Torrential rain.
Defined by the extreme pouring of rain and turbulent thunderstorms. One would probably be soaked in less than three seconds if they ever walked in torrential rain.
Looking at the man seated in First Class, surely the tears pouring down his face could be described as torrential too.
Hyun Bin knew he was a pitiful sight.
The minute he boarded the plane, he had kindly asked to be left alone for the time being. Once the door to his private cabin was shut, the tears fell ceaselessly as he curled up in his seat.
Thank God for First Class because Hyun Bin didn't think he could stem down the emotions ravaging him from within for the whole 7 hours of flight time.
So deep in his turmoil, the man didn't even realise that the plane had taken off. All he knew was that he was holding onto Happy, pressing the stuffed hippo against his wet cheeks as he thought about his family.
Choked sobs filled his cabin as the man let his heart bleed. His logical mind told him that he was being dramatic but truly, who could blame him after all that he had to fight through to have a family of his own?
It felt as though he was going to war.
There was some truth to that statement, for he shared that same heavy honour in his heart as soldiers did before they went for war.
And truly, even the plane ride felt torturous to Hyun Bin.
He was alone.
If he were home now, they would be sending Eun Ae and Jeong Eun to school. They would probably be singing one of her favourite Disney songs on the car ride there. Was Ye Jin doing that with their children now?
And little Ki Rai would probably be in the kitchen with Mdm Ji Hyun or in the library with Halabeoji. Mina would be following their little one because she loves Ki Rai the best. Was their littlest princess doing fine?
But alas, Hyun Bin could only let his imagination take him back to the sweet feeling of being home with his wife and their children. Their hug at the airport still lingered against his flesh and Hyun Bin was determined to hold onto that feeling for as long as possible.
Sometime into his flight, sleep mercifully claimed him, delivering him to the sweet embrace of darkness.
As Hyun Bin predicted, Ye Jin was driving their eldest two to school after dropping Ki Rai off at home. Yet, Hyun Bin wasn't the only one who felt as though something was missing because the car was suffocatingly silent without the usual Disney songs playing in the background.
Reaching over for the knob, Ye Jin turned to check on Eun Ae when the lights were red, confirming that she didn't want to listen to music for the umpteenth time.
"Are you sure you don't want to hear your songs, sweetheart?"
Shaking her head stubbornly, Eun Ae simply turned back to watch the passing views through the window with a small pout on her face.
"Eomma, can we listen to the news?" Jeong Eun asked politely from the shotgun seat.
He had offered to sit at the front to accompany his mother since Eun Ae preferred sitting at the back.
Like his mother, Jeong Eun was unused to how quiet the car was. Since his sister didn't need any reminders of their father now, the news was a safe option. Besides, he missed the morning news today because they had to send their father off.
"Of course, monkey." Ye Jin smiled, hoping it didn't come across as a grimace as she tousled his hair lightly.
The lights turned green then as the silent car readily accommodated to the news drifting silently into their background.
Little did Ye Jin know, Jeong Eun had been listening out for news regarding Singapore ever since Hyun Bin announced his travel plans. It kept Jeong Eun calm knowing that there wasn't anything too worrisome that would be detrimental to his father's safety.
It was the same today.
Now, all they had to wait for was their father's call that night.
Arriving at their kindergarten, Jeong Eun helped Eun Ae out of the car after they each gave their mother a kiss on her cheek. Racing hand in hand to their classrooms, neither of them noticed how Ye Jin's face had fallen the minute the children closed the car door.
Ye Jin sped off to the office once she could no longer see her children through the window. In a desperate bid to reach her office as fast as she could, Ye Jin drove like a maniac. Every single time she saw the orange glow of the traffic light, she would speed up.
Chasing red as one could call the way Ye Jin was driving. But it was a fact that Ye Jin didn't think she could bear with her emotions if she hit that one red light along the way.
It was a miracle that Ye Jin reached the office unscathed.
Dressed in her salmon pink linen suit, the clean clicking of her Christian Louboutin Clare Suede pumps was a direct reflection of the confidence that the director emanated. No one would be able to tell that Ye Jin was a wreck on the inside from how she was striding across the office rapidly.
But that was just it.
It was how different Ye Jin was today that had some of the employees worried.
To start, Ye Jin almost always took her time before work to greet the VAST employees. She was early today so that doesn't explain why she was in a rush. Of course, it was possible she had an early meeting, which was why that still wasn't a cause for concern.
It was the smile – or rather, lack thereof – that had the employees incredibly anxious. No matter how senior one's position was in the company, they all knew that their chairman's wife always smiled.
Even when she was tired, she would smile, albeit not with those eye smiles that they adored, but she still smiled.
It was their chairman that rarely smiled. It was their chairman that often walked with hastened footsteps as though he was catching a bullet train.
That is unless he was around his wife.
The older employees made the link then, for they knew how in love their chairman and his wife were. No doubt his long trip saddened her especially now that they realised that their chairman must have departed that morning.
But of course, that was only speculation. It wasn't the only one, because the naïve ones had their own crazy theories.
"Do you think that's her twin?" One of the interns commented dumbly.
"Ya! Be careful what you say around here. You do know some of us actually worked for the Hans before, right?" Her sunbaenim asked.
"Omo, jinjja?"
"Ne. We were lucky enough that VAST decided to hire us after that whole shitshow with Han & Co. Besides, that is not her twin. You have no idea how horrid her twin truly is. We'd know." One of the employees gestured to the team that was saved from the evil woman's clutches.
"Son Ye Jin and Han Ji Wan are like heaven and hell. They're direct opposites of one another." Another co-worker confirmed.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know." The intern apologised profusely.
"You'll learn. Our director probably misses the chairman, that's all. Now let's get back to work." One of the employees clapped her hands together.
And indeed, the reason why Ye Jin made a beeline to her office was so that she could finally cry. She barely managed to hold it in when her secretary greeted her before she told her that she didn't wish to be disturbed for the next hour or two.
Just like that, Ye Jin was left alone in her office.
All she knew then was that she needed a good cry.
Her tears started off slow, like a tap that has not been fully opened. They dripped down bit by bit as she let her handbag fall to the ground with a soft thud. But that quickly spiralled beyond the point of control as the hot tears rapidly fell from her eyes.
Knees weakened, Ye Jin sank down into the ground, letting her desk support what she could not. By then, her small frame was shaking with the power of her sobs as they ravaged her heart, rendering her incapable of ignoring the pain tearing through her.
Despite telling herself that she had to breathe, Ye Jin was choked by her tears. Her shaky breaths did nothing in reigning in her emotions. Rather, she was only getting more lightheaded from her tears by the second.
Defeated and helpless. That was how she was feeling now that her husband was a thousand miles away from her.
Already, she was missing his tender touches and his soul-healing kisses. Already, she missed that deep baritone of his and his horse laughter.
If he was here now, he would probably be knocking on her office door, under the guise of delivering handmade coffee to her.
If he was here now, he would be smirking at her cheekily yet endearingly because he usually took an hour to get into chairman mode at work.
God, she misses him.
This was too hard. Harder than what she had expected.
At one point, Ye Jin found herself clutching at the family photo on her office desk. It was the one they took together at the ballpark; their last family outing before he left on a plane.
Stolen would be a more appropriate term. Hyun Bin was stolen from their lives by that plane.
Perhaps she was being dramatic, but Ye Jin simply didn't think she could hold off that longing in her heart that only seemed to grow more poignant with every tear that she shed for her man.
Tracing Hyun Bin's carefree smile in the photograph, Ye Jin kept her eyes trained on him, recalling how happy they were that day.
She remembered how confused he was when Ki Rai was in her arms while he was digging through the ball pit.
She remembered how Hyun Bin had hoisted Jeong Eun up to the yellow poles that made up the cage because their little monkey wanted to swing from it.
She remembered how the man tried to slide down the blue slides with Eun Ae, only to get himself stuck because it wasn't made for adults.
It was crazy and so excruciatingly painful to know that a photo that could have brought them bliss was now one that was tearing her apart.
And so, she cried.
She would allow herself this hour to cry. After that, she had to be strong again. If not for herself, then for their children.
Outside her office, CEO Kang was making his rounds as promised when Ye Jin's secretary stopped him. Her secretary apologised for the inconvenience profusely but their creative director rarely made such requests. She seemed adamant about it this time and her secretary was determined to keep everyone away from her office for the hour.
"That's alright. I'll come back later." CEO Kang dismissed her apology.
But a peep at the rather dark office had CEO Kang turning around again.
"Do you think you can prepare some chamomile tea for Director Son? Oh, and if you have time, it would be a big help if you could pick this up." CEO Kang handed her secretary a name card.
"Ne. I'll pick it up right away."
"Fantastic. Just tell them it's for Chairman Hyun. The store would know the order."
Satisfied, CEO Kang left. He was worried but he was told that the gift Hyun Bin prepared for Ye Jin would cheer her up. Their chairman had explicitly told him to pick up that order only when his wife was sad.
From the looks of it, his timing couldn't be more impeccable.
Chairman Hyun really thought of everything.
❀ ❀ ❀
An hour later
Knock. Knock.
"Come in." Ye Jin spoke calmly.
Keeping her red-rimmed eyes on the storyboard she was working on, Ye Jin hoped that it wasn't obvious that she had cried when her secretary came in.
"Director Son, I have some tea for you. And a gift." Her secretary said.
"Oh, from who? Thank you for bringing them in. You can leave it there." Ye Jin gestured to the coffee table she typically took her breaks at.
"The tea was requested by CEO Kang. He dropped by an hour ago but you were...busy. The gift is from Chairman Hyun."
Chairman Hyun...
Hyun Bin prepared a gift for her?
Deep in thought, Ye Jin finally looked up from her papers to study the rather familiar paper bag sitting on the table now. Pursing her lips slightly, Ye Jin nodded her head and stood up.
"I'll take a look at it. Thank you, darling. You said CEO Kang dropped by? Could you do me a favour and check his schedule? I'll visit him when he's free." Ye Jin requested kindly.
"Of course, Director Son."
Just like that, Ye Jin was alone in her office again.
Sitting down on the soft plush couch, Ye Jin picked up the paper bag. The first thing she reached for was the note that came with the bag. To her surprise, Hyun Bin's elegant script greeted her, and her eyes and heart absorbed his writing eagerly.
❀ ❀ ❀
Text-version
My Angel,
If you're reading this now, you're probably a little down or even a little stressed. Mianhae. I'm truly sorry I can't be there for you now. Instead, let me offer you some chocolates and a little side story.
You should find this box of chocolates familiar, my love. I gifted them to you once as a peace offering. I treated you so harshly before but once again, your boundless capacity to forgive is inspiring.
Thank you for being my friend and my rock even though I refused to admit it back then. Thank you for loving me back then when I was someone that most people found impossible to love. But you're not like most people and you're truly an extraordinary woman, Ye Jin. It is why I am confident that we will be fine. We've been through worse, and I know our love will tide us through.
I miss you but let's not get emotional now because that's not the point of this gift.
Smile for me, angel and perhaps after you read my little story, you'll find it within you to laugh as you always do.
Years ago, when I gave this same box of chocolates to you, I remember waking up at the crack of dawn to search for a good chocolate boutique. I may or may not have underestimated how difficult it would be to shop for chocolates for you. I was proven wrong when I got there.
Who knew that there were so many kinds of chocolates? I didn't know back then that your favourite chocolate was milk with a tinge of almonds and berries. Now I do, so I'm sure you'll enjoy the ones I have picked for you this time.
Back then, I remember wondering whether you'll prefer white chocolates or dark chocolates. I even considered getting you some of those alcoholic chocolates, but I realised you didn't have a penchant for drinking.
There were these cute chocolate-covered caramels shaped like tiny penguins too. I got those for you this time as well. They remind me of you. Sweet, inside, and out. And the more you uncover, the more you'll fall in love with what's inside.
We're going to be fine, angel. Let me know how those chocolates taste during our next call. I'm especially curious about those penguins. But I admit, they look a tad bit too adorable to eat...
I love you, angel. Always remember that our love is strong. I'm sure even now I'm thinking about you. Think about me too but not with a heavy heart but with one that is light.
I'll see you again soon.
Hyun Bin
❀ ❀ ❀
When Ye Jin finished the letter, her eyes were shining with tears. Except, this time, those tears were far from sad. They were joyous tears.
Because even though they were miles apart, her husband never failed to make her heart flutter. That little side story had her laughing because she could still remember that bashful child-like look in his eyes when he handed her the paper bag.
Hyun Bin was right. They would survive this, and she would only want to remember him fondly rather than with a sad heart.
With renewed happiness, Ye Jin took a bite out of the berry-almond chocolate, humming appreciatively at the delicate mixture of flavours woven into the chocolatey goodness. After enjoying the special treat, Ye Jin left her office with a new bounce in her steps.
That uplifting smile was back on her face as she chit-chatted with some of the VAST employees on the way down to CEO Kang's office. It would seem everything was back in order.
"Ah, Director Son." CEO Kang greeted her.
"CEO Kang." Ye Jin smiled with her eyes.
"What brings you here?"
"I heard you came to see me."
"Oh...that." CEO Kang rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
Laughing, Ye Jin eyed him teasingly, knowing full well that he was hiding something from her. "What did my husband ask you to do?"
"Nothing." CEO Kang spluttered before he made the split decision to be honest. "I mean...nothing much."
If there was anyone he never wishes to cross, it was his boss' wife. After all, who in their right mind would lie to the boss of his boss?
"He simply told me to keep an eye on you." CEO Kang admitted.
"That's expected." Ye Jin leaned back with a hearty laugh. "But you don't have to, CEO Kang. I can take care of myself."
"I know that. But you ought to know your husband is stubborn, Ye Jin ssi. I promise I won't bother you too much."
"Ani, just drop by my office from time to time when you do your 'checks' and we can catch up over tea or coffee. You're still our family friend, you know?" Ye Jin grinned.
"Of course. Are the children taking it well?" CEO Kang asked, putting away the business pretence as they chatted like old friends.
Ye Jin stayed to chat with CEO Kang for the next hour before she left for her meeting. Her morning might have started off on a heavy note, but now, Ye Jin was back to conquering everything.
Unfortunately, the storm wasn't completely over.
❀ ❀ ❀
A few hours later
"Oppa..." Eun Ae spoke softly as she looked out of the window of their common room.
"Ne?" Jeong Eun turned to study his sister, keeping one arm against the window to steady himself.
"Where do you think appa is now?"
"He's probably cruising over the ocean now."
"Far away from us?" Eun Ae pursed her lips sadly.
"You could say that." Jeong Eun turned back to the window too, hiding his sadness from his little sister.
The children were now back at the family house after school. Jeong Eun and Eun Ae had just finished their homework while Ki Rai was taking her nap. Now, the siblings were simply gazing quietly at the view outside the window as they waited for their mother to come home.
A few minutes later, a white fur ball shot off to the entrance just as the door to their front door slammed shut. Little yips of enthusiastic greetings could be heard from Mina as Ye Jin joined their eldest two in the common room.
"Eomma!" Jeong Eun greeted Ye Jin with a big smile on his face.
He was genuinely happy to see his mother even though he was still slightly upset over his father's departure.
"How was school, you two?" Ye Jin chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her two babies.
"It was fun, eomma. We had art class today." Eun Ae shared excitedly, running over to pick up the paper flower wreath that she did.
"That's beautiful, sweetheart. Show that to appa later, arasseo?" Ye Jin was happy that Eun Ae was no longer moody like she was in the morning.
She wasn't at a hundred percent yet, but it was clear their daughter was feeling much better.
"Ne." Eun Ae beamed proudly.
"Annyeong, Ye Jin-ah. You're back. Dinner will be ready soon." Mdm Ji Hyun greeted her as she handed a rather sleepy Ki Rai to her. "She just woke up from her nap."
Cradling Ki Rai close to her, Ye Jin hummed lightly as she entertained their children, feeling the tiredness of the day being washed away by their lively chatters and cute giggles.
After dinner, Ye Jin had one hell of a time getting Ki Rai to shower with their little one running around the house. For a baby who had shorter legs than she does, Ki Rai was impressively fast, much to Ye Jin's frustration.
"Ki Rai, come back here!" Ye Jin shouted as Ki Rai's giggles bounced off the walls of the common room.
Seconds later, she peeped out from behind one of the many walls in the house before she was gone again.
In the end, Ye Jin managed to get Ki Rai to come to her instead when she showed her the rubber duck she loved to play with.
A shower later, the children were curled up with Ye Jin in the common room when the long-awaited call came. Putting down the book she was reading to them, Ye Jin wasted no time in answering the video call.
"Annyeong!" Ye Jin smiled at the camera.
Leaning forwards to get a closer look at her husband, Hyun Bin got a closer view of his angel blinking at him with those beautiful eyes of hers. Her face was bare of any makeup, but she was still gorgeous because she was Ye Jin, his wife and his angel.
"Annyeong, I just landed." Hyun Bin waved, naturally smiling at the feeling of home even through the screen.
"Is it late for you there?" Ye Jin asked.
"Ani. Seoul is only an hour ahead. It's 7 pm now." Hyun Bin answered.
"Ah, have you had dinner?"
"I had some on the plane, but you know how plane food is. I'm planning to pick up dinner on the way."
"Where are you staying, honey? A hotel?"
"Ani. Abeoji owns a bungalow here. It's near town so travel isn't an issue." Hyun Bin explained.
"Eomma, I want to talk to appa!" Hyun Bin heard Eun Ae's voice distinctively.
"Arasseo. Here you go, sweetheart." Ye Jin turned the phone towards Eun Ae.
"Eun Ae-ah, what did you do today?" Hyun Bin chuckled.
"We had school and I made a paper flower wreath in art class, appa! I didn't cry when you left, are you proud of me?" Eun Ae smiled.
"I am very proud of you. That's amazing, princess. Can I see your flower wreath?" Hyun Bin's voice was soft as he spoke to Eun Ae.
"Ne!" Eun Ae ran over to pick up her flower wreath before she showed it to her father.
Jeong Eun's turn came next, and their little man naturally asked his father about his experience in Singapore so far. One thing led to another, and he started showing his father the origami that his class did as well.
"Teacher Liza gave me a big thumbs up! She said I matched the colours really well." Jeong Eun shared.
"That's amazing, little tyke. She's right! They're really vibrant!" Hyun Bin praised.
After another few minutes with Jeong Eun, Ye Jin lifted Ki Rai into her lap and pointed at the screen where Hyun Bin was already smiling deeply at her.
"Ki Rai baby, look who it is!" Ye Jin cooed.
"Appa!" Ki Rai clapped her hands together.
"That's right, baby." Ye Jin cheered as Hyun Bin waved at their littlest princess.
Confused, Ki Rai started jabbing at the buttons on Ye Jin's phone, wondering how she should get her father out of the box he was in. That was when their little one accidentally pressed the red button, disconnecting their call instantly.
The waterworks started when her father disappeared and Ye Jin had to stand up to rock their baby as she tried to call Hyun Bin back.
"What happened?" Hyun Bin frowned when their call connected again.
"Nothing. Ki Rai accidentally pressed the button to hang up. Poor baby, you were shocked, weren't you? Don't cry, baby. Appa's here." Ye Jin showed their little one the screen again.
Ki Rai instantly stopped crying when she saw her father's face again. Instead, she smiled through her tears and started babbling incoherently, pointing at herself as she waved at her father.
"Want to give appa a flying kiss?" Ye Jin bounced Ki Rai in her lap.
Sweetly, Ki Rai gave Hyun Bin a big flying kiss, with a loud "muack" for added effect. Unfortunately, it was getting late, and it was time for the children's bedtime.
"Honey, I've got to tuck them in. You should eat dinner too. I'll call you tomorrow." Ye Jin said, albeit a little sadly.
"No worries, angel. I love you all." Hyun Bin spoke.
A chorus of I love yous could be heard through the video call and the man's heart felt lighter knowing that his family was perfectly fine.
Minutes later, the call disconnected again and Ye Jin got their children to brush their teeth.
Perhaps she was an optimist. But Ye Jin genuinely thought that everything was fine after she tucked their children in. Even Ki Rai didn't make a fuss even though she kept asking for her father.
It pained Ye Jin slightly when Ki Rai's response to everything she said was "appa". In her own way, Ki Rai was starting to learn what "leaving" meant.
But as she said, Ki Rai didn't make a fuss that night. Surprisingly, their little one fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillows. Eun Ae was the same too since she was fast asleep when she took a final peek into her room.
It was Jeong Eun who was struggling that night. It was no wonder he wasn't in his sister's room because Ye Jin heard sniffling from his room when she made her final stop.
Yet, at the sound of her footsteps, Jeong Eun had buried his face into his pillows to stifle his cries such that they became muffled.
It was too late though because Ye Jin had heard him.
All their children reacted differently to Hyun Bin's departure. Eun Ae had cried when she realised he was leaving. Ki Rai was still figuring out what the term meant although the mother knew that it was only a matter of time before she threw a tantrum.
Jeong Eun was special. Even though he was only six, their son was smart enough to hide his feelings from them because he firmly believed that by crying, it would only burden their hearts more.
This was what Ye Jin was referring to when she said Jeong Eun was mature beyond his years. Tonight, she wanted Jeong Eun to understand that it was okay for him to let it out.
After all, he was still a child. Their child.
"Jeong Eun?" Ye Jin knocked on the door to his bedroom.
As she expected, Jeong Eun stopped breathing the minute she spoke, trying his best to muffle his helpless whimpers by feigning sleep.
Ye Jin wouldn't have any of that.
Instead of leaving their son to cry, Ye Jin sank down on his bed. Quietly, she reached over to pat Jeong Eun's shoulders that were shaking uncontrollably, a sure sign that he was sobbing.
To the boy, his shoulders were betraying his pretence. He truly didn't want his mother to see him cry. He knew she was upset too. He had seen how that tear slipped down her face at the airport.
On the car ride to their kindergarten, he had to watch how his mother would swallow back the tears bravely in front of them. Yet, his keen eye caught how his mother's lips had trembled and how her eyes were just shining brighter than usual with unshed tears.
Unfortunately, the poor boy couldn't control the tears because he missed his father dearly too.
"It's okay to cry, sweetie. I know you miss appa too." Ye Jin said softly.
Silence engulfed the room for a good minute before Jeong Eun finally crawled out from under his blankets with an anguished cry.
"Eomma." The boy sobbed.
"Hush, sweetie. We'll be fine." Ye Jin wrapped her arms around their son instinctively, cradling him close to her protective embrace.
Sobbing into her shoulder, Jeong Eun's eyes must be swollen by now as he let out one helpless sob after another. His arms snaked around his mother's neck seconds later as he let her comfort him.
To Ye Jin, Jeong Eun was as much a child to her as his sisters were. Their son may be smart, but like any child, he needed someone to hold onto him when he cries too. Ye Jin was just grateful that Jeong Eun trusted her enough to share his sorrows with her too.
Rocking them back and forth, Ye Jin leaned her head against Jeong Eun's, alternating between patting and running small circles on his back until he felt calmer.
"Better?" Ye Jin smiled gently when Jeong Eun stopped crying.
"Ne. Gamsahamnida, eomma." Jeong Eun sniffled.
"You don't have to thank me, monkey. I'm your eomma. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here. It's okay to cry." Ye Jin wiped Jeong Eun's tears away with her hands.
"I know."
"I'm glad. I love you very much, Jeong Eun."
"I love you too, eomma."
"That's my boy. Want to sleep with eomma today? You'll make me feel better too." Ye Jin held out her arms for Jeong Eun to jump into.
Wordlessly, Jeong Eun nodded his head before he crawled into his mother's arms. Just like that, Ye Jin carried them over to the master bedroom.
Under the shining stars, a mother and son fell asleep wrapped together in their warm cocoon.
Day one without Hyun Bin by their side was difficult on everyone but they survived. Now, they had 20 days to go.
Over at a bungalow in Singapore, a man was tossing and turning in bed.
His heart only stilled when he watched the night sky with its glorious stars shining down upon him.
Hyun Bin was reminded that the love he felt for his family and vice versa was very much like a star.
They couldn't always see it, but they knew it was always there.
Another day was ending and that was another day closer to his homecoming.
He would be home.
Soon.