First Snowfall

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/27838315.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/M
Fandom: - | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (TV)
Relationship: Hae Soo | Go Ha Jin/Wang So | Fourth Prince, Park Soon Duk/Wang
Eun | Tenth Prince, Chae Ryung/Wang Won | Ninth Prince, Hwangbo
Yeonhwa/ Lee Sung Jin, Wang Yo/ Park Yeona, Wang Mu/ Kim Bong-
Cha, Hae Myung Hee | Lady Hae/Wang Wook | Eighth Prince, Hae Soo
| Go Ha Jin/Wang Wook | Eighth Prince, Baek Ah | Thirteenth Prince &
Wang So | Fourth Prince, Wang Yo/ Wang So, Baek Ah | Thirteenth
Prince/Woo Hee, Wang So/ Nam Ji-Hyun
Character: Hae Soo | Go Ha Jin, Wang So | Fourth Prince, Wang Yo | Third
Prince, Wang Jung | Fourteenth Prince, Wang Wook | Eighth Prince,
Hwangbo Yeonhwa, Baek Ah | Thirteenth Prince, Wang Won | Ninth
Prince, Wang Mu | Crown Prince, Wang Eun | Tenth Prince, Woo Hee
(Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo), Hae Myung Hee | Lady Hae, Park
Soon Duk, King Taejo | Wang Gun, Empress Yu | Queen Shinmyung
Soonsung, Empress Hwangbo | Queen Shin Jung, Chae Ryung (Moon
Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo), Choi Ji Mong, Wang Sik Ryeom, Park
Yeona, Lee Sung-Jin, Wang Seol, Oh Soo Yeon | Court Lady Oh, Nam
Ji-Hyun
Additional Tags: AU, Modern times, ceo stuff, first fanfic, yeonwha isnt that big bitch, I'll
make you like Yo, some things dont change, Romance, Siblings,
Antagonism, Love, friends - Freeform, also won isnt an asshole,
slowburn i guess?
Stats: Published: 2020-12-02 Updated: 2020-12-24 Chapters: 19/? Words:
46637

First Snowfall
by ariakara

Summary

- I didn't like how the drama ended so here I am writing my version of modern-day SooSo-

Notes

Hey, y'all! Just wanted to say that I am not exactly very familiar with Korean customs as
whatever knowledge I have comes from neglecting homework to watch k-dramas, so If I
make any mistakes please bear with me.
 Giambattista gown put into use

When Hae Soo's plane landed at Seoul's International Airport, she felt the cold wind sending
shivers down her spine. The light caramel-colored trench coat she wearing had been sufficient for
Paris but not for here. She adjusted her scarf to her neck to shield it and walked towards the exit.
Her bodyguard was walking just behind her with a pile of suitcases filled with all the new clothes
she had purchased on her trip. She couldn't wait until she would be given a reason to wear that aqua
Giambattista gown. The driver opened the door for her and the warmth inside the car brought a
smile of satisfaction to her lips.

"Miss Hae, welcome back." her secretary, Chae Ryung said and she nodded.

She checked her phone that had been turned off for more than twenty hours. About thirty new
emails and fifty messages were waiting for her. "Anything interesting that I should bother myself
with?" she asked her and Chae Ryung cleared her throat nervously. She opened her black, leather
notebook and nodded.

"You have an appointment scheduled with La Vie's ambassadors tomorrow at 12." Hae Soo
scoffed and looked out of the window.

"I will consider showing up. Next," she said.

"Madame Choi called and said she wanted to meet with you on Wednesday for brunch."

"And why should I say yes?" Hae Soo asked exasperated. The mayor's wife could be really
tiresome.

"She said that she wants to discuss the property the mayor allowed to be turned into a mall." Chae
Ryung said hesitantly.

Hae Soo's lips sealed into a tight line. She hated sucking up to people but she also wanted to go
through that project at least by the end of the year. And the easiest way to do so was to befriend
that loud, old woman. "I see. Anything else?" She asked her, suddenly feeling too tired to do
anything. Despite the fact that she was practically alone on first-class, nothing could be traded for
her soft bed.

Chae Ruyng faked a cough. Hae Soo raised an eyebrow. "Well, the thing is, by the end of the week
there is a wedding," she started saying quietly.

Hae soo rolled her eyes. "Is it yours? Congratulations. Be to work on Monday." she said
sarcastically and opened her bag to take a look at a few pieces she had been working on.

"No, Miss. It is your cousin's wedding. Miss Hae Myung Hee and Mr. Wang Wook are getting
married." she said. Hae Soo placed the file on her knees and turned her head in her direction.

"And I am invited? My cousin is either too naive for her own good or has a small memory." she
laughed and took the file back to her hands. "Which day?" she asked nonchalantly. Deep inside her,
she knew that she shouldn't have blamed her cousin but Myung Hee's parents for what they had
done. And as for Wang Wook... hopefully, he wouldn't remember her; after all, she had changed a
lot since those few dates back in college.

"Saturday." her secretary said.

Her boss nodded. "Make sure my schedule is clear that day." Chae Ruyng tried to hide her surprise
as she flipped through her notebook. "Who would have guessed that I would put that Giambattista
into use so quickly?" Hae Soo laughed and then asked her secretary to keep quiet for the rest of the
ride, indulging in a cup of hot coffee Chae Ruyng had remembered to buy at the last minute.

xxx

Wang So hated a lot of things. Loud music, people, untidiness. But nothing could rival compulsory
family dinners at his old home. He stood outside of the triplex penthouse's door for a few minutes
before knocking. A maid appeared in seconds and took off his coat. He walked past the massive
living room and walked up the stairs. Soon enough (too soon for him) he was in front of the dining
room. His eyebrow shot up in surprise when he realized it wouldn't be just his parents and full
siblings but his other siblings as well, with their mothers and spouses.

He should have said he wasn't in Seoul. But alas, now it was too late. He walked inside and felt
everyone's eyes glued on him. He bowed slightly to his father and mother and sat next to Baek Ah.
"Good evening." he decided to say at last. Baek Ah gave him a smile to which he awkwardly
nodded.

"Good evening my son," the patriarch of the family said with a smile that showed he was proud of
his children. "Now that we have all gathered here today, just a few days before the wedding, I want
to celebrate that our dear Myung Hee will soon become a part of our family." His sons, excluding
Wang Yo, who was too preoccupied with his wife, and Wang So, who wasn't a fan of public
display of emotions, cheered. Myung Hee blushed and looked down. Wang Wook smiled and So
wished he could stab himself with the fork in front of him. This was worse than he had anticipated.

"Thank you father," Wook said and Wang Geon raised his glass. Following his steps, everyone on
the table did the same.

Dinner was served and everyone dug in their food in silence. As Wang So chewed on his honey
glazed meat he looked at the people that consisted of his family.

At the heads of the table were sitting Wang Geon and across him Madam Yoo, mother to Yo, him
and Jung. On Tejo's, left was Madam Hwang Bo, mother to his only sister Yeonhwa and Wook. On
his right was Bae Aerum, mother to Baek Ah and Eun. Mu's mother had died long before Yo was
born and Won's mother had also passed away shortly after giving birth to him. Next to Yo was
sitting Park Yeona, his pregnant wife of two years. Next to Yeonhwa was Lee Sung-Jin her
husband and Kim Bong-Cha was Mu's wife. Their three kids were with her parents. And lastly,
Myung Hee was seated next to her future husband. Eun and Won didn't have girlfriends as far as he
knew and Baek Ah seemed strangely busy these past few days. As for Jung... his only lover
seemed to be the punching bag at the gym.

He made eye contact with his mother and quickly averted his gaze. He was tired of those cold
gazes that seemed to hold no trace of emotions. Instead, he focused on his food until Bae Aerum's
conversation inevitably caught his attention.

"I suppose you have finished with the guest list, right? The wedding is only a few days away," she
asked the engaged couple.

Myung Hee nodded. "Yes, we decided to keep the wedding guest list short. Only two hundred
people per side," she said with her usual soft voice. Wang So almost choked on his food. Only two
hundred? If he ever got married no more than fifty would be invited.

"Only two hundred?" Madam Yoo seemed to speak her son's thoughts out loud. "How come? I was
expecting at least five hundred. I am sure your parents Myung Hee would love this opportunity to
invite people and show off." Everyone on the table froze and Wang Geon put his chopsticks down.

"Yoo Shin Myung..." he said in a warning tone. Madame Hwang Bo suppressed a sigh.

Myung Hee smiled at her. "You are probably right Madame Yoo. But it is our wedding, not my
parents, right? That means Wook and I are the ones deciding on the guest list." Madame Yoo
smiled at her icily and resumed with her food. After all these decades and she still couldn't stand
the wives after her and their children of her former husband.

Wang Wook tried to hide his smile along with everyone at the table. Wang Geon chuckled. What
he had heard about Hae women was right. They had a sweet exterior but on the inside, they could
rival his second wife without any hesitation. And speaking of Hae women he remembered one
particular.

"Myung Hee, is your famous cousin coming as well? I saw her name in the newspaper the other
day, Hae...Hae..."

"Hae Soo," Myung Hee completed for him. She set her utensils aside and gave him an uncertain
smile. "I don't know, she is a busy young woman. I will understand if she won't find the time."

"But she is your cousin dear," Madame Hwang Bo said. "One can always make time for family."

"Ji Yun, don't be so absolute. You know how young people these days are." Bae Aerum said,
earning a grateful smile from Wook's future bride.

The dinner resumed again in silence but Wang So's mind was elsewhere.

Hae Soo... he had seen that name too but couldn't quite put his finger on from where.
 Not my cup of tea
Chapter Notes

I swear y'all going to turn me into a crybaby. it's one day since I posted this story and I
already got comments and kudos Ily and stay safe!

"Come on Soo-ya, don't be a bitch," Woo Hee told her best friend with a pout and sat on the chair
in front of Hae Soo's desk. "I only get to age once a year and I don't plan to do so alone."

Hae Soo rolled her eyes and lifted her head from the pile of papers she was trying to focus on.
"Anyone in Korea- scratch that- anyone in east Asia would kill for a night out with the famous Woo
Hee, so why do you insist on bothering me?" she asked her exasperated, and Woo Hee let out a
groan.

"Yes, but they are not you." she said impatiently, "Did you forget last year? We had so much fun!"
she took her cup of tea in her hands and raised an eyebrow as if justifying her point. Hae Soo rolled
her eyes and a smile curled on her face involuntarily. But she instantly coughed to hide it. But her
friend having seen it knew she winning her over was a matter of time.

"I haven't bought you a gift," she said in an attempt to get out of it.

The other woman scoffed and shot her a glare. "Fine! But I have a brunch scheduled with Madame
Choi tomorrow at ten so don't expect me to drink." She said partly annoyed but at the same time
excited to see her dearest friend after almost a month.

Woo Hee laughed and stood up. "You like playing hard to get so much Soo. I will drop by your
place at nine. Don't make me wait." she told her warningly but they both knew it was in vain. She
blew her a kiss to which Hae Soo replied with a glare and she walked out of the office, with her
heels making a rhythmical sound.

Hae Soo returned to her work with a lighter mood, trying to think of what to wear. She took a sip
from her coffee and thought of the strangely formed friendship between them.

-Seoul 10 years ago-

It had been an awfully quiet day for her business. Only one customer had come and she didn't even
want to buy or have makeup done. She had mistaken her shop for a hair salon. But the weather
outside was gloomy too, matching her mood. She sighed and went into the tiny kitchen to make tea.
What would she do? The rent for both her shared apartment and this place was due at the end of
the month, and the money she made could barely cover her everyday needs. She sighed and poured
the boiling hot water into the cup. Just then, she heard the door open forcefully, and baffled she
stepped outside.

Hae Soo saw a girl about her age, dripping wet from the rain, standing with a look in her eyes as if
the world's problems were weighed on her shoulders. "Miss, can I help you?" she asked politely
and for what happened next she was not prepared. The strange girl collapsed on the floor crying.
She walked quickly towards her and sat next to her.

"I...I have a casting call, in about forty minutes but I c..can't go like this. And my house is too far
away to return." she managed to say between her sobs and Hae Soo felt a weight from her chest
lift. She had thought that maybe she was abused or being chased by loan sharks.

"And that's why you're crying? Aish," she said and stretched out a hand for her, "come on cry girl.
But tell me your name first." The girl lifted her head and Hae Soo saw that she was very pretty.

"W...Woo Hee," she said and took her hand.

"I am Hae Soo," she smiled at her, and Woo Hee returned the smile reluctantly.

She made her sit on one of the chairs and for a few minutes, she worked on her face in silence.
Then, she dug out a blow dryer and brushed her hair, making a simple ponytail. "I have a few dry
clothes too. I think they are your size," she said and turned around. Woo Hee grasped her wrist.

"Thank you but it's fine. Mine are almost dry anyway."

"Then take an umbrella," Hae Soo insisted and Woo Hee cleared her throat awkwardly.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked her.

"Just bring the umbrella back before six." Hae Soo smiled but the girl shook her head.

"No, no. Just-"

"Just bring this back. Go now," she told her. "You will be late."

In the end, Woo Hee did return the umbrella in question. And to pay her back, she invited Hae Soo
for food and some drinks to celebrate getting the role. Which led to other get-togethers until they
lived together at some point. But one thing was for sure; a strong sense of camaraderie was formed
among these two women.

-Present day Seoul-

Now Woo Hee was on the top of the list of the most popular actresses in South Korea and kept
high ratings around other countries as well. Her dramas were always a success and her fans knew
her by the stage name Jae Hwa. Due to their busy schedules, they rarely got together anymore but
she missed hanging out with her best friend.

Woo Hee was right. There was no need for her to be a bitch about it when she was as excited as her
best friend for a night out.

With a smile, she dialed Chae Ryung's number. She had no desire whatsoever to continue being in
this building for even a second.

xxx

"Where are you going smiling like that?" Wang So asked Baek Ah with a sleepy voice. He had
returned from his office just an hour ago after an exhausting day and he had fallen asleep on his
desk, only to be woken up by this fool.

"Why? Do you want to tag along?" He asked cheerfully, adjusting his blazer and So shot him a
glare.
"No, you're making noise and you just woke me up," he said flatly.

Baek Ah sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like I could take you anyway. The
guestlist is strict and although you can take a plus one, you aren't interested," he said with mock
sadness.

"True. For example, I was the invited one and you are my plus one." a boyish voice said from
behind and Wang So chuckled tiredly. Baek Ah turned to his younger brother and tried to smack
him. With a swift move, Eun avoided his hand and laughed along with his older brother.

"Hush, both of you. " Baek Ah said annoyed, but seeing it didn't work, he shot them a glare and
walked towards the front door.

"But if you want to come, there won't be a problem. Woo Hee is my close friend," the young singer
told So and he shook his head.

"I'll pass. I have an important meeting tomorrow. You two have fun though." he said and went
back to his study.

Eun smiled and followed his other brother. Baek Ah was already waiting outside of the elevator
pacing back and forth. Eun cast him a disgusted look. "If you keep being like that I won't take you
with me. Hide the fact that you are a fan as much as you can."

Baek Ah stopped and rolled his eyes. "Ah, Eun-ah, I don't care about the actress. It's the club I am
excited to go to," he said very unconvincingly. They walked inside the elevator and Eun sighed.

"Whatever. I warned you." he pointed a finger at him and his brother shot him a disapproving
stare.

"Yah, just because you are friends with famous people doesn't give you the right to disrespect your
elders," he said, wanting to sound stern.

Eun rolled his eyes. "Older by a few minutes. Don't forget that," he said and the door opened.

"Still, I am technically older-" his sentence was cut short when he spotted a large limousine parked
at the entrance of the building. The driver opened the door and Jae Hwa -or Woo Hee- walked out.
She was dressed in a dark dress that showed off her fair legs and high heels. She looked even better
up close than on the television screen. Eun and she hugged each other and he gave her a present.

"Eun-ah, you didn't have to," she said with a smile and Baek Ah tried to compose himself. He
cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Happy Birthday. I am Wang-"

"Baek Ah," she said for him. She gave him a polite smile. "I read your book, a while ago," she said
and he felt a warm feeling in his heart.

"Did you like it?" he asked smiling, confident in himself.

"Not my cup of tea. Sorry, " she said and Eun held back a laugh.

"Come on," she told them and sat inside the limousine. "We'll drop by my dearest friend's house
and then to the party." She and Eun started talking about his new tour in China that took place a
month ago and she told him about two of her colleagues dating when were supposed to be dating
other people for the sake of their companies.
Baek Ah, sat alone across them, feeling furious and stupid at the same time. What was her cup of
tea then? His book had earned the best reviews even from the most difficult reviewers. He put his
present next to him and Woo Hee, seeing that, smiled and thanked him. He didn't reply but instead
looked out of the window.

"Not my cup of tea..." he mimicked her under his breath annoyed.

"Did you say something, Baek Ah?" Eun asked him and at that moment he wished he had stayed at
home with So.
 chocolate-covered strawberry
Chapter Notes

Hey y'all1 I hope you are alright. Here is another chapter and I can't thank you enough
for your comments. They mean the world to me. Stay safe and ily❤

"You are Hae Soo, as in Hae Soo?" Eun asked looking at the young woman with widened eyes.
Woo Hee had just made the introductions after Soo finally got out of her apartment. She recognized
Baek Ah, having read his latest book and she told him she liked it, earning a big smile from him.
And as far as Eun was concerned, she wasn't a fan of dramas, and neither did she keep up with
current idols, which was a huge strike for his big ego.

"Yes, why?" she asked him in a tone between amused and annoyed. It was easy to understand why
Woo Hee had befriended him as his childish and carefree character was likable, even to her. But if
he was going to turn into those suck-ups that tried to benefit from her, she would get out of this car
instantly. She shot Woo Hee a warning look and she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing why her
friend had been so surprised.

"You see, Hae Soo," Baek Ah said, " our brother Wook is marrying Myung Hee and it was brought
up that you are her cousin." Hae Soo raised an eyebrow and looked at them.

She scoffed and drank from her champagne glass. "I thought that you just had the same last name
as him. Well, the world is a small place, don't you agree?"

Baek Ah chuckled. "Indeed," he agreed with her. "Will you be coming to the wedding?" Woo Hee
was on the brick of kicking him in the knee. For as long as she had known Hae Soo, she knew that
her blood-related family was a touchy topic she avoided bringing up at every cost. And this
conversation taking place in the car, on their way to her birthday party didn't have the best timing
or place. She looked at her best friend expecting her to shot him a glare or splash him with
champagne irritated (like she would have in her shoes, because to her Baek Ah was an
obnoxiously, overly-confident playboy that she had to endure because of Eun), but Hae Soo
surprised her.

"I think so. Unless something interesting comes up." she smiled at him and they engaged in a light
conversation. Woo Hee made a mental note to ask her about that tomorrow.

"You are twins, right?" She asked looking between Eun and Baek Ah, "how come you don't look
alike?"

"I thank God for that every day," Baek Ah said quietly, making Hae Soo laugh.

"Yah! You'd wish to look like me." Eun said wounded, pointing his finger to him. With bleached
hair that had hues of strawberry pink, earrings on both ears, lined eyes, and clothes that looked as if
they were taken right out of a runway, he looked every bit like the k-pop idol he was.

"We are fraternal twins," he said ignoring him and Hae Soo nodded understandingly. "I am the
older one by the way," he added and Eun threw him a chocolate-covered strawberry. It left a dark
brown mark on his cheek and the girls burst out laughing.
"You little punk," he said lunging for Eun.

"I thought you said you were the older?" Woo Hee asked sarcastically, making him freeze on the
spot. He scoffed and sat back on his seat, straightening his shirt. Hae Soo offered him a napkin.

"By a few minutes," Eun added stubbornly.

"Ah, that explains a lot then." Hae Soo said earning two offended looks and a laugh.

xxx

"The next time you'll be knocking on my door at five am, I won't open." Wang So hissed, as he
helped his brothers lay down on the sofa. Why did his brothers seem to have the tendency to wake
him up whenever he had finally a good sleep? He resisted the urge to smack them and crossed his
arms on his chest. Eun opened one eye but upon seeing his older brother like that, he closed it
immediately and pretended to be asleep. Baek Ah groaned and tried to stand up.

"Brother," he said with a formal tone, "thank you for your benevolence. It means the world to me
that my brother and I won't be sleeping in the streets," he murmured and tried to bow but instead he
fell with his face on the hard marble floor. Wang So rushed and grabbed him by the waist to put
him back on the sofa.

"Aish," he said disgusted, "look at yourselves." He threw them a blanket, not bothering to fully
cover them with it, and motioned the maid to take care of them. He went upstairs to his room,
deciding to work out since he had some time ahead of him before he would have to go back to his
office.

After a couple of hours, when he passed by the living room, with his coat, on one hand, he saw his
brothers in the same position he had left them, but with the blanket properly covering them.
Unwittingly, a smile appeared on his face. No matter how many years would pass, they would
always be his baby brothers that were a nuisance to him. He shook his head and got out of the
apartment into the elevator. The door opened directly to the garage entrance and he spotted his
favorite car - a black Lamborghini Aventador- and drove to the headquarters of JBG Group. Upon
entering, the people working there bowed at him in a sign of respect, and he met his other brother
Wang Wook on the way.

"Good morning," he said with a smile and So nodded returning the greeting.

They waited for the elevator together. "How is it going? Have wedding preparations worn you
out?" he asked, more because he felt obliged to say something, rather than from pure interest. As
brothers they were never close and growing up had been with So in a boarding school in
Switzerland and Wook in a private school in Seoul. Madame Yoo had made sure to sent him away
as far as possible and even though he got the best education out of all of his siblings (not because
he was the favorite son of his mother or his father, but for reasons of convenience) that had
naturally driven him apart from the rest of them.

The few years he had been back, only Baek Ah and Yo had made genuine efforts to get to know
him better. But Yo was too busy with his political career and family so Baek Ah and inevitably
Eun (as despite their frequent bickering, they were inseparable) were the only brothers he was close
with. About a year ago he had offered his place to them as they were almost never home and it
would be vain for them to pay for rent, and their bond had gotten stronger.

Wook and Yeonhwa were a bit unfamiliar for him and he avoided being with people he didn't feel
comfortable enough as much as he could.
The soon-groom-to-be sighed tiredly and nodded. "You would be surprised how many details you
have to take care of even with two mothers, an excited bride, and two assistants. " So chuckled
quietly.

"Anything I can help with?" he said before he could think about it.

Wook cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uneasy. "I didn't mean to-" So said sharing his
uneasiness but Wook beat him to it.

"I was just a little surprised," he said reassuringly. "But now that you've brought it up, yes there is
something."

"Go ahead," So said and the elevator door opened. They walked out and stopped outside his office.
Wook took out a wedding invitation from his bag and handed it to a confused So.

"Do you remember when the other day at dinner, father brought up Myung Hee's cousin? Hae
Soo?" he asked and So nodded reluctantly.

"Well, something happened between Myung Hee's family and her but the point is, she wants Hae
Soo to be present on our wedding day. But at the same time, Myung Hee doesn't want to show up
at her office and she doesn't know where Hae Soo lives to send her the invitation." So blinked a
few times.

"Why don't you take it or have your secretary do so?" Wook cleared his throat and looked away.

"It would be too awkward for me to show up." He leaned closer to him. "We used to date when I
was in college. Nothing serious, a few dates but still," he said quietly and So snorted. Trust Wook
to have dated his future wife's cousin. "Myung Hee thinks that if someone from the family gives
her the invitation, maybe she will be convinced."

He took the ivory-colored wedding invitation and nodded. "Okay, I will do that. Although, I won't
guarantee anything," he said.

Wook smiled at him and bowed his head. "Thank you, brother. I know you have a busy schedule-"

"Don't mention it. See you around." They parted ways and So walked into his office.

"Secretary Kim," he told the young woman. She instantly stood up and bowed.

"Mr. Senior Executive, good morning," she said and So nodded.

"Have you ever heard of miss Hae Soo?" he asked her and the secretary smiled.

"Of course. Her brand is one of my favorites," she said.

"You said brand?" So asked thoughtfully. "What does she make?"

The young girl blinked a few times. Did he need something for a lover? "Well, anything from
make-up to clothes and jewelry. She even recently bought a building to turn it into a mall." Now it
was So's time to be surprised. That explains why his father would remember her name upon seeing
it in a newspaper.

"I see. Prepare me a car for the headquarters of her company. I will pay her a visit." he said and
closed the door behind him.

That was weird, his secretary thought and with a sigh, she opened a new google tab.
 equally busy with your boss
Chapter Notes

So, double update for today as I will be taking off the weekend. Due to e-schooling, I
am forced to spend at least eight hours a day glued to the computer screen and my eyes
are bloodshot. Remember to take off time from the screen as well and go outside for a
walk (with a mask ofc) or just do sth else. Stay safe!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Miss," Chae Ryung said hesitantly, earning a glare from her boss.

"I am working, Chae Ryung as you can see. If not, I think I pay you enough to afford a pair of
glasses," she snapped at her secretary, not bothering to look up from her computer.

"There is someone that wants to see you." the poor girl continued and Hae Soo finally looked at
her.

"Do they have an appointment? I thought the Americans were scheduled for the afternoon," she
said, her tone less intimidating.

"No, miss. He is not with an appointment. He said he had something important to deliver." she said
and Hae Soo rolled her eyes.

"I have something important to deliver by the end of the year too, Chae Ryung," she said and
returned to her work. "Tell him to come again when my schedule's free. Go now."

The girl blinked a few times. Wasn't she curious what that important message would be? Her boss
would forever be an incurable workaholic. "But miss, he seems like a serious-"

"Don't make me repeat myself." her tone had turned back to hostile. Chae Ryung nodded and
closed the door behind her. She went back to her desk and saw the handsome, tall man sitting on a
waiting chair.

"Sir," she said and he stood up. From what she had learned by being by Hae Soo's side, the suit he
was wearing was expensive. She wondered why he had come. "Unfortunately miss Hae Soo is too
busy but you can come-"

"Just hand her this," he took an ivory-colored invitation from his briefcase and placed it on the
desk. "I am equally busy with your boss. Have a good day," he said and turned around. Chae
Ryung wasn't fazed by his curt tone (Hae Soo could get a lot worse at times) but she did wonder
what was the relationship between him and her boss. Curious, she took the invitation in her hands
and opened it carefully. From Wang Wook and Hae Myung Hee, she read and blinked a few times.

The Wang last name was familiar to her. She knew that Wang Geon had nine children out of
whom, only three had decided to stay within the JBG Group. She often listened to Wang Eun's
songs and her best friend had gotten a sighed book from his twin Baek Ah. The second oldest, Yo,
was a politician in the conservative party. And Wang Jung was a professional boxer and she had
watched a few of his games with her previous boyfriend. But she had no idea what the other
siblings looked like. Was he-

She almost let out a scream when her phone suddenly rang. It was Hae Soo. "Bring me the
financial statements now!" she said before hanging up. Chae Ryung sighed and put the invitation
away before running out of the office.

xxx

Wang So returned to the company's headquarters in a state beyond annoyed. His secretary told him
that his father had come and had requested a general meeting with all of his children. Forgetting his
annoyance, he grabbed his laptop and walked up the stairs to the last floor. As he got closer to the
glass office, he saw the majority of his siblings already there. Yeonhwa was talking furiously to
someone (her client) over the phone but still smiled upon seeing him. She hung up and turned to
him.

"Hello brother, how are you?" she didn't wait for his answer as she shot Won a glare. "Why did
you take the Bao case? I told you my client was Choi, his wife." Won, who had just arrived as well
patted his hand on So's shoulder ignoring his sister.

"How are you So? Haven't seen you around," he said with a pleasant voice making So chuckle.

"I am fine. But I don't think you will be," he said looking at Yeonhwa.

Won laughed and turned to her. "It's been a while since we rivaled each other at court sister. It will
be fun. Either way, the profit will go to our firm. It's a win-win situation." he reasoned making her
scoff.

"Alright, be ready to be crushed like last time," she said and walked away.

"I wonder what's the occasion," So said thoughtfully, and Won shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe father will retire from the company?" he said and sat next to him. So wondered if he knew
already.

There was no denying that Won was their father's most favorite child due to the fact that he was the
son of Oh Soo Yeon, Geon's childhood sweetheart. After Won, second, came Yeonhwa the only
girl among the siblings, born almost at the same time as Won. Confusing as it may sound, when
Madame Hwang divorced Geon, he had already reconciled with Oh Soo Yeon, and she got
pregnant soon making the difference between the two just a month.

"Jung, what the hell happened to your face?" he heard Wook exclaim. Everyone stared at the most
reckless member of the family, who had a bruise on his eye and a hand wrapped in a bandage. He
waved to everyone and sat opposite to Won.

"Hello to you too, brother," he said and winced when his hand collided with the table.

"Either he will get himself killed or mother will do it for him," Yo said and put his briefcase on the
table, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe she will save us the effort if she will," So couldn't help but add. Jung shot both of them a
dark look and then ignored them.

"Where are Eun and Baek Ah?" Mu asked. He looked oddly tired, with bloodshot eyes and his shirt
 was wrinkled and it wasn't like he were under pressure for anything that at least concerned the
company.

"At my place recovering from hangover probably. Weren't they informed?"He took out his phone
to call the secretary but Wook stopped him.

"I spoke with them a while ago. They are on their way- oh speak of the devil." Two tall figures
walked in with dark sunglasses, dressed in black. They didn't bother greeting anyone, collapsing on
the chairs next to So.

"What was the occasion?" Yo asked at the same time reading an article on his phone.

"Woo- Jae Hwa had her birthday party last night and I dragged him with me," Eun said pointing at
Baek Ah. Everyone nodded and right then the patriarch of the family with his close friend and
lawyer, Choi Ji Mong, walked in. Everyone stood up and the boys took off their sunglasses.

"Sit down please," he said and took a sit on the head of the table. They did as he said and watched
in anticipation as to what he had to say. "I called for all of you today as I have to make an
announcement." He cleared his throat and cast a glance at the file in front of him. "I have decided
as of today, twentieth December of 2016 to resign from my position as chairman of the JGB Group
and entrust my eldest son, Wang Mu with it. The position of Chief Executive will be passed onto
Wang So and as Senior Executive will be appointed Wang Wook. Along with this, I have called all
of you as I will be dividing my shares to my nine children. Ji Mong will be informing you,
providing the necessary documents. " he said and silence prevailed among them.

Everyone absorbed the news. "But why the rush father? Your health is-" Mu said and So sensed a
trace of panic in his voice.

Geon cut him off. "It's high time my offspring take the reins of the company. At least the children
that do want to work within the company," he added. "That's why I wanted to divide my shares too.
In that way, they stay within the family." Mu nodded and took a nervous sip from his water cup.
"Don't any of you have something to say? So? Wook?" he asked.

So cleared his throat and looked into his father's eyes. "Thank you, father, for entrusting me with
this position. I will work hard," he said and Wook said something similar. Geon nodded.

"Alright then, that's what I wanted to tell you. I thought it was too serious of an announcement to
make at the dinner table. Tell the PR manager to make sure the news won't slip out until Wook's
wedding is over. That's all" he said and stood up. His children stood up too and when he left they
looked at each other baffled.

"Well, I can't own any shares, and father may have forgotten that, but it was indeed an interesting
meeting. Don't you agree?" Yo said and put his coat on. But no one seemed to agree with him.

The twins left the office soon, murmuring something about having a headache and Jung went along
with them too. Yeonhwa dragged Won out of the meeting room and Mu and Ji Mong left, speaking
quietly about something. That left So, Wook and Yo alone inside the room.

"Well, I would say congratulations to both of you," Yo said, "but I want to save the trouble of
repeating myself in the near future. See you around," he chuckled and left too, making both
brothers look at each other curiously as they had no idea what he had meant with his words.

Chapter End Notes

I bet you didn't expect me to make Won Lady Oh's son, did you? I found it pretty
creative as I wanted to make Won and not Mu the favorite child. hehe. Also, any idea
what my boy Yo meant? Probably not what you think. (I enjoy being cryptic more
than I should)
 a series of chemical reactions
Chapter Notes

No one:
Me writing this while I should be listening to my online classes 'cause I don't know
shit:
lol On a serious note, have a happy week y'all!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Hae Soo wasn't the one to feel nervous.

On the contrary, she had always dealt with her opponents and partners with so much confidence
that they eventually came to respect her. And that was a big feat because, in a seemingly equal
world, where both sexes were treated the same, she could still feel the doubt from her male
colleagues upon seeing her. She had spent years and years proving that she was way more than just
a pretty face and she had finally achieved that. However, as she sat in the back of her car outside of
the five-star hotel where her cousin was holding the wedding ceremony, she thought about turning
the car around and going home or anywhere else. She felt furious at herself for being such a
coward but at least she had admitted to herself that she was beyond nervous about seeing Myung
Hee and her parents for the first time ever since she left home.

"Get a grip of your self Hae Soo..." she whispered to herself and the driver cast her a sympathetic
look from the mirror. She straightened her dress with her hands and grabbed the invitation Chae
Ryung had given her the other day. "Mr. Lee, could you go closer to the entrance? I don't want to
walk all the way there," she told him and he nodded. When the car stopped exactly outside the
entrance, Hae Soo knew she had no other choice but to get out. "I will be giving you a call later,"
she told him.

"Have fun, miss Hae Soo," Mr. Lee told her and she sighed. Fun? She would be lucky if Myung
Hee would do so much as to acknowledge her presence properly.

He got out of the car and opened the door for her. She stepped out picking up the present she had
bought for her cousin - a necklace from Harry Winston- and walked towards the entrance door of
the hotel. Upon entering, her eyes fell on a long, golden framed mirror in the lobby and she smiled
at her reflection. The aqua dress hugged her tiny waist perfectly and complimented her fair
complexion. Her long hair was made into an elegant bun and the subtle jewelry she had chosen
only added to her beauty. What did she have to fear?

She walked in the elevator and as she waited for it to ascend, she unnecessarily adjusted her make-
up. She wondered if she had made the wrong choice by coming here today. Maybe the invitation
had been sent out only because they shared the same last name -out of politeness. At least, that's
what she could think of Mrs. Hae, and as long as she could remember Myung Hee had always been
under her strong influence. Just drop the present and say hello, then leave, she thought and tapped
her nails on the wrapping paper of the present.

Eventually, the elevator stopped moving and its doors opened. She took a deep breath, her heart
beating fast and her palms getting sweaty, and took a step forward. A guy was standing outside
where the ceremony was taking place. He looked at her and she saw the recognition in his eyes.
"Invitation please," he said trying to keep his voice steady and formal, and Hae Soo resisted the
urge to roll her eyes. She handed him the ivory-colored thick paper and he nodded. He opened the
door for her and she hesitated before walking in. She could clearly recall the mock in the voice of
her uncle and aunt as they reduced her confidence into ashes. It had taken her so much time to
recover from that and rebuild her faith in herself. On the other hand, she wasn't the weak and
naively good eighteen-year-old Hae Soo either that had no one to rely on.

She had the new Hae Soo to depend on and for a fact she knew she would never betray her.

With regained self-composure, she put on a smirk and walked inside, feeling everyone's eyes turn
to her. The groom's and bride's table was easy to spot. She kept her head high and moved towards
there.

She fucking loved the feeling and wondered what she had felt so foolishly nervous about.

xxx

So found himself sitting next to the unnecessarily loud Eun who was talking to a few girls that had
dropped by the table to get autographs and Yo who had decided to put his work aside for today.
Instead, he was proudly talking about the twins he and Yeona were expecting in a month, with a
nauseatingly tender voice he had never heard him use before. He gladly accepted the wine the
waiter had poured him and took a small sip.

The wedding ceremony had been lovely - he wasn't much familiar with those things but Yeonhwa
and his brother's wives had said so- and the bride was shining brighter than the sun. Wook was
also very excited, nothing like his usual composed self. He wondered what was it that had made
Wook, Mu and Yo want to marry their wives. He wanted to roll his eyes at the answer that popped
up in his head. Love, he could hear them say. But love wasn't eternal, it didn't last over three years
maximum according to experts. The love everyone claimed to have for each other wasn't anything
more than a series of chemical reactions in the brain upon seeing a person you are physically
attracted to.

Mutual respect for each other, that he could accept. Good family connections were important and if
he had to get sentimental he would say good sex life. Many would call him cynical but So was just
being realistic. After the three-year trial was over, it was the above that would keep a marriage
strong.

Should I propose to Ji Hyun? , he thought to himself and took another sip. He had started dating
Nam Jin Hyung mostly because she had always been around. They had gone to nursery school
together, to the same boarding school in Switzerland, and even to the same university. It wasn't
until a year ago or so that he had discovered that she was actually a very beautiful woman,
successful in her own right not wanting to live on her family's money. At first, he was reluctant, not
wanting to scare her off, one of the few friends he had in his life. But she had been in love with him
since their days in Swiss (not that he knew that) and when he saw that she did want to date him, he
didn't waste any time.

She was now in Vienna attending a gala and she had expressed her sadness for not being able to
attend the wedding. But in a way he was relieved. Ji Hyun had an overwhelming presence and he
was sure she would try to steal Myung Hee's thunder in any way she could. Alas, no one was
flawless.

"Oh my God," Yeonhwa's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up. He saw all of
his sibling's heads turned towards a girl in a greenish-blue gown and wondered who she was that
had attracted their attention.
"Who is she?" Jung asked, voicing So's thoughts.

Instead of Yeonwha, it was Baek Ah who answered. "Hae Soo," he said with a smile.

xxx

Myung Hee hadn't changed. She still maintained her girlish features and a slim figure that looked
very beautiful indeed in the simple but sophisticated Elie Saab wedding dress. She gasped not
believing that the grown, gorgeous woman was her cousin, and stood up, rushing towards her with
her arms open. "Soo-ya," she said barely whispering and wrapped her arms around her. Hae Soo
didn't know what she had expected but she would swear it wasn't this. She awkwardly patted her
cousin's back, not used to such closeness and completely astonished. She broke off first and cleared
her throat.

"Myung Hee, congratulations on your wedding," she said, sounding like a robot -she realized- and
saw her eyes brimming with tears. She handed her the present but the slightly older woman didn't
even cast it a glance.

"I can't believe you are here," she said.

"Well, me neither, but I thought it would be rude not to drop by," Hae Soo replied, the tough
exterior she had prepared, slipping away in the genuinely happy reaction of her cousin. She felt in a
way fool for all the nervousness that she had been through. Myung Hee had greeted her like she
used to. She hadn't turned into an emotionless iceberg. That was her.

It was as if a day hadn't passed since they last saw each other. The warmth and affection radiating
from her eyes dissolved any of her concerns. She found herself feeling the same for her and it took
her aback. It had been a long since she felt those emotions and Hae Soo found that it was oddly
refreshing.

Before Myung Hee could say something, Wook approached them and put his arm around his new
wife's waist. "Hae Soo," he said in an amiable tone. "long time no see," he said and Hae Soo rolled
her eyes.

"Congratulations on your wedding. Glad to see that you got rid of that awful haircut," she said
making both laugh.

"You haven't changed Soo-ya," Myung Hee said and took her hand. "I want to ap-"

"Don't," Hae Soo said. "it's- it's fine. It wasn't your fault anyway." she added and even surprised
herself with her words. Myung Hee opened her mouth to object but she cut her off. "I don't want to
ruin your...mood. I dropped by to give you your present- which went unappreciated by the way."
Her tone was playful - the kind she used whenever she felt uncomfortable.

"Soo-ya, my mood will be ruined if you go. Please stay." Myung Hee said.

"My wife is right. Do stay," Wook added making Hae Soo sigh. She had forgotten how comforting
her cousin's presence was along with how stubborn she could be when she wanted something.

"I guess I could treat myself with a glass of champagne after coming all the way here," she said
making them chuckle. The waiter served them and Hae Soo raised her glass to them. Wook
excused himself politely, leaving the two women discreetly alone.
 "Soo," Myung Hee said. "I don't want us not to speak."

Hae Soo cleared her throat. "Well-"

"Please accept my apology. If not now, then tell me you will think about it."

"I will clear my schedule in the next few days. We could go out for lunch." Hae Soo said making
her cousin's face light up.

"Or I have a better idea. It's Christmas in two days. Come to my house and let's have dinner
together. Just like old times." She suggested. The other woman blinked a few times. She had
forgotten that Christmas was only a couple of days away. Her plans usually included working and
perhaps going out to a nightclub with Woo Hee. If not the latter then eating in her office. But her
best friend was in Madrid for filming and that meant she would have to be completely alone.

How many years had passed since she last had a proper Christmas dinner? "Alright, let's do that,"
she said in the end, both of them breaking into a smile. She had missed Myung Hee and she hadn't
been able to tell until now.

Children shouldn't be paying for their parent's mistakes and she had been unfair to her all this time.
It was high time to make up for all those lost years.

Chapter End Notes

Did y'all see the video Lee Joon-Gi posted on Instagram yesterday? At this point, he's
playing with our hearts
 doubting theories and sexist prick
Chapter Notes

hi, again y'all.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Wang So had formed a theory in his early twenties that he had never doubted; after having a fair
share of women in his life, a man moves onto a stage where no matter how hot a woman is, she
can't impress him. That's what had happened to him and to his father anyway.

Geon had been through four marriages and numerous mistresses (from what he had known, he
didn't even want to think of what he didn't know) only to return to his second wife, once he had
passed his youth.

He, on the other hand, had gotten in secret with numerous beautiful models, aspiring and
established actresses, or even girls he knew he would never meet again simply because he made
sure it would be that way. Then, when he reached a mature age,(according to him), he had started
dating -this time for real and not just for a short period of time- a woman with whom he shared the
mutual feeling of both camaraderie and sexual attraction. For over a year, he had been more loyal to
Nam Ji Hyun than a dog to his owner. He hadn't even considered cheating on his girlfriend and not
because he had high respect for morals or anything like that. It was simply because no woman had
tempted him enough to do so. In his mind, he had reached that stage.

Until now.

As he watched Hae Soo being introduced by Baek Ah to the rest of his siblings he wished him and
she were somewhere else alone. A nightclub, in his office, or a hotel room. It didn't matter. It's not
like Nam Ji Hyun would have to find out. At one point he had dated two sisters at the same time
and to this day neither of them knew that.

Of course, when Baek Ah made the introductions between them, he had no idea what was going on
inside So's head. To his siblings and the rest of the people that had known him, Wang So was a
workaholic and unsociable person that was lucky enough to have a girlfriend.

"And, Hae Soo, this is my third brother So. So, this is Hae Soo," Baek Ah said, shooting him a
glance that said, "be kind". He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and looked the young woman
directly in the eye and gave her a tight smile.

"Nice to meet you," he stretched out his hand and she shook it. He was surprised at how cold it
was. He briefly wondered how long would it take to bed a woman like her. She seemed to be
defensive and formal with people she wasn't familiar with. Which in a way was fun; it would make
the whole process of pursuing her more entertaining and challenging. And God knows he loved
any kind of challenge.

"Likewise," she said in a nonchalant voice. She sat exactly opposite to him, right next to Yeonhwa
on her left and Won on the other side, and he discreetly observed her. She was beautiful enough to
have become a model or an actress, despite whether or not she had talent. What had prompted her
to become an entrepreneur?
Just then his phone vibrated, a text message from Ji Hyun. I miss you :(, it said. Suppressing a
groan, he stood up to go outside and smoke. He had enough of women. But Yo's hand stopped him.

"Not yet. The bride and the groom will be cutting the cake," he told him quietly. So nodded and
took his seat. Yo leaned closer. "Don't you find her interesting? Brains and beauty, all in one," he
said with a sly smirk on his lips. The younger brother rolled his eyes. He had forgotten how
perceptive Yo could be. He just hoped the others hadn't caught on.

"I am not impressed," he said, in the same tone Hae Soo had used earlier and took a sip from his
drink.

xxx

Hae Soo wondered what her uncle and aunt would tell her when their paths would inevitably cross.
She couldn't imagine, in any sense, having a normal conversation with them. On the other hand,
she didn't want to show them how much it had cost her either. So, she decided to simply avoid
them just like she had successfully until now. Seeing that they were talking to a couple of guests
nearby, she knew that they would soon approach the table she was seated at. She excused herself
and walked out of the wedding reception into a long hallway. Her eyes fell on a balcony door and
she opened it, going outside.

It was freezing cold but it felt refreshing. She leaned against the wall and her eyes took in the
breathtaking view of the Han river.

"Am I intruding?" her head snapped towards the direction of the voice. She saw the handsome
brother-in-law of Myung Hee looking at her with a glint in his eyes. She cleared her throat and
looked away.

"No, I was just about to leave," she lied smoothly and turned around. He blocked her way and gave
her an apologetic smile.

"You don't have to. We didn't have a proper chance to talk earlier anyway." Hae Soo resisted the
urge to roll her eyes.

"I don't like discussing business when I am out of work," she said curtly and he raised his
eyebrows.

"Who said anything about business?" he asked innocently. He took a step forward and stood right
next to her, both of them looking in front of them. He took out a pack of cigarettes and offered her.
She declined politely and wondered what he wanted. From what Baek Ah had told her, Wang So
wasn't a big talker, yet he was out here trying to build up a conversation with her.

"Although, I'm curious..." he started saying, "what prompted you to become an entrepreneur?" he
said, inhaling smoke.

She chuckled bitterly. "Why? Do you think I would look better posing for magazines?" she asked
him and felt irritation once again running through her veins. He was too frustrating for her to
withstand.

He shook his head innocently. "No, that's not what I meant. Although, you seem to be aware of
your physical appearance," he said amused but with a dose of truth in his voice.

She sighed. "I am not blind Mr. Wang. But I am neither stupid so whatever you want to tell me,
spit it out," she said and cocked her head to his direction, looking him in the eyes.
"Some have little choice in what to do and perforce have to continue what their father did," he said
pointing at himself. "Others simply want to make a fortune. But what about you? Myung Hee had a
privileged upbringing from what I have heard just like you. Don't girls of your..." he trailed off
trying to find the correct word, "hmm... pedigree usually take on something easier? Or simply
become housewives just like your cousin?"

Hae Soo wanted to spit on him but instead, she scoffed. " That is the most offensive statement I
have heard in this year so far. Congratulations," she told him and clapped her hands mockingly. So
smirked knowing he had hit a nerve. So she gets frustrated when they underestimate her, he
thought and played with the lighter in his pocket.

"You know, if you kept on being as quiet as Baek Ah had presented you it would have been
better," she snapped at him and his smile faltered a little. "But since you are so curious Mr. Wang,"
she said dragging the word so, "here's your answer; I am not a dog. I don't have a 'pedigree' but I
have ambitions." She stepped closer to him so that their faces were only a few inches away. "And
one of them is making sexist pricks like you to shut the fuck up," she said, and throwing him a
disgusted glare she walked inside the hallway.

Wang So blinked a few times before erupting into a series of laughter. He had made her dislike him
in just a sentence. Maybe if he tried enough, she would do something that would erase completely
the attraction he felt towards her completely.

xxx

The word dislike was far too gentle to describe what she felt towards him. She abhorred him and if
she could she would completely stain his reputation. But she didn't want to take responsibility for
damaging the JBG Group's heir's name because that would bring harm to Myung Hee and her
husband as well. Frustrated, she walked inside the wedding reception and saw her cousin.

"Myung Hee," she called her. The bride turned around and smiled at her. Hae Soo tried to regain
her composure and returned the gesture. "I have to leave now. It has gotten late," she said even
though it was barely past ten.

"Oh, of course. I am so happy to see you Soo-ya and I sincerely hope you won't back out on your
promise," Myung Hee said in a warning tone and the younger girl chuckled.

"Of course not cousin. I always keep my word," she said, her voice fading into seriousness as her
eyes fell on her aunt and uncle. A smirk formed on her lips. She had kept her promise indeed even
if it had taken years of hard work. But Myung Hee didn't know what she was thinking and just
sighed.

"I know you do." She hugged her and Hae Soo went back to the table to pick up her things. She
said goodbye to everyone and as she was just about to exit the room Wang Yo stopped her.

"Hae Soo," he said, making her turn around. Was he also going to offend her?

"Yes?"

He smiled at her and she noticed that he and Wang So had the same expression when smiling. "I
have been keeping up with what you do, and I must say you are quite impressive. Better than most
men," he said and he looked at someone on the dancefloor. She didn't know that the person he was
addressing the words to was his older brother Mu.

Hae Soo nodded, accepting the compliment. "Thank you, Mr. Wang. But I don't think you ran until
 here just to congratulate me," she said making him laugh.

"You are right. There is something I would like to discuss with you. Businesswise," he said putting
emphasis on the last word.

"I see. I can schedule-"

"I am sure Myung Hee has invited you to her Christmas dinner?" He cut her off and she nodded.
"Then we can discuss it there," he suggested.

She wasn't used to people ordering her around but her curiosity was greater at the moment. "Of
course. Good night Mr. Wang," she said and bowed her head slightly.

"Good night," he said and bowed his head as well, before turning around.

Hae Soo looked at him intrigued before pushing the door and walking out. He didn't seem the kind
of man that would waste her time for nothing. He was a politician after all. But why did he want to
discuss something businesswise?

As she waited for the elevator, she saw Wang So returning from wherever he was. He raised an
eyebrow as if he were surprised, which made her blood boil. She ignored him, putting on her usual
apathetic mask and only let her face scowl when the doors behind her closed.

Some people shouldn't be allowed to speak at all, she thought and dialed her driver's number.

Chapter End Notes

I love unfolding So's character and making him a bigger asshole as time passes lol.
Also, Yo knows what's going on But how many of you were expecting a different
first encounter between Soo-ya and So?
 teaching table manners
Chapter Notes

I am going crazy with these double updates.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Isn't it beautiful? I think Myung Hee and Wook chose well," Bae Aerum said looking around as
she, Madame Hwang Bo, and Madame Yoo were assessing the newlywed's house. "I love that the
casement windows. They allow the sunlight to brighten the room." She added and the bride's
mother-in-law nodded.

"I agree. I had suggested that they go with a more traditional styled interior but you know
youngsters; they insist on everything be modern," she said with a tender tone as if Wook and
Myung Hee were teenagers. "But at least it's made tastefully."

Madame Yoo had another opinion. "It's decent but not as good as Yeona's and Yo's," she said
making the other two women chuckle. They knew her character and it had stopped annoying them
a long time ago. Instead, they had started finding it amusing.

"Speaking of your sons Shin Myung," Bae Aerum started saying, "how are So and Nam Ji Hyun?
Don't they plan on getting married already? They have been dating for over a year," she asked and
Madame Yoo traced her finger on the Ming vase that decorated the corner of the living room.

"I don't know, when does anyone know what is going on inside that boy's head?" she asked a little
frustrated, omitting the fact that she was to blame for that. The other women were too polite to
point that out. "But I suppose they should. Perhaps dating her is one of the best decisions he has
made," she said pretending to like her son's girlfriend. She had always thought that Nam Ji Hyun
was trying too hard to impress her, just like her son. Maybe that's why they fit.

"Really? I hadn't realized you liked that girl." Madame Hwang Bo teased her, earning an annoyed
look from the other woman.

"Not every girl can be as good as your daughter-in-law Ji Yun-ah," Bae Aerum told her.

"Hopefully she won't turn just like her mother; pretentious and hardly likable," Madame Yoo said
with a sly smile and Ji Yun sighed.

"You are right about that Shin Myung but I know my daughter-in-law; she is a very well mannered
girl."

But Madame Yoo wasn't done talking about Myung Hee's family. "Yo told me that her cousin Hae
Soo showed up at the wedding. Such a shame I couldn't come and see her myself," she said.

Bae Aerum raised her eyebrow. "That's the only reason you would have come?"

She shook her head impatiently and looked at Madame Hwang Bo. "Such a smart and
accomplished girl she is. It's a pity Wook couldn't keep dating her, isn't it?"

Ji Yun sat on the velvet couch. "I am happy that my son married the woman he loves Shin Myung.
But I sense you want to say something else so stop beating around the bush," she said, for the first
time a trace of annoyance in her tone.

"It's that a friend told me that Myung Hee's father stole the company from Hae Soo after her
parents passed away. She is the legitimate heiress," Shin Myung whispered in a conspiratorial tone.
Bae Aerum mouthed "really?" and Ji Yun took a few minutes to process the information.

"I- I wasn't aware of that," she replied at last in a quiet tone. " Geon didn't say anything. But it
doesn't matter. Children shouldn't be shamed for their parent's mistakes,"

"I didn't say they should," Madame Yoo said innocently, "I just thought you should know what
your in-laws are capable of. Nothing more nothing less," she said with a smile.

"Mother, Madame Yoo, Madame Bae," Myung Hee walked into the living room at that moment
and greeted the three women. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long, the cook made a mistake,"
she said and the women (including Shin Myung) smiled.

"Not at all, we were admiring your decor," Madame Yoo replied, surprising everyone.

"Shin Myung is right, wonderful house Myung Hee-yah," Bae Aerum said, making the bride blush.

"Thank you. Mother what about you?" she asked Ji Yun, who seemed lost in her thoughts. She
looked up confused.

"I am sorry, I was thinking about something," she told her that she liked the house too and offered
her a quick smile. Bae Aerum narrowed her eyes at Shin Myung, knowing she was the reason why
Ji Yun was so deeply in her thoughts and the other woman smiled subtly. Myung Hee had no idea
what was going on, but she knew from both Wook and experience that Madame Yoo was quite a
special case. Right then the doorbell rang and excused herself to open it. She had enough domestic
help in the house to do it for her, but she just wanted to leave the three women alone.

Eun and Baek Ah along with Wook -who had gone out to pick up his brothers since he didn't trust
them with a car- walked in.

"Merry Christmas sister!" Eun said excitedly, hugging her. She laughed and hugged him back.

"Merry Christmas Eun. I love your scarf," she said looking at the peculiar combination of yellow,
green, and red.

"You don't have to lie, darling, we all know it's hideous," Wook said kissing her on the cheek.
Myung Hee slapped his arm as Eun started complaining.

"Don't be rude Wang Wook," she told him sternly but in a playful way. Baek Ah was behind
carrying a basket of fruit and champagne. He gave them to a maid and then turned to her.

"May my brother be kinder this year," he said as he hugged her making her and Eun laugh. Wook
threw him a frustrated look and walked away.

In half an hour, almost everyone from the Wang family had gathered in the living room, chatting
and laughing loudly. But Myung Hee's mind was to her cousin. What if she didn't come? She had
discreetly managed to send her parents away, suggesting a week in the Alps, so that there wouldn't
be any confrontation at the dinner table. When the bell rang, she almost jumped off the couch and
quickly beat a servant to open the door. A smile appeared on her lips as she pulled Hae Soo into a
hug.
"You came! Merry Christmas Soo-ya," she said and the young woman laughed.

"Forever not having faith in me Myung Hee. Merry Christmas to you too cousin," she said and
offered her a gift. She took it and thanked her.

"Come on, everyone is in the living room," she said and took her hand.

Hae Soo froze. "Everyone?" Of course, he would be invited, she thought, he is a Wang. She felt
stupid but Myung Hee interpreted her hesitation into nervousness.

She looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to your braveness? You have met most
of the family at the wedding," she reassured her and Hae Soo smiled at her. She wasn't prepared to
dine in a foul mood but she wasn't going to ruin the general atmosphere, regardless of who was
present. Between her cousin's parents and that idiot, she preferred him.

They walked into the living room and everyone's eyes focused on them. With relief, she noticed
that Wang So wasn't there. "Merry Christmas," Hae Soo said and bowed her head.

"Hae Soo," Baek Ah and Eun said at the same time. She greeted them, along with the rest of the
siblings, and then Myung Hee introduced her to Wang Geon and his wives.

"So you are the famous Hae Soo," the patriarch said looking at her curiously.

She nodded and opened her mouth to reply but Madame Yoo beat her to it. "So pretty," she said
and Hae Soo chuckled. The rest of the family watched the exchange interested.

"Why thank you, Madame Yoo," she said, and Myung Hee cut in.

"The dinner's ready. Shall we?" she said, not feeling sure about what were that woman's intentions.
Everyone nodded and walked towards the dining room. A large table was set, with festive napkins
and dozens of dishes filled with food. They sat on the chairs and started eating. Myung Hee passed
her the japchae plate with a smile. Hae Soo cleared her suddenly hoarse throat and took it. She still
remembered her favorite dish.

"Where is So?" Wang Geon asked the twins. "Wasn't he supposed to come with you?"

Baek Ah quickly chewed and gulped his food before replying. "He said he would come later-" The
bell ringing again cut him off. "That must be him," he said and they heard footsteps approaching.
Hae Soo looked up to see where the rice was when unwittingly she saw Wang So emerge from the
entrance.

"I am sorry that I'm late, but the traffic was terrible from the airport," he said and a young woman
appeared right next to him. She smiled at everyone and bowed.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Ah, Nam Ji Hyun! Welcome both of you," Wang Geon said kindly, and Myung Hee stood up to
greet them as the mistress of the house. They sat right in front of Hae Soo, who had lost interest in
finding the rice pot. She took a few seconds to observe her and she decided that she would never
like her. She recognized the skirt she was wearing, as it was designed by her company and the
dislike for Nam Ji Hyun took over her instantly. How could she wear such a delicate and expensive
item so tastelessly? It made it look as if it was bought in an anonymous department store. Only
someone like her would look so fit with Wang So.

They locked eyes and the other girl's smile faltered a little. It was Madame Yoo who decided to
 make the introductions. Hae Soo noticed the annoyance in the eyes of So's mother when she
addressed her son's girlfriend, which made Hae Soo like her. "Ji Hyun-ah, you probably don't know
Hae Soo- she is Myung Hee's cousin. Hae Soo, this is Nam Ji Hyun, my son's..."

"Girlfriend," So finished the sentence for her, and his mother almost glared at him. A bizarre
tension, filled in the room, with no one knowing how to dissolve it. The two women smiled at each
other tightly.

"Nice to meet you," Ji Hyun said and stretched out her hand.

Hae Soo looked at the hand. "It is rude to shake hands when already seated," she said calmly and Ji
Hyun took her hand back abruptly as if she were struck with light. Her cheeks flushed in
embarrassment and Yeonhwa laughed out loud. Myung Hee felt like the situation was going out of
control and almost audibly thanked Mu's youngest daughter when she tipped over her plate. Mu
and Bong Cha instantly apologized to her and the attention turned to the child.

Ji Hyun looked away as well, busying herself with food. However, when So and Hae Soo made
eye contact none of them broke off. So's eyes were filled with amusement while Hae Soo's with
disdain.

And that didn't slip from Madame Yoo's attention.

Chapter End Notes

I just realized Taejo isn't a real name- the king's name was Geon I will be going
back and changing it so don't be confused. Also, I am not exactly familiar with Korean
traditions regarding Christmas, I did some research but If i got anything wrong don't
hang me pls.
 spilled tea on flowers
Chapter Notes

I keep in mind Yoon Se-Ri (from Crash Landing on You, for those who don't know),
as I write Hae Soo's character in this story. I just love when female characters are
strong and independent in kdramas, don't you all? Also, I have no idea how company
stocks work, so I may have said sth unrealistic (for anyone with an
economics/business degree out there reading this, I am genuinely sorry )

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Hae Soo had received dozens of ridiculous proposals throughout her life whether it concerned her
work or even herself. She found it both amusing and annoying what people were willing to do to
achieve their laughable schemes. She usually put Chae Ryung in charge of making sure no one
would bother her with such nonsense. However, as she sat inside Wook's study, surrounded by
Wang Yo and his mother Madame Yoo, she knew for sure that her secretary could do nothing to
help her out. She placed the papers on the glass table, still too astonished to speak, and forced a
chuckle.

"I believe you are joking, right?" she said finally, her professionalism taking over her and not
rolling her eyes like she would have wanted to.

"Why do you think that way? It is merely a business proposition," Madame Yoo said with an
innocent voice, raising an eyebrow but the young woman knew better than to be fooled by that. A
woman like her wouldn't propose something merely; she must have thought of it far more in-depth
than she was letting on. Hae Soo respected smart and calculating women- she was one after all. But
this simply made no sense and she couldn't see what Shin Myung had to gain from this.

"I am afraid I can't see through your plan, Madame," she replied with a calm smile. "What do you
have to gain from this? And you, Mr. Wang, if you can't keep the shares to yourself why not just
sell them to that girl, Nam Jin Hyun?"

"Nam Ji Hyun," Yo corrected quietly, his lips curving into a smile, "and the thing is... her family
isn't trustworthy. My brother may be foolish enough to date her, but -"

"But, Hae Soo, you know how these things work. She is a very good girl of course," Madame
Yoo's tone was mockingly sweet as she characterized Ji Hyun, "but her mind isn't as sharp as
yours. And trust me I have done my research about you." Hae Soo nodded accepting the
compliment, hesitant to speak as she hadn't drawn her conclusions.

"And if you do ask what my personal gain will be," she continued, " it is the knowledge that JGB
Group will go into the hands of my son and not some drunkard, good-for-nothing man." Her tone
grew curter at each word and Hae Soo blinked a few times speechless. Wang Mu -the few times
she had met him- hadn't given her the impression of the aforementioned but then again one could
never know the full extent of a family's secrets.

Their plan was pretty simple (to them at least); Yo would sell her his shares, giving her the 11,1%
of the company - the same amount the rest of his siblings had. After they would be put under her
name, she and So would get married and she would transfer most of them to his name as his wife,
giving him a total of 18 % thus making him the biggest shareholder among the siblings. With that
power, he could "dethrone" Mu and become the chairman, a title Madam Yoo thought rightfully
belonged to one of her sons. And since So was the only one interested in his father's company, he
would be the one to claim it. After a couple of months, they could divorce if they wanted to (Hae
Soo rolled her eyes upon reading that section- how could she NOT want to?) and part their ways
peacefully.

A long list of terms and conditions were listed that made her head buzz. A marriage proposal was
the last thing she had expected and she needed some time alone. If at least it had been a brother that
she found likable-

"What does your son have to say about this?" she asked suddenly, crossing her legs and looking
intensely at the papers. She couldn't imagine Wang So agreeing or even being willing to listen to
this absurdness. She was the only one insane enough to do so.

"We discussed it last night," Yo said and leaned against the built-in library. "It took hours but we
managed to convince him. After all, who doesn't want to raise higher than where they are at the
moment, right?"

Hae Soo sighed. 8% from Zak Industries, 9,5% from An&Co, a staggering 3% from Wu
Enterprises, and the fact that she could keep 4,1% from JBG Group (when she didn't even know
that all these companies had their shares available) were way too tempting. It was also mentioned
that the minister would allow the building of a new factory in Daegu, saving her from a lot of time
lost in negotiations. A lot more things were written but these two had caught her attention.

"I want time to think this over. Who is your lawyer?" she asked him, making Madame Yoo break
into a satisfied smile.

"I have told Won to take care of this matter- you can drop by his office whenever you want to sign
them or you can call him to yours," he said and she stood up.

She knew she couldn't resist such tempting an offer but Hae Soo didn't want to appear weak and
moldable. "I don't want to cause the wrath of Mr. Wang Geon by agreeing to this. Don't forget that
Myung Hee is my cousin and this," she pointed at the papers, "is basically crossing with a red mark
his decision made as the former chairman of the company."

"Don't stress about that. He is very well aware of Mu's uselessness; in fact, he may even thank
you." Yo told her and Hae Soo laughed curtly.

"I will be informing you soon about my decision, but out of curiosity; what will you do if I say
no?" she asked them.

Madame Yoo leaned forward, resting on her elbows. "Had I known that you were a fool, I wouldn't
have even considered talking about this Miss Hae Soo. I am confident that you won't belie my
perception of you," she said softly.

Hae Soo nodded and after making eye contact with both, she left the study wanting to go out in the
fresh air.

xxx

"Where were you? I thought you had left but I saw your coat hanging," Myung Hee said and
handed her a bowl of steamed pears with honey. She felt it burn the tips of the finger but she didn't
care. Looking at her cousin, she knew she couldn't share anything about what had been said
between Wang Yo, Madame Yoo, and her -not until she and Wang So would divorce and it would
become quite obvious on its own.

"I was searching for the bathroom but ended up in your husband's study. His collection of books is
quite impressive," she said partly saying the truth. Myung Hee's eyes fell on the papers she was
holding and Hae Soo cursed herself internally for the slippery. "I had the time to review some
financial statements as well, to be honest," she lied smoothly and her cousin sighed. She opened her
mouth to say something but Hae Soo beat her to it.

"Where is everyone?" she asked Myung Hee seeing that they were the only ones in the dining
room.

"The children are upstairs playing with the new console Wook insisted on buying," she said and
rolled her eyes. " Baek Ah said that he got a sudden inspiration and locked himself away in a room
... somewhere," her voice was hesitant, " and the rest are outside in the greenhouse garden
admiring the orchids. But I haven't seen Madame Yoo or Yo, have you perhaps-"

"No, but I am sure they are just lost trying to find the bathroom," she joked making Myung Hee
laugh. Hae Soo took a few bites from her dessert and put the bowl down.

"You don't eat much," her cousin said furrowing her eyebrows concerned.

"I don't need to eat that much and please don't start-"

"I think everyone needs to eat sufficiently. Otherwise, you'll get sick." A notoriously familiar voice
cut Hae Soo off as So walked into the dining room. "I dropped my lighter," he said picking up a
black, shiny object from the floor. Hae Soo looked away trying to avoid bickering with him in
front of her cousin.

"You can't go around advising people on health when you insist on smoking," Myung Hee told him
with a sigh.

"I don't want to alarm you but Eun accidentally spilled tea on your flowers," he said, changing the
subject and successfully distracting his sister-in-law from giving him a lecture. Even though she
was younger by a few years, she didn't hesitate to lecture him about smoking whenever she had the
chance. Myung Hee excused herself and frantically called a servant. Hae Soo rarely had seen her
lose her composure like that; unless it had to do with plants.

They stood quietly, none of them saying anything. Eventually, she decided to get out and walked
into the kitchen. A few servants looked at her curiously and she asked if there was a backdoor.
They pointed to the closed door that led into the back garden and without even thinking of taking
her coat with her she got out into the freezing air. She saw a wooden bench next to a tree and sat
there closing her eyes and enjoying the coldness that hit her face and neck. But of course, just like
most good things, her peace didn't last long.

"Go away," she said without opening her eyes.

"I think you and me have something to discuss," he said and sat next to her uninvited making Hae
Soo open her eyes. He pointed at the documents she was holding and Hae Soo noticed that he
looked serious.

"You are right about that one," she said, her mouth feeling bitter as she agreed with him. "But I
must say I never thought you were also a backstabber along with being a sexist idiot," she said and
gave him a sinister smirk.
He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. She was way harder to withstand than his mother,
sister and girlfriend put together. What had even attracted him to her? But on the other hand, he
had brought that upon him and so he would gently ignore her remarks. "That is not the proper way
to talk to someone who is older than you," he snapped and grabbed the papers from her hand.

She scoffed. "And saying degrading things about women is neither acceptable, Mr. Wang," she
told him curtly.

"So," he said suddenly making her blink.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop calling me Mr. Wang. My name is So," he said, making her roll her eyes.

"Don't expect me to tell you to call me Soo," she said glaring at him.

He sighed tiredly. "I had no such expectation," his tone was mocking, and wondered if she was fast
enough to throw the shovel at him before he could stand up. "but before you call me all those
things, I am sure mother and Yo told you our reasons why I am doing this. I want the best for the
company my father built on his own. Nothing more, nothing less," his tone became gentler and Hae
Soo nodded.

"I wonder what your girlfriend has to say about this," she suddenly said smirking, making him ran
his hand through his hair.

"I haven't talked to her yet but don't worry. Ji Hyun is a very logical girl," he said and he knew he
was lying. But Hae Soo didn't know that. Instead, she wondered how would he tell her that his
mother and brother didn't find her family trustworthy and it brought a smile to her lips; perhaps she
would kill him before they would have to go through this.

"But before we, ahem, get married," he cleared his throat, "even if it's just on the papers, we
shouldn't raise suspicions. Therefore, I suggest a short period of dating," he successfully concealed
a smirk that was trying to curl on his lips. Now that he was thinking about it, maybe he would
manage to sleep with her. No woman he had ever pursued had been able to resist him for too long.
But the thing with Hae Soo was that he wanted to pick on her just a little more. It was very much
entertaining watching her get angry.

Hae Soo let out a disgusted groan. "A few lunches in public are enough. And perhaps I will tag
along at your family dinners,"

We will discuss that later, he thought. "But just so you know, I haven't signed the agreement. So,
unless you want me to tear them up, stop bothering me and go now," she said and stretched out her
hand to take back what he had abruptly grabbed from her.

"Fair enough, Hae Soo," he said emphasizing her name and as he was handing her the papers, he
looked up in the sky surprised. The tiny snowflakes melted as they came into touch with his face.
He looked at Hae Soo and saw her looking up as well.

"It's snowing," she said, her voice quiet and with a trace of melancholy. He raised an eyebrow
perplexed. He had never heard her use that tone before - at least all the times they happened to be
together.

"Indeed it is," he said and cleared his throat. "I will go inside." Hae Soo nodded absentmindedly
and then it dawned on her.
 She was out here alone with him on the first snowfall.

Shaking her head at her stupidity and of the saying's, she walked quickly inside too.

Chapter End Notes

I feel like this is a little cliche but I find amusing the prospects of the future. Tbh, I
don't know If i am happy with how the chapter turned out and feel like my writing is
getting more boring at each chapter.✌
 peculiar dreams and dinner invitations
Chapter Notes

I just rewatched episodes 19 and 20, and I am bawling my eyes as I write this chapter.
#wedeservesecondseason

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Hae Soo's dreams were very peculiar that night.

She had long and darker hair that was messily falling down her waist and her hands were full of
scratches and bruises. She was wearing a white hanbok -it looked like the one Woo Hee had worn
in her historical drama- and she was kneeling in front of an imperial palace. She didn't know why
but her heart ached- she was grieving about someone but refused to shed tears. In her dream, the
rain was pouring down intensely, wetting her hair and clothes but she didn't care. She was there
for a higher purpose. But the pain in her heart wasn't the only thing that she felt; her knees were
on fire. But nonetheless, she kept looking down, slightly swaying back and forth.

She heard footsteps at some point and looked up, a sense of eagerness taking over her, briefly
happy that he had come to help her out. He was indeed there, under the palace's cover, dry and
safe. Hae Soo couldn't make out the face but in her dream, he seemed very important to her. She
was expecting him to walk forward and support her but he remained in his place, still, avoiding her
eyes. Her lips opened as the realization hit her. As if confirming her thoughts, he walked away,
leaving her alone.

Alone... how she hated that word.

She looked down again, the taste of betrayal setting a bitter taste in her mouth but nevertheless, she
would go on.

Suddenly, the rain seemed to stop. At least above her head. Confused, she slightly raised her face
and her heart started beating fast. He, the person she had always doubted, was there shielding her
from the rain while the man she had put her faith in had betrayed her. Life could be funny like that
sometimes. She looked straight and deep in her heart knew that he would be a person she would
never, ever forget in her life.

Hae Soo woke up around dawn, a loud gasp escaping her lips. She looked around and with surprise
realized that her cheeks and eyes were moist. It had been a long time since she had last cried and
shedding tears over a dream she barely could recall was unusual. A hanbok, the feeling of betrayal
and... raining. Intense raining. That was all she remembered.

She shook her head and stood up, going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. For the first time in
over ten years, she wondered if she had strained herself with work. Maybe that was why she had
this weird dream. She had felt betrayed because she considered someone to be her last resort in
whatever had happened. Her friend had seen the same dream when she was filming her first series.
Woo Hee had consulted an oneirologist -whatever that meant- and she had told her that the dream
was caused by her physical and mental exhaustion due to work.

Maybe this was her mind's orders to take a break. A real one. Because even when she traveled
around the world to meet friends and go shopping, she was also doing work.

She placed the glass on the kitchen counter and looked at the wall clock. It was just an hour before
she would normally wake up. Hae Soo didn't mind that; it just meant she would finish her morning
schedule an hour earlier.

xxx

In another part of Seoul, Wang So was smoking the second pack of cigarettes since he and Nam Ji
Hyun returned to his apartment. He was usually thankful that Eun and Baek Ah were not home
whenever his girlfriend decided to follow him for the night but today wasn't the case. She had left
an hour ago furious, refusing to speak to him. He tried explaining the best he could that his 'dating'
and 'marriage' to Hae Soo was nothing more than a business deal, they would have to go through
for him to become the chairman. The usually sweet and understanding Ji Hyun turned into a
hysterical and screaming woman he had never seen this side of.

"And why can't I buy the shares from Yo, huh?" she had yelled, throwing a paperweight into the
wall. "Maybe because your mother cannot stand my parents ?" her eyes were flaming with rage. "It
has been 25 years goddammit! If she got over it," her eyes rolled at the word 'she', "maybe Madame
Yoo can get over that as well." So had no idea what she meant, but he was concerned that her vocal
cords would snap. And he didn't even want to think about the neighbors that were listening. He
was surprised no one had called the police yet.

"Darling," he tried to reassure her, using endearments which he hated, "try looking at the bigger
picture. It will catch everyone by surprise-"

"There's not a bigger picture. We are breaking up, and with that being said, congratulations on
your wedding," she spat out before slamming the door behind her. So didn't try running behind her.
He would let her calm down for a few days and then approach her. He sighed tiredly and poured
whisky into a glass. He was sick and tired of women influencing his life. His mother with her
sudden interest in him that had selfish reasons as expected, his girlfriend going wild and being
unreasonable, and of course Hae Soo. The last one probably irritated him the most out of the three,
but the bad thing was that she irritated him as much as he lusted after her.

"Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath, not quite believing his situation. Everything had been
simpler before she had come into the picture.

His mother wasn't a fan of Ji Hyung and he knew it; however, she had been distant and polite
whenever their paths inevitably crossed. But now that he was thinking about it, the agreement was
offensive towards Ji Hyun and it seemed like Madame Yoo was directly insulting her son's
girlfriend. Yo's nonstop talking and his mother's smile had blocked his common sense and only
now did he made the realization. But, on the other hand, it was not like she would lose him forever.
They would just have to meet in secret for a few months before it would be all over.

He remembered Ji Hyun saying that his mother should get over it. But what was it?

He huffed, frustrated, and unable to give an answer. Instead, he lit up another cigarette and felt
calm as the nicotine filled his system.

What he needed, was a break from everyone and especially them three. And he knew the perfect
place to isolate himself. With a satisfied smile, he put it out and got out of his study, running up in
his bedroom.

xxx
"Chae Ryung," Hae Soo closed her computer and picked up her phone and handbag.

"Yes, miss?"

"I will be gone for a few days. Don't tell anyone my phone number even if my house will be set on
fire." She said and her secretary blinked a few times surprised. That's a first, she thought and then
gasped.

"Are you alright? Your heart-" she said panicking but Hae Soo cut her off.

"I am fine, you silly girl." she resisted the urge to smile. "I just want to take a few days off." The
younger girl nodded, feeling relieved. She may have been a tough boss to get around with but after
all these years she couldn't imagine her life without her. "But I still need you to take care of a
matter and report to me when I will be back," she said, suddenly serious.

Chae Ryung watched her boss with curious eyes. "You have been working for me... how many
years?"

"Seven miss," she said, still having no idea where the conversation was going.

"That's right. And throughout these years you have proved your loyalty to me. You turned a blind
eye to things you shouldn't have seen, shut your ears to things you shouldn't have heard." she
offered her a small smile. Chae Ryung was speechless.

"Miss-"

"All I am asking you is to show me the same behavior as before to what I am about to tell you.
Well, I won't actually," she said looking at her phone, " but I want you to put your knowledge of
law into use and check for me all the terms and conditions the lawyer has written. Alright? And if
you think that they are acceptable just take the file to my house and carefully place it in the drawer
so that no one can see. " she told her.

"Of course, miss but I don't understand why not just send your lawyer," Chae Ryung asked.

Hae Soo looked at her impatiently. "Because I don't trust that he will keep his mouth shut. My
lawyer may be one of the best in Korea but Mr. Lee from the design department said that he was a
lightweight drinker- which means he could blurt it out to someone. And I don't care him talking
about anything else but this one must be kept a secret," she said and her secretary nodded
understandingly not believing that Hae Soo was complimenting her in an indirect way.

"Tell the driver to take you to this address." she handed her a business card. "Ask for lawyer Wang
Won and tell him that you are there on behalf of Hae Soo. He will tell you the rest," she said and
put on her coat. Chae Ryung stood up, feeling bewildered.

"Thank you for your trust miss," she said quietly and bowed. "I won't disappoint you," she looked
up and saw Hae Soo nodding.

"I know. You can go now," she dismissed her.

She bowed once again and wished her to have a good time. When she closed the door behind her,
she looked at the card. Wang Consultancy, it said, and her mind traveled to when her boss received
an invitation from Wang Wook and his fiance and she stopped walking surprised. Was she about to
meet Wang Geon's son? She thanked herself mentally for wearing her new clothes and shoes and as
the driver took her to the law firm, she applied a bright pink lipstick.
The car stopped in front of a large building where people were going in and out. She passed the
entrance doors and called the elevator. The law firm was on the tenth floor, as it said on the card.
She stepped out, once the elevator stopped, and she saw a large, modern reception where a
beautiful girl was busily talking on the phone. She stood up upon seeing her and greeted her.

"How can I help you miss?" she asked her politely. Chae Ryung cleared her throat. I wish I knew,
she thought to herself.

"I want to see lawyer Wang Won," she told her persuasively and the secretary took a notebook in
her hands.

"Your name please? So that I can see your appointment," she said, her eyes scanning the paper.

"Oh, I don't but I am here on behalf of miss Hae Soo and if you could tell him-"

"It's fine, secretary Kim. I have been expecting her." A masculine voice said from behind them.
The girl bowed and greeted him and Chae Ryung turned around to see him.

"Wu Won?" the name left her lips instantly and Won, opened his mouth shocked.

"Chae Ryung!" he said at the same time and approached her. "Secretary Kim, bring coffee to my
office and don't let anyone disturb us." he quickly told her and showed Chae Ryung the way to his
office. She was too stunned to speak. But how-

"I thought your last name was Wu," she told him and sat on the couch in his office. He smiled at
her and sat opposite to her.

"I was going by my mother's last name in college. Oh in Chinese is translated as Wu and I thought
it would help me keep a more lowkey profile," he explained to her and she nodded.

"I see," she said and awkwardly smiled. She hadn't seen him ever since he graduated from
university, a year before her. "Nice office," she said, not knowing what else to say.

He chuckled. "Thank you. I never expected you to be Hae Soo's lawyer," he said, and the door
opened with the secretary bringing coffee. "The world is small, isn't it?'

"Oh, you have misunderstood. I am not her lawyer- I am her secretary," she said and he widened
his eyes.

"Really? You were always saying how you couldn't wait until you worked in a law firm, back in
the days," he said surprised and she looked away.

"That's true but some things change," she told him, and he didn't pressure her further. "But miss
Hae Soo told me there was something of confidential nature that you would tell me about," she
changed the subject and he nodded.

"Yes, there is. Here," he stood up and gave her a file. "Take your time reading it. It's nice to see that
your knowledge isn't just being wasted," She smiled absentmindedly and skimmed the papers.
When she was done reading she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I never thought that miss would agree to something like this," she said and put them on the
glass table in front of her. "I see no points for further negotiation and since my boss has expressed
interest, I will hand them to her."

Won nodded. "Alright. I will make a copy of this. Meanwhile, you can think of an answer," he said
 standing, and Chae Ryung furrowed her eyebrows.

"An answer to what?" she asked confused.

"To whether or not you will go out with me for dinner. I think we have a lot of catching up to do,"
he said, smiling at her and she felt her heartbeat increase just like it did years ago.

Chapter End Notes

it's high time I put Won and Chae Ryung together, hehe
 clouds rise up and appear
Chapter Notes

Next update on Monday!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The last time Hae Soo had flown commercial, was many years ago when she still was unsure of
what to do with her life.

She had left her uncle's and aunt's house a while earlier and she was struggling to keep her make-up
shop open. Then she realized that without proper education and funds she would not go far in life.
So, she applied to an insignificant university in London, and her newfound friend, Woo Hee,
chipped in for the airplane ticket and additional money for rent. She had just filmed her first series
and she wasn't exactly swimming in money and knowing that Hae Soo refused but to no avail. In
the end, Woo Hee saw her off at the airport and she promised she would return the money she
owed her.

She smiled briefly at the memory as she boarded the small plane that would take her to Jeju island.
She gave the flight attendant her ticket and saw her eyes widening upon reading the name. Hae
Soo pressed her index finger on her lips sighing her not to say anything. The girl nodded and she
led her to her seat, next to a tiny window that didn't show much. She had dressed as simply as she
could, taking with her minimum luggage, confident that Jeju was the last place she would ever run
into someone familiar. If it had been Bangkok or Saint Moritz it would be out of the discussion
that she would be wearing a plain warm coat with flat-heeled boots and even more as to fly
commercial.

And that's precisely why she had chosen that destination; to have some time for herself and relax as
if she had no worries. In fact, she planned on spending the entire flight only reading the book she
had brought with her - a collection of poems written by Wang Wei, a gift from Baek Ah on
Christmas- and sink into the holiday mentality already.

The flight attendant told them to fasten their seatbelts as the plane would soon take off and she did
as instructed. In a few minutes, she felt a slight vibration, and then they were in the air. She took
out the book from her handbag and her fingers traced the leather cover. Baek Ah had told her it was
a rare edition and she thanked him, not mentioning out of politeness that she wasn't into poetry-
even less classical. But she was determined to read this and give her friend an honest review.

"Walking until the water's edge, I sit and watch as clouds rise up and appear,"

That phrase had caught her attention in particular, and her mind replayed it a few times. She liked
how it sounded and made a mental note to thank again Baek Ah. Perhaps it poetry wasn't that bad
once you started reading it.

"Nice choice," she heard the old man sitting next to her say. She looked beside her and saw him
smiling kindly at her. She found it rude that she had her big sunglasses and mask on as he talked to
her, but she couldn't take off both. So, she just settled for the sunglasses but secured her scarf
around her.
"Thank you, sir. It was a gift from a friend," she started saying not knowing why she was so
friendly with a stranger. Probably because he is older and I can't just snap at him as I would with
anyone else, she thought.

"That friend of yours must have good taste," he told her and she chuckled. "Did you know that this
poem," he pointed to the one she had just read, "used to be the favorite of a king's in ancient
Korea?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"No, but how do you know?" she asked him smiling. He adjusted in his seat and sighed.

"It's an old love story between the king and a court lady. Her name is not known and I don't
remember his at the moment," he told her apologetically. She shrugged her shoulders. For some
reason, she felt eager to know about it. Maybe it could give her some food for thought for the next
days and distract her from her work.

"It doesn't matter, sir. Just tell me without the names," she said and he shook his head.

"No, it wouldn't feel right. What is your name?" he asked her suddenly and she raised her
eyebrows.

"Hae Soo," she said quietly not wanting to be heard by anyone else.

"Hae Soo, can you tell me a man's name that you can think of right now?" he asked her again and
the answer slipped from her tongue without thinking.

"So," she said and closed her eyes in annoyance. He was the last person she should have
mentioned, dammit.

The old man nodded. "Alright. Before he became a king, So, was a prince of course, and in love
with a noble lady named, Hae Soo," he said. "But situations change from one moment to another
and the noble lady became a court lady. Years and years passed and the kings changed as one
brother killed another, greedy for the throne." She tried imagining getting rid of a family member
just to rise higher and it seemed absurd to her. Until she remembered that her uncle and aunt had
gotten rid of her to take over her father's company and she was now helping So to get rid of Mu, to
take over his position as the chairman. Maybe they hadn't killed her and neither would Mu die -
obviously- but still, it was a sly and backstabbing move that had little difference from what those
brothers did to each other.

"Out of all the brother's three were in love with that lady, including Prince So. When it was his
time to ascend to the throne, however, he couldn't marry her. She was just a mere court lady," he
said, the sadness in his voice contagious as Hae Soo imagined the situation. She was glad that she
was living in the 21st century.

"And? What happened next?" she asked him curiously.

He sighed. "There are no records of what exactly happened, but it was said that Hae Soo married
the king's brother and soon after she passed away," The real Hae Soo blinked a few times
surprised.

"Why? Didn't she love the king?" she asked, getting frustrated at the woman's actions.

He chuckled slightly at her reaction. "You are still very young to understand but sometimes it's
better to let go of the person you cherish the most before nothing but hatred and disgust take the
place of love," he told her, looking straight, thinking about something.
Hae Soo smiled bitterly. She wasn't that young -in her early thirties, one isn't a child anymore.
However, she had never experienced falling in love to a point you are willing to give up on that
person. All of her relationships were brief, lacking sentimental attachment. In that aspect, yes, she
was a child.

"And what about the poem?" she asked him, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

It worked as he smiled. "There is a paper kept in the national history museum, written by that king
that contains a phrase from that poem but with a slight change. The name of the recipient is not
written but people had always assumed it was that court lady I told you about." He sighed and
looked at her saddened face. "I am sorry, I didn't intend on making you sad. It's just a mere story
that could well not be true. He most probably sent it to one of his wives and that girl didn't even
exist," he suggested and she shook her head.

"But still, it was very interesting. Thank you," she told him with a soft smile and he nodded. They
didn't speak for the rest of the flight and Hae Soo was glad they didn't. She had no desire to read
the book for now, and all she could think about was that girl. She wondered if she did exist and if
so, what had driven her into marrying her love's brother. Did she do it to spite him? Or had she just
lost her feelings for him? She made a mental notice to visit the museum when she would be back in
Seoul but instantly furrowed her eyebrows. Why was she so interested in a love story that may or
may not have occurred centuries ago? It was probably a side effect of relaxation, thinking about
useless things.

Annoyed, she put back on her sunglasses and looked out of the window. In less than fifteen
minutes the plane would land.

xxx

The last time Wang So had visited Jeju island, was the summer before he left for university.

He had returned from Switzerland, in hopes of his mother telling him to study in Seoul. But as time
passed and she hadn't even made the slightest hint, he asked her directly. Madame Yoo blinked a
few times surprised and told him it would be a shame to study there when he could attend the top
universities in America and Europe where he had been accepted. He nodded, feeling hurt but at the
same time thinking that maybe a degree from Harvard or Cambridge would make her happier and
more proud of him. If that would be the case, he was willing to go and study even in Greenland.
But before he left his home country, he wanted to go to a place where he could take off his mind
from everything.

But he didn't know where that place could be until his eyes fell on a brochure in the street. Jeju
island, it said with big letters. He didn't think twice. His family wasn't the type to go on holidays to
such places when they could well book the best hotels in Hawai or in the Caribbean. Jeju would be
the perfect place for anonymity. He didn't inform anyone, as he picked up his travel bag and
headed to the airport. When he had returned his mother told him she had thought that he had left
for university. So had laughed dismissing what she had said and never once showed how deeply it
had hurt him. It was as if she had told him directly that his presence went unnoticed.

But after so many years, he had accepted his mother as to how she was. There was no point in
damaging himself further.

The snow had created a white carpet on the hotel's roof and on the ground. He got out of the car he
rented and took his bag with him. He wanted privacy and knew that the island at this time of the
year didn't have many visitors. Exactly what he needed. He walked inside the reception and saw a
woman arguing with one of the workers in a low voice. He wanted to roll his eyes. He never
needed to argue with anyone over trivial things; he had been raised better than that. He looked at
the other worker and approached him.

"Good evening, I will be needing a room for a few days. A suite preferably," he said, placing his
bag down.

"Good evening sir. We were actually telling the lady over here that there are no available rooms as
our hotel is going under renovation," he told him apologetically.

He huffed. "What do you mean renovation? When I checked the website it said that there are
available rooms," he said curtly, his tone rising slightly. and forgetting his manners based on which
he had judged the woman.

The worker looked at his colleague helplessly. "We know sir it's our mistake but please try to
understand that-"

"Whatever, I am leaving. I can't stand being in here any longer," the woman said loudly and So's
head snapped at her instantly. You've got to be kidding me, he thought. As if fate was pulling a
prank on him, he saw Hae Soo, the woman he wanted to escape from, standing in front of him,
glaring at the man. She turned her head and upon seeing him, her handbag fell on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I'm as happy as you are to see you," he told her and scoffed. She grabbed her handbag and luggage
and turned to the workers giving them a dirty glare. Then, she walked past him, ignoring him,
outside. He sighed. Shortly after, he was following her outside.

"Where are you going?" he yelled at her as she was many meters far.

"Why do you care?" she turned around and her lips sealed into a tight line.

"I don't but where is your car?" she didn't reply and he rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you had
planned to walk in this snow?"

"I hadn't planned on walking at all; that's why I came here with a cab," she snapped and he
shrugged his shoulders.

"Get it," he told her flatly, feeling deep down that it wasn't a good idea. He walked over to the car,
opening the passenger seat but she didn't move an inch. "Do you expect a special invitation?"

"I don't want you to take me anywhere," she insisted stubbornly and he slammed the car's door.

"I won't fucking abduct you," he finally snapped, losing his composure. "I will drop you off at a
hotel and go on my way."

She seemed to contemplate for a moment. In the end, she gave up; the snow seemed to fall more
intensely and the last thing she wanted was her body to be found dead after going through
hypothermia. She had a company to run and a cousin to catch up with after all these years. He
opened the door again and she climbed into the jeep, with an emotionless expression. He sat on the
driver's seat and started the engine.

"Do you have any clue where other hotels may be nearby?" he asked her and she bit her lower lip.

"I don't have the slightest fucking clue," she replied and uncontrollable laughter escaped from her
lips.
Chapter End Notes

the phrase in Scarlet heart ryeo says; "when the water has run dry, sit and watch for the
rising clouds," but in the original poem by Wang Wei, it's not mentioned like that so I
suppose that So made his own version based on the poem.
 an uncertain friendship
Chapter Notes

back with another chappie! happy week y'all

"So...this is your room." Wang So told her, both of them standing awkwardly in front of a door.
Hae Soo nodded and extended her hand to take her suitcase from him. "It's definitely not a suit at
Burj Khalifa but you can make do for a night," he continued and she rolled her eyes.

"Stop or otherwise I will think that I am your client whom you are trying to persuade," she told him
mockingly and he chuckled.

"Fine, suit yourself. My room is right here," he said pointing to the next door. "If you need
anything... don't knock because I won't answer." he gave her a fake smile and turned his back. Hae
Soo scoffed and cursed under her breath at his rudeness.

"This jerk..." she muttered and placed the key inside the lock. She didn't even know that there were
hotels that didn't use cards as keys. She walked inside the humble room and placed her belongings
on the floor, trying hard not to think about the bacteria. Her eyes quickly glanced at the small bed
that looked too rigid for one to have a comfortable night's sleep, the empty desk, and the two chairs
nearby along with a drawer on top of which a painting where a tiger was depicted hang on the wall.
"Just for a night, just for a night..." she repeated and tried to think positively.

Nothing could go wrong with being modest at least for a day. Many people did it and said it was
refreshing- like yoga or something. Her friend, Amelie de Wouters, a Belgian heiress of an
aristocratic family, had told her that she went to live in a nunnery for a few months to regain her
inner tranquility and get over her cheating fiance. She had described the humble everyday life and
even though Hae Soo knew this was nothing sort of a monastery- she could consider it that way.
After all, she didn't have time to meditate in a nunnery with so many things to do. Even this short
holiday would keep her back. But alas, it was too late now to return.

She took off her coat -at least the room was warm- and placed it on the chair. Her eyes fell on the
wall that separated her room from that jerk's and she looked away annoyed.

After he picked her up in his car, she decided to search on the web where the nearest hotel was. To
both of their dismay, the nearest hotel was kilometers away and the sliding roads didn't make it any
easier especially with Wang So's careless driving. She had yelled at him, he had yelled back and in
doing so he almost hit a tree. After that, both of them had shut up, only murmuring insults under
their breath until they came across a small building with the sign "Jeju Hotel/Motel". It was a
misleading sign as seeing it from the inside it was just a motel. She tried to argue but Wang So told
her that she was welcome to take the car and drive but it would be good if she left him a will so
that he would know what to tell her cousin and her employees.

She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling too exhausted to do anything else.
All this effort to go to a quiet place and relax on her own, only to bump into that nuisance excuse of
a man. Her stomach growled, signing her that too much time had passed since she last ate. She sat
on the bed and crossed her arms. What was she supposed to eat? The motel -she shivered upon
thinking that word- obviously did not have a cafeteria. And she hadn't brought anything with her
simply because she would never imagine that she wouldn't be dining in the five-star hotel that
offered a spectacular view of the island. She quickly stood up and grabbed her handbag. Surely she
would have a cereal bar or something.

She took out her vanity case, a pack of gum, a pack of wet wipes, her disinfectant, and a purse. Oh,
she had also her house keys. But all of that was useless. She put away her handbag annoyed
(making a mental notice to carry something edible from now on, just in case) and bit her lip. As
much as she resented the idea, she had no other choice but to ask for his help. She sighed defeated
and looked at herself in the mirror that was on the wall. She looked exactly as if she had walked
her way to this place. Her face was devoid of make-up and her clothes were simple. Maybe if I
dress up a little bit he will be easier to convince, she thought and laughed to herself as she made
her way towards the small bathroom.

xxx

Wang So was wondering why it was that the things and people he wanted to avoid the most
seemed to appear right in front of him as if fate was taunting him. He groaned and closed his eyes.
Unwillingly, a laugh escaped from his lips as he remembered Hae Soo's yelling. Her face had
turned red and her voice had risen in octaves but for some reason, he didn't find it annoying or
tiring as he did with Nam Ji Hyun. He wondered why.

Maybe because Hae Soo is right about what she said, a traitorous voice in his head popped up and
he shook his head as if the voice would go away. But he had to admit that speeding on a
dangerously slippery road wasn't the most mature and smart thing to do. It was a wonder they had
survived unscratched. He got up from his bed groaning, deciding that the best way to stop thinking
about that frustrating and intriguing woman was with food. So took out a package of instant
noodles in a cup and a bottle of soju. He smirked satisfied with his thinking. He had gotten this
habit of bringing food with him whenever he traveled from a friend of his and it proved to be
useful. Obviously, he didn't take noodles with him to Tokyo or Berlin, but to remote places like
this, it was a lifesaver.

He looked around and saw that there was no boiler for him to boil water and sighed. Maybe if he
asked nicely or bribed the old woman at the entrance, she would lend him hers. Just as he opened
the door to get out, Hae Soo -who was foolishly leaning on the door- lost her balance and fell right
in his arms. He instinctively caught her from her waist and she looked up, and for a second he felt
dizzy as he looked into her big, dark eyes. She instantly broke off and took a step back,
straightening her dress. He coughed awkwardly and blinked a few times, her subtle smell of vanilla
and Chanel together not leaving his nostrils.

"What do you think you are doing?' he raised an eyebrow and with delight, he noticed that Hae Soo
was for the first time flustered. "Are you... spying on me?" he laughed and her usual scowl returned
to her pretty face.

"Yah, don't cross the line," she snapped.

"Am I crossing the line? I thought it was you that was lurking outside of my door," he added
amused, knowing he was irritating her.

She rolled her eyes but decided to let go. After all, she wanted a favor from him. "Anyway, I was
here not because I was spying on you," she said putting emphasis on that word, "but umm.. I am
hungry and I don't have food. And there are no places to eat around here." she changed her tone to
soft and battled her eyelashes.

Even though he found her extremely beautiful as she did that, Wang So wasn't fazed by that. "And
do you think I am a walking convenience store? Do I have a sign that says that?" he asked
mockingly pointing to his forehead.

She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to refrain herself from doing something she would regret
later. Instead, she smiled innocently. " You are a smart guy So-yah," she said and took a step closer
to him. He blinked a few times dumbfounded at her sudden change of both speech and movements.
"I am sure you have something to eat. And don't worry I will just take a bite out of it. I don't eat
much anyway," she approached him at a breathing distance.

Wang So felt his throat dry. Fuck, he thought and looked away to concentrate. "I was going out to
buy something. I have nothing," he lied for no reason and the magic moment passed. She stepped
back and crossed her arms, furrowing her eyebrows. Even though he didn't mind the proximity, he
felt relieved that she wasn't that close to him.

"Why are you lying Wang So?' she snapped, sliding back to formal speech, disappointing him a
little. "Then what's that? If I am delusional - and do say if I am- that's a bottle of soju and a cup of-"

"Fine, fine!" he cut her off, not wanting to heat her curt tone anymore. "I was searching for a
boiler. Do you think you can go fetch me one?" he asked her with a sigh.

"Fetch one? I am not a dog. I have told you before," she added the last part in a mocking tone.

He clenched his jaw. "Then go ask the old lady downstairs if she can lend us hers, milady, or no
food for you," he smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"Alright, but you'd better open the door when I return," she told him in a warning tone before
turning around and walking away. A noise between laughter and a huff came out of his mouth, as
he watched her leave. He went back, not bothering to close the door as they were the only ones
staying on that floor, and took out the second pack of noodles, along with two pairs of chopsticks.

Hae Soo on the other hand walked down the narrow stairs and walked towards the reception.

"Good evening," she said with the most polite voice she had used in a while, " madam would you
mind lending me a boiler? I need it for my dinner," she told the old lady and she looked at her.

"I don't have a kettle child," she said and Hae Soo's heart sank. Now she would have to eat raw
noodles and sprinkle the seasoning in her mouth. "But you can use the kitchen." She pointed
towards the back of the reception, and she smiled.

"Thank you so much," she said excitedly and ran up the stairs. She found him laying down on the
bed. Upon hearing her footsteps, he opened his eyes.

"Where is the boiler?" he asked confused.

"There isn't one. We will just make them downstairs, in the kitchen," she said in the same tone as if
she had announced that her company outsold each of her rivals.

He chuckled and put his head back on the pillow. "We? You wanted to eat, so you will go milady,"
he said.

Hae Soo huffed and sealed her lips into a tight line, deciding not to say anything. This game could
be played both ways, she thought and grabbed a cup and a pair of chopsticks. She closed the door
behind her and went down. The reception lady eyed her confused.

"Where is the young man?" she asked perplexed.

Hae Soo resisted the urge to scoff, thinking it wouldn't be a polite thing to do. "He is too lazy to
make his own, but what can I do? I can't force him to eat, can I?' she shrugged her shoulders and
walked inside the kitchen. As she was about to pour the hot sauce in, the door opened and he
walked in, his hair a mess. She ignored him and continued with her cup.

"You know, you have the least sense of humor I have seen in anyone," he said as he poured water
in a small pot.

"There was nothing funny about this. I think you should just reevaluate whether or not you have a
sense of humor," she suggested and he chuckled.

"Ouch," he told her in a hurt tone. In a few minutes he was done and they both went back to his
room. He placed his food on the table and took out a plastic cup. "For the soju," he explained. "But
since there is only one cup either you or I will have to drink from the bottle."

"Pour me some in the cup, I don't drink a lot anyway," she said and resumed with the food.

Soon both went into a rather comfortable silence, with the sound of eating and drinking disrupting
it. When they were finished, they threw the noodle cups into the bin and only their drinks
remained. She took a sip from the alcoholic beverage, that burned her throat and sighed.

" Penny for your thoughts?" Wang So asked her, not actually expecting any other answer than an
insult or a glare. But she surprised him.

"I was just thinking about a story I heard earlier on the plane..." her voice was quiet and soft and he
was intrigued. "Would you ever give up the person you love the most, simply because... the love is
too much to handle and you don't want to poison it?" she asked him and turned her head to look at
him in the eyes.

He blinked a few times surprised. That was the last thing he had expected her to say. But he knew
the answer. "I don't know," he said, making her raise an eyebrow.

"You don't know?"

"Well, I don't believe in love and neither have I ever fallen for someone," he said shrugging his
shoulders and took a sip from the bottle.

She scoffed. "You don't believe in love? And what about your girlfriend?"

He rolled his eyes. "I have known here ever since I was in nursery school. We have been friends
for decades, come from respectable families and our social standing is almost the same," he
explained to her as if he had told her the most logical thing. While to some people it was, for Hae
Soo it didn't make any sense.

"You are too cynical for your own good Wang So," she said and brought her cup to her lips.

He chuckled. "Don't tell me I have offended you Hae Soo. I hadn't realized you were waiting for a
prince charming," he teased her, earning a glare from her.

"I am not expecting anyone, Wang So. But I would rather live on the streets rather than be in a
relationship with someone like you. I pity Nam Ji Hyun," she said and stood up. He, realizing that
the situation was getting out of control, grabbed her by the wrist and made her turn around.

"You don't have to be so harsh, Hae Soo," he said. "I was just playing around. Of course, I l-love
Nam Ji Hyun, don't be absurd," he lied smoothly. He loved her but just like he loved Yeonhwa or
Eun. He wasn't in love with her.

She looked at him deciding whether or not to trust him, before nodding and sitting back.

"Who would have thought that the ice queen believes in love?" he tried teasing her once again but
the look she gave him, made him cough. "I apologize, I was once again teasing you," he said
seriously. She sighed and drank from her cup again.

"It's fine. At this point, I don't think you bother me as much as you want to. It's a matter of habit,"
she said tiredly.

He ignored her comment. "You know, there are a few things we should discuss-"

"Please not now. I came here to take my mind from everything that awaits me in Seoul," she cut
him off gently and leaned back on her chair.

"Fair enough. I came here for the same reason but here you are in front of me," he joked and this
time she chuckled lightly with him. That didn't escape him and he raised his bottle. "I think we
should drink to a vaguely forming friendship," he said.

"Don't you think you are moving a little too fast? Just because I haven't cut off your head yet
doesn't mean that I am your friend Mr. So," she rolled her eyes but a playful smirk formed on her
lips.

"Alright, keep telling yourself that but I will drink to what I said," he told her and brought the bottle
to his lips. Hae Soo chuckled and for the first time, she thought that maybe Wang So wasn't that
awful company to have around.
 it's a deal
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"Woo Hee? What are you doing here?" Baek Ah raised his eyebrow surprised as he ran up the
stairs. When he woke up in the morning and drove to his brother's agency he never once thought
that he would see her. But it seemed like luck was on his side today. She frowned behind her large
glasses and scarf but she knew she couldn't be rude towards her friend's brother.

"Oh, Baek Ah, I see you are here too," she said kindly and he smiled.

"Yes, I came to visit Eun but I thought you belonged to another agency?" he asked and they walked
together upstairs.

"I decided to change agencies because my contract there ended," she explained, and he nodded.

"I see. How have you been?" He had understood that she didn't like him. But he was determined to
make her like him, even if it took a lot of time and effort. She took off her mask and glasses as they
entered the reception of the vice president's office and Baek Ah couldn't tear his gaze away from
her. Her beautiful eyes were subtly lined and her full lips had a rosy color that matched her cheeks.
He knew that even without make-up she would be equally flawless- everyone in the media had
admitted that Jae Hwa was one of those women that were naturally stunning. She cast him a side
glance and upon realizing he had been staring at her he looked away. She blushed slightly.

"I am fine," she said carefully choosing her words. "And you?" she asked him out of politeness
rather than genuine interest. They stopped walking and he looked at her, putting on his charming
smile.

"I guess I am fine too. However," Woo Hee knew what he would ask her next and tried to think of
an excuse to get out of the date, " I heard that Eun forgot to tell you something," he said with
momentary sadness taking over him. She blinked a few times, surprised, as that was the last thing
she had expected him to say.

"Really? And what's that?" she asked him, this time actually curious. She had spoken to Eun a
couple of days ago and he didn't seem to have something to tell her.

"I have an author reading next week and besides my fans, a few friends and family members will
be attending. I told Eun to invite you too because I don't have your number but you know him- he
is forever forgetful," he lied gracefully. Eun had a sharp memory and Baek Ah never told him to
invite Woo Hee. In fact, not even Eun himself knew that he had an author reading. He wondered
what he would have to bribe his twin brother with in order to silence him and make him cooperate.

But of course, Woo Hee had no idea about his schemes and it gave him an excuse to talk to her.

"Oh, I don't-" she started saying, not being in the mood for another boring author reading.

"Eun will be performing as well. And you can give my book a second chance before you slander it
so heartlessly," he told her putting his hand over his chest, with a hurt expression. It seemed
comical to Woo Hee and she unwittingly laughed. His eyes shined in hope and she knew it was too
late to refuse. After all, maybe she had judged his book too quickly.

"I won't promise anything but just in case umm... text me the address and the time," she gave in
and extended her hand. He was still a little shocked and it took him a few seconds to realize that
she was asking for his phone. He felt his heartbeat quicken and he frantically searched for his
phone until he found it in his coat's pocket. She typed her phone number and gave the phone back
to him.

"Alright, I have to go. I have already run late. Goodbye," she said with a small smile and he
nodded, with a red color forming on his cheeks. She walked past him and chuckled to herself.
When she was about to knock on the vice president's door, she turned around and saw him making
weird dance moves until he noticed that the secretary sitting nearby was looking at him confused.
Instantly, he became serious again and walked away. Woo Hee laughed again. Maybe he wasn't as
obnoxious as she had thought he would be.

xxx

"Park Soon Duk, I don't want to play this role. Please convince-"

"Wang Eun, you know I can't do that. Besides what's so bad about this series?" His manager cut
him off with a sigh, placing her hand over the phone's microphone as she was talking to his
agency's CEO.

"I am not an actor Soon Duk," he complained to his manager like a small child that was denied
dessert before dinner, " I want to perform."

"Acting is considered performing Eun," she shot him a strict glare, and he huffed. "Besides you
will be singing at your brother's author reading." she reminded him and he blinked a few times
taken aback.

"He has an author reading? He didn't tell me anything," he took out his phone to dial Baek Ah's
number and Soon Duk resumed her conversation on the telephone. At that moment, a knock on the
door was heard and his twin walked in.

Soon Duk hung up and greeted him. "Baek Ah, I just told your brother about the event. Shouldn't
you have told Eun about it first?" she asked him as her eyes scanned her memo book.

"That's what I call a perfect timing," he said, smiling widely to both.

"Stop that. You look creepy," Eun told him rolling his eyes, as he laid down on the leather couch.

"Brother, I need a small favor from you," he sat next to him and Eun opened his one eye.

"I won't give you Woo Hee's number," he said with an exasperated voice. Baek Ah chucked.

"No, it's not that. She gave it to me on her own," he said making a dismissive movement in the air
with his hand. Eun sat up and shot him a glare.

"Did you threaten her?" he snapped.

"No, she-"

"You went through my phone!" Eun yelled and slapped him on the head. Baek Ah grabbed his
hand pushed him on the floor, tying him up.

"She gave it to me on her own. Really, your faith in me is touching," he scoffed, letting him go.
Soon Duk ignored both; she was used to their bickering and as long as Eun wouldn't be left with a
visible scratch or bruise which could be noticed by his fans she didn't mind. On the other hand, he
sometimes deserved it as he acted like a child.

"Aha," he said standing up and trying to straighten his clothes. "Then what is the small favor you
want?" he asked sitting next to his brother.

"In order to start a conversation and convince Woo Hee to come to my author's reading, I told her
that it was you who forgot to tell her about it. So, all I want you to do is to repeat that if she asks
you about it. Nothing more, nothing less," he flashed a grin, and Eun shot him a disgusted look.

"You are really unbelievable. And what's for me if I do that?" he asked him. At that moment Soon
Duk turned her back to both as she was trying to get a file from the library.

"I will help you get the girl you like in return," Baek Ah said with a sly smile pointing toward
Soon Duk with his chin. Eun blinked a few times, wanting to deny it, but looking at his brother's
face he knew it would be in vain. He hadn't expected Baek Ah to be so quick-witted. He shot him a
glare and cast Soon Duk a concerned look. Luckily she still had her back turned and didn't see
Baek Ah's gesture.

"Alright, it's a deal," he said eventually with a sigh.

Park Soon Duk, who had no idea that it was her they were talking about, suddenly lost her interest
in the work she was doing. She abruptly slammed the glass door on the library and excused herself.
She wondered who was the girl that had captured his heart and was surprised when she realized
that she felt sad upon hearing that news.

xxx

"So you are leaving already?" the old lady them, seeing that they both were carrying their luggage.

"Yes, but thank you for accommodating us in this...lovely place," Hae Soo struggled to find a
decent word to describe the motel. Wang So nodded avoiding unnecessary chit-chat. But the old
lady seemed to be in the mood for a conversation.

"People usually stay on the island for a few days minimum. You must have money to spend if you
came all the way here for a day simply," she said and Hae Soo laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, no it's not like that. We hadn't planned to stay here-" she tried to explain when she realized
that she used "we" instead of "I". She hoped that So didn't catch on that or otherwise she would
never hear the end of his teasings.

"Then where are you going? All the hotels in the area are closed as they are going under
renovation," she said perplexed.

"What? All of them? What is this renovating season?" Hae Soo snapped, particularly to no one, as
she talked to herself. Then she turned to him. "Won't you say anything? Don't you have a hotel of
your own here?" she shot him a glare and he rolled his eyes.

"Do you think I have a hotel everywhere I go?" he snapped back and she was ready to retort when
the old lady's chuckle cut them off.

"Ah, at this point you will get a divorce before the snow melts," she told them and went back to
watching television "If you must leave place the keys here," she added before they had a chance to
argue that they were not married. Yet, but still, their marriage would be nothing more than a
business deal. Hae Soo contemplated whether she would leave or not and played with the key.
"I will stay. I plan on returning tomorrow morning and if you want we could go back together," he
said quietly. She bit her lip thoughtfully. "We could well appear together and set the basis for our
relationship," he rolled his eyes at the last word.

"Fine, let's do that. Lady, we will stay," she said loudly and the woman nodded. They returned to
their rooms and halfway So spoke.

"I will go and find a grocery store nearby. Do you want to come?" he asked her as he turned the
key inside the lock. She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't want my cause of death to be your reckless driving Wang So," she told him and walked
inside the room. Just as she was about to close the door, his hand stopped her.

"It has stopped snowing, first, and secondly then don't knock on my door asking for food. Tell the
lady downstairs and maybe she will feed you," he warned her and she closed her eyes annoyed.

"I am driving then," she told him sternly and he clenched his jaw.

"Fine! Let's see how good of a driver you are Miss Hae Soo." he grabbed her from her wrist and
dragged her along downstairs. She tried to break free but he wouldn't let go of her until they
reached the parked car, outside of the motel. She grasped the car keys from his hand and climbed
into the driver's seat. He soon sat next to her in the passenger's seat. He gave her the directions and
soon enough they were outside of a relatively big grocery store. She shot him a proud smirk and
jumped off the car. He followed her behind, murmuring to himself complaints.

Hae Soo took a basket to put her groceries in and So chuckled. "I always thought a rich girl like
you never bothered with shopping for food. So kudos for knowing where the baskets are" he teased
her and she huffed.

"You are way too stereotyped Wang So. I lived alone for almost six years before I build my
company. Who would have done the shopping for me?" she asked rhetorically and he raised his
eyebrows.

"Really? How come?" He took a bottle of soju in the basket and Soo added a bottle of water.

"I left my aunt's and uncle's home when I turned 18," she explained. She opened her mouth to say
more but closed it instantly. Why was she telling her life story to him? He didn't pressure her
further and only nodded.

"I see," he said quietly. They looked around, occasionally putting a few things in the basket,
forgetting that they had to shop for a day and not a week.

"Do you like mango mochi?" She asked him and lifted the yellow box that contained the dessert.

He shook his head. "I find it too sweet for my taste." He ignored her shocked face and lifted a
green box. "But green tea mochi is perfection." He added chuckling at her expression.

"I am now fully convinced; you are a psychopath," she laughed as well and he pretended to be
offended.

"Every day you wake up and choose to insult me Hae Soo. It breaks my heart," he added with a
mocking hurt face and she laughed again, walking away to the cash desk.

After they paid for the groceries they went back to the motel and only then did they realize that
they had bought too many things. They picked the things they were sure they would eat and left
the rest to the lady who thanked them but looked suspicious. "That's the problem with the young
people, They fight and make peace with each other too soon," she murmured to herself as she
chewed on the mango mochi. She saw them walking out of the kitchen holding the hot bowls of
food and raised an eyebrow. She could swear that she had seen the girl somewhere...

After they ate together in a rather comfortable silence they decided to go back to their rooms.

Hae Soo was thinking that in less than a day she had signed an unwritten deal with him and they
had become something sort of acquaintance. She couldn't call him a friend just yet- it was too soon
but on a closer look and aside from their arguments he wasn't that bad to have around. She rolled
over and faced the balcony. The moon was shining brightly, positioned high in the sky and snow
was once again falling in dense snowflakes. She marveled at the perfection of its shape -something
which she had never done before. During her stay here (whenever she wasn't bickering with him)
she had realized that she had indeed overworked herself. From now on, she would take more
frequent breaks like this.

Wang So, on the other hand, marveled at his self-control. He readjusted his head on the pillow and
chuckled to himself. He would make sure to send her a dozen boxes of green tea mochi on her
birthday. But his face fell instantly. Nam Ji Hyun's birthday was around the corner and he was sure
she had no intention of speaking to him unless he broke the deal and kneeled before her, preferably
with a 20-carat diamond ring. He huffed and buried his face in the hard pillow. Why didn't God
make her a little more understanding? It was not like he and Hae Soo would have kids and stay
married any longer than necessary.

Annoyed, he decided to open his phone and see if maybe she had sent him a text message
(although the chances were extremely low to nonexistent). He saw that he indeed had texts, not
from her, but from his brothers, sister, and a few friends. He opened Baek Ah's -which was the
most recent- and saw that he had sent him a link and added many question marks next to it.
Confused, he opened the link and as he read the title he almost choked on his saliva.

Hae Soo had fallen asleep not too long ago, carried away by her thoughts when somebody decided
to cut her peaceful sleep short and bang on her door like the motel was on fire. She had a suspicion
as to whom it may be and annoyed, she walked over and opened it not bothering to conceal the fact
that she was asleep.

"What the hell do you think-"

"Look! I hadn't expected this, this soon," his urgent voice cut her off, and she opened her eyes
confused. She looked at his phone and her eyes fell on the title of the article.

"ImbueT'"s CEO and the CEO of "JGB Group" caught on a romantic getaway

It seems like money is indeed attracted to money after all! Paparazzi caught the ever famous Hae
Soo -CEO of ImbueT the biggest fashion and cosmetic company in Korea- with a man on Jeju
island. After some research, it was revealed that the handsome man laughing next to her is the
third son of Wang Geon, recently appointed as the CEO of the "JGB Group". As we learned, Wang
So had been dating the daughter of the Economics minister and Judge of the supreme court, Nam
Ji Huyn but as it seems the pair has split up. No one knows how long their relationship has been
going on or how they met. However, will this relationship last, or will Hae Soo end it as she did
with her previous boyfriends? We shall wait and see. [Photos of the couple on the left].

That's exactly why she walked with big sunglasses and scarves or facemasks, whenever she
decided to go out. But of course, as So rushed her out of her room she had forgotten to take any of
these with her.
 "Oh, shit," she said out loud and looked at Wang So, whose face was both amused and irritated at
the same time.

Chapter End Notes

I decided to change the story a little bit and make Eun crushing on Soon Duk first.
Also, my boy, Baek Ah is making moves ;)
I wonder how long will it be, before So and Soo turn into enemies again lol
 velvet boxes
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"I see you two lost no time, did you?" Madame Yoo asked them chuckling.

The moment the sun had risen Wang So had called a private plane to fly them back to Seoul. In the
airport, the people who saw them tried to take pictures of them -especially Hae Soo- but luckily a
car had been waiting outside and it drove them straight to So's mother's place. Hae Soo called Chae
Ryung and told her to bring the files in order to sign them. Her secretary wasn't surprised by what
her boss was consenting to but by the fact that they were caught together on a resort. She concealed
her curiousness successfully and stood quietly in the study room of Madame Yoo, admiring the
interior decor.

"It's not like that," Hae Soo sighed. "I really didn't think I would-"

"Neither did I," So added quickly and his mother smiled.

"It doesn't matter. The important thing is that it worked in your favor," she didn't mention that it
was her and Yo that had tracked down Hae Soo's and Wang So's whereabouts and upon realizing
that they were at the same place, she lost no time into notifying a paparazzi about it. Hadn't she
made a move, she knew that it would take a lot more time for the supposed relationship to be
revealed publicly. She was thankful that the girl was quite famous on her own, unlike her son,
which made everything easier.

They both nodded and Wang So stood up."I have to leave. Mu told me that there is an issue that
needs to be resolved right away," he said and his mother's voice stopped him.

"Wait, before you leave, have you two thought of a story? How everything supposedly started?"
Men weren't as thorough to these kind of details as women but she had hoped that Hae Soo would
concoct something.

He smirked and glanced at the young woman. "Hae Soo did come up with a story. She will fill you
in." He looked at his mother and bowed slightly. "Until next time," he said to both women, and
with that, he turned around and left the room. Madame Yoo turned to the young woman with a
raised eyebrow.

She sighed once again. "We agreed to say if anyone asks that he and Nam Ji Hyun have broken up
for over a month - he told me that she left for Europe around that time- and that we met through
Myung Hee. But since they came together from the airport, should anyone have seen them, we will
say that they remain friends because of their long history of friendship. It's nothing too complicated
but it is an acceptable excuse," she explained.

"I agree. However, that's for the public. For the family, you will be needing something more
realistic and convincing," Madame Yoo said and stroked the head of the ashera cat that was resting
on her lap.

"You are right, I will talk to Wang So later," she said and brought the cup to her lips.

"Do that," the older woman said, and her eyes shined satisfied.

Hae Soo placed her cup of tea on the table and gave Madame Yoo a polite smile. "I think it's high
time I return to my responsibilities as well," she stood up and Chae Ryung brought her her coat and
handbag.

"One thing," her voice stopped her and looked at the secretary meaningfully. Chae Ryung got the
hint. She excused herself and closed the door behind her. Hae Soo raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Yes?"

Madame Yoo placed the cat on the floor, stood up, and walked over to where she was. She looked
at her tenderly -almost with a motherlike affection, she hadn't seen her use on So, Yo, or even Jung
her youngest- and took her hand. "I should have told you sooner but I happen to have known your
mother and father, way before they had you. Go An-In and Hae Joon-Woo were my friends and
that's why I took a special liking to you Hae Soo."

Hae Soo blinked a few times stunned. "Is that so? I had no idea," she said, and Shin Myung turned
around and opened a drawer.

"Yes, and I did meet you when you were tiny. Your mother...she bought you a present just a week
before your birthday and because you were so curious and she was sure you would find it in the
house, she decided to give it to me to keep it here," a sad smile appeared on her lips and Hae Soo
felt her throat hoarse. "After what happened...I never got the chance to give it to you," Hae Soo
always felt emotional upon hearing her parent's name and even with the slightest mention of them,
and that's why she tried not to think of them too often without that meaning she neglected them
completely.

Madame Yoo approached her holding a small, deep blue velvet box. Hae Soo took it in her hands.
"Thank you for keeping it all these years," she told her quietly and the older woman nodded.

"That was the least I could do. I always wanted to meet you and see what kind of person An In's
and Joon Woon's daughter had turned into. I am certain they would be proud," she whispered the
last part confidentially. Hae Soo chuckled lightly and thanked her once again. She bowed in
respect and after that, with her fingers firmly wrapped around the jewelry box, she walked out.

Chae Ryung and she called for an elevator and when they sat inside the car, a deep breath left her
lungs.

"Miss," her secretary started saying reluctantly, "are you alright?"

"Of course, why shouldn't I be?' Hae Soo asked back sarcastically and rolled her eyes. She slipped
the box into her handbag. "Do tell me what I have missed these past couple of days,"

Her secretary nodded and started telling her about all the calls, emails, and appointments she had
missed. But she wasn't listening. Her mind had traveled back to the days her parents were alive.

xxx

Wang So had successfully avoided his siblings and hadn't stepped out of his office since the minute
he walked inside the building of JBG Group. He ignored everyone's curious looks and the slight
hint of a smile his secretary had all day long. Mu had seriously fucked up the negotiations with the
German pharmaceutical company and he wasn't sure that even after working for a continuous 24
hours would be enough to resolve the issue. He had drunk five cups of coffee and his nerves were
tensed as he couldn't remember the word "counteroffer" in german. And the sudden knock on the
door was the last straw.

"WHAT NOW?" he yelled not caring that it wasn't poor Secretary Kim's fault. The door opened
and a smirking Yo walked in, not fazed by his younger brother's anger.

"Someone is angry," Yo said amused and chuckled to himself, as he sat on the chair in front of So's
office.

So leaned back on his seat and huffed, throwing the pen away irritated. "For a politician, you sure
have a lot of time to spare," he snapped, making the slightly older man laugh.

"Don't be so sullen So-ya. Women don't like grumpy men," he advised him and So rolled his eyes.

"You didn't come all the way here just to give me advice on women, brother. Just say whatever
you want to say and leave. I have a lot of work unlike you," he opened a bottle of water and looked
at Yo dully.

"Aish, didn't they teach you manners in Le Rosey? Whatever," he added quickly seeing So's glare.
He cleared his throat before speaking. "I see our older brother hasn't been appointed to his new
position for two weeks and he is already making big mistakes," he pointed to the papers in front of
So with his chin.

So sighed. "That's right. But what's your point?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to remind you that you shouldn't back off from your goal but... I think it's
unnecessary. On my way here I read the article," he smirked, "you two seemed like an actual
couple."

The younger brother shot him a glare. "Piss off Yo," he snapped at him.

"Why? Did Ji Hyun already give you crap about it?" At that moment there was a knock on the door
and So's secretary entered holding a tray with two coffee cups. She placed one for Yo and one for
So. He waited until she closed the door behind her before replying.

"She hasn't talked to me since Christmas," he told him and Yo faked a hurt expression.

"Ouch! Did that hurt you lil So?" he teased him and So closed his eyes annoyed, a habit he had
picked up from Hae Soo as he noticed she used to do this whenever she was annoyed.

"Get out and help your voters," he pointed towards the door and Yo raised his hands in defense.

"Fine, fine. I am just messing with you. How can you be younger than me but with a mentality of a
pensioner?" he asked, mostly talking to himself. Surprisingly So chuckled.

"I will forever be thankful to mother that she sent me away and had a rather calm childhood, free of
you," he raised his cup as if proposing a toast and it was Yo's time to scowl.

"You little punk," he muttered. "Anyway, what do you plan to do with Ji Hyun?"

"I don't know. I had planned to give her a few days to calm down and approach her but the article
just added fuel to the fire," he ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"I see," Yo said quietly. "Tell me something," he told him with a serious tone all of the sudden.
"Do you love her?" Hae Soo had asked him approximately the same question the other day.

"Obviously," he said easily, not avoiding eye contact. He had known her since he was a kid, they
had shared many experiences together and they fit each other in many other ways. What else is
required for love?
Yo looked at him thoughtfully. "I see," he repeated. "Does she know that?"

"Of course," he replied confidently but his brother's raised eyebrow made him doubt his self-
assurance. "Doesn't she?" he asked him foolishly and Yo stood up.

"If you have to ask yourself that, the answer is most probably no." He put on his coat and cast him
a last glance. "Aren't I correct?"

xxx

"Hae Soo's office," the voice said as So parked his car. Her secretary, he thought.

"I am Wang So. Connect me with her," he said and looked in the mirror. The hoodie was the scarf
were covering most of his face and the fake mustache he had told Secretary Kim to buy came in
handy.

"Of course Mr. Wang, a moment please," he heard Chae Ryung's surprised voice.

"Wang So? Why didn't you just call me on my phone?" Hae Soo's usual curt voice greeted him.

"Good evening to you too. You never gave me your number, if you don't remember." he chuckled.
He heard her huff. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I can't come today to your office. The... work
is taking too much time," he lied smoothly.

"It's fine. I am drowning in work as well. I didn't even remember that you were supposed to come
here," she lied in turn. Hae Soo had been waiting for him to come and discuss a few things about
the contract.

But neither were aware of each other's lies.

"Oh, that's a relief. Okay, that's what I wanted to say. Bye," he hung up before she could reply. Hae
Soo put down the phone and looked at it confused. How come he didn't bother her with a long
conversation or tease like he always seemed to do? She rolled her eyes and turned back to the
velvet box. The red diamond ring that her mother wanted to gift her with, for future usage, had
caught her attention all day long, preventing her from concentrating on work properly. When she
put it on, it felt like the touch of her mother and she swore to never take it off again.

Wang So on the other hand, stood outside of a door contemplating whether or not he should knock.
In the end, he gave up and knocked a few times. In a few minutes, a tall brunette with blonde
highlights appeared. She was dressed in plain clothes, her face devoid of make-up, and seemed
stressed to him. Upon realizing that behind the fake mustache and thick clothes it was So she tried
slamming the door but he was quick.

"I just want to talk. Hear me out and I will leave, please," he said in a desperate tone and she bit her
lower lip thoughtfully. In the end, she let him in.

Nam Ji Hyun had purchased her own place after moving back to South Korea from Boston and it
was a smart thing to do as she couldn't sneak in her boyfriend under her parent's roof.

"What do you want?" she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a hard look. He took off his
hat, scarf, and mustache and placed them on a couch.

"I know that you are angry at me Ji Hyun-ah-"

"Angry at you? I am beyond furious So! How could you do that to me without informing me
 earlier?" she cut him off.

"I know, I know. And I am very sorry and I understand that you find this offensive towards you-"

"Do you think so?" she asked him sarcastically. He wasn't bothered by her interference- in fact he
had been expecting a lot worse. She collapsed on the other couch and looked away.

He approached her. "But I guess I didn't make it clear enough for you," she turned her head to look
at him. He kneeled down.

"Hae Soo is only helping me to acquire the position of the chairman. We don't and will never have
any kind of feelings for each other. You are the woman that I l-love. And since you don't seem to
believe me," he took out a red velvet box from his pocket and offered it to her. She opened it and a
gasp left her lips unwittingly. "After everything is over, I want you to marry me. We can have the
wedding of your dreams and you can even invite half of China's population-"

His sentence was cut off by a sudden kiss. "So-ya," she whispered, and a few tears fell from her
eyes. "I have never heard you say that to me. I love you too. I have always loved you, ever since
you saved me from that flying ice-cream in nursery school," she said through her tears, and they
both chuckled. He put the ring on her finger.

"It looks perfect on you. Just wait a few months and soon you will be wearing it openly for the
public to see," he told her smiling and kissed her. She returned the kiss, their mouths moving in
sync. He stood up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she had so many times ago. Her
hair prevented him from seeing anything but he didn't mind; he already knew the way towards the
bedroom.

Chapter End Notes

I bet you weren't expecting a softer side of madame Yoo wait did y'all think my boy
So would let go of Ji Hyun this fast ? And Yo is onto sth because on one hand he is
helping his mom and on the other, he is urging So to chase his gf lol.
 dark prince and princess
Chapter Notes

I was thinking of writing a story about So's and Soo's daughter Seol in Goryeo after I
finish this one. What y'all think?
In case you haven't understood what I have been trying to convey ( ) So doesn't have
any kind of emotions (at least until now) towards Soo other than physical desire. He is
emotionally attached (the best way I can describe this) to Ji Hyun. So yeah, he is your
average asshole.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Hae Soo looked at herself once again in the mirror.

She had her long hair in a high chignon that showed off her long, graceful neck, her lips tinted with
a subtle red color that emphasized their fullness, and her eyes lined with dark pencil. She had
ordered her jeweler in New York to make a necklace that matched her ring's stones and even
though it had taken him a lot of consideration, Jean-Baptiste had decided to use three of the rare red
diamonds he had bought in an auction. Now, resting on her chest was a stunningly beautiful piece
of jewelry that caught everyone's attention as it was embedded with white gold matching the ring
her mother had gifted her with.

The dark dress with the off-shoulder neckline hugged her body in a tempting way, hinting at her
hourglass shape underneath the fine silk. Her housekeeper helped her put on her fur coat and a
smile trailed on her lips.

"You look like a dark princess miss," the housekeeper said and chuckled. Hae Soo laughed with
her. Dark princess huh? She liked that characterization.

"Thank you, Mrs. Young." She turned around and faced her. "It's still quite early; you should go
home to your husband and children. Here," she said giving her a check. "Happy New Year," she
told her with a kind smile and Mrs. Young gasped.

"No, no. I can't accept this miss," she tried giving it back. Her mistress had been acting peculiarly
lately; she wasn't as strict as usual, and even gave her a bonus.

"You know I don't like begging Mrs. Young," she said and her voice had a usual trace of
annoyance which the middle-aged lady recognized, frankly, with some relief.

"Thank you very much miss. I hope the new year only brings you happiness and health. Anything
else is of minor importance," she told her and Hae Soo nodded.

"I shall leave now then. Tell Mr. Lee that I won't be needing him either," and after a nod from the
housekeeper, she walked out of the walk-in closet, into a hallway, and then to the front door. She
called the elevator and right then her phone buzzed. Are you coming down? She rolled her eyes at
the text message. She decided to make him wait in the parking lot a little longer and readjusted her
make-up. When her phone vibrated once again, she chuckled to herself, and only then did she push
the button that took her underground.
Madame Yoo had told her that just like every year, she would be hosting a new year's eve
'gathering' as she liked to say (-party is way too simple and ordinary to say. she insisted) and along
with other members of high society, she was of course invited. All the years before she had always
been abroad and that's why Madame Yoo had never the opportunity to invite her. But this year was
different. Hae Soo would be there not just because of her high net worth but also because she was
dating her son. She had cringed upon imagining Myung Hee's and the rest of So's sibling's
reactions -she had successfully avoided talking to her cousin, Baek Ah, and even Woo Hee- but
now it was unavoidable. She just hoped that she and So could pull a convincing act.

The doors opened and she saw him leaning against the hood, dressed in a dark tux, not even the
shirt white. He had his hair styled with gel and with his tall and lean silhouette and sharp features
he looked regal, just like a dark prince. Hae Soo smiled at her thoughts.

"You don't look bad," she told him and walked towards him. He looked up and the irritation
dissolved instantly upon seeing her. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"You look... descent," he lied. In fact, the first thought that crossed his mind was that she looked
more stunning than any girl he had seen or been with before. Her lips looked kissable and her silky
looking skin with the porcelain complexion tempted him. He wondered if it would be as soft under
his touch as it looked like. As she came closer the familiar scent of vanilla and Chanel hit him.

She laughed. "Why, you're so kind. If that's how you compliment women, Nam Ji Hyun should be
thankful to me," she joked as he opened the door for her. She sat in the passenger's seat and he
quickly took the driver's seat.

"Well, we...um, we got back together actually," he told her and immediately regretted it. He kept
his eyes glued, straight to the busy road, avoiding looking into the small mirror to see her reaction.
But there wasn't much to see anyway. The slight hint of an amused smile never left her red lips.
But her eyes were momentarily showing displease.

Alas, why do I care? You don't even consider him a friend - of course, he was bound to reconcile
with his girlfriend, she thought and cast him a side glance.

"That's good news for you. Unfortunately, I left Sung-Ho is too broken-hearted for us to get back
together. I am jealous," she said and laughed. The words came out of her mouth before she could
stop them and she wanted to slap her forehead. How had even Jeong Sung Ho popped up on her
mind right now? She hadn't thought of him since they broke up, last March.

"Who is Sung Ho?' So's hands tightened subtly on the steering wheel, as he asked the much
obvious question.

"Oh, my ex-boyfriend. He now lives in... hmm. I don't remember to be honest but it's somewhere in
Europe," she told him smiling. So suppressed a huff. He was envious -that much he could admit to
himself- of that man because he was sure that he had the opportunity to touch her. And he couldn't.

"I see," he said in a controlled voice, that concealed his unreasonable pique. "Why did you leave
him heartbroken anyway?" he asked mostly out of politeness rather than genuine curiousness. He
had no desire to hear about the man that had dated the woman he so badly wanted to bed for a
couple of weeks now.

"Isn't it ironic? I broke up with him because he wanted marriage and I didn't, yet here I am with
you whom I will inevitably marry," she laughed again and this time a sinister smirk curled up on
So's lips. Even if it was just pretending he had managed to make Hae Soo marry him and that
Sung-Ho fool hadn't.
"That poor man," he said but his expression was anything but sympathetic. That didn't slip from
Hae Soo's attention.

"What are you so happy about? Ah," a fake gasp escaped her lips, "don't tell me you felt jealous
So-ya?" she asked him mockingly, widening her eyes. He tore his gaze from the road to cast her a
dark look.

"I don't even like you, why would I be jealous?" he snapped. Hae Soo placed her hand over her
chest and pretended to be hurt.

"And I thought I was cruel," she joked and rolled her eyes. They stopped talking, sinking into a
stunned silence. She looked out of the window, maintaining the calm exterior but deep down she
felt a strange feeling in her stomach. He had given her the picture that he was the one that liked her
and now he was denying it? Her mouth twitched in annoyance. She didn't care of course, but still,
she preferred when she was liked by others regardless of how she behaved towards them. She
looked at him with the corner of her eye but noticed that he was already looking at her.

"Nice ring, red diamonds are rare as far as I know," he said and she nodded.

"Thank you, it was my mother's gift," she said and unconsciously her fingers stroked the hard gem.
"You seem to know a lot about rings, many would think that this is ruby," she raised an eyebrow
and he cleared his throat.

"Well, Ji Hyun loves collecting jewelry and over the years I had no other choice but to learn to
distinguish them. You can't imagine how many private or public auctions I have been dragged to,"
he said chuckling.

"Is that so?" she asked him and he nodded.

"Yes, and her favorite diamond is blue and that's why I made the engagement rin-" he cut off his
rambling midway upon realizing that he had accidentally shared too much information. But Hae
Soo had kept a neutral face.

"Why did you stop talking? I am not your lover from whom you hide your relationship," she told
him, shrugging her shoulders. He faked a cough and said nothing. "So an engagement ring, huh?
That's nice and I am glad that this contract hasn't totally torn you apart completely," she told him
reassuringly with a smile. But deep down, the strange feeling turned into a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Yes, she is a reasonable girl. I trusted her to come around," he told her, with the tie feeling
suddenly too suffocating.

"Hmm," Hae Soo didn't know what to say. "So congratulations on your engagement Wang So?"
she asked him with a playful smile. He looked at her and chuckled, mostly out of uneasiness rather
than finding it actually amusing.

"Thank you, Hae Soo, really," he told her and suppressed a sigh.

The car stopped in front of the private apartment complexion that was in the suburbs of the capital
and for a few moments, no one spoke. Then he cocked his head to her direction and smirked slyly.
"But for now, you are my future fiance. So shall we?" he asked her and she rolled her eyes, with a
smile forming on her lips.

xxx

"I bet fifty dollars that it was a baseless rumor combined with exceptionally good photoshop
skills," Eun said looking at his brothers.

"Why are you so sure?" Baek Ah asked. "The picture looked too real to be photoshopped," he
added.

Yo, who had been listening to both arguing, decided to speak. "I agree with Baek Ah. You two
must not have noticed but," he leaned closer as if sharing a confidential secret, "I noticed the look
So and Hae Soo gave each other at Wook's and Myung Hee's wedding," he straightened his back
and sipped from his glass of champagne. The twins looked at him confused.

"Looks?" they asked at the same time.

"Aish, both of you are so young," Won chuckled, supporting Yo.

Baek Ah rolled his eyes- he had no need to defend himself. He was a well-known playboy. Eun, on
the other hand, who had been discouraged from dating due to his agency's strict dating policy and
had only a handful of girlfriends, started complaining loudly, declaring that he wasn't a baby
anymore and he wasn't that young either. The brothers all laughed lightly at Eun's childishness with
Jung teasing him about it.

"I hope you can give me fifty dollars right now," Yo said amused and raised his hand with which
he held the delicate glass, and pointed towards the entrance.

An extraordinary couple dressed in dark clothing walked in, making everyone's head turn in their
direction. Hae Soo slipped her arm around So's and they both walked in smiling -So's was small but
victorious whilst Soo's was shy. Yo looked at his mother. She was smiling satisfied. Both his
brother and the girl were extremely good actors. Eun's mouth was agape, Baek Ah looked at them
curiously, Won shared the same expression as his older brother, Wook and Myung Hee were
looking at each other, and Jung seemed surprised. Yo's wife murmured something about Hae Soo's
jewelry and Yeonhwa agreed with her. Eventually, they both approached them.

"Good evening," So greeted them bowing his head slightly. Hae Soo cast them a reluctant smile
and repeated after him. She let go of So but stayed by his side. A servant brought them two glasses
of champagne and So took two- offering one to her and later for him.

"So you are dating?" Eun asked bluntly, receiving making everyone look at him. But he ignored
them.

"Well," Hae Soo successfully managed to blush on demand, and she looked down.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you weren't so indiscreet about it," So said in his usual snappy
voice. Eun pouted but So ignored him; Jung nudged him, whispering that it was not polite to ask
such direct questions.

"And Nam Ji Hyun?" Jung asked, forgetting what he had just scolded Eun for doing.

"You are worse than Eun, Jung-ah," Yeonwha spoke. "Who in god's name asks questions about an
ex in front of a current girlfriend?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

Jung blushed. "Oh, I am sorry Hae Soo-"

"No, it's fine. After all, you knew the girl for so many years," she told Jung kindly and offered him
a smile. An awkward silence fell and Hae Soo avoided looking at her cousin.

Baek Ah spoke. "You know W-"

"Soo-yah!" Woo Hee cut Baek Ah off, as she approached the group. If Hae Soo wanted to avoid
speaking to Myung Hee for the moment, Woo Hee was even worse as she had spent a lot of years
with her and she knew her extremely well. Lying and deceiving her would be challenging even for
a gifted liar like Hae Soo. They hugged each other.

"Do you know each other?" Yo asked them. He thought that the young actress was simply Eun's
friend.

"Yes, Woo Hee is actually my best friend," Hae Soo explained and everyone except for the twins
looked at her confused.

"Woo Hee?" Won asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"My name is Woo Hee, Jae Hwa is my stage name," the actress explained. Then she turned to So.

He cleared his throat and extended his hand. "Wang So, nice to meet you," he told her.

"Hmm, after that article I think everyone knows you Wang So," she told him making everyone
laugh, and cast her best friend a warning look.

"I think mother wants to greet you both," Jung said and the couple turned around.

"You are right," So murmured and placed his hand around Soo's waist. "We will come back later,"
he said and Hae Soo cast everyone a smile.

"That went well, I guess," She mumbled to him and he nodded.

Her skin was indeed as smooth as he had imagined it to be and her smell was messing with his
head. "Now it's time for the biggest show; my father," he told her so quietly that nobody would
hear. She smiled as if he had told her something sweet. At least, they approached Wang Geon who
was surrounded by Madame Yoo, Madame Hwang Bo, and Bae Aerum. They both bowed and his
mother spoke first.

"You finally arrived! I thought you had decided to escape to an island again," she said, smiling in a
sly way, making everyone chuckle. Hae Soo looked down as if she was embarrassed and So
huffed.

"Mother, don't make Soo uncomfortable," he told her pretending to be strict.

Wang Geon nodded. "So is right Shin Myung," he said to his wife and then turned to Hae Soo.
"Miss Soo it's nice to see you again," he told her smiling.

"Thank you, Mr. Wang," she said quietly.

"You look so pretty," Bae Aerum told her looking at her from head to toe. "That dress looks
fantastic on you."

"And the necklace? I couldn't find red diamonds of that size anywhere," Madame Hwang Bo
added.

This time Hae Soo blushed genuinely. "You are too kind-"

"Nonsense," Madame Yoo cut her off. "You look just like your mother in her youth," she beamed
proudly, and the two former wives, her son and her husband cast her a surprised look. She had
never been this affectionate and sincere to any girl she had met, especially when it came to her
 son's girlfriends (and wife of Yo).

"Thank you, Madame Yoo," she replied and smiled at her.

So raised an eyebrow. How did his mother know Hae Soo's mom? Everyone else had that question
too but decided not to stress it for the moment.

"We were all surprised when we learned that you two..." Geon glued his index fingers together.

The young couple chuckled awkwardly. "Me and Nam Ji Hyun had ended our relationship for over
a month but we are still friends. That's why she came over to the Christmas dinner and we," he said
motioning himself and Soo, "didn't want to tell everyone about us-"

"As I had just reconciled with Myung Hee and telling her that I have been dating her brother-in-law
seemed not a good option," Hae Soo finished the sentence for So.

"But you can't escape paparazzi can you?" Shin Myung laughed and the ladies agreed with her.

"Well," Wang Geon started saying, "you know what's best for you son. And if it's miss Hae Soo
that you consider the best- then I have nothing else to say other than this; welcome to our family
dear," he told her with a smile and Madame Yoo, So and Soo felt a weight lift off their chest as
they all raised their glasses.

Chapter End Notes

Who do you think will fall for each other first; Soo or So? Also, I just realized that I
have completely left Jung out of this story lol. Also this is a quick chapter and I will
edit it later as I have no time at the moment but I didn't want to leave you without an
update either
 new year turned to nightmare
Chapter Notes

the chapter is actually a small rollercoaster. Guess who remains a huge ass asshole
that I want to kick from the 34th floor of a skyscraper? Your guess is right. His
majesty Wang So

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Soo-ya..." Myung Hee looked at her younger cousin with worry clear in her eyes. "Could you
explain what's going on please?" she asked her. She and Woo Hee had kindly abducted Hae Soo
from Wang So's side, with her best friend shooting her a glare and her cousin looking at her
confused. Not in a thousand years would she imagine that Hae Soo would be dating her brother-in-
law after only having reconciled recently. The young actress on the other hand was beyond
annoyed that she had to find out that her best friend was in a relationship with a man she had
declared her hatred towards, from an article her manager had shown her.

Hae Soo, feeling like she was in hot water, looked away and sipped on her drink. "I was going to
tell you, both of you, but so many things just happened and-"

"And you thought an article on the tabloid would a better job informing us than you?" Woo Hee
narrowed her eyes and Hae Soo huffed in the end.

"Come on, both of you, give me a break," she narrowed her eyes in turn, "it's not like he is still in a
relationship," she rolled her eyes. 'if only they knew', she thought to herself and continued, "and I
am an adult and free to do whatever I want," she sealed her lips into a tight line. She knew that
neither deserved her attitude, as they were genuinely taken aback, but maybe if she kept on being
defensive it would come across as more convincing.

"Soo-ya, we are not saying that you can't do whatever you want," Myung Hee said gently, taking
her hand, "it's just a little warning would be nice. I hadn't realized that So and Ji Hyun had ended
their relationship but I am happy for you," she told her and looked at Woo Hee who seemed
anything but happy.

"Of course, Soo," she said unconvincingly.

Suddenly Myung Hee's phone buzzed. "Ah, it's Wook. He is looking for me," she mumbled to
herself looking down at the screen. "I have to go but I hope we can have a bond where you can
share anything with me as if I am your best friend too," she said smiling and Hae Soo opened her
mouth.

"Myung Hee-ya it's not-"

"I know," she cut her off softly. Then she turned to the other woman. "It was nice meeting you,
Woo Hee. We should all go out sometime,"

"I would love that," the actress flashed her a smile. After that, she left leaving the two friends
behind. The moment the door closed behind her, she turned to Hae Soo, with her smile turning into
a scowl.
"Now, if you think that I am as nice as your cousin and bought any of the bullshit you spewed out
of your mouth-" she started saying in a threatening tone but Hae Soo cut her off.

She sighed and collapsed on the very couch she had a few days ago when she had signed the
contract that for now had caused her more problems than good things. "I didn't expect you to," she
told her and patted the seat next to her meaningfully. Woo Hee sat and turned to her, raising an
eyebrow. Hae Soo played with her glass before speaking.

"We are not actually dating," she told her in a quiet voice just in case someone passed by the study
and heard them. "it's temporary..." she began explaining the contract to her and breaking its rules
but she didn't care. She wanted someone with whom she could share everything and Woo Hee was
the only one she trusted and felt comfortable enough to do so. Her reactions varied from surprise to
shock and to disbelief. When she finished talking her glass was empty.

"Are you kidding me?" her friend whispered mostly to herself. "Who are you and what have you
done to my Hae Soo?'" she laughed suddenly making Hae Soo roll her eyes.

"Shut up, it's just a business deal," she stood up and leaned against the mahogany table.

"I know but your acting is better than mine I dare say. You actually fooled everyone," she told her.

"Is that so?" her voice was nonchalant with no trace of questioning. "Those shares will help a lot
with my expanding in America, Woo Hee-ya. That's why I agreed. That and the Daegu factory
project."

"Of course, I don't disagree but how is that Wang So treating you? You are forced to spend time
with him after all," she asked her walking towards her direction but didn't wait for her answer. "But
judging from the pictures that paparazzi took..." she raised an eyebrow suggestively making Hae
Soo scoff.

"Don't tease me, Woo Hee. I actually find him very annoying ah," she looked at her," because he
has the tendency to tease me all the time. Just like you," she said making her friend huff
mockingly. "But he told me he doesn't like me either so I guess we are even," she said, averting her
eyes from Woo Hee's to look out of the window.

"Ah-uh, I see, but I asked you how he treats you not if you like each other. Of course, you don't,
you have known him for what? A week or two?" she asked her, a smirk forming dangerously on
her lips.

Hae Soo twitched her mouth in annoyance. "Don't get smart with me Woo Hee," she snapped at
her, making the other woman chuckle.

"I am not getting smart with you; I am merely pointing out that you gave me a wrong answer," she
said smirking and earning a glare from Hae Soo.

"Well, he is polite but annoying, does that answer your question?"

"Absolutely," Woo Hee laughed. "Who would have guessed that I'd see my best friend in a white
dress?" she teased her, making her roll her eyes.

"I say we return to the party, soon the year will change," she said, and Woo Hee sighed. "Go on,
and I will find you later. I need to use the bathroom," she told her and Woo Hee nodded.

Hae Soo looked around; if she remembered correctly from the last time she was here, there were
three guest bathrooms on each floor. She walked past a collection of authentic paintings that
looked heavy as they hunged from the wall. At the end of the hall, she saw multiple doors, two of
which were slightly open. Her eyes caught the light blue tiles of the bathroom and as she was about
to walk in, her ears caught a hushed talking coming from the other door. Normally she wouldn't
even care about whom it may be but now, mostly out of instinct, she quietly approached the door
and tried to make out whose voices were talking.

But it didn't take her long to realize.

"What about a few days trip to Bora Bora?" he heard him tell her in a chocked voice.

"If we go there I will need much more than a few days to enjoy the sea and the sun and you can't
leave for too long," Nam Ji Hyun planted a kiss on his neck.

Hae Soo hadn't seen her all night long and had thought that out of courtesy, she wasn't invited but
seeing her resting on Wang So's lap, she was clearly wrong. Her eyes fell on the giant blue rock
that rested on her fingers. He had a really good taste in picking out jewelry indeed. But she wasn't
going to stand there watching them any further. She turned around on her heels, as quietly as she
could and walked inside the bathroom.

She washed her hands, her eyes never leaving her reflection in the mirror. She dried her hands on
the cotton towel and opened her purse. She took out her lipstick and before she could change her
mind, she put another layer on her lips. She sprayed more of the perfume she always carried with
her and felt like she was stupid. What the fuck am I doing? she asked herself and without thinking
twice she grabbed a tissue and wiped off the lipstick until it left only a trace of redness on her lips.
She threw everything in her bag and annoyed with her actions, she abruptly opened the bathroom
door.

And in doing so she bumped with Nam Ji Hyun.

The two women eyed each other without speaking. Hae Soo had to admit to herself that she
looked...descent. To her, she was no great beauty but Nam Ji Hyun definitely knew what her best
features were and made the best of them. Her rosy-colored dress gave her an innocent look, and her
face had light make-up, making her eyes look bigger, her lips puffier, and her cheeks had a very
child-like, healthy pink color. She could smell the subtle aroma of lavender hitting her nostrils.
Dressed in complete contrast to her, in a dark dress, with dark eyes, and lips and her cologne
suddenly feeling too heavy and suffocating her, she suddenly felt something she had never felt like
before; cheap.

"Ah, miss Hae Soo? Pleased to see you again," she spoke and her voice was soft. To Hae Soo even
her voice was pink.

"Miss Nam Ji Hyun," she said in a flat voice, acknowledging her presence. She looked straight into
her eyes, hoping she would make her feel uncomfortable.

"So-ya was here but left a few minutes ago; we didn't want to come down together and seem
suspicious." She leaned in confidentially, "I wouldn't want to ruin your contract," she smiled
sweetly as if she were talking to her best friend and Hae Soo could feel the tips of her fingers on
fire. She never had wanted to strangle a woman this bad before.

"I see," she turned around to walk away without saying goodbye but stopped as if she remembered
something. "To be frank, I wasn't expecting you to be here tonight; Madame Yoo didn't exactly
give me the impression that she is a fan of you. And since you are considered Wang So's ex to the
public..." she trailed off, trying to suppress a smirk that was dangerously forming on her lips. It
didn't take Hae Soo too long to find the weak spots of people and she wasn't wrong this time either.
Nam Ji Hyun lost her color and her smile fell, her lips turning into a tight smile. She cleared her
throat before answering. "You seem to enjoy putting me down, Hae Soo," she said through gritted
teeth, her hands curling into fists. Her voice had lost all of its softness.

Hae Soo blinked a few times surprised. "Really? I thought I was just merely stating facts," she let
herself smirk briefly and saw the other woman's chest rise, as she let out a controlled breath.

She took a few steps forward but Hae Soo stood still. Instead, she watched her amused. How had
she let herself be degraded by this pathetic human being?

"I know what type of woman you are," Nam Ji Hyun told her in a low voice. "But I won't let
myself be fazed by you because in a few months you will be nothing but a distant memory," she
continued, irritation obvious in her eyes. Hae Soo looked down at the other woman's hands.

"Pretty ring," she told her her eyes averting from the jewel to her eyes, "but I would advise you to
hide it for the time being. I would be very angry if the contract blows off just because this is the
first actual diamond you have held and you want to show it off to the world," she smirked at her,
and Nam Ji Hyun gasped. Hae Soo turned around to leave and again stopped and looked at her.

"And one more thing dear Nam Ji Hyun-ah," she said with mocking friendliness. "I seem to have a
much bigger impact on you than you want to admit yourself so, are you sure that I will ever be a
distant memory?" She chuckled and with that, she turned her back on her and left, with her head
high and a sinister smile curling on her lips.

If there was one thing she absolutely loved was putting people in their places.

She walked downstairs and found everyone expectedly looking at the clock, to countdown the last
minute of the year. She saw So in a corner and walked towards him.

"Where have you been?" he asked her offering her a glass of champagne.

"Oh, I was upstairs talking..." she trailed off, "but what about you?" she asked him, wondering
what his answer would be.

"My father approached me actually and said -and I quote- that he found you a very 'charming and
smart young lady', although I think the young part was a tad out of place" he teased her earning a
glare from Hae Soo.

"Yah! Do you have a death wish?" she snapped at him, making him chuckle. But Hae Soo laughed
in the end too.

"34, 32, 31," everyone cheered, counting down. Hae Soo rolled her eyes at the childish behavior.

"Aren't you excited?" he suddenly asked her, making her raise an eyebrow.

"About what?" she asked him.

"21,20,19..."

"I don't know. New Year?" he asked her, with a voice that stated the obvious. Hae Soo laughed.

"I didn't expect you to be excited, to be honest, but I guess... I wonder what the new year will
bring," she answered truthfully making So nod.

"10, 9, 8..."
"You know what should we do to make our relationship seem more genuine?" he asked her, with a
sly glint in his eyes.

"6, 5, 4..."

"What?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard on top of the others.

"3, 2,1..."

"This," he said and leaned down leaving a small peck. Their lips touched for a few moments before
he pulled away, a satisfied glint in his eyes.

Everyone cheered loudly, kissing each other and wishing them all good the world had to offer.

But Hae Soo had frozen. She looked at him and the only thing she could think about was that her
lipstick had left a subtle color on his lips. He smiled at her and she forcefully returned it. He
wrapped his arms around her and she felt obligated to hug him back. "Happy New Year Hae Soo,"
he whispered in her ear. She nodded, averting her gaze from him.

xxx

"Have you gone crazy?" she snapped at him the moment they walked out of the house.

He looked at her as if she had gone crazy. "What did I do now?" he asked her, but deep down he
knew from where this was coming from.

"You should ask beforehand before you pull stunts like that Mr. Wang," her tone grew curter as she
spoke. He tore his gaze from the road in front of him and cast her a side glance.

"Would you have said yes if I had asked?"

"Of course... and not," she replied angrily.

"You are making a big deal out of nothing. I barely touched your lips," he rolled his eyes and heard
her huff.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone saw us, your family, your friends, and God knows who else. Besides, I
don't like touching people I don't know," she scoffed.

"Look, Hae Soo, don't flatter yourself. I don't even like you as I have said," he said flatly. But if she
had this kind of reaction to a mere kiss, what would be her response if she learned his real
thoughts? He didn't even want to think about it.

"It's not about flattery," she spat, not believing they were having this conversation. "It's about
consent and boundaries. Limit yourself to a kiss on the cheek if necessary and hugging. You can do
the rest to your girlfriend," she told him venom dripping from her voice.

He huffed. "Alright, I didn't expect you to be this puritan but rest assured about what I am doing
with Ji Hyun," he snapped at her, and Hae Soo wanted to slam her forehead against the car's
window.

"Spare me the details. You wouldn't like it if I threw up in your car," she snapped back and he let
out a loud breath. His car stopped abruptly in front of her house and she got out instantly, slamming
the door behind her. That was the last straw for him, as he jumped out of his seat and ran to her. He
grabbed her by her arm and made her turn around.
 "Are you mad? Let go of me," she told him furiously, trying to break free.

"Maybe if you weren't such a stuck-up ssibalnyeon I would have liked you but I guess this is for
the best," he spat, letting her go.

The slap that Hae Soo gave him left him a red, burning mark on his cheek and a scratch from his
jawline to his cheekbones as the diamond on her ring cut him. He clenched his jaw and touched the
spot with his fingers. Then he looked at her and at that moment, both of their eyes were burning
with hatred. He mumbled something inaudible under his breath, turning around and she watched as
he drove off in the blink of an eye. A shaky breath left her lips and she closed her eyes.

Hae Soo couldn't believe how this night had escalated into a nightmare.

Chapter End Notes

I couldn't exactly have Soo and Ji Hyun catfight like many of you suggested I do
just so you all know, I don't even consider this a kiss-kiss (if you know what I mean)
we have a lot of chapters until that.
*the word means bitch as I read on google. Oh yes, he is getting worse at each chapter.
 wook's dating advice
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The moment Hae Soo walked into the office the next day, Chae Ryung knew that her boss would
be very difficult to deal with. Her foul mood was radiating from miles away. She prepared an
aromatic ginger tea for her and placed it carefully on her desk, leaving as quietly as she could so as
not to irritate her. But she couldn't avoid her the whole day.

"Miss? Miss, are you okay?" she asked her and the manager of the design department bit his lower
lip nervously. What if she disregarded all of the designs? They had no time to make new ones.

Hae Soo blinked a few times as if she were surprised to be talked to, and averted her gaze from the
window to the eyes of the manager and her secretary. "Of course." She cast the drafts a quick
glance. "Go ahead with numbers one to fifteen but the belt and the glitz of the dress on number
sixteen are irking me. They are the reason why disco died," she rolled her eyes, making both
almost sigh in relief. Here she is normal again, Chae Ryung thought.

"What would you like to see instead?" the manager asked her and Hae Soo played with her Mont
Blanc pen.

"What would I like to see instead?" she repeated rolling her eyes. "I don't know Mr. Han.
Something that doesn't look like it's copied from American Vogue or any magazine for that matter.
Use other textiles, use accessories in an unexpected way, and play with colors. You are a designer
in charge of a whole department devoted to your profession; I am sure you have imagination. Then
drop by my office again." The young man stood up, picking up the papers, and bowed. After he
left, Chae Ryung was hesitant to follow him.

"Anything I could do for you?" Hae Soo asked her. "The tea did wonders, by the way, thank you
for that," she added.

The secretary nodded and cleared her throat. "Miss are you alright? You seem awfully absent-
minded today," she told her, furrowing her eyebrows.

"You asked me before; It's nothing. Some people just don't know their place and irritate me but
nothing to worry about," she told her, and her mouth twitched in annoyance. "What about you?
How have you been?" she asked her suddenly, making Chae Ryung cough awkwardly. She had
rarely been asked by her boss a question like this, what had gotten into her?

"Uh- I am fine miss. Thank you for asking," she replied.

"And how is Byeol? I haven't seen her in a long time," she asked typing on her computer.

Chae Ryung smiled at the mention of her daughter. "She is fine, growing up every day. But she
seems to love getting in trouble," she rambled on and Hae Soo chuckled.

"When I was at her age, I used to do all sorts of mischief," she said, her mood light.

"She did tell me that she wants to be just like you when you grow up," Chae Ryung said carefully
not wanting to sound as if she was flattering her boss. But the truth was that little Chae Byeol
seemed to absolutely adore Hae Soo.
Hae Soo stopped typing on the keyboard and looked at her worriedly. "That's alarming Chae
Ryung," she joked, and the secretary laughed. It was amazing how kids could fix anyone's mood-
even her usually sharp boss's.

"Don't say that miss. Oh and speaking of role models, Kim Chung Hee from Korean Women's
Magazine wants an interview. Are you interested?" she asked, picking up the memo book from the
table.

"Hmm, give me time to think. I will inform you," she told her and her secretary nodded. Hae Soo
returned to her work and Chae Ryung discreetly walked out of the office.

When she was alone again, Hae Soo stopped working. She stood up and walked over to the
window. The snow had stopped falling a few hours ago but it had turned the city into a white
scenery. She could see people walking busily to their work, couples holding hands, and children
playing with the snow. The Han river had frozen and it looked like a huge ice rink on which no one
dared to ice skate. Although the general picture was lovely, she couldn't help but replay those
words in her head.

"Maybe if you weren't such a stuck-up ssibalnyeon I would have liked you but I guess this is for the
best," he had told her.

No one in her entire life -not even her uncle and aunt- had insulted her in that way directly in her
face. Who the hell did he think he was and how dare he call her a bitch when-

She took a deep breath and saw that her hands were trembling in anger. She closed her eyes and
tried to calm down. She wanted to laugh at the fact that she once considered that they could be
friends. Friends? He would be lucky if she didn't slap him again, publicly this time. Pretending that
they were romantically involved would be a far greater challenge with his personality and attitude.

She walked back to her desk and picked up her coat and handbag.

When Chae Ryung saw her coming out of her office she stood up confused. "Miss-"

"You can go early to your home today. I won't be needing you any longer. You can have Mr. Lee
drive you back. Have a good evening," she told her, and without waiting for Chae Ryung's
response she left, leaving behind a bewildered secretary.

Ever since she started dating that Wang So she has been behaving weirdly, she thought and let out
a deep breath. Let's just hope it's for the best. Then she called her mother to ask her if there's
anything she needed.

xxx

When Wang So walked into his office that day, everyone knew better than to be stupid enough to
address him first, make a mistake or even cross his path. Dressed in all black, his eyes having a
permanent glare fixed on them and a mysterious scratch on his face, his secretary felt that this
would be no easy day for her. Secretary Kim tried her best to please her boss, making sure that both
his coffee was just like he liked it and that all the files were in alphabetical order, ready to be sent
out. But the chairman's inability to avoid mistakes made her life difficult and she had to endure his
cussings and abrupt talk, while he tried to fix them.

At around noon an emergency meeting was held.

"[...] and that's why I respectfully disagree with what the chairman suggested," a nervous worker
said, avoiding to look at Mu. He had projected logical points that could be profitable if they
decided to implement them. But Mu -despite knowing that he was correct- felt angry at the fact that
a mere employee seemed to be more strategical and capable than him and so he refused to accept it.

"And I respectfully disagree with what you suggest," he said in a menacing tone. Wook and So
looked at each other meaningfully. No one would dare to cross the chairman in fear they would
lose their jobs but So wasn't in the mood to compromise with his older brother's insecurities and
incapabilities.

" I agree with Mr.Yang. We must break off the agreement with the Russian pharmaceutical unless
you want our business to lose profits. Everyone's talking about how they are going downhill," he
said, keeping his eyes fixed on Mu. He coughed uncomfortably and touched his tie.

"We have been cooperating with them since our father was the chairman. We-"

"It's business we are talking about Chairman Wang Mu," he retorted icily, "just because there is a
long history between us doesn't mean that we have to cut short the future of our company for their
sake. Aren't I correct?" he asked, mostly rhetorically, looking around.

Suddenly everyone was too busy typing or writing and his older brother turned red. Wook cleared
his throat. "May I speak Chairman?" he asked and Mu nodded.

So raised an eyebrow. "What if we wait just a little more before breaking off our contract? Perhaps
they could recover and restore their reputation," he proposed.

"Time is money brother," So said and it didn't escape from Mu's attention that he referred to him as
a brother while he was formal with him, " and we are losing money as time passes."

"We could afford a few weeks," Wook told him.

"Alright then. That's it for today," So sighed, wrapping up the meeting. Everyone left quickly after
that until only the three brothers remained in the meeting room.

Mu stood up, his hands shaky as he tried to adjust his tie. He looked at his younger brother and his
lips formed a tight line. "Who do you think you are? Ending the meeting as if you are the
chairman? Crossing me and offending me in front of the entire company," he said in a curt tone. So
approached him and noticed that he was practically swimming in his clothes.

"You have lost weight," he observed nonchalantly and lit up a cigarette offering one to Wook and
Mu. The smell of the smoke dissolved the smell of alcohol his older brother reeked of.

Wook approached them, worrying that the situation could get out of control very quickly.

"I asked you something!" Mu snapped, widening his bloodshot eyes furiously. "You know that I
could fire you, right?" he tried to threaten him.

"Brothers, let's not-" Wook started saying but So's bitter laughter cut him off.

"I would like to see you try but -no offense Wook-ah- then who would make sure that you don't
lead the company into a total bankruptcy ?" he smirked sinisterly.

"Don't you have any respect for your highers? How dare-"

"Please, give it a rest. We all know that if you hadn't been our father's firstborn you would never be
put in such a high position. So, have a good day," he said, bowing his head to both and walking out.
Wook soon followed him. "So! Wait up," So heard him say and he stopped walking.

"You were too bold and it won't lead you to any good," he told him with a sigh.

"Why? He will snitch on me to our father?" he asked mockingly and Wook chuckled. They stepped
into the elevator and he decided to speak.

"Could I ask- how did you get that scratch on your face? It seems deep," he told So who
momentarily stiffened, a bleak look appearing on his face. Wook blinked a few times. "Wait- don't
tell me; you and Hae Soo fought?" he asked in wonder.

So cast him a dark look and nodded. Wook raised his eyebrows surprised. "How come?"

At that question, So didn't have an answer that wouldn't make him look like a complete asshole. He
was a hundred percent sure that his brother would take her side, so instead, he preferred to stay
silent.

"Ah, was it because she saw Nam Ji Hyun at the party? But why did she -umm, attack you?" he bit
his lower lip, as a chuckle was dangerously close to escaping from his lips.

That excuse was convenient for him. "Yes, she saw us talking," he said ignoring his question, and
Wook shook his head in disbelief.

"Ah, So-yah, you are an idiot," he told him, making his older brother shoot him a glare. "I believe
you have apologized?"

"No," he said and walked out of the elevator.

"Are you serious?"

"Why should I? It's not like I was doing something else with her; we were merely talking," he
retorted and Wook resisted the urge to facepalm and smack him.

He placed his hand on the shoulder and looked him in the eye. "The first rule of dating women;
always apologize. It doesn't matter whether you are right or at fault. Just do it," he said and So
raised an eyebrow.

"That's bullshit but thank you for your advice," he said mocking him.

"Suit yourself, brother. But mark my words you will come back asking for more," he said, and
smiling at him, he turned around, heading to his office.

So rolled his eyes. He walked into his office and slammed the door behind him angry, a clear sign
that no one should disrupt him even if the building would be set on fire. His eyes caught his
reflection on the mirror and he approached it. He traced with his fingers the scratch and cussed
under his breath. God knows how long it would take before it would disappear. Damm you Hae
Soo, he thought and returned to his desk angrily.

But it's your fault that she acted that way, the ever traitorous voice in his head whispered to him,
making him twitch his mouth in annoyance. As much as he hated to admit it, his anger had taken
the best out of him that night and he had unnecessary unleashed fury to her who was innocent. But
he was too proud to admit that even to himself, and even more as to make the first move. He briefly
remembered that they had scheduled to go together to Baek Ah's author reading and he
groaned. Hoping she wouldn't throw daggers at him upon seeing him, he called his secretary to
make him a cup of coffee.
"The first rule of dating women; always apologize. It doesn't matter whether you are right or at
fault. Just do it," Wook's words resurfaced to his head. He dismissed them without even thinking.
That sounded stupid and he wasn't going to let a woman -even someone as tempting as Hae Soo-
make him step on his pride even if it cost him the position of the chairman.

xxx

"Mommy!" The adorable child threw herself onto her mother, hugging her tight despite the many
plastic bags she was holding.

Chae Ryung managed to place them on the kitchen counter and chuckled, scooping her daughter
into her arms and planting kisses on her face. Chae Byeol giggled and rested her tiny face on her
mother's neck. "I have missed you," she said.

"I missed you too baby. How was your day?" she asked her, putting her back onto her feet. "Where
is grandma?" she asked.

"She went out to buy milk for the chocolate cake. And I did my homework so that the teacher will
give me the best grade in the class," she stated with so much seriousness that it made Chae Ryung
laugh. She always wanted to be first in everything... just like her father.

"Hmm, have you missed school?" she asked as she stored everything in their places.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. Chae Ryung didn't like her years in high school but
primary school had been a blast.

"Why is that?" she stopped and looked at her daughter curiously.

"Choi Hyun Woo says that he likes me," she said unexpectedly making Chae Ryung blink. "But I
don't and he always follows me around and doesn't let other boys talk to me," she frowned adorably
and her mother suppressed a laugh.

"Is that so? Does he know that you don't like him?" She would have never imagined that she would
be having a boy talk with her eight-year-old girl.

"No," she said.

"Why? You should always tell people the truth," she advised her and she heard the door open. Her
mother had come home.

"If that's so why don't you tell me where is my father?" She pouted, crossing her arms and leaving
her mom speechless.

Chae Ryung gulped, "Byeol-ah," she started saying but as if on cue, Gwan Ji Ae walked in.

"Ryung-ah, you came early today!" she said and kissed her daughter and granddaughter. Chae
Ryung cast her a thankful look. "Byeol-ah, go to my room and get your grandma her slippers," she
told her, and the child ran out of the kitchen.

"Thank you, mom. She is getting older and asking serious questions but I don't have the answers,"
she sighed.

"She is too young to understand; we can wait a few years, can't we? But still, to what avail?" she
asked her daughter who bit her lower lip.
"The thing is... I saw him," she said quietly and the old woman almost choked on her saliva.

"Then why didn't you-"

"I can't! Eight years have passed mom! I am nothing but an old university girlfriend," she
exclaimed.

"And the mother of his child," Gwan Ji Ae reminded her gently, stroking her hair. "I just want the
best for you and my granddaughter," she said.

"I know, I know mom," she sighed again as Byeol walked in, holding the slippers.

Later in the evening when her mother was watching TV and her daughter was painting in her room,
she was laying on her bed thinking. She was just twenty-one when Won had left her pregnant. By
the time she had known, they had broken up and he had graduated, departing for the States for a
master's degree. She could have easily contacted him but she held back; she never wanted to be
with someone only because out of duty or because the circumstances forced them to. She finished
university with her baby of a few months and she knew she had no time or money to afford further
studies or work as an underpaid trainee lawyer in a law firm; she needed money fast. That's why
she put aside her dream of being a lawyer and thanked heavens for the job Hae Soo had offered
her.

Despite her icy exterior, she had shown Chae Ryung a lot of understanding and even her salary had
been satisfactory even though she was inexperienced and young. And for that, she would always be
thankful to Hae Soo and that's why she always tolerated her boss's sudden mood swings without
complaints.

But when she saw him after all these years... her heart had fluttered as if she were that old
university student. But she had declined his dinner invitation. She knew she had no right to deprive
Chae Byeol of her father but on the other hand, she had no right to invade Wang Won's life like that
after all these years. She settled for exchanging numbers with a fleeting promise to catch up
someday.

Her phone buzzed unexpectedly, snapping her out of her thoughts abruptly. She looked at the
sender and her heart sank in her chest.

How long will you be avoiding me, Chae Ryung-ah?

She cleared her throat before typing the reply.

I am not avoiding you. I have been busy.

Even to her, her excuse seemed lame.

Are you busy now?

She considered lying but then again he could easily call Hae Soo's office and catch her in her lie.

Not at the moment.

Then what about we meet for some food and drinks, just like the old days? I won't be taking no for
answer :)

Chae Ryung let out a deep breath, feeling like her heart would jump out of her chest. She didn't
want to admit to herself how badly she wanted to go out with him. She scolded herself mentally for
 acting like a teenager and typed her reply.

Alright, let's meet.

Text me your address. I'll pick you up.

It's fine, just tell me the place and the time:)

She placed her phone on her bed and rolled over, excited. She jumped of it instantly and ran to her
wardrobe.

Holly shit, I have nothing to wear! she thought and a groan escaped her lips.

Chapter End Notes

another plot twist with Chae Ryung hehe. Also the palpable tension between Mu and
So- and Wook trying to act like a dove just like he did at the beginning of Scarlet Heart
(then he turned into an asshole). And So's pride is bigger than the entire state of Texas
and it's getting on my nerves tbh
 mother knows best
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"So how have you been?" he asked her and poured soju in the small glasses. They had agreed to
meet at the old place where they used to hang out when they were both studying. She couldn't
believe that this restaurant still existed but the moment they had walked in she felt as if she were 19
again and she promised that for this night only she would pretend that everything between them
wasn't so complicated. On her part at least.

Chae Ryung played with her food nervously and smiled. "Like I have always been. Except that
now I am older and have an actual job," she joked, making him chuckle lightly. "What about you?
You were the one that left the country," she said, taking a bite from the meat.

"Yes that's true," he mused and shook his head. "But still nothing interesting happened. I traveled
around a bit, got my master's, and returned home. Now my sister and I are cooperating at our law
firm," he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as the young woman absorbed the information. She
could have guessed that much herself, but that was not what she was so curious to learn about. But
on the other hand, how could she ask him-

"I see. But I thought you and your sister used to always bicker?" she asked him chuckling and
Wang Won rolled his eyes playfully.

"What do you mean used to? We still do but in the courtroom," he said making her laugh.

No, she didn't regret at all that she had accepted his invitation. She had forgotten how much Won
used to make her laugh and the revival of the memory was soothing.

"I wonder if I can ask this..." he trailed off thoughtfully making her raise an eyebrow. Since when
did he ever hesitate before asking anything?

"Go ahead and we'll see," she said in a teasing tone.

"How about your dating life? Any boyfriend that I could be making jealous right now?" he asked
her, with a playful tone and Chae Ryung cleared her throat. It seemed like the conversation had
naturally turned that way.

"Well...not really at the moment. But what about you?" she made her voice neutral, concealing
well her eagerness to know.

He drank the whole glass in one shot before replying. "I-well. I was engaged for a while but we
broke up not too long ago," he looked down and picked on his noodles but then looked up smiling.
"But it doesn't matter. Had we had proceeded with marriage, we would divorce sooner than your
boss with my brother," he joked, and Chae Ryung gave him a hesitant smile.

Despite saying that they had broken up, she couldn't help but feel jealous about that unknown girl.
She wondered what she looked like and why they called it quits but she couldn't ask him such a
personal question.

"I am sorry to hear that," she said, partly truthfully. She never stopped loving him but one thing she
had wished for after they split was to be happy with someone, even though it wouldn't be her.
He made a dismissive motion with his hand. "It's fine, I told you. Besides," he leaned in closer,
making her do the same, "now that I am thinking about it, she was too annoying for my taste," he
said smirking devilishly. Chae Ryung who suddenly realized the proximity of their faces leaned
back abruptly and gave him a light slap on the arm.

"You shouldn't talk this way about your ex-fiance," she scolded him, earning a heartful laugher
from Won. He was about to say something back but Chae Ryung's phone rang and cut him off. She
gave him an apologetic smile but furrowed her eyebrows after seeing that it was her mother calling.
Something must have happened or otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered her knowing where she
was.

"Yes mom," she said, with worry clear in her voice.

"Ryung-ah," Gwan Ji Ae spoke in an equally anxious tone, "I am sorry my child but you must come
right now to the hospital," Chae Ryung stood up abruptly, blood leaving her face.

"What happened? Is Byeol alright? What happened?" she repeated frantically, picking up her coat
and handbag. Won furrowed his eyebrows and after hastily paying, he ran after her outside.

"She ate a few figs I had cut for myself and you know-"

"She is allergic," she finished the sentence for her. "I- I am coming," she said hanging up.

"Chae Ryung-ah, what happened?" Won asked her, helping her to put on her coat.

"I am sorry, I have to go to the hospital right now," she told him and raised her hand to stop a cab.
But Won caught her wrist and made her turn around gently.

"I will drive you and stop looking at me like that. I insist," he said, his tone decisive and she gave
in. He opened the door for her and in a few minutes, they were in the central street.

"Who is it that was taken? Your mother?" he asked her.

Chae Ryung froze in her seat and bit her lower lip. "My-my daughter," she said quietly, making
Won choke on his saliva.

"You have a d-daughter?" he turned his whole head towards her direction, forgetting that he was
the driver. She pointed towards the wheel, motioning him to look ahead, and chose her words
carefully.

"I do, I didn't tell you because the subject didn't come up. I- I had her with an ex-boyfriend but we
broke up before I knew that I was pregnant," she told him the truth, suppressing a sigh. If only he
knew it was him...

He nodded understandingly. "Ah, I see. Is that why you-"

"Yes. I had to take care of us," she cut him off and looked away to her left, her mind to her little
girl. That's why you couldn't leave small children alone, they were too curious for their own good.

"Don't worry about her. My good friend is a pediatrician in the hospital and he will take good care
of her. Besides, allergies are not fatal," he reassured her.

She sighed. "She knows she can't eat figs but still insists on trying them," she said, shaking her
head.
Won raised his eyebrows. "Oh, look at this coincidence! I am allergic to figs too," he said, slightly
smiling and Chae Ryung felt her face pale once again.

"Really?" she murmured. "Maybe it's a common allergy," she said quickly and felt relieved when
the car stopped. She jumped out of it and practically ran towards the entrance.

"Chae Byeol, umm, allergic reaction," she practically snapped at the woman sitting in the
reception

"And you are her mother?" she asked and Chae Ryung nodded frantically. "Third floor, room 302
on your left," she said, and before the receptionist could even finish her sentence, she had
disappeared. Won immediately followed behind her.

Gwan Ji Ae was talking to a tall young man, dressed in white robes who was trying to reassure her
that her precious granddaughter was out of danger. That's when they both approached them.

"Doctor! How is my daughter?" Chae Ryung asked looking at him. He cast his friend a look and
nodded.

"Don't worry miss. She is out of danger, sleeping inside the room. We will keep her just for the
night just to make sure there will be no complications with her respiratory system and she's free to
leave in the morning," she told her gently, smiling. Chae Ryung felt a weight lift from her chest
and her head suddenly felt empty.

"Dr. Bae it's always nice to see you," Won told him, and the two men hugged.

"Ah, Won-ah you rarely ever visit," he made a tsk, tsk sound. Then he turned to the two women.
"You can go in but try not to make any noise. I will come back in a while," and after he bowed his
head to the elder woman he left, casting his friend a playful glare.

"Wang Won, thank you for bringing me here," Chae Ryung told him and leaned against a wall.

"Wang Won! I haven't seen you in years," Ji Ae looked at him and smiled. "You have turned into a
grown-up man I see," she said and her daughter cast her an alarmed look.

"Mom, he was a grown-up man then as well," she said, resisting the urge to bury her hands in her
palms. "I'll go see Byeol," she added, deciding not to be a witness of this.

Won chuckled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Mrs. Gwan, you look stunning as
always," he said and the old lady huffed amused.

"And you are still trying to flatter me," she chuckled. "I heard that you have your own law firm,"
she continued and he nodded.

"That's right. Should you need anything don't hesitate to contact me," he said, giving her his
business card. Ji Ae examined it for a second before putting it in her purse carefully.

"I'll keep it in mind. Do you want to see Byeol?" she asked him suddenly, making him lose his
words.

"S-sure. I would love to see Chae Ryung's daughter," he said. She is yours too, she thought and
knocked on the door. When she opened it, she saw Chae Ryung stroking the little girl's hair -who
was asleep as the doctor had said. Her face was a tad swollen but due to the medication, most of it
was gone.
Upon seeing them she stood up and cast her mother a warning look. What is she trying to do? she
thought and looked at Won.

"She's very beautiful. Like mother, like daughter," he told her and watched mesmerized as Byeol
breathed in and out. Ji Ae raised her eyebrow meaningfully behind his back and Ryung shot her a
glare.

"Thank you, Wang Won," she chuckled and they sat down. He looked at Byeol again and
wondered why was it that her tiny face seemed familiar. Wanting to roll his eyes at his stupidity,
he looked down on his watch.

"I am very sorry but I have to go. I assume you won't be going home?" he asked them as he stood
up. Both women shook their heads.

"It was nice seeing you, young man. Now that you two have reunited, I hope to see more of you,"
Ji Ae said and Won shook her hand. Her daughter cast her another warning glare, without him
seeing it, but the old woman ignored her.

"I am sure of it," he said, casting her a charming smile and Chae Ryung saw him off. She closed
the door behind her and looked at him.

"Again, thank you for bringing me here."

He shook his head. "You really shouldn't. I did nothing although..." he trailed off and she raised an
eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Just like your mother said, I would like to see more of you Chae Ryung-ah. We were such good
friends and I would love to officially meet your daughter as well," he said and she felt her hands
sweat.

Friends, friends, friends.

The word was carved in her mind. Of course and he felt nothing, she thought, how stupid of me to
have high hopes for nothing. But this 'friendship' resulted in our daughter, she wanted to tell him
but obviously, she couldn't.

"O-of course," she stuttered and he nodded. "Good night then," she said her voice almost a whisper.

"Good night and I hope Byeol will get better soon," he smiled at her, and then he turned around.
She stood there, watching him until he was gone. Then she walked inside and pitched the bridge of
her nose.

"Mom, could you explain what was that?" she asked her, controlling her voice. Ji Ae stopped
caressing her granddaughter's hand and looked up as if she had no clue what she was talking about.

"I don't know what you are referring to but I know one thing for sure; mother knows best," she said
smiling and making her daughter roll her eyes exasperated.

xxx

"It will take a few weeks to transfer the shares to your name fully," Wang Yo informed Hae Soo
over the phone as she was trying to put on the delicate tights over her legs. But, making a swift
movement with her ring, she cut them, rendering them useless. She cursed under her breath,
throwing the ruined cloth on the floor. Yo misinterpreted her cursing and sighed.

"I know it's a tardy process Hae Soo but-"

"No, it's not that. I know how these things work," she said, trying to make her voice less annoyed.
"Look, I have to go- could we talk later about this? I have been trying to put together an outfit for
over an hour," her voice sounded snappy unwittingly but he didn't mind. In fact, he was amused.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk you and my brother should challenge each other at who is more short-tempered," he
chuckled.

"Don't mention him," she scoffed. "He will be lucky if I don't cut the other part of his face tonight,"
she continued, making him laugh even harder.

"So it was you who scarred him! Ha ha ha. I think mother and I underestimated how funny the
whole situation would be."

"I didn't scar him," she scoffed. "I merely gave him a scratch but I think I have to question both
your's and his sense of humor. It's concerning," she rolled her eyes and shook her head at the piece
she was holding.

"Whatever you say. Are you going to Baek Ah's author reading? I was supposed to come as well
but only Yeona will be able to make it," he said, and she heard him drink something.

Hae Soo huffed. "For a man that pretends to be busy, you sure have a lot of time to spare around
chatting. Go help your voters," she told him rolling her eyes.

"You and So must stop saying that-" But he never got to finish his sentence as Hae Soo had
already hanged up.

She threw the phone on the stack of bags she had placed on the floor and placed her hands on her
hips. She had last talked to Chae Ryung a few hours ago- she hadn't come to work for a few days
no so as to take care of her daughter. She had never managed alone in her office that long period
besides when her daughter was still an infant. But with no one being as experienced and quick-
witted as her in the office, the last five days had been a disaster for her. To that, she had to go to a
public event this evening, and show up with him who she didn't even want to see anymore.

She was still astonished that he had made no move to apologize to her after his behavior at the new
year party and especially after that. If she would be true to herself, it was the way he had grabbed
her, insulted her, and gave her the look of hatred that had irked her the most. She closed her eyes
and took a deep breath. She wouldn't ruin her mood because of that uncivilized trashbin. And nor
would she let him cost her what the contract would offer her.

She picked out a few pieces that seemed to go perfectly together and tried them on. She smiled
satisfied at her reflection. Yes, forest green was her color. She tied up her hair in a high ponytail
and put on a light pink lipstick. When she had put on her heeled boots, coat, and a matching Birkin
she walked out of her house and into the garage. She wasn't planning on calling Wang So but she
did call Park Yeona- whom she found a very pleasant person. She picked her up from her house and
they had a joyful ride, chatting and gossiping about mutual friends. She stopped the car in front of
the Arts Centre and they both got out.

"Oh, there is your guy! So-ya hey!" she greeted her brother-in-law excitedly, and caressing her big
belly.

He and Hae Soo made eye contact and for a few seconds, he stopped walking before resuming.
"I think you will explode," he told her, earning a smack on the arm from his sister-in-law.

"You are just like your brother. But luckily I find one of you likable, Jung-ah!" she greeted the
third full brother of So and Yo and left the two alone.

She ignored him and as she was about to walk towards the entrance he grabbed her wrist. She
turned around and broke off.

"Let go of me," she hissed quietly and he huffed.

"Just one thing before we go inside," he said and she crossed her arms. Is he going to finally
apologize? she thought. I won't accept it but it will be nice seeing him try, she suppressed a smirk
and waited for what he had to tell her.

"If I inevitably have to touch you to show some tenderness," he emphasized the word and rolled his
eyes, "don't take your knives out. Alright?"

She blinked a few times and twitched her mouth in annoyance. "I don't need knives when I have
this," she raised her hand, showing him the sharp red diamond, and turned around.

He followed her and when they had to go inside -after they took off their coats- he wrapped his
hand around her waist. His touch felt like burning but she gritted her teeth and put on a blissful face
as if she had come to the event with the love of her life. Only when she saw Baek Ah did she
genuinely smile. Hae Soo waved at him and he waved back, as she and So sat in one of the front
rows. Soon after, Woo Hee walked in (only Hae Soo, Eun, and Baek Ah seemed to recognize her),
as she had a blonde wig on -that looked real- and was dressed in dark and thick clothes. Hae Soo
contained her laughter and kept a straight face as the author sat on the sofa and took the
microphone in his hand.

"Thank you all for coming to this special day for me..." he went on talking about how much his
fans meant to him and Hae Soo looked beside her.

He was looking at his brother, with a proud look in his eyes that momentarily softened her heart.
Until she remembered why she was furious at him. She turned to Baek Ah who had taken his book
in his hands and the lights in the audience became less intense. He cleared his throat and started
reading abstracts from his book that he had highlighted. His voice was soothing and charming,
transferring everyone to the places he described and making them feel the exact emotions the
protagonists did. Hae Soo had enjoyed the book that she had read on her own but she now
discovered new meanings to the words.

"He never left my mind even when we were not together; everything that irritated me reminded me
of him and everything that I loved was connected to him in a way. It was an eerie feeling settling in
my body and I tried to shut him off, pretending it was nothing. But I failed. No sooner was I
laughing with him over something silly than we tried to outmatch each other in yelling. I tried to
ask myself what was happening to me but I was at the time scared because deep down I knew the
answer; I was just reluctant to admit it to myself and tell him. But when I had finally mustered up
enough courage to do so I realized it was too late. And I could do practically nothing as I watched
him marry her, nothing but to try and find a way to glue back the broken pieces of my heart,"

When he stopped reading for a few minutes no one in the audience was making even the slightest
sound.

A tear fell from Hae Soo's eyes and, surprised, she wiped it off with her finger. She looked beside
her and at the same time So turned his head. They looked into each other's eyes, none of them
 willing to look away first, both stubborn. He took out a handkerchief and without knowing why he
did that, he offered it to her. She reluctantly took it, her fingers by mistake tracing his. Something
like electricity hit both and she pulled her hand away first. He cleared his throat and felt captured
by those big, dark eyes that never once left his mind this past week. She looked away and the
audience started clapping frantically.

The magic moment was over.

Chapter End Notes

isn't Won a silly, little boy? why are some men so slow in putting the pieces
together? Soo and Yo are #besties and lol I have never written a love-fairytale
kinda book so I don't even want to think about how cringey the abstract from Baek
Ah's book was *pinches nose in embarrassment*
 Sowillyougooutwithme
Chapter Summary

so, we have dates, surprises, arguments, more arguments, and guess what; quarreling

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

"Hey," Woo Hee approached him behind the curtains where Baek Ah was watching Eun sing. He
turned around and almost had a heart attack when he saw her smiling at him.

"Hey," he said, hiding his feelings. He automatically passed his hand through his hair and
wondered if he should have worn this burgundy turtle neck.

"Everyone's been talking about how they love your book," she trailed off, standing next to him.
They both looked at Eun, who was playing the guitar, and his smooth voice was singing about love
and pain.

"Do they?" he asked rhetorically. "And what did you think?" He admitted to himself that he was
nervous to hear her reply. She took off her wig and thick scarf, inhaling in relief before replying.

"I...," she stopped talking and huffed smiling, "I can't believe that I am saying this but I was quick
to misjudge it," she titled her head to his side and looked at him with a glint in her eyes Baek Ah
couldn't quite decipher. "I will buy it first thing tomorrow and give you a genuine review when I'll
finish re-reading it."

He cleared his throat and looked straight. "Thank you for coming," he said and her lips parted
surprised. Why was he so formal and distant with her all of the sudden? She chewed on her lower
lip thoughtfully and looked down.

"Nothing to thank me for," she replied quietly making him look at her nervously.

Was I too cold? he thought and decided to change his approach. "You don't have to buy it. I have
plenty of copies," he said making his voice softer. He reached out and grabbed one from a nearby
desk and offered it to her.

She smiled and declined with a shake of her head. "Only if the author sighs it," she said raising an
eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Of course, my bad," he murmured and she gave him a pen. He placed it against the wall and after
casting her a look, he quickly signed it. He gave it back to her and Woo Hee paged it. She had
expected a personal note but it was just an autograph. She didn't let the disappointment show and
thanked him quietly. They resumed watching Eun's performance, which lacked the usual
outrageous outfits and choreography, in somewhat awkwardly comfortable silence.

"I..." He blurted out and stopped instantly. Woo Hee looked at him curiously and he faked a cough.
He knew that if his brothers were to watch him right now, he would never hear the end of their
teasing. "I like Eun's song," he said in the end and she nodded politely.
"Hmm, it has a beautiful meaning," she added and he nodded as well.

Fuck this shit, he thought and turned around, placing his hands on her arms, making her look him in
the eye. "I am not a coward and especially not with women. But you are not just any woman.
Sowillyougooutwithme?" he asked her directly, without making any pauses. Woo Hee blinked a
few times and opened her mouth startled only to close it again, like a fish. But he wasn't far from
going into shock either. He let go of her as suddenly as he had touched her and after murmuring
something that sounded like an apology, he turned around and walked away looking like a chicken
that had lost its sense of direction.

But she quickly came back to her senses and grabbed him from his wrist stopping him. "Wait," she
said.

"You can just text me your refusal," he said looking away, and she laughed.

"What if I wanted to say yes? Then should I text you my acceptance as well?" she asked in a playful
tone and now it was his time to open his mouth like a fish.

"Really? You will go out with me?" He felt his mouth dry and his hands were sweaty. Get a grip of
yourself Baek Ah, he scolded himself mentally and she put a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I think a book says a lot about the author's personality, Baek Ah and if you are even a little bit just
like your protagonist," she stopped and smiled, "it would be foolish of me not to accept," she said,
rendering him speechless. She picked up her scarf and wig and turned around to leave but stopped.
"By the way, I am free on Saturday, I love nature and sushi," she blushed and laughing, she quickly
left.

He blinked a few times and pinched himself to make sure that it wasn't his vivid fantasy making up
scenarios. When he felt the pain, a deep breath of relief left his lungs and he sat on the floor. "Holy
Buddha," he said and he started chuckling.

"Have you finally gone crazy?" He jumped startled and looked up to see Eun looking at him with
narrowed eyes. Instantly, he became serious again, stood up, and slapped the back of his head.

"You'd wish," he told him in a disgusted tone, making his twin groan.

"Yah! Stop hurting me every time you see me, will you?" he said annoyed, making him roll his
eyes. He wasn't planning on telling him why he was chuckling on his own while sitting on the
floor. It would be embarrassing to explain. Plus, that would ruin his reputation. Instead, he sighed
and put his hand on Eun's shoulder, and gave him a smile.

"Come on, let's see what the others are up to," he said, dragging Eun with him.

xxx

"Hae Soo, could I have a word with you?" She turned around and saw Wang Won walking towards
her. She nodded, looking at him curiously. She had no idea what Won would want to tell her.

"Of course. Everything's alright?" she asked meaningfully and he chuckled.

"Yes, it's not about, ahem, that," he said. She raised an eyebrow and for a brief second her eyes
darted away. He was chatting with his sister casually, taking a bite from the finger food that they
served. Her fingers traced the handkerchief So gave her earlier and Won coughed. Her eyes
snapped at him and she quietly apologized.
"It's fine. I just wanted to ask you something about your law- secretary," he corrected himself. He
was still not used to the idea that Chae Ryung was not working in the law field.

She blinked quickly a few times surprised. "Chae Ryung? How come?" Out of all the things she
had imagined her secretary was the last person she had expected him to mention.

He nodded. "Yes, her. I-well, we used to be friends in university," he explained quickly, in a low
tone and Hae Soo's curiosity increased. "I don't mean to pry nor I have bad intentions but since you
are working with her you must know her well, right?"

"Well," How good could a Wang's intentions be? she thought to herself, and her lips sealed in a
tight line. "Just ask me whatever you want to know and I will give you an answer based on how
much I know," she told him diplomatically.

"I couldn't ask her the other day but there is one thing I am curious about," he started and she
tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. "She didn't really tell me much about her daughter until
we rushed into the hospital, but it's something else I want to know. Do you know who is Byeol's
father is?" he asked eventually and Hae Soo narrowed her eyes.

"No how could I know? It's not my business and neither should be yours for that matter," she told
him and he processed the answer for a few seconds before nodding.

"Alright then, thank you for your time. See you around," he said and left her alone. She watched
him leave for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders. She had no other choice but to go to
where Wang So was. As she walked towards him, she was lost in her thoughts. She made a mental
note to ask Chae Ryung about her friendship with him. Bt if they were friends why couldn't he ask
her-

She stopped walking and looked around bewildered. Chae Ryung must have had a very special
reason not to tell Won about her daughter. Or about who had fathered her. Friends usually told
these kind of stuff to one another. Unless the father was Won. And she couldn't tell him for the
very same reason. But was he onto something? Otherwise, why would he ask her out of everyone?
Hae Soo resumed her walking and approached Yeonhwa and So. He wrapped his arm around her
shoulder and she tried not to flinch or gag at his touch.

"Everything's alright? You look lost in your thoughts," he asked her politely, masking a perfect act
of genuine curiousness on his face. She smiled at both and nodded.

"Of course, I just remembered something I left incomplete at the office," she lied swiftly and
Yeonhwa sighed.

"I think both of you work too hard for nothing," she pointed out and drank from her cup. "Why
don't you take another trip?' she suggested narrowing her eyes slyly.

Hae Soo cleared her throat and So huffed. "Had you worked under Mu's management you wouldn't
even have time to sleep," he said through gritted teeth, making his sister sigh again but this time
with a look of sympathy in his eyes.

"You are not his personal assistant So-ya. You shouldn't force yourself to clean up his mess," she
said.

"She is right," Hae Soo spoke much to So's surprise. "You should mind your own business. You
are a CEO aren't you?" she detached herself from his touch and took a glass of juice.

"Exactly. My priority is to make sure the company won't go bankrupt and to do so, I have to find
solutions to Mu's mistakes," he said the last part irritated.

"Okay, let's say that So-ya indeed has a reason. What about you Hae Soo?"

"I don't think you should lecture others on overworking Yeonhwa-ya," her husband, Lee Sung Jin,
said approaching them. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sometimes I forget that I have a wife," he
told them, making them laugh.

"That's not true at all!" she exclaimed. "I am not a workaholic."

"Aren't you?" he asked, lightly smiling but his eyes said otherwise. "Then how come your work is
always the reason we postpone having a kid-"

"I think it's running late. We'll leave," Hae Soo quickly said and without waiting for their response,
she dragged So with her.

"I hadn't realized that she and Sung-Jin were disagreeing about having kids," he said thoughtfully
and when they were out of everyone's eyes, she let go of him.

"You don't seem to realize a lot of things," she snapped at him and he clenched his jaw.

"And I was thinking when you'd finally bite," he said sarcastically and she closed her eyes in
annoyance. But deciding to be the bigger person and not make a scene here out of all the places,
she ignored him and walked past him out in the cold air. She wanted to slam the entrance door on
his face but he was too quick for that.

She took out her car keys and as she was about to open the car's door he caught her wrist. She
turned around, ready to fight again and if necessary scratch him but she was surprised. He let go of
her first and cleared his throat.

"What?" she asked him, crossing her arms.

He sighed. "Look, we can't keep doing this if we are instantly at each other's throat the moment we
are left alone," he said and she rolled her eyes.

"You don't seem to want to change the way you are Wang So," she said curtly and he shook his
head.

"That's exactly what I am talking about. Why don't we go back to how friendly we were in Jeju?"
he asked her exasperated and she chuckled bitterly.

"Wait, wait," she raised her hands in a defensive manner. "Is this your version of apologizing?
Because I'm sorry, but it sucks," she gave him a sarcastic smile and he twitched his mouth in
annoyance.

"No, it's not. Because I am not apologizing" he said flatly making her scoff. "I am just proposing a
truce between us."

She shook her head and opened the car's door. She placed her bag in and then took a seat. "When
you'll finally get over yourself and apologize that's the day we will call a truce. Good-bye," she
said and shut the door. In a few seconds, she had driven away.

He stood there for a minute, trying to calm down. Then he sighed, shrugging his shoulders, and
turned around, walking towards his car. As he started the engine he dialed Nam Ji Hyun's number.
"Hey," he said when she answered. "How about a drink somewhere out?" he asked her and a smile
curled upon his lips.

xxx

Chae Ryung almost dropped her shopping bags when she saw Wang Won, leaning against the car
near the entrance of her apartment building. She tried to act as if this was a usual sight and walked
towards him with a calm face. Upon seeing her, he stepped forward and put his hands in his
pocket.

"Hello, what brought you here?" she asked smiling and wondering where the hell he had acquired
her address. But her smile was cut short when she noticed his expression. He was serious, more
serious than she had ever seen him, his jaw clenched and his lips in a tight line. "Everything's
alright?" she asked him nervously.

He cleared his throat and pointed to his car. "Get in, we have to talk," he said flatly and she
furrowed her eyebrows. Something must have happened or he wouldn't talk to her like this. She
nodded and he opened the door for her before climbing on the other side himself. When he closed
the door she turned her head and looked at him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked again and he chuckled. But his laugh had nothing joyful.

"I don't know. But let me ask you something as well," he cocked his head to the side and looked
her in the eye. "So, when were you planning to tell me that Byeol is my daughter? Or, and be
honest, were you ever planning to do so?"

She opened her mouth in shock and her eyes widened. "W-what did you just say?" she managed to
utter and she felt her face drain from any blood.

He raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Why? Am I wrong? I have medical papers to prove that as well
so don't think about lying Chae Ryung," his voice was devoid of any emotion, sounding
professional as if he was dealing with a client.

She looked away for a second before looking at him again. "Medical papers? What are you talking
about?" she asked him in a snappy tone and he sighed.

"Alright, give me an answer later. But to answer your question," he leaned in and opened the glove
compartment from where he grabbed a small pile of papers. He offered them to her. She hesitantly
took them from him and skimmed through them.

"My friend, the man that examined Byeol, noticed a similarity between me and her. He asked me
where I knew you and when I told him he took her DNA and compared it to mine and guess what,"
he rolled his eyes and pointed to the end of the paper. Her eyes fell on the short sentence.

"It's illegal to take someone's genetic materials and appropriate them non-consensually," she said in
a low tone, avoiding eye contact.

"Do you want me to get started on how wrong it is to hide a child from its parent?" he said, finally
losing control and snapping. She looked at him and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"And what did you want me to do, Won?" she asked him. "You left me and only told me that you
were going to the States a day, a fucking day before you boarded on the plane! What did you want
me to do, huh?" she repeated her voice raising. "Pressure you to stay with me because of the child?
I didn't want that and as you can see we are both perfectly fine just like you have been for the past
8 years," she said, her breathing heavy and on the verge of breaking down.
 But he wasn't willing to back down either.

"Oh, so it's my fault," he said laughing bitterly. "I would have stayed. I wasn't irresponsible," he
snapped.

She huffed. "You didn't even tell me your real name. For years I thought your last name was Wu
and even if I had known," she stopped to take a breath. "Do you think your father would be over
the moon upon learning that his 22-year-old son knocked up his girlfriend?" she snapped back.

He scoffed. "Is that how you thought of me? That I did everything that my father said?"

"The moment he told you to America, you packed your bags without a second thought. So how can
I not?" she smiled bitterly and buried her face in her hands.

Won closed his eyes and leaned back on his seat. For a few minutes, none of them spoke. "I am
sorry for yelling at you," he apologized in the end.

She looked up and nodded. "Then I apologize for hiding her from you as well," she said and he
raised his hand, with his fingers whipping of her tears.

He looked at her and he seemed to contemplate something."Do you think I could meet her?" he
asked and it took her a few seconds to respond. His touch had made her lose her concentration.

"Right now?" she asked him and he nodded.

She smiled at him. "Of course, but we can't tell her something so important this soon," she said.
"She is a child, she won't understand," she added after seeing the disappointment in his eyes.

He nodded. "Of course, we- umm, we could go out to movies or amusement parks later on but," he
stopped and sighed. "But I just want to meet her officially now that she is probably awake," he said
and she wiped off any trace of moisture from under her eyes.

"I think... that's a very good idea. Come on, let me introduce you to our daughter," she said and
they looked at each other with a smile.

Chapter End Notes

finally, a brother that isn't afraid to ask out the woman he likes, hallelujah Ok, just
saying that this fanfic won't drift away from my SooSo ship but I just wanted to
develop the side character's stories as well as I was left unhappy with how the series
dealt with them. I mean, they had so much potential <3 Also, I didn't expect this to
turn out this way, but it seems like Won is more likable than So
 history mustn't repeat itself
Chapter Notes

small spoiler; the chapter is dedicated only to SoSoo

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When Hae Soo went to rest, it was already late in the night and her sleep was restless. It took her a
while to drift off and even then her dreams were odd.

She was once again dressed in a white hanbok but the scenery was completely different. She was
sitting on an old fashioned swing chair outside of her home, watching a young girl sing and a man
playing the flute. She couldn't hear what the girl was singing about but strangely enough, her heart
was aching at the lyrics. Her throat felt sore and the tiredness was too much to withstand. Even
though it was somewhere in late spring and the beginning of the summer, she was feeling cold. So
cold...

But the coldness was nothing compared to how badly she wanted to cry. Yet no tears could fall.

She leaned against him, for whom she felt nothing less than fondness and love -although not in the
way the other one made her feel. Not at all. He was just her dearest friend.

He wrapped his hand over her shoulder and pulled her closer, putting his cheek on top of her head.
He wasn't the man she wanted this hug from, but still, it made her feel slightly better.

She closed her eyes briefly and he appeared just like he had all those months. Or every time she
closed her eyes even for a second. He was wearing dark robes and his face she couldn't see (at
least the half that wasn't covered by the mask), but she felt love and affection towards him. They
were on a boat in the middle of a picturesque lake and they were laughing.

At the memory, Hae Soo's heart broke into even smaller smithereens. How they had come from that
to this painful estrangement? How could he think that he wasn't the only one holding her heart and
soul?

She opened her eyes and she heard a small cry in distance. Her heart clenched at the sound. That
was the reason why she had stubbornly refused to succumb all this time, but she could feel it in her
guts that death was near her. She managed to look up and he was looking forward, with a stoic
expression.

How much pain she had caused him as well! She felt it would be rude to ask yet another favor but
she wouldn't leave this world until she would make sure that nothing would happen to her. History
mustn't repeat itself.

As she uttered her last request to him, suddenly the girl's singing sounded clear to her ears.

"If you know my longing heart, please come back to me," her gentle voice trailed off, signaling the
end of the song.

From Hae Soo's eyes, a single tear fell.

Come back to me, she thought and her eyes suddenly felt too heavy.

Just before she took her last breath, he appeared again in her mind, this time his face showing
evidently. He was not wearing his mask and he was extending his hand for her with a soft smile.
Magically, her heart stopped aching.

"So-ya," she whispered inaudibly, and after that, her small breaths ceased.

Death had taken away to a long, long, trip...

She woke up, her forehead covered in sweat and her breath unsteady. Her cheeks were moisture
and this time she could recall the dream vividly. Sitting on the bed, she buried her face in her
hands. Her heart was beating fast against the chest and she wondered why did she feel like she
experienced this scene in real life. Shaking her head, she climbed out of her bed and went into the
bathroom to splash cold water on her face.

When she lifted her head and looked into the mirror, she saw a reflection of a woman she didn't
recognize. Her hair was messy, her eyes were bloodshot and she had little color on her face.
Suddenly angered, she grabbed the hairbrush and brushed her hair thoroughly a lot of times until it
looked like a neat, silk curtain. She pinched her cheeks to make the blood rush and she decided that
this wouldn't be enough.

Hae Soo practically ran towards her closet and pulled out the simplest clothes she had, a warm coat
and a pair of sneakers. She was going for a walk near the river to clear her head.

As she descended with the elevator, she remembered the last moments of that peculiar dream. She
had definitely seen Wang So, looking at her affectionately, as he was dressed in old fashioned
clothes. She wanted to laugh at the absurdness of her thoughts. Wang So and affection towards
her? That was an oxymoron.

But she had to admit to herself that whatever it was that she had seen, it had made her feel intensely
whether that was a good or a bad thing. As she walked in the empty streets of Seoul, she wondered
how would it be if Wang So wasn't such an arrogant moron. She chewed on her lower lip.

He could be funny when he wanted to and he was the kind of person one could talk to about any
subject as he was widely educated. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, there was no denying
that he was easy on the eye. Under other circumstances, she would definitely date him. His tall and
lean silhouette, his sharp facial features, and the dashing smile he flashed whenever he was in a
good mood hadn't gone unnoticed by her. She wasn't blind nor was she stupid. But he always
challenged her limits and she felt deep down that Wang So was very bad for her mental health.

She sighed and approached the bridge. She leaned against it and looked at the river.

He also has a fiance who isn't willing to let go of him, her inner voice reminded her. She shook her
head. She had completely forgotten about Nam Ji Huyn but it didn't matter. None of this was of
importance as a matter of fact.

They were two clashing personalities, with no common things except for one; to complete
whatever it was written in the contract.

What has gotten into you Soo-ya? she asked herself and rolled her eyes. Since when do you
romanticize that moron?

She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh cold air, and turned around to head home. She had stayed
out way too long and her schedule was busy tomorrow. But when she did so, she froze in her spot,
and her eyes widened, unable to blink.

"Wang So? What are you doing here?" she breathed out and he looked at her with the same
expression.

xxx

Wang So was sitting in his office, looking out of the window and smoking a cigarette. He exhaled
the smoke and closed his eyes.

For days now he found himself, more often than not, unable to get her off his mind. It drove him
crazy and the thing was he could do absolutely nothing about it. He had reached the point that he
avoided talking to his real fiancée and he couldn't concentrate on his work. At some point, he
realized that this was more than him wanting to get physical with her but it was guilt slowly
nibbling on his brain. He put out his cigarette and went to his bedroom. But even in his sleep, she
would sometimes appear.

He laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. After counting to one hundred, he turned on his side
and then to the other.

"Fuck this," he whispered and jumped off it and headed to his wardrobe. Baek Ah had told him
that whenever he couldn't sleep, concentrate, or had writer's block, a walk, out near the river would
refresh him. He decided to put his brother's advice to test and quietly so as not to wake them up, he
closed the door behind him.

On his way, he came across a 24-hour grocery store, and without further thinking, he walked inside
and bought a few bottles of soju. He opened one and drank half of it in one sip. The drink burnt his
throat but he didn't mind. If it was drinking that would make her leave his mind, then he would
drink.

After a while, he was walking tipsy in the empty streets of the capital. He could tell that the
alcohol hadn't helped him the slightest but at this point, he simply didn't care.

"What's wrong son?" a man sitting on a nearby bench asked him. So cast him a glance. He was
wearing old clothes and his beard was unshaved for God knows how long. He walked towards him
and the man patted the empty space next to him. Without further thinking, he sat beside him and
sighed.

"Is it that obvious mister?" he asked him and offered him the one remaining unopened bottle. He
took it with a thankful smile and opened it.

"Why else would a man be wandering around? You don't seem homeless like me, so there must be
something troubling you," he drew his own conclusion, which wasn't far from reality.

Wang So chuckled bitterly. "You are right. I have a house and everything a man could wish for;
except for one thing," he said and the man nodded thoughtfully.

"A woman?" he asked him, and So turned his head to the side looking at him.

"A woman," he confirmed.

"Do you love her?" he asked him and So sighed.

"No, mister. I don't love her but I want her so much that I can't get her out of my mind," he blurted
out, his tipsy self speaking.
The man peered at him with a raised eyebrow. "And what about her?"

"She hates me but it's my fault. I made her feel that way," he admitted -for the first time out loud-
and the man shook his head.

"Why don't you apologize if you know it's your fault?" he asked him, now confused, and So
sighed.

"It's way more complicated than that. But I thought if I made her hate me then I would stop
wanting her too," he said chuckling resentfully at his stupidity.

"You can't expect your feelings to go away in such way," he advised him. "So go and apologize
before it's too late," he said and drank from his bottle.

"Right now? It's too late," So mused and stood up.

"Go wherever your heart tells you to and if she's there you will know that it's the universe telling
you to do the right thing," he told him and after that, he resumed his drinking.

So looked at him for a few moments before nodding and walking away. His mind had started
clearing from this conversation and he found the words of the man absurd. But still, he appreciated
the talk with the man. He rarely ever talked to people he didn't know and it was surprisingly
interesting.

He turned on his left, to take the route towards the river. Momentarily annoyed he saw that he
wasn't the only one who had decided to come here for a night walk but he quickly dismissed the
thoughts. He walked forward, gradually going closer to the silhouette. As he passed by the woman,
she turned around at the very same moment. He stopped walking and froze on his spot, his eyes
widening.

"Wang So? What are you doing here?" Hae Soo asked him and the words of the man ringed in his
ears.

So is this a sign from the universe? he thought to himself and cleared his throat.

xxx

"I-I was just trying to clear my mind," he said avoiding to tell her that it was her who he was trying
to free his mind of.

She nodded and bit her lower lip. "I see..." she trailed off. "I came to clear my head too," she added
and he noticed that her tone wasn't the usual curt she used to address him but rather soft.

"Were you leaving?" he asked her.

"I-yes. But I could stay," she said, feeling somewhat confused. The moment she uttered the last
sentence, she wanted to jump off the bridge. What's gotten into you? Act normally, she scolded
herself mentally and played with her scarf.

"You don't have to," he quickly said. "It's cold and umm, you may catch flu?" Wang So wasn't
behind her into scolding himself. Get into the subject before you utter further nonsense, he told
himself.

She cast him an awkward smile and put her hair behind her ear. "It's fine, I don't easily get cold,"
she reassured him and he smiled back, awkwardly as well.
"But you never know. That's why it's good to get vaccinated every year against the flu so that
you'll guard your immune system. Do you want me to give you a recom-" he was speaking too fast,
blurting out nonsense, but he couldn't stop himself. Hae Soo's sudden chuckle did cut him off.

"I am fine really," she looked away still smiling. "But what's gotten into you? I don't recall you
caring for my immune system before," she said and he felt embarrassed.

He cleared his throat and he felt his neck and face rush with blood. Hae Soo noticed that too and
her heart beat faster. Is he blushing? she thought and the first word that came to her mind was cute.

Are you fucking blushing? he thought to himself and wanted to pull his hair in exasperation.
Controlling his mouth around her was harder than he had expected.

"Ah," he chuckled awkwardly, "of course I do. I- how will we complete the contract if you are not
healthy?" he said and instantly wanted to smack his forehead. He kept saying all the wrong things.

"The contract... of course," Hae Soo said quietly, the taste of disappointment setting in her mouth.

They looked at each other for a few moments before he extended his arm and spoke. Now or never,
he thought.

"I actually wanted to talk to you, Hae Soo," her name rolling off his tongue gave him a weird
emotion. "I'll take you home," he said and her lips parted in surprise.

Reluctantly, she wrapped her arm around his and they took off in the opposite direction.

"So, what it is that you wanted to tell me, Wang So?" she asked him, her curiosity reaching the
maximum.

If anyone was to see them at the moment, they looked like a couple that had decided to go out in
the snow.

He opened his mouth several times before words finally came out. He stopped walking, making
Hae Soo halt as well, and he turned around to look at her face to face.

"I am sorry," he said looking down.

She wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly. "Come again?" she whispered, surprised.

He looked up and his eyes rolled into hers. "I am sorry for how I have talked to you and about
what happened at the New Year party. It was inconsiderate on my part," he said, bowing his head.

Hae Soo could do nothing but stare at the man in front of her. She wondered how one could have
such a split personality ranging from being an arrogant asshole to this regretful and adorable (she
couldn't find any other more suitable word to describe him earlier) man. He looked up again, his
eyes searching hers, trying to see her reaction.

She bit her lower lip thoughtfully and didn't speak for a minute. "Are you really sorry? Or are you
trying to just-"

"I am, I really am," he cut her off and his hand reached hers. Her pulse increased at his touch. "I
couldn't get you off my mind for a week after you drove off," he said, and having learned how
proud his personality was, she knew it had cost him a lot to say all these things out loud. But her
heart couldn't help but flutter upon hearing these words.
So he had been thinking about her?

"I see," she took a breath. "Thank you for your apology. It means a lot," she said, the meaning far
greater than he had imagined.

But he wasn't deaf; he could sense the hesitation in his voice. "I know you don't believe me at the
moment but, why don't we start over? We could start over as friends and everything will be much
easier," he said but he knew he was wrong. If she'd accept, things would only become harder for
him. But still, it would be better than her harsh treatment.

"I-I guess we could do that," she said and a smile appeared on her face.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief. He was positive that she would refuse.

She nodded. "We got off on the wrong foot but we have a lot of time ahead us to set things
straight," she said and he smiled.

"Thank you. I won't ever force you to do anything," he promised.

"If you mean that, I promise I won't scar you again," she said, pointing to his face and they both
laughed.

Maybe this time a friendship could indeed bloom between them.

xxx

"Here we are," she trailed off as So brought her outside of her apartment building. She turned
around and looked at him. "Do you want to come upstairs for some tea?" she asked, not knowing
what else to say. He smiled at her and declined politely. If he followed her upstairs he wouldn't be
able to control himself and he had promised her that he would.

"What will you be doing tomorrow? We could go for lunch. I am sure the paparazzi would love
that," he joked and she chuckled.

"I can't. I am flying to London and I will be gone for a week," she told him and for the first time
considering whether or not she should visit her favorite city.

"Oh, I see," he said, trying to conceal his disappointment.

"But I would consider an invitation after I'm back," she added making him laugh.

"Of course, of course. Don't forget you and I are bound together for a long time," he said playfully
and she groaned.

"Don't remind me," she rolled her eyes playfully. " Alright, I'll go then," she said. "Good night
Wang So."

He looked at her smiling. "Good night Hae Soo," he said and turned around. She watched him until
she could no longer see his silhouette. She sighed and the guard opened the entrance door to the
building.

This time she slept like a baby and her sleep was devoid of any dreams. She woke up before noon
and her maid had already taken her suitcases down with the driver and sent them to the airport. She
ate slowly and talked to Chae Ryung about how she should manage the office; not that it was
necessary. After all these years, her secretary was as qualified as her in matters of management.
 She hadn't talked to her about what Won had told her but she was in no rush; she could do it after
she would return from London.

She got dressed and after going downstairs, Mr. Lee drove her to the airport. The private air
company's plane was stationed a little far from where the commercial flights took place.

Hae Soo boarded the plane and prepared herself for the twelve-hour flight.

She tried to concentrate on the book she had taken with her but just like Wang So's, her mind was
full of him. She felt way happier with what had happened last night than she wanted to admit and
she had no rational reason as to why. With a sigh, she put it away and closed her eyes.

When she woke up, the flight attendant told her that they would be landing in an hour or so. She
thanked her and reached for her cosmetic bag to make herself look presentable. She went into the
bathroom and changed clothes and when she was done, she felt like now she could go out without
looking like she had spent half a day on the plane.

After an hour or so, she was walking towards the exit of the large airport, looking around to find
her driver. Annoyed she took out her phone to call him. She hated when people were neglectful, or
late. She dialed Mr. Rodgers's number but he didn't answer. Now annoyed, she dialed her
secretary's number but before she could call her her someone tapped her on the shoulder from
behind. She turned around, ready to pick a fight but she almost dropped her phone.

"I hope you don't mind but I made sure that both yours and my luggage would be sent in the same
car. Now, Hae Soo, how about you and I go for dinner? I booked a nice place at Mayfair," he said,
smirking. "Shall we?" he added in a perfect British accent and she huffed smiling.

Wang So was really something else.

Chapter End Notes

I love incorporating scenes from SHR in here but I must say the re-writing of Hae
Soo's death scene felt intense. But it's so weird writing about them without fighting
that I kinda feel out of my water
The ending was cheesy -don't judge me I live for these cliches, cheesy moments -
but we'll see what happens next.
I won't update tomorrow so MERRY CHRISTMAS <3

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