Just Business And Pleasure - A Jumin Han Fanfic

Chapter Five

Jumin POV

Assistant Kang had been fielding his calls since he'd arrived at the office, not only were there questions about the state of Song Industries, and whether C&R would take advantage while they were in disarray, there had been an onslaught of questions about Nari staying in his apartment the night before.

His father had called in the entire board of directors to watch Nari's press conference. Jumin had watched it three times since. The first time, he hadn't even listened, just watched in amazement. There was no doubt that she knew how to hold herself in stressful situations, her ability to get down to business and push emotion to the side had always reminded him of himself, but in light of the events... He had considered calling her. She hadn't called him, despite his offer to her.

There was a knock at his office door and Jumin looked up from the paper he'd stopped paying attention to over an hour ago. Assistant Kang creaked his door open, stepping inside with folders in her arms.

"The chairman is still waiting on your statement about Song Industries." She placed the files on his desk. Papers he'd need for meetings tomorrow, in the order of which he'd need them. She'd rescheduled his morning and fit them in over the next few days. "And you have a private call on line 3."

Jumin handed her the paper. His father had decided, due to the situation between himself and Nari, that Jumin would be handling the situation, and he would be doing that by doing nothing other than offering support. "Who is calling me?"

"Duri Song. He wanted to speak to you with regards to his sister, if you're available."

Jumin nodded, and as she left, closing the door behind her, he picked up the phone and pressed the relevant button. "Jumin Han speaking."

"I just thought I should mention that I'm leaving, Nari is going to be in her office a while, I don't think she's doing anything, but I..." He sighed, and moved, perhaps packing papers away. "I don't know what your relationship is with Nari, but I don't think she should be alone right now, and I'm not—we don't."

Duri didn't finish his sentence, giving another sigh. "She needs someone and we don't have the same circle of friends. Nari is comfortable around you."

He'd always been under the impression that Nari and her brother didn't get on. Their dinner the other night was the first time Nari had ever mentioned her brother outside of a business environment. And even then, while she had always respect him, bitterness had always been in her tone.

"So I just thought I'd call you."

Jumin checked his watch. 10pm. And the pile of papers next to him. "I'll visit her on my way home."

"I'll let the reception know."

Jumin put the phone down on him, unsure of how to feel about the call, so he didn't. He put his papers into a case and messaged Driver Kim that he would be leaving, and they would be stopping by Song Industries on his way home.

Jahee had left. Her desk outside his office sat empty, meticulously tidied away. She had put in a lot of work that morning. Jumin wasn't sure what Nari had said, but when he came to work his entire morning had been rearranged, and Jahee hadn't mentioned it, not even when complaining on the messenger.

As Duri had said there was no hinderance in getting into Song Industries, in fact, it appeared they were expecting him, and they offered directions to Nari's office. He knocked softly on her office door, not waiting for a reply as he opened it. She stood against her window, illuminated by the city's light.

In the solace of her office, Nari cut a different figure than the one she had on television, than the one she did at their dinners. Shoulder's hunched forward with her arms wrapped around herself, and as she turned in acknowledgment, she was too slow to wipe the few tears that lingered on her cheek.

Her mouth opened and closed. She brushed the sleeve of her jacket against her cheek, standing up straighter. "Jumin?"

"Your brother called, he said he was concerned about you and didn't think you should be alone."

"Duri did?"

He nodded, stepping inside, closing the door behind him.

"That's what he said?"

"He thought that you would be more comfortable--"

Nari closed the gap between them before he could finish, and pressed herself against his chest, gripping the opening of his jacket. His train of thought left him as he gripped her elbow, holding her against him and dipped his head, kissing the top of hers, like he had the night before at dinner. "Come, I'll take you home."

Jumin helped her slip her jacket on, and then held out his arm for her, allowing Nari to wrap her arm around his, cuddling up to his side as he escorted her out of the building, and into his car.

"I'm sorry that Duri called you so late."

"I was at the office." He nodded for Driver Kim to stay by the car as Jumin opened the door for her. "I had paperwork to catch up on."

"Still, you didn't have to, Jumin. I appreciate how busy you are."

"I wanted to."

"Oh." Nari glanced up at him and her gaze softened as she climbed in.

Jumin pulled his phone out of the inside of his jacket pocket. The messenger. Zen was complaining Jahee had worked late, but his assistant insisted she didn't mind helping during this difficult time. It was why he paid her far above what anyone else that worked for him earned.

Zen: Difficult time? This is Jumin. A difficult time is deciding which food to feed the furball.

He let the comment float over him. Zen's opinion didn't matter. None of their opinions mattered. He had never cared for Li Song, as a business woman she was ruthless. Jumin had only met her on a handful of occasions, and none of those had left favourable impressions. His agreement to marry Nari had come from the need to get his father off his back, and the benefit to C&R.

Jumin went to pull his jacket away from his chest to put his phone back into his inside pocket, but he found Nari's fingers had linked through his on the middle seat of the car. When had they started holding hands? She had a habit of that. He let his gaze follow the jacket of her arm, until he met the back of her head, brown hair swept up into a messy bun. Nari stared out the window, as she had in her office, watching the world go by, leaving them behind.

"Jumin, this isn't the way to my apartment." In fact, they were going the complete wrong way.

"I know." He slipped his phone into his pocket and turned to his own window. "I told you; your brother didn't think you should be alone, and I agree with him."

"Technically this is kidnap."

"The world can have you back tomorrow."