Chapter 3

"Sunhee?"

Jongin turned to look at the girl, his expression a mixture of shocked, amused, and of the thrill of seeing a familiar face after a very long while. He's afraid to even blink, thinking that by doing so she'll suddenly disappear before his very eyes. Jongin found it hard to take his eyes off of her, that it became too much for Hyunmi to stay and watch.

"Is it really you?"

He watches as the woman's lips curl into a half smile, greeting him with the calmest voice that made him feel a sense of longing. Warmth spread throughout his body when she called out his name, yet as he continued to stare at her, he began to witness how her smile fractured even before it formed.

The downcast look in her eyes tugged into his chest, so much so that seeing it had cut him deep. It wasn't because he still had lingering feelings towards her, but because of the remorse he felt, because he knew at the back of his mind that it was partly his fault why she left behind everything. He was the very reason why she lost her smile, and Sunhee was too oblivious to know that.

"We're going now." Sehun announced, breaking Jongin from his train of thoughts.

He almost forgot that Sunhee's not the only one with him in that room, and he understood now why she looked so down and beaten.

Jongin saw the way Sehun looked at Sunhee for a brief second before he turned away, while Hyunmi stayed by Sehun's side, her hands on his arm as she stayed silent. It felt odd for him, when just a while ago she couldn't be bothered, even if he told her to shut up. His brows creased at the proximity between Sehun and Hyunmi. Seeing them together made Jongin feel uncomfortable, and without another word, he marched towards the pair.

"You're not going anywhere Ms. Park."

Jongin reaches for Hyunmi's hand, causing her grasp on Sehun's arm to loosen. He was quick to pull her towards him, which caught Hyunmi off guard.

Hyunmi almost flinched when she felt his hand clasping on hers. It felt strong and firm, yet the contact made her feel vulnerable. His warm touch felt almost too good for her. It was too weird of a sensation that her mind started to reject how her body is responding to him.

"No one's going home until we finish this damn photoshoot." He says, eyeing the poor girl sternly.

Yet she did not falter. Hyunmi stood her ground, not the least bit intimidated by the man in front of her, at least that's what she wanted him to believe.

"Let go of me." Hyunmi says sternly, causing everyone around them to feel uncomfortable. It was too late when she realized that her words not only provoked Jongin, it also stirred something inside him. Jongin wanted control over Hyunmi. He wanted to have her wrapped around his fingers, and the glimmer in his eyes told her so.

"Or what Ms. Park?" He smirked, pulling her closer to him, their faces only an inch away from each other.

"Or else I'm really calling this engagement off."

Jongin chuckled at the woman's failed attempt to intimidate him. He didn't notice that having this conversation made Sunhee uncomfortable, and when she turned away to join her staff, Jongin needn't apologize. All his attention is focused on this sly little woman in front of him, and he so wanted to have his way with her.

When Hyunmi backed away, his grasp on her tightened, pulling her closer as for her not to be free from him. Jongin can hear her heart beating, her shallow breathing traveled softly in his ears, and her face the only thing his eyes can see. He knew then that he desperately wanted her.

"You know, if you keep acting like the brat that you are, then I'm gonna have to keep that pretty mouth of yours shut."

"You can't make me even if you try, Mr. Kim." She smirked, taunting him in the most delicious way.

"Are you honestly trying my patience Ms. Park?" Jongin smirked, his hands trailing on her arms towards her shoulder, making her skin crawl. "You do know that I don't give a single damn even if people are here watching us, correct?"

"I don't care what you say, as long as you get your filthy hands off me, you sick bastard." Hyunmi says, gritting her teeth.

"Calling your boss, and your fiancée names won't do you any good Ms. Park." He pulled her closer, that was all it took to hit the final straw.

Jongin's smile grew wider as he launched himself towards Hyunmi. Before the girl could even react, he already had his palm on her nape, pulling her towards him. He lingered for a while as he watched the horror in her eyes, before he planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

Jongin let out a guttural moan the moment he felt her warm and soft lips against his. It felt so right for him, having her inside his arms. He received no protest from Hyunmi, and it urged him to deepen the kiss, making him long for more. He's so used to girls giving him what he wanted, that he forgot how thrilling it was to achieve something he worked hard on.

"Call this off, and I'll be the one who's going to pack your things and send you back to your father." He whispered, brushing the tip of his nose against hers, causing for Hyunmi's cheeks to turn a crimson color.

"Now be a good girl for me Ms. Park and do as I wish." Jongin wipes the side of her lips with his thumb, removing the faint color of lipstick that got smudged because of his kisses.

"Have your makeup fixed." He gave her a faint smile. "So you can give me another reason to ruin them."

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Sehun couldn't believe his eyes. Watching Jongin show dominance over Hyunmi, it made him feel relieved. Finally, the two can stop playing cat and mouse. He couldn't help but smirk at the couple. It was high time they worked things out, after all, everyone can tell how they feel towards each other.

He threw a look back at Baekhyun, wanting to see how he would react to all of these. What he saw was the softest smile on his lips as he watched the scene in acceptance. Baekhyun didn't fail to see him staring him down, he gave Sehun a reassuring nod, before he turned to talk to Sunhee.

Realizing that she's around yet again, suddenly she was all that mattered to him. He felt as if his breath had been knocked out of him, causing his throat to constrict, and his lips to run dry.

He watched her from a distance when the staff that Sunhee's with came inside the room to take the remainder of the things they have. He looked at her closely as she stopped them and told them to set up the equipment yet again, remembering every small gesture her hand does, or how her smile made him feel vulnerable with just the sight of it on her lips.

Her lips that he knew all too well.

Sehun felt weak at the thought, and tried his best to shift his focus somewhere else.

The staff only shrugged and gave her an okay sign, before they turned to go get the equipment they already placed in the car. They were probably already used to clients changing their minds at the last minute.

Looking at her now, Sehun felt that he became a man that had been trapped within the confines of the world he created. It was his own choice to leave her, because loving her felt like a battle he'd lost so many times. He thought that by leaving he'll be able to free himself from the pain, that he'll be able to free her from his suffocating grip. He feared that by staying with her will only hurt her because he carried a baggage that even he doesn't have a control over. He never created the perfect image of happiness, because he feared that one day he'll get hurt by them, but Sunhee managed to break through the cracks and by doing so, became the very image he was afraid to have.

She was a picture of perfection, and her smiling face directed at him is what he considered his happiness. Right this moment he realized that there is still some truth to it.

It broke him when he left her, and the journey he took without her by his side has left him crippled. He doesn't wish for her to look at him again, so he gave up without even starting a fight. He knew she deserved better.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!"

Hyunmi stomped her feet, breaking Sehun free from his trance. She muttered profanities under her breath, something he's gotten used to whenever Jongin is around her. Before Hyunmi could pass through him, he grabbed her by the arm and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll wait for you till you're done." He mustered the courage to smile. "I promised to take you home."

With his words, Hyunmi felt the weight from her chest being lifted. She found that she doesn't have to deal with Jongin as much whenever his friends are around, and it was Sehun who's clearly willing to give him the time.

"Thank you, Sehun." She managed to give him a smile, before she left the room.

"I have to go for now, Jongin, Sehun." Baekhyun says after they lost sight of Hyunmi.

Baekhyun told some lame excuse to get himself out of the situation, when in reality, what he wanted was for Sehun to make a move. He knew the two were preoccupied enough to see through his acts, and he took that as an opportunity to escape. Now, he's done his part, it's Sehun's turn to do his. This is the most he can do to get the old Sehun back, and no matter what happens today, Baekhyun can finally tell himself that he did his best to help his friend find his way back. Maybe by seeing Sunhee again his friend might finally be able to find himself. It always worked before, and he's hoping that it'll work again.

When Baekhyun left, Jongin went to go to Hyunmi, and Sehun was left alone with only her in the same room.

Silence ensued and Sehun wondered how he could keep himself from looking her way. It felt as if time had slowed down, and all he wanted to do is get out of there, but all he did was continue watching her every move. Sunhee never gave him so much as a peek, and it urged him to keep his eyes on her.

Moments later, the sound of her phone breaks the silence, and he suddenly found himself closer to her. Somehow he's been lured to her without his knowledge, he was only grateful that Sunhee didn't notice a thing.

"I'm fine, baby." The smile on her lips lingered for a while, before she continued to talk to the person on the other line.

Sehun's ears perked up at the endearment. Something about hearing her talk to another person that way made him feel...betrayed.

Didn't she used to call him that?

"Yes, Chanyeol did say you'll come and visit. When am I going to see you again?"

Her words progressively grew louder in his ears. For Sehun, it felt as if he's being slapped in the face. The reality of the situation is that he no longer has that amount of power on her. He can't tell her to stop calling another man in such endearment, because he gave up his right to do that the moment he left her. He can't tell her to look his way and ask her to take him back, because he was the one who left her in the first place, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to go back to the way things were with her.

Without another word, Sehun left the room.

The least he can do now is admit to himself that he felt hurt by the thought of her inside another man's arms. He couldn't stomach the vision of another person making her happy, and maybe that's just him being selfish, though admittedly, he doesn't have the luxury to feel that way.

Sehun shakes his head in both confusion and what felt like his guts turning inside out. It was the first time in years he felt like this, and he can only choke it up to him being spiteful

Hearing her talk to another man was the last thing he wanted to hear.

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"So, you and Ms. Hyunmi, huh?"

Sunhee gave Jongin a genuine smile, then she looked at the woman. She had already changed into her clothes, no longer wearing the pink dress she felt so much hatred on. Somehow, in the midst of the events, the woman never talked to her again, she didn't even acknowledge her during the photoshoot. It was odd, but she let it slip. She knew she won't be seeing them again after this, so no friendship was lost.

"Yeah. Odd couple, don't you agree?" Jongin chuckles.

"Not really." She says. "I think she's going to be good for you, seeing as you can't handle her yourself."

"Hey, I can handle her, just not as much as I can with other women." The man couldn't help but laugh.

"Will you really?"

"Will I?" His brow arched at the question. "What? Handle her?".

Sunhee fidgets, trying to find the proper words to say to him.

"Never underestimate the things that I can do Sunhee." Jongin sniggers, then he takes a sip of his coffee.

"I don't doubt that for a second." Sunhee forced a smile. "What I'm trying to ask is, will you really marry her?" She bravely asked, because if she didn't, she wouldn't be able to gain a wink of sleep.

"Yes," Jongin answers confidently as he watches Hyunmi walking outside the hotel with Sehun on her side. "I'll make a woman out of her. She's going to be the perfect wife for me."

That was a promise Jongin made for himself, and he was determined to keep that promise.

Meanwhile, Sunhee can only nod while she stares at the two figures leaving the building. She doesn't know what kind of agreement the three has. She's confused as to why Jongin's the one getting married to Hyunmi, yet it's Sehun that she's leaning into. All she knows at the moment is that she's no longer a part of their lives and that she doesn't have even the slightest right to question them.

Sunhee has run from her demons all her life, but now, she's willing to finally face them, because she has no reason to protect herself from the world when she had been beaten and broken down so many times in her life, that it felt almost natural for her to be hurt. She told herself that she deserved this much because, for her, everything that happened to her was her own doing. Another pain won't hurt her anymore, because she no longer has the ability to feel them.

She nodded to herself at the thought, hoping that the physical manifestation would make her believe in the very thought she created in her head, yet deep down she knows she's only lying to herself.

Yes, she's willing to face her demons. If for some reason she ran into Sehun again, she's never going to run away. She'll keep her head up high and face him. It doesn't mean she's gonna welcome him in her life again, but it was an act to make him believe that he's nothing more than a person from her past. Little does she know that meeting Sehun again is the beginning of their downfall.

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Raindrops start to fall the moment Sunhee leaves the hotel. She and Jongin had stayed inside the cafe to catch up, while the staff she was with had already left the place. Jongin had offered to take her home, but she declined. Somehow her feet had been glued to the carpeted floor, and all her energy had been drained from her after having to put up a brave front. Seeing her ex after five years had really taken its toll on her, so she opted to stay for a couple more minutes before she decided to leave the place.

She sprinted her way towards the nearest bus stop to at least salvage herself from getting wet, but it was already too late. Her clothes, even the leather bag she used to cover her head had been soaked from the incessant rain. Sunhee decided for a moment to stop and call for a cab instead.

She's already soaking wet, what more can a rain do to her?

A few moments had passed, yet no cab came to her aid, so she decided to continue her walk to the bus stop, when a car suddenly stopped on her side.

When the person rolled the windows down to reveal to her who they are, she wanted to run and hide.

The moment felt nothing short of surreal and as she stared at them, the sight of Hyunmi and Sehun together sent her heart plummeting straight down the pit of her stomach. It's just her luck that they witnessed her in such a disconcerting situation.

"Get inside the car Sunhee, you're soaking!" Hyunmi screamed out as the heavy rain continued to pour.

"Sehun and I can give you a ride, won't we Sehun?"

Hyunmi didn't bother to wait for the man to answer. All she cares about is how helpless Sunhee looks to be, and how worry filled her, even though she technically felt envious of her earlier in the photoshoot.

"That's okay Ms. Hyunmi, my place isn't far from here." She lied. It'll take an hour before she gets to her place.

Hyunmi grimaced at the woman's rejection, not noticing how uncomfortable Sunhee felt as she tried her best not to look at Sehun.

"Sehun, please talk some sense into her." Hyunmi pleaded. "You're friends with her, right?"

Sunhee couldn't hear the conversation being made by the two. All she had in mind is for them to leave, and for her to finally get home, get some sleep and forget that this day ever happened.

"We can't force people to do what they don't want, Hyunmi." The man smiled at her, causing Hyunmi to frown yet again.

This time, Sunhee heard every word, and suddenly, the prospect of sleep seemed so foreign to her.

She heard how Hyunmi tried her luck one more time. She must really look so pitiful to her, and she wished she'd just stop. She doesn't need her to feel that way towards her, and she most definitely doesn't need help from Sehun.

Finally, the woman gave up, but before the two left, Sehun turned to her for a brief second, letting Sunhee witness a fraction of a smile on his face.

That smile will forever be etched in her mind. She knew that even if she accepted the kind gesture, it will never surmount to much, because his smile was filled with feigned civility. Somehow that smile cut deeper than the wounds he has caused her years ago. Because the person she gave her heart to, the person who used to be in her life, is now nothing but a mere stranger.

Moments later, Sunhee found herself sitting on the bus stop, her whole body shaking from the cold. She felt her eyes heavy, and her breathing a little labored due to the incessant shaking of her body. She's thinking of reasons to tell Luhan why she can't come to the office the next day, but her mind went hazy. Everything seemed to get darker as the minute progressed, but before her world completely turned black, she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her body. She can hear the pitter patter of the rain as it slowly dies out in the night, and the sound of a pair of shoes stomping against the wet concrete as it runs towards the security and warmth of its awaiting car.