Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

Chapter 150: Stain on the Window Pane

Jaewan strutted along the hallway towards the tour bus where Woobin was waiting for him. As soon as he reached the bus, he took out a mini disinfectant bottle from his coat and sprayed on the door's handle. Woobin was at the driver's seat, watching his boss incredulously and shaking his head. Jaewan opened the door, and sprayed the disinfectant on the seat as well before climbing into the bus.

"I had the whole bus sanitized!" Woobin exclaimed. "You don't have to spray that thing every time you enter a place!"

"Better safe than sorry," Jaewan said, taking out another disinfectant spray and using it to clean the other bottle he had. "If only I had another bottle to clean this one!"

Woobin wanted to bash his head against a wall. He had been working for Jaewan for the past six years. Before he came along, Jaewan had difficulty in hiring a manager because the neat freak would drive everyone up the wall with his obsession with cleanliness. Only Woobin managed to tough it out for that long because he had negotiated a hefty salary.

He revved up the engine and began to drive away from the studio. Jaewan was scrolling through his news feed, admiring his pictures. 

"I look so good," he happily sighed. "But this picture here"

He frowned at one of his side profiles which was captured at the camera.

"I have dark circles under my eyes!" he exclaimed. "Get this picture removed from the internet."

"But your fans love it!" Woobin protested.

"No, I look bad!" Jaewan complained. "Replace it by tomorrow morning."

He happily went back to scrolling his pictures while Woobin cursed his boss. "You have a meeting with the CEO of Hwang Constructions tomorrow," he reminded Jaewan.

"For what?" Jaewan asked. 

"You signed on to become the new brand ambassador for their shopping mall in city A," Woobin informed him.

"When did I sign such a deal?" Jaewan frowned.

"You remember the time when you visited Hwang Corporations last week and was appalled by the tiny peck of dust on their navy blue glass window pane?"

"Oh yeah and then when the manager handed me a Parker pen to sign the documents, he had touched it with his bare hands instead of wearing a pair of disposable gloves doubly sanitized with disinfectant like I had asked!" Jaewan recalled. "I had to clean the pen with my highly effective pocket spray sanitizer. That too twice."

Woobin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

"Anyways," he went on. "You have to go to the inauguration of their new sports' shop tomorrow at 11 AM. It's mandatory since you've signed the contract."

"Make sure to carry our own pair of scissors," Jaewan reminded him. "Sanitized and wrapped in a plastic bag. And also-"

"Your preferred cleaning wipes, tissue papers, properly cleaned pens and disinfection sprays will be at the head table," Woobin narrated. "The floors are to be cleaned with Brand A floor cleaning liquids. You won't be going to public washrooms so no water based diet for tomorrow. Anything else?"

"You forgot the disposable gloves."

Woobin wanted to rip out the steering wheel and throw at his boss but held his temper. Jaewan smirked, oblivious to his manager's plight.

"Say, boss," Woobin said after a while. "When you said that you've never dated in your entire life, is it true?"

"Yes."

"Is it because of your fear of germs?" Woobin asked curiously.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jaewan snapped. "I may like things neat and clean but I'm not that extreme."

Maybe girls just won't hover near someone who would start cleaning their rooms on the first date, Woobin mused.

"There is just someone I'm looking for," Jaewan admitted. Woobin was surprised by his boss' admission. 

"Wait, you have a girlfriend?" he gasped. "Who? It will be sensational news if it gets leaked! The fans will not tolerate it at all!"

"She's not my girlfriend," Jaewan sighed. "It's...a little complicated. I'm just looking for her."

"I'm sure any girl would be delighted to know that you're looking for her," Woobin remarked. "After all, you're Ahn Jaewan! The nation's biggest heartthrob."

Jaewan did not reply but stared outside of the window. Memories from ten years ago were rushing into his head as he remembered that strange girl.

...

"Shirt? Properly ironed without wrinkles," Jaewan muttered. "Pants? Not a single stain. Shoes? Crystal clear!"

He checked himself in the mirror. Jaewan's family had just moved into the country after spending many years abroad. The shift was sudden and Jaewan had to leave behind many of his friends so he was very nervous for his first day at school. He tried to keep a poker face but took great care in his cleanliness and grooming until he was satisfied with his look.

With jet black hair and sharp features, Jaewan was quite handsome. On top of that, his tendency to maintain his looks and image added an extra charm which made many women insane. 

"I look perfect," he complimented himself. "Good job, Jaewan!"

He flashed himself a thumbs up before picking up his bag to go to school. It was his first day and he did not want to be late. 

Walking down the street, he took each step with caution, careful not to dirty his shoes with dust. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a small and furry creature jumped out at him. He yelped and almost tripped but managed to steady himself. It was a small pug puppy which was wagging its tail at him. Jaewan backed away from the creature, fearing he might contract some kind of disease.

"What the hell?" he gasped. To his dismay, a little bit of dist fell on his shoe!

"Ugh!" he scowled. "I have to polish it again!"

Luckily, he carried shoe polish and brush in his bag. He took out the materials and stooped down, careful not to touch the ground, to clean his shoes. He was so engrossed in cleaning his shoes that he did not notice a slender figure approaching the puppy.

She leaned down to pick up the puppy in her arms. Jaewan looked up to see the dark haired girl with doey eyes petting the puppy. She wore the same colored uniform as his but did not notice him looking at her. He was about to turn away from the germ infested girl when she spoke up.

"Puppy, why do you look so sad?" she asked softly. "Do you miss her too?"

The dog whimpered in her arms as if replying to her. Jaewan watched the girl with curiosity. There was a sadness in her eyes and she looked as if she had lost all hope. Yet, she held the puppy with a tenderness.

"Don't be sad," she said. "She's always with you. If you're sad, she also becomes sad. She's even crying right now"

The girl briefly glanced at a spot a few meters away from her. Jaewan followed her gaze but there was nothing there.

"You're lucky," the girl told the dog. "That your mommy loves you so much. She'll always watch over you. I wish I could take you home with me but granny is allergic to dogs."

From afar, she seemed like a crazy person but there was an earnestness in her voice which intrigued Jaewan. She was trying her best to hold back her tears, not being able to part from the puppy.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Jaewan did not know why or how, but his feet were moving as if on their own. The girl looked up as the tall, handsome boy stopped in front of her.

"Can I...can I take him home?" he asked. What the hell am I doing? He asked himself, bewildered. He was about to back off but the girl broke into the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She momentarily put him under a trance, unaware of the effect she was having on him.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed gratefully, unable to hold in her tears. 

Enticed by her charm, he found himself automatically reaching for that puppy and for once, he did not worry about germs or cleanliness.

As long as the girl in front of him kept smiling at him, nothing else mattered.

...

Jaewan was staring out of the window for a long time, worrying Woobin.

"Are you alright, boss?" Woobin asked. Jaewan did not reply but kept on reminiscing the past. After a while, he finally spoke up.

"Woobin."

"Hm?"

"There's a stain on the window pane."