Love To Hate Me

...

Rooftop, Sapphire Hotel.

After having dinner, the newly engaged couple and their parents bid goodbye to all the guests, as the engagement came to a close.

Falling back into a chair, Soo Min sighed of exhaustion. Today, was indeed quite a tiresome day for her, not to mention her heavy gown and jewelry.

Her eyes inadvertently shifted to her hand, specifically to the fourth finger on her left hand.

The rose gold ring glittered brightly under the moonlight.

'I guess I really did get engaged to him, huh?' Soo Min mused and thought back to the time where she had sworn to never let this engagement take place.

Mother Song, who was sitting not to far away from Soo Min, massaged her aching shoulders turned to her son and commanded, "Ryan drop Soo Min home on your way, Jason and I will finish up things here."

"What? But why should I?" Ryan nonchalantly asked.

"Stop asking questions, it's already quite late at night and it's not safe for her to take a taxi. And Jason and will take some time to finish up. Besides, don't you have to go back to work tomorrow, dear?" Mother Song turned to Soo Min and asked.

Snapping out of her daze, Soo Min slightly nodded her head.

"Fine." Ryan agreed and stood up as he walked past Soo Min, before he casually said, "Let's go"

Soo Min looked up at him and nodded before grabbing her purse from the table and trailing behind him as the two of them walked towards the elevator lobby.

.....

Inside the car.

"What's your address?" Ryan asked as he tapped on the maps app on the small flat screen of the car.

"621 Skyville Residence." Soo Min informed.

Skyville Residence was one of the most reputable apartment complex in the city, specially known for their excellent amenities and amiable residential community.

Soo Min didn't live with her dad, although sometimes she did go back to the park mansion and stay there maybe a night or two at most.

But generally, she stayed in her apartment as it was easier to commute to work as well as located in a prime area with groceries and the mall only minutes away.

"Okay." Ryan said as he typed the inputs into the search bar of the maps and started the car engine before driving off.

Letting out a subtle yawn, Soo Min turned her head to face the car window and looked at the scenery outside as they passed by several illuminated buildings and brightly lit streets.

She let out another yawn as her eyelids soon grew heavier and heavier, before she finally drifted off to sleep.

After a long while of silence, Ryan stopped at a red signal and turned to look at Soo Min, but instead he noticed that she was not moving, and her breathing was steady, with her head leaned against the car window.

He leaned towards her and brushed her dark brown hair, that was covering her face, to the side, and realized that she was already fast asleep.

Ryan stared at her impeccable face with a gentle gaze as he recollected the memories of them dancing. Truth be told, he hadn't had such a fun night and felt so carefree since the demise of his dad and older brother.

A soft smile spread on his face when he remembered about their quirky yet cute little dance battle.

When the signal turned green, he immediately retracted his hand and focused his attention back on the road.

.....

Skyville Residence.

Upon entering the gates of the apartment complex, Ryan stopped the car before the building in which Soo Min lived.

He turned to look at the woman in the passenger seat, who was still fast asleep. She looked like a little baby and to him seemed less annoying this way.

With a click of his seatbelt, he stepped out and strode towards the other side of the car.

Ryan slowly and carefully opened the car door, making sure not to wake her up.

When he saw her body move a little, his body froze for a second but when she adjusted herself in a more comfortable position, she fell back to sleep.

Relieved, Ryan let out a deep breath before he proceeded with caution.

He leaned over her and reached for the retractor in order for him to unclasp her seatbelt.

When Soo Min heard some constant shuffling that was disturbing her sleep, she frowned and reluctantly opened her eyes exactly at the same as sound of a seatbelt cl.i.c.k.i.n.g.

Just as Ryan was about to retract his hand, his eyes landed on another pair of eyes that were looking at him.

His entire body froze and his heart beat quickened by the close proximity of their faces.

Soo Min was completely dumbstruck and thrown off by the fact that the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was his face, that too so close to hers.

"What are you doing?" Soo Min questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I—" For some reason, Ryan wasn't able to say anything and felt as if he had been caught doing something bad.

Almost instantly, he retracted the upper half of his body and faced the other way. His face seemed to be hot. In fact, very hot.

The cool breeze of the night seemed to have no effect on him at all.

"It's good that you're awake! I was just about to wake you up." Ryan nonchalantly said.

Grabbing her purse, Soo Min stepped out of the car and spoke to the man that had his back faced towards her.

"Oh okay. Sorry for making you wait. I didn't even realize how I dozed off like that."

But when she received no response from his side, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, before she continued, "Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll be leaving then."

Ryan simply nodded with his back still facing towards her.

With that, Soo Min turned around and started to walk towards her building.

"What an odd man." She mumbled before she typed her security pin and entered the building.

Noticing that she had left, Ryan heaved a sigh of relief and stared at the building in front of him.

'Why was I acting like that? It's not like I did anything wrong? What's wrong with you, Ryan?!' He mused before he shook away all those thoughts as it seemed to have puzzled him even more and went and said inside his car before he drove off.