CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER 155. PURIFICATION

"I saved you back there, didn’t I?" Suoh curled his lips when the car was pulling out of the parking lot, tidying up his clothes and wiping the overemphasized emotions from his face.

"Quite so," Hajin admitted. "I can’t bear doing it much longer--much less giving away my number. Felt like I’m so close to doing a homicide."

Suoh chuckled, but that was probably because he thought Hajin was joking. Unfortunately, Hajin was serious. It was his mission to look desirable for Mason’s fiancée, and it was his princess who gave him the mission.

But, fuck--how could he calm himself when he knew this woman was the one who chased Sarah to a warehouse and killed her? He had to keep imagining he was smiling and talking to Sarah to hold back from choking the woman to death.

Shooting her on the chest seemed to quick of a process, after all.

Hajin exhaled slowly to expel the rest of his anger--or rather, shimmering it down inside a box until he could take it out one day--and glanced at Suoh, who no longer looked like a hysterical guy about to kill his twin. "Did you act as Austin back then?"

"Can’t really act like myself when I have to drag you out quickly," the male twin shrugged.

That was one of his roles in this whole operation: Hajin’s escape plan in case things went south. That, and carrying a device that allowed the team at the hotel to watch the restaurant’s CCTV--kind of like a beacon.

"Right," Hajin nodded, glancing at the sign of the hotel where Sarah should be. "Should we go to the hotel?"

"No; if someone saw, it might be a problem," Suoh shook his head. "Noona said she’ll send Sarah noona home, so you have to take me to the company first before going back."

Hajin furrowed his brows, almost pressing the car’s brake in the middle of the street. "The hell? She’ll be alone then?!"

"Someone will guard the door until you’re back, don’t worry," Suoh rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Stop being dramatic and watch the street, hyung."

"Tsk--"

Hajin clicked his tongue and proceeded to expertly drive right at the driving limit to send Suoh back to the company before heading home.

* * *

While Hajin was doing his personal quest and his princess’s quest at the same time, Sarah was watching it alongside Sua and Austin.

It was going so smoothly, even though Sarah had prepared herself for some disappointment. They had sent the reservation ticket to one of the fiancée’s clique, but they weren’t sure whether the fiancée herself would be there. Sarah was actually tempted to send the ticket to the fiancée instead, but the one who put their names in the roster was the fiancée’s friend, so that would be weird.

Thankfully, with Mason being radio-silenced, the fiancée had free time and a mood to go somewhere famous and very exclusive even for a--minor--celebrity like her.

And so, the first step in their plan was a success.

The next step was an ’accidental’ encounter--what did people call it these days? Meet cute or whatever--between Hajin and this fiancée. They had planned for a classic bump, but that would require the fiancée to leave her table--preferably to the restroom--and Hajin needed to know when exactly he had to leave the private room for them to ’bump’ against each other.

That was why they left Suoh there also; to text Hajin and pay a waiter to give him the signal in case Hajin couldn’t check his phone.

Thanks to all of those, everything went according to plan, and the three of them watched as the ’accidental’ meeting happened. Not exclusively with the fiancée alone, but Hajin carefully made eye contact only with the fiancée--especially if he smiled.

Naturally, the audience in the hotel bar was ecstatic as if they were watching a day drama--at least two of them.

"Well, well, Mr. Casanova!"

"Look at him flashing his smile."

"Damn~ even I would get swayed. You really amped his appearance, huh, Eonni?"

"...I guess," Sarah replied briefly, dryly, with eyes that watched the screen in a hardened gaze.

Sua arched her brow as she glanced at Sarah, observing her expression. "Don’t tell me..." she scooted closer and whispered, poking the older girl’s cheek. "You’re jealous, Eonni?"

Was she? Sarah merely thought that Hajin didn’t have to try that hard to be likable; didn’t have to smile so much, you know? Wasn’t the aloof, cold city guy the trend these days?

But then...why should she care about the method if it worked? Wasn’t she the one who told him to ’seduce’ Mason’s fiancée?

The realization, rather than making her deny the accusation, made Sarah purse her lips in annoyance.

"Oho?" Sua and Austin wiggled their brows at the same time.

"Shut up."

Sarah hissed and leaned back while watching, crossing her arms to prevent herself from shutting down the screen. She felt annoyed watching Hajin act like he was available in the market like that, and she was annoyed at herself for feeling annoyed.

In the end, she gave up after receiving assurance that the fiancée was indeed wanted to break the engagement if she could find someone better.

"I don’t think we need to hear more," Sarah exhaled and grabbed her purse. "Let’s just go."

"Huh? You’re not going to wait for them here?" Austin asked in surprise.

"No," Sarah stood up. "Sua can take me home, and Hajin can take Suoh back."

Sua gasped while turning off the tablet. She jumped to her feet with sparkling eyes. "Can I play at your house, then?"

"No," Sarah chewed the inside of her cheek. "I need to think."

"Aww~" Sua pursed her lips in disappointment, but she didn’t push further. Sarah did look like she had a looot of things--or rather, emotions--to sort out. "Oh, well..."

Sarah glanced at the girl who hugged her arm as they walked out of the bar with the bodyguards. "Next time," she said, feeling a bit guilty.

"Next time!" Sua laughed and nodded enthusiastically. "Let’s go, then. What about you, Austin?"

"I’m going back to the company, I guess. It’s a weekday, you know?" the financier shrugged.

Sua winced. "You know we’re doing this and didn’t take a day off?"

"The stock market doesn’t halt on weekdays," Austin rolled his eyes, walking past them briskly. "Bye."

"Bye~" Sua waved at the man, before taking out her phone. "Okay, I’ll tell Suoh about the change of plan. Oh, since that rabid dog might get angry, I’ll get two female bodyguards heading to your place, okay?"

"Sure."

Sarah herself had no idea why she wanted to go home without Hajin. Perhaps because the uncomfortable feeling she had was caused by him and he always stuck with her 24/7? Honestly...people would say it wasn’t a healthy thing for a couple to always be together without a real private time except for bathroom breaks. But well...they had special circumstances.

"Couple..." Sarah muttered while changing her clothes after she reached home, putting on her usual loose shirt and slumping down on the couch.

Maybe because they were a couple now? While making the plan, Sarah was in her revenge mind sphere, and in that mind sphere, she didn’t count the fact that the honeypot tactic involved someone she actually had a feeling for.

"Ugh...this is ridiculous," Sarah groaned. "I was the one who gave him the instruction, so isn’t it ridiculous to feel like this? Aagh!"

She buried her face in a cushion, screaming silently for the unfamiliar, complicated feelings. The funny thing was, she didn’t even think she would get...jealous...before she saw them on the screen. And while she knew it was all an act, she couldn’t help feeling annoyed at Hajin for being...not even flirty--just desirable.

"Is this...karma?" Sarah gasped into the cushion.

Was this a retribution for all the acts she did while trying to lead Mason on in front of Hajin? She always thought Hajin was ridiculous for getting jealous when it was clearly an act, but...

"Now I understand why he did..." Sarah groaned again.

But even while saying that, she still felt annoyed at the way Hajin smiled and softened his gaze while talking to those women. She felt like she didn’t want to see the man’s face, and at the same time felt ridiculous for thinking like that.

It was while struggling with this newfound feeling that she heard Hajin’s voice outside the door, telling the bodyguards to go back. She raised her face from the cushion, just as the door beeped open and Hajin came inside.

"Princess?" he called out to her right away, eyes scanning the room until his eyes--no longer behind the glasses--found her on the couch. "Oh, you’re there."

Sarah was feeling too awkward to say anything, so all she could do was mutter vaguely. "Uhh--ugh?"

But she had no leeway to wallow in awkwardness when Hajin immediately rushed in and hugged her by the waist, burying his face in Sarah’s lap while on his knees.

And let out a long, long relieved sigh.

"Ahh...this is it..."

Sarah blinked in surprise and confusion. "...what are you doing?"

"Healing myself," the man lay on his cheek and muttered to her thigh with closed eyes, making Sarah arch her brow high. "Haa...it was so hard, Princess...I almost gave up midway."

The brow arched higher. Sarah had no idea what she expected Hajin to be after walking through the door, but she certainly didn’t think the man would whine.

But then again, he had been arguing about the plan since the first time he heard it from her, so...why was Sarah even surprised?

"No--I almost gave up right away," Hajin rectified his statement. "I wanted to throw that woman out of the window, not catching her."

"Huh?"

"Princess...do I have to do this again in the future?" Hajin raised his head, pouting. "You won’t send me to go on a date with her or anything right? No, right? Please? Can’t you use Austin or Suoh instead? Sol’s men? Kang Daniel?"

Sarah pressed her lips, fighting between a temptation to laugh and scream from the foolishness of getting jealous. "Ahem," she cleared her throat--and her mind while at it. "You hated it that much?"

"Hate it, hate it, hate it!" Hajin shook his head and buried his head again on her lap, almost looking like a petulant child about to throw a tantrum because he didn’t want to go to his kindergarten.

Although what he said next was nothing a child could say.

"I kept wanting to kill her, you know...."

Sarah stroked the messy hair that no longer looked like how she styled it that morning. "Why?"

"What do you mean by why?!" Hajin looked up, looking completely dumbfounded that Sarah even questioned it. "She was the one who killed you!"

Sarah blinked. "Oh, right..."

"Oh, right? Princess!"

Sarah bit her lips, feeling rather awkward. Indeed, she should despise Mason’s fiancée the most, but Denise was not her family in the first place, so Sarah didn’t feel as angry as she felt toward Mason, Mina, and her father...strangely enough. Didn’t feel much like a betrayal, honestly.

Didn’t mean she wasn’t angry at Denise, but...

"Oh, you’re unbelievable!" Hajin clutched his head in frustration. "Whatever--just please don’t make me meet her again; I might really lose it next time!"

"Well...I do hope we won’t have to do this again," Sarah shrugged. "If she breaks the engagement, that’s enough."

Finally, Hajin let out a breath of relief. Sarah felt kind of guilty, for many reasons, and continued to stroke his hair for compensation. At least for the first five minutes. "But...how long are you going to do this?"

"Until I finish recharging," Hajin replied nonchalantly from her lap.

"How long?"

"Dunno," the man murmured briefly.

Pfft--he really sulked, huh? Sarah sighed and grasped the man’s face, planting a kiss on the surprised, parting lips. After licking his lips once, she retreated and tilted her head. "If you’re going to do this, you’d better have a shower and erase this scent."

It was annoying--really annoying--to have his puppy slathered with the scent of unfamiliar perfumes, not the one she chose for him at the start; the one she had been associated with him and always managed to calm her down.

Hajin raised his brow, and snatched his princess’s waist, carrying her high while capturing her gasp with his mouth. "Let’s take a shower together, then. I want to have the same scent as you again."

Sarah chuckled and kissed the man back, purifying all the silly, unfamiliar thoughts in her mind along with the foreign scents.