That part of the city is quite congested. The lanes are narrow and the houses are nothing but a single room tenement. Heeseung and Jay stopped in an empty street, trying to figure out if they got the right address.
"Are you sure this is her place? This is quite risky for someone like her to live in here." 
"Yup, this is it. GPS is always on point. And why do you even care? I thought you came to here to confont Choi Aerin?" Jay asked back with one eyebrow up.
Heeseung sighed and adjusted his cap. He took a quick glance on the last room up on the second flloor. It was dim and he's quite hesitant to proceed with his plan.
"I can't stay here. Just meet me at the chain store on a few blocks away. Stay guarded, Hyung. Shutterbags are everywhere and Choi Aerin is a hot potato right now. You might get hemmed."
Heeseung quickly nodded and unlatched himself. Setting his foot in that place never crossed his mind, he suprised himself for the courage. 
"Just give me a heads up when things goes a little out of the seams." Jay pronounced before scooting off.
It was minutes ago when Jay left but Heeseung is still glued to his feet. The apprehension is beating him, causing a blunder. 
Heeseung stayed another minute as the night gets a little bit hazy, clouds heavy, a storm brewing from afar. He slowly made his step when he felt a drizzle lands on his bare hands, then, a downpour he didn't see coming. 
He was drenched in no time as if nature made a way to push him to finally climb that stairs. He reached Choi Aerin's door and again, the hesitation is so strong he wanted to revert his plan. But then he remembered the mishap she created, so not.
Heeseung lift his hand for a knock but was cut off when a figure appeared, like him, she was soaked and propelling, clearly escaping from the deluge in the rooftop. In that surprising turn of event, they both froze, eyes locked they cannot utter a single word.
For possibly the first time in her entire life, Aerin was at a complete loss as to what to do. The torrent night changed, so dramatically, she was awe-struck by the sight alone. Lee Heeseung stance, eventhough damped, sends a fever like air beating the coldness everywhere. She gulped hard again, a misdemeanor she begins to develop everytime she's near Lee Heeseung.
"W-What are you doing here? How did you know my place?" Aerin continuosly asked, battling with herself not to stutter.
The aversion is so strong and Heeseung scoffed harder than he usually do. Choi Aerin is the most impossible woman he'd ever met. 
"We need to talk." he asserted.
"Then speak now."
"Is that how you treat a guest? How lame."
"You're not my guest."
"Then what am I? The nemesis? A foe? Someone that fits in your gut to damage that much?"
Aerin was appalled by the sudden crumble. She cannot grasp her words looking at Heeseung's fierce and daunting appearance. How fast his expressions to shift so easily given the madness, whatever it takes, he's still looking so striking she couldn't believe.
"You don't know the other side of the coin, please stop presuming." Aerin hushed and first to take her sight down.
"As if there is a deeper reason for you to damage me that easy. Tell me, why do you hate me that much? That article is so hideous I couldn't read any more word."
"It was an accident!" Aerin shouts, defending herself.
"Oh, c'mon! Accident? With that much hate in it? Try harder, rude doll." Heeseung sneered in dismay.
Aerin's eyes grew wide upon hearing him said those words. His statement is contrasting, she didn't know how to react for once. Calling him rude is logical, she can clearly understand the promptness, but a doll? That was the most random pronouncement she ever heard in a heated confrontation. Or maybe, just her scattered thoughts taking over.
"This conversation is going nowhere. Leave now if you don't want get dispatched. I don't want any more trouble." Aerin quickly opened her door to let herself in.
"What?! No! Wait a minute--" Heeseung stopped her to entirely shut the door. "I came here to sort things out but you're giving me nothing but nonsense explanation."
"Let go and leave."
That's the cutest warning he had ever heard. Heeseung softly chuckled, displaying that deadly smile once more. That uno card never disappoints and he was surprised for Choi Aerin's grip to loosened a little.
"Not soon enough, I guess." he stated after he let himself inside her place.
Strangely, the air changed so fast in the inside, it was chilly but not terribly so. The room scent smells like vanilla and scattered papers everywhere greeted Heeseung's sight. Is that how messy being a journalist? He wondered how many more hate write-ups she had in that bunch of papers around.
Aerin, not far away, is still in shock how fast everything goes. She's still holding that knob and couldn't believe she was wrecked again by Lee Heeseung's slayer beam. How she cursed herself in silence for the foolishness.
"You need to go out." Aerin tried to sound solid.
"You're guest service really, is below standard." Heeseung shakes his head as he lazily sits in a couch full of crumpled papers.
"I never treat enemies as guests."
"So you just admit it. I'm an enemy, I can clearly understand the hate. But what did I do, really?"
Aerin scoffed hard in disbelief. "I can't believe you turned yourself into a drunken stupor."
"A w-what?!"
"I don't want to complicate things a little more, so please, get out of my house."
Heeseung scorned a little more. He got up, so eager to get the answer he wanted to find. Aerin in that far corner was perplexed looking at him pacing forward and the sense of time slows down as her systems went into overdrive.
Aerin moved back, hitting the door. She swallowed again, looking at him approaching her a little more, with his cunning face and that deadly sneer. She didn't know someone would look dashing with the veneers on.
"Stop right there." she warned.
But Heeseung was stubborn and pretends to be deaf. He walks faster to finally face her, inch closer to shake her stoic stance while forcibly extending his arms to the door, preventing her to go anywhere but face only him.
"You still didn't answer my question." Heeseung asked, face up, finally meeting her fetching eyes.
"What answer do you really want hear? I told you, I don't intend to create the mishap. The crack-up wasn't intentional. It's too late to revert it."
Looking at her eyes, Heeseung felt the sincerity, but then again the mishap wouldn't be possible if she never wrote that article in the first place. Choi Aerin have that mysterious aggression against him he can't fully understand.
"Give me a week to entirely eradicate the write-up." Aerin continued, in a hush.
She fighted hard with herself not to melt in his stance. Even a single glance in his twisting, provocative lips she didn't do. She's not folding right in front of an idol. Not ever.
"The damage has been done. Taking it down is useless anymore. I wonder why you still tried to sabotage me when I gave your questionnaire back."
Aerin's eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth, muffling an involuntary gasp. She couldn't believe what he had revealed. His luminous, dark brown eyes sparks honesty making her thoughts spiraled even more.
"Aerin-a! Open up! It's me, Hyeon Jiah!"
Covered in surprise and panic, Aerin almost break out that scream but Heeseung was fast enough to cover her mouth back. She choked her breath looking deep into his teasing eyes - the dazzle is impossible and she can now understand the distinction. Fatal, it is.
Just like Aerin, Heeseung was confounded by the sudden calling but was disciplined to always keep his control. He covered Aerin's mouth, a reflex kicking in, but was stunned feeling the softness of her lips underneath his hands. Just the way he thought it is, his colleagues were right, never did he saw a hater with such a natural beauty. Choi Aerin's nose is perfectly sculped as her eyes is brightly vivid, like ivory in the field.
"I know you're in there. I can see your feet under the door! Open up! The cold is killing me!" Jiah called once again.
They both silently panicked while she pushed Lee Heeseung away. Aerin's breathing was labored and her palms are sweating cold. Hyeon Jiah cannot see Lee Heeseung inside her flat, everything will blow out in proportion and the damage will be severe. 
Aerin pulled Heeseung away from the door as he mumbled in alarm. "Where are you taking me?!"
"Hide under the couch. And please, don't go out until I say so!"
Aerin felt something would burst, her heart. She couldn't think anything, only that her chest might get crushed any minute. She breathe out as she shakily opened the door.
"What took you so long?" Jiah asked in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Aerin asked back, eyes are glancing in the motionless couch.
"What kind of question is that?" Jiah asked again as she placed bunch of stuff on the table. 
Jiah quickly looked for a lighter to spark the candles. Aerin as confused looking at the cake she's holding. 
"Congratulations, Aerin-a! This career move is perfect for you! I can't wait to work with you! We're on the same team now! Yey!"
"W-What?" Aerin was utterly confused.
"Seriously? After you ditched your celebration in the office you're acting clueless now? I know things went a bit shaky and clearly unexpected, you're overwhelmed, I get it, but whatever it is, this calls for a celebration!"
"J-Jiah--" Aerin is so stressed she couldn't breathe.
"You know what, I admit I was against your direct abhorrence against Lee Heeseung. I don't get how can you hate someone you haven't met yet. I was anxious how'd the interview is going to end and yeah, it was awful, right? Nevertheless, that hate article took a dramatic turn no one, I say, no one thought it will favor your side." Jiah stopped as she faced Aerin. "W-Why are you looking so flustered?" 
Aerin swallowed hard. Her heart's in a serious overdrive as she quickly glance on the side where Lee Heeseung is hiding. Jiah's nonstop talking is making her quail in fear.
"I'm not feeling well. I want to rest, please."
"Aww, you poor beauty. Alright, seems like this cake is staying in the fridge tonight. And I got a blind date too, I should met him, waht do you think? By the way, I got an update from Hybe. Your article shook them so much that they had a press conference this afternoon to settle the issue and Lee Heeseung's followers decreased by ten percent and still counting. However, Lee Heeseung's popularity is quite solid he's still on the game. The bad news is, it's his various fandom that hates you now so expect hate comments on your blog to splurge in. But who cares, right? You got the power in your hands, and it's more stronger now. Congratulations, senior editor, Choi Aerin! Gosh, I'm so happy for you!" Jiah went to hug her tight while she left immobile to even move a muscle.
"Rest now, peach. I will gladly arrange your table for you! You put Starlight on top beating Aspire, so it's nothing!" Jiah shrieked in excitement.
"By the way, Kang Minho called me. He said he can't reach your number. He wants to see you, Aerin. This is the moment you've been waiting for. I don't mind if you patch things up same as I don't give a damn if you crush Lee Heeseung again." Jiah's pronouncement echoed in the four walls and Aerin is close to pass out any minute.
Jiah didn't waste any second and quickly she goes out. Being alone is her solace, but she never thought it would turn into a night of anguish that vey moment.
Aerin felt the hairs in her nape anxiously stood up. She can feel it, Lee Heeseung's stare is slicing behind her back.
"Choi Aerin."
She never felt so petrified hearing someone calls her name. In that moment, she knew, she cannot defend herself anymore.
"I-I can explain--"
Heeseung stepped towards her, eyebrows in collision she could've curl in fear. Before Aerin could even react, Heeseung shove her hard, in his most intense mutter.
"Get the hell out of my life and much more my sight."
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