Ah yes, another classic written past midnight chapter. I wrote over half of this whilst walking around Tesco doing shopping, and this is the first draft - so if there's a million mistakes and it starts to get very Young Do does this, Tae Yeon does that - I apologise but it's been so long since I last wrote anything for this that I thought I would probably never publish anything.
I'll refine this tomorrow (or in a couple of days because I have to wake up in like 8 hours to finalise my mock art exam piece and revise for Biology (which I despise with a burning passion) so you know - you don't have to put up with this montrosity much longer.
This extra A/N will probably go bye bye too, because I felt it was needed to express my apologies).
Young Do has never had a tolerance for parties. They're loud and he has to suck up to an endless barrage of people who act overly nice to him (he greets them well after his father's secretary whispers their names and respective companies into his ear. In addition to that there's always some sort of classical music playing in the background (live orchestra or otherwise) to give the impression of class; even though he's sure no one can name any of the pieces playing - or would be able to tell if the played the same song on loop the whole night. The lights area always dimmed so that those who aren't blessed with such handsome looks like himself don't feel out of place in the bright light where everyone can stare at their unattractiveness.
Unfortunately tonight, like every other event he's had to attend, he doesn't have much of a choice. His father's standing a couple of metres away from him, and Young Do knows that even if he'd tried to refuse coming his father would've gripped his collar tightly and dragged him.
The advantages of being able to make alliances with Seoul's elite is the only upside, names and faces that could come to support him when he takes over from his father.
Tonight, he had even less choice in attending. Because tonight Zeus Group are the ones throwing the ridiculously extravagant do, which means he has to don the suit and tie, even though he's pretty sure that soon enough he'll loosen his tie and unbutton the top buttons of his shirt, feeling suffocated by the smell of cheap perfume and alcohol.
Although he's not a fan of parties in general, he's even less of a fan when it's his father that's hosting them. Because that means that he has to stay by his father's side the whole night, and he can barely tolerate staying in the same room as him, much less breathe the same air as him. The party's to show off, and hopefully the endless flow of alcohol that his father is providing will overpower the joke that was made out of Zeus last year - now that his father's out of jail and they're in the process of designing a new Zeus hotel to expand their power outside of Korea (Young Do's still unsure how his father got bailed out; because he was as guilty as anything. He doesn't want to admit his relief either, because no matter what he's not sure he's ready to take on the taxing task of managing Zeus at his age).
His father's secretary pops up suddenly, and the man is trustworthy; trustworthy enough that Young Do doesn't always throw stuff at him for no reason. The fact that he's stuck around for so long probably has something to do with the fact that he's not a woman clad in short skirts and high heels - and he gestures for Young Do to join him as his father excuses himself from whoever he's sucking up to.
Standing besides his father, shoulder to shoulder, he's almost a head taller than him. Probably why his father insists on Young Do standing behind him for the majority of the time, so that his presence is still there, but not as intimidating in comparison.
"The daughter of Sing Wang Group is here," his father's secretary announces. Secretary Joon. He's had messages delivered to him through said secretary enough times to remember the name.
This is not the first time throughout the evening that Secretary Joon has said a similar message, and it probably won't be the last. Secretary Joon's job is to have the people outside on the lookout for guests, and then feed him the information so that he can pass it on to Young Do and his father so that they can make appropriate greetings.
Young Do's father nods and dismisses Secretary Joon, who as always shoots Young Do a warning look. As if Young Do would listen to him.
Young Do's father grabs the bottom of his sleeves, and pulls him aside.
"You read the file on the Zhang girl, right?"
Young Do scoffs, because he hasn't done what his father's asked him to since he was twelve years old. "You should really stop making assumptions about me, I think it's clear you're wrong more times than you're right."
His father sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, and Young Do thinks that a vein just might burst. He'd been presented with the guest list for tonight a month prior, with all the faces and names and facts he needed to know - but he'd put it aside out of boredom, planning on doing it closer to the time. Of course, then he'd become distracted by Tae Yeon's mystery so he had no idea who his father was referring to.
"Daughter of Sing Wang Group, only daughter, second child, has an older brother. The only one attending tonight," his father says through gritted teeth, and Young Do's willing to bet he's going to pay for this tomorrow with a bruise. "Their company's based in China, and they're expanding to Seoul. Their support is vital if our branch opening in Beijing is to be successful. The economy's shaky enoughas it is, especially considering we're a Korean based company and they're not that welcoming to outsiders. If you mess this up, I'll send you to China myself so that you can act as the bridge between the countries."
"My Chinese is a little rusty."
"Screw this up and the only word you need to know when you step off the plane will be hospital."
Young Do scrunches his nose because the threat is bad even for his father, and then a girl is descending the stars, ushered by Secretary Joon so that his father knows who to suck up to next, and Young Do's throat dries.
The girl's dressed immaculately, a picture of elegance in a white dress that's nowhere near as extravagant as Rachel's pink, intricate affair but just as stunning; and her hair's piled up on her head, tendrils of hair falling into her face.
The girl is beautiful.
And it's Tae Yeon.
"You look beautiful," Tae Yeon's mother says as Tae Yeon looks at herself in the mirror. Her dress is elegant but chic, and her shoes are tall and still plain. Expensive probably, but Tae Yeon has no idea what brand. She'd only bought them at her mother's insistence, and figured that she might as well like them, even if she was certain she wouldn't wear them all that often.
They're golden and matte, and tall enough that she looks dressed for the occasion, not tall enough for her to waver as she walks.
She ignores her mother's comment, and instead walks into the closet to peruse her accessories. This place is no longer her room, just an empty shell that she used to inhabit - and she's not there out of choice. All of her rich people clothes are still in her parent's house, because there'd been no need to move them when she finally convinced them to let her escape that hellhole.
Tae Yeon hadn't been to any sort of social event for a year, because once again there was no need.
She ran her fingers along the bracelets and necklaces, given to her by people too lazy to think about what she might actually like, gifts from her parents as congratulations for all the times they weren't there.
Her hand lingers on an intricate gold necklace, to compliment the neckline of her dress, and her fingers twitch slightly - but she moves past them to reach for the slim gold bangle her brother gave her and slips it onto her wrist.
"Here," her mother says as she walks in behind her, and Tae Yeon dodges her, as always. Her mother manages to step in front of her before she can escape, holding out a think file that blocks her way.
It's been so long since she's been in this house, so long since she's dressed up to go somewhere, so long since she's spoken proper Mandarin.
Her mother's Korean is usually broken and incorrect, not that that stops her half the time.
It's been so long, and yet Tae Yeon's here because she's willing to bet that Choi Young Do has been invited to Zeus Group's party; and she can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees her there.
I have no idea whose son you are, but I intend on finding out and making you pay.
"What's this?"
"Potential husbands," her mother says, and attempts to gently give it to her but Tae Yeon ducks out of the way. "All around your age, not yet in university. Everything you need to know, I thought you might like the choice."
"There's no choice to make," Tae Yeon says, turning her back to her mother as she tucks her school shoes into her backpack, and then proceeds to place her lipstick and phone into her clutch. "I'm not going to get married, not yet. I thought the point of you sending me to Jeguk was to find a husband, be a little more patient."
She says nothing, even though Tae Yeon knows how much she wants to. She's learnt that Tae Yeon isn't young enough to be pushed around anymore, especially not when she'd already conceded in her mother's favour.
"Fine," she says. "At least let me take a picture of you all dressed up."
"There'll be enough photographers at the event," Tae Yeon remarks as she grabs her clutch and calls for the butler. "Have this brought to my apartment, Min Kyung'll be there."
Min Kyung, who'd at first insisted on accompanying her, and then settled on waiting until she got back to see how pissed she got.
The angry kind, not the drunk.
"And having pictures of me amongst the rich is more important, right?"
Her mother sighs.
"Have fun."
Tae Yeon dodges her mother's outreached hand, aiming to stroke her cheek, and leaves.
Choi Young Do, let's see what you think now.
When Tae Yeon arrives at Zeus Hotel, she already knows what to expect. There is an attendant dressed smartly with a name tag to open the door to her car (because despite what everyone seems to think, Min Kyung is Tae Yeon's driver, he's not and her family actually have one employed for occasions like this) and then he's there checking her invitation.
It's not technically hers, it's her parents' that's been extended to hers. Her dad's in China settling some sort of business deal, and her mother's flying out to meet him later that night. The only reason she'd delayed her flight was to see her only daughter look beautiful and Tae Yeon thinks she might be sick remembering how exactly her mother had said it.
The attendant's smiling and waving at her, and the hotel is lit up. It's not her first time here, even if it's the first time she's here for an event. He scans something on the invite with his phone, and her lips quirk slightly. He's probably beeping ahead to say that she's arrived, and give the host warning. Before she knows it she's being ushered up the steps into the hotel lobby, and another attendant is offering to take her coat.
Tae Yeon shrugs it off her shoulders gracefully, as she's been taught to do, and smiles winningly, tucking hair back behind her ears and then laughing so it falls forward again. She's been to enough events in the past, both by herself and with others, to know how to act, especially when there are a million lights on in the lobby and millions of attendees loitering around, willing to jump at the chance to help some rich heir and get a fat tip.
She also knows that when Min Kyung worked jobs like this he got a whole lot of cash.
Another man walks up to her, but she can tell he's different by the fact he doesn't have a name tag, and his suit is far more expensive. He bows to her, which feels a little silly considering she's no one special - just a stupid little girl who let her anger get the best of her and lead her to a party where she's hoping to run into a certain stupid eyebrow boy just to see the look on her face - but she bows back and smiles, the bangle on her wrist sliding up and down her arm as she does so.
He introduces himself as Secretary Joon, and says that he'll escort her to the function if she would be so kind as to follow him. She smiles back winningly and obliges, keeping her head straight and not looking around the lobby like she sort of wants to. Because being curious or amazed is not the job of an heiress, even if she's not a typical type of heiress. At least not in her opinion.
Although the lines between typical and non-typical are constantly blurring.
Before she can ponder on it for too long however, he's ushering her into the elevator and the lights are dimmed. Her eyebrows raise of their own accord when he presses the button for the fifteenth floor and a comment escapes her lips before she can stop herself. "Seems quite impractical to host a ballroom on a floor that could otherwise be used for more rooms."
Secretary Joon just quirks a smile, as if pleased by her comment; even if it's nothing short but rude and judgemental. "It offers quite a view."
The elevator is going through the floors quickly, so Tae Yeon runs through all the facts she has on Zeus Group.
1. It's one of the biggest hotel chains in South Korea, almost as large as Shinhwa. Almost.
2. They're currently trying to expand their domain to include Japan and China - which explains why they're trying to be major kiss ups to her family.
3. They're currently trying to come back from the fact their President went to jail for tax evasion.
4. Said President also had a failed engagement to the head of RS International, Lee Esther.
5. Tae Yeon has no actual idea what their President's name is. Whilst they'd addressed the invitation to President Zhang (Tae Yeon had forgotten that was her actual last name, after being addressed as Kang Tae Yeon for so long) and his family, it had been signed off as from Zeus Group.
Which is not useful at all.
To be honest, Tae Yeon probably should have done a bit more research on Zeus Group before coming here, but it was rushed and she didn't have time, too focused on exactly what she'd say when she inevitably saw Young Do.
"Have you been to Zeus before?" Secretary Joon asks when they've reached the tenth floor, undoubtedly attempting to make polite conversation before leading her to President what's-his-name to be devoured and pampered.
Sometimes it was nice to be the person people wanted approval from.
Tae Yeon nods. "I've been in one of the rooms before, but not the ballroom."
Secretary Joon looks mildly surprised. Twelfth floor now.
"Really? I didn't know, I'm sure if the President had known he could have made special arrangements for you."
"It was a year ago," Tae Yeon says; it had been when she'd decided that she'd finally had enough of living with her parents, and her apartment hadn't been ready. Her and Min Kyung had stayed at Zeus for four nights, ordering room service and watching bad movies, charging it on his credit card so that no one knew where they were. "And does he make special arrangements for everyone, or only the people who he wants as allies?"
Apparently Tae Yeon's act needs a lot of work.
But better to let it loose in the elevator with a Secretary who just seems incredibly entertained than with someone who could rat her out to her parents.
Secretary Joon just laughs, and then they're stepping out of the elevator and there are attendants everywhere, standing by the banister of stairs that seem very extravagant and entirely unnecessary. She holds onto it for support as she descends the couple of steps that lead to the floor, and Secretary Joon is right there beside her, and she wants to ask whether or not he'll escort her all the way to the President himself and save her the trouble of having to find him, but she's said too much already, and she's trying very hard to go for the pretty nice girl act.
That always works a lot better than cold bitch, based on past experiences.
Her eyes scan the room because she knows that her classmates are going to be littered around, but the room is still dim and she can barely make out any faces. There's a slight cluster of people focused around what appears to be one person, so Tae Yeon assumes that that is where Zeus' President is and where she's being lead to.
Then her eyes focus on the tall person near him and her throat dries slightly because she knew she was going to see Young Do, she just didn't know that it would be almost immediately.
She begins to plan her conversation as they make their way towards the president, Secretary Joon nodding pleasantly as they pass people and Tae Yeon follows his cue, even if the minute she's out of earshot people are beginning to discuss exactly who this new face is. She exchanges pleasantries with him as the make their way, and then she is being introduced to the President, who is a relatively short man as people in charge tend to be, and she bows her head as she shakes her hand.
"Ah, Miss Zhang, it's a pleasure to meet you and have you here at Zeus." He completely slaughters the pronunciation of her name, which was why she'd come up with a Korean substitute in the first place, but she withholds her grimace and continues to smile.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance too," she says and she laughs and tucks hair behind her ear in the hopes that he'll be too distracted by a pretty young girl to notice how she hasn't addressed him by his name yet. She'll have to wait a bit longer and hope to glean it from someone. "Zeus is simply extravagant."
The President's smile is as greasy as his hair. "I'm glad you think so. Allow me to introduce you to my son."
And then she realises that she'd lost sight on Choi Young Do, and then she realises that that's because he'd turned his back to her, and conveniently turns around now as the President lays a hand on his back.
It looks almost comical really, how Young Do dwarfs even his father.
His father.
Tae Yeon has walked into the lion's den.
Literally.
Stupid. Stupid.
But too late to back out now.
"Tae Yeonie," Young Do says, and at least he doesn't smile, and seems shocked. He'd seen her enter the room, she's sure of it, and he's still not sure quite what to make, which gives Tae Yeon the strength to square her shoulders and look as if she knew what was happening.
Her voice still betrays her though, and when she speaks, it's more of an exhale.
"Young Do."
Despite the fact that Young Do should be focusing on other things - such as the fact that Tae Yeon is here, that Tae Yeon is Zhang Te Mei the second daughter of the group his father is trying to suck up to and if he'd just read those files like he was meant to he would have been five steps ahead before she even entered Jeguk - all he can focus on is how exquisite she looks now that he can see her up close.
And how he really should have gathered the fact that she was some sort of heiress before, because she just looks like she belongs with her red lips and elegant hairstyle. It's different from the other women here. Bo Na and Rachel with their pink lips and straight hair (even if all of South Korea knows that pink lipstick is Yoo Rachel's trademark); and all the older women with their dark red lipsticks to make them look alluring.
Tae Yeon looks fresh faced with whatever makeup she's wearing, even if all Young Do can note is her eyelashes and the bright red smear of colour across her lips. She looks new, and different - which he supposes is exactly what she was aiming for.
When you're in a place where no one knows anything about you apart from your name and your company, it's always best to go for looking different so that people come and make their own, good impressions.
Still, Young Do can't push aside the fact that she isn't on social welfare, that she is rich, and that she might have been playing him this whole time.
If it wasn't for the small fact that she'd looked mildly surprised when she saw him standing there.
Young Do's mind is still churning as his father regards him out of the corner of his eye. He knows he'll probably be shouted at later for not mentioning the fact that he knows the daughter of Sing Wang group; but in his defence, he had no idea Tae Yeon was rich, let alone what exactly Sing Wang group is.
Tae Yeon recovers faster than him, and she immediately bows to his father again, disregarding Young Do. "Before I forget, I have to pass on my family's apologies President Choi," she sounds sure of herself, and Young Do wonders if the only reason she knows his last name is because Young Do's there now. He should find it amusing, but he can't.
Not yet. Not while I'm still coming to terms with this.
"They'd already arranged the business trip to Beijing when your invite arrived, I just hope that I can do my family justice by attending and not make a fool of myself," Tae Yeon says coyly.
You're good. I almost forgot.
Young Do's father smiles at her, and Young Do knows that Tae Yeon knows she doesn't have to try all that hard to work round his father. She's a pretty, young, rich girl, and exactly his father's type. So when she laughs and looks bashfully at the floor he knows she's gotten over the shock and is using it to her advantage.
"I doubt you could do so," Young Do's father says and then his hand is clapping on Young Do's back.
"I didn't know you knew each other." His voice comes out strained, and even though Young Do's mouth feels dry he manages to form words.
"Tae Yeon transferred to Jeguk at the beginning of this term," he says, and even if his father's mind is always lagging behind his own, he's managed to put together the fact that Tae Yeon is the girl in front of him.
Tae Yeon nods along, and Young Do remembers how she'd done something similar on their first encounter and decides that this is not a good sign.
"Oh?" His father's grip on him tightens. "That must be difficult, you're not finding the workload too much?"
Tae Yeon dismisses his father's false concerns with a gentle wave of her hand.
She's so put together, so refined.
"No, it was my own fault. I went to the sister school of the one my best friend attended, and was reluctant to move away from him. My mother decided that Jeguk would be the best school to attend to better my chances in the business world, and women can be quite persistent - as I'm sure you know," she adds and Young Do's father laughs along with her.
She knows about his engagement to Esther, knows that he'll appreciate her comment.
"Tae Yeon transferred to my class," Young Do says as more of an explanation to his father than anything else. "She's ranked first."
Tae Yeon giggles again, and a faint blush rises to her cheeks. "Don't flatter me so much, ranking second is still an impressive achievement." There's a hard glint in her eyes that tells him that she knows exactly what she's doing when she announces the fact she's above him.
"Really? Young Do doesn't tell me anything," his father admonishes. "Even when he makes new friends."
"I don't know when we're on speaking terms and when we're not," Young Do mutters.
"I don't think friend is the correct word to describe our relationship," Tae Yeon corrects and Young Do's head snaps up from where he'd been looking at her shoes. The conversation's entered dangerous waters, and he knew his initial suspicions were correct. "Young Do sunbae-nim wasn't very nice to me when I started at Jeguk," Tae Yeon tugs at the hem of her dress. "He tripped me once," and if his father's eyes weren't on her legs before they certainly are now, scanning for any bruises - concrete evidence in a lawsuit for harassment against Zeus. Something they definitely don't need when they've just managed to put one scandal behind them. "But now that we know each other better I think we'll be friends, right sunbae?"
Young Do's father knows that the two of them are in the same class, and Tae Yeon's use of the honorific is precise. Enough to show that despite her ranking above him, she still thinks he's there. He's older by a bit, not enough to really warrant it. She's used it to show a hint of fear, to show that they're not close.
Not as close as he needs us to be to feel secure in your company's support.
Young Do can only nod, and now his father's fingers are digging into his arm.
"If you'll excuse me, I should make conversation with some other people, otherwise I think my mother would be rather disappointed in my waste of an opportunity, you know how it is sunbae?" Still sunbae. Why not oppa? "It was an honour meeting you President Choi. Young Do."
She drops to a slight bow to both of them, and then flounces away. An all white figure wreaking destruction.
"Come." His father's voice is low in his ears. "Now."
When Young Do returns to the function, there's a new bruise threatening to bloom just beneath his ribs and it aches slightly. His father hadn't said much, other than scolded him for being an idiot who could have gotten them into serious trouble if Tae Yeon told her parents about his bullying nonsense.
How lucky he was that she didn't and instead was giving him a chance.
How Young Do very much had to do anything in order to gain her forgiveness.
How if he saw one article about a bruise on her legs he was going to kill him.
Young Do knew what his father wanted to do, and it was not going to be pretty.
Not if his father was willing to go to such a length, then they must really, really need her parent's support.
Before he can find her again however, Rachel steps straight into his path. He's not sure how he missed her really, she's hardly invisible in her pale lace dress that makes her look like a queen, and her eyebrows arched in that signature bitch expression. Considering how often Young Do's thought of her the past couple of days, he probably should have made more of an attempt to converse with her.
Maybe then things wouldn't have gotten so drastic that she felt the need to purposefully go out of her way to seek him out, and practically bump into him.
She looks like sin with her sleek, straight hair and winged eye liner - and once again he's comparing her to Tae Yeon's soft graces. Two different faces, same psychotic bitch on the inside, apparently.
Perhaps Young Do's thought of Rachel too much that she managed to manifest before him from thought alone.
Screw him thinking of her as a sister, this was getting ridiculous.
Rachel stands next to him an examines a nail, and although they're not making eye contact Young Do knows her well enough to know she's starting a conversation with him, and he can't say he doesn't want the distraction from what he's going to have to do. She looks fantastic, as always, and he imagines they look a good pair as they stand next to each other. All sharp angles and unimpressed looks.
Myung Soo would probably go crazy with his camera if he was in the vicinity, luckily he's nowhere to be seen.
No matter how much his father doesn't like him, Myung Soo's parent's power and his talent for taking good photographs keeps him on the guest list.
Zeus really needs good press right now, and there's no better way to get that than by good photos of people having fun.
"You know sister, I'm rather popular - being the host's son and all, so if there's something you want to say get it out of the way now."
His words are blunt and to the point - but that's how all of his conversations with Rachel are.
She returns the favour, because they understand each other. Because even if they're not siblings by blood, or by marriage, they're siblings through understanding and if it wasn't for their parent's failed engagement and Tan's father getting in there first; Young Do's pretty sure him and Rachel would have been engaged already.
"Your rudeness is not appreciated," Rachel says boredly. "Especially not today, it appears you're not in anyone's good books."
Then her lips quirk up into that signature smug look and Young Do knows exactly what she's referring to.
"Don't bring it up Rachel, I never thought you were that boring."
The next time he hears about Tae Yeon; Young Do thinks he might claw his eyes out. Especially if he doesn't get drunk enough tonight to forget about all of this tomorrow.
Rachel doesn't give in however, and Young Do knows he shouldn't have expected her to because it's Rachel.
"I'm assuming that's the girl Hyo Shin and Myung Soo told me about?'
"Aish, I really am popular these days. I thought people grew bored of making rumours about me."
Rachel's stopped looking at her nails now, undoubtedly looking for chips that only she can see, and looks up at him. She's still got that fringe that makes her look ultimately mean, just how she likes it. "Then it's not true you're playing with her?"
Young Do says nothing and Rachel tuts in disdain. "I thought it was false, you haven't found someone good to play with since you decided you fancied yourself in love with Eun Sang. Plus, if what I managed to see was any indication to your relationship with her - she's the one playing with you."
Young Do snarls at this, and judging from how pleased Rachel looks this is exactly what she wanted.
Sort of like Tae Yeon, and the reaction she got out of him.
"Is that what you and Hyo Shin sunbae do? Make out, talk about politics, and discuss my life? Sounds boring."
Rachel doesn't rise to the bait. "She seems far above your usual prey, Young Do. Maybe you're out of your depths. After all, asides from Tan, who else was brave enough to stare into your father's eyes and get you in trouble?"
His fists clench. "Isn't the better question who lacked creativity to the point they had to resort to telling on me? I went easy on her because I assumed that she wasn't one of us. I miscalculated."
"One of us alright, that girl knows how to work a room almost as well as Myung Soo."
Young Do thinks he glimpses the photographer in question, and he can still see Tae Yeon whose wearing that white dress whilst everyone else knows that the colour of the year was announced to be some light shade of purple, and his eyes are following her before he knows what he's doing.
Rachel claps. "And she knows how to work you too, apparently. If Eun Sang had the whole innocent school girl act going on, at least she's honest. Seems a lot more tolerable too."
"You haven't met her."
"I don't need to. I can make my introductions as I congratulate her on beating you."
"Considering we've known each other since preschool, I would've assumed that you'd all be a tad more supportive of me," Young Do scoffs, even though he's not nearly as wounded as he sounds.
Of course they'd all team up against him. They all enjoyed seeing each other fall as much as anyone else.
"She seems like she could win."
"You're wrong. She has no idea what she's doing. She walked in here not knowing that I was the heir to Zeus group. Without even knowing my father's name. You call that someone who could beat me? Don't be stupid Rachel, I thought you'd gotten over your lovelorn Tan phase and moved on to Hyo Shin. Yet you've kept your stupid behaviour."
Rachel still seems too pleased to let Young Do's comments get to her.
"Is that so? You don't think she knows what she's doing?" Rachel laughs, and the sound makes Young Do feel sick to his stomach. She points to where Tae Yeon is, and he can still pick her out amongst the sea of reds and blacks and metallic colours. Lots and lots of purple. "Then tell me, the person she's talking to, isn't that your biggest rival?"
Sometimes Young Do wishes Rachel wasn't always right, and that he can't hear her laugh as he begins to politely shove his way through the crowd towards her.
Kim Woo Hyun is not one of the people that Young Do likes. Granted, at events like these there's barely anyone that Young Do could tolerate long conversations with; and even less that he would regard as friends. Woo Hyun fits into neither of these categories.
He's the third son of LX Group - nothing in comparison to Young Do being the direct heir - their largest competitor in the hotel game. Part of the reason for his fathers sudden sense of urgency to expand to the rest of East Asia was how well LX were doing of late.
They'd managed to open one branch in Tokyo, and then whilst they'd been distracted with trying to get to China first; LX had claimed South East Asia. Opening branches in Malaysia, Borneo and Singapore. Thriving in the market especially as the first two were popular tourist destinations that lacked any big name hotels - apart from the token Hard Rock.
Choi Dong Wook had been seething - and even if Young Do preferred to detach himself from business talk when possible, so had he. Although it was more to do with the fact that Young Do could envision Woo Hyun's smug look all too clearly.
When he reaches them Woo Hyun's laughing and he feels that vein in his forehead begin to throb. It's enough having to converse with him as it is; even worse when Tae Yeon's there and in order to appease his father some serious ass kissing is due and he'd rather Woo Hyun not bear witness to it.
Unfortunately Woo Hyun can't take a hint to save his life and will probably stick around like chewing gum on the bottom of his expensive shoes.
They're conversing in English, because Woo Hyun is exactly the type to love showing off, but Woo Hyun's colloquial speech is no match for Tae Yeon's native. It strokes the sad part of Young Do's ego that enjoys seeing Woo Hyun embarrassed - even if the idiot is too dense to realize its happening.
"Woo Hyun-ah," Young Do calls. He barely uses the familiar tone with anyone, and when he does its always limited to a condescending statement, much like in this instance. Young Do places his arms around Tae Yeon's shoulders, and even though they're bare and the ballroom has its air conditioning on; the skin is still warm. "I hope you've been treating our Tae Yeonie well."
Unlike previous occasions when she'd been pretending to be on good terms with Young Do, this time Tae Yeon doesn't bother and merely shrugs his hand off her shoulder with a swift movement. If his father's watching he's probably livid.
Luckily she doesn't move away do obviously, because if anyone else is watching from a distance they won't be able to tell the tension he's feeling. Not when they're standing close enough for their arms to brush and for people to see how tiny she is in comparison to the two hotel heir giants.
"Young Do hyung," Woo Hyun greets. They haven't exchanged niceties yet, because whilst Young Do had grimaced through a talk with the elder Kim, he'd been informed that Woo Hyun had managed to wander off. Like a stray dog. Probably in search of alcohol or or a girl with low enough standards to consider spending the night with him. The exact opposite of Tae Yeon. "I've been nothing but the perfect gentleman towards Te Mei," Woo Hyun remarks with a wink. He slaughters the pronunciations bad Young Do can tell - and he snorts laugh. Tae Yeon hears as pushes herself rather forcefully into his side. "After all I have to make a good first impression, right?"
He accompanies this with a hand squeezing Young Do's shoulder. Woo Hyun's a year his junior but roughly his height, a fact Woo Hyun likes to not so subtly remind Young Do of at every occasion.
Kim Woo Hyun wouldn't know subtle if it crept into his room at night and injected poison into his bloodstream. All of his actions are dramatic and exaggerated and whilst its endearing from Myung Soo, it's merely irritating from him.
"You've made an excellent one so far," Tae Yeon smiles winningly.
I wonder if your absence from social events means you don't know Woo Hyun seems to have a serious noona kink.
"Tae Yeon noona-" Ah Woo Hyun, at least I can rely on you to be exceedingly predictable. "- and I were just discussing Singapore. Have you ever been hyung?"
Young Do shakes his head, because Woo Hyun may be dumb but the grin on his face tells him he's mentioning the South East on purpose. "No, and unfortunately in the future it seems I'm more likely to visit Beijing."
Even if their company was working on monopolizing the place in the market that wanted South Korean hotels in South East Asia - the wave of popular Korean dramas was beneficial in that aspect - it was no secret that the logical next move would be to move to China; where it would be easier to retain control of an enterprise closer to the seat of power. And Zeus intended on planting hotels all over it and marking territory, so by the time they branched out to the rest of Asia they had enough potential backing and influential contacts to wipe out their competitors.
"I've been to Singapore a couple of times," Tae Yeon remarks pleasantly. "Accompanying my father to business meetings, plus it's one of Ha Kyung unnie's favourite party spots."
They'd been excluding her from the conversation, even Young Do who was commonly hyper aware of her presence forgetting she was there in favour of engaging in testosterone engorged banter. And Tae Yeon had managed to seamlessly weave her way back in. Even though not attending events was seen as business suicide and often excluded you, Tae Yeon hadn't attended any that he knew of and yet with the talent she was displaying with her name dropping and tolerant attitude; perhaps she wasn't missing out on much.
She was making rapid strides to catch up to first place in everyone's hearts. Young Do wasn't that bad: because people often made excuses for less than perfectly polite behavior if you were very rich and very beautiful.
Yet Tae Yeon was ticking all three boxes.
"Next time you stay let me know. I'll have our executive suite prepared and show you all my personal favourite spots," Woo Hyun offers and Young Do forgot how sleazy he could be. And shameless.
Tae Yeon responds well to him. "And I'll be sure to return the favour. I know all the intimate, private places in China worth seeing."
Her words are definitely seductive as hell, however her twinkling eyes and smiling mouth take the edge off them.
Is Woo Hyun blushing?
"Unfortunately Woo Hyun, you'll have to make your plans another time as I'm going to steal Tae Yeon away. It thats okay with you, jagiya?"
It's cheap and it's petty but it dims the light of amusement in Woo Hyun's eyes. Tae Yeon complies, looking more amused than annoyed even if her eyes had stopped looking happy when he'd brought up the endearment. Clearly still too high from her previous win in regards to his father to bother making a comeback.
Young Do allows her to smile at Woo Hyun and say an "It was nice meeting you Woo Hyun-sshi," before he pulls her away from the obviously smitten boy.
Despite what he calls her, his hand and hers aren't entwined how a couple's would be, or even friends. It certainly looks like it, with his grip on her wrist mimicking Myung Soo whenever he's pulling Young Do to God knows where. But he applies more strength as his fingers encircle her wrist, pulling her to where he'd seen before: to where he'd decided was an appropriate setting.
Tae Yeon is still the proud girl he met before, so resists slightly; walking at the pace she desires. Slowing now and then to greet and smile at people, a task that Young Do's grown tired of and excused himself from once he left his fathers side.
There's no way she knows all these people, if the confusion that they can't quite mask is anything to go off. Yet she's ensuring they know her now, will talk about her. Making up for last time.
And the fact that Choi Young Do, notorious for not conversing nicely with barely anyone save a few, has sought her out to talk to will just pull more attention to him.
Especially what's about to happen next.
People part as he walks determinedly, until he reaches somewhere with a slightly less dense amount of people. Just enough to be witness to the conversation, not enough to destroy any semblance of pride left.
Close enough to his father that he has a clear view of what's about to happen.
"Telling on me to my father was rather childish, I expected something far more impressive after all the humiliation you faced." He says it with a smile, even as he knows he's digging himself into a hole because he's going to embarrass himself to the point of no return, possibly even worse than when Tan and him had witnesses his fathers infidelity firsthand.
Tae Yeon catches on to his facade and smiles back, placing her hand on his arm as an added measure. "So was tripping me," she says with a large smile. "Although I feel like you're learning the consequences now. Maybe now you'll learn not to make assumptions - and not to piss off someone with a direct invite to your hotel and to the man controlling your bank account."
"If you wanted into my hotel room all you had to do was ask."
Tae Yeon laughs genuinely at this, and a couple walking past pause a bit to watch the interaction before moving on so they can gossip in private.
Young Do can feel his father's gaze heavy on his back, so he does what he knows has to be done. Enough foreplay to placate him, time for the main event.
"Tae Yeon-ah," Young Do says. They'd been speaking hushed before, to give the impression of friends conversing comfortably. So that no one could realise that whilst they looked to be on good terms, their words betrayed them as anything but. It's loud now when he calls her name, enough to prick the ears of those nearby. "I know I'm speaking loudly, but it doesn't matter to me. I want to make things right by you, and I want people to watch and hold me to it."
He's faced away from most of the crowd, so he can focus instead on the gaudy decor on the wall. Which is good, because it means they can't see his gritted teeth. Tae Yeon's still smiling, and a flicker of uncertainty shows in her eyes.
Good, because I don't want to see the self-satisfaction evident in them later.
"I did not treat you properly when we first met. I was mean, and disrespectful, and rude, and embarrassed you whilst lacking any good reason to do so. I tried to make a fool out of you in front of our peers when you started - something that was not right. And from the deepest part of my heart, Tae Yeon, I am sorry."
Young Do inhales sharply and Tae Yeon looks mildly panicked.
Then, he leans down.
And arranges himself so that his knees are on the floor and he's sitting back on his heels.
The only consolation is he knows his shoes are clean as can be, and so is the floor, so he tries not to think about how it will dirty and wrinkle his suit.
He brings his hands together and folds them in his lap, hanging his head and he knows exactly how everyone is now looking at him, but all he can do is look up until his eyes are straining to see Tae Yeon, and she still looks shocked, if not slightly uncomfortable by how everyone's eyes are clinging to her.
"Please, accept my apology. I know I have done nothing to deserve it, but you said once that you hoped we could be friends. I will do anything to make it up to you."
Young Do knows exactly how to intone his words to make them sound pleading.
His eyes are still hard.
Tae Yeon adjusts and looks pleased suddenly, and she smiles down at him, crouching so that her knees bump against his on the floor.
"Of course, Young Do-ah." Then she laughs and takes his hands, guiding him off the floor; Young Do keeping his head hung to keep the image of man begging forgiveness. Tae Yeon can see his facial expression however and knows better. Then he wraps his arms around her firmly and hugs her to him, nuzzling his face in her hair as she laughs and wraps her arms around his shoulders - and he hears soft exhales from behind them - touched by the sudden heartwarming display of affection accompanied by an equally warm story.
Idiots.
"If you wanted to get on your knees, all you had to do was ask," Tae Yeon says in a tone that is blatantly mocking of his own. She's whispering it cutely, and ends it with a nice giggle that no doubt will be the only part of her utterance to ring across the room.
"I don't kneel easy," Young Do says, and he's hissing lowly, not bothering to mask his tone anymore. "I hope you know that I won't go easy anymore, and I intend on getting my revenge in a way that will destroy you."
"Then all this time you've been playing nice?" Tae Yeon laughs, tightening her hold on him as if he's said something funny. "Here I thought you were giving it your all, if the way you got agitated when your plans failed was anything to go by."
"They'll eat you alive in school," Young Do continues. "Tan especially."
"The only people I care about have seen me already. Eun Sang called me pretty. Chan Young said no wonder I ranked first if I was smart enough to hide this so well. Bo Na said she should've known because no way could my English have been better than hers otherwise. Myung Soo said that next time I dress up I should let him take my picture beforehand because apparently your lighting is horrifying."
"Maybe you're just ugly."
Tae Yeon laughs again. "But did you honestly think Tan didn't know?" Their hug is getting ridiculously, suspiciously long but Young Do doesn't pull away. Doesn't even think he can. His ego's taken such a massive strike he thinks he's relying on Tae Yeon to hold him upright. "Did you think I could hide something this big from Jeguk? Even if I don't think much of them, you have to admit they're pretty influential. Tan knew who I was from the beginning. Why? Didn't he tell you?"
No. No he didn't. That bastard.
"People warned you not to play with me - only you misinterpreted it as them wanting to save me from being hurt. From how I look at it, Tan didn't want you to lose - too late considering you've made it pretty public already. They might be your friends, but looks like they all expected my victory. Chin up, Young Do-ah," Tae Yeon says and then she pulls away from him and has the audacity to pat him lightly on the cheek.
"I'm sure one day you'll find a girl as dumb as you. Then you can play games with her and win to stroke your ego, if you can pick it up off the floor after this."
Then Tae Yeon flounces away and immerses herself back into the party, lighting up conversations and shining.
His father's giving him a strict nod of approval but all Young Do can do is stand there and seethe because he's never felt so lost.
Lost because he kneeled.
Lost because he's resorted to being an idiot.
Lost because Tae Yeon is winning.
Lost because Tae Yeon is not who he thought she was.
Lost because Tae Yeon is gone.
But most of all lost because a small part of him wants to put this behind him and move on - move on to befriending her like he knows he could. Because the only thing stopping it is how stubborn they both are. How insistent they are that they win over the other. And now that she has - blatantly - he could do it.
Even more lost because he can't let himself.
Has to get back.
Lost because she's deflected everything so far and is immaculate all the time - and Young Do's run out of strategies.
Considering this was probably going to be (and might always be) my favourite chapter, it was obscenely hard to write. And I don't think I did it justice - but I'm tired (as always). Plus I spent the last 3 hours of my life compiling a masterlist of fic to read and I've been writing the dumbest fic ever this week so if it comes across all bleh or unknowingly funny - blame that.
I just needed to get something on here before I give up on this fic because I refuse to do that - and hopefully I'll jump back on this train because if I start thinking about my exams too much it fries my brain. What better way than through fic?
As always leave me comments / messages on here / tumblr because I love hearing from you! Even if it's about something completely unrelated like a drama or your favourite group making a comeback!
From a very sleep deprived and taking advantage of the bank holiday - Tea.