CHAPTER-10: WEB OF LIES

EVELYN: Ohh, i.. it's my floor. See you, Dayun-sshi (bows and tries to leave but Dayun grabs her wrist)

DAYUN: Eve-chan, wait a min. I have some business with you. Let's head to the ground floor. (Turns to Alan) Yess sir, are you going to board or not? (With a cold expression on his face)

Alan's chilly gaze turned from Evelyn towards Dayun when he called out to him. He seemed to be surprised yet angry at the way Dayun addressed her. He cleared his throat and corrected his composure. 

ALAN: I believe it is inappropriate to be addressing a colleague in such a casual manner. Perhaps you should focus on your business deal rather than interfering in matters that do not concern you. (Enters the lift) By the way, congratulations Ms Noran. I hope your game will be a success (pretends to smile) 

Evelyn knew that his words were just contradictory to his thoughts. But she still thanked him. 

DAYUN: Ah, my apologies, sir. I tend to get too comfortable when with friends. But you must understand, Eve-chan, i mean Ms Noran and I share a very special bond. (smirks and looks at her) Now, let's head downstairs and discuss our business. It's not good to delay it further. 

Alan became more suspicious as he was curious to know what kind of business they were talking about. His mind was going to burst out of anger but he maintained calm expressions on his face. 

''The deal is already done so what he needs to talk about now? And why is it taking too long to reach the ground floor.'', she thought to herself. 

The deadly silence seemed to be killing her. She was getting more anxious as the tension between them was rising.

As the elevator hit the ground floor, she took a long sigh. They all exit the lift together. 

''This way, Eve-chan, Dayun guided her. Evelyn also wanted to leave out of the sight of Alan, so she hastily followed Dayun. 

But as they were about to leave, Alan grabbed her wrist. It seemed like his patience had crossed his limits. 

ALAN: Wait! Ms Noran. I have something to talk about. (Looks at Dayun) Alone.

Eve was hesitant to go with him but suddenly, Dayun interrupted in between by grabbing her other hand. 

She was caught between Alan's demanding stare and Dayun's grip on her hand. She could feel the tension rising, unsure of what was happening.

But then, Dayun spoke up. "I'm sorry, sir. But I asked her first. You have to wait. Let's go, Eve-chan" With that, they left Alan behind, leaving her with more confusion and curiosity.

DAYUN: C'mon man! What's his deal. (Frustrated tone) I could sense you were feeling uncomfortable around him. Who was he? A friend of yours? (Frowns and asks with concern)

EVELYN: He's.. just a.. colleague. By the way.. where are we going? And what business.. do you have with me? 

DAYUN: "I see. Well, I hope he's not bothering you too much. As for our business, you already forgot about treating me to a meal after we successfully signed the contract.

EVELYN: Ohh.. that thing.. slipped through my mind. But we have just signed the contract and the release is tomorrow. Can't we.. postpone it to some other day? (With pleading eyes)

DAYUN: "I suppose a delay of one day wouldn't make much of a difference. Alright, Eve-chan, I'll let it slide this time. I hope you won't forget your promise." (smirks) But we can at least have a sip of coffee together. There's a good cafe nearby. It won't take much time of yours. And I also need to leave in half an hour for the deal of an art-piece.

EVELYN: (nods) That.. sounds fine to me 

As they both headed towards Dayun's car, he opened the door for Eve, waiting for her to sit inside his exorbitant black genesis. 

He eagerly drove the car and pulled the brakes in front of the cafe 'STAR 11' which was one of the most expensive cafes in the whole city. It was famous for its coffee and other beverages. 

As they entered the cafe, the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit her nose. Dayun picked a cozy spot near the window and pulled the chair for her.

Eve was a bit uncomfortable as she had never been to such an expensive place before. His keen eyes noticed her discomfort and he tried to ease her. 

DAYUN: Don't worry, Eve-chan, the drinks are on me. I want you to have the best experience. After all, we are celebrating our successful deal. So take a look at the menu and order whatever you like. (Smiles)

EVELYN: Yeah.. (smiles nervously and holds the menu in her hands) 

DAYUN: Don't be shy, okay! This is a special day for us and I want you to enjoy it to the fullest. Order anything your heart desires. You deserve it after all your hard work." (smirks)

She took a glance at the menu but was not able to decide what to order. The names of the beverages appeared to be so complicated and implicit that it made her more nervous in front of him. 

Dayun noticed her struggle and tried to help her out by explaining the name of each of the beverages in detail and in such a language which was easy to interpret. 

DAYUN: "Eve-chan, don't worry about the names, they're just fancy words. Let me help you out. Do you like vanilla or chocolate? I'll order for you. Trust me, I know what's best." 

EVELYN: (nervously looks at menu) I guess.. chocolate would be better.

DAYUN: Chocolate it is then. (smirks) And how about a croissant? You strike me as a croissant person. I'll order one for us to share. (Looks at the waiter) 1 caffe Mocha with oatmilk, one shot of Espresso with 2 pumps of syrup and a croissant please. (Pronounces like a foreigner)

The waiter took the order and then left to prepare them for us. Meanwhile, Dayun explained to Evelyn the basics of coffee so that she could independently make an order in the future. 

She attentively listened to his explanations. 

DAYUN: ''listen carefully, Eve-chan. The most basic type of coffee is Espresso, it's just hot black coffee. It's extremely bitter, hence preferred by less number of people. 

Double Espresso is called Doppio. 

Americano is formed when hot water is mixed in Espresso. 

Cappuccino is just some streamed milk and milk foam added to Espresso. 

Latte has the same composition as cappuccino except for the amount of streamed milk added to it a little more. 

These two are most famous among girls because of their sweet taste. (Smiles)

The next on the menu is Mocha which is the same as Latte with some hot chocolate added to it. 

And the last one is flat white, which is just the Espresso with steamed milk.(Sighs lightly) Look, how easy it was. (smirks) 

Making coffee is an art, Eve-chan. It's not just about the taste, it's about the presentation and the experience. Just like our successful deal, it needs to be enjoyed slowly and savoured. That is how you truly appreciate the complexity of flavors." (smirks) now, take a look at the menu, do you find any difference? 

Evelyn eagerly looked at the menu again. The names which she found even difficult to pronounce a minute ago, now became so easy and clear to read which made her confident enough to order by herself. She was surprised at how easily he explained the meaning of those heavy names to me. 

EVELYN: That's amazing. It feels like.. I can order myself now. Thank you so much, Dayun-sshi (smiles) By the way, you pronounced the words really well, almost like a foreigner. Have you been living in another country before? (Curious eyes)

DAYUN: Well, to be honest, i learned it for my clients. Most of them are from abroad. So, i practised some basic things to leave a good impression in our meetings. And the mannerism of an Artist depicts his art, right?! It's my pleasure, Eve-chan. I'm glad I could help you. (smirks) You know, maybe one day, you might even become a coffee expert like me. (winks) Just kidding, but you must be ready for everything. Perhaps we can have more coffee dates like this in the future. (smirks)

EVELYN: Yah .. right (smiles)

It didn't take too long for the waiter to arrive with their order in his hands. He placed it on the table and left. 

As they were sipping their coffees, Eve's cell phone started vibrating. She checked the screen and it flashed Amelia's messages on the screen. 

AMELIA: "Hey girl! Where are you now? Are you free? My thesis finally got completed today and I wanted to celebrate with you. Let's hang out a bit. 😘

(Texts her back) ''I'm sorry Amy. I'm busy today. Let's hang out some other day'' 

Since, she was with Dayun, so she had to decline Amelia's offer. She didn't want Amelia to misunderstand her relationship like Alan. 

Though she declined Amelia's offer but couldn't shake off the guilt she was feeling deep inside of her. 

Dayun noticed her troubled expressions and asked with concerned eyes, ''what's the matter? You seem a bit tensed.''

EVELYN: ''No, it's nothing'' (smiles and places the phone on table)

Just a few seconds later, her cell phone started buzzing. Her expressions suddenly changed when she looked up at the screen. 

It was Amelia calling. She had no choice but to answer her call. She excused myself and went outside to take up the call. 

As she answered Amelia's call, she could hear the excitement in her voice as she rambled on about her thesis and wanted to catch up. 

Eve felt a twinge of guilt for lying to her, but she couldn't risk Amelia making a false assumption about her relationship with Dayun.

EVELYN: Hey Amy (nervous tone)

AMELIA: Babe! I know you are busy but where are you currently? 

EVELYN: (her voice staggers a bit) I.. I'm at.. the office. Or where else could I be? (Laughs nervously)

AMELIA: "At the office? But I just visited your office and you were not there. I knew that you would be busy so I myself came there to pick you. (Pauses) Wait! It's not like you don't want to come with me that's why you are lying, is it? 

EVELYN: Of course, it's not like that. It could never happen that I would be unhappy to be with you. (Feels guilty)

AMELIA: "so what happened babe, first tell me. Where are you? I'll come pick you up. (concerned but determined tone)

Her mind started glitching as she didn't know how to stop Amelia. She had to make up something real quick in order to get some time to reach her workplace after seeing off Dayun. 

EVELYN: Amy, Actually.. I.. I'm out of town. Every time, I catch a cold when I travel to some new place. I didn't want you to worry about me that's why I lied to you. I'm sorry Amy. I'm busy dealing with a client here. I'll call you later. (Hangs up the call)

Evelyn couldn't help but feel guilty after lying to my best friend. But that was the best thing that she could do in that situation. 

She returned to the table with a gloomy expression. Dayun was near to finishing up his coffee. 

She took a deep breath and sat across from him, trying to ignore the guilt and uneasiness gnawing in her stomach.

But as he looked at her with those intense eyes, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him, despite her better judgement. 

DAYUN: Why are you so nervous? Is something bothering you? Is it him?... the clingy one we met earlier? (Referring to Alan)

EVELYN: No.. it's not him. I was talking to a friend. She is facing some issues at her workplace.. so I'm kinda.. worried about her... Nothing else. (Smiles and sips coffee anxiously) 

DAYUN: I see... well, if you're worried about your friend, then we can continue this coffee date another time. You don't seem focused." (Gazes at her with a hint of concern) 

EVELYN: (Hastily picks her phone and stands up) yes! That would be better (pauses).. i.. i mean I'm not feeling well. I will call you not next time for a meal once the issues with my friend get resolved.. let's go. 

DAYUN: "Sure, take care of your friend. We can always have coffee another time. (Stands up) 

EVELYN: Thanks for understanding, Dayun-sshi. I'll call you out once the issues with my friend gets sought-out. (Smiles softly) 

It was good that Dayun himself brought the topic of ending their meeting. She felt relieved and wanted to reach her workplace as soon as possible. They were about to leave but someone's voice froze her steps- ''Issues are with your friend or with you..? (A Cold tone)''