The Bitch & The Bastard | Jaehyun

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑡. 𝐼𝐼

Haeyoung took her time. The store was huge and the prices were high. She knew she could not afford more than one item, so she had to be sure. After going through the racks on the first floor, she searched for the perfect outfit on the next one.

Jaehyun waited patiently. He had sat himself down on the sofa, offering suggestions he knew she wasn't taking whenever she would ask.

Xiaojun, still busy with his work, asked his errand boy to serve them hot cakes, and pastries which were promptly placed on the table in front of Jaehyun.

After a while, Haeyoung came down with a bunch of blouses, dresses and pants she held by their hangers.

'Ready to try them on?' he asked. 'Do you need help?'

'I have got it,' she said, walking inside the fitting room. Xiaojun was profusely apologizing for the lack of shop attendants. His store was not open for business today and it was a miracle that they had found him at all working in the shop, a fact that Jaehyun had to keep repeating till Xiaojun was satisfied.

One after the other, Haeyoung walked out with a new outfit, each in a different colour and style from the previous one. There was nothing she didn't want to try on. She paused in front of the floor length mirror outside each time and looked at herself.

Jaehyun loved every single one of them. They were all gorgeous. The fabric was soft and the colours were rich but he could tell that she did not like any of them.

Disappointed every time, she dragged herself back to the fitting room, coming out with something different in a minute but sighed and went back in without a word only to repeat it with the next piece.

'Do you not like anything?' he asked. She was standing in front of the mirror, wearing a long-sleeved, burgundy shirt with black tailored trousers.

Haeyoung looked good and the fit was great but it was not worth the money she would have to spend on it. 'No,' she said, running her hands over the front. And in she went again, carrying another shirt with her.

Jaehyun knocked quietly on the door to the fitting room, making sure not to startle her.

'Hm?'

'If you don't like anything,' he whispered, 'we can leave.'

He heard no answer.

'Haeyoung?'

'Hm?'

'Do you still want to try on more clothes?'

There was silence again. Jaehyun was about to speak when she said. 'Actually...'

'Yes?'

'There is something that I think I like,' she said. 'I saw it earlier...'

'Great, then what's the problem?'

She clicked the door opened and stepped out. Behind her was the pile of clothes she had tried in the past hour but she was wearing her own clothes again.

'What's the matter?' Jaehyun asked, noticing her sudden reticence.

After a pause, she sighed, 'Wait here, I'll be back.' She walked past him, but stopped. 'Oh, and can you keep all these clothes back in their place?'

'Haeyoung!'

'Please,' she asked. 'Will poor Mr. Xiaojun do it all alone?'

'I am the President of a company.'

'That's so irrelevant,' she shrugged.

'I can't believe this,' he gritted, shaking his head, but nonetheless collected the pile of clothes that she had left behind.

Haeyoung did not take long this time. She rushed to the first floor and came back with something in her hands which Jaehyun could not see over his incessant complaining. The clothes were piled on the sofa he was sitting upon earlier, and Xiaojun actually came to his aid.

'You don't have to,' Jaehyun said, politely but with a face screaming 'please help me.'

'It's alright, it's my store after all,' Xiaojun replied and carried the dressed upstairs with him.

It was already getting dark with the sun threateningly low on the horizon. The clouds had taken an orange hue outside and the winds were starting to turn chilly. Xiaojun had switched on the remaining lamps for them, the glow brilliant yet warm and comforting against the grey outside.

Jaehyun was trying to figure out how to loop the sleeves of a top around a hanger, grumbling all the while under his breath. He heard the door to the fitting room click open followed by her tentative steps and a small hitch before she held her breath.

'Did you find the–' He turned around but the moment his eyes fell on her, his body stilled.

She was wearing a plain black cardigan and a long green skirt, the outfit just like the one she wore on the last day of the business conference in Paris last year. There was a soft smile on her face and gleam of tears in her uncertain eyes.

He took a step forward, hesitant, careful not to wake up from this dream. Was it intentional? Why did she choose this? Did she remember that day too? Did she think of that moment too?

The questions rose inside him, about to spill, but he chose to say the only words that mattered.

'You look so pretty, Haeyoung.'

He had never seen her shy before, let alone blush at something he had said but damn, if he had known how beautiful her cheeks looked flushed, he would have recited every compliment in the world to her sooner.

'This is the one, then,' she replied, raising her chin slightly.

After paying at the counter, the two of them stepped out. Haeyoung had decided to keep her new clothes on and send the ones she was wearing to their hotel with the driver.

'You need to stop staring,' she said, as they made their way out to the main street.

'I wasn't,' he lied.

'Right...'

As night had fallen, Paris had come alive. The bars had opened for business and the cafes had lit up. Despite the chill in the air, people were out on the streets already looking for a place to spend the rest of their evening.

'So...' she began. 'You want to make up to me?'

'Yes,' he blurted out, though the devious grin on her face was making him nervous.

'Perfect,' she replied and turned on her heels. 'Follow me then.'

'Wait, where are we going?'

'Just you wait, Mr. Jung.'

_

Merry Christmas, my people! <33 sending everyone lots of love and wishes for all good things!