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"The cosmetic industry is undergoing a huge shift in trends as the K-beauty products infiltrate the markets. Serums, sheet masks, colour products— people are loving it. And what is impressive is that it's the local brands that have entered the international markets...."

Runway fashion week includes over a hundred shows that feature the top fashion houses and even the lesser known designers, providing them the platform to expand their reach.

Jung Hoseok—the founder of eponymous label The Jung's, the editor-in-chief of the Ego magazine, a fashion designer, costume stylist and entrepreneur— also the co-host of the fashion week this year is a bit of a sucker for perfection.

Jeongguk doesn't mind that except, he hates early morning flights and Mr Jung has booked his flight at 3 am. Why? So he reaches when it's night there and well, they get a day more. To work. He could have delayed it because he doesn't have anything to do there but last minute changes could have left a bad impression so he simply arrived in Paris, a night before Minhee will.

"It's been a huge moment for Cosmetic companies as their revenues have risen drastically in the past months. After the scandal of Eve cosmetics, ON has overthrown every other candidate and established itself in the third position..."

Every company, even the mere snack companies have been digging out opportunities to just get their name on the project, regardless how small the font is. Jeongguk got his—BE cosmetics in bold font just beneath 'The Jung's' and it makes his chest swell up with pride. It was very important for him to get this deal, once he's in and no market would close doors on him and his products anymore.

"And BE cosmetics ranks fourth which is absolutely mind boggling given it's the youngest company in the top ten. Jeon Jeongguk, the CEO, personally shared a few pictures from the celebratory dinner they had a week back on his instagram..."

He plops on the bed with a sigh, too tired after constant meetings the whole day. Hoseok, that's how he asked Jeongguk to address him as of now, is big in asking opinions of everyone in the team.

So what Jeongguk had thought, about having no work, turned into a series of discussions about every arrangement. He appreciates that, but also doesn't understand why some hotshot fashion designer like Jung Hoseok would consider the beliefs of someone like him?

"At this rate I wonder if Wings will be able to keep its position on top for that long. Miranda is catching up and from the looks of it, the marital merger between Wings and BE hasn't happened yet. Is it planning to do the merger with Miranda? We have already seen it during the launch..."

He lets his body melt in the soft bed, blankly staring at the window. The hotel faces the Eiffel Tower directly. The moment Jeongguk stepped out of the CDG Airport, he knew he'll be fucked up. The city is magical, pink but the sight of the Eiffel Tower is underwhelming for some reason.

He doesn't understand the emptiness in his heart when he looks at it but he is slightly disappointed. He expected his heart to jump in joy, bloom with warmth but all he's felt is exhausted and cold. It must be the jet lag, he thinks and picks his phone up.

The wallpaper of Bam makes Jeongguk miss him. That smart little cutie always knew how to lift Jeongguk's spirits after a tiring day.

He scrolls down his contacts and facetimes Minhee without thinking much about it. It's not weird, he doesn't want to see her. He misses Bam, he wants to see him. That's what it is.

"It has not even been twenty four hours..." Jeongguk can't see anything but a black screen, but judging by Minhee's groggy voice and a pause to yawn— he assumes she hasn't woken up yet. Well it's still 6am there. "You already miss me?"

Things have been civil and busy in the past month. Jeongguk almost forgot Minhee lived with him by her ghost-like ways of going in and out of the house.

He chuckles, "Of course, honey." he smiles, adjusting the pillow underneath his head, "I wish you were here so I could bundle you up in a blanket—"

"—sounds good—"

"— like a burrito and throw you out of the window sweetly."

Then he finally sees light— he assumes it's her night lamp—on the screen but it quickly turns red as if she's holding a finger over her camera to cover it. "No wonder I thought you were being too kind to me."

"Yeah? Show me Bam."

He hears her sigh but she gladly turns her camera the other way, walking in the living room. Bam is immediately running around her and she crouches down, caressing his head. "Bam! Baby, did you sleep well?"

"You dog owners are so weird..." Minhee mumbles. Jeongguk immediately takes it as an offence, "I can hear you."

"So what about it—" she clears her throat when her voice cracks. "You Facetime me when I should be sleeping because I have only five hours before my flight, just to talk to your dog as if he's gonna talk back to you."

"Aww, are you jealous that I didn't call to talk to you?" Jeongguk coos, laughing when Minhee mumbles fuck off. Jeongguk talks to Bam some more, cooing around how he misses him and Bam replies to him by disappearing from the screen, or coming close to Minhee's camera that she starts whining about him licking her camera.

"When mom comes to pick him up, don't forget to tell her about the new oil he uses."

"Duh, she's the one who suggested it, Jeongguk."

When Jeongguk says goodbye and hangs up, he doesn't realise when he falls asleep giggling about Minhee's complaints, replaying the part he had screen-recorded on his phone—the one where Minhee is cooing at Bam so that he stays where he is.

He doesn't realise it but the city knows, the silly smile on his face is nothing but a premonition.

A premonition of doom, a lover's doom.

...

It's Paris.

For Minhee, Paris has always been magical and dreamy— basking in a pink haze in the morning and golden glittering lights at night— it's just like what they show in the movies. The entire ride to the hotel is spent staring at the bits and glimpses of the Eiffel Tower standing proudly by the river Seine.

Everything is taken care of by Dahyun— Abbie and her team's accommodations, their hotel arrangements by Mr Jung and other trivial things. Somehow, her room is just beside Jeongguk's, by what the receptionist told her.

"If you would like to stay with your husband, Mr Jung has arranged your room just by his." Minhee had scoffed, at least they didn't make her stay with him.

She scans her key on the door to enter her room, constantly making deliberate noises by doing things with a little more force than required. Her eyes trained on the door beside hers. Is he not there?

The door opens and she is greeted with a mesmerising view of the tower through the elliptical window. She drops her handbag on the table and instantly walks towards the window, completely enchanted by the view. She walks back towards her handbag to remove her phone and click a picture when she senses something moving near her leg.

She snaps her head in that direction. Nothing.

She picks her handbag up, removing her phone while her eyes are still scanning the floor and she spots them. Two hairy like antennae she recognises all too well.

"Cockroach!!" she screams, climbing over her bed. She clutches the blanket to her chest. "Why the hell does a top hotel like this have a cockroach!?"

The cockroach crawls out and Minhee groans. "Is somebody there? Room service?"

And there's a knock on her door.

Did someone really hear her? But the question is how will she open the door? If she has to open it then she will have to step down on the floor and that's not happening anytime soon.

Another knock.

"C-coming!"

Minhee breathes, she can do this. The cockroach is nowhere to be seen, it's a little safe. "You can do this Minhee, you've punched Jeongguk before...this is just a cockroach." The tip-toeing to the door is successful and she scoffs when she sees that the door is actually half-open.

"Why did you make me walk all this way when the door was open?" Minhee whines, crossing her arms in front of her.

Jeongguk shrugs, "I thought you died or something, didn't want to be accused as a murderer because I most likely would be the first suspect."

Minhee gives him a tight-lipped smile and glances back towards the place where she had last seen the cockroach. "So someone is afraid of cockroaches..."

"I am not afraid of cockroaches," Minhee rolls her eyes, stepping towards Jeongguk as she spots the moving antennae of the cockroach peeking from behind the television again. "I hate them, they are gross, it feels all creepy, ugh!" Minhee's shivers when the image flashes in her mind.

"You're too much," Jeongguk scoffs. "Anyway, close your door, I will get going."

But before he could turn back to his room, Minhee grips his sleeve. Her eyes are round and Jeongguk groans. "I am not killing it, you do it yourself."

Minhee grips his sleeve harder, jutting her lower lip out, "But I can't sleep knowing he's in there."

"Oh god, is he your ex or something?" Jeongguk whines, trying to pull away from her. I shouldn't have knocked. "Don't sleep then."

"I anyway can't..." Minhee mumbles, pouting. Jeongguk's shoulders drop, "Why? Did the cockroaches build their home on your bed now?"

"No!" Minhee scoffs, "I slept throughout my flight and it's morning in Korea now. That's why you aren't asleep either, are you?"

Jeongguk sighs. "I spent the whole day arranging things for the models, I am very much tired and would like to sleep."

"Get the cockroach out, first," Minhee starts pulling him towards her room. Jeongguk stumbles, almost banging his head to the door and glares at her. "Alright, fine! Bring me your most expensive footwear," he says, smirking, "An innocent shall be killed at the cost of your money."

"Just use the newspaper placed there." Minhee mumbles, tip-toeing behind him.

Jeongguk chuckles, picking up the newspaper and scans the floor. "Where did you see him?"

Minhee points behind the TV and Jeongguk peeks behind it. He rolls the newspaper and hits the TV slightly, to scare the cockroach out but Minhee squeaks behind him, fisting his t-shirt on his back. "What the hell— you are scared, aren't you?"

"N-no."

Jeongguk sighs, walking around the TV, hitting it occasionally but nothing comes out. Jeongguk stands up straight, throwing the newspaper on the bed. "Guess you'll have to try sleeping with your ex."

Minhee widens her eyes, shaking her head. "Try one more time."

"You saw it yourself Minhee, he's nowhere to be seen—" Jeongguk stops, eyes widening as he spots the cockroach crawling out of the tabletop and up the wall. "Oh there you are, sneaky bastard!"

He picks up the first thing that comes in his hand, Minhee's screams, "Not my handbag Jeongguk!"

And there.

"Mission completed," Jeongguk announces, grinning. "You have levelled up Ms Yoon."

Minhee grits her teeth. She doesn't know if she should be angry, cry or actually call the police right now. That was a million won bag, it's a crime to get a cockroach's blood on it!

"That was my fucking bag!" Minhee whines, staring at the disgusting blotch left by the squishing of the cockroach. A dark patch is on the white wall too. Minhee wants to puke.

"Well, the cost of making an innocent kill an innocent," Jeongguk shrugs, carefully placing the bag on the table. " You can probably buy ten more like these, what's the big deal? In fact this one's exclusive, after a few years...you can sell it as a fossil—"

"Jeongguk."

It's just his name, said in a monotonous grave voice. He gulps, "Y-yes?"

"How dare you!"

And that is Jeongguk's cue to climb up the bed, then down to the floor— around the room as Minhee throws anything that comes in her hand towards him. "I have not even had one picture clicked with that bag yet!"

A pillow, the newspaper, a towel.

"Well, I will click one now for you—"

"Shut up!" Another pillow, the spare foam slippers, her heel—

"Wait a minute!" Jeongguk shouts, pointing to the heel in her hand. "That one would hurt Minhee, keep it down."

"Why? Killing an innocent must come with a cost." Minhee says, swaying the heel in her hand, "You have killed the design of my bag and the cost is you!"

"Alright," Jeongguk puts his hands up. "I'm sorry, I am." He breathes, staring at the heel, "Let me make it up to you."

Minhee brings her hand down, squinting her eyes at him.

"Are you hungry?"

...

"Is that a bike bar?"

"Yes," Jeongguk says, looking across the vehicle parked across the street. "But we are not going there."

"Why?" Minhee says, shrugging, "Looks pretty fun to me."

"I don't drink."

"But I do," Minhee says, already crossing the street. "And you're making up to me."

Jeongguk groans, stomping a foot on the ground. "Oh come on, the first thing you do in Paris is get drunk?"

But Minhee's already sitting in, gesturing to Jeongguk to join her. He scoffs, stuffing his hands in his pant pockets. "Here you go, M'lady." the waiter says, serving Minhee a glass.

There's only one guy sitting at the other end of the seat Jeongguk sits on and the vehicle starts moving.

"What did you order? That doesn't look like beer to me." Jeongguk says, staring at her drink.

Minhee shrugs, taking a sip, "I don't know, he said something in French and I said okay."

Jeongguk widens his eyes, "You could've waited for me..."

"Didn't need you flaunting your French around," Minhee says, making a satisfying sound as the drink burns down her throat. "I can survive just fine."

Jeongguk shakes his head, sighing and looking out towards the city. The soft breeze musses up their hair, there's silence—and it's strange because there's the sound of the cruise horns, people singing and vibrations from the loud disco bars around the street.

But it's calm. Jeongguk thinks Paris might be a peaceful place to live. Fixed timings of job and evenings spent on the streetside cafes— sounds pleasant.

"What are you thinking?" Minhee whispers, placing the empty glass on the table.

Air knocks out of Jeongguk's lungs when he turns towards her. He didn't realise that the driver took a turn because now, the Eiffel Tower is just behind Minhee. It's surreal.

"Jeongguk?"

'Ah right," Jeongguk clears his throat, looking away. He shrugs, "Just how peaceful everything seems to be."

Minhee nods, "The grass is greener on the other side."

Jeongguk hums, "Not if you have colour blindness."

Minhee chuckles. If she's to define Jeongguk in short then, it would be his smile and his terrible jokes. The waiter serves her another drink and she feels dizziness kicking in her senses.

"Why did you want to drink today?" Jeongguk sighs, pushing the new glass back towards the waiter but Minhee takes it back, glaring at him.

"You look like you have had enough," Jeongguk simply says. Minhee mimics him in a baby voice, chuckling after it and that's the proof of her getting drunk.

Glass after glass, and endless attempts of Jeongguk stopping Minhee but nothing.

Jeongguk groans. He didn't come to Paris to kill cockroaches and watch Minhee get drunk.

And then the worst happens.

Minhee starts singing.

...

"Can you fucking stop moving?"

Jeongguk hisses as he tries to pay the beer bike owner but Minhee's wriggling in his hold, trying to push him away.

He lets her go after he's dragged you across the street towards their hotel. He chuckled when she stumbled her way back to him. Jeongguk scrutinises her from top to bottom before concluding the fact that she is not in her right mind if that wasn't clear already by the way she was screaming all possible songs she knows the lyrics of.

He doesn't say anything but carefully watches her every step. There's a sad smile painting her face when she lets her body lose and fall back, and Jeongguk doesn't realise when his hands fly out of his pocket to hold her up straight, instinctively.

So now he's got to save his rival's drunk ass?

He holds her firmly and helps her walk till they reach inside. He lets her go for a few seconds as he tries to find the key to her room in his pockets.

"Minhee, where's your room key?"

"Joong Ki?" she mumbles, words slurred. Her eyes are almost closed as if the next moment she'll fall asleep in the corridor itself. "Love him."

There's a silly smile on her face and Jeongguk can't even get mad. He sighs. "Room key, Minhee. The key to your room."

"Vroom." She brings her hands out as if holding a bike's handle and Jeongguk groans. "Vroom."

Jeongguk doesn't understand the silly grin on her face, who knows what she's thinking.

He knows he probably shouldn't but there's no other option. Sleep is kicking in, he'll have to give a reason and probably pay a fine if he asks for another key card. He sighs.

His room it is.

Opening the door to his room, he lets her walk freely while he fetches one of his hoodies for her. Minhee's a messy drinker when she's drunk, he's sure her sweatshirt enjoyed the drink more than her.

He saw a t-shirt underneath it and deemed it safe to get the sweatshirt off. He rolls his eyes when he sees the patches of liquid around her neck.

A mess. It's such a mess that his thoughts betray him (so does his dick but he won't agree on that).

So the solution is to hide her inside his hoodie.

Incoherent words are said but Jeongguk does not pay attention to them. She struggles a little to stay awake and keep her arms up so that he could have her wear his hoodie.

When he actually manages to slip her inside his hoodie, in her half-asleep state, he freezes. His ears redden when he stares at her, sitting on his bed with a flushed face, messy hair and in his hoodie. So cute.

If only she looked this way when she was sober and not always trying to find reasons to fight him.

He shakes his head and lets her fall back on his bed. He pulls the blanket from underneath her, groaning when Minhee rolls over. For fuck's sake.

He gets the blanket, lays it over her when he hears her mumble. He chuckles when he tries to make sense of what she said.

"Yeah yeah, no more bugs."

He shakes his head at her before switching off the light. He lets himself get comfortable on the sofa in the room, scoffing when he realises that it was Minhee who wasn't able to sleep but it's him who's left awake.

He just internally prays that his alarm the next morning is not a scream accompanied by a punch on his face.

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the adventure begins <3