Sleeping With The Enemy

The Pattern

Five years later.

The third dare was by far the hardest. As the CEO of KU Media, Min Hyeon had no business walking through the halls of another media corporation's office. His dare today was going to ruffle major corporate feathers. His target? None other than the elusive Koo Seo Ryeong.

Seo Ryeong was the anchor of KBS Corporation's Primetime News for two years. She managed to get to this position by sheer grit and talent. Min Hyeon knew since his corporate spies in KBS reported her movements to him regularly.

No one dared to ask him why he was so fixated on the anchor of KBS' Primetime News and he didn't welcome questions either. Min Hyeon wasn't about to explain his obsession with his ex-girlfriend to anyone. Gone were the days when he was a newly minted CEO under the shadow of his father. Min Hyeon had made a name for himself as the ruthless anaconda of businesses. He swallowed small businesses and large rivals at the slightest chance. His brainchild KU Media, which his father had scoffed at, was now contributing to a quarter of KU Group's annual profits. Min Hyeon knew his father was still skeptical about KU Media but he no longer lived for anyone's approval. Seo Ryeong had taught him that much, at least.

Min Hyeon's feet brought him right outside the broadcasting room. The 'ON AIR' light was on. He pulled hard at the heavy door. The door closer on top resisted, preventing the door from being yanked open.

"What the -", said the PD.

"I'm afraid you have to go off air."

Min Hyeon helped the process as he manhandled the technician and turned off the broadcast. He felt bad briefly, for the technician. He shrugged off the feeling. KBS Corporation was going to be KU Media's at the stroke of midnight. This was his only chance to fulfill the third dare : 3. Dramatically take me out of an important work-related setting. Min Hyeon had racked his brain on how to carry it out without harming Seo Ryeong's career. This seemed to be the only way and the only time possible.

When KU takes over KBS at the stroke of midnight, all work contracts had to be renegotiated. Min Hyeon had decided after two bottles of wine that NOW was the best time to act.

The anchor in question was livid at the interruption, as was everyone else involved in the Primetime News production. Min Hyeon saw that there was uncertainty in her eyes as Seo Ryeong realised that he had just completed another dare. She had the exact same undecipherable expression the other two times he completed her dares. He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the broadcasting room, none too gently.

"What are you doing here? Let me go!"

"SECURITY!", PD-nim called out. Already, KBS employees were blocking the main corridor leading to the lifts.

Min Hyeon had already pre-planned his escape route. He was going to take Seo Ryeong with him. He bent down and carried her out towards the stairwell and ran downstairs. She was much lighter than he remembered. She had lost weight. He knew when she saw her charismatically covering Royal news for the first two years post graduation. He knew she lost even more weight when she became the Primetime News Anchor. However, carrying her today was a revelation. She was too skinny.

"If you don't let me down, I'll geld you, so help me God!" Seo Ryeong shouted as they cleared the seventh flight of stairs.

"How will I know you won't run off?"

"Are you kidding me? Where would I run off to? My colleagues think I just ran off with the Enemy!"

"The enemy? Is that my nickname?" Min Hyeon panted as they cleared another two flights of stairs.