Chapter 2

"Who is he?" Jean felt the man who saved him from Mr Lee was familiar in her eyes. She shook her head, trying to think hard to remember that man. 

The touch on her shoulder interrupted her reverie. She reflexed to avoid touching it, afraid of a man like Mr Lee who tried to tease her.

"What are you doing here, Jean?" The middle-aged woman in tight clothes had awakened Jean from her reverie.

"Madam." 

A middle-aged woman with super thick make-up and tight clothes attached to her body. To the extent that her breasts almost came out completely if only the bra weren't covered. 

The woman that Jean called Madam can be called a pimp in the club where she worked. She was also the owner of a nightclub prostitution place. Of course, only certain insiders and people knew the black records at the nightclub Jean worked for.

"You're not usually here," Madam asked, confused to see Jean in the hallway of the VIP room. 

"Ah, that one." Jean found it difficult to explain because she wasn't fully aware of her trance thinking about the man. 

Madam narrowed her eyes, feeling it was suspicious.

"Or could it be that you meet the VIP guest without going through me?" Madam accused her. 

Jean quickly denied it. 

"No, no."

Madam has often offered Jean a plus-plus side job in her place. Of course, Jean flatly refused. Even though she desperately needed money, she didn't sell her crown she was guarding for her future husband. 

"Then, what did you come here for?" She asked again. 

"I'm just replacing Cheryl because she didn't want to go to this room." Said Jean telling the truth. 

"It's fine if it's more than that. You want me to introduce one of our VIP guests, huh?" She offered her. 

"No, Madam, thanks." Jean refused it outright. Her salary as a barista here was enough without having to sell her body. 

"C'mon, Jean. You can buy anything with that money. Yesterday, the deputy prime minister saw you. And you know how much he offered? Five hundred million for a single date. Oh... Good. Do you know? That's the most expensive offer I welcome for one date only." Madam persuaded Jean again. 

'Whether it's five hundred million, one billion, three billion, I don't care. Even the Minister, or the President, I will not sell my body. You better sell yourself than offer people.' She muttered to herself. 

Of course, Jean still needed a job.  If she said it, she was sure she would be dishonourably discharged.

"Madam, it looks like Cheryl is overwhelmed with customers. I'll take my leave." Jean quickly left Madam, who was annoyed that she could no longer persuade her. 

Jean was half-running to avoid Madam. She was afraid that Madam would chase and drag her into one of the rooms. Because she wanted to prevent Madam, Jean didn't pay attention to her steps and bumped into someone. 

"S-sorry." Jean lowered her head apologetically for bumping into one of the visitors. 

"Are you just chased by loan sharks?" The person who had bumped into Jean asked. 

Jean recognised this familiar voice. 

"Chan... You startled me." Jean caught her breath in surprise. 

"Who chased you? Ghost?" He asked innocently. 

"Scarier than a ghost." Jean replied. 

The man Jean called Chan is Park Chanyeol. A native man of South Korean nationality who has lived in New York for a long time. Jean and Chanyeol have been friends since junior high school. Even in high school, they were in the same school. 

Jean called Chanyeol with Chan, and Chanyeol called Jean with Je. They were always together. They were even being called couple goals by the whole school. 

Unfortunately, they didn't go to college together because Jean didn't have enough money. Chanyeol studied at New York University, majoring in business. If only Jean had enough money to go to college, Jean would love to study psychology. 

The reason was simple: She wanted to reconcile the minds of some New Yorkers, whom she thought were increasingly losing their sanity. 

"Isn't that the VIP room?" Chanyeol asked, looking at Jean from a familiar direction.

Jean didn't answer Chanyeol's question. It was nothing, it was just that Jean didn't want Chanyeol to think nonsense about her. Chanyeol also knew the reputation of the nightclub with VIP guests. 

Jean changed the subject. 

"Ah!! What are you doing here? Wow, what kind of students are you hanging around in the early morning? Haha!!" Jean laughed, a forced laugh. 

Chanyeol squinted. 

"You're not changing the subject, are you?" Chanyeol cornered her. 

Jean was getting more confused about what to answer. Couldn't it be that Jean said she'd been out of the VIP room and had her smooth thighs touched by a masher? No, right?

Jean didn't get rid of it. Luckily, the bar table was quite crowded, and that could be Jean's excuse. 

"Ah!!! Geez, where's Cheryl? Gosh, so many visitors just wandered off somewhere." Said Jean pretended to be panicked seeing the many visitors gathered at the Bar table. 

"Chan, I have to go back." Jean immediately left Chanyeol. 

It wasn't an excuse either so that Jean could escape from Chanyeol's question. Because there were more and more guests, Jean was busy pouring drinks for visitors. Chanyeol just sat not far from her. 

After being relatively quiet around the Bar table, Chanyeol sat across from Jean, tidying the glass. 

"Je..." Chanyeol called Jean to continue his question. But before the question arose, Cheryl answered it first. 

"Jean, how? Did you get great tips from VIP guests?" She asked without knowing Chanyeol's whereabouts. 

Cheryl knew Jean and Chanyeol were friends. Cheryl also often teased them as newlyweds because Chanyeol often visited the club. 

Jean coded Cheryl with a glance of her eyes and amazed her lips so Cheryl would stop talking because Chanyeol was around. 

'Oh no, Chan will lecture me after this' Jean thought.

"So you're really out of the room?" Chanyeol interrupted Cheryl's hearing. 

Cheryl also turned to the source of the sound. "Oops!"

"That..." It was tough for Jean to speak the truth. 

"Okay, I don't want to interfere in your household matters." Cheryl intervened. 

"Cher, just a friend." Jean corrected her. 

"Yes, yes, I don't care. Chanyeol or Chan, whatever your name is. Jean was indeed discharged from the VIP room because I told her to. She didn't cheat on you, so don't worry ok? I'm just asking to help deliver drinks because I'm lazy." Cheryl explained. 

"Is that right?" Chanyeol asked Jean. Jean nodded in response.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Je." Chanyeol was annoyed. Jean only shrugged in response. 

When Cheryl and Chanyeol were arguing about having Jean deliver drinks to the VIP room, Jean's eyes fixed on an object that made her interesting to keep looking at. 

Jean saw the man who had saved him from Mr Lee passing the Bar table where Jean was standing.

Even though it was in the room's dim and crowded conditions, Jean could clearly see the man. His sharp gaze as their eyes met each other made Jean widen her eyes as she remembered who the man was.

The man was the one who has been coming every day to the club just sat silently on one of the available sofas not so far from Jean's Bar table while staring at Jean from his seat.

Jean recognized that gaze, a sharp, intimidating gaze. She immediately approached the man, leaving Cheryl with Chanyeol, who was still arguing in an unclear manner.

Jean looked for the figure of a man who had recently come out in the parking lot but couldn't see his face.

"He disappeared very quickly." Jean was leaning on her knees as she ran after the mysterious man.

"Looking for me?" The man blurted from Jean's back.

Jean quickly looked back at the source of the sound. She was also surprised by the man's sudden appearance. Not to mention, Jean was struck by how close they were. She even pulled her head and body back because she was too close to the man.

However, Jean's body balance wasn't good until Jean staggered backwards. If only the man hadn't caught her, it was inevitable that Jean's butt would kiss the floor beautifully.

For a moment, Jean was stunned by the handsome man's face. The smell of his breath could be felt because they were so close. The smell of masculine perfume burst into Jean's nose.

The man straightened his body and also Jean's body. 

"What are you looking for me for?" He asked again.

This baritone voice, the sound that could make Jean's neck bristled with just his voice.

"Miss?" The man brought Jean out of her reverie.

"T-that..." Jean was nervous.

The man waited for Jean to continue her words.

"I thank you earlier. And I-I." Jean stuttered.

"I don't have time." The man left Jean stunned, unable to continue her words due to nervousness.

"I want to treat you as a thank you." Jean shouted at the man because they were not that close anymore.

The man was silent and didn't even answer Jean.

Jean smacked her lips lightly because she had dared to say that. How could Jean treat him to a meal if the clothes and watches that the man was wearing were more expensive than Jean's salary?

However, the man turned to face Jean. "Treat?" The man repeated Jean's words.

"Y-yes." Jean stuttered again.

"Buying what?" The man asked back.

"M-food maybe." Jean curled her lips that she couldn't speak properly.

"Not bad, but I want to eat something else." Said the man with his smirk smile.