Summer Story

You are engaged??

Ji Eun was lying on her back, arms sprawled and enjoying the moment that she could rest. Ji Yeon beside her was laughing her heads off with her story. “You’re really hard headed Ji Eun! Imagine walking the whole driveway! Good thing ahjussi found you or else, it will be midnight before you arrive.” Ji Eun slowly sat up and grab a chicken leg on Jiyeon’s plate. “Yeah, Yeah I know. But that guy was rude! I mean, he could have seen I’m a girl and then still shoot me! Do you know who was it?” JiYeon thought for a while. “well there’s a lot of people there in the other ranch and I don’t know them too well, since we only come here during summer. What does he look like?” “Hmmm.. he doesn’t look old. He’s like a college student? Thick eyebrows, intense eyes? He looks so serious and scary.” “Handsome?” “Well, I don’t know. I was busy being angry.” Jiyeon laughed.  “Don’t worry, Yunho will be here later on and I’ll ask him if they have a rancher who has thick eyebrows and  scary eyes.” “who’s Yunho?” Jiyeon eyed her friend and sighed. “Well, the reason I called you up here to spend the week is because of Yunho.” Ji Eun’s eyes widened.  Her friend looks scared and nervous. “ Remember why in school I didn’t seem to like any guys?” Ji EUn nodded. Her friend is very pretty and popular and many boys call on her. “It’s not because I don’t want to, it’s because I can’t”.

“Huh?Why?”

“I’m going to be engaged.Tomorrow night. To Yunho.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?”

Jiyeon smiled despite herself. “Yes. It’s been an engagement that spanned a decade and they were just waiting for me to become twenty. And since it’s my birthday tomorrow, the engagement party will also be held tomorrow. I’m expected to marry him before the summer ends.”

“But you’re still young… we are still going to college.”

“I know. And I am still allowed to go. But this is more business than personal. Yunho’s father is a major business man in canning and ranching beef. While dad, you know he wanted to venture that field as well. To expand the business. Anyway they’ve been friends since they were high schools and it was a dream to see their children married so…”

“But is it okay with you? I mean what do you know about getting married? About having children? A family?”

Jiyeon slightly went pink. “It’s ok, I mean I know Oppa since I was a kid. I hero worship him since he rescued me from falling off a tree when I was 8. I know he will take care of me. And I’ll try to take care of him the best I could. I’ve been taking home making lessons every summer.”

Ji Eun hugged her friend. “Wow. This is a big leap for you but I know you will be able to handle it well. Between the two of us you are more mature and sensible. I know you will be happy because you will make sure that you will be.”

Jiyeon’s eyes were filled with tears, “Good thing you are here. It makes me happy that you will be here when they make the announcement. A lot of people will be here, business associates and their family. You are my only friend and I’ll be glad to have you as my bridesmaid. You will come to the wedding right? Oh please?

“Of course I am!I’ll already clear my schedule by that date! I will never miss it for the whole world!”

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“You what?! Tell me you’re joking or else I’ll bash your head off!” Yunho was fuming while facing his younger brother, Seung Ho. What makes him madder is that Seung Ho doesn’t even look like he care a bit. He grabbed his brother’s shirt to make him stand from where he is sitting. Seung Ho firmly grab his brothers hands to let go of his shirt. “She was trespassing. And of course I didn’t aim to kill her. Just to scare her.” Yunho smacks his brother’s head. “She’s a guest of Jiyeon’s. She is her best friend. I’m going to be engaged tomorrow. Where’s your civility? We’re going to be practically a family!” Seung Ho smirked. “Hyung, that’s a business deal.”

Yunho sighed. “Business is business. I am fond of Jiyeon and I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“But you’re going to hurt her anyway.What about Eun Bin?”

“Eun Bin knew the score. We were over. I have to keep a promise that I made 10 years ago.”

“But you were just 18 then. What do you know?”

“Seung Ho…”

“Fine.I’ll not bring that up.”

Yunho smiled at his brother. He knows he is just concern about him.  ”But you have to apologize to Ji Eun. Tomorrow.At the party. And don’t make a scene, or else, I’ll tell dad.”

“Fine.”