There are Many Flowers in Seoul

Chapter Fifty-Three

Rose had never found herself caught between two men, but she was sure that when women claimed to be in just such a situation they meant it figuratively rather than literally. Tae-won's grip was strong but not painful, and Rose didn't see the need to pull herself out of it when the alternative may have been another kiss from Si-woo. It hadn't felt like the kiss on her cheek – the spontaneous gesture of genuine affection – but a possessive and commanding act designed to spark a reaction in Tae-won rather than to inspire love in Rose.

'I thought you were sick?' Si-woo asked conversationally as though nothing had happened at all.

Tae-won was sick; Rose could feel the heat radiating from his chest and onto her back. The fact he was upright was a miracle, and Rose had no idea how he'd made it to the river to find them. Tae-won's hands moved to Rose's shoulders and he shifted his weight, using Rose as a crutch. She straightened her back and tensed her muscles, giving him the support he so sorely needed. He squeezed her shoulders gently in thanks, a silent moment of mutual solidarity and understanding between the pair.

Through his mask, Tae-won replied, 'And I thought you were meant to be the better man?'

'Remember that you said that, and not me.'

The tension between them was so tangibly heavy that Rose would've needed a chainsaw to cut through it. While she wasn't happy about the kiss, she didn't want to be the reason the two men got into a fight. For one thing, Tae-won wasn't in any fit state for anything so physical. For another, if things got too out of hand then it would spell the end for Silver Lilies in Korea. Rose would be sent home with Yuta and Hitomi, and poor Eun-young and everyone else at the studio would be out of a job, and it would all be her fault. The guilt of Tae-won's sickness would be nothing compared to that, and she didn't know if she'd ever be able to live with herself.

'You should leave,' Tae-won said, his voice even with forced calm and control. They were out in public and drawing the attention of strangers who'd witnessed Si-woo's kiss and Rose's outraged reaction. If anyone figured out who Tae-won was, they'd be surrounded by his fans and their pictures would be all over the internet within seconds. None of them wanted that kind of attention, especially not Rose.

Despite the din of traffic, the racing river and spewing water from the bridge, and the chatter of passing strangers, their voices carried clear and open on through the chill evening air. It made Rose feel exposed and vulnerable, as though she was standing on display in a quiet museum with one of the most intimate and humiliating moments of her life being presented for people to gawp at with morbid curiosity. All she wanted to do was to run and hide – to retreat into herself and block out the world – so she wouldn't have to deal with anything so complicated as love and rivalry. Her cheeks were flushed, and nervous sweat beaded around her hairline. Rose wrapped her arms around herself and fought to maintain her hard, angry stare into Si-woo's eyes – something made difficult by the fact she wanted to look down at her feet in utter shame for allowing him to grab her the way he did.

Si-woo held out a hand to Rose. 'Let me drive you home.' Tae-won moved his arm around her protectively which made Si-woo smile. 'Are you worried I'll take advantage of her?'

'Did I imagine that kiss?' he asked.

'Are you her boyfriend?' Si-woo challenged. 'Her brother? Father? It's none of your business who kisses her.'

'No,' Rose agreed, 'but it's my business. You had no right to do that!'

'You heard her,' Tae-won said. 'So, leave.'

Si-woo's gaze lingered on Rose. His smile didn't fade, but it softened as he watched her. Rose couldn't read his expression, but she got the feeling there was more to the way he'd acted than she first thought. He didn't seem the sort to kiss women to spite other men – that was something a bitter teenager might do – and she couldn't understand why he'd thought it would be appropriate to manhandle her. She'd told him that she didn't want to fake a relationship with him just to get over Tae-won, and that she wanted to go back to find him rather than spending time with Si-woo. The man wasn't foolish enough to think that a kiss would win her over, and all he'd done was made her and Tae-won angry.

Angry at the same thing.

Angry together against a common enemy instead of at each other.

Oh.

'Japan,' Tae-won said, blissfully unaware of the realisation which had dawned upon Rose, 'we're leaving.'

'Hey,' Si-woo spoke to Tae-won but didn't take his eyes off Rose, 'don't hold up the shoot anymore. If you do, I'll work with Rose alone.'

Tae-won didn't dignify the thinly veiled implication that Si-woo would seduce Rose if he wasn't there to stop him with a reply. Instead, he dropped his arm across Rose's shoulder, held her against his side, and began walking away with his head held high and his shoulders squared.

'Rose, I'll see you at work!' Si-woo called out, playing his part as the villain of the night to such perfection that she almost believed he was as much a jerk as Tae-won and Keiji.

They picked up the pace and Si-woo didn't follow. He watched them make their exit and pushed his hands down into his jacket pockets, his smile disappearing once he was sure Rose couldn't see it disappear. It wasn't quite the evening he'd had planned, and he'd thought he might have won her over if Tae-won hadn't shown up when he had, but he'd managed to salvage her good opinion of him in the end. No matter what Tae-won thought of the kiss, Si-woo knew Rose had thought it a device to bring her and Tae-won together and was mildly grateful for his effort.