Night-Owl Romance
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Note: It may get repetitive, but thank you so, so much for the support 3 every follow, fav, comment gives me the motivation to not stop ^^ I hope future chapters will be exciting for you all, since I already have up to number 15 planned :D Now then, onwards with the chapter!
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Chapter 11: Insomniacs Second: Single
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"Miss Choi,
I have put much thought into your proposition, checking the information you provided regarding the R.F.A. and the events they had hosted throughout the years. So far, they seem to be a trustworthy association, its charity work openly praised by the organizations they have aided.
I am uncertain how you've managed to become associated with them... I had personally dealt with one of its members recently and share brief history with another.
They are good people.
- "
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~oOo~
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Mina raised a curious eye brow. Assistant Lee had not been specific in naming which members he was referring to; considering the field of work and the social circle the man was known to interact with, the girl assumed those two were V and Jumin – they were the most prolific members and most likely to be known by her former teacher. This idea was further reinforced by the few messages she had exchanged with the corporate heir.
Initially, the girl got pretty chewed out by Jumin in a soul-crushing passive-aggressive stance. He didn't shy away from pointing his disappointment in her attitude, breaking a previously established agreement towards the very busy director, who had his own schedule specifically altered to include the one phone call from Mina – a privilege, not even his employees or Assistant Kang had access to with ease.
"And in each of those necessary moments, the workload gets too tedious to be solved in a timely fashion because it either requires information accessible only to the director, or his physical presence at the meeting board... situations which could be avoided with one privileged phone call.", Jaehee stung back, keeping her words as politely as it was possible for her shattering nerves. Nevertheless, Jumin did not think twice about the matter. On the contrary, the man replied with what he assumed was a perfectly good compliment, portraying his assistant's capable skills and problem-solving feats.
"Either way, you manage to finish the required tasks before these deadlines, regardless of the extra hours you consistently put into~! *happy emoji* You always know how to provide the best results."
*ican'tbelievethis-sigh emoji*
"I am immensely happy knowing how my continuous white nights are of full use to the company, Mr. Han. Holidays, weekends, doctor's appointments – always room for assignments during such days. I can hardly wait...", that sarcasm was so painful, it hurt Mina physically, but Jumin somehow managed to ignore such subtleness from the woman. His attention had suddenly shifted off-topic, to Elizabeth the 3rd.
He uploaded a trembling picture of his kitten, Mina cooing at the sight.
"OH! She's so cute~~~~!", the girl was a sucker for pets, especially ones that had such pretty and thick fur; not the same could be said about Jaehee, who was experiencing painful tremors inside her body... She noticed an alarming detail about that photo.
Its setting.
It had been taken inside a moving vehicle – Mr. Han's private car to be exact. "Oh, that's correct. Thank you for reminding me. I have some news for you, Assistant Kang.", he wrote back, announcing the unexpected and unplanned visit at her apartment.
Now.
... During such a late midnight hour. "I don't believe it's an appropriate thing to happen, Mr. Han..."
"It cannot be helped; I've been booked a flight for a rather important meeting with the Oil Prince tomorrow. The plane leaves in two hours."
"Shouldn't you be rushing to the airport instead?", Mina asked concerned.
"No. There's a matter too dire to ignore – Elizabeth the 3rd will need proper supervising and care, so I hope you will do your best while I am gone, Assistant Kang."
"HUH?!"
"I've prepared the sheer necessities for her diet, sports activities and leisure hours, so there's no need for you to do any extra shopping. Please study her itinerary carefully and make proper notes in Elizabeth the 3rd's diary, according to the instructions provided. Do not, in under any circumstance, skip steps of the regime. It's planned according to the natural, biological rhythm of her body – it can ruin the balance, otherwise."
*crying emoji*
*crying emoji*
*crying emoji*
"I know, it's very difficult for me as well... I will miss my beauty a lot. The night shall become a lonelier presence without her warmth by my side and constant purring."
"Constant purring..." *ican'tbelievethis-sigh emoji* "Ha, ha, ha... ha..."
The planner began questioning Jaehee's mental health stability, for she seemed to have been emotionally pummeled to the ground by the sudden news, spurting emoji and laughter sounds online. Still, Mina couldn't help from smiling, despite being more of a witness than participant in the chat room. She was giggling at these odd interactions between boss and employee.
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'They're so funny~~~~~~!'
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...
Mina wasn't a nice person at all...
The girl felt another wave of laughter trying to escape in an explosive burst. Poor Jaehee... this entire conversation was ridiculously amusing, the girl on the verge of tears.
"It's like a dream... am I asleep...?"
"Elizabeth the 3rd has fallen asleep... she looks so peaceful, I don't want to ruin her rest."
*angry emoji* "Mr. Han... How on earth is taking care of Elizabeth the 3rd related to work in any way?!"
"You'll be compensated for your troubles, Assistant Kang. There is no need to worry about it."
"..."
"That's not the issue at hand... ;;;;;; What about my rest, sir."
"Sorry to interrupt, but... the party...", Mina jumped to the rescue, attempting to dive into a topic that would prevent the enhanced aging process of sobbing Jaehee – it was a good strategy to pick. Apparently, they both wanted to mention about her finding, but then got carried away by other equally important matters.
Mina's potential guest was a surprise to both of them – an excellent choice!
Unexpected.
Highly unexpected.
"Thank you... I think."¸ the girl typed, squinting her eyes while scratching the side of her cheek.
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'Why was it so unexpected...
How unreliable did she appear to these people?!' (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
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~oOo~
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" -
I am willing to accept the offer and attend the future party, although, without a clearly defined date I fear it may hinder my own private affair. Many things cannot be rescheduled with ease. I do hope you keep this in mind and address this issue relatively quickly.
However, I am not willing to do this without some...
Testing beforehand.
The R.F.A. hasn't had any public activities in over 2 years. It is quite worrisome for someone with my reputation to withhold... As a party planner, if you are willing to prove to me the serious intentions behind the occasion, then I'll gladly participate no matter the day, hour or place. I already know you're knowledgeable in the arts, so this should be quite an easy feat for you to accomplish!
In a few days, there's an opportunity you might wish to participate in.
Think of it as a 'trial'.
I really hope you might pass this, as it will also be viable for your future SKY reapplication process.
- "
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Mina's mouth hung wide open as she was scrolling down the rest of the e-mail – she ended up smacking both her hands on top of her head, then dragging her palms over her face, leaving behind trails of pale red. Her head was close to exploding, feeling too hot inside the apartment from her boiling nerves... she could relate to Jaehee so much at the moment. The planner knew it was wrong to laugh about her situation, but she had done so either way.
And this was her divine punishment!
Karma was real!
This trial was her own Elizabeth!
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'This man...
W-What he was requesting was m-maddening.
I-I-Insane even!
W-Why her?!
How is this request relevant to the R.F.A. in any way?!'
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"Oh my god (E)...", she groaned out loud, biting her lower lip and scrolling over the content again. The news didn't get any better the second time, nor the third time, nor even the Xth time the information passed in front of her eyes!
Mina was well aware that Assistant Lee liked games a bit too much, trying to mold every situation into his own agenda in order to reap the most benefits. The same principles he applied for SKY university too, in his teaching career – if he could win projects by using students, with the intent of having them gain priceless experience from his lesson plans, while he personally earned future projects, deals, offers and, why not, revenue... then by all means... Certainly~!
Win-Win for both sides...
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And, in this case...
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He wanted free assistance from Mina on this upcoming art project, in return for the support he shall give her at the R.F.A.'s new party. Normally, she would have refused such a ridiculous thing, considering she was actually feeling pain while drawing earlier today.
However...
Jumin and Jaehee were so proud of Mina able to reach Mr. Lee's foundation... it made her heart flutter with pride, knowing she was doing justice to this important planning role.
...
If...
If this was what she had to do in order to ensure one more participant, then...
Mina would have to do her very best...
Hence, the girl agreed to Assistant Lee's terms, feeling her insides collapsing in the process...
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...
At around 2 o'clock, in the deepest part of the night, Mina received the teacher's quick answers and new attachments. She downloaded various files and folders, which were needed for this newest endeavor, carefully checking out the information as not to miss a single word. The party planner felt so much pressure, knowing fully well the impact the assignment would have on her future education at SKY – whether she reapplied or not.
...
The girl really wanted to study there. And do it properly this time.
Start fresh.
Yet...
Mina feared this second chance, the opportunity plunging over her without warning or time to prepare – mentally, she was crushed. Her skills had diminished a lot in this passing year, losing practice and that magical touch. What's more, the deadline was in less than a couple of days, during midday hours – so it was less than 36 hours.
Delivery had to be personally made, at the specified address attached bellow on the message.
...
...
...
Great.
...
Just great! ＼(º □ º l|l)/
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~oOo~
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The coffee table was beginning to lose its initial design and purpose...
Rika's desk was too constricting to have any type of proper work done by Mina, who was used to just scattering materials left, right, up, down and, basically, wherever there was a hint of space available to occupy. She maximized her laziness and level of comfort the best way she could, pilling everything she needed across a 360-degree setting and within arms reach. The girl needed all the comfort she could get... *deep sigh*
Anyway...
Using the dimming light of the table lamp, which found its new home on top of the coffee table, the girl was skimming through pages and pages of endless story – with the courtesy of the apartment's printer~! Mina hoped it was alright to use without permission... i-it was party-planning related, so it must be okay!
'I had no other choice! *cough* '
The original document had the story length exceeding 200 pages – naturally, this meant the waterworks were ready to blast any second now, Mina's tank filled to the brim. Thankfully, she managed to halve the quantity, by drastically minimizing the font and giving the mental appearance that it was less work than it was in reality. Quite a lot remained until the deadline...
'Jaehee... I'm sorry for laughing at your misery... Let's be white night sisters~!'
Initially, the girl dreaded this task, begrudgingly flipping through the pages... The story, however, was shaping into a rather enchanting one, which was not at all what she had expected~! It contained a lot of fantasy elements, inspired by folklore pieces and fairy tales and, also, made allusions to other books Mina recognized from early childhood, many of which she had loved in those years.
Memory lane was smacking her hard...
The characters were well-rounded, the romance flowing naturally and beautifully between the leads and sides characters... *deep sigh* Part one of this romance felt similar to watching a snowdrop bud, shyly pushing through the icy white blanket and excitedly awaiting the miracles of the world to shower upon itself, slowly emerging underneath the night sky...
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*BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ*
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Mina's attention had been torn away from the play, onto the new chat room that had opened in the app and caused the vibration ruckus. The clock showed 3:03... it was surprisingly late and, yet, someone was awake at this hour...
'...'
'It couldn't be...?'
The coordinator hesitantly brought the device closer, the first person popping into her mind being... Zen. Mina would be very mad if it were indeed the actor because she had specifically told him – she would be okay on her own during nights. There was no need for interventions on his behalf, not when his health would suffer due to overworking himself!
And what do you know... *deep sigh* 'Guess, he isn't he the type to listen to people's requests...'
...
The room suddenly became stuffier and breathing much... much difficult.
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~oOo~
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[ZEN]: MC~!
[ZEN]: I sensed you were online in the app and just had to log in~!
[ZEN]: Are you happy to see me? *wink emoji* Because I am~!
[MC]: Zen! You're not sleeping and still awake at this hour~!
[MC]: Unlike what I've asked you to do~~~!
[MC]: ...
[MC]: I am so very happy... (눈_눈)
[ZEN]: Aww, don't be like that... It's not cute! You're really wounding my heart so much...
[ZEN]: So, so much~! *dramatic voice: pretend you hear it ^.~*
[MC]: You'll get used to it. It's a specialty of mine, upgraded lately, breaking people's hearts~! *endless eye rolls: pretend you see it ^.~*
[ZEN]: Change it to another specialty! Or... hang on. *sad voice: s-so cold!*
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: Whose hearts have you broken recently?!
[MC]: Huh? O-O Whose hearts...?
[MC]: I wonder...
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: So, Yoosung's assumptions were correct...
[MC]: Hm?
[ZEN]: - and Seven wasn't lying either...
[MC]: What are you trying to say...?
[ZEN]: The man from yesterday, who was accompanying you closely! He was your former flame, wasn't he?!
[MC]: Huh?!
[ZEN]: Or worse... CURRENT FLAME?! *shocked emoji*
[MC]: What... How did you know I was with someone?!
[ZEN]: *heartbreak emoji*
[MC]: NO! WAIT! REPHRASING!
[ZEN]: So this is why you kept mentioning you weren't a nice girl...
[MC]: YOU'VE GOT IT WRONG!
[ZEN]: Pity...
[MC]: You've got it so wrong ;;;;;;;; just listen to me, please!
[MC]: I don't know what these guys told you, Seven and...
[MC]: Actually,
[MC]: I really DON'T want to know what they had both mentioned... ;;;;;
[MC]: But he – DEFINITELY – was not, is not and shall never, ever, EVER be someone whom I will like! An old flame, jfc... no. No, no, no, no.
[MC]: NO!
[ZEN]: So much passion in denying the facts... It's incredibly upsetting witnessing this. MC, you can stop pretending and play such games with me. *crying emoji*
[MC]: There are no facts to deny!
[ZEN]: It's fine.
[ZEN]: I'm fine...
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: I will be fine...
[ZEN]: *crying emoji*
[MC]: What are you... No. There is nothing going on here with this man! NOTHING! PASSION IS ZERO!
[MC]: If anything, the guy slaughtered all of my life's flames - past, present, future, next reincarnated life!
[ZEN]: The harder you live in denial, the greater these feelings will become, eventually bursting and overpowering the sun's rays in intensity...
[MC]: GOD DAMMIT, ZEN! (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: He is a married man!
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: Jagi! You... you're that type of girl?!
[ZEN]: You're giving me too many shocks right now. *crying emoji* I can't count them on both hands anymore!
[ZEN]: S-So p-painful...
[ZEN]: *crying emoji*
[MC]: HAPPILY MARRIED FOR OVER 7 YEARS!
[MC]: He is my former teacher. That's all there is to it!
[ZEN]: Married and a teacher... this is going to forbidden places, MC... your tastes in men are too peculiar and dangerous...
[MC]: Oh for the love of...
[MC]: I AM SINGLE! (ಥ﹏ಥ)
[MC]: IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY, SINGLE!
[MC]: SINGLE, SINGLE, SINGLE!
[MC]: Imagine a big rock surrounded by the ocean.
[MC]: Water everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
[MC]: I CANNOT BE ANY MORE SINGLE THAN THIS ROCK!
[MC]: ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THIS ANSWER?!
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: OOOOOO~~~~!
[MC]: Oh my god(E)...
[ZEN]: *wink emoji* Gotcha~~~~!
[MC]: For god sake...
[MC]: What have I done...
[ZEN]: So... single? You seem quite desperate to change that status. *wink*
[MC]: YOU'VE TRICKED ME!
[MC]: Where's the flipping delete option here?!
[ZEN]: Oh, jagi~~~! Fear not, I shall release you from this world of painful solitude, immediately, now that I've been made aware of your deepest outcries~!
[ZEN]: Embrace my most sincere feelings in your heart and you shall be single no more, for I~~!
[ZEN]: Zen the Knight shall unite our fated, separate souls into one being~~~!
[ZEN]: Approach my side and I shall present to you a world of magical wonders, underneath the starry skies! Our love will become the jealousy of all celestial bodies~~~!
[MC]: ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
[ZEN]: Btw, MC. Let's be clear on that first detail – my side. These other guys are not trustworthy, like I am!
[ZEN]: Seven surely isn't!
[MC]: Is this what Jaehee meant by the situation being like a dream to her... (ಥ﹏ಥ)
[ZEN]: Jaehee was here before?
[MC]: Oh, Zen... oh, you lovely actor, you...
[MC]: Oh, how you make me feel right now...
[ZEN]: *shocked emoji*
[ZEN]: Am I reading this correctly?! *shocked emoji*
[MC]: If only you were aware of the powerful feelings boiling deep inside my core, keeping me restless, agitated and unable to fall asleep. (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ One glance at such loving words is enough to put this fire on a wild rampage.
[ZEN]: Tell me everything~! Every emotion you've been harboring for me, ever since our destiny unveiled the path we should take together in life~~~~! *wink emoji*
[MC]: It involves an elbow plunging its deepest into someone's side.
[MC]: Repeatedly.
[MC]: A sensation similar with stepping on a piece of Lego. Barefoot. Right in the heel.
[MC]: Possibly some teeth and blood. (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ Grrr...
[ZEN]: ...
[ZEN]: S-Since it's spoken from the heart...
[ZEN]: I will accept your sentiments of love, no matter the sacrifice and cost~! *wink emoji* No pain, no gain, am I right? ^.~
[ZEN]: I am very open to experimenting~!
[MC]: ...
[MC]: ...
[MC]: I think I'm going to leave you here and drown in some liquor. I may have seen unopened bottles stuffed around the apartment.
[MC]: HAHAHAHA~! (ಥ﹏ಥ) Best plan for tonight...
[ZEN]: WAIT!
[ZEN]: Ha, ha... wait, wait, wait. Jagi! Come on, don't be upset.
[MC]: (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: Upset? ME? (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: For heaven's sake, whatever made you assume such a ludicrous idea?! (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[MC]: I would ne~~~ver be upset because of you! (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[ZEN]: Okay, okay, okay! I get it now! *sighing emoji*
[ZEN]: I will stop the teasing and act normally from now on ^^;;;; just don't start drinking at this late hour! It's dangerous!
[MC]: ... Wait, you weren't acting normally before?!
[MC]: *great shock*
[ZEN]: Ha, Ha, Ha...
[MC]: *super great shock* (ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ
[ZEN]: Ha...
[ZEN]: *sighing emoji* Jagi, what kind of a man do you think I am?
[MC]: I would rather not answer.
[ZEN]: Why not?!
[MC]: Somehow, some way, I know you will twist whatever I write and cause more critical cringe damage. (눈_눈)
[MC]: I shall not be fooled again and fall into another sneaky trap!
[ZEN]: This time it was a serious question!
[MC]: TOO LATE!
[ZEN]: *crying emoji*
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~oOo~
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Thankfully, Zen had kept true to his word and the chat drifted towards normal topics. Somewhat close to normal anyway. "Finally...", the girl sighed, her back landing on the couch, stretching out all four limbs... the floor wasn't a kind place to sit on for prolong periods of time.
"..."
Mina's heartbeat was racing in an alarming rhythm, her cheeks burning like an oven and heating up icy fingers with the slightest touch. She was incredibly disappointed for allowing herself to get so riled up by the actor's taunting – Assistant Lee. Even picturing him as someone other than a teacher was an assault to her senses, bringing forth electric shocks to her convulsing figure. 'That's how horrid the idea is!' Sure, the man aged really, really well – you couldn't tell his actual age by scanning his wrinkle-free features. But the trauma Mina suffered under his guidance at SKY was enough to put him in a bittersweet middle ground spot...
Away...
Far away from her as possible... well... when possible, anyway.
*deep sigh* "You'll become the death of me...", the girl's eyes wondered towards the clock – it was closing in on 3:45 and Mina still had three more parts until the end of the play. However, Zen was still online, typing without a break. *sigh* Apparently, he had taken a break from checking his fan mail and was busy using social media channels, to slightly interact with the fans for a special treat.
'Oh... so he has such things to take care of as well...?'
From the way he acted, Mina would often forget the level of fame he has acquired so far.
Actually...
The Zen in a performance and the Zen in the chat room... these two were like entirely different entities. Had it not been for his constant selfies, which Mina could not find anywhere replicated online, she wouldn't have trusted it was the same person from his mannerisms.
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Zen was so wild...
And flirty!
A womanizer for sure...
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She didn't trust womanizers, typing it all of a sudden and getting a funny reaction out of him.
The real reason behind his behavior was actually... saddening... Mina stopped judging his flirting so rudely afterwards. Due to the nature of Zen's job, any type of dating news would pose a huge sidestep, not only for his own reputation, but for the team closely working alongside him. Fans almost never took such news lightly, repercussions able to damage all the years of hard work they had put into the shows.
Sometimes, the damage was beyond repair...
Mina was so curious about these odd matters, that she kept asking questions. His world felt so strict – being an actor, she never imagined it to be so rough considering foreign actors don't have such strict hurdles about their image. Heck... her favorites dated someone new every year! If his long, hard schedule wasn't enough, now she found out it could be ruined... just by being romantically linked to a woman...
.
'It sounds so unfair...no wonder he feels lonely...'
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For Zen, a solution would be dating within the company and have it done in secret, but the silver haired male did not like the idea of mixing work with this type of pleasure. When he first started acting, he was witness to a breakup that nearly destroyed an entire theatre company and had him living close to starvation for the next few months. The lead actor and actress had gone their separate ways after the scandal broke and this wasn't even the worst part. Those two were the sole reason people bought tickets to the shows, thus the audience moved on towards other companies and productions.
Even Zen had to scatter and audition to other locations.
"That's horrible... how can this be?!"
"Heh... you seem surprised. You must not know a lot about the music world. ^^; It's... actually strange... You said you were 21, so there is no way you wouldn't overhear such news, even in passing. It's similar to how idols are treated or TV personalities. Movie stars. You've really never heard of such things...?"
"I don't read much news or watch TV... and certainly not related to the music I listen to ^^;;;; and at home, we never talk about these things either."
"Ah, I see... still, not even mentioned by friends? XD", Zen unconsciously hit a sensitive topic...
"Oh... well..."
"Jagi?"
However... since he had been so open about his life...
...
...
"I don't... really have any friends ^^..."