I'm in

Jae Hwa had spent the entire night, contemplating her next move. Her decision over Min Jun's offer could more or less add meaning to her life story. But she wasn't willing… she wasn't prepared to let her heart open for any romance at the same time she needed some seasoning in her life, and of course the prize money too.

'Maybe I might just like it there.'She thought, trying to find reasons to accept his proposal.

Like hell she is!!!

It was one thing to compete with pretentious individuals and it was another for the camera to always be up in your face watching your every move. Zooming in occasionally, patiently waiting to catch the moment you slip from your collectiveness even in the slightest.

An introvert like Jae Hwa didn't like the idea at all, but then the benefits were too good to overlook.

'Ahhh, what do I do!!!' She screams internally, rolling side to side on her bed. 

The culprit that put her in this delima would be sound asleep by now while she racked her brains overtime.

"You can get through this Jae Hwa, it's for your mental health and imbursement" She affirmed.

One shouldn't jinx the avocado before opening it.'I shouldn't judge before experiencing it, I might actually make a real friend'.

Sigh.

Letting her eyelids touch, she drifted to sleep with an uncertain expression, resolving an answer for Min Jun.

▢▢▢

Jae Hwa travelled down the flight of stairs, smiling dreamily as she followed the savory aroma that led her to the kitchen.

Clatter! Clunk! Thud!

She had arrived just in time, Min Jun was dishing out the last piece of food into a plate made of China.

She stared at the delicacy before her drooling onto her PJ's. Min Jun had made stir fried tomato spaghetti, lots of meat balls,a huge bowl of orange sorbet, even a large jar of colourful macaroons, when did he have time to prepare all these?.

'Kyaaaa, a table of high class temptation has been set before me!'

If it weren't for her strong lust for food Jae Hwa would have fainted from excitement.

"Senior brother Min Jun, you've gone out of your way to make a feast today. Are we celebrating something that Jae Hwa isn't aware of?"

"Brother Min Jun made his best meatballs today, this junior would surely have a lot to herself, no?"

Wiping little beads of sweat off his face Min Jun placed a pair of chopsticks on a sieviete. The sun rays focused on highlighting his appearance, he looked really hot and appealing in an apron. 

Min Jun smirked at her statement, ''What a glutton...my little glutton" he thought aloud.

Jae Hwa was too focused on salvaging the larger pieces of meatballs, she didn't hear his unreserved statement or she would have left a swollen steamed bun on his head**.

"Hams…."

RING! RING!! RING!!!

Min Jun was cut shut as the plagent landscape music filled the kitchen. He picked his phone off the counter, proceeding to answer the call in a jiffy. 'Just who had the guts to, interrupt this rare moment with his hamster.'

‹ She said what? ›

‹ Have you shown her the modified contract? ›

‹ How can she demand so much?!! We've added more than enough benefits already!!! ›

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

‹ Sigh. I'd be there in thirty minutes. ›

Jae Hwa who sat on the kitchen stool, watched keenly as he transitioned mad, to a calm and more considerate mood.

"What's up?" She asked, worried that work had started talking a toll on him.

"A minor pest this big brother had to deal with, nothing that hamster should be worried about." Min Jun replied, his voice contradicting the words he spouted.

"Okay…" She replied, giving him a meaningful look.

"Have you thought about my offer?" Min Jun asked, his eyes glistening with expectations.

"En."

She froze, taking a break from her eating frenzy, just when she had forgotten about that ordeal he had reminded her again, couldn't he show her mercy for a couple of hours.

"You might have well woken me up with that question, I couldn't sleep well last night because of that. Hmph, Min Jun is so cruel"

He threw his face sideways avoiding her accusing gaze.

"I knew waking you up was going to be futile , I decided to let what you love the most bring you down."

"Are you trying to say I am a gourmandizer?" Jae Hwa pouted, displeased.

"Be merciful, it was a slip of tongue this big brother has sinned." He begged, not wanting to spoil her mood.

"Tch!. Jae Hwa only forgives because big brother cooks well." She smiled as he acknowledged his defeat.

"Yes, I've thought about it" She started, wiping the mess she made on her lips with a paper towel, giving way for her to talk more clearly.

Listening in on his conversation just before, she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. She had the opportunity to make life a bit better for both of them, yet her indecisiveness made them lag. But not anymore.

Just yesterday she had been in a quagmire of confusion, but now she couldn't be any surer.

"I'm in."

Min Jun stared at her for a moment like he hadn't heard what she had just said. Seeing her serious demeanour, he stuttered.

"Y-you are serious?"

"Did the sun rise in the west today?! To think you would actually accept!! --- aiyya I'm so happy" He swayed his hands in the air, wailing in excitement.

"I knew making all these foods was a good idea. You've made my day!"

"Ah!, Hamster eat more!" He motioned, pouring his portion into her plate.

"Are you raising a pig? I can't eat all these" She glowered irritated. Just when she thought they had made progress...

"You should eat more, this is the last time you would taste my cooking in a while" He reasoned.

"I guess you are right" She sucked it up and resumed eating, keeping some aside in case she got fed early, making it easier for another to eat.

"We need to prep you up for your first appearance on camera. Your hair, face, skin ahhh this is going to be a fun day!" Min Jun squealed, bringing out his inner diva.

Jae Hwa shivered, more like hell day!.

"Do we really need to do all of that?" She asked in the cutest way possible.

Min Jun looked the other way, not allowing her face to ruin his plans.

"Of course not! My little hamster is already a nation collapsing beauty. I only want to treat you since we won't be seeing each other so often."

Such sweet words with otherly meaning. Did he think Jae Hwa was a fool?.

"Weren't you about to go to the office before? Since when did you suddenly become so free?"

"Since the time you accepted my proposal, besides, you always come first." He replied sincerely.

Jae Hwa who didn't have any other excuse to refuse resigned to fate.

"Okay let me finish eating and take a bath first"

"Please do not take your time." He mused naughtily.

"Hateful"

TWO HOURS LATER

♦ON THE ROAD

"Tell her we don't need her anymore. In fact, tell them all the positions have been taken. I wouldn't take any more calls pertaining to this topic again." He spat into the phone, vexed from his fifteenth call in one hour.

Prideful Beings!!!

Just when they saw he didn't bother to asskiss and coerce them into being the last contestant for taking time from their 'busy schedules', had panicked and became more humble. Too bad he didn't need them anymore as someone much, more better had filled the void.

Jae Hwa, the culprit to his delima, sat casually in the front passenger seat munching on some pre-packaged macarons. If it sat till the next day, she won't be able to eat them. It was a habit of hers to only eat freshly cooked food.

"This isn't the way to the Spa, is it?" She mouthed her thoughts, being more or less concerned about where they were headed.

"We would be visiting Spring Cafe first." He answered, focusing on the road.

The red light turned green and the resting car moved steadily, keeping it's destination in mind. Jae Hwa didn't say anything, she knew Min Jun didn't like any disturbances while he drove. The reason he even spared his phone a glance was because of how important the matter was and also the red light.

Jae Hwa popped an orange coloured macaron into his mouth, and admired the view through the window with her head on the rarely used headrest.

'I wonder what he is up to now.'

SOMEWHERE IN KOREA

Knock Knock~ Open

"Dude!"

"Kyaaaa!" A half naked woman screamed clutching the sheets to her body.

"Oh my God!" The preparator exclaimed and closed the door immediately.

"Fuck fuck fuck…" The man on the bed stood up immediately dragging a pair of pants up his legs.

"Chin Mae?~" The woman sat seductively on the bed with the upper part of her bosom exposed.

"What are you still doing here?" He thundered.

The woman's face turned sour,"Are you kicking this miss out! Don't forget how long it took you to get my attention. I'm not just an ordinary person you know. Send the intruder out instead." She pouted stubbornly.

"Ordinary person? You are no different from the prostitutes on the street. You are only after my money. Even a thousand of you is not worth one strand of hair on my partner."

"Tch!" She grabbed her shoes while putting on a yellow gown,"I'd make sure you regret this! Mark my words Chin Mae"

"Yeah yeah go already." He sounded uninterested in whatever she was saying.

She begrudgingly packed her stuff and left making sure to kiss teeth at the man who had interrupted them before leaving.

"Don't you know how to knock! You interrupted my pleasurable moment" He grumbled, "and it took a lot of persuasion to get that one."

"Innocent, naive Mae" Hoesok called out in mockery, "Such an ironic stage name."

"You really love the model life , '' Chin Mean," Hoesok giggled"How disappointed your fans would be."

"Common! How could they think the role I play on TV is exactly how my personal life is?

"My public relations manger had even pushed me to compete in some dumb show earlier"

"Did you reject it?"

"How could i? I bet there are many fresh beauties there just waiting for this daddy to arrive."

ε-(´・｀) ﾌ "You are incorrigible Chin Mae."

"You only live once Hoseok, don't let bulky morals stop you from having fun."

"Oh how could I forget you already have so many actresses fawning over you. Bad boy! And you dare scold me!"

"You know I'm not like that. I think you are drunk." He threw a pillow at him.

"How are things with Nari? She is the most enthusiastic one yet, I'm even surprised she didn't follow you here." Chin Mae teased.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I haven seen her for almost three weeks now...maybe she gave up."

"Too bad. Being single ever since you dated that lunatic...you really need to get laid…"

"Just shut up and let's go." Hoseok looked triggered as his hands twitched.

"Fine!" Be ran to the Conner to evade Hoseok's spank."So sensitive."

Ring!!! Ring!!! Ring!!!

The phone on the bed stand rang, increasing the tempo with each second.

"Sister?"Chin Mae mouthed as he picked up the phone.

"You better have a good reason to call. I gave you money to shop just a day ago. Don't…" He ranted.

"Mmmhmm"

"What?" His eyes widened in terror.

"What happened Chin Mea? Hoseok asked, looking worried.

"I'd be there as soon as I can!" He yelled into the phone, hurriedly putting in a shirt.

"What's going on?!"

"My mum, she had a heart attack and is currently being admitted into the hospital."

Hoseok "!!!"

"Sorry I won't be accompanying you today." He hurriedly went out the door.

"Wait!" Hoseok chased after him,"I'd drive, you can't do that while being panicked.

Chin Mae eyes were getting wet from fear if the unknown, he shivered as he God into the car"T-thanks"

7 Minutes Later

They arrived at a pink and brown themed shop with the name "Spring Cafe" carved and painted on a wooden board hanging off from the roof, in a medieval aesthetic font.

Ring Ring!

The doorbell chimed twice as they walked into the very familiar place.

The owners looked up and a smile found its way to their faces.

"Jae Hwa you've come!" An elderly woman exclaimed, dropping whatever she was doing to give her a bear hug.

If anyone saw this they would think that mother and daughter were reuniting after a long period of separation.

"I haven't seen you for a while, please come often this old woman's heart is fragile, okay?"

"Promise, Grandma Rau. This granddaughter has missed you so much!"

Min Jun who had been buried into the background, eyes couldn't take this love-blinding scene anymore, sulked "Min Jun greets grandmother. Min Jun also wants a hug."

"Ugh, leave them alone. After all she gets to see you occasionally, you do come here to get coffee everyday, no?" A black woman in the same age group as Jae Hwa and Min Jun strolled out from the back, scolding Min Jun.

"Kiara, I've missed you so much!!! We have some catching up to do" Jae Hwa squealed like a child taking Kiara up into her arms.

Kiara was the adopted daughter of grandma Rau. She had been abandoned on the streets of Korea at the age of 10 by her parents, as no one reported having a missing daughter. Grandma Rau who happened to have been the one to notice took a liking to the pitiful child, decided to adopt the little girl after months of paper work and not once has she regretted her decision.

Kiara was an outspoken, sassy woman with an exotic blend of both black and asain virtues embodied in her conduct. More than that, she wasn't an ungrateful daughter. Knowing how hard it was for a stranger to love some snotty, lost roadside kid, made her love her mom more and strive to take good care of her.

At her age then, she was grown up enough to know her former parents didn't want her. This reason was a driving force to push herself making sure to impress her adoptive mom, so not to be abandoned again. But now she was grown she could tell that the love she was receiving wasn't because of all she had done, but just pure unconditional love.

"Ahhh, put me down I'm not running am I?" Kiara reprimanded,"I've missed you too dummy, you almost made me come drag you out from work."

"It's good to see you again Kiara"

Min Jun pouted in a corner, why wasn't he getting any love? He was here too. He was set to break up the mushy atmosphere since he wasn't gaining anything out of it.

"Hamster is going to be leaving soon."

"En?. Where is my sweet granddaughter going when she just got here? I knew there was a catch from your visit" Grandma Rau cried, displeased at this sudden news.

"Now you've done it, you've made grandma sad. Do you want a hug that much? Come here then." Kiara motioned

"No thanks" Min Jun replied, he knew if he got there all he would get was a soft painful bump on his head. 

'Kiara is such a bully, she won't let me off for making grandma sad" He thought.

"Grandmother, Kiara, I have good news. I'm participating in the reality TV show 'Korea's Most Eligible' as the last female contestant, so don't blame this lady for being unavailable for a while."

"Wow really!!!" Grandma Rou clapping her hands in approval "My Jae Hwa Is finally coming out from her shell!"

Grandma was ecstatic but Kiara felt the opposite.

"I don't believe you could actually change overnight. Tell me, did this worm force you into this? He had been complaining incessantly about how he couldn't find the last contestant for the past few days" Kiara asked, concerned, pointing towards Min Jun.

"No I didn't, she decided it on her own" Min Jun protested moving two more feet away from Kiara to avoid her fatal blows.

"This was my decision, no need to fret" Jae Hwa smiled at Min Jun cute reactions.

"Then I give you all my support, it's good to know you are over that bastard now. If there is any way I could help you win, please don't hold back, I would surely do it."

"Actually there is!" Min Jun said in his professional demeanor, as the atmosphere suddenly became overbearing.