sickening skip as he went. She gulped as the door closed behind him. Now. She was going to lose her unnie's trust forever. But that made her even more determined to tell her the truth. It has to be done. Before it gets worse. And if anything, the bad feeling she had, meant that she had to at least warn SooJin. So that if something did happen and if MyeongSu did something, then it won't be her fault. 

....

It was the most that SooJin had ever gotten out of Won. To be honest, she was sure that he had spoken more in the week than he ever had for all the time she had known him. And that smile...She couldn't get enough of it. He had let her see it once of twice before, but that was it. It was always the tight lipped smile. But now after their lunch date, she felt like she was the only one with the privilege to see it. And frankly, she was selfish enough to want to keep it to herself. 

After that first date, it seemed like an unspoken promise for them to have lunch together. She had even begun to anticipate Won's texts. It helps that he always sends them at 12, right on the dot. And true to his words, he would always arrive ten minutes later. Usually, SooJin hated that the higher up you are, the later you could come back to work. Which was exactly why she had always had her lunch at the office with EunHye. There was that one downside to this whole thing; the guilt. EunHye had given her a small smile, with that expression she couldn't read whenever she said she was heading out to lunch...with her fiance. 

Her personal assistant has been eating alone for the past few days, but SooJin couldn't bring herself to say no to Won. It quickly turned into the one thing that she would look forward to during the day. Turns out Won had taken her suggestions seriously and apart from their lunch dates, her fiance had started opening up more and though he had generally been quiet, he has been asking for her opinions on a range of different topics, ranging from her favourite films and food to how the film industry works. She noticed he preferred to be the one listening and after a few times, she had stopped feeling sorry and so everywhere they went, she accounted for 80% of their talks. Won gives her the occassional nod and hum to show he was listening. 

That day was no different. SooJin had ordered a blueberry apple pie to take back to EunHye, just as she had done for the past few days. Yesterday it had been a cream mushroom pasta and the day before that had been flossed spicy rice crackers. What worries her though, was the exact same deflated expression EunHye has on whenever she saw her. Unless she was mistaken, EunHye looked like she was about to throw up at any second. Although SooJin felt uneasy with the distance it had put between them, and she so badly wanted to ask. But after deliberating it i her head for a while, she decided that her personal assistant, who was also her best friend, would tell her what was wrong when the time came. 

"Is something wrong?" Apparently all her worries had been written on her face, seeing the look that must be a mirror of her own on Won's face. The way his brows knitted together and the way he tried to hold the eye contact they had sent a shivering warmth through her.  It was nice, to have someone to worry about her once in a while. And she wasn't too oblivious that she had missed the light touch on her arm.

She couldn't help but smile and that eased the crease in the middle of his forehead a little. She placed her hand on top of his and the light touch tightened slightly so he was giving her a reassuring squeeze. That little gesture was enough to convey all his thoughts; I'll be here if you need me. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. That was what SooJin liked best about Won. It was the way he could show what he felt without using much more than his actions. She let herself draw little circles on the back of his hand as she hoped he could understand her feelings through the circles she was drawing and by the way their eyes lingered on each other. 

The server returned with their takeaway order, breaking the tender moment. SooJin sigh, knowing that sooner or later they would have to have a serious talk. She wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but she needed it, needed to know if she should take her heart and stuff it back into its cage. She couldn't let herself get her hopes up, just to find out, she had been the only one to think that way. 

But in the meantime, she was content to take the arm that he had offered, letting her hand rest on the crook of his elbow and being led to the waiting car outside. She pretends she doesn't notice that he had taken the long way round to get back to her office. She pretends that none of this affects her; that he wants to spend time with her, that he takes her out on dates, even though.... Her brows furrows at that.

She must have kept the expression on her face for a second too long when Won broke their comfortable silence. "Is something wrong?" She offered him a weak smile compared to what she would have, had her train of thoughts hadn't gone where it has. She considered keeping it a secret, just to cover her embarrassment. But her stubborness won out and that insecure part of her was dying to know. 

"Is it weird?" Now it was Won that had mirrored her previous expression.

"What's weird?" 

"All of this? Not getting any privacy? Being with me?" The succession of questions shocked SooJin into silence. This was something she hadn't expected that they would be talking about right then. Those were questions she has already asked herself earlier on, much earlier. But seeing as her partner in crime has never expressed much in the emotions department, she pushed them away, thinking she was stupid for thinking of them in the first place. She couldn't believe what she was hearing even when he has said them out loud. And to think that all this time, she had been trying to push her insecurities regarding their relationship away by pretending this wasn't anything other than the business deal that they had agreed on in the beginning. In light of recent events, and now, she wasn't so sure anymore. 

She turned to look outside, hoping he won't notice the look on her face or see it in the reflection of the glass. She blinks the surprise away before answering. "I think...the attention...is too much..." She could sense the shift in energy in the little space. The way she could feel him tense up slightly was something she hadn't known she could consciously do until then. "I love being left to do my own work, to live my life away from the spotlight. But it isn't so bad, now that I think about it. I guess my old habits of ignoring what anyone has to say comes in handy." She smiled, hoping the joke would lighten up the mood. But all Won did was slip into his poker face as he drove. In front of them were the afternoon trafic of people trying to make it back to work after lunch and SooJin has never wanted out of a car more than she did then. She was sweating from the tension in the car but she pushed on either way, knowing if not now, then it will be not ever. 

She sighed, letting go of her fear momentarily to say what she had to say. And even years later, she felt like that moment, in that car has somehow changed the course of what was to come. And in her life, it might be one of the best decision she has ever made in her life. "Being with you is great. I don't feel so alone like if I were to go through this on my own." The smile she offered was surprisingly genuine and the gratitude that swelled up in her chest sent a different kind of warmth through her. And when he returned her smile, she felt hers grew all the way up to her ears. "I always thought that I was bothering you... so..." What else could she say and what else could she do but look away in embarrassment. 

She wasn't expecting a response, not from Won. But then he started speaking and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. "At first, I thought this was all a distraction." He turned to look at her for a second to emphasize what he was saying. "All of it. Not just this dating thing. It was having to be involved in the making of a movie, it was me, having to go and socialise with those who work out on the fields as they say..." He looked away, guilt in his eyes as he said the next line. "...even having to play nice with you... to get to know you..." SooJin chuckled, thinking how very Kim Won of him. 

"But then, a few weeks in, I found that I really didn't mind it, the running around, seeing how you work, and just getting out of the bubble I've been in." They inched slowly in traffic. "Then I met your friends and your family. They're so different from my own that I slowly started liking it. And when you said we were friends, I loved it. Nobody had ever offered that to me before, nobody had ever offered that to a chaebol. Usually, they would offer it only when there is something in it for them in return or if they liked the novelty of having a chaebol friend. But not you. " He gulped, his mind probably far away from the little space they were in. "You never treated me any different just because I'm rich. Of course, your family could probably beat mine in that aspect.." SooJin let out a little laugh at his joke. "...but it was comforting. To have someone there with me. Someone there for me. Businesses aside, I enjoy being around you and being around your friends and family. For once, it felt like I had a normal family, although really chaotic." SooJin gave him a playful smack then. "And..." there was a kind of nervousness in his voice. "....and I hope it'll stay that way for a long time to come. I'm not pushing you to accept me in your life or anything...but if you'd like it, I'd love to stay." 

SooJin couldn't believe this. She thought she was the braver one when it came to expressing herself. But this time Won had completely blown her away. "We'll have to take it slow.." She said finally after turning everything in her head. Despite how she felt, she wasn't going to risk it just yet. "I don't know exactly what we are yet and all of this...it's just so new... even if we'd known each other almost a year now..." He nodded, with no trace of anger or annoyance on his face. She took that as a good sign to continue on. "I...feel things...that I need sometime to figure out first...But I don't want you to leave either." She added the end part, surprising herself. Her heart sped up at the last part, knowing this was the most vulnerable she had ever been with him, despite him knowing of her family secrets. It was dangerous to admit to wanting something, to wanting someone because you never know what will happen. 

And she knows he said he was over HyeonJu but that didn't mean he wanted her either. Maybe their circumstances had brought them together, made them closer. But she didn't want him to commit and be confused later on. She wanted to give herself time, as well as him some  time too, to be sure that isn't just their comradarie that was talking. And that they really had a chance at something more. She needs to know that he wasn't only there because he has become just comfortable with her around. She didn't want him to settle. 

He might have scared off a few people on the sidewalk when he pulled over at the front of the building. SooJin had insisted that he dropped her off a block away, in a parking space, but he ignored her and skidded to a halt, throwing her forwards in her seat. "Yah!" she gave him an annoyed hit on his arm. 

It seems that Won had recovered his usual demeanor when he offered her a smile instead. "Have a good day at work today yeobo :)" SooJin felt like hitting a wall or maybe run a few laps around a football field at what he'd said. Instead, she settled with a hurried "You too.." and rushing out of the car. She hoped her smile was sugary sweet enough to mask the embarrassment she felt underneath.

She walked across the lobby thinking what a day it had been and when she reached the elevators, she felt like she could finally sigh in relief. She thought that maybe she'd light one of those aromatic candles that she rarely used in her office. But the day wasn't done with her yet because once she arrived on her floor, she heard the sobs that came from behind her closed office door. She opened it to come face to face with a crying EunHye. 

"Wae?"

"Unnie?" 

They both said at the same time as EunHye gave her a crushing hug. "Unnie..." She wailed, snot running down her face, the tears destroying whatever makeup she had that morning. "Unnie...I'm so sorry...." her sobs made it difficult for her to breathe, let alone to speak. And this alarmed SooJin more than what she had just said. 

"Wae? What's wrong? Come on, it's okay, you can tell me..." She held Eunhye a little away from herself, trying to calm her friend down. 

EunHye shook her head and things looked worse than he thought as he saw the despair on her friend's face. EunHye looked like she had given up, but why? "Unnie, if you want to fire me, I already have my week's notice..." And that's when she finally noticed what EunHye had in her hands. 

"Why don't we sit down for a while?" She guided EunHye to the couch. Once she was sure her friend's sobs had started to subside, she asked again. "EunHye ah...you have to tell me what this is all about?" Her friend's sobs hiccoughed through her chest before she could finally tell SooJin about what had happened. And it wasn't what she had expected. 

"Geuge...unnie....you have to listen to the end okay? Promise?" SooJin promised. And both women braced themselves, athough for very different reasons. After apologising profusely, EunHye finally told her about her family secret, that she had let it slip on one occassion and that it had been most likely MyeongSu who had leaked it to the press. And then she apologised again, this time on the verge of another breakdown. Although SooJin's brows were furrowed trying to make sense of what she had heard. She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed, angry and that she might have lost a little of her trust. But at the end of the day, it's done and over with and there was nothing that could be done to take any of it back. So once she had worked through her conflicting feelings she was just thankful that her friend had decided to be honest with her when the news hadn't broken yet. Now all they had to do was come up with a preemptive plan, if anything was going to happen. The engagement party was going to be in a few days and if they made it through that day, they would be fine. 

"I'm so sorry unnie." EunHye's voice was barely audible as she eyed the evelope now in SooJin's hand. 

There were a million thoughts going through her mind and she was for sure going to have to call Won right away and hoped he was sitting down while hearing of this news. And hopefully, he won't be too mad. But she had one thing to do first. SooJin ran a finger over the black ink. "RESIGNATION" it read. Then, she did something that made EunHye gasp and shot out of her seat.  "Unnie..." She breathed, disbelief in her face. 

"I don't accept your resignation..." Sounding cold and distant, even to herself. "You're sorry, aren't you?" EunHye nodded cautiously. "Then you have to pay me back. Start, by doing your work. We're already busy as it is and I won't be able to find a secretary in time." She got up, feeling like she was towering over the mousy EunHye. " Now please EunHye.. get back to work? We don't have time to waste and I have a wedding to start planning." 

EunHye looked unsure for a moment before showing her a grin that went up to her ears. "Thank you unnie! I promise I'll do my best! No. I'll do the best!" SooJin tried not to wince at EunHye's nails digging into her hands as the woman held on to her with excessive grattitude. 

But before EunHye could close the door behind her though SooJin felt like she had to say something. "Oh, EunHye!" Her friend stopped dead and turned in a kind of slow motion way to meet her eyes. "Please, please try not to spill anymore secrets?" 

 

....

 

He pressed the end button unusually hard and slammed the phone down on the table. He runs his hands through his hair, his tie already loosened and sleeves pushed up to his elbow. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and he couldn't believe how calm she had been delivering the news either.  The engagement party is the problem. It's too public and there's just too many chances of anybody from the outside sneaking in. 

He didn't want to think about what would happen if her ex manages to get through, what it would mean if everyone found out about the deal that they had going on on the side. What would the people do if they found out that their royal couple not only hid their princess' identity, they also hid the fact that everything was fake all this time? Won subconsciously returned to an old habit of his, something he did when he was nervous. His nails are professionally trimmed now, but when he was younger, they had been bitten to stumps due to his nervousness. He hadn't expected to pick the habit back up, but here he was, nervously biting at his nails, trying to figure out what to do next. 

After the car ride though, he didn't know what to think; of himself of the situation they were in. SooJin seemed a little hesitant and he himself, was pretty sure he wanted this. He knew one thing for sure, he hadn't felt happy in years. If it wasn't worry on how the company was doing, it was always on autopilot. This was the first time that he ever felt something in a long time. She made her feel this way. For the first time in a long long time, he felt free.

NO. He can't let MyeongSu ruin everything that they've done so far. He would stop him, whatever it takes, if only to protect SooJin's reputation. Nobody is going to make her cry, not this time, not on his watch. So with whatever time he had left, he planned his next moves carefully. In his mind, there was only one fullproof plan that won't blow up in their faces and it won't really need that much planning either. All it needs is a little preparation and a little more sensibility from his side. The first phase would have to start that very night. And he had just the perfect idea. 

It took three rings before the person finally answered. It was pretty fast, considering it was from an unknown number. "Hello?" Na Ji Ah, the owner of MSG answered from the other side. 

"Hello? This is Kim Won...are you busy today?" 

 

....

 

SooJin couldn't contain her disappointment when she had to go back home on her own that evening. But then, on her way back to the mansion, she had gotten  a text from him telling her to get ready. Ever since then, she has been anticipating what he's preparing. But she can't help that pulling feeling in her gut that is trying to reinforce that he was doing all of this just for the cameras, for the people. So that they won't doubt it when any kind of news comes to light later on that questions their relationship. "Very clever." she admitted bitterly. 

Even so, she got ready, just as he told her to. She went for the casual look this time, assuming that if it was otherwise, then he would have told her beforehand. she went for a fitted white turtleneck, cropped perfectly to her waist, a pair of high waisted, blue skinny jeans and a pair of white sling back heels that's strapped on the back of her heels. Apart from the engagement ring, the bracelet Won had given her and a pair of little pearl earrings, she was bare of jewellry.  

She grabbed a small white cross body bag, stuffed her wallet, keys and phone into it and placed it on the desk along with a brown down jacket that should keep her warm down to her knees. By the time she was ready, it was already 7 p.m.

She kept watching the clock tapping her foot in time with the seconds that pass. Finally, there was a few quick knocks on the door before Won walks in with a huff. SooJin wondered what happened, seeing that he looked like he had just come from the gym. As she walked over to him, however, she could smell the citrusy body wash he always uses and apart from the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, he probably looked the way he did, because he had rushed through a shower. 

"Sorry, I'm late." Little water droplets started flying everywhere when he ran his hands through his still wet hair. "I had something to do earlier. Are you ready?" To this question, SooJin had to give him the 'are you sure' look. 

"Are you ready?" She throws the question right back at him. 

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair one more time. "Okay, just one second." He rushed to the bathroom and a second later, the room was filled with the roar of the hair dryer. SooJin continued to perch on the chair. But not even 10 minutes later, he was back out again. "Better?" He gave a little turn so she could see his hair. It wasn't as wet as earlier, but it wasn't exactly dry either. 

A little smile stretched across her face. She could already imagine how he'll look like with unstyled and messy hair, the tiny curls that would come up from his not totally dried hair. And at that her smile grew into a huge smile. "It looks great." 

"Come on.." Without even thinking, she grabbed for Won's outstretched hand and was surprised at just how easy it was to intertwined their fingers together and how comfortable it was to keep it that way. That is until they got to the car and she saw that tonight, there was no SeungHo. All of a sudden, a nervousness crept up her chest. Won let her hand but not without lingering for a little longer. SooJin felt a kind of fuzziness all over her body as she ducked to get into the car. Won slammed the door shut after her and rushed to the driver's side. 

"Is the Chairman okay with all of this?" She meant the whole going off alone thing since he had strictly allowed them out of the house only for work. Anywhere else they needed to go was only under the supervision of their personal driver, SeungHo. 

"Special permission. From the king himself." Won gave her a genuine smile and it settled all the nervousness she was feeling. 

"So, where are we going?" She asked expectantly. Even with the bad news they had just gotten earlier on, she couldn't help the excitement from building. 

"First, we need to get rid of a little something first." She followed his gaze from the rearview mirror to the shamelessly following car or cars behind them. Reporters. She knew they had resorted to camping somewhere outside of the property gates. But to see them so aggresively and so openly chase them that way made everything all the more daunting. She shivered unvoluntarily. Even with the thick jacket over her, she still felt a chill throughout her entire body. 

He slowly pulled into a hotel parking space. She wasn't even sure if that was even allowed when they had not booked a room there. Or maybe Won had booked a room, she didn't know. A slight wave of panic went through her at the intensity of the situation. The only good thing about all of this was once their car had passed, the gates automatically closed, not allowing any of the reporter's cars in. 

Won parked in an empty spot and rushed to open her doors. "What are we doing here?" Even with her confusion, she let herself be led into the hotel. It wasn't until they made it to the lobby that she understood why Won was in a hurry. SeungHo was lounging in the lounge area, looking extra bored when they came to stand before him. 

"Is it done?" Won asked. 

SeungHo yawned at the question, maybe taking offense at the same time. "What do you think I am? Dumb?" 

"Sometimes, yeah." SooJin had to cover to hide the laugh that was coming. She couldn't believe Won had tried to crack a joke. It didn't look that way for SeungHo though as he rose to his feet. 

"Alright, we're running out of time." Won said, this time with a stern voice. 

"And if you would stop wasting more time, the car is all ready outside." SeungHo nod towards the entrance. 

Won nodded. "Good. Now just wait here..."

"Until you two get back...yeah, I heard you the first time." SeungHo waved as he made his way towards the elevator. 

"Careful! Remember I could just as easily not pay for that room!" Won called after him. 

"Then I'll just need to order as much room service before then!" SeungHo gave them a little salute without turning round and disappeared into one of the elevators. 

"You paid him to stay here?" SooJin asked as she was being pulled by the hand towards the entrance. 

"Yeah, put him to good use, you know?" He opened the door for her and she couldn't help but too. 

"I see you two are finally getting along." She gave him a cheeky smile. And to that, he only grunted in return. Inside the car, she then noticed the out windows and the very normal looking sedan. It was probably an older model too, judging by the enterior. It was a car that nobody expected an heir to drive, especially not a young one. As they drove off, SooJin caught sight of the swarm of reporters outside the parking lot, with the security guards trying to shoo them away. 

"So, where are we going now?" She watched as nighttime Seoul rolled past. 

"It's a surprise." And she couldn't help but mirror the smile on his face.

They drove in silence for a little while until concrete buildings gave way to more greenery. And when there were only little to no buildings left, SooJin started to ask more questions. "Where are you taking me?" "Where are we?" "What are we doing out here?" 

"Wait a little more, we're almost there." Won tried to reassure her. Before she could let her imagination run wild again, he had turned into a little trail off the road. And after just a little while, they came out to a grassy clearing. That was when she saw it. It looked like a humongous white wall at first, but as they got closer, she could see that it was actually a white sheet, hung from two poles. All around them, there was nothing but trees and a pond right behind the makeshift cinema. They were far enough away from the city that the stars helped give them partial illumination. The tiny rows of fairy lights helped with the rest. 

In the time it took for her to take everything in, Won was already by her side, opening her door. With a little help, she managed to step out of the car. Grass wasn't the best place for heels, but the red carpet that he had laid out helped a little. And the hand he placed gently on her lower back helped to keep her balance somewhat in check. 

"Surprise!" He said, with a pleased look on his face. 

"Did you prepare all of this?" She said in awe. Won had never really shown any kind of emotions past what was neccessary. And for him to go out of his way like this, it made her heart melt a little. The car trunk slammed shut behind her. 

"Yes, I did. Impressed yet?" She hadn't seen that look on his face before. He had his hands full with a basket and a blanket and something underneath that. 

"Maybe?" She teased, taking the blanket away from him. 

"Tough crowd." He said, pouting and SooJin didn't mind this cuter side of him. He placed what he carried underneath the blanket on the car. It was a projector. Then he led her further down and after setting the basket down he took the blanket for her and spread it on the ground. "I'll be right back." He jogged back over to the car. SooJin eased out of her heels, plopped her bag down and started to open the basket. The scent of food overwhelmed her and instantly, her stomach started to grumble. 

Behind her, the projector started coming to life. And halfway through taking the food out, Won was already by her side, easing out of his shoes. "Here, let me..." She didn't protest when he took the food away from her. Once everything was out of the basket, she could see that not only had he prepared dinner, he had also prepared her favourite. "How did you?" 

"With a little help from friends." He smiled, handing her one plate of pasta. "Noona was happy enough to help when she found out what it was for." The electric light flicker in between them as food was passed around. 

"Noona?" SooJin looked at him in disbelief.

"Yeah." SooJin had no doubt there was a little blush creeping up his neck at that moment. "She asked me to call her that from now on." Won avoided all eye contact even though it wasn't bright enough for her to fully see his embarrassment. He also had the sense to prepare some snacks too, cinema snacks that is. Soda, popcorn, candies, chocolates and even some cheesesticks. 

"This is amazing Won..." She looked around, rubbing at her arms. When he moved to cover her up, she shook her head no. "When did you have the time..." She asked, wonder clear in her voice. 

"Just now, after your call. I thought...it would be nice, if we could do something together, outside of the house. Just the two of us." She could feel his eyes on her. 

"Just the two of us?" She asked, looking up to the stars. 

"Just the two of us." He confirmed. 

"No reporters?" 

"No reporters." 

"No annoying siblings?" 

He chuckled. "No annoying siblings." 

"Just the two of us."

"Just the two of us." He mirrored. 

She didn't know when they had gotten so close or when they had started inching their heads closer, tilted to an angle. But one thing she did know; both of them didn't want to stop. And when she felt his lips on hers, she felt like they weren't close enough. She s her hands up his neck into his still damp hair and his hand cupped at her cheek while the other pulls her closer by the waist. The food was forgotten between them. The kiss was slow and neither of them wanted to break it.

But once their biology demanded that they need oxygen, SooJin reluctantly pulled away, panting and resting her forehead on his. "I...uh...I" He fumbled in his back pockets until he pulled something out. When he moved away so there was some space between them, SooJin couldn't hide her disappointment. "I thought I would wait, maybe hide it in the dessert or something. But-" 

She gasped when she saw what he was holding out. It was little velvet box and on the inside, resting on the plush velvet was a ring. It was no doubt a diamond ring. He pulled it out, and it was simple ring and looked like it was a circle of diamonds. Though simple, SooJin knew it must have cost a fortune because the diamonds are an alternate between white and green. 

"They're supposed to be like emeralds, you know the birthstone for the month we first met." He held the ring between them. "I was not a very nice person, I'm still not a very nice person. I think it's just easier to hide behind the hard exterior...then to get hurt..." She looked to him at this point. It broke her heart seeing how vulnerable he looked then. "But when I met you, I was still mean..." he chuckled. "But I've seen a lot more things in these months with you than with anybody else I know." She couldn't help it. She reached out to his cheek and he leaned into her touch. "I don't think I can fully understand what I feel, but do know that I love it. And..." he bit his lip nervously. "I know that I want you around with me, Kim SooJin. Please, can you please, stay?" He held the ring up again. She was stunned into silence. 

She couldn't believe what she wa hearing, still overwhelmed by what he had prepared. Then she remembered what he had done for her; helping with her grandfather, keeping her secrets for her and just simply being there when he could just as easily not care because there are no such commitments in a business relationship. She kept his cheek and moved in closer before she could think twice about it. 

Maybe, in these types of situation, she could just let go. Maybe she could just let the control go and not think too much about it. Maybe, she could give this a chance. she moved in to give him a kiss and she was reassured when he kissed her back. "Yes." She said, breathless, when they both pulled away.

"Yes?" He asked, just as breathless.

A wild grin spread across her face before she squealed and jumped up to throw herself at him. He fell back a little from the force and she had her arms so tightly around his neck that he needed to catch his breath a little while. "Yes!" She gave him a deathly squeeze before letting him go. She loved the dopey smile he had on his face. She held her left hand out and soon, the ring was slid onto her ring finger, right next to her engagement ring that they had picked out. 

"Now, ready for a movie?" He asked as she tucked into her food. 

But when she looked up at the screen she had to groan internally. "Won ah, is it too late to say no?" She asked. Won hugged her close to his side and gave the top of her head a kiss. 

"Nope, no chance at all." 

 

....

Again, if you would like to see the inspiration for SooJin's outfits from top to toe, I left a link down, at the end of the chapter. Dress reveal is a few chapters from this one... thank you for reading, hope you enjoy :)

 

The party couldn't come soon enough. The morning of reminds SooJin of the morning before the press conference. The mansion was buzzing with activity and every member of the family is now rushing to get ready for the festivities. Nobody was busier than her two mother in law. SooJin never really thought s he would get along with any future mother in laws so the irony was, now she was going to have two of them. But true to their words, they had treated her more like a daughter than an in law. So far, the Chairwoman has brought her to a spa day, to get her measurments for her dress, and invited her for brunch. She misses her eomma sometimes, and nobody could ever replace her, but it feels good to have someone there for her like a mother would. 

In addition to the Chairman's family, her family, father, sister's family and even WooHyun was there. Everybody has decided to get ready for the evening's events at the house. And although she hadn't liked the idea of her grandfather attending, but they needed him there, if only for the press. It was ridiculous how the press had given a full coverage since the morning, going crazy when her family had arrived at the mansion with their entourage. This extravagant display was thanks to her cousin. But it's still weird to her how she could get this much attention for an engagement party. 

In the middle of all the buzz, and with her still clad in a robe, her second mother in law, the Chairman's mistress had pulled her aside to one part of the mansion that she hadn't gone to before. When she got there, she realized she had just been brought to a huge walk in closet. In it, had been all kinds of dresses and suits, some of them she had recognized. This must be where they kept all their public attire, she thought. It was for special occassions only. And right in the middle, her jaw dropped at the most beautiful wedding dress she had ever since. That is until she realized, it wasn't a wedding dress at all. It was the dress that she was to wear that evening. Naturally, she was already measured at the beginning of the week. But her mother in laws had insisted it would remain a surprise. 

She had to reach out a hand and ran her hand over the bodice. It was light baby blue dress with a bodice of pale blue lace embroidered with tiny butterflies and cyrstals with a sweetheart neckline that extended to an off the shoulder little sleeve. The bottom part was made of light blue tulle layered over each other to give the skirt a slight poof. But what pulled the whole look together though, would be the veil, of sheer light blue that had pale blue and white butterflies along with tiny cyrstals emboridered all around the length with an ending of white flower petals at the end that would make her look like she had walked through a pile of the petals and had picked up some of the pile along the way. The veil was connected to the tops of the bodice and the tiny sleeves she had, so that the sheer fabric covered her arms slightly like a cape. With this dress on, she would look like an actual princess. 

For shoes the pair had chosen a cream coloured chunky heel with an ankle strap that doesn't distract from the dress but is tall enough that she won't be drowning in the dress. For jewellry, she will wear the gifts from Won and although they had wanted the green diamond ring off, she had insisted to keep it on, saying it was from Won. Maybe it was the look on her face but they conceded and let her wear it. On her neck hung a necklace so huge she could feel the pressure around her neck. And along with it, was a pair of matching earrings. And just to prove they were going all out for this, she had a matching bracelet too. As if her dress wasn't blingy enough, she was going to look like a disco ball out there. 

By the time her hair and makeup was done, she looked like she could be an actual princess, a disco ball princess. They had tied their hair into a loose braided crown, all pulled to one side of the base of her neck and drapped over the braid at the base of her neck was a string of pearls. Her makeup looked soft and natural and by the time she had donned her full armour, she had stood out even from all her family members. "Unnie! Why do you get the princess dress?" JinAe said, but with no bite in them. She was craddling a fussy Gook in her arms who just wanted to go home and with GwangSoo and WooHyun next to her all dressed up. SooJin was pretty sure they all had a little help from her stylist mother in laws. 

Her appa reached out a hand, which she took as she waltzed into the centre of the room. She had to hold the tears in, but found it hard when she saw the tears welled up in her appa's eyes. "You're so beautiful...uri ddal..." He looked to her earnestly. But soon, they heard the sound of hurrying footsteps coming towards them and finally the only missing family member has arrived. Won, who had been on a phone call, let his arm slowly fall to his side and his mouth had also fallen slack. He murmured a "I'll call you back...." probably not realizing that his mouth was nowhere near the phone. 

The dress moves around her as she turned to see him. He had on a a silk suite a matching color to hers with a white silk inner shirt and a white bowtie. But even with her high heels, when she reached out to him, he still slightly towered over her. Instinctively, he had circled his arms around her waist. Since the cinema date, they had gladly slept in the same room, but that was as far as they took it, a little cuddle, and exchange of kisses here and there. "You look beautiful..." he gasped, looking at her with awe. 

"You look great too..." She said, leaning into his touch on her cheek. 

"Okay, okay, enough! Don't smudge the makeup." the Chairwoman clapped her hands together and everybody started moving. This morning they had been divided into their individual cars and the last one was going to be a fully out car carrying the couple of the hour. Due to her dress, Won really had to shove most of it in after her and jog over to the other side and their chaeuffur had reassured them that there would be help at the venue. 

"Are you ready for this?" He had never let go of her hand through the entire car ride. 

SooJin sigh. "For tonight? Yes. I had a little help though." SooJin did have a glass of champagne with the Chairman's mistress earlier. 

Won chuckled. "I didn't have the time earlier..." he drew comforting circles with his thumb over her hand. "But maybe, I'll take advantage of the bar later." He grinned. SooJin couldn't help but smile. Every interaction between them has become even more easier now and she couldn't lie and say she didn't crave his presence. 

It wasn't long before they arrived. SooJin had to take a deep breath in the car while their chaeuffur was waiting outside. Even the out windows didn't stop the flashes of light from seeping in. "Are you okay?" Won rubbed his hand in small moving circles along her back. 

"Yes, I just needed to breathe." She looked outside to her adoring subjects. "I think we better go now. Otherwise, I don't think I'll ever leave this car." Won gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and brought it up for a tender kiss. 

The chaeuffur immediately opened the door at the knock from Won and once the door was open, the muffled sounds of the outside became defeaning. SooJin was thankful for the blinding camera flashes because it meant she couldn't really see the crowd ahead of her. Won offered her his arms and together, they walked through the double doors to the revel that was in celebration of their union. 

 

.....

 

Everything had been calm... way too calm for Won's liking. He had expected a whole scene before they even make it through the door. But now it was an hour into the whole party and there was no commotion in sight. He hoped that time would continue to flow quickly, just by taking another round around the ballroom. Every few metres they went they were stopped by business partners and friends, wanting to talk to them. They were with Hwa Young and Young Jae when everything came crashing down. 

But really, Won had planned the whole thing. The first step, he had come clean to his abuji. The man wasn't happy, of course, and he nearly had a hand slapped across his face. But when he showed his abuji the ring, thankfully, his father had even helped him set up the little cinema date. And finally his father could sigh a sigh of relief when he had told him the good news the morning after. "So what do you plan to do now?" His abuji had asked. "I could ask your Lee Ahjussi to send in extra security..." His abuji had offered. But he had made up his mind a while ago so he shook his head no. 

He had requested that if anyone that looked like MyeongSu had tried to get in then they should put up a minimal to zero fight. Instead, he did request for more reporters and eyes on the scene. And here was the next phase of his plan. Thankfully, the man had been predictable enough to show up right on time, judging by the time on Won's watch. Being antsy, he thought he was a bit late but no, here he was, looking as crazy as ever. SooJin held on tightly to his arm then. 

"STOP! THIS MARRIAGE IS A SCAM!" Of course this got the attention of everyone and looking around, Won was pleased to see that every single reporter had their eyes on this man that was standing in front of them. Miraculously, he even looked the part for the night, looking like he hadn't showered in a few days and the bloodshot eyes and scratches all over his face and hands probably from the scuffle with security helped too. Won let out a smirk. 

Everything was going to plan. 

 

 

 

a/n: 

SooJin's outfit for the engagement party :

The jewellry had been inspired by Swarovski necklaces and earrings

NECKLACE

BRACELET

EARRINGS

 

SHOES: FROM POSHMARK INSPIRED

SHOES

HAIR : THE PICTURE NEXT TO THE TITLE

HAIR

DRESS INSPIRATION : 

DRESS