Homme Fatale | KSJ | ✓

Lesson Learned: To Refuse

Sahan sat on the couch of his home, grave eyes watching the golden liquid of his alcohol swirl. He was waiting. He tapped a finger against the handle of the couch, counting each second as the time passed. A vein in his temple popped as if he was barely controlling himself from bursting out. The creak of his door opening reached his ears and his eyes drifted to the entrance.

Jaehwa stepped forward into the light. She had sensed the storm brewing. She held out her hands. "Now, Mr.Min, please be calm."

"Be calm?" Sahan asked incredulously. "I lost Holo to that damned brother of mine and you want me to be calm?"

"Sahan," Jaehwa called softly, trying to think of something that could calm him down. Things didn't look too good for her and there was no mistaking the boiling rage in his eyes.

"Jaehwa, you!" Sahan pointed a finger at his secretary, his glaring eyes directed at her. "You said, I could do it. You said the company was going to become mine!"

"I-I did..." Jaehwa muttered, playing with her fingers as she looked about. There was no way out. What was she going to do?

"It was mine! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE! YOU SAID I COULD GET IT!" Sahan had finally lost it. 

The rage in his eyes was manic and the way his fingers were trembling, as if they were itching to do something, did not feel right. Jaehwa felt the panic grip her and the distinct chill of fear crept down her spine. She carefully took a step back as she tried to calm him, "Now, Sahan. This is not the end-"
But before she could finish what she was about to say, the glass Sahan was holding flew past her, merely missing her head by a couple of inches, and crashed into the wall behind her. Jaehwa stood glued to her spot too shocked to move. Had he... had he just thrown that glass at her?

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN'T THE END! IT'S OVER! DONE!" Sahan yelled, shooting up from his chair and striding up to her. Just as he reached her, Sahan grabbed her by her shoulders and Jaehwa stiffened, her eyes reflecting genuine fear. She did not dare breathe as he yelled in her face, "It's all your fault! It was all because of you!"

"My fault?" She whispered, her brown eyes staring into her employer's glaring ones. A bitter smile slowly tugged at a corner of her lips. "My fault?" She asked again.

So it was all her fault now? All she had done was do her damn job. All she had ever done so far was to support him and even stood by and watched as he completely tried to use her. She didn't try to hold him back. She did what he wanted. She didn't protest and in the end, it was all for what?

Vain.

Sahan was always like that. She should have noticed from early on how toxic he was. She should have tried to stop him. She should have tried to protect herself instead of letting others take advantage of her. It was her mistake that she didn't do what she should have done a long time ago.

"It's not my fault."

Sahan's raging eyes widened a fraction, surprised at her reply. "What did you say?"

Shaking his hands off her shoulder, Jaehwa looked back at him. "I said, it's not my fault. You lost your company because you were incompetent."

"Han Jaehwa." He warned.

"What?" She laughed, "Isn't that why you tried to use me? To get the company because you knew you could never get it on your own. Isn't that right?"

Sahan's eyes were turning a dangerous shade of obsidian black and his fingers clenched. Jaehwa didn't stop there. "I'm sorry but I'm just done dealing with you." She couldn't believe how calm she sounded even to her ears. The humorless smile that played at her lips was not a fruit of her conscious effort either. "I'm tired. I don't think I can do this anymore." She turned away from him, "Whatever it was between us, it wasn't real and you know that too." She added, throwing a brief glance towards him with a bitter smile. "So let's end this. I'm leaving."

Jaehwa turned back and prepared to walk out when his low threatening voice reached her. "Stop right there."

Jaehwa paused but it wasn't because she was intimidated. Because there was one thing left for her to do.

You need to learn how to say no, little Jaehwa.

She smiled at the memory. She looked at Sahan. "No."

Sahan raised his eyebrows at her defiance. "What did you say?"

Jaehwa was wrong. She could have refused. If only she were braver. But it's alright. She could do it now.

"I said, no Sahan. N. O. No." She enunciated each letter properly specifically for him. Not bothering to wait for a reply, she walked away from his home, eyes focused ahead. There was nothing stopping her. She was free. Because she had finally learned her lesson.

She had learned to refuse.

Jaehwa stepped out of his property and a cool night breeze was blowing making her hair dance along with it. It felt liberating. She finally felt at ease and the full moon shone brightly in the star-studded night sky, praising her for standing up. For learning to protect herself. For only she could protect herself from getting hurt.

Clutching the straps of her handbag tightly, she strode forward, each step confident and steady. She was determined to set things right. She was ready to make it right.

The buzz of her smartphone brought her attention to it. She shoved her hand into her purse and fumbled around when the tips of something that didn't feel like it quite belonged there brushed against her fingers. Frowning, Jaehwa pulled the prickly thing out of her bag only to find that it was a vibrant red rose. There was a note attached to it.

Thanks for everything. Goodbye.

- Kim Seokjin

Jaehwa's eyes widened and her brows drew in together. What's this? A farewell note. Was he going somewhere? The phone buzzed again and she pulled out her phone from her bag. An unknown number popped up on her notifications and she frowned as she opened her messages.

Unknown
Seokjin is leaving for France tonight.
Are you just going to stand by and watch?

Jaehwa gasped as she read the message. She read it over and over again just to make sure she had read it right. The message stayed the same. He is... leaving?

She looked back to her phone just as another message popped up from the unknown number.

Unknown
Run girl.
Run to the airport. His flight leaves at 12:15 midnight.
You better make it on time.

Jaehwa didn't pause to think about the weirdly authoritative tone of the sender nor did she care to ask who her informant was. As she checked the time, it was 11:45 and there was one final thing left for her to do. To make things right.

Kim Seokjin, you jerk. How dare you just leave like that?

She raised an arm above and hailed a cab.

"Oi Taxi!"

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