The clicking sound of the bedroom door opened, a stiff stepping approaching her sitting by the bedside. It was Daehwan, he’s just back from work. Reading news on her tablet, Evelyn’s unbothered by his coming still focuses on her reading. So he greets her with kisses on the cheeks. Then remove his jacket and shoes. Going inside the bathroom to wash up and change clothes, he’ll be out again for a dinner appointment.

Be that seeing Evelyn in that black lingerie excited him. He goes back to her, caresses her face. Daehwan snatches the tablet to put it at the side table. Kissing and smooching her neck. She smells fresh like a musky and sweet vanilla scent, Evelyn also just finished taking a bath. His hands are on her hip, sliding  down the outer thighs. She sighs, moving her face away from Daehwan. Grabbing his hands from moving further.

“Quickie?”

He offers her a gleaming face, pleading they do it before he goes out again.

“I’m not in the mood.”

Is she in a bad mood today? As long as Daehwean could remember he’s done nothing wrong to her yesterday or this morning before he went to work. Is she getting mad at him for not telling her the result of the trial for Kang Dong Il’s case? Since she’s so interested in knowing about it, Daehwan assumed she felt offended by him not telling her because she has no business with the case.

“What’s wrong?”

She muted. Taking back her tablet and scrolling the screen again.

“Hey, don’t be so cold to me, okay?”

“Aren’t you busy with that case? You’re having a meeting with the prosecutor right?”

He nodded, sitting in front of her.

“Yeah. But I still have some time.”

“Wouldn’t they wait for you? Just hurry up.”

He didn’t know why but those words sounded sore to him. As if not just rejecting, but his presence is unwanted by Evelyn. Presuming she wants him out of her sight quickly isn’t wrong.

“Tell me what’s going on?”

“ It’s not like you’re the one handling the case. But I don’t know, it looks like you’re getting on  edge for nothing.”

“Your case? Why would I care about your case?” Her squinty eyes glanced at Daehwan mystified.

“Because it looks like you’re the one who’s more distressed about it than me.”

Evelyn scoffed, “You must've kidding me.”

“I’ve got no business with what you’re doing.”

“Then, at least explain to me the plausible reasons. Why are you treating me cold?”

“I owe you no explanations.”

“Get off.”

She pushed Daehwan’s hand aside from her. 

Peeved and scowling, Daehwan leaves the bed and stride out fast from the bedroom. This is the first for him to be unable to keep his cool, as if he restrained himself for long. He secretly hopes for Evelyn to be affirmative and clinging yet he got no fellow feeling from the other side. Then, what’s the point of dating? This relationship gets nowhere. I can’t even touch you as I want. He asked himself.

“Fuck.” That single word spitted out of his mouth first he left the room.

She smirks, not in any chance anyone getting on their way with her. It should be the other way around. Ironically her true feelings are concealed, nobody can understand her. Especially for Daehwan who knows Evelyn for a few months only.

***

“Urgh”. Daehwan groaned, brushing his bed hair. The clothes he wore from last night's meeting are still on his body. Too bothered even sleeping with shoes on. Waking up with a stinging pain in his head, he couldn't sleep well last night.

Soon after he regretted losing it with Evelyn, Daehwan ended up drinking a few bottles of Soju when he came back, so that he could finally sleep in the study  next to the dining room.

“I’m not eating. Just prepare for him.”

A faint voice out in the kitchen talking to Mrs. Kim. She’s going to work earlier. It’s always been so early, yet for some reason he bet she plans to leave earlier today because of their quarrel last night. Once he makes sure the voice has disappeared, he comes out. Mrs. Kim is there cooking breakfast for him.

“What are you making, Mrs. Kim?”

Mrs. Kim flinched by the sudden sonorous voices coming from her back. Quickly, she bowed to him good morning and answered.

“Egg soup and Gamjajeon, sir.”

“Did she leave?” Mrs. Kim nodded.

“I’ll wash up then.”

She smiled and nodded again. Daehwan leaves her with the cooking and goes inside Evelyn’s bedroom to also prepare for work.

Everything inside the house was already neat and soon he came out for breakfast. She serves the single portion meal for Daehwan on the dining table. 

“Mrs. Kim, why do you never cook Korean dishes for Evelyn? Does she not like it?”

“That…is not like that, Mr. Yeon.”

Surprised by his question, Mrs. Kim thought he already knew the reason why.

***

“What is with the heavy traffic this early?”

“Did you get caught in the traffic too, sunbae?”

Some documents are piling, stacked up into groups. It was even on Daehwan's desk and chair. He removes some, putting it somewhere to give space for himself. He’s unbothered looking at what Woorim is sorting.

“What’s this case about?”

“Nothing, it’s just the old cases. The storage room team asked me to sort the cases that we’ve been handling for one year. It’s almost the new year in a few weeks.”

“Are you going to the juvenile prison again today?”

“Yeah…”

Daehwan answered with a long face. Staring at the running screensaver on his computer.

“What’s with you?”

The sound of paper’s bundling tucked onto the table shook him off along with Woorim’s question. He sighed, thinking of a way to make up with Evelyn once he got home. No, to be precise, get back to her house.

“Let’s get some drinks tonight.”

Woorim’s face brightened for the invitation, and quickly answered his offering.

“You pay.”

He organise the papers back inside the box and grinning his way out of the investigation team room, bringing them out.

The whole day, Daehwan’s mind wandered off thinking of any excuse he could make. Or any reason why Evelyn is mad at him out of the blue. It was probably  because she's tired. Or anything she’s too stressed with the work and not in the mood to be with him, or it might be she’s on period. Yes, that must've been it.

Women are weird creatures. They would easily change their attitude and forget about it later as if it’s never happened. Maybe Evelyn already forgot why she’s mad at him last night and when he’s arriving home later at night, they would act casually toward each other again.

“I’m home…”

A beep for the locked front door as Daehwan entered the house, the room was dark with none’s lamps on. He guessed nobody’s home since the afternoon, even the curtains are still unveiled.

It’s already 11 pm, where did Evelyn go this late? He asked himself. If she’s working overtime, she would send him any text messages. Or her bodyguards would inform him that she’s going to her parents house or going to Gyeonggi-do.

So he’s making a quick call to Kim Jisoo, one of her bodyguards while turning on the lamps in the living room and closing the curtains. A husky voice on the other side of the line answering it.

“Hello Mr. Yeon…” The voice was rustling on something.

“Is Evelyn at her parent’s house?”

He took a moment answering, “No sir.”

“Are you with her?”

“No, I’m not. I’m in my house right now.”

“Then where is she?”

Jisoo stops what he’s doing, taking time to figure out the question.

“I’m sorry sir, I’m afraid I can’t tell you since I’m restricted to her private schedules.”

Daehwan sits on the couch, taking off the jacket and putting it by his side. Leaning on the head rest, he ponders into the room.

“Okay, thank you.”

The call hung up, he sighed again. Covering face with one of his hands. A burn out feeling rushing through inside his chest. It’s too complex to explain.