[ys] Head In The Clouds [1/6]
A/N: Okay, I wanted to make this geographically consistent. But the New York thing just stuck. Oh, and I don't hate Lee Jun-ki, I actually adore him, and I just wanted to try something new.
This was written for June 29th, which is always an important date for Gogumas. Thank you, Yongseo for teaching me about love, and how it always yields something fresh and new. :)
He knows who she is right from the minute she steps into the lift with him. How could he not?
She practically reeks of it (or that might just be her Chanel, or Marc Jacobs perfume-whichever branded scent is the current hit these days), but for some reason, Jung Yong-hwa doesn’t find it as cloying as he normally would.
And still, even knowing who she is-one of those trophy wives of Fifth Avenue tycoons, all polished and sleek and beautiful- he goes ahead and does it anyway.
“Hi.”
The slender wire rims of her sunglasses tilt a little in his direction, which he takes to be an acknowledgement of some sort and he thinks, Ah, why the hell not.
He bows low. “I’m Jung Yong-hwa. I just moved into Unit 29A.”
She doesn’t say anything, but her lips purse slightly.
“I think we might be neighbors.” Yong-hwa finds himself talking over the faint Muzak being piped into the elevator. “I mean, I’ve seen you a few times leaving your unit. You live in 29B, right?”
Her shoulder lifts slightly and a faint breath of air escapes her nostrils even as she grips the handles of her Burberry handbag a little more tighter, as if afraid that Yong-hwa is some sort of robber who is going to mug her right there and then on the spot.
“And of course, I mean there’s the fact that the two of us are well…” Here, Yong-hwa gestures to the only illuminated elevator button, which clearly shows that the two of them are going to the same floor. Those sunglasses angle themselves in that particular direction, but their owner says absolutely nothing. Yong-hwa casts a look at the numbers above the lift buttons. 24, 25, 26…
He is running out of time, like it or not.
“I just moved in.” He blurts again, aware that now he is definitely coming across as The Weird Guy From 29A Who Insists On Introducing Himself To Uninterested Neighbors. “And this whole… Fifth Avenue lifestyle is kind of unfamiliar to me. So… well, I just thought…”
A pale hand, well manicured with French tips comes up, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
“Stop right there, Jung Yong-hwa.” Her voice is soft, just like he expected, but there is a surprisingly steel and bite to her words. “Let me give you your first tip to the Fifth Avenue lifestyle.”
She never ever turns to look him straight on, keeping her eyes and body focused towards the lift door, as if he’s carrying some contagious disease that she might catch if she even looks too long at him, but oddly enough that doesn’t make Yong-hwa angry. Dimly he thinks it might be to do with the fact that she is hands down one of the most gorgeous women he has ever met in his life, but it’s something else too, something else he can’t put his finger on exactly. God help him and bad clichés, but there is something almost magnetic about her, something about her cold façade that ironically doesn’t repel, but draws him in and so he waits, fascinated, for the verdict that she is surely about to deliver.
“You never, ever tell anyone in this building that you don’t know anything about the Fifth Avenue lifestyle.” His neighbor says with finality. “You never ever let on that you do not belong here.”
The elevator dings, coming to a smooth halt as the doors slide open.
And then she finally turns to look at him, but the smile on her face is not kind or welcoming; it is wry and bitter, coupled with the inscrutable reflective ovals of her oversized sunglasses that hide her eyes, which Yong-hwa finds himself dying to see.
“Because,” She says, low and slow. “Trust me. If they ever found out, you definitely would never belong.”
Just like that, Jung Yong-hwa is left alone in the elevator, with only the faintest whiff of sweet, expensive perfume whirling up his nose, and the distant click-clacking of heels on marble to remind him that his neighbor was definitely there with him.
-------
“Joo-hyun?”
Yong-hwa leans forward, hands steepled together and balancing on his knees. “Stays in 29B? Kind of tall, slim, wears sunglasses all the time... Never smiles…”
Is actually all kinds of gorgeous and intimidating, and every bit like a trophy wife type, which I’ve always hated, so this curiosity is really unprecedented and unbecoming, he admonishes himself internally, but Jung-mo cannot hear any of this inner monologue and so goes on.
“Yeah, that’s Joo-hyun, alright.” Jung-mo affirms, taking a swig of his beer that Yong-hwa had brought over as a “getting to know your neighbor” present. Like most of the people in their building, Jung-mo is part of the ‘rich and famous’ crowd-he used to belong to former hit rock band TRAX, acting now as consultant and manager to new rookie groups on his label. He is also the current single owner of unit 29E, which makes him one of Yong-hwa’s neighbors. “Although she did use to smile a lot more. Course, that was before the divorce.”
“Divorce?” Yong-hwa’s ears perk up. He tries to remember if he saw a ring, but his memory turns up nothing.
Jung-mo nods, leaning forward on the leather couch to meet Yong-hwa’s eye seriously. “Didn’t you read the papers?”
Yong-hwa casts about, rooting through his memory but he shoots up suddenly, eyes meeting Jung-mo’s in recognition. “No way.”
“Yes way.” The older man nods, settling back. “Her husband is Lee Jun-ki. The Lee Jun-ki of Gong-gil Department Stores.”
“The fastest expanding online mall that’s giving the others a serious run for its money.” Yong-hwa breathes. “I heard they’re going into brick and mortar in a year or so.”
“Yup.” Jung-mo says. “That’s them. Taking the space right opposite Saks on our little block here. Or at least if the papers are right.” The older man chuckles. “If that isn’t an outright challenge, I don’t know what is.”
Arrogance, more like. But Yong-hwa has to admit that he admires Lee Jun-ki’s guts. It takes a certain amount of daring to challenge one of the longest standing departmental stores in New York City. “So how does… Joo-hyun factor in?”
Jung-mo’s eyebrows crinkle. “Why the interest in Joo-hyun?”
Yong-hwa drops his gaze a little. “Not much.” He tries to make his voice even and normal. “I just like to know about my neighbors is all.”
“Ah that provincial tight-knit community mentality.” Jung-mo laughs again, but there is no trace of malice in his laugh, just the well-worn laugh of an experienced, older man. “To be young and innocent again. I like your style, Yong-hwa, though I’m not sure how well it’ll fly here in our building.”
Again with that whole fitting in thing, Yong-hwa sighs internally. It seems that even when he’s not trying, he sticks out like a sore thumb. Jung-mo goes on, but the older man is suddenly a lot more serious. “I’ll tell you, but you won’t go around spreading rumors about Joo-hyun. Poor kid doesn’t need any further stress.”
“Of course.” Yong-hwa affirms quickly. “I never had that intention to begin with.”
Reassured, Jung-mo takes another swig of his beer. “Why do you think marriages break up to begin with?”
Maybe it’s the confused look on Yong-hwa’s face that leads Jung-mo to prompt him helpfully. “You have one rich, successful, relatively handsome Fifth Avenue tycoon. Why does his marriage break up?”
“Because….” Yong-hwa thinks out loud. “Because of… another woman?”
Jung-mo snaps his fingers. “Bingo! And what kind of woman would a rich tycoon leave his trophy wife for?”
Unbidden, an image of Joo-hyun rises up in his mind, tall, willowy, cold but so entirely beautiful and Jung Yong-hwa literally cannot come up with a reason why any man would leave Joo-hyun at all.
Jung-mo sighs, out of patience with Yong-hwa’s reticence. “Because she was younger, beautiful and driven. The unattainable trifecta. But more likely because she was just a younger model.” At Yong-hwa’s quizzical look, the older man flips open a magazine on the coffee table, pointing at a picture of another woman. “Meet Yu Leea. Former beauty queen and now running a successful fashion label, Blossom, at the tender age of 25.”
The woman does look familiar; Yong-hwa has seen her a couple times on television and in the magazines. He also has to admit that Yu Leea is jaw-droppingly beautiful as well, in that way that all models are. But still, to leave Joo-hyun for her…. “So what happened?”
Jung-mo sighs, rubbing his eyes, obviously tiring of the subject. “It was a nasty, public divorce. Neither parties made any official statements-they’re not dumb enough to air their dirty laundry in public, but the fact that Jun-ki is now parading around with his beauty queen at his company events and Joo-hyun is alone and always in shades and shunning interviews…” He sighs again, “Things do not look good for her. Even if there are rumors of him cheating-which we all know to be true-it just doesn’t look good for Joo-hyun. She looks like she was dumped, and fast, and that’s not a good look on anyone. Especially in our circles.”
It never looks good to be left behind after a break up, Yong-hwa muses. Guess that at least is the same in this Fifth Avenue world.
“Joo-hyun’s been working really hard holding it together.” Jung-mo’s eyes are soft and concerned, almost brotherly, which makes Yong-hwa glad in more than one way-its always good that Joo-hyun has at least someone looking out for her. “But it’s been hard on her. I’m worried about her. I do my best to look out for her, but there’s only so much I can do. I just hope things get better for her and fast.”
That makes two of us, Yong-hwa thinks and he reaches over to clink the neck of his beer bottle against Jung-mo’s in a silent toast.
--------
He doesn’t expect any sort of warm welcome when he knocks on her door a few days later, but that’s what he gets.
Then again, it’s not Joo-hyun who gives him that warm welcome.
It’s another woman, short, petite with a cheerful smile, but undoubtedly from her clothes, make-up and perfume, one of those socialites. “Can I help you?”
Yong-hwa lifts the plastic bag of dresses in his hand. “Uh, hi. I’m looking for… for…”
It feels weird saying her name out loud like this especially when she didn’t introduce herself properly to him the last time, but the woman at the door is looking at him strangely and so Yong-hwa forces himself to get over himself and get on with it. “I’m looking for Joo-hyun. Is she home?”
The woman’s eyebrows lift. “Joo-hyun. You’re looking for Joo-hyun.”
“That’s right.” He clarifies slowly, trying to look over the woman into the apartment behind. (It isn’t difficult; she’s honestly not that tall even in heels.) “If she’s not in I’ll just come back later…”
“No, no.” The woman opens the door wider. “Come right on in.”
Considering that Joo-hyun barely acknowledged him the last time, Yong-hwa considers this to be the red carpet treatment and he’s not just going to let this opportunity slip by. “Thank you.”
The apartment is beautifully done, tasteful almost in its old-style furnishings and brocade and marble. Yong-hwa’s never been one for these classic styles-minimalist and sleek, that’s how he likes it-but even so he has to marvel at the way there is a good balance of the old and the new in Joo-hyun’s flat, surely a testament to her good taste too.
But before he can say or do anything else, the shorter lady has called out loudly into the apartment. “Maknae. You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone new.”
He sets down the plastic bag of dresses hurriedly, putting his hands out in front of him to protest that no, he is not seeing Joo-hyun, but the lady goes on. “And he’s cute too. God, why do you get all the good ones, huh? Not like the last one was great though. Asshole. I’m Kim Tae-yeon, by the way.” This last bit she adds in an undertone to Yong-hwa, winking at him, and in spite of himself, Yong-hwa cannot help but smile, because he already likes this lady whoever she is, because it's clear that she has both spirit and spunk in spades, which Jung Yong-hwa always likes in a girl.
Before he can interject to right the misunderstanding, Joo-hyun is emerging, not in her sunglasses for a change, but in a bathrobe and when she sees him, she lets out a little shriek, prompting him to drop quickly into a bow. “What are you doing here?!”
Her hands flutter to the neck of her robe, and Yong-hwa dutifully averts his eyes, but the robe is cinched tight with nothing to show. Meanwhile, Tae-yeon butts in to cover the tension. “I said, maknae, why didn’t you tell unnie that you had a new man in your life? About time too.”
Joo-hyun presses a hand to her head as if this whole business is giving her a headache. “Unnie, you know as well as I do that I don’t have a man. Okay? He’s just my neighbor.”
“Just your cute neighbor.” Tae-yeon interjects with another cheeky wink at Yong-hwa, who cannot help but smile back. He looks up though to what can be described as a thunderous look on Joo-hyun’s face, quickly schooling his face into one of appropriate somberness. He holds up the dry cleaning, a peace offering. “I think the service got our units mixed up. I found this in my cupboard, and while this dress is beautiful, I think it’d look better on you than on me.”
His little joke and compliment is not lost on Tae-yeon, who chuckles a little, but if anything, Joo-hyun does not unbend at all to give him a smile, merely walking over to take it from him. If he thought she looked beautiful, powdered and dressed up to the nines like that day in the lift, Joo-hyun in a simple bathrobe and fresh face is even more breathtaking and Yong-hwa wonders for the umpteenth time how Lee Jun-ki could have found it in himself to leave his wife.
“Thanks.” Joo-hyun turns back around, dry cleaning in hand. “You can leave now.”
But before he can even turn around or do something, Tae-yeon jumps in again. “No. Stay.”
Joo-hyun turns around abruptly; Tae-yeon has seated herself leisurely at the kitchen island, pulling out a bar stool for Yong-hwa. Yong-hwa locks eyes with Tae-yeon, who is still smiling pleasantly, but her smile no longer looks friendly and open, but almost grim and determined. “Sit down, cute neighbor.”
Yong-hwa complies. It honestly doesn’t seem wise to do otherwise.
“Unnie…” Joo-hyun’s voice has a wealth of warning within it but Tae-yeon seems happy enough to disregard it.
“So tell me, neighbor. Who are you?”
Yong-hwa coughs uncomfortably, catching a glimpse of Joo-hyun’s face out of the corner of his eye, her expression openly uncomfortable and agitated, and despite himself, he stands. “I… I think maybe I should leave.”
Tae-yeon reaches out, physically pulling him back down into his seat. She’s surprisingly strong for someone so small, and Yong-hwa finds himself yanked back into a seating position. “No. I don’t think you should. Ignore Joo-hyun.” She advises. “She’s actually happy to have you here.”
There is a loud sigh from Joo-hyun’s corner of the room, but when Yong-hwa looks at her, there is only an eye-roll before she turns around to fiddle with something at the kitchen counter. Yong-hwa takes that as a grudging yes for him to stay.
He returns his attention to Tae-yeon, who is now eyeing him with a gleam in her eye that almost makes him feel nervous. “Uh. I’m Jung Yong-hwa. I…”
“Of CNBlue? Code Name Blue?”
He jerks his head up, surprised. Not many people know exactly who he is in the upper echelons of New York society. “I’m sorry, have we met…?”
Tae-yeon shrugs her shoulders. “No, we haven’t. I’ve heard my father talking about you before though. Youngest ever computer programmer to graduate MIT and with good business sense to boot?” She whistles through her teeth. “Is it true that Samsung approached you personally to get CNBlue to spearhead their venture into the computer industry?”
He thinks back to that day of graduation, the grey suits coming towards him with their briefcases, talking in an empty lecture room together, the papers and figures, his father’s shock. It still feels like a dream to be honest. “Yes.” He admits. He looks up, and miracle of all miracles, Joo-hyun is looking at him. Really looking at him for the first time. He looks down at his folded hands before he can let himself get carried away with deciphering the look in her eye. “Started this whole programming business when I was still in college. I… I never knew it would snowball like this.” He shakes his head. “It feels… unreal to be honest.”
He laces and unlaces his fingers together, lost temporarily for a moment in his own thoughts, but the screeching of the bar stool against marble brings him back to the present. Tae-yeon is now standing, but she is no longer looking at him. Instead, she looks almost faraway, a thoughtful look misting over her eyes now. “I see,” She murmurs softly, but when her eyes re-focus, they catch onto Joo-hyun instead. “Yong-hwa, if you don’t mind, I think I need to have a little chat with Joo-hyun.”
Without waiting for another word, Tae-yeon strides over to where Joo-hyun is standing, pulling her out of the kitchen area and to a corner of the living room. Yong-hwa watches the two of them with something a little akin to anxiety. Was it something he said? Something wrong?
Still they are not standing that far away and while the apartment is big, their voices ultimately carry and Yong-hwa catches fragments of their conversation, while blithely pretending not to be eavesdropping. The both of them are too involved in their own conversation anyway to pay attention to him.
“I don’t need… his help.” Joo-hyun hisses.
“Listen to me, maknae. You’ve always… too stubborn… he can help you… he built his company from scratch for crying out loud!” Tae-yeon’s voice rises in spite of her hushed tone.
“That’s in… computers… totally different industry… he knows nothing!” Joo-hyun returns heatedly. She doesn't seem to care how much Yong-hwa hears.
“Business is all the same, maknae!” Tae-yeon has obviously given up on trying to keep her voice low, and Yong-hwa hears every last word. “Look, you said you wanted revenge. Fine. I think that’s as good a way of getting closure than as any. But at least make sure your revenge scheme works?”
The two women stare at each other, obviously at an impasse, and Yong-hwa decides that now would be a good time to remind them that he’s still here. “Uh. I’m sorry. I… I can hear everything you’re saying. There aren’t any… walls.” He gestures futilely around the open space of the apartment as if wanting to validate his words and Joo-hyun presses a hand to her forehead in obvious consternation. Yong-hwa takes that as his cue, getting off his bar stool, walking towards the pair of them. “What’s… what’s going on? Maybe I can help?”
Joo-hyun doesn’t look up, but when she speaks, she is obviously trying to keep her cool. “Unnie. Could I please speak to Jung Yong-hwa for a moment? Alone.”
Tae-yeon sighs, patting her shoulder. “I’ll be in the next room.” She brushes past Yong-hwa, and as she does, she gives him a look, mouthing the words, help her, and then, the two of them are left alone.
“Joo-hyun…”
“It’s Seo-hyun.” She tells him shortly. “I don’t know who told you my real name, but I’d prefer it if you called me Seo-hyun.”
“Okay, Seo-hyun.” He says softly. Now is not the time to piss her off even more. “What’s going on?”
Joo-hyun turns away from him, taking a few steps to stare out of the window, down on the busy streets of New York and for a long moment there is nothing but the stillness of her empty flat, punctuated by the ticking of the clock in the hall.
Just when Yong-hwa thinks this silence is going to go on forever, she speaks, surprising him. “I need to put a chink in my ex-husband’s empire.”
At first Yong-hwa thinks he has heard wrong. “What?”
“You heard me.” Joo-hyun turns around. “You know as well as I do that my husband… my ex-husband is running a thriving departmental store business and that they’re going to move into a physical store soon.”
“Yes, in front of Saks.” He says slowly, not sure where this is going.
“I need to start a company.” Joo-hyun says. Her eyes are fierce. “I need to start a fashion label, beat out Blossom to be the leading label in his fancy new departmental store.”
Yong-hwa sees now where this is going, what this is. It is revenge, pure and simple. Beating her ex-husband at his own game, showing him and his new mistress up. But it is not an easy road to revenge. Building a company from scratch, wanting it to take over a market leader… this is hard work and a huge gamble to boot. It is not a revenge plan that sees immediate results; the road to building a business is long and arduous, taking up to years at a point of time. They may not even make it in an industry that is over-saturated, let alone take down an established brand name. Surely for her there can be better, easier ways to get her ex-husband back and so he hesitates, biting his lip. “Seo-hyun…”
“What?” He looks up at Joo-hyun, and though she stares back at him defiantly, there is the faintest tremble in her chin and he notes that her hands are fists at her sides. “You think its stupid. You don’t think I can do it. Right?”
For a long while, Jung Yong-hwa just stands there looking at her. He barely knows her. He honestly knew nothing about her when they first met, about her failed marriage, about her ex-husband. And yet, instinctively he senses that there is something more here than just screwing over an ex-husband who betrayed hers. There is something deeper at work here, something that maybe even Joo-hyun hasn’t recognized herself, something personal and real, and that is what makes him take a step forward.
“No,” He says finally. “I believe you can do it. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
This was written for June 29th, which is always an important date for Gogumas. Thank you, Yongseo for teaching me about love, and how it always yields something fresh and new. :)
He knows who she is right from the minute she steps into the lift with him. How could he not?
She practically reeks of it (or that might just be her Chanel, or Marc Jacobs perfume-whichever branded scent is the current hit these days), but for some reason, Jung Yong-hwa doesn’t find it as cloying as he normally would.
And still, even knowing who she is-one of those trophy wives of Fifth Avenue tycoons, all polished and sleek and beautiful- he goes ahead and does it anyway.
“Hi.”
The slender wire rims of her sunglasses tilt a little in his direction, which he takes to be an acknowledgement of some sort and he thinks, Ah, why the hell not.
He bows low. “I’m Jung Yong-hwa. I just moved into Unit 29A.”
She doesn’t say anything, but her lips purse slightly.
“I think we might be neighbors.” Yong-hwa finds himself talking over the faint Muzak being piped into the elevator. “I mean, I’ve seen you a few times leaving your unit. You live in 29B, right?”
Her shoulder lifts slightly and a faint breath of air escapes her nostrils even as she grips the handles of her Burberry handbag a little more tighter, as if afraid that Yong-hwa is some sort of robber who is going to mug her right there and then on the spot.
“And of course, I mean there’s the fact that the two of us are well…” Here, Yong-hwa gestures to the only illuminated elevator button, which clearly shows that the two of them are going to the same floor. Those sunglasses angle themselves in that particular direction, but their owner says absolutely nothing. Yong-hwa casts a look at the numbers above the lift buttons. 24, 25, 26…
He is running out of time, like it or not.
“I just moved in.” He blurts again, aware that now he is definitely coming across as The Weird Guy From 29A Who Insists On Introducing Himself To Uninterested Neighbors. “And this whole… Fifth Avenue lifestyle is kind of unfamiliar to me. So… well, I just thought…”
A pale hand, well manicured with French tips comes up, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
“Stop right there, Jung Yong-hwa.” Her voice is soft, just like he expected, but there is a surprisingly steel and bite to her words. “Let me give you your first tip to the Fifth Avenue lifestyle.”
She never ever turns to look him straight on, keeping her eyes and body focused towards the lift door, as if he’s carrying some contagious disease that she might catch if she even looks too long at him, but oddly enough that doesn’t make Yong-hwa angry. Dimly he thinks it might be to do with the fact that she is hands down one of the most gorgeous women he has ever met in his life, but it’s something else too, something else he can’t put his finger on exactly. God help him and bad clichés, but there is something almost magnetic about her, something about her cold façade that ironically doesn’t repel, but draws him in and so he waits, fascinated, for the verdict that she is surely about to deliver.
“You never, ever tell anyone in this building that you don’t know anything about the Fifth Avenue lifestyle.” His neighbor says with finality. “You never ever let on that you do not belong here.”
The elevator dings, coming to a smooth halt as the doors slide open.
And then she finally turns to look at him, but the smile on her face is not kind or welcoming; it is wry and bitter, coupled with the inscrutable reflective ovals of her oversized sunglasses that hide her eyes, which Yong-hwa finds himself dying to see.
“Because,” She says, low and slow. “Trust me. If they ever found out, you definitely would never belong.”
Just like that, Jung Yong-hwa is left alone in the elevator, with only the faintest whiff of sweet, expensive perfume whirling up his nose, and the distant click-clacking of heels on marble to remind him that his neighbor was definitely there with him.
-------
“Joo-hyun?”
Yong-hwa leans forward, hands steepled together and balancing on his knees. “Stays in 29B? Kind of tall, slim, wears sunglasses all the time... Never smiles…”
Is actually all kinds of gorgeous and intimidating, and every bit like a trophy wife type, which I’ve always hated, so this curiosity is really unprecedented and unbecoming, he admonishes himself internally, but Jung-mo cannot hear any of this inner monologue and so goes on.
“Yeah, that’s Joo-hyun, alright.” Jung-mo affirms, taking a swig of his beer that Yong-hwa had brought over as a “getting to know your neighbor” present. Like most of the people in their building, Jung-mo is part of the ‘rich and famous’ crowd-he used to belong to former hit rock band TRAX, acting now as consultant and manager to new rookie groups on his label. He is also the current single owner of unit 29E, which makes him one of Yong-hwa’s neighbors. “Although she did use to smile a lot more. Course, that was before the divorce.”
“Divorce?” Yong-hwa’s ears perk up. He tries to remember if he saw a ring, but his memory turns up nothing.
Jung-mo nods, leaning forward on the leather couch to meet Yong-hwa’s eye seriously. “Didn’t you read the papers?”
Yong-hwa casts about, rooting through his memory but he shoots up suddenly, eyes meeting Jung-mo’s in recognition. “No way.”
“Yes way.” The older man nods, settling back. “Her husband is Lee Jun-ki. The Lee Jun-ki of Gong-gil Department Stores.”
“The fastest expanding online mall that’s giving the others a serious run for its money.” Yong-hwa breathes. “I heard they’re going into brick and mortar in a year or so.”
“Yup.” Jung-mo says. “That’s them. Taking the space right opposite Saks on our little block here. Or at least if the papers are right.” The older man chuckles. “If that isn’t an outright challenge, I don’t know what is.”
Arrogance, more like. But Yong-hwa has to admit that he admires Lee Jun-ki’s guts. It takes a certain amount of daring to challenge one of the longest standing departmental stores in New York City. “So how does… Joo-hyun factor in?”
Jung-mo’s eyebrows crinkle. “Why the interest in Joo-hyun?”
Yong-hwa drops his gaze a little. “Not much.” He tries to make his voice even and normal. “I just like to know about my neighbors is all.”
“Ah that provincial tight-knit community mentality.” Jung-mo laughs again, but there is no trace of malice in his laugh, just the well-worn laugh of an experienced, older man. “To be young and innocent again. I like your style, Yong-hwa, though I’m not sure how well it’ll fly here in our building.”
Again with that whole fitting in thing, Yong-hwa sighs internally. It seems that even when he’s not trying, he sticks out like a sore thumb. Jung-mo goes on, but the older man is suddenly a lot more serious. “I’ll tell you, but you won’t go around spreading rumors about Joo-hyun. Poor kid doesn’t need any further stress.”
“Of course.” Yong-hwa affirms quickly. “I never had that intention to begin with.”
Reassured, Jung-mo takes another swig of his beer. “Why do you think marriages break up to begin with?”
Maybe it’s the confused look on Yong-hwa’s face that leads Jung-mo to prompt him helpfully. “You have one rich, successful, relatively handsome Fifth Avenue tycoon. Why does his marriage break up?”
“Because….” Yong-hwa thinks out loud. “Because of… another woman?”
Jung-mo snaps his fingers. “Bingo! And what kind of woman would a rich tycoon leave his trophy wife for?”
Unbidden, an image of Joo-hyun rises up in his mind, tall, willowy, cold but so entirely beautiful and Jung Yong-hwa literally cannot come up with a reason why any man would leave Joo-hyun at all.
Jung-mo sighs, out of patience with Yong-hwa’s reticence. “Because she was younger, beautiful and driven. The unattainable trifecta. But more likely because she was just a younger model.” At Yong-hwa’s quizzical look, the older man flips open a magazine on the coffee table, pointing at a picture of another woman. “Meet Yu Leea. Former beauty queen and now running a successful fashion label, Blossom, at the tender age of 25.”
The woman does look familiar; Yong-hwa has seen her a couple times on television and in the magazines. He also has to admit that Yu Leea is jaw-droppingly beautiful as well, in that way that all models are. But still, to leave Joo-hyun for her…. “So what happened?”
Jung-mo sighs, rubbing his eyes, obviously tiring of the subject. “It was a nasty, public divorce. Neither parties made any official statements-they’re not dumb enough to air their dirty laundry in public, but the fact that Jun-ki is now parading around with his beauty queen at his company events and Joo-hyun is alone and always in shades and shunning interviews…” He sighs again, “Things do not look good for her. Even if there are rumors of him cheating-which we all know to be true-it just doesn’t look good for Joo-hyun. She looks like she was dumped, and fast, and that’s not a good look on anyone. Especially in our circles.”
It never looks good to be left behind after a break up, Yong-hwa muses. Guess that at least is the same in this Fifth Avenue world.
“Joo-hyun’s been working really hard holding it together.” Jung-mo’s eyes are soft and concerned, almost brotherly, which makes Yong-hwa glad in more than one way-its always good that Joo-hyun has at least someone looking out for her. “But it’s been hard on her. I’m worried about her. I do my best to look out for her, but there’s only so much I can do. I just hope things get better for her and fast.”
That makes two of us, Yong-hwa thinks and he reaches over to clink the neck of his beer bottle against Jung-mo’s in a silent toast.
--------
He doesn’t expect any sort of warm welcome when he knocks on her door a few days later, but that’s what he gets.
Then again, it’s not Joo-hyun who gives him that warm welcome.
It’s another woman, short, petite with a cheerful smile, but undoubtedly from her clothes, make-up and perfume, one of those socialites. “Can I help you?”
Yong-hwa lifts the plastic bag of dresses in his hand. “Uh, hi. I’m looking for… for…”
It feels weird saying her name out loud like this especially when she didn’t introduce herself properly to him the last time, but the woman at the door is looking at him strangely and so Yong-hwa forces himself to get over himself and get on with it. “I’m looking for Joo-hyun. Is she home?”
The woman’s eyebrows lift. “Joo-hyun. You’re looking for Joo-hyun.”
“That’s right.” He clarifies slowly, trying to look over the woman into the apartment behind. (It isn’t difficult; she’s honestly not that tall even in heels.) “If she’s not in I’ll just come back later…”
“No, no.” The woman opens the door wider. “Come right on in.”
Considering that Joo-hyun barely acknowledged him the last time, Yong-hwa considers this to be the red carpet treatment and he’s not just going to let this opportunity slip by. “Thank you.”
The apartment is beautifully done, tasteful almost in its old-style furnishings and brocade and marble. Yong-hwa’s never been one for these classic styles-minimalist and sleek, that’s how he likes it-but even so he has to marvel at the way there is a good balance of the old and the new in Joo-hyun’s flat, surely a testament to her good taste too.
But before he can say or do anything else, the shorter lady has called out loudly into the apartment. “Maknae. You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone new.”
He sets down the plastic bag of dresses hurriedly, putting his hands out in front of him to protest that no, he is not seeing Joo-hyun, but the lady goes on. “And he’s cute too. God, why do you get all the good ones, huh? Not like the last one was great though. Asshole. I’m Kim Tae-yeon, by the way.” This last bit she adds in an undertone to Yong-hwa, winking at him, and in spite of himself, Yong-hwa cannot help but smile, because he already likes this lady whoever she is, because it's clear that she has both spirit and spunk in spades, which Jung Yong-hwa always likes in a girl.
Before he can interject to right the misunderstanding, Joo-hyun is emerging, not in her sunglasses for a change, but in a bathrobe and when she sees him, she lets out a little shriek, prompting him to drop quickly into a bow. “What are you doing here?!”
Her hands flutter to the neck of her robe, and Yong-hwa dutifully averts his eyes, but the robe is cinched tight with nothing to show. Meanwhile, Tae-yeon butts in to cover the tension. “I said, maknae, why didn’t you tell unnie that you had a new man in your life? About time too.”
Joo-hyun presses a hand to her head as if this whole business is giving her a headache. “Unnie, you know as well as I do that I don’t have a man. Okay? He’s just my neighbor.”
“Just your cute neighbor.” Tae-yeon interjects with another cheeky wink at Yong-hwa, who cannot help but smile back. He looks up though to what can be described as a thunderous look on Joo-hyun’s face, quickly schooling his face into one of appropriate somberness. He holds up the dry cleaning, a peace offering. “I think the service got our units mixed up. I found this in my cupboard, and while this dress is beautiful, I think it’d look better on you than on me.”
His little joke and compliment is not lost on Tae-yeon, who chuckles a little, but if anything, Joo-hyun does not unbend at all to give him a smile, merely walking over to take it from him. If he thought she looked beautiful, powdered and dressed up to the nines like that day in the lift, Joo-hyun in a simple bathrobe and fresh face is even more breathtaking and Yong-hwa wonders for the umpteenth time how Lee Jun-ki could have found it in himself to leave his wife.
“Thanks.” Joo-hyun turns back around, dry cleaning in hand. “You can leave now.”
But before he can even turn around or do something, Tae-yeon jumps in again. “No. Stay.”
Joo-hyun turns around abruptly; Tae-yeon has seated herself leisurely at the kitchen island, pulling out a bar stool for Yong-hwa. Yong-hwa locks eyes with Tae-yeon, who is still smiling pleasantly, but her smile no longer looks friendly and open, but almost grim and determined. “Sit down, cute neighbor.”
Yong-hwa complies. It honestly doesn’t seem wise to do otherwise.
“Unnie…” Joo-hyun’s voice has a wealth of warning within it but Tae-yeon seems happy enough to disregard it.
“So tell me, neighbor. Who are you?”
Yong-hwa coughs uncomfortably, catching a glimpse of Joo-hyun’s face out of the corner of his eye, her expression openly uncomfortable and agitated, and despite himself, he stands. “I… I think maybe I should leave.”
Tae-yeon reaches out, physically pulling him back down into his seat. She’s surprisingly strong for someone so small, and Yong-hwa finds himself yanked back into a seating position. “No. I don’t think you should. Ignore Joo-hyun.” She advises. “She’s actually happy to have you here.”
There is a loud sigh from Joo-hyun’s corner of the room, but when Yong-hwa looks at her, there is only an eye-roll before she turns around to fiddle with something at the kitchen counter. Yong-hwa takes that as a grudging yes for him to stay.
He returns his attention to Tae-yeon, who is now eyeing him with a gleam in her eye that almost makes him feel nervous. “Uh. I’m Jung Yong-hwa. I…”
“Of CNBlue? Code Name Blue?”
He jerks his head up, surprised. Not many people know exactly who he is in the upper echelons of New York society. “I’m sorry, have we met…?”
Tae-yeon shrugs her shoulders. “No, we haven’t. I’ve heard my father talking about you before though. Youngest ever computer programmer to graduate MIT and with good business sense to boot?” She whistles through her teeth. “Is it true that Samsung approached you personally to get CNBlue to spearhead their venture into the computer industry?”
He thinks back to that day of graduation, the grey suits coming towards him with their briefcases, talking in an empty lecture room together, the papers and figures, his father’s shock. It still feels like a dream to be honest. “Yes.” He admits. He looks up, and miracle of all miracles, Joo-hyun is looking at him. Really looking at him for the first time. He looks down at his folded hands before he can let himself get carried away with deciphering the look in her eye. “Started this whole programming business when I was still in college. I… I never knew it would snowball like this.” He shakes his head. “It feels… unreal to be honest.”
He laces and unlaces his fingers together, lost temporarily for a moment in his own thoughts, but the screeching of the bar stool against marble brings him back to the present. Tae-yeon is now standing, but she is no longer looking at him. Instead, she looks almost faraway, a thoughtful look misting over her eyes now. “I see,” She murmurs softly, but when her eyes re-focus, they catch onto Joo-hyun instead. “Yong-hwa, if you don’t mind, I think I need to have a little chat with Joo-hyun.”
Without waiting for another word, Tae-yeon strides over to where Joo-hyun is standing, pulling her out of the kitchen area and to a corner of the living room. Yong-hwa watches the two of them with something a little akin to anxiety. Was it something he said? Something wrong?
Still they are not standing that far away and while the apartment is big, their voices ultimately carry and Yong-hwa catches fragments of their conversation, while blithely pretending not to be eavesdropping. The both of them are too involved in their own conversation anyway to pay attention to him.
“I don’t need… his help.” Joo-hyun hisses.
“Listen to me, maknae. You’ve always… too stubborn… he can help you… he built his company from scratch for crying out loud!” Tae-yeon’s voice rises in spite of her hushed tone.
“That’s in… computers… totally different industry… he knows nothing!” Joo-hyun returns heatedly. She doesn't seem to care how much Yong-hwa hears.
“Business is all the same, maknae!” Tae-yeon has obviously given up on trying to keep her voice low, and Yong-hwa hears every last word. “Look, you said you wanted revenge. Fine. I think that’s as good a way of getting closure than as any. But at least make sure your revenge scheme works?”
The two women stare at each other, obviously at an impasse, and Yong-hwa decides that now would be a good time to remind them that he’s still here. “Uh. I’m sorry. I… I can hear everything you’re saying. There aren’t any… walls.” He gestures futilely around the open space of the apartment as if wanting to validate his words and Joo-hyun presses a hand to her forehead in obvious consternation. Yong-hwa takes that as his cue, getting off his bar stool, walking towards the pair of them. “What’s… what’s going on? Maybe I can help?”
Joo-hyun doesn’t look up, but when she speaks, she is obviously trying to keep her cool. “Unnie. Could I please speak to Jung Yong-hwa for a moment? Alone.”
Tae-yeon sighs, patting her shoulder. “I’ll be in the next room.” She brushes past Yong-hwa, and as she does, she gives him a look, mouthing the words, help her, and then, the two of them are left alone.
“Joo-hyun…”
“It’s Seo-hyun.” She tells him shortly. “I don’t know who told you my real name, but I’d prefer it if you called me Seo-hyun.”
“Okay, Seo-hyun.” He says softly. Now is not the time to piss her off even more. “What’s going on?”
Joo-hyun turns away from him, taking a few steps to stare out of the window, down on the busy streets of New York and for a long moment there is nothing but the stillness of her empty flat, punctuated by the ticking of the clock in the hall.
Just when Yong-hwa thinks this silence is going to go on forever, she speaks, surprising him. “I need to put a chink in my ex-husband’s empire.”
At first Yong-hwa thinks he has heard wrong. “What?”
“You heard me.” Joo-hyun turns around. “You know as well as I do that my husband… my ex-husband is running a thriving departmental store business and that they’re going to move into a physical store soon.”
“Yes, in front of Saks.” He says slowly, not sure where this is going.
“I need to start a company.” Joo-hyun says. Her eyes are fierce. “I need to start a fashion label, beat out Blossom to be the leading label in his fancy new departmental store.”
Yong-hwa sees now where this is going, what this is. It is revenge, pure and simple. Beating her ex-husband at his own game, showing him and his new mistress up. But it is not an easy road to revenge. Building a company from scratch, wanting it to take over a market leader… this is hard work and a huge gamble to boot. It is not a revenge plan that sees immediate results; the road to building a business is long and arduous, taking up to years at a point of time. They may not even make it in an industry that is over-saturated, let alone take down an established brand name. Surely for her there can be better, easier ways to get her ex-husband back and so he hesitates, biting his lip. “Seo-hyun…”
“What?” He looks up at Joo-hyun, and though she stares back at him defiantly, there is the faintest tremble in her chin and he notes that her hands are fists at her sides. “You think its stupid. You don’t think I can do it. Right?”
For a long while, Jung Yong-hwa just stands there looking at her. He barely knows her. He honestly knew nothing about her when they first met, about her failed marriage, about her ex-husband. And yet, instinctively he senses that there is something more here than just screwing over an ex-husband who betrayed hers. There is something deeper at work here, something that maybe even Joo-hyun hasn’t recognized herself, something personal and real, and that is what makes him take a step forward.
“No,” He says finally. “I believe you can do it. Just tell me what you need me to do.”