What Are You Doing Here?

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Mrs. Kim asked with a note of alarm in her voice when she saw the shadow under Mi Cha's eyes.

Mi Cha exhaled tiredly; she could barely keep her legs from turning into jelly.

"No, I didn't. I was up all night," She said as she made her way to the coffee dispenser to get herself a cup. The hot steam from coffee poured into her face causing her a bit of relief.

"Why? Is it still the difference in time zone thing?" Mrs. Kim asked, moving over to take the cup from her.

"Not exactly. I was helping Tan... Never mind," She said suddenly, remembering she wasn't supposed to talk to her mother about it.

"Helping Tan with what? Don't tell me he's planning on proposing so soon," She said with a look of surprise.

"No, not at all. It's nothing to worry about. I have to call him right now," She said, wanting to leave, but her mother called her back.

"What's going on between you and my assistant Min-jun?" Mrs. Kim asked, giving her a curious look.

"Why do you feel something is going on between us?" She asked her mother as she rested her back against the kitchen door.

"I've been noticing how he acts whenever you're around, and then he got you a gift for Valentine. So is there something I need to know?" She asked again, raising her brow in her peculiar way.

"When something starts between us, I'll be the first to let you know. For now, you can calm down," Mi Cha said as she walked away. She had to check on Tan to know how he was doing. She had stayed up all night searching for his girlfriend but to no avail.

She suddenly recalled her mom asking Min-Jun for details about Tan's girlfriend. Maybe she needed to talk to Min-Jun. That way, they could work together.

She dialed Tan's number immediately after she got inside her room.

"How're you feeling today?" She asked when he answered the call.

"I've been better. How're you?" Tan greeted as he waited for the positive response.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything on her," Mi Cha said in a defeated voice. She wished she could help him with it.

"Thanks for your help. Don't worry; I'll take it from here," Tan said in a confident voice, trying to cheer her up.

"What do you intend to do then?" She asked him as she swallowed a yawn. She looked into the mirror, and she looked horrible.

"I'll be leaving for Seoul before the end of the week. I'll figure out something while I'm over there," He told her. He couldn't believe he had spent so much time on the phone with his sister having a small conversation all because of a lady.

He would never have thought he could talk with her in this manner. It made him smile to know he was gradually getting closer to her.

"Why don't I come with you? I still need to get an apartment in Seoul, remember?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure. I'll let you know when I plan on leaving; that way, we can travel together," He said, smiling as he heard her excited exclamation before dropping the call.

**********

Min-Jung eyed her phone angrily. Why wasn't Ji-Tae taking her calls? Was he intentionally trying to avoid her? She asked herself. Well, she would have to visit him at his place of work. If he had any funny ideas about ending things between them, then he was in for a shock.

The taxi stopped her in front of her office building. She needed to submit her resignation letter and maybe convince Ji-Tae to get her a position in his company.

"You want to quit?" Her boss asked after she entered the office, and he had spied the envelope in her hands.

She said nothing. She walked over to take her seat and dropped the letter on his desk. "I've worked for you for over five years. I think it's time I did something else with my life," She said, looking at him.

"Is it because of Mr. Kim Tan? What transpired between you? Did you breach the terms of your contract?" He asked her eyeing her suspiciously. He didn't like the idea of her quitting one bit; she was one of his best staff.

"Nothing transpired between us." She said, praying she was right.

"I saw the news of your fight with Governor Kang Moon-Soo's Daughter. What were you thinking? You had just one job, and it didn't involve fighting," He said with barely suppressed anger.

Fight? What the hell had Nana been up to? And why hadn't Nana mentioned it?

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll take responsibility for it," Min-Jung said with a slight bow. She had no idea what she would say if he asked her anything about it.

"He's asking for your contact details," Her boss said in a flat voice, looking at her with curiosity, hoping to find signs that would tell him about her relationship with Tan.

When She said nothing, he raised his brow. "Since you're resigning, I guess I can give it to him?" He asked again.

"That won't be necessary, sir. I have no intention of keeping in touch with him. If that is all, I beg to take my leave." She said, hurriedly leaving.

**********

Ji-Tae's driver drove into the grand mansion, which was supposed to be Ji-Tae's family home but felt more like a hotel where strangers slept. Ji-tae always felt nervous coming home.

He entered the house and was welcomed by his mother's cold gaze. She was dressed in a flowing white gown, sitting on her favorite seat, which was patterned like a throne seat. It was from this position she always decided the fate of everyone.

Most times, he could swear she wasn't his mother. He and Tan had struck a weird kind of friendship because of the nature of their mothers. While his mother had always been around but was always cold towards him, Tan, on the other hand, had a warm mother who was always never around. He sometimes felt his mother considered his very conception a sort of error.

He walked over to her and gave her a formal kiss on her cheeks which was always expected of him. "How have you been, mother?" He asked as he took his seat.

"That shouldn't bother you. How could you make such an important decision without my permission?" She asked, giving him an accusing look.

"Last time I checked, we were talking about my life. I see no reason I have to seek your permission to propose to someone I love," He said, trying hard not to get upset. Conversations with his mother always left him bitter, and sometimes, he wondered if she even cared about his well-being.

"Your life? You don't have one. Mine stopped for you, so you have to live as I please," She said with a cold smile on her face.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, sensing more to the statement than met the eyes.

"That's a discussion for another day. I don't care about whatever plans you've made. Please put an end to that foolishness at once. I have someone else in mind for you," She said, glancing impatiently at her luxurious gold wristwatch.

"She's here, ma," The housekeeper announced from the doorway.

His mother's face broke into one of her rare smiles as she stood up from her favorite seat.

The lady stepped in with a broad smile plastered on her face, and his jaw dropped in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" He asked before he could stop himself.