Look At Us | Hwang Hyunjin

Nine

|| BOREUM ||

I feel like my lungs just got a detox.

Seriously. I knew rural Canadian air was clean, but I didn't know it was this clean. My organs got so normalized to the polluted air of Seoul that as soon as I stepped foot into that Vancouver airport I swear I felt myself levitate from the sky.

The spring weather made it perfect as I walk up the steps of the wooden lodge, Bitna behind me as she holds both of our suitcases. We're only to be here for a week, but I have a feeling it's going to be a lot more... Fun than I expected.

I ring the doorbell carefully, taking the chance to turn around and look at my surroundings. The lodge was placed in the high mountains, where the trees surrounded the entire house and the beautiful lake was placed miles below. It was like a fairytale, only better.

The door opens to reveal Hyukjae. Fairytale ruined. Great. "Boreum, so good to see you!" He pulls me into a hug as I try to escape. He lets the both of us in. The interior of the lodge was just as beautiful as the outside. Can I say, I am extremely impressed.

"Welcome to mi casa." He says in a voice that deeply resembles a frat boy. How old is he again? 27? 28? Yet he reminds me of every asshole that I went to university with. Before I dropped out, of course.

Let me just put this out, college is a scam. My parents urged me to go to school for buisness, and that was the most boring shit I've ever done in my life. They spent thousands of dollars on my tuition and I don't think I did a single piece of work. They probably bribed my professors to pass me, considering how terrible I was doing on all of my assignments.

Besides, I don't need to go to school to know what the fundamentals of business are:

1. If you're going to do illegal stuff (which you will if you want to be successful) don't get caught.

2. Money does make the world go around. So the more money you have = The more power you have. And power is the most, well, powerful thing in the world.

3. Sometimes murder is ok.

Just kidding. Sort of. I've seen the faces of some businessmen, and they look like they've killed before. Not that I would ever know.

After getting situated in my private suite, I exit the room and go to the living room where I see four foreign men on the couch like lazy slobs. The groomsmen. A group of spoiled rich boys whose moms didn't raise them correctly and are somehow in line to become the business leaders of our world. Drinking White Claws at 2 PM and watching soccer. How wonderful.

One of them sees me and jump up to their feet, wiping the alcohol off their mouth. They wobble towards me. "Oh, um... Hello, I'm Park Jaeyoo, a groomsman. Sorry for the uh mess."

I see his trying not to look at my cleavage. Ugh, sometimes the effect I have on men is draining. "Hello." I bow down, being polite. The rest of them introduce themselves, but I already knew their names; Pyeon Sungchin, Do Jaemoon, and Oh Chan.

What, do you think I don't do background checks on people when I first meet them? You have to keep tabs if you want to be a step ahead of everyone and everything. I guess that's another fundamental of business. I should add that to the list.

My eyes search around the living room. No sign of him. What a disappointment, he was the reason why I came here in the first place. And, not to be rude, but Hyukjae's friends are starting to get annoying.

Going to the suite, I place my clothes in the drawers and stare out the windows facing the hills. The sad and heartbreaking truth is, if I'm not the heir of the company, I'm nothing. I have no company, no status, I'm just the sister of Ryu Bitna, CEO of Ryu Hotels. My life isn't supposed to be mundane, I'm supposed to be a world leader. An icon. I'm not a bad person, I'm desperate.

"Look what the cat dragged in." I quickly fix my hair as soon as I see that deep raspy voice speaking from the entrance of my room. I turn around slowly, meeting the eyes of Hwang Hyunjin's.

"Please, don't act like you don't want me here. You practically begged me." I joke, placing a finger on his chest as I push him back lightly. He ruffles my hair slightly, frizzing my bangs into a fluffy mess.

"Don't act like you didn't miss me." He says, sitting down on the bed as I sit down on the chair in front of him. My legs cross, playing with my hair as he looks at me patiently. Like he was pondering whether he should ask me something or not. I stare at him, trying not to make it obvious.

"Well, now that you're finally here... I was wondering if I can ask you a question." He says. My mind stops. Hwang Hyunjin wants to ask me something? I'm wondering if this is good. It's probably about Bitna or Hyukjae, maybe what tie he should wear to the wedding? I'm perplexed.

"Would you like to go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

Suddenly, it felt like the world had come to a halt. Somewhere could be like grocery shopping with him. Or maybe he's flying me out to the rocky mountains. I'm so good at reading people, but when I'm with him, I never know what's going to happen next.

"Where, exactly?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He chuckles, getting up from his seat and placing his veiny hand on my shoulder. He leans down to whisper as I feel his warm breath tingle onto my collarbone.

"That, Boreum, is a secret. Meet me outside tomorrow, 5 AM sharp." He says before walking away. I didn't need to look in a mirror to know that my cheeks were turning redder than the sun. He's bizarre, even more than I am.

And every moment I have with him feels like a rollercoaster where you never know when it drops. Or when it ends.