CHAPTER FIVE| A socially-milieu-crafted man|CHOI MOLAN

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The mystic azure sky wondrously turned into soothing blue. A breakable yellow-ray spilled into my room like a line sketched on paper with a golden sparkle pen. I peeked at it through the ceiling-length glass pane as I finished with my history assignment a day before its deadline. It was my last year of school, and I had to scrape a pass in all the subjects  given the scarce amount of hours that I had devoted to serious studying.

Receding from my desk, I yawned and my hair looked like a bad perm. Just as I fell on the bed on my abdomen, a comfy material wrapped around my fingers rubbed against my nose; it smelled like flowers. As it dawned upon me that I was still in Taehyung's shirt, a small smile cracked up on my face in the aftermath of the sweet memories flooding back.

"I want to protest against studying," I slurred.

Tiredness transformed into a sound sleep that beguiled the next one hour. I got up to refresh myself exactly at 9:30, late by half an hour which underscored the time for Molan and Uncle Mojo to be present and halfway done with their breakfast downstairs.

***

I got down the stairs and didn't let my attention waver from my phone. I nearly missed the last step but leaped to rise on both feet.

"It's about time the high-tech companies should make phones that beat the hunger and thirst online? I mean it's not a bad idea to just look at the picture, feel it go down your throat and you have build up your immunity?"

Heated words from Uncle Mojo who recited the litany of my unproductive habits amid which 'phone' played the chief character, it became a routine that I had grown accustomed to over time. I'd learned that his such jarring comments were far less derisive than something to have a good laugh at ─ at least.

"It is in the offing." With that, Molan filled her glass with mango juice.

"Such a rare sight to savor that princess Choi Hanuel is coming downstairs to have her breakfast with us. We, the peasants." As silent as his jibe was, I reciprocated the same energy with my straight expressions.

"Morning Molan," I chimed, evading the kind of callous look I received from across the table. I took a seat next to her. She was dressed in her elegant formal dress who silently laughed at Uncle Mojo's words.

"Where is my good morning?" He asked.

"Morning Uncle Mojo." That reluctantly turned my face to attend to him, "I think you hate me." Further, I sang in a light tone, cupping the side of my as I peered over the dishes, "I need Mum and Dad back."

"She is busy on her phone when it's the eating time. She's going on night outs when she should be studying." He coughed while putting a fist near his mouth. "As if the world revolves her little finger."

"I never wished for a high-handed man to pinpoint my qualities, I would rather say." I gifted him a tight-lipped smile.

"I'm staying here as your guardian until your parents return from London. Nobody in their right mind, especially of my age, would love to be wedged between two headstrong girls." It was hard to decipher some of the words as he had been feeding himself with big spoons of porridge. "I know she is diddling me out to meet a boy, and returning home late, in the name of what you call her, yes Lisa."

I immediately dug my head to not let the horror in my eyes, blush on my cheeks speak for me. I forced myself to imagine a grave scene in my head.
"You surely can make an innocent person a culprit of crimes that he never committed. Gosh, why did you even chose to partner with Dad, when you could've been a detective?"

A presumptuous glance at my phone resulted in a lopsided grin and I laughed at the eye-watering one-liner joke from Taehyung. "What-"

Soon, a large hand pounced on my device, and I kept staring at my empty hands.

Shit. What if Uncle Mojo checks the profile of the sender? He could never bear the news that I was dating the trusted driver of ours.

I jacked up and stretched my hand to get it from him. "Uncle Mojo, give it back!"

He intimidated me with his wrinkled and bulgy eyes.

The good news was that he kept the phone in his pocket and didn't check the contents of it. Still, I needed it back.

Meanwhile, Taehyung knocked on the door softly, clad in his white, well-ironed uniform. A white hat sat on his head like a piece of cloud. Although he perched at the pavement like a caveman at a considerable distance from us, I could see his obsidian eyes never looking up.

"Your driver has come, Molan," the elder uttered, and she was caught off-guarded.

Molan pushed back the chair and grabbed her coat from behind the chair. She sprinted toward the entrance in her high heel, who took the lead and Taehyung followed her.

A minute later, inside the lonely and silent mansion, the sound echoed like thunders when I stamped my feet. "Enough of your discordant acting, Uncle Mojo. I know you did it to trick her that nothing is right between us. And I also know that you want some favor from me."

He answered timidly, "A small favor."

I crossed my arms around the chest, tapping my foot briskly. "What is it? And ah-ah, my phone first." I cocked an eyebrow and satisfaction glided down my stature once I had it in my grip. "Now, we shall discuss it."

He nodded and his hand went past the lapel of his brown jacket. A thin blue plastic folder came out. With the force he placed it on the table, it traveled up to me. Carelessly, I picked it up, and as I flipped it open, a portrait appeared of a man with orange hair, but it was upside-down.

I explored more and there were six photographs of boys, I would regard them as impossibly handsome boys ever witnessed by my eyes.

If it hadn't been for Taehyung's stupid but adorable wit, I would easily . . . No.

I swiped a tongue over my upper lip, and a spike of red spilled over my cheeks. "What is this?"

"Boys."

"Uncle Mojo, thank you for teaching me something new," I admitted sarcastically, but lowly, secretly surprised with my tone. "I know they are boys, wait why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing, you are." He laughed.

I gulped down and waited for him to explain the plan. He took out a brown metallic box from his jacket pocket, I wondered how many things were yet to come out of his jacket. His much-worshipped cigar peeked out.

My chest caved in as he took so long to light it up. Five minutes were gone.

"These are the six dashing, filtered down boys who are bred in some foreign land and fed in South Korea. I did a little research on the internet and found that they are looking for a pretty bride. And who can be prettier than, well my two nieces?" He flanked his hands straight.

I darted at him as the news caught me cold. "Two nieces? One niece at a time." I instantly cut my chances of dating them or whatever. I have chosen my man already. He jumped up and his cigar dipped as he put it back in his mouth.

"I know, I know. These boys are to her avail." He suggested intentionally, "But you can tell me your choice I shall keep him aside."

I shot back, imbued with anger, "Oh, please! I'm with someone already." My large eyes shut closed and my hands spread out in realization of the mistake. "That just doesn't do much for me," I whispered like a terrified kid ─ slowly.

"It's fine with me, Hanuel. So long he is extremely wealthy like Croesus. Your turn is next." He smiled, pointing at me in surety.

"Eh, let's talk about them. What's the catch?"

"Your job is to orient them to act like piss-poor people. I want it to be love at first sight for her where she couldn't stop thinking about him."

I applied my brains, and added, "Like something that makes her wanna kiss him more and take the game a notch up. A man who can lead her to bed  with him." As I whipped my head to face him, "Isn't it?" He hit the folder on my head brutely. I almost forgot he was such prudish due to his old age.

"Shucks!"

"Do you discuss such private matters like a piece of the tabloid? Geez, my poor brother has no idea about your boldness. Now I'll ask him to ban your solo travels to a foreign land."

I hissed and smashed my fist onto the table.

"Go and dress up. We are going to meet with someone."

"Who? The one with orange hair?"

"Yes."

A/N

Who's the orange guy? Any guesses?

It's going to be a hella fun ride. I can't stress how excited I'm.

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