As I have nothing to give you, I give you my heart (IU Verse Book#1)

Chapter 5

 "Absolutely not."

"Look how the tables have turned." Hanteo remarked as Jieun began to pace back and forth in her office. Shortly after Jieun and Jihyuk came back from the rooftop and to her office, they found Hanteo and Seri still sitting there looking expectantly at them. Jieun had half expected for them to tell her to stay put again and she would have to argue with them to back herself up, but she was not prepared when Seri had said, "If you're still planning to go to the gala, we're going with you."

Jieun stopped pacing and turned to look at Hanteo, who held a calm expression on his face. It seemed that he had made up his mind. She shifted her gaze to Seri, who was looking back at her with an expression as if to say, "I dare you to try and argue with me". Jieun sighed and plopped down on the armchair, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. Jihyuk stood next to her with his hands folded in front of him, much like he did when he stood waiting for her back at the movie set.

"Our decision is set. Either you go with us or you stay here. That is our deal." Seri told her. Jieun groaned and turned her body sideways toward Jihyuk's direction.

"But Unnieee~. It's dangerous." Jieun whined in protest at Seri who just scoffed at her before getting up from her seat.

"You knew that it was going to be dangerous, and yet you still want to go. So if you're insisting on going, then we should start getting ready now. I'll call our team to prepare your dress and makeup."

She got up from her seat preparing to leave but stopped when Jieun tugged her sleeve. Jieun still looked like she was about to argue, because Seri had cut in, "We're going with you and that's final."

Jieun let go of the older woman's sleeve and huffed after her retreating figure. Hanteo soon followed suit after, not before casting a sideways glance at her, indicating that he too had made up his mind and was going with her. After both of them left, Jieun cast a glance at Jihyuk who looked back at her with a sheepish smile and held out his hand to escort her out of the room. Jieun sighed. She was not going to win over them anytime soon. She stood up and let him lead her out of the room. 

As they were walking to the dressing room, with Jihyuk trailing behind Jieun, Jihyuk stared at her slumped figure from behind and couldn't help but feel bad for what happened. He knew that she wanted to go alone and kept her team out of harm's way. He recalled the conversation that he had with Seri and Hanteo before leaving the office to go find her.

"Jihyuk ssi, if she is still insisting that she's going, then we will all go with her. I don't want to see her get hurt." Jihyuk was about to protest when Hanteo cut in.

"Yeah, Seri's right. Besides, we're going to have a lookout for anyone suspicious, and I know that you're going to do that anyway, even if we're not there, but we want you to focus on Jieun and take care of her only. We'll be the eyes and ears."

Jihyuk was reluctant to agree, but it already seemed like both of them won't change their minds. Even if he was only there for a couple of days, He came to see the bond of Jieun and her team, and how they were like a family and were willing to do anything for one another. He had never had a real family before; those who would love him and cherished him, so seeing Jieun and the team's bond gave him a wave of loneliness but at the same time, content. He was glad Jieun was surrounded with people who loved her and were willing to protect her from whatever and whoever was out there trying to hurt her.

He looked at her back and thought that he too was willing to protect her from whatever and whoever was trying to hurt her.

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