Chapter 01. A Weakness for Handsome Faces(1)

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The sound of the wall clock’s second hand, which was usually unnoticeable, added to the anxious mood. The air stood still in the suite, as the man and the woman glared at each other, increasing the tension. Deok Sim turned her gaze away first. She ignored Sung Hoon’s smug smile of triumph and stared at the wall clock beyond his squared shoulders. The second hand was moving diligently toward its target. Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven. Sung Hoon persistently stared at Deok Sim, who was looking elsewhere, and questioned her insistently.

“Why did you do this?”

Six.

As Sung Hoon questioned her, he lifted his hand and removed Deok Sim’s glasses and pulled the hair tie. Her usually tight ponytail was now loosed to reveal her long, straight, and silky-smooth hair that gently swayed.

Five.

“So, this wasn’t a wig? Then, hair dye?”

As Sung Hoon mockingly ran his finger through the silver-gray hairs around her temple, he smirked.

Four, Three, Two.

Wounded by the indifferent gaze of her moist sparkling brown eyes, Sung Hoon wrinkled his forehead fiercely.

One.

As soon as the second hand of the clock struck “Twelve,” Deok Sim’s pink lips finally burst open.

“Time’s up!”

“What …”

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Deok Sim turned her attention back to Sung Hoon’s intense gaze. His thick tempting lips, which she wanted to bite, curved in to a mischievous smile.

“Excuse me, Mr. Vice President, I’m afraid to tell you that the contract has been terminated.”

Deok Sim’s usually slow and quiet voice now had a lively and youthful

tone. So, this is how clear her actual voice is.

“Ms. Kang, what do you mean by that?”

“How much information did you find out about me, Mr. Vice President?”

“Ms. Kang!”

Unlike Sung Hoon, who was ready to explode with irritation, Deok Sim appeared calm and composed. Tilting her head slightly, she looked at Sung Hoon and spoke without restraint.

“My name is Deok Sim Kang, as you already know. I’m actually thirty years old, not in my late forties and the impressive academic achievements listed on my resume belongs to my brother. And previously, I worked as the director in the management department at W Art & Company.”

“So why! Why did you approach me in the first place? Not the superficial reasons. But the truth.”

“I thought you had already looked into that? There was a special request from President Iran Koh. I was to do everything I could to prove you were a normal and virile man. And to create a scandal.”

As he clenched his teeth, Sung Hoon’s jaws tightened.

“I’ve done my duty to quell the rumors which have been circulating everywhere that Sung Hoon Ma, heir to the Mayoon Group is a eunuch and gay. And just a little while ago, the contract I signed with President Koh was terminated.”

“I knew it …”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“What were the terms of the contract?”

“That’s something I don’t wish to reveal; it’s my privacy.”

Deok Sim did not want to divulge the large sum she had received in exchange for the silly charade. She also hid her very personal intentions.

“It’s obvious the president made you an exceptional offer ...”

Deok Sim nodded quickly. It was information that anyone could have easily guessed.

“Then make a deal with me too. A contract. I’m willing to pay you much more than what my grandmother offered.”

“Such … as?”

“Dating me. I don’t think you have anything to lose.”

Sung Hoon spoke with confidence as he recalled Deok Sim’s annoying gazes and how she would sneak glances at him at work. But her response was not what he expected. He assumed she would not be happy at the offer, but he expected her to be very surprised. But he had a bad hunch that his assumption was wrong.

For a moment, Deok Sim stared blankly at him. Then she relaxed and slowly lifted up the corners of her lips. Her clear and innocent face bloomed with a charming radiance. As she let out a sigh and lowered her gaze, a subtle glimmer sparkled in her eyes hidden behind her thick eyelashes. Sung Hoon Ma, were you this weak for a beautiful face? Sung Hoon felt pathetic for admiring how beautiful she was. His mind had been reeling even before he had found out the truth about Deok Sim, when she wore her dull makeup and her old-fashioned eyeglasses, and it was getting out of control. Deok Sim Kang, what are you thinking now? Sung Hoon, for the first time in his life, struggled to control his restlessness and took rough breaths in front of a woman.

After some contemplation, Deok Sim raised her head, when suddenly, she found a statue-like face in front of her nose. Cornered to the wall, she straightened her back and faced him. Their breaths collided. Sung Hoon seemed to be aroused by her. Deok Sim looked at Sung Hoon’s Adam’s apple, which was bobbing up and down and smiled broadly.

Unlike Sung Hoon, who was single and a pure virgin up to now, Deok Sim was bored with relationships and was calm. Their lips were teasingly close. Her whispers were sweet and cruel to the man known to be boring and insensitive. The tantalizing distance, just enough for their lips to touch, and the soft whispering that scattered across the stone-like man’s jawline were sweet and provocative.

“Mr. Vice President, I’m a lookist. I enjoy handsome faces. And your face is certainly my type.”

Her strangely seductive whisper aroused Sung Hoon’s desires and caused his lower body to harden.

“But that’s it. I enjoy your face and nothing more. Mr. Vice President is purely for my enjoyment. I have no intention of dating.”

Deok Sim pushed away Sung Hoon’s broad chest with her palm. She stared at the man who took a step back and shook her head sadly. He is really hot. Like, perfectly my type for sure.

He was so handsome he could have achieved anything with his looks. His tall height of nearly 190cm, slender physique, and well-defined muscles made him look good in any fashion style. To top it off, his vibe was both aloof and mysteriously sexy.

And whenever she saw the vertical dents in the middle of his thick lower lip her mouth watered as if she had tasted something sour. But now, she refused to date or love anyone, no matter how much she desired to suck on the alluring vertical lines on his lower lip.

“Farewell, Mr. Vice President. I have no more obligations, so I wish to resign now.”

“Says who?”

As she turned to leave, Sung Hoon grabbed her.

“Where do you think you’re going after everything you’ve done to me? I have no intention of letting you go, Ms. Kang.”

Sung Hoon pulled Deok Sim back and surprised her. He was stronger than she had expected. What was going on with this man? It felt too desperate for it to be just an act of rebellion against President Ko. As if he really wanted it, Sung Hoon’s eyes and emotions were deep and intense. He panted as he gazed deeply at Deok Sim and then his gaze lowered. Following his eyes, Deok Sim’s eyes and mouth widened.

“Wait—what …?”

Sung Hoon’s front swelled up boastfully and looked threatening as if it was about to set off soon. His bathrobe, which was worn loosely, made it even more dangerous.

“Take responsibility. Take me.”

In front of Sung Hoon’s eyes full of resentment and his body emanating a palpable heat, Deok Sim felt a strange anxiety.

She was just blinded by his handsome looks and the exorbitant offer.

“Okay, Ms. Kang. I know I’m a normal man now because of you. However.”

Deok Sim’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How do you know if I’m actually a virile man? It’s still a fact unknown to even myself. Shouldn’t your contract officially be terminated after you confirm it?”

Sung Hoon stepped in closer and hugged a bewildered Deok Sim by her slender waist.

“Hup!”

Desperate to show that he was full of passion and matchless, with one part of Sung Hoon’s body, he pressed against Deok Sim near her belly button. Selfish and impure intentions seemed to have resulted in unexpected consequences.

***

Let’s take a moment here and listen to Ms. Kang’s defense.

Why did I do it? It might sound absurd, but it was simply because of his looks. Of course, there was the money too, but that came later. That makes sense, right? I was told that I was destined to live off of hot people. And you know, they say that looks equal success. What more reasons do you need? Some people even get married after falling in love at first sight.

Sung Hoon Ma. The first time I saw him, I was electrified. You have heard of the Stendhal Syndrome, right? I’ve met numerous hot people, but I was mesmerized the moment I saw him. But I didn’t want to possess him. Because of my experience, I had decided not to believe in the miracle of the Pygmalion effect. Like exhibitions in the Louvre, a masterpiece retains value simply by being admired.

A handsome man only existed to be a beautiful object for me to admire. So, I jumped into it with excitement, but I didn’t know he would react that way. He despised women, but like a late bloomer with pent up emotions, his possessiveness was intense …this is exhausting.

***

W Art & Company headquarters became the center of the Korean cultural wave and a landmark in Gangnam city. Looking at the crowd filling up the front gate, Deok Sim sighed deeply. How do I get past those humans? She had been stuck in her car for over thirty minutes already—and was biting her lips.

She could not sleep all night from the anxiety, thinking this was the end of the road for her. They say misfortunes never come alone. The bad news that followed W had become Deok Sim’s responsibility.

“Those ungrateful ones … how could they forget their original goals and cause such a fiasco?”

Deok Sim did not like the sound of her voice which was on the verge of tears. Trying to overcome her weakness, she yelled in the car and clenched her two fists. Celebrities were picked by Deok Sim, who was renowned for discovering genuine gemstones and making them shine, and was given the nickname, “Miner” in the industry. But misfortunes had found her due to the celebrities she had debuted lately. Every time their names were featured in the media, Deok Sim’s heart sank, and she felt like the sky was falling.

Ring-ring. The phone ringtone set to a good melody stung her ears today.

“Hello.”

― Director, where are you now? The CEO is waiting for you.

The secretary to CEO Kim of W Art & Company grumbled even before Deok Sim could utter a word.

“Reporters and fans are crowded in front of the building … how am I supposed to break through that? The entrance to the parking lot is barricaded, so there’s no way in.”

― I’ll send the guards right away. Please park your car in front of the main gate within five minutes.

“Got it.”

There was no way to avoid this.

“I’m Deok Sim Kang, the legend among celebrity fans. Even if the fire goes out, I will oxidize beautifully.”