Scars of the Dead (11)
Scars of the Dead (11)
The plain white curtains in the living room had been replaced with colorful bohemian ones which were complemented by plants put in small pots which were put on the different surfaces. The fireplace was thoroughly cleaned and a warm fire was dancing in it while the covers on the old couch set were changed into a contrast of light pink and lavender colors. On top of it were pillows of different shades while the furniture were covered with similarly colored table cloth.
"Is it too much?" Gayoon asked nervously.
"Are you kidding me?" Mina exclaimed as she slumped on the couch and put her feet on one of the furry ottomans which lay in front of it. "This place looks great! Way way better than the silly decor my idiot brother had done! Feels homely now."
Minho, who had just descended the stairs, stared at the decor.
"Not bad," he complimented. "You did well."
He patted Gayoon's head, treating her like a child. "I'm not a kid!" she complained.
"No, you're his pet!" Mina teased. Minho scowled at her but she stuck out her tongue at him.
"Speaking of pets," Minho frowned. "Where's Kanji? He was supposed to pick up the wine."
Mina stopped smiling and sat up straight. "Kanji is coming?" she asked. "Didn't he go abroad?"
"He returned today," Minho said. "Didn't he tell you?"
"Of course he did!" Mina lied. "I was just messing with ya!"
She giggled and looked away which made Gayoon frown. For some reason, a distance was beginning to brew between Mina and Kanji. Aren't they dating? She wondered.
"You should get dressed up," Mina said. "Do you have any evening wear? Gowns or dresses? I can lend you one!"
"I already have one," Gayoon said sheepishly. "I'll be wearing that one."
"You better hurry up," Minho said, checking his watch. He was already dressed in a formal shirt and pants. Since it was a casual dinner, he decided not to wear a full suit. Gayoon nodded and headed back upstairs.
"I'll go and dress up as well," Mina sighed. Inwardly, she was plotting to make Kanji swoon over her. There was no way she was going to miss out on an opportunity to dress up nicely and torment him!
Just wait till I get my hands on you, Jang Kanji! She vowed. I'm gonna give you blue balls!
"Are you alright?" Minho frowned upon seeing the deadly expression on his sister's face while wondering which poor bloke was going to get a beating that night.
"I'm fine!" she claimed and ran upstairs. Minho watched her run with a poker face and flinched a little when she slammed the door behind her. My sister is a lost cause, he sighed inwardly.
….
Gayoon checked herself out in the mirror. She chose to wear the peach colored suit Minho had bought for her on their second albeit unofficial date. Since it was her first time playing the hostess, she felt that she should wear something which was precious to her.
"Should I tie my hair or let it loose?" she wondered. Gayoon debated for a while before deciding to tie it into a neat ponytail. She did not put on much makeup other than a little bit of eye shadow and a lipstick. Spraying some perfume on herself, she checked her appearance one last time on the mirror.
The door to the room opened and Minho entered. Even though he had seen her in that suit before, he was still momentarily stunned.
"How do I look?" she asked nervously. She was very worried about her appearance that night. After researching on the Kang's she found out that Kang Danny's wife, Doyoung, was an international model and even though Gayoon could not compete against her in terms of looks, she wanted to seem presentable at least.
"Well…" Minho began. His heart was racing upon her sight but he still felt like teasing her a bit.
"I'm obligated to say you look beautiful since I'm your boyfriend," he said with a straight face. Gayoon scowled at him. She turned back towards the mirror and was about to put on heavier makeup when Minho hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.
"You don't need any of that," he whispered into her ears. "You look beautiful. You always do."
Gayoon blushed and mumbled something like "Smooth talker." Minho laughed and hugged her tighter. He kissed her neck, sending a ticklish feeling down her skin, making her giggle.
"Mommy, where's my red dress?" Jina's shrill voice came from her room, interrupting them. Gayoon quickly pushed Minho away, making him pout.
"I have to go and help her dress up!" Gayoon realized. But Minho was unwilling to let go. He grabbed her arm and turned her around. Before Gayoon could protest, he stole a quick kiss from her lips, making her gasp.
"You owe me more kisses," he told her in a serious tone. "I'll be back to colelct my debt!"
"How do I owe you more kisses?" she frowned.
"It's not fair that I won't get to kiss you when you're looking so beautiful tonight," he stated. "So you owe me many kisses. I'm a very shrewd businessman. I always collect my debts whether in cash or kind."
He looked so serious that it was hard to tell if he was joking or not. Gayoon playfully pinched his arm and ran off to help her daughter. Minho smirked upon seeing her embarrassed expression. But then his face turned serious.
The dinner with the Kang's would reveal a lot of dark secrets. Under normal circumstances, Minho woul dnot have cared if Kang Danny was a murderer. But after interacting with Shinho, he felt a strange camarederie with the boy. Maybe it was the similarities between them which was compelling him to dig out Kang Danny's secrets.
"Let's reveal your true face," Minho gritted. "Mr. Kang."
…
The doorbell rang. Mina, who was dressed up in a rose colored off shoulder dress, spoke up, "I'll get it!"
She checked the watch. It was only 7:30 PM, too early for the Kang's to arrive. Was it Kanji?
"What took you so long-" she said, opening the door only to be shocked.
Haejong stood there, holding a champagne bottle with one hand and a large gift box in the other. He smiled at her, vaguely noticing her beauty.
The rosy dress she wore went up to her knees and exposed a lot of her smooth skin. Her makeup highlighted her sharp cheekbones while her long hair was parted to one side. She wore a fruity perfume which was intoxicating. Her brown eyes were glaring at him but he only grinned back at her.
"Sorry honey, I'm late," he shrugged.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I thought I'd stop by and drop off these gifts," he stated.
"I don't want your-"
Her words were cut off by a loud laughter coming from the garden. She glanced behind Haejong and to her shock, Kanji was coming their way. But his hands were around a pretty brunette who was laughing at his jokes.
Kanji stopped laughing when his eyes fell on Mina who was standing at the front door with a handsome stranger. He frowned a little upon seeing them together.
"What happened, Kanji?" the brunette asked.
The mention of the name 'Kanji' piqued Haejong's interest and he glanced at his rival who was staring back at him. A strange tension was brewing between the two men and Kanji immediately recognized the man.
It was Lim Haejong, the heir to the Lim family.
Before Kanji could react, Mina stepped between them, facing Haejong.
"Oppa, what took you so long?" she asked him in a sweet tone. "I was waiting for you!"
She threw her arms around Haejong, hugging him tightly while Kanji watched with an expressionless face.