B&S was a true replication of Yeorin's life since childhood, a place he called home, a place where his dreams started and were fulfilled.
It was two weeks before the shoe launch. The events taking place started getting tight and fast for Yeorin to combine both his schedules. He wished it could all just take care of itself. The board meeting for the shows the concept of the shoe launch with board members and stakeholders. The concept was finally ready. He had done it while he drove with Yuna in utter silence. His father, Mun Tae Gwang, being the face of B&S, couldn't jeopardize his son's fortune, so quarterly meetings were held to review and find out what strategies to take. It was going from one meeting to another.
Yeorin, you okay? You know you can tell me, right?" Yuna broke the defending silence in the car. She knew Yeorin to be a quiet and reserved person, but she knew something was wrong. He was sitting in the back seat, which was very unlike him. He always sat in the passenger seat each time he and Yuna drove together. Sometimes, he even drove her.
Yeorin's gaze was fixed on the passing vehicles outside the car window, his mind a thousand miles away. Yuna's concerned voice broke the silence. "Yeorin, are you okay?" she repeated, her voice laced with a mix of concern and frustration.
Yeorin sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for ignoring Yuna's attempts at conversation. He shifted uncomfortably in the back seat, a rare departure from his usual spot in the passenger seat. Yuna's eyes met his through the rearview mirror, her brow furrowed with worry.
I'm fine," Yeorin uttered, avoiding making contact with her eyes. Yuna's skepticism was palpable, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she focused on the road, her eyes darting between the traffic and Yeorin's withdrawn form.
Yeorin sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for ignoring Yuna's attempts at conversation. He shifted uncomfortably in the back seat, a rare departure from his usual spot in the passenger seat. Yuna's eyes met his through the rearview mirror, her brow furrowed with worry.
Yeorin sighed slightly and squeezed himself to get to the passenger seat. "Ya (Yeorin)! You can see I'm driving. Do you want us to get into an accident?" Yuna screamed.
"Calm down, besides we're alright," Yeorin spoke out gently.
"You should have just gone into extreme sports, you don't seem to care about accidents," Yuna teased. Their car continued driving northwest of Jukheon University until they reached a very tall building with the sign B&S written boldly on the building.
"We're here," Yuna uttered. Yeorin, who was dressed in his regular retro-urban street wear, burst out of the car parked on the second floor of the garage, making his way to the exit into the company building.
"Wait, Yeorin, what are you wearing? We aren't here to watch the match between FC Seoul and Incheon," Yuna said grimly. "Shibal (oh gosh), what do we do?" Yuna asked.
Yeorin kept his face straight and demeanor intact, "I have a room here, befitting cloths that match the occasion that would be there," Yeorin reassured.
They got into the elevator from the first floor and started to ascend the floors one after the other. While in the elevator, Yeorin's hands were continuously shaking and he was repeatedly itching his hair. It had been a year since he saw his dad last, and it had been two years since he saw his mom.
Due to Yeorin's mother, Mun Dal Hae's profession, she had to be out of the country quite often. She worked with a humanitarian company far into the depts of Latin America after her retirement as an army captain. Yeorin's father, on the other hand, was a reputable lawyer. Due to both their job descriptions, they never had time for themselves and eventually, their marriage fell out. Yeorin hated them both for it while growing up, so he always stood alone in his own apartment away from his Father. But as time went on, he knew he needed both of them in his life. They were very integral, so he created B&S and made both of them hold dire positions, one that would make them see each other often in hopes of it bringing them back.
Yeorin's anxiety spiked, he became nervous and restless, he fidgeted with his clothes, his eyes fixed on the towering structure displayed within the elevator. He started sweating and muttering all manner of things to himself. Yuna noticed his agitation and reached out, her hand brushing against his. "Hey, it's going to be okay," she said softly. It was the first time Yuna held Yeorin in his hands, so it felt a little bit uncanny to him.
"Yuna's mind raced as she felt an inexplicable flutter in her chest. Her heart raced like a runaway train, leaving her breathless. "What's happening to me?" she thought, her inner voice laced with a mix of confusion and excitement, "Why do I feel like this?" she wondered, her inner turmoil threatening to spill over.
"Yeorin's eyes dropped to their joined hands, his pupils dilating slightly as he hesitated. His fingers tightened around hers, then released, his face a picture of calm control. But Yuna saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, the tension in his jaw, and knew he was struggling to keep his emotions in check."
The elevator doors opened on the 120th floor, revealing the penthouse. Yuna's eyes widened as she took in the opulent decor, her gaze lingering on the stunning view.
The 120th floor was the Mun penthouse in B&S. Nobody had access to the floor, nobody except members of the Mun Family. "Where are we?" Yuna asked, oblivious of her surroundings.
"This is the 120th floor, the penthouse," Yeorin replied, smiling.
Yuna was amazed by the aesthetics of the penthouse. Ceramics from the Joseon dynasty, priceless paintings, obsolete woodworks, sculptures filled the penthouse, "Wae (why am I here)?" Yuna asked.
"You just scolded me for dressing down, so you're here to help me pick out my outfit because, right now, I'm discombobulated," Yeorin replied.
Yuna's eyes snapped back to Yeorin, her mind racing with the implications. She hesitated, then nodded, her professional mask slipping back into place.
As they entered deeper into the penthouse, Yeorin's childlike enthusiasm was a stark contrast to his earlier reserve. Yuna's eyes darted between the rows of designer suits and Yeorin's eager face, her heart skipping a beat as he grasped her hand, his touch sending shivers down her spine.
Yuna was lost in thought, when Yeorin's voice broke the barrier of her subconscious, "what do you think of this?" He asked. Yuna, unable to utter a word, continually blinked her eyes. Yeorin was shirtless, and his upper body was totally exposed, "just put on something, anything casual. A suit maybe," Yuna said, covering her eyes.
She heard the movements of Yeorin's footsteps drawing closer towards her. She was becoming tense. What was he trying to do? What is he getting at?
Yuna felt the intensity of Yeorin's soft grip envelop her wrists, his voice like a resounding gong in her head, his flowery cologne disrupting her senses. Yeorin removed Yuna's hands off her face slowly, "what's wrong Yuna," Yeorin inquired, "are you hungry?"
The tension between them was palpable, Yuna's professionalism wavering as Yeorin's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze burning with an unspoken intensity.
Yeorin's grip on Yuna's hand tightened as he led her to the wardrobe, his eyes scanning the rows of suits with a mix of desperation and hope. Yuna's mind raced with the implications of his behavior, her heart still reeling from the touch of his hand.
"Yeorin, what's going on?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're acting like...like you're going to war, calm down."
Yeorin's laughter was hollow, his eyes clouding over with a pain he couldn't quite conceal. "Maybe I am, Yuna. Maybe I am
Yeorin was moving closer and closer towards Yuna. He didn't have anything in mind, but Yuna couldn't help but feel vulnerable, she didn't want to act up and act out of place. If she didn't take care she probably would have. "Yuna...." Yeorin called. Abruptly, Yuna's countenance changed, "um…emergency, meet me downstairs," Yuna said and moved as fast as her leg carried her. Yeorin was confused as to why Yuna left, but he didn't bother to ask her.
She approached the elevator, "Shibal, shibal (come on, sh!t), open you stupid elevator," Yuna said, tapping the elevator button repeatedly. Finally, the elevator dinged and opened. Yuna let out a heavy sigh, hitting her head on the rim of the elevator over and over again, muttering to herself, "why did you have to act like that? Why were you so childish, Yuna? Ahhhh.... Gosh, this is crazy, why all of a sudden is he looking over attractive?"
Yuna came out of the elevator looking like the world was placed on her shoulders. As she left the penthouse, she couldn't shake off the earlier feeling. Yuna, who came into the company radiant and beautiful, was now having saggy eyes and a worn-out look etched on her face.
"Yuna, gwaenchana (are you feeling well)? The head of marketing, Min Hyuk Bam, who was passing by, inquired, "you look like a total mess."
"Mm-mm (yes)," Yuna replied lazily. The elevator dinged again, she heard shoe clacking behind her, she turned back to catch Yeorin's concerntrated gaze,
"Yuna, gwaenchana (are you alright)," Yeorin asked, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I've gotta go though, I'd see you when I'm done with the meeting."
In a fitted black suit with white thread lines running throughout and a black Saint Laurent shoe, Yeorin strode elegantly towards the meeting room, he looked back at Yuna and her eyes connected with his not leaving him until he entered into the board meeting.