Taking Responsibility for Now I

The heavy atmosphere returned in the blink of an eye; it was less unbearable than before, though.

'This woman has lost any sense of proportion…' Kwon Chung-Hee thought as he pressed down his words of anger from coming out while weighing the situation and the best way out; he was a man of business, after all. Yet that's still all he could do, he couldn't prevent himself from showing her his annoyed semblance and bad mood which was strange when it came to him.

"What is it?" Nam Ha-Eun suddenly asked with a barely softened voice after being glared for a while; she was trying to regain her lost composure.

"For a nobody, you are quite arrogant b…"

"What? Do you think a nobody can't be arrogant and talk to someone of your position however we please?" However, it seemed that Kwon Chung-Hee had become an expert on getting out her bad temper, becoming into someone who likes to cut his words without a thought.

'I don't know what the heck I'm saying anymore.

'Haa- I have truly... ughh…' and she knew it but she didn't seem to be able to control her impulsiveness right now; hence, she could only increase her detachment and haughtiness to hide her shame.

He didn't reply to her sharp questioning, completing his cut sentence after gazing her briefly instead, "… but as it is such a childish and unreasonable arrogance it fits someone like you perfectly, I guess."

"…" His nonchalant words rendered her speechless. Her face reddened like a tomato and she opened wide her grey eyes.

After having her mind being blank for a couple of seconds, she closed the mouth that never uttered a word back and turned her head to a side, avoiding looking into his direction.

She gritted her teeth, thinking, 'I have said so much and yet... how can he still be so collected as to point out my absurdity...

'Though he seems to be boiling in rage...' she stole a glance of him, 'how can he...' she quickly retrieved her gaze, gritting harder her teeth—she felt like crying—her shame had touched the sky. She would have felt less disgraceful if he had shouted her back, saying some nonsense as she had said but aside from his darkened expression, he hadn't been provoked by her words.

"..." Kwon Chung-Hee didn't say more, he was speechless too, and for the same reason as her—he felt ashamed. Seeing her as though she could burst into tears at any moment, made him feel like the bully; though he was pretty sure he was the one being blatantly bullied here.

'This won't do... I used the wrong method with this person... but now... what to do...' she quickly thought. When she felt her eyes betraying her, she shuddered, 'Everything but not this, I can't let him see me crying.' Whether her tears were from anger, shame or whatever reason, she didn't care—she couldn't let herself fell that low—no one had ever seen her crying, not even her father. Hence, even if it was to save her pride before her father, her little pride with herself of not showing her weakness before anyone was more important.

*Rrrng* She opened her black leather portfolio and put inside the red folder in a rush.

And as though she was being persecuted, she stood up and turned around to walk out of the room as fast as she could as she fought her tears back—she couldn't let them fell.

"…" Her actions were unexpected to Kwon Chung-Hee; he became even speechless and was weirded out.

When she was mid-way, he came back to his senses and said, "All right, I will take responsibility… for now," he added after a brief pause as he began to think more rationally.

"…" Nam Ha-Eun stopped but didn't turn back, thinking she had heard wrong.