"Do you think the woman is actually coming?" Pyo Chi-Su asks. Jeong-hyeok looks down at his watch and sighs. Eight forty-five and she's still not here.
Around them, neon pink and purple strobe lights blink off and on, illuminating a dance floor full of Vast employees, celebrities, and friends who have made Cho Cheol-Gang's exclusive invitation list. Cho Cheol-Gang certainly does get around; Ri Jeong-hyeok is fairly certain he passed the Minister of Health somewhere near the club's long lit-up bar, ironically consuming several drinks in rapid succession.
In keeping with the "dungeons" theme, several chains dangle from the ceiling, and the floor is made up of a metal grating with several small holes. Several metal spider web type structures hang on the walls, one especially large one behind the DJ's stand. The décor seems childish to Ri Jeong-Hyeok, but his employees are taking it all in with characteristic aplomb.
That is to say, Eun-Dong is staring at everything with wide eyes, while Joo-Mook explains the ins and outs of the social activity of clubbing to him, which he claims to be an expert on from television. Park Gwang-Beom listens to them with an amused smirk on his face, his leather jacket and torn jeans making him look like the poster child of this nightclub; Ri Jeong-Hyeok is aware that his chauffeur is not nearly as clueless about nightlife as the other two.
Meanwhile, Pyo Chi-Su is staring suspiciously at the chains on the ceiling. The depth of distrust he regards the club with appears to be increasing with every sip he takes of his turquoise green drink, which appears to be absinthe.
Ri Jeong-hyeok wonders what Yoon Se-ri would think of Pyo Chi Su's drink and of the décor, and then he remembers the office scene yesterday.
He awkwardly lets out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. Honestly, he wouldn't blame her if she didn't show up tonight. Maybe she'd decided that attending social events like this was beyond her set of responsibilities, especially given the harsh way he'd spoken to her. It had been necessary, he tells himself firmly; he was reminding both of them of the reality of their situation.
But still, he wonders if he'd imagined the stricken look on her face when he said that they weren't friends. It had been wiped away so quickly that he couldn't be sure that it was real, replaced by that cool demeanor she had sometimes that could make a grown man flinch.
Several minutes later, Jeong-Hyeok is starting to give up hope of Se-ri ever appearing, when Eun-Dong points to the crowd.
"There she is!" he cries.
Ri Jeong-Hyeok turns to where he's pointing, searching past undulating figures and flashing strobe lights.
When he finally spots her, he has to consciously restrain his jaw from dropping open like he's in some B-grade romantic movie.
"Whoa, she looks so good!" cries Eun Dong, putting Jeong-hyeok's shock into words.
Se-ri is striding across the dance floor in shiny black stilettos and a knee length black dress with spaghetti straps, showing off skin that looks like peach cream and legs that go on for miles. The scallop neckline reminds him of tulips with its even waves.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that people are literally stopping and staring as she passes, although she pays them no attention. When she sees their group, her eyes light up and turn into crescents as she smiles, hurrying over to them.
Jeong-hyeok realizes that he's really quite flustered as he watches her approach. Although-- he shouldn't be, because when Se-ri arrives at the group she doesn't even spare him a glance.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone," Se-ri says to the flabbergasted boys, shouting to be heard above the bass in the background. "Traffic was terrible. Where's the birthday boy?"
YOU ARE READING
Front Page News
Fanfiction"Jeong-Hyeok," his father says in a tired voice, "This is how it's going to be. The general shareholder meeting is in five weeks from now. If you are not firmly engaged by then - I am going to recommend that the board make someone else the Chairman...
