An Enigma

"I'll pick you up at 9."

That was the first thing Kang Jun had said since they'd stepped out of the room.

He had waited outside for her as she got changed, without a single complaint, despite her needing to not only change her clothing but also brush her hair and put on light makeup.

Accompanying him was one of the most awkward things that AnLing had experienced in her life because she truly didn't know what to say to him. During their short journey, the silence was so complete that AnLing jumped at the first sound of his voice.

"W-we're going out today?" Speaking to Kang Jun was hard, but for some reason questions were always the first thing that came to her lips.

Kang Jun raised his eyebrows. It was the first bit of emotion he had shown. It took AnLing by surprise.

"Is that a problem?"

AnLing: "N-no. Of course not. 9? I'll be ready."

Kang Jun began to walk away, but suddenly, AnLing remembered a question that had been burning in her mind.

"Mister Kang, wait!" AnLing called and then jogged after him.

Kang Jun turned around as soon as he heard her voice.

Once she caught up to him she was half panting.

Kang Jun: "Tired?"

"Uh… no. I just don't move around a lot."

AnLing felt embarrassed. It was just like telling him she was lazy but, there was nothing else she could say. Why had she decided to run? She at first she had no idea, but later when she would think about it she would realize that it was because if she didn't she would feel like she was wasting Kang Jun's time.

AnLing coughed and then spoke, "A-anyways. I was wondering if you could give me an approximate estimation of the rent I'll need to pay. Preferably per month?"

In her mind, AnLing had an approximate estimation. Living in a hotel wasn't cheap, so she needed to know how much she needed to make. Even if the rest was super expensive, she wouldn't mind because she would still be looking for places on the side.

A month should be enough.

Kang Jun: "500 yuan."

AnLing's eyes widened.

She mus have heard wrong, right?

"F-five… hundred yuan… You're joking." AnLing almost choked on her words.

"I'm not."

AnLing: "You know that that is nothing compared to—"

"Money is money." Kang Jun said with a straight face.

Nothing AnLing could say would change his reply.

Since she was fifteen she began to understand the lifestyle of the rich but none of the people she met would treat money like nothing the way Kang Jun did when it came to a stranger like herself.

"Hey… How rich are you?" She accidentally blurted out.

The man gave her a strange look. A smirk tugged strongly on his lips, almost forcing him to smirk.

"Very."

AnLing was speechless but she couldn't help but let out a small laugh. This man was way too shameless and she had just met him.

Kang Jun began to turn around but then he stopped himself.

"Chinese or western?"

AnLing: "For tonight? uh...Chinese."

She was catching up to Kang Jun's way of speaking fast.

He smiled, then said, "See you tonight."

He turned around and continued to walk to the door, leaving AnLing frozen in place. She watched him as he left and disappeared within a black Maybach.

His smile had sent AnLing's heart into such a frenzy that it was hard to breathe. She couldn't help but continue to watch until his car was out of sight. Only then did she have the strength to sigh.

Who was this Kang Jun person?!

AnLing stood in place for a while until a small smile crept on her face. It wasn't a normal smile, it was the type she usually showed when her friends from other majors would explain to her interesting concepts that she couldn't, for the life of her, understand.

That was what Kang Jun was right then.

A complicated but interesting concept.

An enigma.

Still smiling, AnLing walked towards the elevator. Remembering the phone she'd been clutching for the whole time, she decided to turn it back on. She didn't really expect it to work but she needed a distraction.

To her surprise, the phone was fully charged.

AnLing began to laugh.

She'd just gotten to know Kang Jun and she could already tell that he was something special.

Was that a good thing? She couldn't tell.

On her phone, there was a flurry of messages but she ignored them all. They were all from the group chat so she knew that it wasn't important, but suddenly her phone began to buzz.

AnLing looked down at it with a puzzled look on her face and then an amused smile bloomed on her face. She let out a dry laugh and began to massage her temple.

'This man has no shame.'

Kang Jun had sent her a link but she didn't press on it.

AnLing: [How did your number get onto my phone?]

Kang Jun: [Regardless.]

Without giving her a chance to reply he sent her another message.

Kang Jun: [A job.]

AnLing: [What?]

Kang Jun: [You need a job right?]

'He checked up on me…'

A part of AnLing didn't want to answer so she just stared at the phone for a while and then waited for the elevator, but a part of her felt like he would keep asking her until she answered.

Suddenly a 'ding' sound was heard and the elevator door flew open. AnLing looked up for a second. There were many people inside the elevator so she waited for every person to get out before she walked in.

Before the door closed one of the women who had been inside the elevator turned around to look at AnLing who smiled as she looked at her phone.

A variation of emotions flashed across the woman face, and when the door closed she called out,

"AnLing?"

In the elevator, AnLing looked at the message sent by Kang Jun. Not even five minutes had passed.

Kang Jun: [Do you or don't you?]

'Well isn't this one predictable.' AnLing smiled when she read the message.

AnLing: [ Yes I do. How did you know?]

At first, she was only going to reply 'yes' but after realizing that he might ask her to work for him or something of the sort, she instead, planned to divert the conversation.

Kang Jun: [Regardless. I can help you.]

Plan failed.

AnLing didn't know what to reply so she didn't reply at all until she got unto her room, but by then Kang Jun had sent another message.

Kang Jun: [The lounge singer at Hotel Helios lost her job last week. They will be holding interviews next week at 11 am.]

AnLing: [How did you know I sing?]

Kang Jun took a moment to reply.

Kang Jun: [Regardless. Decide.]

AnLing: [Decide what?]

Kang Jun: [Go to the audition or not.]

AnLing: [This isn't one of those things where I go to the audition and get it because you bribed someone right?]

It wasn't until after she had sent the message that AnLing understood that she was being rude.

Kang Jun had been nothing but nice to her and here she was accusing him of something like that…

To save the situation, she began to type another message but before she could send it, Kang Jun had already replied.

Kang Jun: [I can if you want me to.]

"No!" AnLing screamed and threw her phone on the bed. She then jumped face first onto the bed herself and groaned.

'What is wrong with this man!'

Kang Jun was beginning to confused AnLing even more. From moment to moment he would change from someone she couldn't understand to someone who was easy to read.

Without a reply, Kang Jun was left to wonder on his own, but he didn't want to make the decision without AnLing's consent.

Kang Jun: [ Yes?]

Once AnLing's phone buzzed she lifted her head from the bed and the grabbed it.

Seeing his reply, AnLing almost puked blood.

AnLing: [No. If I get it, I want to get it using my own talent. But thank you for telling me.]

Kang Jun: [Good.]

Despite him being strange, AnLing found a strange enjoyment texting Kang Jun. It was like having a new friend and that was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.

The feeling enveloped her whole body, making her feel like a teenage girl again; texting her friends and going out.

Making a friend for the first time…

Although there was still something she needed to do.

She searched for Kang Jun's number on her phone. To suit the theme of her phone everyone needed a nickname.

'Should his name be Landlord Kang, or just Lord Kang?' AnLing thought to herself as she looked through her conversation.

Thinking hard she tapped on her side of her phone then said, "Regardless Kang?"

That didn't seem right.

Maybe God Kang?

Hmmm. That didn't really seem right either.

Finally, when she had her 'aha!' moment, AnLing typed away on her phone. When she was done she pressed enter and then a message came.

King Kang: [Consider this repayment.]

AnLing wanted to laugh.

The name suited him.

AnLing: [Isn't the room repayment?]

King Kang: [No. You're renting.]

AnLing was speechless.

In the car, Kang Jun leaned back into the seat. Mr. Long drove and didn't say a word.

"Make a reservation for dinner."

"Where?"

Several times Mr. Long heard Kang Jun's phone buzz and every time it took him barely a split second to look down and answer.

Kang Jun: "Somewhere special and secluded."

Was this a date?

Curiosity grew in the mind of Mr. Long but he wouldn't dare speak.

Silence fell upon the car, leaving Mr. Long to wonder and wonder.

'Who was he bringing to dinner and why?'

Mr.Long had learned Kang Jun's schedule by heart and he didn't have any meetings or dinners this week.

Suddenly a thought popped into Mr. Long's head.

'Was it for that AnLing girl?… No… that's impossible. She's too plain and non-impressive. Boss would never fall in love with her.'

Suddenly, out of the silence, Kang Jun spoke.

"Buy it."

Mr. Long looked at him from the rearview mirror. His boss wasn't even looking at him, he was happily typing away on his phone. Happily, not by the expression but by action though.

Mr. Long had never seen Kang Jun so invested.

"Buy what?"

"Room 976."

"..."

"Something wrong?" Kang Jun looked up to meet Mr. Long's gaze.

"I'll get on it right away, sir"

Despite saying that, what Mr. Long really wanted to say was, 'why?'

Though now, he knew… Kang Jun was bringing AnLing for dinner.

Was she also the one he was texting? Did the boss fall in love with her? Is this the beginning of a love story?

As much as he wanted to know, he still refused to ask and Kang Jun remained silent.

If anyone could hear his thoughts they would imagine that Mr. Long was a hopeless romantic and they would be right. Though, in the end, he had to blame his wife.

Who told her to make him watch so many drama's and romance movies?!

Now his thoughts tortured him.