Who are you?
'Cause you're not the girl I fell in love with, baby
Who are you?
'Cause something has changed, you're not the same, I hate it.

***

Brunet walked along the next display, tilted his athletic body slightly forward, bringing his face closer to the glass surface. He narrowed his dark, chocolate brown eyes and slipped a hand through his dark, almost black hair. He pushed them away from his forehead, but they disobediently fell back on it.

Jesus why was it so hard?

He went from store to store, trying to find something suitable, but nothing caught his attention. It wasn't meant to be just any gift. Perhaps this was one of the most important decisions in his life. He didn't want to screw it up.

He had planned everything so carefully, and now nothing was going his way. He felt his nervousness giving way to irritation. He ran his hand over his dark locks again and sighed in frustration. It had to be today. He had been planning this evening for a long time. Everything had to be perfect.

"You don't like anything?" A warm, melodious voice asked suddenly. There was that characteristic note of worry in it. Yerim had always cared for him as if he were her little brother, not her brother-in-law. "How about this one?" While saying this, the girl pointed to one of the rings in the display case next to him.

Jeongguk looked in the direction indicated. His eyes saw a beautiful gold ring with topaz and diamonds adorned around it. It was beautiful, elegant and delicate at the same time. It was something most girls would love, but he knew thatn not her.

He shook his head, then straightened, sighing with resignation again. It was almost noon, so if he wanted to make it through, he had little time. He turned on his heel and looked at the petite Korean woman, who was still looking around with curious and attentive eyes.

Yerim was really beautiful. Her dark hair was cut a little shorter than usual now, but he liked the hairstyle. Dark curls reached her slim shoulders, waving gently at the ends. Her skin was smooth and milky, her lips delicately highlighted by red lipstick. He liked that she always wore only subtle makeup that emphasized rather than concealed her natural beauty.

The girl wore an elegant outfit, a red chiffon shirt with a black bow, tied loosely around the neck, and tight jeans that emphasized her shapely figure. Looking at her, no one would believe that she gave birth to her first child a few years ago. She wore black stilettos, the heels of which tapped the stone floor of the jewelry store with each step as she gracefully walked the distance between each display.

"Eh... I don't know. I wanted it to be something special. I was hoping to know when I saw it," he groaned, making the face of a scolded child. The girl laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"You're even more whiny today than Yoo when I tell her to eat Brussels sprouts," she replied, genuinely amused.

Just at the mention of little Yoo, a smile crept on Jeongguk's lips. It was definitely the only person who had completely stolen his heart. Yoo, or rather Yoorim, was the daughter of his brother Seokjin and Yerim, and she was absolutely gorgeous. He loved the little one and if he could, he would have kidnapped her and raised her as his. Now he just had to settle for being the world's greatest (and sexiest) uncle. The little girl loved him as much as he loved her. It was enough that the girl saw him on the doorstep, and she literally squealed with happiness. It is a pity that not to all women he had this effect, especially this one...

Lisa.

Exactly. Here things got more complicated. He loved her. They had been together for almost three years, but being with her was sometimes a real challenge. The girl was very demanding. Everything had to be buttoned up, planned, perfect. That is why this evening also had to be like that. Same as that damn ring.

Coming to this district, he hoped to find something wonderful, while each subsequent jewelry store was more and more disappointing than the last. This was fifth store in a row now, and that was the last shop on his list. Yerim was very helpful and showed great patience. Perhaps being a great mother to Yoo, she was able to cope with such a challenge. Now and then she showed him some beautiful rings that caught her eye, but Yeri was so different from Lisa.

The brunette in front of him was modest, she did not like to flaunt wealth, despite the fact that by marrying a man from the Jeon family, she became a member of one of the richest families in Korea, and the second richest family in Seoul. The Jeon clan had in its possession several very influential companies, mostly dealing with technological novelties, including their main pride and at the same time Gguk's workplace - The Jeon Electronics, also known as TJE. Jeongguk's older brother, Seokjin, was currently their father's right-hand man and the chief financial officer overseeing the management of the company, but Gguk would soon become the family company's CEO.

It was there that he met Lisa.

The girl started working at TJE almost four years ago. Initially, she was his father's secretary, then she was promoted to an assistant. Gguk remembered the first time he saw her when he came to see his father. She had dark chocolate-colored hair that fell over her shoulders then.

Every time he visited his father, she would smile charmingly at him, glancing stealthily up from her laptop. He remembered so clearly her rosy cheeks as he looked at her with his dark eyes and how she had tucked a dark strand of her hair behind her ear shyly as he smiled at her.

He was used to the looks. He grew up to be a handsome man, and his name was doing its job. Still, women hovered around him, giving him furtive glances. Sometimes some of them were definitely more daring. Too bold. Lisa charmed him with her modesty.

Every time he was in the office, he would chat to her. Soon the short conversations grew longer and longer. At first, they chatted over the coffee she made for him and his father before each meeting, until he finally suggested that they meet outside the office, and the girl agreed immediately.

Their relationship quickly turned into something more. In the initial phase of their relationship, they hid from everyone. Lisa wanted a promotion with the company, but didn't want anyone to accuse her of getting it because of her relationship with Jeongguk. Only when it was done did they tell his father about everything.

Mr. Jeon adored Lisa, thought the girl was gifted and hardworking, so he gave them his blessing without any problems, and now, as the day approached when the younger of the Jeon's brothers was to take his place, he urged Jeongguk to finally settle down. After their last conversation, Gguk thought a lot about it. He loved Lisa. The girl was anything any guy could dream of. She was beautiful, smart and head over heels for him.

They had known each other almost inside out over the years, although Lisa had changed a lot. She wasn't as shy anymore as she was three years ago. Now she was a confident woman. Her previously shoulder-length chocolate brown hair was dyed a honey blonde and much longer now, almost halfway down her back. Modest clothes replaced brand clothes right off the front pages.

When Jeongguk asked why she wanted some new dress from one of the sought-after designers, the girl laughed heartily at him, kissed him on the cheek, and said that the girl of the most wanted bachelor in Korea couldn't walk in rags from the second pages of magazines. And although it never mattered to him, he laughed with her. He was happy when she was happy.

He knew it would be the same with the ring, which was why he had spent the last few hours looking for the perfect bling, even though he hated such places. Yes, he also wore designer clothes, but that never mattered much to him. When out of the office, he would rather slip into some comfortable sweatpants, a large, basketball T-shirt and lounging on the couch holding Lisa in his arms, rather than going to banquets and other stylish parties in suits from the latest Versace or Dior collection.

With all these thoughts in his head, he drew air into his lungs again and closed his dark eyes for a moment, hiding them behind his lids. He felt nervous. It always seemed to him that if you truly love someone and when people are destined to each other, they should have a strong, invisible bond, as if one soul was split into two parts and each of them lived in a separate body.

He knew it was stupid, but he believed that something like this had connected his parents, and he always wished something like this would happen to him. Maybe it was not meant to be for everyone? Perhaps sometimes it was just fine. Perhaps you didn't need fireworks and butterflies in your stomach to finally look at your reflection in the mirror and say out loud "I'm finally happy".

Already more resigned, he walked towards the penultimate of the display cases. He bent down gently and let his dark eyes carefully scan its contents. The rings were beautiful but nothing was good enough. He was about to move on when he suddenly noticed something purple in the upper corner of the display. He took a step back again and looked closely at the jewelry that caught his eye.

In the upper right corner was a white gold ring with a beautiful violet stone. Jeongguk instinctively leaned forward a little more to get a better look at it. As his chocolate irises carefully scanned the trinket, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that a young girl in charge of jewelry sales had appeared in front of him. He looked up and took a step back, slightly embarrassed.

"Would you like to see it?" She asked.

"Yes!" Yerim cried out suddenly joyfully, in an instant she was at the brunet's side.

"Oh! This lady is the lucky one..." the girl threw and smiled gently.

Jeongguk saw a flush creep across her cheeks. Perhaps if he hadn't been so busy searching and pondering the past, he would have noticed the girl watching him closely from across the living room.

"Noooo. She's my sister-in-law, but she's right. I would like to see this ring," the boy replied and pointed to the chosen object.

The stranger opened the glass behind which the jewelry was hidden and carefully took out the indicated ring, then held it out towards Jeongguk. Brunet grabbed it carefully in his hands. As he took the ring from her, his fingertips gently brushed her hand. The girl blushed even more and, embarrassed, tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"This is one of the most expensive and beautiful rings in our collection. Only the pink diamond is more expensive. This one here is a stunning Tanzanite duo with diamonds. There is nothing better for a woman than a gorgeous engagement ring made of irresistible violet tanzanite beauty that will awaken her heart. Carefully hand-made and carved in designer details. The filigree wedding ring is made of solid 14K white gold. Large tanzanite adorns the top as a pair of natural diamonds cascading on each side. The wedding ring is additionally decorated with fourteen diamonds with a delightful cut, set in white gold. It is a high-quality engagement ring, designed with a balance between delicacy and effective shining, which is sure to become a precious family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. Additionally..."

"I want it," the boy said, cutting her off. The girl looked at him with consternation.

"Its price..." she began hesitantly.

"No matter how much it costs. I want to buy it," he explained, looking her straight in the eyes, and the dark-haired girl quickly looked away, embarrassed by his intimidating look.

Her small hands immediately found the way to the indicated ring. She took the jewelry from his hand and headed deeper into the room, gently twirling her hips.

"We have several types of packaging. If it's an engagement, I'd recommend this one," she explained, showing him a red elegant heart-shaped box. Jeongguk looked around the case where various boxes and cases were displayed.

"I want the black one," he said, pointing to the little black box.

The girl nodded and began to prepare the paperwork. After choosing a size - for which Jeongguk was infinitely grateful to Yerim, since he himself never even thought the rings had size - and after payment, they were finally allowed to leave. The boy felt as if someone had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders.

Is this how a person who intends to change his life in a few hours should feel?

He didn't have much time to think about it. He knew it was the right decision. He was about to take over the family business, his father expected him to finally settle down, and he always tried to live up to his demands and live up to his high expectations. His elder brother Seokjin represented everything he wanted to represent. He was educated, intelligent. He had a wonderful wife and a wonderful daughter, but most of all he had the respect and admiration of their father.

Jeongguk never felt enough. Their father was always demanding, but he seemed more distant towards him, even cold at times. The worst part was that he knew exactly why. Half his life he tried to make it up to him for what happened almost ten years ago. He was one of the best students in the school, he went to college, to which his father persuaded him, but still, it was never enough.

He wasn't enough.

Sometimes he wondered if what he was doing made sense. It was similar with Lisa. He didn't know if he was ready for such a serious step, but he knew it was expected of him. Instinctively, he clenched his hands tighter and tucked them into his coat pockets so that Yerim wouldn't notice.

"Everything is all right?" She asked suddenly, and he smiled faintly at her.

"Yes, Yeri. Everything okay."

The girl didn't seem convinced of his answer, but she didn't pursue the subject. She ran a hand lightly over his arm and smiled warmly.

"Don't stress so much. Lisa thinks the world of you," she said, trying to cheer him up.

"I know. I love her too. " Jeongguk smiled back. "Will you give Yoo a hug for me?" He asked. Yerim stroked his cheek lightly and nodded.

"I'll go now," she said quickly and started walking towards her car. Jeongguk followed her with his eyes. The brunette opened the door of her car and looked at him over her shoulder. "Call me later and tell me how it went!" She called, then disappeared inside the vehicle. She turned on the engine and drove away, leaving him alone.

The boy exhaled loudly. Only now did he realize that he was holding his breath all this time. He raised his face to the sun and let the rays warm his face for a moment. After a short while he started towards his car. His black Mercedes Benz was parked nearby. The boy walked around the car and slipped into the driver's seat. He rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes.

He didn't know why he felt that way. He loved Lisa. They had been together for so long. So why did he feel like he was making a mistake?

He opened his eyes and slid his fingers into his almost black curls, brushing them gently backwards. He had to pull himself together. He put his hands on the steering wheel and started the car's engine, which greeted him with a pleasant grunt. He loved this car, the smell of the leather upholstery, the mat body. Sometimes, when he couldn't deal with his emotions, he would get behind the wheel and drive aimlessly. He loved Seoul at night. He watched the city lights, the people roaming the streets, and wondered what his life would have been like if he had not been born as Jeon Jeongguk.

He was so lost in thought that he noticed his turn almost at the last moment. He made a quick turn, taking the bend a bit too hard. After a while, however, he was driving into the garage of one of the apartment complexes where his apartment was located. He got out of the car, took the previously made purchases from the trunk and headed towards the lift. He nodded to the security guard as he passed him by the entrance and ran quickly to the elevator.

Their apartment was on the top floor, which gave their apartment an amazing view of the Seoul skyline. He carefully opened the door and, kicking his shoes off his feet, made his way towards the spacious kitchen. He set the grocery bags on the island counter and quickly began unpacking them. He glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Fuck," he swore, seeing the unmerciful hands of the clock point almost at one o'clock.

He had to be fast if he wanted to make it. He quickly stripped off his thin coat and hung it in the hall, then unbuttoned the sleeves of his blue Gucci shirt and rolled up the sleeves halfway down his forearms, showing his strong hands. He turned on the music and washed his hands. He danced towards the refrigerator and took out the previously marinated meat. He put the water to cook the rice and started cutting the vegetables.

He couldn't even remember the last time he cooked. He liked to do it, but Lisa preferred to go out. She herself could not cook, so they hardly ever ate at home. Usually she would take him to increasingly sumptuous restaurants, serving dishes that the name he sometimes couldn't even pronounce, while he dreamed of finally being able to eat kimchi or cheap ramen in a mug.

On this special evening, however, he decided to make a delicious dinner for her. He knew Lisa would be back quite late today, but he still tried to make his movements quick and precise. He cut vegetables while he hummed the words of the song that came out of the speakers. His fingers knew all the gestures almost by heart, even though he hadn't been cooking for a long time.

It was his mother who taught him how to make bibimbap. He remembered well sitting on the kitchen stool as a ten-year-old boy, watching his mother cook this delicious dish. Now he was trying to recreate everything he had learned from her. He missed her so much. He wished she would be with him now and tell him what to do. She always knew what to do, and most of all, she loved him more than life.

When the dish was ready, Jeongguk prepared a table decorating it with candles and flower petals, then glanced at the clock. It was almost five o'clock. So he ran towards the bathroom, quickly unbuttoning the buttons on his shirt and tossing it on the ground in the middle of the bedroom. His pants, socks and boxers soon shared the fate of the rest of his clothes. He quickly jumped under the rain shower and turned on the water, letting it soothe his tired body, relieving his stress.

He closed his eyes and let the lukewarm stream of water wash his face, soaking his almost black, thick hair. He wanted to stand like this for at least an hour until his muscles began to relax again, but he knew there was no time for that now. So he turned off the water and left the cabin. Completely naked, he walked over to the cupboard where the towel lay and began to gently wipe his athletic body.

He draped a towel over his hips and rubbed his hair hard, drying it gently with the dryer. He didn't have enough time, though, so he let them dry on his own and quickly headed for the wardrobe. He looked through his wardrobe and pulled out one of his black shirts. He wanted to be elegant, but he had no intention of overdoing it. So he opted for the classics. Black tight pants and a black elegant shirt.

He combed his hair lightly, letting the unruly strands fall over his dark eyes. He was about to leave the bedroom when he heard the lock swing and then the door slam. Quickly, he grabbed his scattered clothes off the floor and tossed them in the laundry basket, then started toward the exit.

"Oh shit!" A melodious female voice called suddenly.

Jeongguk poked his head out of the bedroom and followed his gaze in search of Lisa. The girl was still standing in the hall, scowling, putting his shoes back in the cupboard.

Shit! He forgot about them completely. Great start buddy!

He moistened his lips with his tongue and made sure the shirt fit him well, he smoothed his collar and straightened the sleeves, then walked towards the girl. Lisa had her back to him, so he put his arms around her waist and placed a gentle kiss on the lobe of her right ear.

"Hey, honey," he muttered in her ear.

"Oh God! Your hair is wet! You will wet my dress!" Lisa moaned and pulled herself free from his arms.

"It's just a little dump..." replied Jeongguk, smiling at her gently. "You came back a bit earlier than expected. I did not have time to fully prepare myself," he explained.

"Prepare for what?" She asked, taking off her high heels.

When she did, Jeongguk was a head taller. He took a step towards her again and took her hand in his, then pulled it gently, motioning for the girl to follow in his footsteps. He couldn't wait to show her what he had prepared for her. He had been working on it all almost all day, but was very pleased with the final result and hoped Lisa would be delighted.

"I thought that since you come back tired from work today, we'll stay home and have a romantic dinner together," he began to talk, leading the girl towards the living room where he had prepared a table for her. "I went shopping and cooked something special for us..." That said, he pointed ahead.

Lisa looked up at the decorated table, on which rested two bowls filled with bibimbap, then turned her gaze to the boy, on whose face a soft smile appeared.

"Honey, you know I'm on a diet right now and don't eat fatty foods," she said, making a wry face.

Hearing her words, Jeongguk instantly became serious. For a moment he felt as if he had been hit with a wrecking ball. He blinked a few times as if he wasn't sure he had understood her words correctly, then snorted involuntarily under his breath, but quickly regretted his reaction as he met his girlfriend's scolding gaze.

"Lisa, it's just rice with vegetables. I prepared everything myself, it is fresh and delicious. Besides..." He wrapped his arms around the girl, placing his hands on her hips and bowed his head to whisper straight into her ear. "You don't need a diet. You're beautiful."

The girl broke free from his grip and pushed him slightly away from her. She folded her hands on her shoulders and regarded him carefully. Her gaze was still steadfast.

"It's bibimbap. The vegetables are fried and there's beef there. Knowing you and your love of meat... Lots of beef."

Jeongguk rolled his eyes automatically. It was the most honest truth. Like every man, he loved meat, but what was wrong with that? He sighed loudly and took her hand again. This evening did not go his way at all. He had planned everything, and now his plan was starting to fall apart completely. Perhaps he will be able to save it somehow.

"Okay, if you want, we'll order some good food. You choose what you want to order, okay? I don't want to argue about the bowl of rice and vegetables," he said softly.

"And meat," Lisa added, and the brunet laughed softly. But he nodded, not wanting to inflame the situation any further.

"And meat," he repeated.

"I want sushi. We will order from this trendy new place called "Yoko". I heard they have delicious food," the girl explained, approaching the bar at the back of the living room.

Jeongguk felt disappointed that Lisa hadn't even said a word about how he had prepared a table for them or how he had decorated the room in an effort to create a wonderful, romantic atmosphere for the evening. Now he felt as if all the romance of that moment had sprung through the twentieth floor from their skyscraper window.

Feeling a growing nervousness, he slipped his hand into his pants pocket and touched the lid of the black box with his fingertips that contained the ring so carefully chosen for the occasion.

He was going to do it differently. He wanted them to eat a delicious dinner, which he had prepared himself, and in such a romantic atmosphere he was going to take her tiny hand in his male hand and tell her what he really felt for her.

Now he felt the fear that this magical moment was slipping through his fingers. He grabbed a small box in his hand and took it out of his pocket, then took a few steps towards the girl, feeling his heart pound in his chest, trying to break free, like a trapped bird in a cage.

"Oh, there it is!" Lisa cried suddenly as she pulled one of the expensive Japanese wines from his collection. "I'm on a diet, so I can only drink a sip, but it will go perfectly with sushi..." she continued.

"Ekhm..." Jeongguk grunted, trying to get the girl's attention, but she didn't react. "Lisa! Honey..." he called, and only now the golden-haired girl turned her face towards him. "Honey," the boy repeated, taking a bottle of wine from her tiny hands. "I was going to do it a bit differently, but..." he began and pulled a small box out in front of him. "Lisa, we've been together for almost three years and I just wanted you to know..."

"Oh! Yes!" She shouted suddenly, her voice full of excitement, cutting him off.

Surprised, Jeongguk froze halfway to kneel before her and blinked a few times. Lisa squealed loudly and jumped enthusiastically several times, then almost snatched the box from his hand and opened it. Confused, the brunet straightened up and ran a hand through his still damp hair, carefully watching how the girl examines the ring with her hazel eyes.

"Oh! Jesus! The girls won't believe you finally proposed to me!" She threw, looking once at him, once at the ring, which she immediately slipped into her finger. The boy stroked his neck with his hand and smiled faintly.

"Does that mean you agree?" He asked.

"Of course I do, honey. I would never let a perfect man like you slip out of my hands!" She replied with a smile. "Does this ring look nice on my hand? It's so violet, don't you think pink is better for my skin?" She asked suddenly, still watching the tanzanite shine in the dim light of the living room.

"Wh-What?" The brunet asked with consternation.

Lisa looked up and looked him straight in the eye. An innocent smile crept across her lips, highlighted with raspberry lipstick. The girl blinked her long eyelashes several times, still looking directly at him. He knew the expression too well to not know that something was on her mind.

"What's up, honey?" He began hesitantly.

He didn't know if he wanted to hear what the girl had come up with, but he knew exactly that if she had an idea, changing her mind was almost a miracle.

"In the jewelry store where you bought this ring from, I saw this one lovely pink diamond ring. I've read that pink diamonds are rare and hard to get. Imagine the faces of all my friends, if they see such an engagement ring on my finger..." saying that, Lisa approached him.

They were standing so close now that the girl had to look up to look at Jeongguk's face. The boy raised his eyes and stared at the panorama of evening Seoul stretching outside the windows of their apartment. He didn't want the girl to see the pain and disappointment in his gaze. He knew it was just a stupid ring, but still felt a strange twinge in his chest.

"Honey... If you called them and told them that I would come to replace the ring tomorrow, they would certainly make no problems... Just say the word..."

Jeongguk felt the girl's hand draw delicate circles on his chest, and he wanted to push her hand away, so she wouldn't touch him, but only clenched his jaw tighter, biting his tongue so as not to accidentally say a word too many. He sucked air into his lungs and looked at Lisa. Her raspberry lips were puckered delicately, as if the girl was making the face of a scolded child and her eyelashes moved coquettishly.

"Please, Jeonggukie!" She moaned softly. "I think you want your future wife to be the happiest fiancée in the world, don't you..."

The boy sighed loudly and looked at her again. He caught her face under the chin, gently tilting her head up and bending down, placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Her lips tasted sweet with lipstick. Their kiss was quick and very gentle. It was just a brush of lips. Jeongguk couldn't help but feel the unpleasant feeling he felt as he thought about how his plans would turn out for the evening. He could feel the bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue, but he curved his lips into a slight smile nonetheless.

"I'll call them tomorrow morning. Take my card, you will pay the rest of the sum," he replied.

"Oh! You are so wonderful!" The golden-haired girl shouted and threw her arms around his neck. Her warm lips brushed his cheek quickly, then the girl jumped away from him and eagerly pulled out her phone. "The girls won't believe me when I tell them what ring you bought me!" She called, moving towards the bedroom. Jeongguk watched her go. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. "Honey, order us sushi and I'll call Rose!" she called and disappeared inside the bedroom, leaving Jeongguk alone.

Yeah. Roseanne Park. Lisa's best friend and one of Jeongguk's biggest nightmares. He hated this girl. She was the arrogant and lofty heir to the fortune of the Park family, Seoul's fourth richest family.

Her cousin was his best friend, but they were so different from each other that it was hard to believe that their blood was the same bloodline. Ever since Lisa began to be friends with her, she was sometimes unrecognizable. At times, he found himself wondering if the girl he had come to love almost three years ago was still out there somewhere.

With a resigned step, he walked over to the table, took the bowls of bibimbap in his hands, which he had prepared, and took them to the kitchen. For a moment he thought about what to do with the food, but after a short while he went to the basket and threw all the contents into it.

"Fuck it," he muttered under his breath, then pulled out his cell phone and ordered sushi.

He didn't even know how long he had waited for Lisa. As he felt his own emotions begin to overwhelm him, he went out onto the balcony. It was already getting dark outside. The sky turned into wonderful colors of red and orange. The sun was still shining brightly, tinting the surrounding skyscrapers with its glow. At last, the gentle gust of wind could be felt in the air, heralding the imminent twilight. Jeongguk rested his hands on the railing and thoughtfully followed the figures of unfamiliar people in the distance. He wondered if any of them felt as lost and lonely as he is right now?

Is this how someone should feel when in a relationship with the person they love? With who you are going to spend the rest of your days with?

He loved Lisa...

So why does it sometimes feel like he is living in a foreign body, living someone else's life?

Sometimes he wanted to throw it all and go somewhere far away. Go somewhere where he wouldn't be that Jeon Jeongguk anymore. A millionaire who is a big player or a good "investment" in a promising future.

From an early age, he learned that people try to use him for their own purposes. Some of them only tried to warm themselves in his glory, while others - the more perfidious ones - only cruelly used him for fame or money. As a result, he had few friends. He had many acquaintances, but he trusted only a few people completely. He had two friends whom he had known for many years and to whom he could show his true self - Jimin, Rose's cousin, and his longtime friend Hoseok, whom he had met back in elementary school.

When he met Lisa, the girl became his friend, but more and more often he felt that they were moving away from each other. He had often heard that relationships supposedly had the first serious crises after three years, but he was so in love with her and everything seemed so perfect that he thought it would never reach them.

Meanwhile, he was standing alone on the balcony, feeling as damn lonely as he had ever been in his life, and the girl he had just proposed was boasting about an engagement ring - which he hadn't bought for her - to her friends.

His hands tightened on the railing, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, almost obstructing his airways. For a moment he wanted to leave and never come back.

The doorbell snapped him out of his thoughts. So he entered the apartment and took the delivery. He spread the sushi on the table and prepared the chopsticks, while calling for Lisa several times. After a few tries, the girl finally left the bedroom, still with the phone to her ear. Laughing into the receiver, she sat down at the table and, grabbing one of the pieces of sashimi with her chopsticks, she slipped it into her mouth. Jeongguk opened the wine and poured them into their glasses, then sat down in front of the girl and waited without saying a word for her to finish talking.

"Lisa..." he called her after another ten minutes. Honey-blond girl looked at him.

"Just one minute, honey," she said quickly, then laughed into the receiver.

Jeongguk took a glass of wine and put it to his mouth. He looked at the girl sitting in front of him. Her lips were curved into a beautiful bow, decorating her delicate, almost angelic face with a beautiful smile, her eyes shone brightly, her cheeks were adorned with a slight blush. She was beautiful.

When he looked at her, he could still see the girl he had fallen in love with, so why did he feel as if there was a ten meters gap between them when he sat only half a meter away? Once again, feeling the bitter taste of disappointment on his tongue, he tilted the glass with a quick movement and poured the entire contents down his throat, trying to wash off the unpleasant taste.

The girl finally finished talking as Jeongguk finished his third glass of wine. He hadn't even eaten a piece of sushi since he wasn't able to swallow anything. Lisa put her phone on the table and looked at him. The boy felt that his whole body was tensed to the limit, he hid his hands under the table so that the girl would not see that there were trembling slightly under the influence of emotions buzzing in him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. Rose and the girls made a conference to tell them about everything you've done for me today and to describe to them this wonderful diamond ring. I have to replace it tomorrow morning because they want to meet in the evening to see it live, isn't it great?" she asked with excited voice.

"Yes," he managed through his clenched throat.

Seeing the tension in his body, Lisa got up from the table and walked over to him, her hips wiggling seductively. She was an incredibly beautiful woman and knew how to use her charms to her advantage. Jeongguk looked over her shoulder, trying not to look at her. The girl, however, grabbed his hand, forcing him to take his hands from his thighs and sit on his lap. She brought her face close to his and her hand lightly stroked his cheek, then traced the line of his jaw, razor-sharp.

"Oh, don't be angry, honey. I'm just so happy that I had to tell them..." she whispered, looking intently at his face. Jeongguk was still avoiding her gaze, so she grabbed his chin and turned his face towards her. "I love you. And I'm so happy that we'll spend the rest of our lives together. " She put a gentle kiss on his lips as she spoke.

The brunet was passive at first, but feeling the warmth and softness of her lips against his, he quickly pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her more strongly. He pressed his tongue against her lips and without hesitating, he pushed it in her mouth, deepening the kiss. His left hand gripped her hip tightly. The girl instinctively moaned directly into his mouth. Jeongguk brushed her long golden hair aside and moved his lips to her neck, tracing a wet path across her skin. Lisa's breathing quickened, and she shifted restlessly on his lap, exerting a pleasant friction on his crotch.

"J-Jeongguk..." she gasped, pushing him slightly away from her.

Brunet raised his head and looked her straight in the eyes. His breathing was also shallow. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest, and a characteristic pressure appeared at the bottom of his stomach. They hadn't made love for so long that he couldn't even remember when it was.

"I want to make love to you," he muttered in her ear, then kissed her again, tasting her in a slow, tender kiss.

"Jeongguk... I have to get up tomorrow early in the morning..."

"Lisa... I need you..." he whispered right into her mouth. The Korean pushed him lightly again, placing her hands on his strong chest and rose from his lap. A groan of disapproval escaped the boy's mouth. Instinctively, he quickly grabbed her hand. "Lisa..."

"Honey, not today. I am tired and all I dream about is a hot bath and a comfortable bed. I have to get up early tomorrow to have my ring replaced before work, because I have an appointment with the girls after work," she replied. Jeongguk made a sad face, and Lisa laughed softly, then kissed him quickly on the lips and ran her hand over his cheek. "I'm finishing early next Wednesday, then we can make out a bit, huh?" Saying this, the girl grabbed her phone from the table and headed towards the bedroom. "I'm going to take a bath," she said.

Jeongguk ran his hands over his face, sighing in frustration and cursing mentally. He felt his penis throbbing, demanding attention, so he shifted uneasily in the chair, then stood up and ran a hand through his dark curls. This was his life lately. Even sex was pre-planned.

Whenever he tried to initiate some kind of closeness that Lisa had not previously planned, the girl refused, explaining herself in different ways. He knew them all by heart. Not today, because tomorrow I have to get up early. Not now, because I have a headache. I'm tired, baby. I have an important meeting tomorrow and I need to sleep... and so on.

Occasionally, he managed to persuade her into some kind of intimacy or caress, which usually ended up with him satisfying her, not her him. He knew from the start of their relationship that Lisa preferred vanilla sex, nothing too fancy or spontaneous. And it didn't bother him. He liked to make love to her slowly and long, but he would lie when he said that he didn't want to diversify or do something crazy sometimes, but every attempt was futile.

Their sexual life had started to fall apart since Lisa joined his father's company as one of the marketing directors. They had less time to themselves and the girl was more tired. He was young and had high libido, so he felt more and more frustrated.

"If you're going to bathe and sleep, I'll go see Jimin. I remembered I was going to visit him today, so I'll stop by for a while," he lied. He hadn't had a meeting with him at all, but he absolutely needed it now.

Lisa wrinkled her nose at the boy's name. Jeongguk knew the girl hated Park as much as he hated his cousin Rose, but he didn't care. He had known this boy almost all his life and treated him like a brother. He could sacrifice a lot for her and change a lot in his life, but he had no intention of changing his friends.

"You know I don't like it when you meet him,"  the golden-haired girl said, frowning.

"Please, Lisa. Let's not do that now. We've talked about this a million times already."

"But you're still seeing him. He's a bad influence on you..."

Jeongguk rolled his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. He didn't have the strength or the urge to argue now. That day turned out to be a flop enough to additionally end it with a quarrel with his now fiancée. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand to hold back a comment he might regret later.

"I'm not going to talk about it now. I am going out and will be back quite late. I'll call the salon in the morning so that you can replace the ring," that said, he grabbed his coat and left without saying anything else.

When he slammed the apartment door behind him, he leaned against it and closed his eyes. If he could, he would turn back time and make this day never happen. Perhaps he should have bought that goddamn pink diamond, ordered sushi, and invited Rose to witness his humiliation. Not wanting to think about it any longer, he started toward the elevator. After a few minutes, he was sitting in a taxi headed for his friend's house.

His apartment was only a few blocks away, which made the journey literally a dozen or so minutes. Jeongguk walked quickly towards the building, greeting the security guard with a gentle bow.

"Good evening, Mr. Lee!" he shouted, and the man opened the door for him without asking.

He was such a frequent visitor that both Mr. Lee and his substitute knew him very well and allowed him to enter the estate without unnecessary questions. He ran towards the staircase, passing a small, well-kept garden with a neatly trimmed lawn and bonsai trees. He rode the elevator and after a while he was standing in front of his friend's apartment.

As he rang the doorbell, he prayed that Park would be home today. The boy led quite a party lifestyle, he often went out and was constantly seeing someone new. Today was Wednesday though, so he hoped the vision of a mid-week hangover stopped his friend from partying too much. After he rang twice and still hadn't been opened, he started fidgeting nervously.

"C'mon... Park," he groaned. He drew his hand into a fist and was about to hit the door with it when it suddenly opened and his friend appeared on the threshold.

Jeongguk measured him from head to toe. The boy looked as if he had just got up. His blond hair was matted, sticking out in all directions. He wore only boxer shorts. Park narrowed his eyes and blinked a few times as if trying to adjust his eyes to the excessive lighting.

"Gguk? What are you doing here?" he asked surprised, but instinctively opened the door wider, letting him inside.

Brunet immediately took advantage of this non-verbal invitation and passed his friend on the threshold, entering the interior of the apartment, which was almost completely dark.

"Did you sleep?" he threw surprised, looking at his friend from under the curtain of his dark eyelashes.

Jimin chuckled under his breath. Jeongguk knew him too well. He did not even have to say that he stayed up all night so that the brunet would know the answer to his question. He closed the door behind him without a word, then strode lika a wild cat toward the kitchen and stopped by the island. He turned on the light and looked in the refrigerator.

"Beer?" he asked, even though he didn't need an answer and without waiting for it, he opened the bottle, prying the cap open with an opener, and held the drink towards the younger one. Jeongguk took a few sips right away. "Okay, tell me," he said after a pause.

"How do you know there's something to tell?" the brunet replied, leaning against the kitchen island and drank a few sips of cold alcohol again, letting the liquid run down the back of his throat, cooling it pleasantly.

"Ggukie... I know you almost from diapers. You think I won't know something happened when you come to me at this time without an announcement with the face of a beaten puppy?"

Jimin was right. They knew each other almost from kindergarten. They had met so long ago that Jeongguk could not even remember the years without him. Park was like a brother to him. Often he was even closer to him than his own brother - Seokjin. Perhaps due to the fact that they were the same age. The blond was only a few months older than him, while he and Jin were almost five years away. After so many years together, Jimin knew him like no one else.

"Wasn't tonight supposed to be your big night?" he asked, getting serious.

The younger one was silent for a moment, wondering what to say. He felt he needed to talk himself out, but he didn't know how to put into words what had happened today. He wanted to take the weight of this day off his shoulders, but he didn't even know where to start.

"From the morning I was running after the perfect ring, then I made bibimbap and prepared a romantic arrangement. Candles, flowers, dim light and all that crap... But when Lisa came back..." He broke off and took a few sips of his beer. He could feel a bitter taste on his tongue, but he knew it hadn't been left by the alcohol. That was the taste of the disappointment he had experienced too much today. "Suddenly the dinner I've made was too caloric, the ring I bought has too little stone and is too cheap, and then I sat alone at the table for an hour while Lisa boasted to Rose that I had bought her a ring that I hadn't even noticed..." he ran a hand through his hair, feeling his frustration growing again. Park watched him closely without saying anything. "I was hoping we would at least have a nice evening. We'll hug each other or finally... Jesus, I'm twenty-four and I have a beautiful girlfriend, and I don't even remember the last time we had sex... And at the end we almost had a fight..."

"Oh Gguk... I'm sorry. I will not lie that I like Lisa, because you know my opinion very well, but I know that this was so important to you..."

"I love her. We've been together for almost three years... But sometimes... I don't know..."

"You're missing something," Jimin said, as if reading his mind.

Jeongguk felt terrible thinking that, but he knew Park had verbalized his worst fears. What if that's not it? What if he made a mistake in proposing to Lisa? Now it was too late to back out.

"I love her," he repeated, as if trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing by proposing.

Jimin pushed himself off the island and approached him. He put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently before looking him straight in the eye.

"If that's really it, everything will be fine," he said.

"I hope so."

"Do you know what you need?" Jimin asked suddenly, and Jeongguk raised his right eyebrow questioningly, keeping his mouth close to the mouthpiece of the bottle. "Someone should have manhandled you well in bed someday. Spunk your ass a few times and pull your hair. This is just a purifying experience. Yesterday I had probably the best sex I've ever had and look how happy I am," he said, and the younger one almost choked on his beer.

"W-what?" He gasped, and Jimin laughed out loud. His melodious laughter filled the room, bouncing off the walls.

"Oh, Ggukkie, I'm kidding, but wish you had seen your face!" he exclaimed in amusement, sinking onto the couch and resting his feet on the small coffee table in front of him.

"Fuck off, Park!" he growled and threw one of the pillows at him, then fell on the couch next to his friend. Jimin just laughed again. "Is that why you are so unconscious? Someone has manhandled you well?" he asked suddenly, when finally his friend's laughter gave way to a hollow silence. The blond looked at him with a provocative gaze, and a wide smile crept on his full lips.

"Oh! You bet," he replied, then put his lips to the neck of the bottle and took a few larger sips.

"Come on! Tell me," Gguk urged him, elbowing his side.

Jimin had a lot of party life. For as long as he could remember, his relationships were rather fleeting and short-lived. The blond kept saying that he was too young to limit his possibilities. While he had been dating one and the same girl for almost three years, Park must have dated at least a dozen girls. From supermodels to actresses to businesswomen. Recently, his dentist was on the table, and instead of checking his teeth, she eventually cheated on her fiancé with him.

Not that Park was a piece of bastard. He never cheated on anyone and made no promises to anyone. He was just a free spirit. As he himself claimed, he was unfit for a relationship, although Jeongguk was convinced that eventually someone would make him fall enough to keep him. Maybe he just hasn't found the right person yet.

"Yesterday evening when you set me up..."

"Hey! I didn't set you up at all. You know I couldn't get out of this meeting," Jeon quickly protested.

"All right," he admitted reluctantly.

He knew well that dinner was another of Lisa's ideas, and since Jeongguk wanted to propose to her today, he didn't want to fight with her the night before this important event. Judging from his friend's words and from the way he showed up to him, it didn't do much good for him, but well... How was he supposed to know?

"Anyway, I went to that new pub in Itaewon last night - Moonlight - and I met the love of my life," he announced with a smile on his full lips.

Jeongguk barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes at his friend's words. He heard this sentence once a month on average. This time, however, he saw a strange glow in his eyes. Intrigued, he raised a little on his shoulders to straighten his figure and looked at the blond, turning his body closer to him to get a better look at him. He could have sworn he saw the flush on his face, though he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol's fault or the memories of the night before and the mysterious "love at first sight."

"I was dancing on the dance floor and suddenly I felt someone's eyes on me. Literally. I was sure someone was watching me, so I looked back," Park continued. "And I was right. When I turned around, I noticed that some extremely handsome boy was standing by the bar, watching me closely. Jesus! What he looked like. He was wearing a plain black T-shirt and black pants, but what caught my attention were his hands. His entire arms and forearms were covered with tattoos. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life..." he said with clear admiration in his voice.

Hearing the word "tattoo," Jeongguk strained his hearing even more. Korea was not very open to body ornamentation. For years, it was believed that only criminals, former or future prisoners or members of street gangs were tattooed, but not him. From an early age he was interested in this form of art. He often admired the work of international artists at various conventions on the internet and dreamed that one day one of such works would also decorate his body. The sight of tattooed forearms was not something popular here. Tattoo artists often had to hide underneath the threat of financial penalties as it was believed to be a profanation of the body.

"He watched me from a distance for a moment. He had such a defiant expression on his face, as if in his thoughts he was doing all the most indecent things to me," continued Jimin, and at his words Jeongguk laughed softly under his breath. "So I got off the dance floor and walked over to him. I told him to buy me a drink, so I let him dance with me, and he replied that he would rather take me home." Park laughed at the memory. This time, Jeongguk was sure his cheeks had flushed red. "What an arrogant type!" he snorted and took a few sips of his beer. Brunet watched him intensely.

"What did you do?" he asked, drawing his perfect eyebrows together. Park laughed even louder, throwing his head back, then looked his friend in the eye and shrugged.

"I took him home with me," he said bluntly.

Jeon laughed out loud at his words. It was so like Park. Liberated, fearless, uninhibited. He had found out long ago that his friend was pansexual. He didn't want anything to limit or define him. He didn't care that he was the only heir of the Park family. He always did what he wanted, not what others expected of him. Perhaps that was why Lisa hated him so much, claiming that he was a bad influence on him.

True, he did most of his madness and crazy shit under his influence, but when he did, he felt free. He spent most of his life trying to fit into the frames and ideas others had for him. He tried to be like his brother at all costs, in order to finally meet the expectations of their strict father, often forgetting himself in all this. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd done something just for himself without analyzing or wondering what other people would think about it.

He liked to hear Park's stories. He was glad that at least he was living his own life, but he would lie, saying that more than once he did not envy his courage. On the one hand, he was glad to have such a life. What more could he expect? He was only twenty-four, handsome, rich, had a beautiful fiancée whom he loved dearly and who was head over heels for him. He had the life others dreamed of.

"And what, will you meet again?"

Jimin bit his lower lip and blushed again. An involuntary smile crept over Jeon's lips. He didn't think he's ever seen Park like this before. The boy was smiling all the time, his eyes sparkled brightly, and he blushed like a teenage girl. Whoever this tattooed dude was, he must have blown his friend's mind.

"Perhaps I made an appointment with him on Friday," he said, embarrassed.

"Ooh, are you going to break Park's rule number one?" he asked, teasing him. "You know that one-night stand means having sex for one night, not two? Two nights together, it's already a relationship," he continued, quoting his friend's words. Jimin grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, while the younger one laughed out loud.

"Who said we're gonna have sex again?" he asked insulted, and Jeongguk raised his right eyebrow at him skeptically. "I have plans to play Jenga on Friday. Do you want to join?" he threw, looking at him coquettishly.

"I didn't know that's what people call threesomes now," the brunet replied, sincerely amused, and Park nudged him hard with his elbow.

"Shut up, or I'll throw you out the door and tell you to go back to Lisa!" He threatened, and they both burst into loud laughter that bounced off the living room walls.

***

Ayashee:

Time to start with my new project "The Taste Of Ink".
It will be something completely different from "The Hunted", but I hope you like it as well.

How was your impressions after the first chapter?
Do you think Jeongguk made a mistake proposing to Lisa?
What do you think about their relationship?
Is Jeongguk rightly worried that he may have made a mistake?
And who is Park's secret "love"?

I am very curious about your first thoughts!

xoxo