The mere fact that he twisted the lock on the door caused shivers to run up Yoona's spine. His back faced them but she could tell his shoulders were rock hard and tensed. His broad back expanded with an intake of breath, and he turned in their direction, vehemence filled his eyes and he pursed his lips, as if in attempt to hold back a tirade.

She had never seen him angry before, not many had. Jihoon prided himself in his professionalism. He knew how to separate personal emotions from his business, but these two numbskulls crossed the boundaries, and they would not get off unscathed.

He pointed at Taecyeon first, "You...sit there."

Then he pointed to Changmin, and gestured to the sofa opposite of Taec, "You...there."

Yoona wrung her hands together and glanced nervously at the scene. She had to do something, but she wasn't sure what. She didn't want to witness this, because she could literally feel the palpable tension that threatened to suffocate her.

"Tea!" her mind clicked into gear. She nearly raced across the room to the credenza and selected a minty blended tea bag and placed it in a large mug, pouring hot water over it. Her hands trembled as she reached for a raw cinnamon stick. She slowly stirred the concoction and then looked over her shoulder to see if it was safe yet.

"Hyung," Taecyeon began, obviously remorseful, sounding more sheepish than she thought he was capable of being.

"Shut up!" Jihoon snapped at him before he had a chance to continue.

Yoona jumped slightly at the command, and then inhaled slowly and closed her eyes. She could do this. She wasn't a wimp. She could handle him like this, couldn't she? She rounded her shoulders and raised her chin up as she walked toward him and extended the cup of tea to him.

The Director glared back and forth, from one man to the other. He noticed that Changmin didn't attempt an explanation at all. No, Changmin just sat across from Taec, stewing, simmering, as Jihoon recognized the animosity immediately.

Rain then turned his attention toward Taec, who's shirt was ripped open. He tugged at the sparkly, gauze shawl, which the Director recalled belonged around Yoona's shoulders.

Two plus two.

So that was it.

His attention then averted to the nervous, yet willful girl that stood to his side, offering him a mug of tea.

He took the mug from her hand, and sipped on it.

Then he smiled in an almost scary, 'calm before the storm' smile.

He began his slow walk around her, and observed her dis-shelved hair. He raised his eyes above the rim of his mug as he sipped again, and noticed a fresh red mark on her neck, above the collarbone. As he circled her, he watched as she fiddled with her hands, and then subconsciously flattened them onto her dress.

The room down the hallway was filled with almost every fashion and model who's who in the business, and here he was breaking up a school yard scuffle!

"I should fire you," he began slowly as he diverted his attention to a nearby end table and placed the mug on top.

"HYUNG!" Taec attempted again, wanting to at least come to his own defense.

"I said SHUT UP!"

Changmin sat back a bit further in his seat. Firing would be good. Let the arrogant bastard go work somewhere far, far away from Yoona.

"No, firing isn't the answer," Rain thought aloud. "Too easy, and nothing gained from the damage you've caused tonight."

He walked up to an empty armchair, one that was in between the two lads, and sat stiffly down.

Yoona felt herself move his mug of tea within his reach.

Several minutes of silence ensued, and Changmin glanced up at Yoona, sneaking a peek, to see if she was holding up well during this silent inquisition. She didn't meet his eyes, instead, he watched her as she attempted telepathy on her Director, trying to guess what his next move was going to be.

"No one in this office except me appears to have any idea of the value of professionalism." Rain stated succinctly.

"You," he looked at Changmin and watched him snap his attention off of Yoona and back where it belonged. "I rescind my offer. I no longer am in need of your services."

Yoona gasped as she brought her fingers up to her mouth. No! This can't happen! Changmin was the best there was, and she knew how much the Director wanted him!

Changmin felt as if he had been slapped across the face. His head snapped from the Director, over to Taecyeon, who was to blame for this entire mess, and then back to the Director. He wasn't sure why, since he really had been debating as to whether or not this would be the right gig for him anyways, but now that the door of opportunity slammed shut in his face, he felt a supreme, almost insulting loss.

Taecyeon wanted to snort, he really did, but he didn't dare. He knew a boiling pot when he saw one. One slight mistake and he would be burned, and scalded for life.

He raised his eyes over to his hyung, and awaited his own fate.

"Firing would be too easy," he repeated.

Jihoon couldn't have shocked them more by his next move if he had planned it, which he hadn't. He knew they needed an awakening, and without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed Yoona's wrist and pulled her down forcibly onto his lap.

"I won't fire you." He was looking at her. It was Yoona he had been talking about, not Taec.

"You're here becauseIwant you here. Do you understand that?" he asked her directly, not waiting for a response. He was staking his claim on her, and in no uncertain terms letting the boys know who she was here for, and why.

Yoona slowly nodded, and swallowed.

"But there will be changes," he promised her, and with that he placed his hands on either side of her slim waist.

Changmin was frozen in place, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He had assumed that when the Director was talking about firing, it was surely Taecyeon that he was referring to! Not Yoona!

Taecyeon was just as confused. He had never seen Rain like this before. This wasn't something his cool, calm and collected Director did!

Yoona's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stared into the face of her boss.

"I won't fire you, because I've other plans for you, Missy."

Without taking his gaze off of Yoona's, he grinned just as a lion does, before pouncing on an unwitting gazelle.

"Taec, you're off the Romania shoot." Jihoon announced without so much as a glance in Taec's direction.

Before the younger man could protest he continued, "And I'm moving Siwon and Jaejoong up on the location list. You've just lost the top spot, congratulations on letting your libido determine your fate."

Taecyeon felt himself stand, "You can't do this! It's a complete misunderstanding!"

Changmin followed suit, not because he wanted to defend himself, but because it made him very uncomfortable how close the Director's face was to Yoona's.

Rain's grin broadened, he leaned over to Yoona, whispered into her ear, and watched her slowly nod. He lifted her up, as he stood, placing her solidly on the ground next to him, then walked over to Taec, and removed Yoona's shawl from around his neck. Very gently he placed it over her shoulders, covering the red mark on her neck, he patted her head and smiled almost wickedly at her.

Both Taecyeon and Changmin felt defenseless. Both felt stripped naked somehow, of their power and manhood, just within a few minutes of being in the same room with the angry Director of Peppered Rain.

"Dismissed," the Director clipped out to them, waving his hand at them without bothering to look at them.

"Wait," Changmin spoke for the first time. "Excuse me," he took a step in Yoona's direction.

"Not tonight." Rain snapped back. "I won't excuse you. And Miss Yoona will no longer require you to accompany her for the remainder of the evening."

Taecyeon didn't understand. This wasn't making any sense. He had just been playing around. For goodness sake, it was just a release! He was bored, and just wanted to have a bit of fun! This was his career they were talking about now!

Changmin was equally confused. Why wasn't Yoona saying anything? She was HIS date! He brought her here. She had practically begged him and she knew he didn't want to, but he did anyways. And now, there she was, standing next to the Director, looking just as beautiful as ever, but yet so far away from his reach.

"Yoona," Changmin called over to her. After all, he wasn't this man's damn employee.

Yoona turned slightly to face Changmin, and bowed. That was her response? He got a BOW? What the hell?

She had made her choice. So that's how it was going to be.

He felt himself pull his hair back off his neck and twist it quickly into a ponytail.

Fine.

So be it.

He turned to walk toward the door and nearly stumbled when he heard the Director say in a soft, but authoritative, commanding tone, "Lock the door behind them."

Changmin stopped momentarily and debated silently.

"Is this what you really want?" Changmin asked, without turning back to face her.

"Good night," Rain said firmly, leaving no doubt that he was being told to exit immediately.

Yoona looked over at the Director anxiously and Rain winked at her.

"This isn't over," Taec broke in, as he pushed past Changmin and threw the door open.

Changmin slowly walked through the open door and continued down the hallway, half

expecting Yoona to come chasing after him.

When she didn't come, he glanced over his shoulder in time to see Yoona closing the door, and Jihoon coming up behind her.

"No, it's not over." Rain said as he grinned knowingly at the young girl, as he reached down and locked it.