Yoona stepped out of the automatic glass doors of her office building, the crisp evening air hitting her like a wall. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Junho leaning casually against a post, his phone in hand. He straightened up when he saw her, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Yoona," he greeted her, his tone warm but tinged with something that made her spine stiffen.
"Junho," she replied coldly, narrowing her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
He waved his phone. "I just read and replied to the email you sent before clocking out. I was near the area so I thought I'd catch you before you leave."
She crossed her arms, her annoyance evident. "And you couldn't just reply to the email like a normal person?"
He chuckled, an infuriatingly charming sound. "I wanted to talk to you in person."
Yoona huffed and started walking towards her car, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement. Junho fell into step beside her, like a persistent puppy.
"Why are you following me?" she demanded, not bothering to hide her irritation.
"Just wanted to make sure you got to your car safely," he said with a grin.
She shot him a withering look. "I'm perfectly capable of walking to my car on my own, thank you."
"Of course you are," he agreed easily. "But I also wanted to apologize."
That caught her off guard. She glanced at him, her eyebrows raised. "Apologize? For what?"
"For somehow ruining your recent auction," he said, a hint of genuine remorse in his voice. "I know it caused a lot of trouble."
Yoona sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "You sent pastries for the entire office earlier. That's more than enough."
They reached her yellow Acura MDX, and Yoona's irritation flared up again when she saw that Junho was standing in front of the driver's side door, effectively blocking her way.
"What are you doing?" she snapped, glaring at him.
He didn't move. Instead, he looked at her with those intense, unreadable eyes. "Will you join me for dinner?”
Yoona blinked, taken aback by his straightforwardness. "What?"
"Dinner," he repeated. "To make it up to you properly."
She shook her head, trying to process his sudden change in demeanor. He wasn't being his usual arrogant self; there was a softness to him, a vulnerability that she hadn't seen before.
"I already said, the pastries were enough," she said, her voice faltering slightly.
"I’m sure you’re in a deeper predicament because of that. I won't take no for an answer, but… please?" he asked, a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
“Has anyone ever told you how impossibly irritating you can be?” she asked, slightly tilting her head.
“Yes, but I like to think of it as a compliment,” he shrugged and took a little step closer. “C’mon. Just one harmless dinner.”
Yoona hesitated, her mind racing. Her bosses had been pushing for a partnership with Junho's company, and dinner could be a good opportunity to discuss business. Besides, there was something about Junho that drew her in, despite her better judgment. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, like he saw right through her icy exterior. Or maybe it was the way he was so infuriatingly persistent.
"Fine," she said finally, a touch of reluctance in her voice. "But just dinner. Nothing else."
A triumphant eye smile spread across his face. "Just dinner," he agreed.
As they walked to his car, Yoona couldn't silence the nagging thoughts swirling in her mind. ‘Why am I even doing this?’ she questioned herself. ‘He's probably just trying to manipulate me about that damn heirloom necklace again. There’s no way he’s genuinely interested in me. And good, because I’m certainly not interested in him either. This is strictly a business dinner, nothing more.’ Despite her firm resolve, a small, unwelcome flutter of curiosity lingered in the back of her mind.
When they reached his car she curiously asked, silencing her thoughts, “Where’s your driver?”
“He has clocked out. He has, you know, a life.” he said as he smilingly opened the door for her.
Yoona rolled her eyes, making sure Junho saw. He smiled, amused by how his sarcasm elicited that reaction from her. As they got into his sleek, black Vantage and drove off, she couldn't shake the feeling of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something that made her heart race whenever he was near.
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