๑ I THINK YOU MIGHT
HAVE A CRUSH ON ME.
a zipper and a heart ✧ chapter 25
I arrive in my limousine, taking the last inhale I can before I exit the car. "Will you be okay, Ms. Kwon?" My secretary asks, turning around. "If you want, we can just leave. Mr. Choi will be just fine without you there, anyway. He's bothersome."
"I have to do this," I hold my heart in my hands, nodding with confidence. "Yes. I can do this. If I can't I'll call you and have you pick me up."
"Sounds great, Ms. Kwon," She nods, putting up a fist. "Fight hard and long. Don't. Give. In!"
I grin and put up one of my fists in agreement, the chains on my limbs beginning to unlock the moment I open the car door. The ricochet of flashing lights comes upon me, shooting from every direction. I hold my smile as I wave, walking down the red carpet and stopping right in the middle. I hear the general screams, the loud 'look here!'s, and just a mixture of sounds. I keep waving, sending hearts, whatever appeases the audience, even as I'm worried that someone might throw an egg at me and make me look like a fool.
So, I quickly enter the building, sighing with relief when I see a familiar friend. "Soobin!" I whisper-yell, causing him to look my way. He gasps, dimples deepening before he runs to take me into his embrace. "I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been busy?"
"Extremely. The perfume industry is bustling for some new scents, and all of our usual ones have been selling like wildfire since your face is next to some of them," He punches my shoulder softly, but eventually, his smile wears off. "But, I'm a bit worried about you. Since when were you siding with Mr. Choi?"
"It's a long story. I'll have to tell you when the war's over," I wipe my brow. "All you need to know for now is that the scandal is false and that we're not actually dating. We're friends by contract."
"Making Taehyun mad these days, hm?" Soobin looks behind me, taking a sip of wine before he beckons to someone. "Your supposed boyfriend is coming over. He's watching me intensely as if he's scared I'll say something about him to you."
"I'm not surprised. You guys are close," Finally, I feel a hand hold onto my shoulder, my face turning in the opposite direction. We make eye contact and Yeonjun bows his head to Soobin, who does the same. "What's with the formalities? Be more comfortable now that I'm here."
"He's my hyung," Soobin rolls my eyes. "Anyway, Yeonjun hyung, how did you win her over? Did you use the tactics you've used with the other models in the past? Money? Fame? Free media coverage?"
"She came onto me first– ow!"
I retract my elbow back to my side, shrugging off his hand from my body. "He was adamant on making me model for him eventually. Thankfully, he settled on me being his plus one. In return, he's helping me with a small romantic advance," I smile. "No strings attached. Yeonjun and I are just business partners."
"Business partners, hm?" Soobin stares at his older friend's face, eventually scoffing. "Interesting. That's an interesting statement, seriously."
"Shut up," Yeonjun clears his throat, pointing somewhere. "I'm going to get some champagne before the event. I'll be right back, so stay right here with Soobin. Don't get anywhere or I'll kill you, okay!?"
"Okay, sheesh," I cross my arms, letting him leave. Soobin nudges me as we watch him leave, making me face him. "What?"
"You know, I've never seen Yeonjun hyung blushing. Being around you was the first time I've ever seen him flustered," I try to ignore him. "He's fallen for you now. A changed man."
"Shut up," I copy Yeonjun's words. "That's not true."
"He wasn't like this the first time you met him," Soobin places the glass to his bottom lip, dimples appearing again. "You've softened him up. Now he's all gushy of a romantic, just like that article had insinuated. Going to an arcade and having a full bucket of arcade coins... psh, it was practically a date."
"No, it wasn't!" I defend. "I was trying out new things. He was simply helping me."
"Everyone's been to an arcade before!" I sit silent. "What, you seriously haven't? Fine. I believe you. But seriously, Sora, Yeonjun hyung's a different person now. When you see it, you see it. And, he's coming back now. I'll be taking my leave."
"Okay, see you!" I wave and he walks away just as Yeonjun comes back with his glass. "Trying to get drunk before the event? Have no desire to see potential business partners?"
"I'm only here for fun. I have a feeling that this will be a low-quality fashion event, anyway," His eyes drag to my dress, pointing at it. "But, opposite of low quality, did you notice what dress you're wearing?"
I look down at it, seeing the zipper right through the middle as it shimmers from the chandelier lights. "No, I don't know. I bought this a few weeks ago and just found it in my closet. Is it ugly?"
"Ugly?" He scoffs. "I made that dress, Sora. I designed it with my blood, sweat, and tears!"
"Oh, please. If I knew you made it, I wouldn't have bought it!" I whine.
"I can't believe it. Today's the day I get to see you wear clothing I designed," He teases me, and I roll my eyes. "And you said you'd never wear anything I'd make. Look at you now. You model it well, too. Are you sure you don't want to be my brand ambassador?"
"Shut your mouth before I take it off, right here and now."
"You're wearing one of my dresses~!"
"Last chance."
"You're–" I grab the zipper near my collarbone and immediately begin to zip down, exposing some of my neck. Yeonjun panics, grabbing my waist with his champagne-holding hand and using his free hand to cover my own, stopping the zipper right where it is. We stand in silence for a moment, and I look up at him in confusion–but, his handsomeness is a lot more evident up close. I gawk at his long eyelashes, his defined cheeks and jaw, and even the makeup over his lips. He notices, and like Soobin said, his face turns a bright pink. "Don't scare me like that."
He lets me go, hands retracting to his side. "That's what you get for being all egotistical," I mutter, zipping the dress back up to my neck. "This will be the first and last time I wear your dress. I think it adds character to our plan, though."
"The fashion show will be beginning soon. All guests and staff, please make your way to our main event room!"
We exchange eye contact and smile, brushing shoulders as we walk over to the grand doors. In my head as other fashionable people gather, are two men, and the weight each one holds on my balance of romance.
"Okay, pose!" Yeonjun gets on one knee and I turn away, brushing my hair back. I hear the loud snaps amidst the swinging breeze, continuing to move as needed. "Wow, this will be the highlight of your social media. Now, let's take a picture together."
He jogs over and places the photo above us, both of us posing in various ways. He snaps a few photos of serious intent before we make silly faces, poke each other, and a bunch of other pictures, filling up my camera roll with his face. "I'll send your photos to you later tonight. Thank you for taking me to this event, seriously," I take back my phone, making him nod as he crosses his arms. "Even if it was all contractual. I had a very fun night with you."
"Yeah, because for the first time, you had someone who couldn't shut up about the ugly dresses next to you."
"You're just picky," I comment, hands on my hips. "You only like dresses you design."
"Incorrect," He swiftly replies. "I like the dresses you wear."
"Here you go again, trying to make some kind of romantic advance on me," I check the time on my phone, widening. "Wow, we've been here for over four hours? It didn't feel that long when we were watching women walk down the runway. I guess the afterparty was the longest part."
"Must've been," He comments, looking at me. "I'll go get my spare coat from my car as we wait for your secretary. I'll be right back, so don't go anywhere, okay?"
"You act like I'm a child!"
"In my eyes, you are," Yeonjun teases before running away, footsteps quieting down as I lean against the wall. I stand there for a moment, processing everything, from Yanxi to Taehyun, to him. Hell, even to myself.
I only had one heart. From the beginning, my mother had torn it up. Then, it went into Yanxi's hands, where she tried to sew it back together with some kind of "friendship." Then, I met Taehyun, who, unbeknownst to my past, ripped it up again, aiming to fix it when he knew the truth. Then, there's Sorin, then, there's Yeonjun. Then, there's my feelings, something separate from my heart that beats.
All I had was a heart. In a desire to care less about it and become emotionless, aiming to take back the throne that I've placed in my head, I neglected it. I hated that the thought of romance was a hardship, and in an attempt to limit it, I had to bring others down. I guess I'm not much a romantic, am I?
"Oh my god, is that Kwon Sora?!"
"Oh my god, it is! Kwon Sora!"
"Kwon Sora, Kwon Sora!" Several reporters come up to me, smothering me in flashes and microphones in my face. I wince, hiding my face in my arms, hands flailing around to try to protect myself. "Tell us the details about the scandal between you and the CEO of Yeju Designs. Can you confirm if you all are dating? Why did you go together to this event?"
"Kwon Sora, please answer our question!"
"Kwon Sora, over here!" Several more reporters join the group, completely engulfing me in white light.
"Please move!" I try to be polite, trying to take a step forward, but I almost fall at the movement of so many feet. Finally, the bright light becomes no longer, the inner fabric of a tuxedo jacket covering my head. Someone joins me under the jacket, raven black hair coming into view. "T-Taehyun?"
"Come with me, or else you'll get hurt," He says over the loud chatter, beckoning for me to hold the other end of his jacket. The moment I do, his arm wraps around my waist, guiding me to move in his direction. We run back into the building as security stops the flock of reporters asking for my statement, heading into a janitor's room and closing the door behind us.
Suddenly, we're pressed onto a wall, Taehyun sighing with relief as he continues holding my waist. "Are you okay?" He asks. "I thought you were going to die and I was about to be a witness. Those damn reporters..."
I admire him in the semi-dark, the only light coming out of the blurred window. When he senses me staring, he looks down, holding eye contact with me. Our breaths are quiet, and synchronized, but as close as we are, I hear his chest rapidly beating.
Nonsensically, mine does too.
"You know," Taehyun mutters. "I don't usually do this for just anyone."
I furrow my eyebrows. "Do what?"
"Save them from reporters. I don't do that to just any woman," What is he trying to validate? Is he trying to prove that I'm special? It's a cheap try. "I hate interviews. I hate being seen by the public eye. I hate doing anything that requires me to speak out, but–I don't mind trying if it's for–"
"Don't finish," I avert my gaze, turning my head toward the light. "You're only saying this because of my scandal, right? You don't have any real feelings for me yet."
"I don't know what I feel for you yet, Sora. It's indescribable, odd," He explains. "It feels weird. My heart starts beating fast at the thought of you, I get nervous when we speak, and I can't stop thinking about you."
"I think you might have a crush on me, Taehyun," I answer. "I think."
"You think?" He repeats. "Can I call it... love then?"
"You can't ask the woman that," I point to his chest, my finger directly over his heart.
"You just have to feel it."