The Demon In You

Rian was at her desk at the office when Hyunjae walked in, wearing a bright blue faux coat and sunglasses.

"You!" he pointed at her threateningly.

"What is it, sir?" Rian asked, putting on a sweet smile. He walked towards her desk, leaning in closer. He was scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes.

"Did I offend you, Sir?" Rian asked innocently.

Hyunjae held out an empty juice box.

"Did you drink my freshly squeezed, imported from New Zealand and the sweetest, orange juice?" he accused.

Rian's smile widened in glee. "I might have," she replied.

"Gah!" Hyunjae shrieked. "This is my favorite brand! I even wrote my name on it!"

"I know," Rian said smugly, taking out another juice box she nabbed from Hyunjae's refrigerator. "I did it on purpose," she said, taking a long sip from it.

"M-my orange juice…" Hyunjae w.h.i.n.ed.

"A little payback for not telling me the whole truth," she sneered, taking another sip while enjoying Hyunjae's pained expressions. Now she knew why Jo Sun loves to torture him so much.

"I'll get you for this," Hyunjae vowed as he backed off. "You'll see!"

He was walking away when he turned around and commented, "And Ms. Oh. Pink scrunchies with brown suit? Really? You embarrass me."

Rian flung the half empty juice box at him. Hyunjae dodged it with ease.

"Your modeling training will start today," he announced. An evil gleam danced in his eyes. "Be ready."

"I didn't agree to it," Rian fumed.

"Tut tut," Hyunjae tutted. "You can't refuse. Be at the ramp room. Four PM. Sharp! Adios!"

With that, he proudly strutted out of the room.

"I'm gonna take revenge for my orange juice!" he promised.

Rian stared at his back, dumbfounded. What silly scheme is he planning now? She wondered in dismay. Will he die if I paint all over his hat collection?

Thinking of giving the prank a try, Rian returned to her files.

…

Hyunjae was fixing his ponytail when Jo Sun entered the room.

"Did you look into those two demons?" Hyunjae asked, still fidgeting with his hair. He picked up a mirror and admired himself in it.

"I did," Jo Sun responded. "They're strays. Their hosts are dead."

"Anything else?"

"There is one thing though," Jo Sun frowned. "I was checking into their hosts and found out that both of them lived in the same areas as two of the serial killing victims."

"Oh wow!" Hyunjae gasped.

"I know," Jo Sun agreed. "It's a breakthrough!"

"Huh?" Hyunjae asked in confusion, looking away from the mirror. "You were saying something?"

"I said it's a breakthrough…" Jo Sun frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"What are YOU talking about?" Jo Sun questioned back.

"I was just marveling at my perfectly sculptured face," Hyunjae said gleefully. "Ain't I gor-"

His words were interrupted by Jo Sun's smack on his head.

"THE STRAY DEMON'S HOSTS LIVED IN THE SAME AREA AS THE VICTIMS, YOU COLOSSAL IDIOT!" Jo Sun yelled at him.

"Could have said it nicely," Hyunjae complained. "No need to hit my beautiful head."

Jo Sun picked up a file and began to hit his boss with it while Hyunjae tried to duck in vain.

He was still trying to escape the clutches of his secretary when Rian walked in.

"You have an appointment with Park Changmin at 12 PM," she informed robotically as Jo Sun continued to hit Hyunjae with the file.

"Oye!" Hyunjae shrieked. "Save me!"

"Sorry but it's lunch time," Rian replied smugly. "Bye."

With that she left the room.

"Save me!" Hyunjae pleaded as Jo Sun kept on smacking him with the file.

….

"Damn sadist," Hyunjae gritted his teeth. Jo Sun hit him good for an hour before letting him go. "I'm gonna cut his pay!"

The hour long beating messed up his ponytail which he worked so hard to perfect.

"This is gonna take forever to fix!" he exclaimed. "Ugh…"

He combed his long hair and decided to let it loose. I look good with my loose hair anyway, he decided.

Strolling over to his desk, he picked up the file containing the details of his next appointment. Opening the file, he scanned through it.

It was a modeling contract with one of the most popular models of the current times, Park Changmin. Hyunjae had been trying to sign him for a long time, but the guy worked independently. He never signed up with an agency and hence Hyunjae found it suspicious that he would agree to sign up with them.

He looked at Changmin's picture carefully. Even though he ran into him a few times at social gatherings, he never paid much heed to him. But upon closer look at the picture, Hyunjae frowned. He looked oddly familiar…

Shutting the file, he tossed it aside and leaned back. For a long time, he thought hard.

Rian walked into the room to find Joonjae deep in thought. She was surprised. She never saw him look so serious.

"Sir, are you worried about something?" she asked him. Maybe he is thinking of how to style his hair, she thought warily.

Hyunjae did not reply. He was lost in his own world.

Rian sighed. "Sir, your twelve o'clock appointment's clients are here," she informed him. Her statement was met by a mere "Hmm" from Hyunjae.

She rolled her eyes and was about to head out when Hyunjae spoke up, "Miss Oh?"

She turned around. He was not looking at her but was still leaned back on his chair.

"Tell me Ms. Oh," he said, staring into space. "What do you do when you're faced with your inner demons?"

Rian was confused. "You've met my demon," she frowned. "I face it everyday."

Hyunjae was silent again. He was still staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly he stood up. "You're right," he said. "We must face them everyday."

With that he put on his sunglasses and a bright blue hat.

"Let's go," he declared. Rian was dumbfounded. What was going on?

Suddenly, Hyunjae looked… Manly? He was usually the fashion diva but right then, there was an aura about him which made him seem like a Royal Emperor with full dignity. Rian could not help but be awed.

"Stop staring, Ms. Oh," Hyunjae teased. "Otherwise you may actually fall in love with me."

Caught unaware by the remark, Rian blushed. "W-what are you talking about?" she stammered. "Fall in love with you? Never!"

She hurriedly scurried past him, still flushed on the face.

A small smile etched on Hyunjae's face. "I won't mind it at all," he said to himself as she ran away. "A strange fate awaits us, after all."

He heaved a sigh and followed her out of the room.