Back to School (9)
Back to School (9)
She took out her phone to call him when someone called her name.
"Gayoon? Jeon Gayoon?"
Gayoon looked up and stiffened. It was Chun Dohee, one of Minjung's friends and an ex-girlfriend of Woohyun, Gayoon's old bully. She wanted to groan. Dohee was also among those people who loved to torment her even though Gayoon had save her and her friends from an evil spirit who was lurking behind the mall, slashing down anyone who would dare to go near its area.
"I knew it was you!" Dohee said with a smile and to Gayoon's surprise, gave her a hug. Maybe she changed, Gayoon thought.
"How've you been?" She asked once Dohee let her go.
"The usual!" Dohee complained. "My husband just started working for ANG Corporations. You've heard about it, right? It's among the top five companies in the country and my husband, Lim Kangnim, is the General Manager there! We've recently moved to a new penthouse just in the city."
She was bloating with pride as she went on and on about how her husband spoiled her with riches and luxuries.
"He buys me something everyday," she boasted. "Just last night, he bought me a pair of emerald earrings. See?"
She pulled her hair back to show Gayoon a pair of earrings. Gayoon simply nodded, not pointing out that the earrings were fake and probably bought from the hawker's market. She glanced around for Minho, but he was nowhere to be found.
"What has been up with you?" Dohee asked. There was a hint of sneer in her tone which made Gayoon want to roll her eyes at her. "I've heard that you've become a detective."
"Yeah," Gayoon said. "I am a detective."
"So, what do you do on the job?" Dohee asked with a sneer. "Look for lost puppies?"
Just then a couple of more women came over. "Dohee!" a sullen looking woman wearing a skin tight red dress hugged her. Another woman with narrow eyes and haughty demeanor also gave her a hug and then both of them turned their attention to Gayoon.
"Aren't you Jeon Gayoon?" the sullen looking woman named Minji asked.
"Jeon Gayoon? The Ghost Girl?" The narrow eyed woman called Marie asked in astonishment. "Oh my! We're seeing you after years."
"She's a detective now," Dohee supplied. "Tell us what your job entails, Gayoon. How much do you get paid?"
"I think I should go and look for my partner," Gayoon said but Minji held her arm.
"Why? Let him be! We're meeting after such a long time," she said. "Don't you wanna be around friends?"
The word 'friends' wanted to make Gayoon laugh out loud but she controlled herself. "I'm in homicide," she stated. "We only deal with murders and violent crimes."
"Ah, so you must see dead bodies everyday," Dohee winced. "I hope they're paying you enough to see those rotten corpses. Do you have to touch them?"
"Occasionally," Gayoon said. The three women winced at her words and looked clearly disgusted.
"Of course, you'd choose a department like that," Marie said. "After all, you used to claim you could see ghosts. You must have been attracted to those 'spirits'."
She made quotation marks in the air with her hands at the word 'spirits' and giggled at her own joke.
"Do you still see them?" Minji laughed. "Is there any near us, right now?"
"Guys, don't be rude!" Dohee reprimanded them even though she, too, was laughing. "The job must be hard on you, Gayoon," she added to the latter. "Why don't you just find someone and get married instead? You must meet a lot of rich men on the job. Just find one and marry him. Of course, you won't be able to find someone as good and my Kangnim because he's among the elites."
"I've heard that Hwang Minho is going to be the guest of honor tonight," Minji said. "Maybe you can lure him."
"That guy?" Dohee scoffed. "He's only into money and nothing else. Besides, he's untouchable. My husband and I are in his inner circle and I can guarantee you that Hwang Minho will go for someone who is from a rich family. A socialite or heiress who would bring him a lot of money."
Gayoon could only blink at her words but she decided not to open her mouth. Instead, she nodded and said out loud, "Yes. People like him live in the skies. A mere detective can't dream of dating him."
"Honey, you can't even dream of being in the same room as him!" Dohee laughed. "But it's a good thing that I'm here. Maybe you can try out a one night stand with someone else? I've heard Kim Baek is a top shot executive at one of Hwang Minho's hotels. You want me to set you up with him?"
Before Gayoon could open her mouth she felt an arm around her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to see Minho was holding her close to him while eyeing the rude women. Dohee was shocked to see him.
"Hwang Minho?" she asked in surprise, as if not believing that the richest man in the country had his arm around Jeon Gayoon. That was not possible!
"Where have you been?" Gayoon hissed.
"I was just attending a call," he said loudly. "The waiter will bring us our drinks."
"You two know each other?" Dohee asked in an accusing tone.
"Who is he?" Miniji frowned. The man was devilishly handsome, easily standing out from the other men in the room. He possessed an elegance which distinguished him, making it obvious that he was not someone of their class but higher. Much higher.
"Hwang Minho!" Dohee replied, still not believing what was going on. Was he dating Jeon Gayoon? Impossible! He was probably just toying with her. They could not be that close.
Hwang Minho? THE Hwang Minho?
"How do you know each other?" Marie demanded. None of them would believe that someone like Jeon Gayoon would stand next to Hwang Minho. Men like him did not just fall from the sky and definitely did not end up with people like Jeon Gayoon.
"We're dating," Minho simply stated. Gayoon blushed a little but decided to take up his earlier advice. Screw being nice. Pettiness was better.
"Yes," she confirmed. "And we're living together. We also have a little daughter."
She turned and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. The women gasped, still reeling from the shock. Minho was also taken aback by her sudden gesture but decided to play along.
"Let's go Gayoon," he said. "We're to sit at the VVIP table at the front."
Gayoon nodded and turned to the women to add to Dohee. "If your husband wants to switch his job, then do let us know. Hwang Corps pays a lot more than ANG. Perhaps, then he'll be able to buy you real emerald earrings!"
Dohee was stumped. How the hell did she figure it out?
The trio gaped in shock as Gayoon walked away with Minho, hand in hand, looking very much in love.
"Thanks for that," she muttered. "I was about to flip out back there."
"Don't thank me," he said. "You did pretty well on your own."
She smiled before remembering that she was supposed to ask him about his true feelings. Dohee was right. Men like Minho would end up with rich heiresses or socialites. Then what id he feel for her? Was he serious or was he just casually dating her until the right person for him came along?
Minho noted her hesitation. "What happened?" he asked. "What are you thinking about?"
"I-"
"Ahn Jaewan? Is that Ahn Jaewan?"
Someone shouted and pointed at the entrance. Both Minho and Gayoon turned to see Ahn Jaewan was entering the party, surround by his security team. The people were buzzing in excitement upon seeing him and many tried to get closer only to be held back by the security. Jaewan had a sanitizer in his hand, ready to spray in case if someone touched him.
He noticed Gayoon standing at a distance and smiled at her. Minho scowled at him while Gayoon waved back.
"What's he wearing?" he asked sarcastically. "A rug?"
Jaewan wore a baggy brown shirt with three quartered pants. It was a little o toc the dress code but he was a celebrity so his presence was more important than what he wore.
"Be nice," Gayoon hissed. "Don't be condescending."
Jaewan's guards were warding off some of the people while he casually walked up to Gayoon and the money freak next to her.
"Gayoon!" he exclaimed, hugging her. Minho clenched his fists, trying to control himself but the sight of the human sanitizer was testing his patience. Jaewan deliberately prolonged the hug to annoy him more before letting her go.
"I didn't think you'd come," he said.
"I'm more surprised to see you here!" Gayoon laughed.
"Yeah, don't you spend your nights cleaning public toilets?" Minho asked out loud. Gayoon kicked his foot hard, causing him to almost yelp in pain.
"Don't you spend your nights alone playing Bingo to earn extra bucks?" Jaewan shot back. Minho scowled and the two men began to exchange petty insults which made Gayoon sigh.
No one can beat these two when it comes to pettiness, she thought, shaking her head in dismay.
.....
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