A/N: Here's to another update!
Though I forgot to mention last time: someone pointed out in the comments that Min Ji was the name of one of the previous characters of BOF. This is an error on my part; I didn't mean to use a name of an already-established character in the show. But just for clarification, although this OC shares the same name as the character in the show, they are not the same character, nor do they have any connection. I just wanted to clear that up to prevent any confusion.
But thanks for continuing to support this story!
From the corner of his eyes, Ji Hoo watched Woo Bin kiss some woman on the cheek before leaving the bar. "Given I don't have much of a choice, why bother with a negotiation?" Ji Hoo said in response to Min Ji. In this situation, it was best to let her have the upper hand; the momentary power would satisfy her, especially if she believed she had one over Ji Hoo. But eventually, he would uncover everything he needed to know about her. He would find out who she worked for, who she was, and her end-goals. It had to be something much more than just 'obtaining' Ji Hoo; she could have done that easily without the threats. But for some reason, she wanted him to see her on the side while he dated Jan Di.
He would find out why, even if it meant relinquishing some of his own power.
"Because I need to make sure you understand our terms. That's all," she replied with a smile. She downed the rest of her margarita in a split second and sighed happily as she pulled on her fur coat. "C'mon, let's go."
This caught him by surprise, but he made sure not to show it. He didn't want to give her any leverage. Instead, he glanced away while he pulled on his white gloves. "I said I'm going home. I'm tired from our meeting the night before."
"Don't be a jerk," she whined, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Can't you act princely for our little dates? I mean, you would for Jan Di, wouldn't you?" At the mention of his girlfriend, she nudged him playfully with her shoulder. "Always walk a lady to the door, Ji Hoo."
She's playing a dangerous game.
Still, he obliged. He grabbed her by the arm and led her to the door, opening it and gesturing silently for her to walk through, though he would have much rathered slam the door on her heel. But he had more self-control than that. That's what made him distinctly different from Jun Pyo; he could control himself before acting. Perhaps that's why he always thought himself to be well-suited for Jan Di who could be vulnerable in any given situation.
As he followed Min Ji out the door, he closed it quietly. He didn't see Woo Bin anywhere nearby, so he assumed that his friend completed his task rather quickly, but such was expected of Song Woo Bin. Anything less and Ji Hoo might have been disappointed. But he could still very clearly see the black van. They had been watching their movements.
They were still watching.
Min Ji quickly turned toward Ji Hoo with the same smile plastered on her features. "I had a splendid time with you. Jan Di is fortunate in that she gets to see your charming face every hour of the day. Don't you get tired of seeing her? It's a little depressing if you ask me—"
"Are we done here?" Ji Hoo said coldly.
Min Ji sighed. "I really thought you would be different from other men, Ji Hoo. But you're acting like the others: interrupting women, acting so coldly to them, and then not even considering them." He had no idea what that last part was referring to, and she must have noticed his cluelessness. She held up both her hands to him, which were red from the chilly air. "I'm cold. Give me your gloves." She pointed at the white gloves he wore.
One of his hands balled into a fist. "Don't you have a ride?"
"I thought you wanted to protect Jan Di," she replied back.
Sourly, he replied, "Wash them before you return them." Then he pulled off his white gloves and started passing them to her. But instead, she held out one of her hands, and immediately he knew what she wanted. So he obliged once more and held pull the gloves on her small hands. Then when he was done, he slipped his own hands into his pockets to warm them up. He turned his head away right after; he couldn't stand to look her in the face anymore. Unfortunately, she took that opportunity to kiss him on the cheek, then she started backing up with the same sinister smile.
"I'll text you, then." Then she left, walking down the sidewalk. Simultaneously, the black van drove off.
That's when he saw her exit the restaurant across the street with a familiar face. Ji Hoo instantly recognized the blond hair, and a name popped up: Young Jae.
Dinner was delicious. While the couple's deal made her partially uncomfortable, it was definitely worth it. Her stomach was full, and Jan Di felt as though she were able to relax next to Young Jae. He did his best to keep the conversation going and even offered to buy her another meal if she were hungry. Jan Di had been close to accepting it, but she could practically hear her mother shame her for not watching her weight, especially now that her mother knew she was dating a prestigious man.
They exited the diner together, side by side, with Young Jae bumping playfully into her. "We're basically the same person, you know."
Her voice rang with laughter. "You know, you're...not wrong." Oddly enough, she was similar to Young Jae in many ways. Their dinner together allowed her to make that connection with him, and even more, it reminded her of her own roots. "Thank you, Young Jae… I'm really grateful that you took the time to grab dinner with me."
"No need. I had a great time with you." He slipped his hands into his pockets.
A light breeze swept past them, blowing crystalline flakes all around them. Jan Di glanced up at the night sky, watching the sparkling flakes twirl around them. Snowfall began once more. She stuck out her hand and let a couple snowflakes fall into her palm.
"Beautiful," he murmured. Jan Di turned her head towards him, a little startled. "The snow is beautiful tonight." Young Jae smiled at her. "Don't you think?"
"Yeah," Jan Di agreed, clearing her throat. She shoved her hands back into her coat pocket. The cold was now getting to her, and she couldn't stop herself from shivering a little bit as another breeze swept on through. "It's pretty cold, though."
"I guess that's the only thing that sucks about it." Young Jae glanced over at her. He must have noticed Jan Di's sudden shudder because within the next couple seconds, he pulled out a pair of black gloves. He presented them to her. "Here—."
"No." Jan Di cut him off quickly and shook her head. "You've done enough for me today. Plus, it's cold out, so you'll need it more than me—"
This time, Young Jae interrupted her. "And that's why I'm giving these to you to use. It's freezing outside." He pushed the gloves further in her direction. "I'll be fine. I've lived in a cold apartment for months now."
A part of it felt wrong. Jan Di couldn't shake the feeling; more than once now, Ji Hoo offered his gloves to Jan Di since she was so forgetful. But now, Young Jae stood beside her, doing the things that Ji Hoo did. Don't be stupid, Jan Di, she reminded herself, He's just offering his gloves to you. But it still felt wrong, almost as if she were betraying Ji Hoo. She was going to reject his offer once more, when she shifted her attention to the black van that drove off.
Then she saw Ji Hoo.
He was across the street in front of the bar with neon-colored lights. He was also with a blond woman in a fur coat. She turned away from him and began walking off.
As Jan Di watched this unfold, Young Jae took her hand. "What are you—?" she began, snapping her head in his direction.
"Just let me do this favor for you."
Jan Di didn't retract her hand from his gentle grasp, and Young Jae proceeded to slip her hand into the black glove.
"It's a perfect fit," he said loudly, laughing after. "This reminds me of that fairytale… Cinderella, I think they call it."
This surprised her. Taken aback, Jan Di blinked slowly, as if to process the comment. "How so?"
"Well, the glass slipper she wore was a perfect fit. And…" his voice trailed off as he pulled his other glove onto her other hand, "it appears that these gloves, too, are a perfect fit." Young Jae smiled at her before pulling his hands away, rubbing them together to give them warmth. "I always loved that story. It's...motivating, I guess you can say."
Jan Di averted her gaze, folding her hands together. "I...like that story, too. This wouldn't be the first time someone compared me to Cinderella," she replied.
"So I guess I'm not the only one who sees the connection. But just like her, you'll be getting your own happily ever after with your Prince Charming," Young Jae replied. "The cycle will end with your family." He took a couple steps away. "It's time I start heading back. I have to be up early for work tomorrow for the diner. But I'll see you around someday." Before he left, he slipped a note into her hand, then he took off with a wave. "Later, Jan Di."
She peered at the paper in the palm of her hand. It was a wrinkled, torn up sheet. It read, Young Jae, and following after it were several digits. He gave me his phone number. Well, they were friends, weren't they? Plus, it would make tracking him down a lot easier, especially since she had to return his gloves. Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Jan Di?"
She glanced over at the street. Ji Hoo crossed it and began approaching her, his own hands stuffed in his pockets. "Ji Hoo…"
For a brief couple of seconds, Jan Di and Ji Hoo stared at each other. She didn't know why he was silent, but she was still curious about that woman he was with. Despite this, she didn't know what to say or how to ask. This all started because she interrogated him. Did she want to continue this fight and worsen it?
I don't want to annoy him anymore, but I need to know.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to mention it or even say anything. It almost seemed like he didn't know what to say either, but then Ji Hoo spoke up.
"What are you doing out so late?" Ji Hoo asked.
"O..Oh.." Jan Di glanced down at the sidewalk and shoved the note, along with her hands, into her pockets. "I was...I was hungry, so I went out to grab some food."
"I just saw Young Jae," Ji Hoo replied. Her heart began to beat faster; she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Were you eating together?"
"Ah...yes, we were." Jan Di bit the inside of her cheek and looked up at Ji Hoo. He seemed surprisingly stoic and calm. Maybe I am overthinking this. "I went out to eat because I got a little hungry, and I, uh, forgot...money…"
Ji Hoo tilted his head to the side. "...You forgot money? You could have called me—"
"I don't have my phone on me," she replied. "I left it in your car, I think."
"Well, are you still hungry?" he asked. "If you're not full, I can buy you some food—"
Jan Di pulled her hands out from her pockets and waved them in front of her as if to stop him. "No, no. It's okay, Ji Hoo!" She smiled and rubbed her belly. "I'm full. Young Jae was able to score a good deal at this restaurant here."
"...I see." He took her hand with his bare one, though he squinted at her gloves, running his thumb along the fabric. "These...are your gloves?"
"Ah—" Jan Di felt her cheeks begin to heat up. Their conversation was only getting increasingly awkward. She yanked her hand away, though she was a little surprised to see Ji Hoo's hands a blistering red. "Ji Hoo—where are your gloves? Your hands are going to get cold!"
He was quiet for a moment as he slipped his hands into his coat pocket. "...I forgot them."
"That's weird," Jan Di murmured. He seemed surprised by her comment; his brows lifted, and he appeared taken aback. But she went on, "It's just weird that you'd forget something like that. That's not like you, but sometimes we just...have our off days, right?"
I'll let it go for tonight, Ji Hoo. I'll forget that woman, forget this moment, so please, just please keep me on your mind.
"...Yeah," he replied. "Today was just one of those days."
She felt a little lightheaded. "Can we...go home? I'm feeling tired."
His features softened, and he nodded his head. He hesitantly reached for her hand, but after grabbing a firm hold, he began to stroll down the sidewalk beside her. Simultaneously, she leaned close to him. "Let's go home," he told her in a gentle voice.