A Risky Deal - Nachaeng

(CH.22) regressing

Nayeon's steps are hesitant after she gets out of the car and starts walking in the direction her phone guides her.

She's a little annoyed with herself because she can feel her doubts coming back – not so secretly settling again in the pit of her stomach, slowing her steps.

It's not that she didn't think this through – on the contrary.

After opening up to Jihyo – which in itself had been a big step for her – Nayeon had thought it over and over and over again, coming to the conclusion that her friend was right. She needed to talk to Chaeyoung – there really wasn't a way around it because otherwise there would be a real chance of Nayeon's heart collapsing. And even if she placed more emphasis on her brain, she was still aware that she valued herself enough to not give in to it.

But still, now that she was this close to seeing Chaeyoung again after their fallout, the Im heiress became insecure. And if she was completely honest with herself, she knew that she was afraid.

She usually was when she deliberately had to open up about her feelings – especially when there was a very real chance of getting rejected.

Not knowing where Chaeyoung stood in all this almost driving her insane.

She could only hope for the best now.

"Are you going to come in, or...?"

Nayeon jumps when she hears a female voice addressing her in a slightly uncertain voice and it's only then she realizes that she had been pacing in front of her desired destination for the better of some minutes.

The woman to whom the voice belongs stands in the entrance and holds the door wide open – silently inviting Nayeon in.

The feline-eyed Korean looks at her for a second – unsure about her next action, before swallowing empty once. She pulls herself together and takes up all her courage, before stepping past the woman at the door and entering the building.

The inside of the building looks exactly as one would assume from the outside, old and rather shabby, with a reception desk that looks more like a table with a phone on it.

A little further down the hall, Nayeon can see that all the walls are made of glass though – which does justice to the establishment.

"Are you here to donate?"

The blonde woman that had just lured Nayeon inside and was now sitting at the reception-desk looks at her rather expectantly as she reaches for a clipboard laying on top of the table.

"I'm sorry? Donate?" Nayeon repeats as if she hadn't heard her perfectly fine.

"Yeah. For the school. Are you not here to donate money?"

Nayeon blinks – the confusion visible on her face apparently, because the person opposite immediately bows as an apology.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Miss. It's just.. you look like.. I just assumed..." she presses her lips together in order to stop herself from stuttering further, before adding another small "Sorry".

Nayeon furrows her brows before sending the other woman a genuine smile which is returned shyly.

It really shouldn't matter right now, because she clearly is on a mission here, but still Nayeon can't help her curious self from investigating further.

"What does the school raise money for?" she asks before stepping closer to the blonde – trying to read the writing on her clipboard. Her vis-à-vis quickly turns around the piece of paper so Nayeon's able to read.

"Save the Gwanak-gu Art Academy." Nayeon voices out before locking eyes with the other woman once again.

"The art school is to be demolished. That is why we are looking for donations so that we can buy the building. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very promising at the moment. The people in this area are not very wealthy, which is why they send their children to us, where lessons are free, but... it is as it is. Anyway, I didn't want to detain you. Can I help you with something?"