59 | Party

***

Jessica's frustration echoed through the room as she tumbled to the floor, jolting awake from the depths of her dream. With determination, she hoisted herself up, each movement a testament to her resilience. Returning to the bed, she caught sight of Da-On's mischievous grin, which widened as she gasped and instinctively clutched her chest.

"Jessica Omma, Yuri Appa has already left for work, while you've been lost in slumber," Da-On announced, his tone a playful mix of teasing and concern as he sat up across from her on the bed.

"Aigoo, you nearly scared me to death," Jessica sighed, her voice carrying a mix of relief and amusement. "Looks like I'll be sticking around with you, Da-On, since I've got a pounding headache," she murmured, drawing nearer to the young boy and enveloping him in a warm hug. "Help me chase away this pain," she whispered, her eyes half-closed in a plea for comfort.

"You smell a little funky," Da-On remarked, gently nudging her away.

"Am I?" 

"Oh, you definitely overdid it," Tiffany chimed in, entering the room with a tray of hangover soup in hand. "You were quite the party animal last night, and poor Yuri had to you home all by himself."

Jessica turned her head to the side, blinking slowly. "Did I do something... amusing?" she wondered aloud.

Tiffany couldn't help but chuckle softly as she set the tray down beside Jessica on the bed. "Well, let's just say you left a little souvenir on his shirt," she teased gently. "Feed your Jessica Omma, Da-On ah."

Da-On eagerly seized the spoon, carefully scooping up a portion before tenderly feeding Jessica.

"Thanks, Da-On. You're a lifesaver," Jessica expressed her gratitude with a smile, her hair tousled but her spirits lifted by his care.

"It's Yuri Appa because he made the soup," Da-On corrected with a chuckle as he fed her another spoonful.

"Really? Now... I feel a bit guilty for worrying him," she pouted, her expression irresistibly cute as she glanced down at the soup.

"By the way, did our colleagues ever check up on you? Yuri mentioned you were left alone while waiting for him," Tiffany inquired, settling herself on the edge of the bed. "So, spill the beans. What went down at the team dinner?"

Jessica opened , allowing Da-On to feed her another spoonful before she attempted to recall the events. "Hmm, it's all a bit fuzzy," she admitted with a sigh.

"What happened?" Tiffany and Da-On asked simultaneously, their curiosity piqued.

"They let me pour the soju into those pile of shot glasses, sing for them, and... dance?"

"You dance?" Tiffany exclaimed, her surprise evident as Da-On burst into laughter.

As Jessica massaged her temples, easing the remnants of her headache, a sudden realization struck her. "Oh my gosh," she gasped, her eyes widening. "I remember something else. I ended up doing all the dares from the truth or dare game. The final dare was to chug a beer, and that's how I ended up getting drunk. I had no idea they just left me."

"Yuri said she received a lot of misscalls from you, did you do it?"

"Oh, my phone," Jessica exclaimed, quickly scanning the nightstand and finding it there, intact. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "I guess I did manage to keep it safe and called Yuri."

"So, no one bothered to call on your behalf? Just left you hanging when it was time to go," Tiffany remarked with a disapproving tongue click. "Sounds like they're not the most reliable colleagues, huh? Let's hope nothing else went awry besides what you remember." Concern laced her words as she voiced her worries.

"My body felt exhausted, but nothing felt out of the ordinary, so I doubt they pulled anything shady," Jessica reasoned, though a hint of skepticism lingered in her mind. "Our supervisor was there with the team, so I suppose we can trust our colleagues," she added, trying to reassure herself.

Taking the spoon from Da-On, she savored a mouthful of soup. "Thanks, Da-On. This helps with my hangover," she expressed gratefully, her smile brightening the room.

"You're welcome, Noona," Da-On responded radiantly.

Tiffany let out a soft sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Aigoo, I don't know what to think of you sometimes," she murmured, her concern evident in her voice.

***

Yuri strolled back to his car, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. Checking the CCTV footage from the restaurant had been quite the entertainment. He felt relieved to see that Jessica's coworkers hadn't caused her any trouble; instead, she had become the life of the party, particularly with her rendition of "Baby Shark" which had everyone in stitches.

However, he couldn't shake off his disappointment that they had left her without trying to reach out to anyone from her contact list while she was inebriated. It had been Jessica herself who had repeatedly called him while he was at the mall last night. Thankfully, the owner had taken it upon themselves to keep an eye on Jessica and had been vigilant in checking on her until he arrived.

"Sir, to the office?" The driver asked from the driver's seat.

"No, to the City Mayor's office please." He requested as he adjusted his seat so he could take his phone out and just right on time, he received a message from Jessica.

Jessica Jung♥: I remember some stuff last night, thank you for coming my love. I owe you dinner tonight.

So you remember the ride home?

Jessica Jung♥: I said just a few, so I don't remember the ride home. However, Tiffany told me I threw up on you, I'll make sure to get rid of the smell. 

Don't bother. 

The shirt isn't that expensive.

Jessica Jung♥: But you are still wearing it, it might still smell like puke. I'll wash it later and put on a lot of perfume.

Okay, it's your choice.

I'll look forward to the dinner.

Jessica Jung♥: See you later. 😘😘😘

***

While Seohyun savors her sandwich within the confines of the CCTV room, her attention is drawn to a figure entering the city hall, clad in a coat and a baseball cap, an incongruous sight given the weather. Intrigued, she zeroes in on the monitor displaying his movements, alternating between observing him intently and taking bites of her sandwich, momentarily torn between sustenance and surveillance.

As the man stepped into the lift, she swiftly redirected the screen to the camera inside, maintaining her vigilant watch from her seat. In the midst of her sandwich, she observed his departure on the seventh floor, where the city mayor's office held court. Her gaze lingered, but when the unfamiliar figure deposited a box onto the secretary's desk and brandished a firearm, she sprang into action. Without hesitation, she seized the stun gun nearby, dashed out of the room, and hurried to the lift, her fingers frantically pressing the floor number. 

Upon reaching the floor, she advanced with the stun gun poised, her gaze locking onto the man's figure not far from her.

"Step out of the office immediately!" he barked at the secretary, his threat looming over the box he threatened to detonate.

Seohyun seized the moment, closing the distance with the intruder and squeezing the trigger of her stun gun. With a crackling surge, an arc of high voltage surged toward the man's legs, causing him to relinquish his weapon and collapse to the floor, convulsing uncontrollably until unconsciousness claimed him.

Seohyun cautiously approached the box, her curiosity piqued, only to discover its innocuous contents—mere sand.

"Please, call the police, Miss," she instructed the secretary, her eyes flickering briefly to the still-trembling figure on the floor. With a gentle nudge, she nudged the firearm out of reach, ensuring the man wouldn't regain it upon awakening.

The door to the Mayor's office swung open, and Yuri's gasp of surprise punctuated the tense atmosphere as he took in the unfolding scene.

"Oppa? What are you doing here?" she exclaimed, her surprise mirroring Yuri's.

"Seohyun-ah, did you do this?" Yuri's disbelief was palpable as he gestured towards the prone figure on the ground.

The mayor emerged from his office, equally taken aback. "What on earth happened here?" he inquired, his voice tinged with astonishment.

"That man tried to harm us, Sir," the secretary informed them urgently. "Ms. Seo here acted swiftly, apprehending him before he could enact his intentions." She reassured them, adding, "I've already contacted the police; they're on their way."

The mayor's brow furrowed in recognition. "Aren't you the girl from the Avenger video?" he queried, sensing familiarity in her face.

Seohyun nodded respectfully and bowed. "Yes, Sir," she confirmed.

"Whoa, you're pretty good," the mayor praised in awe, admiration evident in his voice.

Yuri beamed with pride. "She certainly is, Mayor Choi," he affirmed, nodding in agreement.

Seohyun's cheeks flushed, and she offered an awkward smile. "Thank you, Sir," she replied gratefully.

—

"You're not eating?" Yuri noticed Seohyun hadn't budged from her seat as he rejoined her at their table in the cafeteria. He had indulged in a meal, compliments of the young girl's generosity.

"I've already had my lunch. So, are you going to spill the beans now, Oppa?" Seohyun raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer to Yuri, who sat across from her.

"Let me take a few bites first. I worked up an appetite, you know," Yuri requested with a brief smile, reaching for his chopsticks to begin his meal.

Seohyun sighed softly, reclining in her seat and crossing her legs, arms folded across her chest. She waited patiently until Yuri picked up his glass of water for a drink before she spoke again. "I'm sure you've had your fill now, right, Oppa?"

"You're persistent," Yuri chuckled softly, setting the glass down on the table before finally meeting her gaze. "I told Mayor Choi about Soonkyu."

Seohyun's eyes widened in disbelief. "Omo, what did-"

"He's aware of Soonkyu's extensive connections within the government, including his own," Yuri interjected, his tone serious. "But when I suggested she might be the mastermind behind the incident in Jeonju, it caught him off guard. I've asked for his assistance in investigating her, and he's promised to assemble a team for the operation. Additionally, Sunghoon won't be allowed to leave the country now that the mayor is aware of his intentions to depart after withdrawing such a large sum of money."

Seohyun struggled to find the right words, but relief washed over her upon hearing Yuri's words. He was someone capable of anything when he set his mind to it, and knowing that he was willing to leverage his connections to protect their friends brought her a sense of comfort.

"Thank you, Oppa. Now we won't have to worry about their potential actions toward Taeyeon Oppa and Tiffany Unnie," she expressed gratefully, a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"No, thank you," Yuri countered, sincerity in his tone. "Without your efforts, we wouldn't have uncovered Soonkyu's ties to Sunghoon. We'll catch them one day, so don't stress about it anymore, okay?" With a reassuring smile, he resumed his meal, signaling a sense of determination.

"No wonder you were just so calm last night. You have it all planned out."

"What I'm stressing right now is your sister, Jessica Jung."

Seohyun gasped in surprise. "Wae? What did Unnie do?"

"I'm planning to propose at Taeyeon and Tiffany's wedding," Yuri revealed. "So, I need your help," he added earnestly, his tone carrying the weight of his intentions.

"What is it?" A big grin immediately spread across Seohyun's lips.

"Keep the alcohol out of her reach," Yuri advised with a knowing smile. "She gets pretty tipsy, just like last night."

"Yeah, she was all over the place," Seohyun chuckled, remembering the chaos Jessica caused when they got home. "Got it, noted," she affirmed, quickly typing the reminder into her phone's note app. "What else?"

"Since I'm going to pop the question when she receives the flowers from Tiffany, make sure she catches them," Yuri instructed firmly. "Understand? Because it'll all fall apart if she doesn't catch them."

"Okay, I'll make sure Unnie catches the flowers," Seohyun affirmed, typing the reminder into her notes as well. "I'll also inform Yihyun so she won't catch wind of it."

"Yeah, you girls should coordinate," Yuri agreed enthusiastically, fully on board with the plan.

"Does Yoona know about this?"

"I'm still going to tell him. But he doesn't need to do anything. I mean, he's the videographer, right? So yeah, let him record everything including my proposal." He smiled with a giggle. 

"Right," Seohyun replied with a giddy smile, already envisioning her boyfriend's reaction when the proposal unfolded before him. "I'm really happy for you and Jessica Unnie, Oppa. Um, can you just do me a favor, Oppa?"

"What is it?"

"Don't. Hurt. Her. Ever." Seohyun's voice was firm, her gaze fierce, causing Yuri to gulp nervously before nodding in agreement. "Consider that a friendly warning, okay?" She softened her expression, smiling sweetly and letting out a small giggle.

***

Returning to the store from a brief visit to the restroom, Yihyun noticed Donghwi diligently attending to customers, executing each bow and smile precisely as instructed.

"He's catching on quickly, isn't he?" Yihyun remarked to herself, a smile tugging at her lips as she approached him. "I believe you're quite capable on your own now," she stated, her tone reflecting her pride.

"What? No, I still need to familiarize myself with product placement, sizes for shoes, blouses, coats, and—" Donghwi began to protest.

"Aish, araso, araso," Yihyun interrupted gently, understanding his eagerness to learn. "I'll guide you through all of that. Come along, let's head to the storage room," she declared, leading him away before he could continue.

Donghwi entered quietly, his demeanor attentive as he stepped inside. With a miniature notebook in hand, he absorbed every word his mentor spoke, scribbling notes eagerly. This experience felt akin to his inaugural job, yet the excitement of learning something novel fueled his enthusiasm. It stood in stark contrast to his time at the Kim Family's bank, where stringent rules and ceaseless errands left him sleep-deprived and drained.

"Do you have them?" Yihyun inquired, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Yeah, thank you, Ms. Cho," Donghwi replied, offering a smile as he bowed respectfully.

"By the way, how old are you?" she asked, crossing her arms in curiosity.

"Oh, I'm 27, how about you?"

Yihyun's eyes widened in disbelief. "You did what?" she exclaimed, her surprise evident in her tone.

"What's the matter?" Donghwi chuckled, though a hint of confusion lingered in his expression.

"You're only two years older than me? Aish, you look like you're still 20 or 23," Yihyun exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"Omo, so you're like my dongseng then?" she added, a surprised laugh escaping her lips.

"Why would I be?"

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