Temptation || Jumin Han

01| Whiskey Instead Of Wine

You know that feeling when you've cried so much that you're calm?

Well, that's what Eva was feeling.

She was hunched over a glass of whiskey, something she didn't usually drink. Despite that, she was nursing it slowly, wanting to savor the discomfort and welcoming the numbness that would soon follow. Hard liquor was hard to stomach, gross even, but under the circumstances, it was necessary.

She needed to forget everything she saw, she needed to forget him.

The bartender had lined up two more glasses for her, enough to make her petite frame tipsy. But something was itching at the back of her mind. She needed more to forget. Alcohol wasn't going to cut it this time around.

The young woman pushed the thought away and downed the drink in two forceful gulps.

It was midnight and the bar was pretty much empty, excluding a group of men in a back booth, chatting about some college vacation they had embarked on a few years ago.

Eva was too young to have a story like that. She graduated last year at 23, and sadly, was at a bar trying to drown her sorrows in alcoholic drinks that didn't even taste good.

Her eyes and nose hurt, they were both incredibly dry that it made her uncomfortable. She wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Eva closed her eyes, about to drink the next glass until a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"I thought you liked wine."

Surprised, the young woman almost dropped the glass as she turned to face the last person she wanted to see, her boss Jumin Han.

She smoothly set the liquor back on the counter, her eyes narrowing at his bothersome smirk.

"I could say the same thing to you." She held her head high.

He sat next to her, instantly taking notice of her wavering expression.

"Why are you here?" He asked gently, indirectly referring to the obvious indications of sobbing that littered her face. This night must have been especially bad for Eva. This bar didn't have the best reputation, but it was right across the street from Han Corporations. Jumin came very once in awhile, but only ever saw his male coworkers here.

The tone in his voice was far different from the one he used at work. Eva was surprised. It was... kind.

Knowing there was no use hiding it, she let herself fall apart in front of her boss. Eva was going to take tomorrow off anyway.

"I caught my boyfriend cheating." She chuckled bitterly, swishing her drink before taking another sip. "And now I have no place to stay."

She turned to her boss with a broken smile, hoping he would not pry further. "Can I take work off tomorrow? I need to find a new apartment."

Jumin felt his heart snap as he watched her emotions switch painfully fast. She was an absolute wreck. Jumin had never seen Eva like this before. Of course he rarely saw her outside the office, but from the short months he'd known her, Jumin knew this wasn't normal. She never let her guard down like this. She was in desperate need of help.

"That's why I don't approve of living with your significant other before marriage." He blurted, raising his hand towards the bartender and asking for the same drink Eva had.

The girl frowned, obviously not satisfied with his answer. She was too shocked to think of anything to retort. "Well can I take work off?"

"Yes, that's fine. No more than 2 days." His fingers tapped the table. "Your heart should be fixed by then."