Homme Fatale | KSJ | ✓

Right or Wrong

"You and Sahan are dating?!!"

Lee Jieun yelled, shooting up from her seat as the latter winced at her outburst. Jieun couldn't believe it when she heard the rumors but seeing her friend's behavior just confirmed them and it was the most despicable thing she had ever heard before. Reluctantly, Jaehwa admitted her voice was so low that it was merely a whisper. "Yeah."

"How- what- How did that even happen?" She queried, unable to believe her ears.

Jaehwa could only shrug as if to say it just happened. She didn't look too happy about it and neither was she willing to elaborate. Jieun eyed her friend suspiciously. Something felt very out of place. This was not the crackhead friend she was used to. This Jaehwa was being eerily quiet and Jieun wasn't liking it one bit.

"I'm so disappointed in you. Was all that talk about how you don't need to have romantic feelings to be loyal to someone a lie? Were you just pretending to not like him?"

Jaehwa silently shook her head in denial. She was not even responding clearly. She looked as if she'd lost all her resolve. Slowly her downcast eyes drifted up to meet Jieun's and she softly said, "I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore."

Jieun's keen eyes assessed her friend who sat slumped on her seat. It was obvious.

Something was going on with her and she had no idea what it was.

_____

Few days before

Min Sahan set his glass of water on top of the table as he watched his secretary who sat across him, being clearly too distracted by the interior of the huge restaurant. Tapping a finger against the smooth polished glass of the table, he called, "Ms.Han."

Jaehwa's eyes snapped back to him. "Yes, Mr.Min?"

"Pay attention to what I'm about to say because this is important." He started finally gaining her attention and Jaehwa nodded her head. "Sure."

Sahan heaved in a breath before he began. "Remember how you promised me that you would do anything to get the company for me. Did you seriously mean what you said?"

Jaehwa nodded her head, surprised at the random inquiry. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

Sahan folded his hands against his chest as he leaned back in his chair as if to get a wider view of her. "Do you really believe that I can make it?"

"Yes," Jaehwa answered puzzled at the questions her employer was aiming at her.

"You promise to stay on our side no matter what?" He pressed although he knew the answers to his questions. It wasn't that he needed the confirmation. He wanted her to say it with her own mouth. Something that's stated exclusively is quite a hard thing to take back.

"Yes, I promise." She replied, eyes trained on him in confusion.

"Then I want you to do something for me."

"Sure."

"You'll have to date me."

"Cough! Cough!" Jaehwa practically choked on air and Sahan waited patiently for her to calm down. When she finally did calm down from the surprise, she asked, "I'm sorry, can you repeat that again? I don't think I heard you well."

"You did. I asked you to date me." Sahan repeated nonchalantly, making her eyes go wide.

"But w-why?"

He shrugged. "Because I like you."

Jaehwa stared at her employer slack-jawed in disbelief. What the actual fudge cakes-

"I- Mr. Min, I don't think that's- I don't see the reason-" Jaehwa stuttered out, unable to find an appropriate excuse. Sahan's unyielding stare drilled into her and the panic that had suddenly taken control of her mind didn't let her think properly.

"You want to know why that matters?" Sahan asked the question for her and she nodded her head trying to make sense of what was happening. "Because it's for our future. We need to stay together if we need to win this Jaehwa."

Jaehwa didn't miss out on the detail that he had used her real name, however, her mind was too preoccupied with what it all meant. Her fingers curled into fists and she had to control the undesirable habit of biting her fingernails again. Sahan took note of her hesitation. "You don't think I can treat you well Jaehwa?"

"I- That's- that's not it, sir." She stumbled looking around the restaurant trying to see if there was something, anything that could help her.

"You can call me Sahan." He spoke, his voice low and soft, coaxing her to relax. It didn't seem to have much of an effect. Jaehwa's fingers began fumbling with a chain on her wrist in nervousness. Sahan placed a hand on hers to stop her. "Give me a chance."

She paused as she looked up from the table to him. His smile was inviting and patient. She pursed her lips. "At least until the board meeting, give me a chance. Because I'm sure that I can convince you."

Jaehwa watched him anxiously as he faced her with a condescending smile that was supposed to be soothing. Sahan's hold on her hand firmed. "You promised, hmm?" His tone was childish as if he were merely making a joke.

Jaehwa regarded him. Was it really necessary to form a relationship with him? But if that's what he wanted, did she have a choice? 

Something in her hesitated and she knew exactly what that was. She shook the image of her rival from her mind. It was useless to hang on to irrational feelings. It was unreasonable. Besides, he likes someone else.

Maybe this is what she wanted. A change. A distraction to take her mind away from everything. But was this right?

Sahan gently squeezed her hands. "You'll do it. Won't you?"

Jaehwa hung her head down.

"Fine."

_______

Present

Jaehwa felt unsettled.

She thought it was supposed to be a good thing that she had agreed to Sahan's proposal and that it would take her mind away from things that she deemed difficult. But why then doesn't it feel right?

She was like the walking dead. Just robotically doing her work and going on with life when she felt totally empty and dead inside. There was no sign of life. No sign of anything briefly positive. Is this what she wanted?

She was jerked back to reality when she felt a hand on her arm yank her back, making her retrace back the last few steps. She didn't expect the owner of the hand to be him. She didn't expect him to have that undecipherable look on his face that somehow looked as if it was anger to her either.

Seokjin looked down at her and soon his expression turned to his usual smile that always held certain mischief to it but this time, she noticed that there was no mischief. "So you're dating your boss. Is it true?"

Jaehwa instinctively opened her mouth to say that it was not true, but she closed her mouth before she could do it. Because whatever it was, she couldn't tell him what it was. Her eyes went downcast. Seokjin sighed as that smile remained. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were close."

"It's not-"

Jin cut her off. "I don't want to hear it." He held up a hand in front of her face acting as if he was feigning hurt. Dramatically, he brought his hand to his chest, "You could have at least given me a heads up. I'm hurt, you know?"

Jaehwa helplessly looked up to him, wanting to say something but there was nothing she could say. Seokjin's smile faded.

"I almost got fooled."

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