"Looking at the situation, I think he will be getting praised rather than you Rumi." A voice interrupted making them snap their head towards it.
"Captain." Hyun straightened up in attention. Rumi sighed and stood up as well. No matter what it was, he was now her senior.
"At ease." Gu Hwa smiled at Hyun. "Rumi when are you going to stop being stubborn?"
"When are you going to stop being such a saint, Captain Hwa." Rumi retorted back as politely as she could. She heard the sharp intake of breath from her side. Hyun would've said something if not for their captain standing in front of them.
A chuckled left from Gu Hwa's lips. "Tongue as sharp as knife." He chuckled shaking his head. "You never change, do you?" He asked with smile on his face. Rumi shrugged her shoulders in answer. "Anyways, care for a coffee?" He asked pointing his thumb towards the coffee machine.
"No, thank you. We were planni-" She was cut off before she could deny his request.
"I was planning to head towards tech team. You stay, I can handle it." Hyun quickly gathered his things and ran out of the room ignoring his partner's desperate calls.
"HYUN! You fuckard!" Rumi cursed looking at the closed doors before letting out a sigh. Gu Hwa chuckled making her narrow her eyes at him. "Mwo? What do you want?" She questioned crossing her arms against her chest. Gu Hwa smiled at her manners.
"Nothing, just wanted to have some talk with my old buddy, can't I?" He answered shrugging his shoulders.
"Old buddy my ass!" Rumi snorted uncrossing her arms and picking up her suit jacket. "If it's nothing important then I'm leaving. Have a nice day." She bowed her head and turned around to leave when Gu Hwa grabbed her arm stopping her.
"Rumi, wait!" Rumi glanced at his hand which was griping her arm and then at him. Gu Hwa sighed and let go of her. "Why are you acting like this? You know there was nothing I could have done stop him." He spoke, exhaustion clear in his voice. "Rumi?" He called when there was no response from her. "Rumi, I swear I didn't know he would do something like this." Rumi snorted at that.
"You didn't know? He is your brother, Hwa." Rumi turned around with bitter smile on her face. "How does one don't know anything about their own brother?" She spat, the jacket scrunching in her fist. "You couldn't do anything? You couldn't do anything while he sold us off?!" She screamed grabbing Gu Hwa by his shirt collar. "Tell me, you really didn't know that he had planned everything from the start? Tell me, you didn't know that I was going to be thrown in the pit while you both jump the stairs?" Gu Hwa looked away in shame.
"Exactly!" She chuckled bitterly letting go of his collar. "Don't try to act innocent when you already know why I am acting this way."
"Rumi, I couldn't stop him!"
"Of course, you couldn't! Look at you! You are here in this..." She smiled spreading her arms. "While he...is sitting up there. What a waste of your efforts, don't you think?" She said titling her head to side with taunting frown on her face. "Too bad, after doing all that you got served with this." Gu Hwa clenched his jaw, staring at his feet. "Anyways, enjoy your promotion, Captain Hwa." She smirked before turning around and leaving the meeting room with slam of door.
As soon as she walked out of the door, smile dropped from her face. Her jaw clenched in anger. Getting treated like nothing was one thing but being played like this was another. She endured everything because she knew the consequences of working in a men's world. But she ain't gonna take everything calmly after being played like this. She worked her ass off to get where she was.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I am home..." Rumi called out as pushed the door close with her butt. "Uh? If you're home then at least answer, you ass?" Rumi complained balling her jacket and throwing it at figure on couch.
"AH!" The figure screamed startled by sudden intrusion. Rumi giggled at the poor soul, who removed the headphones and turned around to glare at her. "YAH!"
"I said I am home." She laughed walking towards him and plopping down on couch. "You didn't even answer." She smiled looking at screen, where his character laid knocked out.
"Really?" He asked blank expression on his face. "Are you being serious? You saw I was in middle of rush and had to throw this stinky jacket at me!" He whined throwing her jacket back at Rumi's face. Rumi laughed grabbing the jacket and throwing it over his head.
"It's not stinking. Sniff it well, you dog!" She laughed run away before he could get.
"Yah! You bitch! You are gonna get it today!" He screamed somehow untangling his head out of the jacket.
"Ne! But, first why don't you cook something for me. I couldn't eat well today." Rumi smiled peeking her head out of her room. "Please, Youngjae oppa." She smiled one last time before closing the door.
"Yahh..." Youngjae whined with smile on his face. "This is not fair. You know I can't do anything if you call me like that." He said getting up to prepare food for Rumi. "You better be grateful!" He shouted.
"Sooo...." Youngjae trailed off as glancing at Rumi who was gobbling down her food.
"Huh?" Rumi looked up in question her mouth full making her look like a hamster. Youngjae raised his eyebrow. "Mmmm..." She nodded giving him a thumps up. "Mashisseo." She replied with muffled voice.
"Aniyaa..." Youngjae whined. "I know, I cook delicious food. What I meant to ask; did something happen today?" He asked giving up playing indirect game with her. She was little dumb on that side. Rumi rolled her eyes and wiped her mouth with back of her hand. "Aigoo, look at her manners." Youngjae scrunched his face in disgust and passed her some tissues.
"Wae? Does it look like something happened?" Rumi questioned back putting aside the tissue instead of using them. Youngjae made a face took another tissue and grabbed her hand to wipe it clean himself.
"No, its just that. The only time you act needy is when something you don't like probably took place." He answered setting the tissue aside and looking into her eyes. Rumi sighed and looked away.
"Sometimes I really hate how well you know me." She muttered shoving another spoonful of rice in her mouth. Youngjae grinned showing his perfect whites. "I met Gu Hwa today."
"No wonder!" Youngjae exclaimed. "Did you beat his ass or something? You do know you can't afford it. You can't get demote anymore? Demote to being a janitor? Wah, I cannot even imagine you cleaning toilet. Hah! But it would be so funny to see you cleaning other's shit while you won't even clean yours!" He laughed slapping his hand on the table. "Rukmani Raikar cleaning toilets!" He laughed but it soon died into couple of chokes when his eyes fell on the chopstick in Rumi's palm. "I am just kidding. You know kidding?" He nervously smiled freezing in his seat.
"If you don't stop then you won't be seeing your kids in future." Rumi warned as Youngjae covered his crouch and clammed his mouth shut. "Good." She nodded letting go of chopstick. "I didn't beat his ass no matter how much I wanted too. You know what? He had the audacity to call me his old buddy! Old buddy my ass! Like I ever considered him as my buddy!" Rumi finally burst her palms fisting into balls.
"Right, what an ass!" Youngjae agree slamming his own fist on the table.
"Says, he couldn't stop his brother. Hah! More like he didn't want to!" Rumi snored bitterly. "I wanted to break his nose right there but I controlled myself." Rumi said holding up her chin like she was proud of herself.
"That's my girl." Youngjae nodded clapping his hands. "Just like that. This coming Friday we have to attend a ball."
"Mwo?" Rumi stopped furrowing her eyebrows with sudden switch of topic.
"You see, on Friday we have to attend a ball." Youngjae explained pulling out two silver envelopes from somewhere. "CROWN Security Agency invites you to Silver Jubilee ball." He read out waving the envelope. Rumi rolled her eyes ignoring him and continued stuffing her face. "Yah! Don't be like that. We have to attend it no matter what." Youngjae warned.
"Do I have to? I thought I won't be receiving any invitation." She muttered.
"I thought so too. But here, it is addressed to you." He said pointing out her name on envelope. "So, you have to attend it." Rumi just waved her hand in answer. "Yah! Don't be egoist ass, you can't afford it right now."
Rumi wiped her mouth and stood up gathering dishes. "I know." She curtly replied and disappeared in kitchen. Youngjae let out a sign of exhaustion. He was worried. Rumi was too instinctive to control. He still remembers when he first met her. A deployed soldier recklessly running in raining bullets to save a fellow soldier was something he would never forget. She was the true meaning of death-or-glory. Like a wild animal, her instincts always pushed her forward. When he heard she retired at same time as he decided to leave army, he quickly gave her a call offering her to join the agency with him.
He saw potential and wanted her to grow bigger and do well but didn't know the criticism she would have to face. Sometimes he wonders if it was his fault that she suffers today but then she proves otherwise. It's her nature, or maybe her motto of life, if you tell her she can't do it, then you watch her do it in your face.
"Oppa, I'm calling it night. Have to leave early tomorrow. Wash the dishes for me. Night." Rumi walked out of kitchen just to disappear in her room.
"Yah! I thought you were going to wash them!" Youngjae shouted.
"Too lazy!" She shouted back making him roll his eyes.
"Fat-ass!" He taunted. "You haven't answered, you are coming to ball, right?!" Hearing no response, he was about to shout again when she peeked out of her room and leaned on the door frame. "You are coming right?"
"Does it look like I have a choice?" She asked raising her eyebrow. Youngjae grinned shaking his head no. "Then, good night." With that she slammed her door close.
"Good night!"
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Love,
Alba.