"Why?" Eun-sun heard herself asking. Why her? Why did he like her? There were other girls out there who were obviously of same social standing with him, who weren't indebted like her, who had a lot more to offer, so why her? Why was this rich, domineering and dangerous man interested in her? She had asked herself this questions after he had left the apartment this morning, but she hadn't been able to answer them
She thought about the things he had done for her, and had to admit that it wasn't something that usually happened to her. Maybe when she was younger, she had her mother to take care of her, but after her dad left, she had been the one taking care of everybody. Only Hei-Ran and Ji-Sang would ask about her well being but she'd always brush them off, claiming she was fine.
But with Dan-Han it was different. He wasn't her friend, as a matter of fact he was a big bully who never failed to use his power in tormenting his preys, but he had somehow always looked after her.
Dan-Han stayed his gaze on her intensely. She was looking at him with much intensity for the first time, and it made his heart race.
"Why I like you?" He asked back, but Eun-sun didn't bother to respond because she knew he heard her in the first place and as such she didn't see need to repeat herself.
Dan-Han stood up from his seat, his hand still holding hers and his gaze not leaving her for a moment. Eun-sun's heart skipped a beat when Dan-Han stood up to his feet and walked around the desk to stand before her.
And as usual he tucked a imaginary strand of her behind her ear, making her uncomfortable, but she didn't bother to think much about it, because she was slowly realising these were the things he does when he was with her. She couldn't even begin to count how many times he had done this. Trailing his hand down her cheeks, tucking her hair behind her ears, holding her hands and all the other things he does without taking permission.
He stood in front of her, towering over her as usual. He lifted her chin up with his finger so she could look at him. His grey eyes boring deeply into her hazel ones. Eun-sun could hear her heart beating frantically with Dan-Han standing so close to her.
"What's not to like?" Dan-Han asked with a calm and gentle voice.
"You're a combination of many things which I can't understand. You're the only puzzle I can't seem to comprehend. You challenge me, and make me feel dumb for the first time. You're the first person that has made me question my capability. So tell me Park Eun-sun, how can I not like you?" He asked, his eyes not leaving her face for a moment, and his gaze grew intense by each word.
Her heart skipped another beat and her breathe hitched for a second when Dan-Han lowered himself to sit on the edge of his desk and he pulled her close to himself. Her body tensed up when he put his hand around her waist. He was always looking for an opportunity to do something like this. Eun-sun tried to step back, but the man held her steady, making her sigh resignatedly.
He lifted his face up to look at her.
"Look, I'm not the type who is good with words, because I don't see the reason to. But if you want a particular reason why I like you then know this, I don't have a reason for liking you. I just do you and I can't stop doing it, so don't expect me to give you a long line of sweet words and things like that, it's not my style" He replied honestly. He wasn't the type who say sweet words to a woman or anybody. He wasn't good at saying such sweet stuff neither was he used to it, he found them cringy and he wouldn't want to involve himself with such frivolous acts. He was always been plain and outright with his words.
Eun-sun looked at him silently, she could see he wasn't joking, he meant every word he had just said. Despite him being a hard man who was very difficult to read she could atleast tell he was been honest at the moment. She already knew he wasn't the type to say those sweet nothings just to tell the reason why he liked her, and she also wasn't expecting that as well.
Her eyes bored into his and for the first time she noticed the color of his eyes and how it did suit him and his cold personality. Her eyes trailed further to his finely pointed nose, jaw and full symmetrical lips. Maybe it was because of the advantage of the height provided by their current position. Him sitting and she standing, making her tower over him, that was a first. She had to admit he was indeed a fine man, with a godly features...too good for a man as cold as he was. Eun-sun had listened to what he had said but she didn't know what to say in return.
She had wanted to ask, and now she had her answer. But she still didn't know what to say. Dan-Han hasn't been entirely nice towards her but she wasn't blind to the efforts he had made. She remembered how he had taunted her with that debt, tortured at work and every other thing he had done to her just to keep her close. She had seen him like every other person out there, until he started saying and doing all of these things that were beginning to make her think otherwise about his personality.
Dan-Han could tell she was thinking about a whole lot of things, and she might do that for a quite a long time, so he spoke up,
"Eun-sun" He started.
'Eun-sun?' This was the first time she noticed he was calling her with her name now. He had always addressed her as Ms Eun-sun or with her last name. She still didn't say anything and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I know i might not be an easy man but I want you give me a chance to be with you. You asked me to be nice, I'll try. I can do whole lot than try. I might have been impulsive with you but that's because you always try to slip away. Just let me court you. You're delaying the whole process of courting you by being difficult to me"
"But what if I don't want you to" Eun-sun finally asked. She didn't think he has ever asked himself that.
"Then I'll court you nonetheless" Dan-Han shamelessly declared. He wasn't the type to play fair, even if she doesn't want him or like him, he was going to chase her nonetheless.
"President Lee –" Eun-sun open her mouth to refute his words but Dan-Han pulled her closer to his body, almost ramming her chest against his.
"Shh, Dan-Han. It's Dan-Han for you" He told her. Eun-Sun was barely breathing at the moment. She held her breath out of shock when Dan-Han pulled her closer. Their close proximity made her uncomfortable. She struggled to take a step away from him, but he wouldn't let go.
"Just be calm for once" He told her in a cold tone instinctively making her stay put.
"Pr- es-ident Lee, please let go" Eun-sun pleaded in a calm voice. She adviced herself to always go the subtle way with this man. Violence wasn't going to work with him.
Dan-Han furrowed his brows as he looked at her. He pushed the lock of hair lying on shoulders behind her back.
"Call me that again and I'll have your salary slashed and your debt increased" He threatened, making Eun-sun to look at him with wide eyes.
'What? He was going to do what?!' Eun-sun looked at him dumbfoundedly. Was this man ever going to stop bullying her? Didn't he just say he'll try to behave nicely?' She asked herself.
And as if he was had read her mind he said, "I only act nice to you, but if you want me to be nicer, start growing those feelings Park Eun-sun. I'm an impatient man and i might just forcefully claim you" He told her with a serious tone which indicated that he meant every word he had said.
"Mr L.." She paused when she realized what she was about to do. She refrained herself from addressing him by President Lee, but she still didn't think she'd be able to address him by his name.
So she opted for talking to him without calling his name, "Do I get a choice in all this?" She asked.
"Yes" Dan-Han swiftly replied. Eun-sun shoot him a skeptical look, she didn't think he was been honest, but she still asked, "Which is?"
"Love me back or pay your debt"
'As expected. He was definitely going for the blackmail' She reasoned to herself. Eun-sun thought Dan-Han had finished speaking but then he continued.
"With your heart"