Night-Owl Romance
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Chapter 7: Cheon
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"Zeeeen~! Come on, I was lighting up the mood for the great reveal!"
"Hn."
"Are you even listening anymore?"
"Hn."
"Pay attention to me!"
"Hn.", the actor answered dully, his eyes drifting towards the intricate pattern of the wall decorations in front of him. He wasn't exactly listening to the garrulous Seven, his headache taking priority as he needed to contain the boiling pressure threatening to expel out of his body. Zen couldn't allow his rage to openly manifest, not while at work with outsiders visiting the director. A certain level of professionalism was needed to be maintained, otherwise the entire company could suffer from Zen's outbursts and it would also reflect poorly upon him.
All of this was mostly Seven's fault, the actor pissed off at him because of his laid back attitude regarding this crisis regarding MC which he had stupidly encouraged to begin with! The hacker was in a suspiciously good mood, not taking matters seriously when it came to her whereabouts. "She's fine, don't worry~!", his confidence showed no lies, nonetheless Zen was bothered by the lack of contact and information being shared, his messages completely ignored by the girl.
Not that he demanded an answer or had a say about anything she chose to do, but...
*deep sigh*
Seven then proceeded to go on and on about matters that seemed like pure gibberish to the silver haired male. It was the perfect recipe to have the actor simply zone out of the discussion.
His patience was running dangerously thin...
This surprise he had in store for Zen – was it an aneurism? If he were forced to listen to any more computer related incidents or the state of those precious honey chips – which were in the hands of his evil witch-maid at home – or his endless troubles with this nagging lady any longer.
*deep groan*
"You're tempting me to really keep it a secret! =.="
"Hn."
"Hn back! It's impossible saying anything to you like this!", it was becoming too obnoxious at this point, thus Zen's eyes trailed back towards those two visitors whose conversation was too loud to ignore. "Since you obviously like-"
"Hn.", his replies were purely automatic at this point for the only sounds he could pick up were from the strange couple.
"- our new member, I thought you wanted to know she was at the theatre."
"But! I guess I was wrong."
"Hn."
Zen assumed the imposing male was the professorwhom the director had mentioned earlier – the one with the project proposition for the actor to consider in partaking. He narrowed his eyes, so far not liking the vibe he was receiving from the guy. His guts were flaring warning signs using the sensation as a filter in his people-reading skills. It was how Zen approached the situation with the trust fund brat in the past too. When he first encountered Jumin, the few words muttered by the rich boy had placed a steep, high wall between them that hadn't collapsed since.
'It was never going to work!'
This man was created using the same mold as Jumin was with his speech pattern and mannerism that seemed very off-putting. Everything about him evoked an elite status, from the expensive attire, to accessories, to smug feature, to even glasses. The 'REJECTED' answer could not have been any easier to give and the temptation was quite great to just march in that meeting and excuse himself out of the project.
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"Zen? Hello?"
"Woah..."
"You really didn't hear me at all?!"
"Lolol!"
"Too bad... I'll get more chances with her then!"
"Mmwhahahaha~!"
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Seven sniggered, yet his provocation had been left unchallenged by the actor.
Zen's gaze remained onto the frail looking girl accompanying the suited man. If his suspicions turned out to be true that they were indeed a teacher-student duo then the interaction between the two was that more flustering for Zen to witness, clicking his tongue and biting his finger. Normally he wouldn't bat an eyelid over other people's private business or affairs but this girl's voice... it was making him anxious and his stomach churning.
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He swore he could hear MC everywhere since their talks.
In this girl too...
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The actor disliked how trippy his mind was since this morning. It felt he could hear MC around his neighborhood, at the subway and among the staff here as well. One of the actresses spoke in similar tunes like the girl, Zen nearly crashing into some props out of shock.
'Tch...'
He was far too out of it for this!
The actor needed to unwind with his Black Angel.
"Zen!"
But that would have to wait.
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~oOo~
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"Miss Choi. Thank you for the service you've provided today. I'll consider your proposition regarding this R.F.A. event so expect an e-mail!", the older male spoke with content, a smile on his features as the girl bowed down, cheeks flushed in a pretty red. She was incredibly flustered, her courage and confidence at her upmost limit – Mina never expected such a fated meeting.
Especially not this lighthearted considering the past...
"But at the same time, I do wish you'd reconsider applying for the next semester's courses. If you don't then I'm afraid your spot will be permanently removed with a slim possibility of reapplying according to faculty regulations. You cannot keep delaying this. And redoing the entire application process from zero brings little results to older candidates in favor for the newer graduates."
"It would be most unfortunate to stop your journey with us at SKY."
Mina bit her lower lip and silently nodded as her chest tightened. "Time's running out so better be quick in your decision!"
"Yes... I understand.", she timidly answered after being dumped in such cold waters, clutching the hem of her coat with trembling hands. Mina had yet to climb out of the emotional rut where life had dipped her into these past years. Her health declining had not made studying a priority – yet. In spite of that, with the sudden arrival of the R.F.A. in the picture then maybe, just maybe, the party planner could muster the power to overcome these struggles and to persevere.
In her shaken state, the man's hand went for her shoulder and cupped it tightly. "Show a more determined expression! And have more faith in your skills, Mina!", he used a thundering voice, the girl's eyes widening in the process. This teacher was always so blunt with the students, making her heart skip a few beats. "If I see you doubt yourself again like before, then I will personally write you off SKY's records myself this very next day!"
"Understood?"
"Y-YES! I'LL DO MY BEST!", she answered back in a military fashion, respectfully bowing down again before leaving this odd building from its narrow entrance way.
'Assistant Lee...'
Who would have thought that, after nearly two years, he would continue to remember Mina with such clarity.
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Assistant Lee: "It's not every day a student walks into their teacher twice in a lifetime.
I do remember you well.
Your portfolio was a very strong contender in our classroom.
There's no way I would forget such a unique talent~!"
Mina Choi: OwO
Assistant Lee: "Such a disappointing one, too.
Worst student I've seen throughout my entire career at the university."
Mina Choi: "... ... ... ... (ಥ﹏ಥ)"
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Even the recollection about this awkward memory brought the girl physical pain. Mina willed herself to forget by switching her attention to the pockets of her coat, her fingers gliding across the rubber case her phone was wrapped in.
"Ah?!"
Shoot.
Mina's expression was of great shock, feeling like she had been hit by a truck.
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'So many missed calls and messages...'
'Pandemonium!' \(º □ º l|l)/
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~oOo~
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"Zen!", the full-faced director had spotted the actor, gesturing wildly towards him to follow the man. "Come, come~!"
Zen straightened up his composure, plastering his best charming mask across his handsome face. He had the warmest of smiles hiding the deepest of annoyances.
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His next performance began behind the curtains.
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~oOo~
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Mina was running, trying to avoid any icy areas and not break a hip during her mad pursuit to the apartment. It was enough to just hear a couple of those voice mails in order to acknowledge how massively she had screwed up. The messages left by the members were eating her up from guilt – Jumin's was the worst.
One word: "Disappointed."
Not to mention, he put in the extra effort of using an emoji of a kitten to accentuate his mood.
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"(=^눈.눈=)"
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Mina's waterworks were threatening to leak out, experiencing many shivers from this single one word. Furthermore, having received it from the top bachelor of the nation and future heir to a mega-conglomerate corporation, as well as one of the originals members of the R.F.A... her tears could flood entire streets.
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Right there and then she vowed never to put the members in such a difficult situations ever again!
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Mina only hoped she could keep her vow and not turn out to be the biggest disappointment in their lives for the foreseeable future...
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~oOo~
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The first one she had attempted to reach was Zen, Mina being the most remorseful for the awful way she had snapped at him. It was unacceptable behavior... the girl needed to give a sincere apology and she dearly hoped he would accept it, but...
"Zen, I wanted to -!"
Not only did he pick up – she couldn't mutter a single sentence before she heard the flat line of a closed call. *heart stab* Mina stopped mid-run, staring at the screen for some long minutes before typing down a short message.
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"I'm sorry for yelling at you, it was very stupid of me...
You were only concerned for me and I took my frustrations out on you. You were right, Zen... I should treat my safety with more concern. I'll do a better job from now on.
I'm really, really sorry..."
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Mina brushed away the falling droplets tainting the screen, continuing her journey underneath the cloudless sky.
Because it was taking up too much time to individually apologize, the girl decided open a chat room from the app – thankfully for her nerves, nobody else was online.
She had time to organize her thoughts before writing them down.
She did a summary of what had happened, trying to ease everyone's concerns and appeal for their forgiveness. Mina was safe and sound, heading back to Rika's apartment as she was typing the information. "Without any more detours. I promise!" The girl further mentioned how she had some last minute things to handle at a coffee shop downtown, finding out about the issue that morning. On the way back, nearing the subway station, Mina had actually bumped into an old acquaintancSe and... that's mainly when she lost track of time, apologizing to the members for neglecting to update them.
Mina had to put her phone on silence mode around this person so she didn't register the passing of time until hours later had passed.
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"Not to worry! I had the party planning in mind as well!
If I may suggest myself, I think I found a suitable candidate for the party.
The man's from a renowned family of artists, the owner of one of the largest galleries in Seoul. He does a lot of side projects, bringing children and students closer to the arts by creating various cultural events ^^.
Cheon Foundation.
I think he fits the criteria in mind to have everybody pleased, ha ha.
A nice middle ground.
Moreover,
There's a high chance he'll accept the invitation to the party~!
So! If you all agree, I shall do my best!
Oh.
I'll probably log in much later tonight since I'm currently busy avoiding pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Bye everyone~!"
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Man,
It was so difficult to hold back her tears.
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~oOo~
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Bored out of his mind, Zen's mask was threatening to falter inside this tiny meeting room. His foot had been tapping the floor lightly in an impatient rhythm while his arms remained crossed in this dark environment. He skillfully suppressed a yawn by biting his inner cheeks – the presentation was not something he was watching intensely, far too busy to stare at the ticking clock at the edge of the screen.
Tick – Tock – Tick – Tock
He could almost hear the ticking inside his head. 'When will this be over?', Zen shot a penetrating stare to the man offering this sudden lecture – Lee Yeonghon. It wasn't to say the information was dull and not of interest to his field of work. In its essence, the actor could appreciate the hard work behind these ideas which weren't too appalling – at least from the few fragments he had actually paid attention to from the man's presentation anyway.
Still.
Being back at school was not what he had signed up for, especially with the crisis surrounding MC.
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*Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
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A tremor in his white coat had caught Zen's attention, hand flying into his pockets the next second. Luckily, the sound wasn't loud enough to disturb the guest, quickly shutting the device off. As much as he wished to exit the room to pick up the call, Zen stayed put for the director's eye was twitching.
*light cough*
'Was she back at Rika's yet?',it was a maddening question plaguing his thoughts. 'Ack!', the silver haired man was so unfocused, nails biting through the coat at this point from his impatience. 'Just end already-'
"Zen.", he raised his head towards the director whose hands were pointing at the screen – confused, he turned to see an array of posters for the musical this upcoming Friday's premiere. Many had their hands raised at the table, only he was in denial.
"Do you agree to do this or not? It seems like a marvelous idea!"
The actor was confused. 'Shit... I shouldn't have dozed off!' To save face, he simply told the truth about the matter – such an art form was not his area of comfort to give well rounded opinions. He was uncertain of the right decision though he would not oppose the majority's choice.
Saved.
"Understandable.", Mr. Lee grinned, thumbing onto the laptop and closing the images, one by one... slowly. "However... if that's the final verdict, then the kids need to practice harder in order for such doubts to be erased from the minds of the inexperienced!", there was a hint of saltiness there.
F**k.
"The majority of you voted for this piece; it will have to suffice for now. I'm afraid there is no betteroption I can offer to the table."
"I-It's more than we had hoped for, Mr. Lee! The help you've provided so far to make the youth aware of this show, and the music world in general, is quite an admirable feat and we appreciate these masterpieces! Right everyone?!", the chuckling, round figure of the director was targeting the young actor with his speech, expression not as friendly as his words had been during the rehearsal.
'Just my luck... Director Kwon is angry now.', Zen fidgeted slightly from the harsh stone-cold stare, his mask kept intact though. Usually, this meant he would have to pursue more theatre hours in order to improve on his oratory skills which would translate in him being punished with heavy workload and forced to hear the old man's scolding about the lack of his social grace when it came to interacting with other men. The silver haired male was sure of it, placing his elbows on the table in small defiance – not that he viewed the extra work as punishment, it was the on-going rant which was bothersome. Zen was a raging workaholic – the more tasks he had to accomplish, the faster he would improve in his craft so he rejoiced about every opportunity, not backing away from a challenge regardless of difficulty level!
"As for the second version...", Mr. Lee cleared his throat.
The idea had been centered on a lasting impressions poster, a chromatic review of the musical through the lenses of the students, each bringing forth the unique emotions experienced during the viewing. This would mark as a follow-up to the first poster sets which had been solely created using the static sources of inspiration – the major plot points offered by the story writer, the literary rootsthe musical had been based on, the cast members' visuals from the theatre's website and the descriptive images of the costumes. In this case, the students would require special access to one of the cast's final rehearsals, idea permitted by the director in a heartbeat when these discussions were initially proposed.
Mainly, the professor would appreciate a deeper emphasis on the scenes revolving between Zen's character and the female lead since the story gravitated around their romance~!
"In two days I plan to bring the students here. Around noon.", Mr. Lee ended.
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It was the weekend.
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"Oh my, yes!", the woman yelped out of excitement – the actress did not mind at all, always appreciating a good fanart of her impeccable visage~! To think she might get professional ones with Zen as her partner~! She'd become the envy of all women, already gifted with many beautiful choices from this gorgeous presentation alone~!.
Her eyes reveled in the talent presented on the screen~!
Zen wasn't nearly as excited or touched by the news. Basically, the actor's free day morphed into an university field-day assignment and this meant more rehearsal practices, which he did not mind – but, with an audience comprised of mostly females, judging by the names he had spotted on the spreadsheet that was being projected on the panel.
"Ah... the curse of being so handsome ensues.", he inaudibly chuckled, panning through the names.
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Mina Choi.
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That particular one was highlighted in red, setting it apart from the rest of the students. Unaware he spoke the name out loud, Mr. Lee turning his head towards the projected image, adjusting his glasses and wearing a proud expression. "Ah yes... if anyone could convince even the most inexperienced and undecided, surely Ms. Choi would have been the chosen one."
"..."
Yup.
This guy definitely had salt poured over his wounded pride.
While resuming the chat between the director and professor, Zen was curious whether it was the same girl who had accompanied the professor and had left this meeting room prior. From what he recalled, it should be the same individual.
Amazing.
That man's blatant favoritism of the girl was not even a hidden aspect of this assignment.
Whatever...
He was truly bored for being interested in such a trivial matter.
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~oOo~
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*SNEEZE*
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Mina couldn't shake off the creeping feeling that she was being followed for quite some time now. Her senses went in overdrive since the encounter with Assistant Lee. Somehow, all the R.F.A.'s worries had transformed her innocent walk into a more restless endeavor than it should've been.
'Five more minutes', she thought happily, spotting the apartment complex in the horizon.
"Spare a coin for a poor old woman, will you dear...?", Mina's eyes darted to the nearby bench, the dark cloak hiding the woman's figure and face, white hair sprouting underneath it in long, messy strands. The party planner stopped into place as the sight in front of her was... depressing. It made her heart sink tremendously – where was this woman's family?!
Mina checked her thin wallet for some cash, throat constricting – she didn't have a lot to spare, but...
"I'll manage somehow! . ;"
"Here.", she took almost all of it out – counting the amount loudly so the woman could know what she'll be receiving. "Plenty to buy a nice full-course meal for a few days. At least~!", Mina extended her hand but all she could sense was the rapid trembling underneath the coat. She panicked, unsure what to do because of the painful, muffled sounds. The girl presumed the elder started crying when she saw the money in her lap.
Mina knelt closer and touched the elder's back softly- *GRABS*
"He he he...", it sounded too... demonic, Mina shifting her gaze towards the hand gripping onto her arm tightly.
It didn't belong to an old person one bit.
Heck, wasn't a woman's either.
Mina's heart leaped out of her body, jerking her hand away with as much strength as she could muster. She then sprinted towards the building, all the while hearing the woman's laughter while leaving behind the money.
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'Such a kind girl.'
'It will surely get her into grave danger at this rate...'
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Intense golden eyes flashed from beneath the hood.
Fun time following the girl was now officially over.
He could tell V about it to calm him down.
