"And as you can see, Gentlemen, our international branch is also being flattened and widened to maximize the running of the business in order to incorporate our new brands and the companies we are aiming to accommodate. I feel that the more skilled teams we have, the more efficient the organization will be." Dosan explained professionally as he pointed over papers as the two men in suits nodded impressively at his concept.
Dosan saw him the moment he came on his radar, watching carefully from the corner of his eye while keeping a cool business tone.
Kim Yongsan sat at the opposite side of the restaurant, close enough to listen but far enough to be overlooked.
Dosan waited and waited but nothing came, only the quick wink he was given by Yongsan as he passed him to leave.
"Gaesaekki-ya." Dosan left with a frown, cursing under his breath.
_________
"Dalmi-ya, your dress came for this evening and a bouquet arrived this morning." Halmeoni announced as she followed Dalmi upstairs.
"Ne.. Gomapseumnida, Halmeoni. Is my dress in my room?" Dalmi asked as she rushed up the stairs.
"Ye, bag and everything ready for office." Halmeoni sang as she watched Dalmi grab the bags and dress as she swiftly went to leave the room again.
"Ah, Dalmi-ya. There's a phone in the flowers. I left it in the kitchen, jakkaman let me get it for you.."
"I don't have time, Halmeoni. Maybe later." Dalmi excused herself, kissing Halmeoni in the cheek.
Having to run to the office to finish some errands before going straight to Chulsan's birthday was surely making Dalmi exhausted.
"What a long day it is."
____________
"Sajangnim, is it okay if I finish for the day? I did mention that appointment I have-" Dosan's secretary offered as she stepped into his office.
"Ne. Have a good afternoon." Dosan brushed off as he let her go, somewhat glad he wouldn't have to keep up with all the niceties as she continued to flirt with him every chance she got.
"Ne, Sajangnim. Congratulate Chulsan-nim a happy birthday for me." She smiled sweetly before leaving.
_________
"Any mail?" Dalmi called her secretary as she rushed through to her office.
"Just this, Sajangnim." Secretary Shin handed Dalmi a note.
Taking the card she lazily scanned it.
Change of plan. Yongsan didn't make a move. Meet me at my penthouse 7pm
-Nam Dosan
"Oh. A card from him? Jinjja?"
Without a second thought, she threw the card aside and consulted her clock, 4:45pm.
__________
"Oh Dalmi-ya, you're here." Saha noted as she went to greet Dalmi who had just arrived.
"Tell me what I need to do." Dalmi demanded, checking through her pile of errands that had seemed to have mounted over the few days she hadn't been fully in work mode.
"Are you coming to Chulsanie's birthday tonight?" her best friend excitedly asked.
"You know I am. Which leads me to ask, why is he having such a big event?"
"Something to do with his grandfather? Though no doubt we will be leaving later on to go to a few bars," Saha babbled on as Dalmi tried to listen.
"Good to know. Now tell me what I missed out?"
"You've been spending a lot of time with Dosan lately," she commented with a knowing smile while Dalmi turned serious.
"How observant of you," Dalmi replied with a twist of sarcasm in her tone. "It's purely business. We both want Yongsanie gone."
"And the flowers? The frequent messages on the app he made only for you? All business?" She interjected again.
"Why is this such of an interest to you?" Dalmi questioned, frowning at the consistency of Saha's badgering.
"Because you're my best friend and we used to talk about these things! I've see the way you look at him. The way he looks when he hears your name..."
"I've been busy." Dalmi played off but only for Saha to challenge her again.
"Even when you've been sad, I haven't seen you this happy in years." She admitted with an honest smile.
"You call this happy? I call it tormented!" Dalmi laughed a little but when she looked up to Saha who stood patiently, knowing their office was secure for her to share what she was about to.
Contemplating her next words, she paused for a few seconds. Seeing Saha waiting so honestly, with a tilt of the head and a shy look, Dalmi continued.
"He is all I think about... going after Yongsanie isn't even important to me, just a bonus as long as I get to be around him?.." She sighed.
"..This stranger chased me and I pushed him away and now the moment he gives in.. I miss it. I miss him," she confessed in a quite but saddening voice.
"Why don't you just tell him? And don't tell me it's because of the files. I know you've forgiven him." Saha frowned, stepping instinctively closer to her best friend.
"Because I can't take that risk again. I met him weeks ago in a bar and since then, well, you can't exactly say our relationship or there lack of, is normal."
"When has Seo Dalmi ever been normal?" Saha quirked an eyebrow. "If you love him, take the leap. If it doesn't work out, at least you know you tried, instead of thinking, what if." She argued softly, seeing Dalmi diminish a little.
"If anyone deserves a bit of happiness in their life, it's you." Saha finished, enveloping Dalmi in her long arms; knowing it had been far too long since they had hugged like this.
"Now. All I need you do to is to help me choose the last three designs we are going to put into production. I couldn't make the decision without you." Saha shrugged as she lead Dalmi into her office area where they got to work.
_____________
Dalmi's afternoon was filled with seeing models and the new designs before signing numerous amounts of papers and finally being able to get rid of Saha and the rest of her team so she could prepare for this evening in her office as she inconveniently wouldn't have time to dash home and leisurely get ready.
Who had a birthday party on a weekday anyway? She shook her head at the thought and continued to ready herself.
Dalmi had opted for a J Mendel dress for Chulsan's birthday. She knew as soon as her eyes clapped on it that she must have it.
The deep crimson red dress with black roused bow detailing clung to her body in all the perfect places. The full length gown accentuating her waist and petit chest but at the same time, an elegant touch enveloping her body.
It was truly a dime matched with a loyal pair of black, peep-toe Louboutins.
As much as an inconvenience as it was to get her driver to take her on a detour to the west ward of Gangnam just to please Dosan's demands, she anticipated how he would react to her choice of attire; noting the fact that on the last few occasions they had managed to perfectly coordinate, coincidently of course.
____________
"Have you seen, Dalmi?" Dosan asked Chulsan who had just greeting some of his guests.
"Saha said she had to run an errand before she got here?" Chulsan looked puzzled but shrugged as he turned away and sighted his girlfriend entering the room.
Not able to think much else of it, Dosan sought out the bar instead, ordering his favourite amber poison and relaxing into the plush leather bar stool as he watched people mill around the room.
Sporting a black suit, accompanied a crimson red shirt and equally complimenting brown and cream bow tie, Dosan observed the other guests with minimum interest until the moment his eyes fell upon an expected guest.
________
"Dosan-ah!" Dalmi called as she stepped off the elevator into a quiet lit penthouse.
When no one responded, she walked deeper into the home, frowning at his absence.
"Dosan-ah? If this is some creepy way of seducing me, don't bother. Nam Do-" She shook her head calling once more but was stopped by the image of Dosan's briefcase set against the bar.
Sat numbly on the bar, Dosan's briefcase would have looked innocent as it did any other day but this evening, something seemed forced and as she moved closer, her eyes grazed a brown folder creeping out from the half open case.
"Can I help?"
Dalmi turned to the soft, feminine voice to be greeted by a half naked girl with plantinum blonde and legs.
She was wearing nothing but underwear as Dalmi watched her reach for her drooped stocking, the dirty blonde extended her leg to pull the assaulting material back up her leg.
"Where's Nam Dosan?" Dalmi shot, giving the cheap looking girl the dirtiest look she could manage.
"He just left." She shrugged with a smile as she walked towards Dalmi but sidestepped her behind the bar and grabbed a glass.
"Drink?" The girl offered with a teasing smile as she watched Dalmi retort in disgust.
"No, thank you." she said distastefully.
"But have one on me. It's not often someone as cheap as yourself is treated to fine liquor. And besides, you look desperate." Dalmi added with an evil glint as she watched the girl's mouth drop open in offence before turning on her heels to leave.
Just as she reached the partition wall between the living area and the foyer, there was a bang and Dalmi turned rapidly to see what had happened.
"Ah, shi-bal.."
The blonde girl was now walking towards the pile of papers on the floor. Evidently the case having just fallen off the bar, Dalmi walked back a little to see what the papers scattered across the wood flooring were.
Tilting her head, the once brown package was in dismay on the floor, notes everywhere; pictures, dates, family history, reports..
Dalmi's breath hitched in her throat as she saw an ancient newspaper headline when she became a CEO, Fashion world to be as dysfunctional as Seo Dalmi's world.
Words couldn't form and instead her feet were moving and furiously carrying her out into the open air as she blinked her tears away and slipped into her car.