Compass

Chapter 4

"What do you mean?"

She gave a half shrug and put the mug on the table. He noticed she had gulped a lot of liquid, perhaps because she was really cold after all and was acting like she wasn't because she didn't want to bother him. As usual. He saw how she hugged herself and rubbed her arms and he had wanted to put his hands there to do it for her, but he didn't want to ruin the mood.

"That wasn't a real date. You were set up" she covered her mouth with her hand as if she had just said something terrible.

He cocked his head and frowned. Then his supposition was right, but he didn't want to let her know. He wanted her to think she had fooled him because it was funny.

"I'm amazed that you didn't realize it" she continued, putting a hand on her hip. "You lost your touch."

The corners of his mouth turned up and he chuckled. "I didn't lose all of my touch, Mo Hyun" he replied and scratched his chin. "And I probably deserved it."

She gasped but she quickly smirked. "I told you that it would take time for me to forgive you."

"You told me. And I didn't expect that you'd forgive me so easily."

She nodded and crossed her arms. "I wanted you to feel what it felt like being fooled" she explained, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "But just for a couple of hours. I asked Hyun Joo to torture you with questions pretending she was interested in you."

This is what it was, he thought. It wasn't something Mo Hyun would do, but he figured she did it for fun because she wanted to take a small revenge for the infamous marriage of convenience that put itself between them ever since they met after she had saved him during her teens. He thought he deserved it like he had told her, but he knew she didn't have an agenda like he did and she would just do it innocently. He had always known that it would be hard for her to move on from the fact that he used her for his revenge, but that maybe in the future she would be able to forgive his sins.

"You were teasing me, then." His wasn't an accusatory tone, he was cheekier, as if this exchange was foreplay.

"Yes, Eun Cheon" her voice rose when she pronounced his name. "I was really teasing you and you bought it. But I had my reasons."

"And I had mine to ask you out tonight."

She raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth slightly as if she was surprised by his openness. "Were you angry that I brought my friend, huh?" she questioned with a smirk.

He leered at her. "I am usually patient, Mo Hyun" he provoked her, moving closer. If one of them would move their head slightly, they could almost kiss.

She didn't seem bothered by this proximity. Another person would have recoiled back to claim their personal space, but Mo Hyun stayed were she was. "I have been too patient" she told him, emphasizing on the 'too patient'. "Too bad I've lost this virtue."

"Ah, you did?" he asked, pursing his lips. "Then what do you want, Mo Hyun? Since, you know... you are sick of waiting" he lowered his voice and inclined his head on the left.

She bit her lip. "What do you want, Eun Cheon" she challenged him.

He smirked. "Do you really want to know?"

"Will you hold it longer?" she asked with impatience.

He rolled his eyes, giggling. She was still teasing him and he liked it, but it was time to act. He closed the distance between them until their noses were touching and their eyes were mere inches apart. He could read the shock in them but also desire – or that is what he hoped was. He wished it wasn't just the light coming from the chandelier on the ceiling that made them shine.