Homme Fatale | KSJ | ✓

Something wrong

That was the last time he spoke to her.

Seokjin never came to her again. It wasn't the same as before, where she kept bumping into him several times a day only to get ignored by him and she would occasionally catch a smug grin on his face as if he knew what he was doing to her. This was different. This was not right.

She never bumped into him again as often as she did before and in case she did see him, Seokjin acted as if she never existed. As if she were a stranger.

She thought things would improve if only she did something, but why didn't it do what it did? It felt as if she had done something wrong. She had messed up.

Jaehwa stepped into the Holo.Co entrance and looked up. 

There he was standing by the front desk cheerfully chatting with the receptionist cracking a dad joke just as he had always done. It was as if nothing changed in his life. Seokjin looked up from the receptionist and the ghost of laughter was still lingering on his lips. His dark brown eyes eventually fell on her and he paused. Gradually, a brilliant beam lit upon his lips. Jaehwa froze. Has he finally acknowledged her? Seokjin waved his hand, urging her to come closer. "Chaeyoung-ah, come here."

A little taken aback, Jaehwa turned back to see Chaeyoung running up to him from behind her with a jubilant smile on her face. "Seokjin Oppa!"

"I got the tickets!" He waved a few printed papers around as he smiled down at Chaeyoung. "Did you get Seonghwa? Jisung is coming for sure."

Jaehwa turned away from them, feeling dejected. An arm hooked around hers and she looked to her side to see Jieun looking down at her and her eyes betrayed the slightest hint of concern. "Come on." Jieun ushered her away from there and Jaehwa wordlessly tagged along.

After a few minutes, just as they reached the 13th floor, Jieun turned around and faced her friend causing her to stop. Making her look up at her, she asked, "What's going on, Jae?"

Jaehwa silently looked down at the floor as she wordlessly shook her head. Jieun exasperatedly sighed. "Then what's going on with you?"

"It's nothing. I'm just not feeling well. I don't know why I'm so bothered by that..." She spoke softly. Jieun didn't buy it. However, she heard what she said at the end and she felt like there was more to it.

Jaehwa forced out a strained smile as she looked at her. "Is it Chaeyoung?"

"Huh?"

"You know... the person he likes." Jaehwa didn't know why she wanted to know when she knew it would only leave her feeling more unsettled. Jieun seemed surprised as she stared back at Jaehwa in incredulity. She breathed out a bewildered, humorless laugh. "Are you- are you serious?"

Jieun sharply exhaled. "Listen, forget that I ever said that. I was wrong. He doesn't like anyone like that. Okay?"

Jaehwa whipped her head around to look at Jieun, "W-what do you mean?"

"I said, I was wrong. He doesn't like anyone."

___________

Below the west wing balcony of Holo.Co, there was a place no one knew about. 

Away from the central building and prying eyes, it was a place Jaehwa thought only she knew about and that was where she was. She wanted to be away from them all. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She didn't realize her mind could be an even scarier place than she thought.

Pulling her hair down, she screamed, "AAARRRGGGHHH!!"

When she spotted an innocent rock lying near her feet, she kicked it off into the distance with such force that it might as well have been a bullet. It didn't give her the peace of mind she wanted. Seething in fury, she looked around when her eyes fell on her next victim. An empty soda can.

Marching up to it, she stomped down so hard on it that it was flattened to the thickness of a paper within seconds. She was pumped up with adrenaline from her frustration and she didn't know what to do with herself. She had been so foolish. She had been so caught up in her own notions that she failed to see the reality. If only Jieun hadn't said that. If only he hadn't acted like such a jerk.

Come to think of it. It was all his fault! He was the sole reason she was such a mess right now. He was the sole one to blame. 

Jaehwa drew back a few steps and breathed out a puff of exhaling. Breathing in a determined breath, she bolted up to the flattened soda can and kicked it off to the sky. She stood there and watched as the soda can flew up into the sky and disappeared out of sight.

She resumed her screaming.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!"

No one saw the figure that stood leaning against the railing off the balcony above, watching the scene that played out below as he swirled the contents of his second can of soda.

He let out a sigh.

_____________

"Good job, Jae-Jae."

Sahan ruffled her hair with a patronizing smile. Jaehwa involuntarily drew back as she forced out a smile, "Thank you, sir."

"I told you to call me Sahan, didn't I?" He asked, making his face appear childish as Jaehwa tried to back away. He placed a hand on her arm and she stopped. It was uncomfortable. She didn't even have it in her to face him properly. Sahan took note of her downcast eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulders. "You know what? You look really pretty today..."

"Ah, thanks..." Jaehwa bit out, biting her lower lip uneasily. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to refuse. She still hadn't learned it. She was looking around anxiously hoping for him to return back to his office when, fortunately for her, there was an interruption.

"Mon Dieu- Aaahh, mes yeux!"

Jaehwa jumped back at the familiar voice and whirled around to find the person she least wanted to see there. Seokjin let out a dramatic sigh, his eyes scrunched up in displeasure. "Get a room, you guys! This is the company building for god's sake."

Jaehwa's eyes widened in horror. Seokjin didn't wait for an explanation as he walked off grumbling under his breath.

"Gross. I can't handle this without caffeine."

__________

Mon Dieu- Aaahh, mes yeux!: My god- Aaah, my eyes!