Contracts, Pt. 10
Title: Contracts
Summary: Chanmi was happy with her life, until her boss threw a wrench in it: Lee SungMin. JungShin came along for the ride.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Pairings: SungMin/Chanmi, JungShin/Chanmi, L/Soomi, various other minor pairings
Rating: PG-13
Chanmi sat in the corner of the front room, reading while she waited for Soomi to come home. The lamp shed just enough light so she didn't turn on the main light. Completely engrossed in her book, she started and dropped it when her blackberry sounded. She grabbed for it when it rang the second time. "Hello?"
"Chanmi-sshi?"
Chanmi's eyes went wide, and she wanted to check her sanity. "Y-yes, that's me. Boa-sshi?"
"Unni, please," Boa said. "There is no reason to be so formal. I... have a proposition for you."
Chanmi sat up, wary now. "Yes?"
"I want to go to karaoke tomorrow night, and I can't find anyone to go with me. Would you like to come?"
Chanmi stared blankly out the window, and answered automatically, very business-like. "Just a moment."
She checked the calendar on her blackberry, not surprised to find it empty. "Um. No. I mean, I don't have anything planned, and sure, I'd like to join you."
The light switched on. Soomi walked in, looking frustrated and tired, and plopped down in the chair across from Chanmi. She threw her keys on the floor - usually she threw them on the table, but she must have noticed Chanmi spoke on the phone.
"Thank you! I'll pick you up around 20:00, and we'll have something to eat first?" Boa sounded pleased.
"I'll be at work."
"Bring something comfortable to change into. I look forward to getting to know you better. Good-bye."
"Bye." Chanmi hung up, still stunned, then she shook her head. "Door stick again?"
"Yes! We have to change that thing. Seriously."
"We've tried," Chanmi reminded her roommate. "You look tired. Long day?"
"Who was that you introduced me to?" Soomi asked, shrugging off the question.
"L? He's Ace's manager's personal assistant."
Soomi stared at her. "Who?"
"Aces manager has a personal assistant. That's L. The guy I introduced you to."
Soomi nodded with a slight smile, and Chanmi almost laughed. "Who was on the phone?" Soomi asked.
Chanmi sobered. "Boa," she said. "She wants to go to karaoke, and can't find anyone to go with." She shrugged. "I don't know if I believe her, but I don't think I care. It'll be fun."
Soomi rolled her eyes. "You know, there are a lot of people who'd kill to be you."
"They can be me," Chanmi said, and then furrowed her brow.
"What?"
"I... think I won't put this on my second time card. As long as SungMin isn't there."
Soomi laughed and got up. "I'll be working. Let me know how it goes."
"I will," Chanmi said. "Good night." She added the outing to her calendar, carefully not colored in bright yellow, then put her blackberry away. When she picked up her book, Soomi turned out the over head light and then closed the door to her room.
Chanmi finished the last of "Bad Boy" by Wonder Girls, then staggered the two steps to the table and sat down next to Boa. At least she didn't have to go farther; dim lights with copious alcohol and food meant she was unsteady at best.
"You've got a good voice," Boa said. "I bet it's better when you're not drunk."
Chanmi grinned at her. "I bet everything's better when I'm not drunk."
Boa laughed. "Possibly. I get the feeling you wish you could deal with SungMin while drunk," Boa said.
"I wouldn't trust him with me drunk," Chanmi said. "And if I thought I wouldn't do more damage than he's done - if I thought that were possible, and I could trust him - I probably would."
"You don't like him."
"I'm sure he's a nice guy," Chanmi said quickly. "If I were a guy and not forced on him." Too late, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Of all things to say to the woman who worked with him!
Boa touched her arm. "And yet, if you hadn't met him, you wouldn't have met JungShin."
Chanmi slumped, her hand falling in her lap. "I don't suppose it really matters though," she said. "Even if he were interested, how could he possibly date me after I'd dated SungMin?"
Boa put an arm around her shoulders. "Do you want to?" she asked.
Chanmi looked up at her. "It'd be nice," she said wistfully, then straightened and shook her head. "But it doesn't matter, and wishing won't make it work. And... how could he even care? For all he knows, I'm just like every other girl SungMin has had, just more professional. And possibly a different profession."
Boa smiled at her and took her arm back. "You might be surprised," she said.
Chanmi shook her head again. "No matter how he feels, he's not going to be able to. The fans won't allow it. Especially if it comes out this is a contract." She grabbed her glass and took a drink.
"You say you were forced on him?" Boa said.
Chanmi set her glass down and laughed. "He certainly wasn't interested in me the first time we met," she said, remembering how he'd barely looked at her when he and the others had stepped off the elevator.
"You aren't exactly the type of girl to go along with anything he wants, no," Boa said. "But what about you? Was he forced on you?"
Chanmi looked at her, then shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I can't do anything about it anyway, not until the contract runs out or he makes a pass at me."
Boa laughed. "Most girls want him to do that."
"I know. I don't get it. I'm not one of those. The idea of him... Just.... ew." She shuddered.
"Why? Because of JungShin?"
"No," Chanmi said. "I made them add it to the contract before I set eyes on JungShin.
"So you knew ahead of time?"
Chanmi laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. "I? Knew ahead of time? No. They'd gone through all this deciding, and then SungMin asked who it was. And HeeChul-sshi pointed at me. So I made them add my three provisions, and as soon as this damn contract runs out, I'm quitting. Unless SungMin does me a favor and hits on me, and then I'll quit, job or no. But he's never done me a favor before, so...." She shrugged.
Boa didn't say anything for a while. "Who do you hate more, SungMin or HeeChul-sshi?"
Chanmi sighed. "SungMin... what he did wasn't personal. He's making the best of his situation. I don't hate him. I might, one day after this is over, if he ever decides to care. HeeChul-sshi, on the other hand.... He did this on purpose. I get that he thought he had to do it. But that doesn't mean I will forgive him for it any time soon."
She sighed and looked at Boa. "It's even worse when I factor in JungShin. I mean, I haven't said more than a few words to him, and he won't get out of my head, and I wish so hard it was him I was contracted to. But then, of course, he probably wouldn't be the kind of guy I'd want to date." She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table.
"Are you sure he is now?" Boa asked.
"I guess it doesn't matter. I probably won't ever find out. I'd almost rather not find out, because there's no way it'd work."
"Almost?"
Chanmi sighed. "It'd be nice to know that someone is attracted to me," she said wistfully, and then laughed and sat up. "Ignore me. I'm much more drunk than I should be, and HeeChul is going to be furious, and I don't care because I'm drunk."
Boa laughed. "Beautiful circular logic. Do you want me to take you home?"
"Want you to? No," Chanmi said. "But I probably should ask you to. Or let you."
Boa got up and hauled Chanmi to her feet. "I'll get WooYoung to pick us up. I don't think I'd better drive either."
"Oh," Chanmi said as Boa dialed the chauffeur. "Is that his name?"
Summary: Chanmi was happy with her life, until her boss threw a wrench in it: Lee SungMin. JungShin came along for the ride.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Pairings: SungMin/Chanmi, JungShin/Chanmi, L/Soomi, various other minor pairings
Rating: PG-13
Chanmi sat in the corner of the front room, reading while she waited for Soomi to come home. The lamp shed just enough light so she didn't turn on the main light. Completely engrossed in her book, she started and dropped it when her blackberry sounded. She grabbed for it when it rang the second time. "Hello?"
"Chanmi-sshi?"
Chanmi's eyes went wide, and she wanted to check her sanity. "Y-yes, that's me. Boa-sshi?"
"Unni, please," Boa said. "There is no reason to be so formal. I... have a proposition for you."
Chanmi sat up, wary now. "Yes?"
"I want to go to karaoke tomorrow night, and I can't find anyone to go with me. Would you like to come?"
Chanmi stared blankly out the window, and answered automatically, very business-like. "Just a moment."
She checked the calendar on her blackberry, not surprised to find it empty. "Um. No. I mean, I don't have anything planned, and sure, I'd like to join you."
The light switched on. Soomi walked in, looking frustrated and tired, and plopped down in the chair across from Chanmi. She threw her keys on the floor - usually she threw them on the table, but she must have noticed Chanmi spoke on the phone.
"Thank you! I'll pick you up around 20:00, and we'll have something to eat first?" Boa sounded pleased.
"I'll be at work."
"Bring something comfortable to change into. I look forward to getting to know you better. Good-bye."
"Bye." Chanmi hung up, still stunned, then she shook her head. "Door stick again?"
"Yes! We have to change that thing. Seriously."
"We've tried," Chanmi reminded her roommate. "You look tired. Long day?"
"Who was that you introduced me to?" Soomi asked, shrugging off the question.
"L? He's Ace's manager's personal assistant."
Soomi stared at her. "Who?"
"Aces manager has a personal assistant. That's L. The guy I introduced you to."
Soomi nodded with a slight smile, and Chanmi almost laughed. "Who was on the phone?" Soomi asked.
Chanmi sobered. "Boa," she said. "She wants to go to karaoke, and can't find anyone to go with." She shrugged. "I don't know if I believe her, but I don't think I care. It'll be fun."
Soomi rolled her eyes. "You know, there are a lot of people who'd kill to be you."
"They can be me," Chanmi said, and then furrowed her brow.
"What?"
"I... think I won't put this on my second time card. As long as SungMin isn't there."
Soomi laughed and got up. "I'll be working. Let me know how it goes."
"I will," Chanmi said. "Good night." She added the outing to her calendar, carefully not colored in bright yellow, then put her blackberry away. When she picked up her book, Soomi turned out the over head light and then closed the door to her room.
Chanmi finished the last of "Bad Boy" by Wonder Girls, then staggered the two steps to the table and sat down next to Boa. At least she didn't have to go farther; dim lights with copious alcohol and food meant she was unsteady at best.
"You've got a good voice," Boa said. "I bet it's better when you're not drunk."
Chanmi grinned at her. "I bet everything's better when I'm not drunk."
Boa laughed. "Possibly. I get the feeling you wish you could deal with SungMin while drunk," Boa said.
"I wouldn't trust him with me drunk," Chanmi said. "And if I thought I wouldn't do more damage than he's done - if I thought that were possible, and I could trust him - I probably would."
"You don't like him."
"I'm sure he's a nice guy," Chanmi said quickly. "If I were a guy and not forced on him." Too late, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Of all things to say to the woman who worked with him!
Boa touched her arm. "And yet, if you hadn't met him, you wouldn't have met JungShin."
Chanmi slumped, her hand falling in her lap. "I don't suppose it really matters though," she said. "Even if he were interested, how could he possibly date me after I'd dated SungMin?"
Boa put an arm around her shoulders. "Do you want to?" she asked.
Chanmi looked up at her. "It'd be nice," she said wistfully, then straightened and shook her head. "But it doesn't matter, and wishing won't make it work. And... how could he even care? For all he knows, I'm just like every other girl SungMin has had, just more professional. And possibly a different profession."
Boa smiled at her and took her arm back. "You might be surprised," she said.
Chanmi shook her head again. "No matter how he feels, he's not going to be able to. The fans won't allow it. Especially if it comes out this is a contract." She grabbed her glass and took a drink.
"You say you were forced on him?" Boa said.
Chanmi set her glass down and laughed. "He certainly wasn't interested in me the first time we met," she said, remembering how he'd barely looked at her when he and the others had stepped off the elevator.
"You aren't exactly the type of girl to go along with anything he wants, no," Boa said. "But what about you? Was he forced on you?"
Chanmi looked at her, then shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I can't do anything about it anyway, not until the contract runs out or he makes a pass at me."
Boa laughed. "Most girls want him to do that."
"I know. I don't get it. I'm not one of those. The idea of him... Just.... ew." She shuddered.
"Why? Because of JungShin?"
"No," Chanmi said. "I made them add it to the contract before I set eyes on JungShin.
"So you knew ahead of time?"
Chanmi laughed, sounding slightly hysterical. "I? Knew ahead of time? No. They'd gone through all this deciding, and then SungMin asked who it was. And HeeChul-sshi pointed at me. So I made them add my three provisions, and as soon as this damn contract runs out, I'm quitting. Unless SungMin does me a favor and hits on me, and then I'll quit, job or no. But he's never done me a favor before, so...." She shrugged.
Boa didn't say anything for a while. "Who do you hate more, SungMin or HeeChul-sshi?"
Chanmi sighed. "SungMin... what he did wasn't personal. He's making the best of his situation. I don't hate him. I might, one day after this is over, if he ever decides to care. HeeChul-sshi, on the other hand.... He did this on purpose. I get that he thought he had to do it. But that doesn't mean I will forgive him for it any time soon."
She sighed and looked at Boa. "It's even worse when I factor in JungShin. I mean, I haven't said more than a few words to him, and he won't get out of my head, and I wish so hard it was him I was contracted to. But then, of course, he probably wouldn't be the kind of guy I'd want to date." She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table.
"Are you sure he is now?" Boa asked.
"I guess it doesn't matter. I probably won't ever find out. I'd almost rather not find out, because there's no way it'd work."
"Almost?"
Chanmi sighed. "It'd be nice to know that someone is attracted to me," she said wistfully, and then laughed and sat up. "Ignore me. I'm much more drunk than I should be, and HeeChul is going to be furious, and I don't care because I'm drunk."
Boa laughed. "Beautiful circular logic. Do you want me to take you home?"
"Want you to? No," Chanmi said. "But I probably should ask you to. Or let you."
Boa got up and hauled Chanmi to her feet. "I'll get WooYoung to pick us up. I don't think I'd better drive either."
"Oh," Chanmi said as Boa dialed the chauffeur. "Is that his name?"