The event 2

Ji-ho braced herself as she saw the waiter trip and fall towards her. As luck would have it, she was standing beside the swimming pool, a most convenient yet inconvenient place to be at when it so happened that a server 'carelessly' fell while walking towards her. And, prior to this bullshit, she was even having such a good time too. Why oh why was this happening?

Several gasps sounded from the crowd as Ji-ho fell into the swimming pool along with the stupid waiter.

"Young-mi!" She faintly heard Seung-ho's voice but the water was filling her ears. If there was a life skill that Ji-ho hadn't mastered yet, it was swimming. Stupid, yes. But there hadn't been any public swimming pools conveniently close to her location. She swallowed a mouthful of chlorine flavoured water before she saw a blur of black and white. An arm snaked around her waist and she felt herself being taken out of the water.

"Young-mi! Seung-ho!" Several panicked worried voices called their names.

"Young-mi-"

Ji-ho coughed out water and blinked at the man who had come after her. He had an arm around her waist and another holding on to the edge of the pool. Their bodies were plastered close and she could feel the heat of his skin through his wet shirt. What should have been a scary and embarrassing situation had turned a bit ambiguous not just between the two of them, but also the other guests who were watching the scene.

Ji-ho averted her eyes and looked into the water between their chests, mumbling that she was fine. But she wasn't. Not at all. Her dress had become transparent from the water, faintly outlining the lace bra she was wearing underneath. She ducked her head and felt Seung-ho shield her from the prying eyes of everyone gathering by the swimming pool. Cheeks flaming a hot shade of peach, Ji-ho cursed the waiter who had dropped her into the water.

On the other side of the pool, Dan-bi was seething at the way Seung-ho was protecting Sun Young-mi. It had been under her instructions that the waiter had pushed the young woman into the water. The actress had intended to humiliate her but Seung-ho had ruined everything. They were like a pair of ducks being sticky in the water. She had the intense urge to leap into the pool and get between them.

"Miss Sun," a waitress called out as she came rushing over with a bathrobe and a towel.

"Where's the waiter who did this?!" Eun-Jin, who was right behind the waitress, thundered.

He had escaped. During the heat of the moment, no one had thought to keep an eye on the man.

"His name is Jeong-U," Ji-ho told Eun-Jin. She remembered seeing the badge on his chest as she was falling.

Seung-ho securely wrapped the towel around Ji-ho as she was lifted out of the water.

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes. I'm certain."

Director Yeon was next to his wife, feeling furious on behalf of Sun Young-mi.

"Find this man and bring him to me," Seung-ho instructed the girl who was helping Ji-ho into her robe.

________

"Young-mi, do you want to go up there?" Do Hyun pointed to the terrace on the roof of the mansion. Seung-ho had made himself scarce so Ji-ho was stuck with the other actor while the rest of the attendees continued on with their party.

"What's up there?"

"A great view," he replied. "We can see the entirety of this compound from up there."

Ji-ho had changed out of the wet dress but she wasn't in the mood to join the party anymore. Thinking it sounded better than going back to the gathering, she said yes to the idea of a rooftop exploration.

____

"Look, didn't I tell you there's an amazing view?" Do Hyun said with his arms widespread. From their vantage point, Ji-ho could see to the ends of the compound where the forest line began.

"Is that Seung-ho?" She said with surprise as she squinted at the figure of a solitary man who was looking at his watch impatiently. The area he was standing at appeared to be a garden surrounding a mermaid-themed fountain.

"That's him. Wonder what he's doing there."

As they spoke, a woman's figure appeared and she was walking toward Seung-ho. It was unmistakably Dan-bi.

"My my," Do Hyun whispered as if they could be heard. "Young-mi, are you going to be okay?"

Ji-ho was silent as the lifted her hair and sent a delicate shiver down her body.

"I'm fine," she told her concerned companion. "Let's see what they're up to."

"Or maybe we should just leave," he lightly suggested, not wanting Sun Young-mi to witness something that would break her heart.

"Hush, I'm curious," she told him with a smile. "Aren't you?"

They faced the couple who were talking by the fountain. Seung-ho was saying something while Dan-bi listened silently. From such a distance, not even snatches of the conversation could be heard.

"If only I could be a bug on the wall," Ji-ho lamented. "Can you read lips?"

"No, but after tonight, I'll take a crash course. I'm dying of curiosity. Just put me out of my misery!"

Ji-ho smiled and then her eyes went wide as Seung-ho stepped closer to Dan-bi like he was about to kiss her.

"What the hell!" Do Hyun let out. "Is he going to-"

To their utter shock, Seung-ho pushed Dan-bi into the fountain with a loud splash that even reached Ji-ho's ears. Her scream of anger pierced the air as Do Hyun and Ji-ho just stared down in shock.

"We didn't see anything," Do Hyun muttered. "Let's leave before Seung-ho turns around and somehow sees us."

As if reacting to his words, the actor really did turn around and cant his head upwards. Ji-ho and Do Hyun promptly ducked down like guilty children caught with their hands in a cookie jar. They shared a glance and smiled because what they were doing was so stupid. So what if Seung-ho had seen them?

"I guess that was revenge for you," Do Hyun whispered. "It's the only explanation I can think of."

Ji-ho felt warmth blossom in her chest. It was absolutely juvenile to do such a thing, and she hadn't expected it from someone like Seung-ho, but if that wasn't satisfying than what was?