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Twenty minutes, a relaxing warm shower and a change into her comfy gray sweats later, and Eunbyul stepped into the living room.
Pulling her wet hair back into a loose ponytail, she stared in disbelief at the man seated at the small kitchen island. A hot bowl of ramen in his hands for dinner, but that wasn't what made her let out an exasperated breath through her nose.
It was Panfilo, the calico cat who rubbed up against his leg and purred loudly at the attention. Shamelessly meowing for more noodles before he caved in and let the furball have the last of his meal.
Well, there went the off-chance of Mr. Cassano being allergic to her cats. Eunbyul thought bitterly, shooting the other year-old black cat a glance. Unlike Panfilo, Luna stayed as far as possible from the stranger and coiled herself under the coffee table instead.
"The shower's all yours now," she said. Watched him stand up with an appreciative nod and round over to the kitchen sink.
Panfilo stuck close behind Mr. Cassano, disappearing with his tail happily in the air behind the counter. Traitor, she scoffed silently and pulled a chair from the circular table in the dining room.
She sat there, working through a stack of papers in silence. Standing a couple of feet across from her, Vincenzo rolled up the sleeves of his dress-shirt and opened the faucet to run his empty dish through hot water.
The thought to offer some of the leftover ramen, pot still sitting hot on the stove behind him, crossed his mind. Turning the water off, he took the dry cloth towel hanging from the hook on the tiled wall to his right and looked at her.
"I..." The words were ready in his mouth, but it only parted soundlessly as his chin tilted slightly with seeded uncertainty.
It was like he wasn't even there. He cleared his throat in a gentle attempt to draw her focus and make it feel less like was talking to himself. But she simply adjusted her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and dove deeper into the files in her hands. He swore he'd never met someone with that high amount of concentration. Either that, or she was completely ignoring him.
No. No way, that couldn't be. Vincenzo blinked the thought away and put the clean bowl on her dish rack next to the kitchen sink. It wasn't that he was full of himself by thinking this, there was just no denying that he always had a way with people. Whether they liked or despised him, he never had to bargain for their attention.
Comforted by this fact, he decided to let Ms. Hong be and walked straight from the small kitchen to his room. When he gathered all the things he needed, he stepped across the hallway and locked himself in the bathroom at last.
Eunbyul didn't waste a second as she dropped the papers in her hands and dug into her pants pocket for her cellphone. Smirk wide on her face, she dialed Heesoo's son.
"Noona," he answered on the other side, "what's up?"
"Youngho, where are you right now?" she asked, quickly glancing behind into the hallway but the bathroom door remained closed.
"Why?"
The muffled sound of other voices followed and she heard some shuffling in the background. The boy was probably hanging out at the back of the plaza with his school friends, but she wasn't calling to berate him for his smoking habits. Not when there was something more important.
"I need you to help me mess with Mr. Cho's guest. Are you in, or not?"
"Ah, you know me of course I'm in, Noona! What do you have in mind? Maybe I can try out some of my new moves. I recently learned a boxing combination, it's really badass - we'll have him knocked out and thrown out by the garbage disposal in no time."
Eunbyul smiled but shook her head and pushed that plan away, "Hey, hey - No, none of that, Youngho. I promised your mom I wasn't going to be a bad influence on you, so I have to draw the line at violence. Just head down to the boiler room and I'll tell you when to stop and run the hot water."
"Okay," the teenager let out a disappointed sigh but didn't hesitate to run to the basement. "Alright, I'm here."
She stood from her seat and trailed quietly until she stood in front of the bathroom door. At the sound of water rushing from the showerhead, she pressed the phone against her ear close and lowered her voice at Youngho, "Let's get it."
"Copy that," the kid imitated her tone even though he had no one to worry about on his side. Still, it added to their mission impossible vibes and they had their fun with it.
"Let's start things cool," she said, straining her left ear against the door. A melodic hum coming from inside the bathroom and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Mr. Cassano wasn't that bad of a singer, actually.
Youngho drew her attention back from the soft baritone notes echoing off against the thin walls. "Pressure check: low. Temperature set: 7°C. Over," he followed her orders.
"Copy-" the sudden shriek almost had her fall back on her ass as she pulled away from the door.
"What- what was that?" Youngho perked up in alarm, the scream loud enough to be heard through the call.
"Mr. Cassano," Eunbyul explained as she grinned at the man gasping and cursing vehemently in his home language, "he's trying to take a shower- Oh my god-" Her free hand went over her mouth, intaking a mindful breath while she tried to contain her laughter.
"Goodness, Noona, you are evil. That man is gonna freeze his dick off!" Even though his words were meant to be said with concern, his laughs neared cackling as he listened to her again and set the levels back to normal.
"Okay, let's wait. We can't have him catching on," she whispered, giving Mr. Cassano a break for a couple of minutes longer.
When his humming grew loud enough to signal that he had returned to a relaxed state, Eunbyul decided to finish things.
"It's time," she said to her partner in crime as she retreated from the hallway, "hit him with everything we got, Youngho. Run the pressure to its max and temperature all the way hot."
"You got it, Cap-"
"Kim Youngho! What the hell are you doing here and at this hour! You better not be smoking again, you little brat- Come here!" Mrs. Kwak's angry hollering could be recognized from anywhere, and Eunbyul pulled her phone away as she walked past the table in her dining room.
Their plans were completely ruined, no doubt about it.
"Shit - Noona, I really gotta go, sorry," Youngho swore under his breath and gave a rushed apology to Eunbyul before the line went dead.
Alone, she dropped her phone on the kitchen counter and slumped her shoulders as she leaned her back against the fridge.
"Fine, I resign," she sighed, grumbling to herself as the stream of rushing water stopped and confirmed the useless attempt to drive Vincenzo Cassano out of her home. "You got lucky tonight Mister Croissant."
The smell of the ramen on top of her gas stove opened her appetite and curiosity got the best of her. Stepping to take a look at the pot, she breathed through her nose and snorted at the hilarity of the dish. No meat, no vegetables, not even a bit of sauce to give it some spiciness. It was sad, really, how a man with such refined taste couldn't even cook an instant meal properly.
Still, at least Panfilo seemed to have liked it. The cat jumping up on the stove as his black nose sniffed the air with another whiny meow.
"Aigo," Eunbyul tsked her tongue and wrapped an arm around him before settling him back down on the floor. His green eyes lifted to look at her insistently and she shook her head.
"Okay, fine," she bit out begrudgingly but continued to search for a bowl. Pulled an old one that she rarely used from a cabinet and poured what was left in the pot to give to Panfilo. "If you like Mr. Croissant's ramen so much, then how about you sleep on his bed from now on, too, huh?"
Of course, the cat didn't answer but if he could, she was sure he would have no problem with it. What the hell was that man made out of, anyway, that he could even charm his way into her pet's heart?
Eunbyul breathed air out through her nose and dug into the pantry as she prepared herself something to eat before going to bed.
· • -- ٠ ✤ ٠ -- • ·
Outside of the Hanju Prison for Women, Eunbyul waited for her father to finish saying goodbye to Ms. Han and her family. It was a wonderful feeling, seeing the innocent get their justice at last. The sight of the woman crying happy tears, embracing her little boy in her arms, tugged at her heartstrings.
"You can take my car back home," she glanced away from the Han family and nodded with a smile still etched on her face at Mr. Hong. "I'll catch a ride on the bus later," she explained and reached into the pocket of her leather jacket. "Unless you want to talk to Ms. Oh, too?"
Yuchan shook his head at the offer. "No, it's alright, Eunbyul. I already used my monthly visit when I met with her yesterday."
"Okay, then," she tossed him her car keys, his hand reaching briefly up from across the other side of the parked car before he caught them safe in his palm, "I'll see you at the plaza."
"Don't be too late," he pressed the door opened with a beep and reminded her, "we have that meeting with Mr. Cho and the Italian lawyer."
How could she forget? Still, she said nothing more and simply waved goodbye as he got in the car and drove away.
· • -- ٠ ✤ ٠ -- • ·
"Hello, Ms. Oh," she stood from the picnic table set on the prison's recreational outdoor area.
"Eunbyul!" Accompanied by two police guards, the woman walked towards her confused, but with a wide smile at the girl. "What are you doing here, dear?" She furrowed her brow when the ravenhead nodded at one of the men at her side to uncuff her. "What's going on?"
Taking the cold looks from the guards and shrugging them off with one of her own, she turned to Ms. Oh and motioned her to the table ahead, "No need to worry, Ms. Oh. Please, take a seat with me."
Gyeongja let herself be guided to the seating bench, hands smoothing over the place on her wrists where the prison handcuffs were missing. She couldn't help the look of apprehension as she blinked down at the assortment of food dishes set neatly on the table.
"Most of the officers around here owe me several favors," Eunbyul explained with a soft and encouraging nod, "so I traded some of them for this, instead."
"Oh, no," Ms. Oh glanced back at the guards watching intently a few feet away from the shaded spot they stood under. "Goodness," she let out a breath, a mix of surprise and appreciation wavering in her voice before she turned to Eunbyul, "you didn't have to-"
"I already did," she cut the elder off with a cheeky smile. Eyes bright and warm when the woman finally ceded with a not-so-defeated sigh and took a seat. "Now, come on, you should eat comfortably."
Eunbyul waited for her to take a bite out of Mrs. Kwak's delicious tteokbokki and chuckled when Ms. Oh closed her eyes for a second to savor the taste.
"Thank you, Eunbyul." She looked tired, washed away by the years spent locked up in a prison cell. The wrinkles on her face prominent in the sunlight, but when her lips parted into a warm smile, Eunbyul was reminded of her beauty. "Thanks to you and Lawyer Hong, I've been treated right all these years."
Ms. Oh still had so much light and strength in her but all of it was slowly being consumed by her cancer. Not to mention, the burden of her past mistakes which kept her shackled as well. It was a reality that the woman insisted on, whether she deserved it or not. Eunbyul tried not to judge, but the way she so often dismissed the injustice that was so obvious to everyone around her, couldn't help but hurt. "To be less of a burden to you, I should die soon."
Ms. Oh's careless words caused a dull ache in Eunbyul's chest as she swallowed down the bite of her own food and shouted, "Yah, Ms. Oh! You have no right to say things like that, okay!"
She pulled back, reigning in the outburst while the woman only blinked back in alarm. A deep exhale slumped her shoulders and she shifted in her seat, meeting Ms. Oh's gaze with complete sincerity. "Listen, even though we aren't related by blood at all, I want you to know that I've come to care for you like the mother that I never had. So, please, don't break my heart like this, Eomma."
Gyeongja's hand tightened, gentle and forgiving, around Eunbyul's fingers on the table between them. "I'm sorry, I promise not to say that again," she smiled despite the sadness that bloomed in her heart as she admitted, "because I also want you to know - even though I'm not the mother who gave life to you - I see you as a daughter, too."
Eunbyul held on to her frail hand for another beat. Finally pulled away with the clearing of her throat before a smirked played cautiously on her features, "I mean, it's not too late. I'm sure Mr. Hong will be more than happy to sign the marriage papers if you want."
Ms. Oh's smile widened, weighted less against the cheerful turn of their conversation. Even felt lively enough to poke a bit of fun, "Only if you can blackmail them to let me leave prison for the occasion. I always wanted a beach wedding."
"Have you met me?" Eunbyul pointed at herself with her chopstick as a cocky chuckle sounded softly from her chest. "Of course I can, just save a date and I'll get it done. I bet I can even hold them off long enough for the honeymoon."
"Goodness," Ms. Oh fought off the blush rising to her cheeks at the offer. Having another bite of her food, she tilted her chin up at the girl again and asked, "Why does it sound like you've thought about this before?"
"Because, if I may be so brazen," she said and stared down at the small bowl of rice in front of her, picking at it absentmindedly as she nodded, "even a blind person could clearly see the unspoken love between you and Mr. Hong."
The amusement on her face disappeared with a sigh. "You're right..." Ms. Oh remained quiet for a few seconds, getting lost in a daydream before she blinked it away and came back to reality. "But it's unspoken for a reason. I've done a lot of bad things, dear, and Yuchan is a man who deserves better than a woman who was coward enough to abandon her only child."
"No, don't ever think that," Eunbyul shook her head, leaning in and meeting the woman's eyes with a confidence that held something more.
"Ms. Oh, you were sick and alone with no way out - The whole world was caving in on you so you did everything in your power to protect him from being swallowed by it as well," her words flowed out of her heart without warning. Depraved emotions floating up to the surface that if one learned how to look properly, they would understand the deeper meaning there. "Giving up your son in hopes that he could live a better life doesn't make you a coward. It makes you human."
Gyeongja studied her carefully until it became clear to her. "What's their name?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Eunbyul let out, taken back by the question.
"The look in your eyes, dear, it's as if I'm staring myself in the mirror." She explained with a small smile that was meant to comfort and ease the burdened expression on her young face.
Eunbyul understood, then. A heavy sigh escaped her, knowing that she couldn't hide this secret any longer. "Ms. Oh, you can't tell anyone."
It was bound to happen as it did with Mr. Hong and Chayoung. But still, it didn't mean she was comfortable sharing it every time. The fewer people that knew, the better. Apart from Mr. Hong, Chayoung, and now Ms. Oh, Eunbyul swore that no one would ever find out the truth. She couldn't put anyone else at risk like this.
"Trust me," she lowered her voice, the look on her face resolute, "I'd rather die before I do."
Eunbyul didn't doubt it for a second, yet the truth coiled stubbornly in the pit of her stomach.
Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed through the knot in her throat and said, "I was nineteen..." A mere whisper. Her voice taken away with the blow of painful memories that threatened to break behind the glass-like sheen of her dark gaze.
The sky wept that day, almost ten years ago.
Gray storm clouds overhead cloaked the city of Seoul upon her arrival, winter air biting further into the still fresh wounds of her skin. The downpour of rain that drenched her bloodied clothes and weighed heavy on her shoulders only fortified the feeling of loss and pain.
And it was if the country itself knew; that a new evil was trying to find refuge in its grounds. Cracks of lightning followed thunder above, threatening her with a mighty outroar and striking heat, as she maneuvered through abandoned back-alleys and desolate streets. Threw at her battered soul vicious and despicable men, searching to break her will so she would keep on running instead.
But what it didn't know was that the fall of an empire already bathed her hands red. And a person like her, who had no home, no son, not even a name to her face left, just the ghost of her dead father and the broken crown of a psychotic queen...
It was someone like her, who had taken their family legacy and burned it down to ashes, that didn't mind the wretchedness of this place. She had found it rather welcoming, really. Thought of it as the perfect place to start anew, even if that started with giving up the one thing she loved most in the world.
"I didn't even get the chance to give him a name," Eunbyul told her.
Not because she didn't want to - in her heart, it'd always been Jiwon - But because allowing there to be any record of her son also meant signing his death sentence. So Jiwon couldn't exist. Not to her, not to the world, and especially not to her enemies.
However, there lied an understanding in the careful eyes of Ms. Oh. One which needled through the mangle of her secrets and threaded out something else.
"But the family that he's with loves him very much," Eunbyul confessed for the first time ever, a load lifting from her chest after she said those final words out loud.
Gyeongja nodded, her turn to speak as she fought back some of her own tears and cleared her throat. "Listen to me, Eunbyul," she gathered the palm of her hands in hers again, "don't go through life carrying the same regrets as me. If you know that you love that boy more than they ever will it doesn't matter if you abandoned him before."
When the girl began to shake her head in refusal, she reminded her, "You told me I was only human for what I did, right? So are you. The only difference between you and me is that there's still time for you to atone for your sins. It's not too late for you to get him back."
"I am trying to, Eomma." Eunbyul's wavered slightly with the surge of emotions but her promise stood unbreakable.
She would get her Jiwon back safe and sound. It was only a matter of time, and 2.5 billion won.
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A/N: Hello my friends! This was chapter was a bit on the shorter side, but it contained more background on Eunbyul. I hope you enjoyed finding out more about her because I promise you there's a lot of twists and turns coming. So if you have any ideas or want to take a shot at figuring out what's ahead, please feel free to let me know your thoughts! Even if they might not turn out to be exactly right, reading them always makes my day! I also hope you had fun reading Eunbyul's shenanigans against Vincenzo, in the beginning, lol I kinda wanted something light and cheery before delving into that last scene with Ms. Oh.
Anyway, I promise the first episode will be finished with the upcoming fourth chapter and then we get to move on to the first Junwoo and Eunbyul scene (thank you for all the excitement I received from you guys on that omg)
And as always, thank you for giving this story all your love! I hope all of you have a good day/night! ^.^