~Chapter Song1: Niihwa 'What I want'~
~Chapter Song2: The Rose 'I'm Sorry'~
A/N New hottie alert/relatively short chapter! 😉
Jin-Goo picked up his phone and pressed speed dial, smiling a little when she picked up on the second ring "So-Hyun-ah"
"Oppa, what's wrong with you? Ignoring my messages and barely showing your face so unlike you... Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Sorry... I've just been really busy" He lied, despite having a lot of work to do for his course, it wasn't anything new. He couold easily manage his social life with So-Hyun, but there was something pulling him back. He had been questioning himself this whole time on what he needed to do to keep So-Hyun and her secrets safe and the only thing he could think of was to not be around her as much as he usually is. He didn't fully know what was going on with So-Hyun and professor Seung-Ho, but he couldn't have whatever it was blow out of proportion. The fact that his halmeoni had found and met So-Hyun was enough for him to know that she wasn't safe anymore and he couldn't help but blame himself for it.
"About my birthday, can we hang out? But it'll be my treat, I want to treat you So-Hyun-ah" For the last time. He thought about the day that he witnessed So-Hyun crying and the promise that he'd made to never leave her. Remembering how fragile she looked, his heart hurt even more, but even though it'll be the last time, it won't be forever. I'll make sure of it.
"Oppa, it's your birthday why-"
"So-Hyun-ah, please..."
"Well... okay? But Oppa are you sure everything is okay? I'm not getting a good vibe" She asked even more concerned than before.
"I'm fine" He formed a smile, even though she couldn't see it "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"... Sure"
"So-Hyun-ah..." he called, before she could hang up "I... Thank you."
"For?" she laughed nervously
"For being my first friend" He said before swiftly ending the call.
Jin-Goo took a deep breath and made his way over to the building he swore to never step foot into again, there were too many traces of his past there. He stood in front of the eight storey building eyes determined as they traced the over the name and logo of the multi-national complex,
-Vine Productions-
It had been almost two years since he'd left his halmeoni's house and had decided to live a life of his own. He'd told her time and time again that he wasn't going to take over the family business, not after he lost his parents like that, so why did she keep meddling in his business? Walking through the entrance, he got through the security barriers without even bashing an eyelid at the security guy. He didn't need verification, they knew who he was already. Ringing his fists, he stepped out of the elevator and went straight for his halmeoni's office. She must've expected him, because she didn't even look surprised to see him.
"Were you expecting me?" His voice rough.
"It's time for you to stop being a little boy and come back home. I've let you play for long enough"
Jin-Goo scoffed in disbelief "Home? Do you think that just having a house and putting a few people inside makes it a home? Every day I came back to emptiness, I was lonely and not even a trace of your so-called home could be felt."
"And? Stop being so childish."
Jin-Goo sighed "Halmeoni, can't you just let me be huh? Can't I just breathe? I'm not interested in taking over this place, especially knowing that i'll be a puppet to the strings you'll be pulling.I tried to hold on, for the sake of my parents, I tried to put up with you and all your demands, but... You just kept taking everything away from me"
"Watch your words" She warned
"I haven't said anything wrong have I? The day that you took my parents away from me...The same night that my parents died, was the same night a part of me died too"
"...People die all-"
"The day that you killed my parents. Your own son" He continued not giving her leeway "Was the day you lost any sort of right you had over me".
"It had to be done" She spoke so causally, not even bothering to look at him.
"You crushed my world and destroyed it in a mere 8 second car crash, it's taken me eight painful years to salvage what little part of me I had left and you're telling me it had to be done? I've only just started to manage to piece myself together again, but what? You want to take that inch of happiness that I have away? Again?"
"You need to come back to fill in your father's position as the president of Vine. He wasn't meant to die that day with that wench and now you need to take responsibility for his foolishness. If he had listened to me that night, he wouldn't have ended up like that." She retorted, her voice slightly raising "If I had it my way I wouldn't even bother with you, but this is how the company works with your fool of a harabeoji not leaving the rights to me" her anger rising at the very thought of her dead husband.
"If you had it your way, you would have had me killed by now" Jin-Goo spat
"Y-you..."
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Jin-Goo unclenched his fist, turning around to help himself out of the office, of course it was a waste of time coming here, he could never get through to her.
"Kim So-Hyun" Her voice raised, smirking as she watched him come to a halt.
"Don't let that name come out of your mouth ever again" He hissed, his back still turned to her.
"That girl, you know she's dating her Professor, right? I wonder..." her hands carefully examining her walking stick "I wonder what would happen if the word got out" she said now grinning.
Jin-Goo's jaw tensed up and he didn't know what to say. He couldn't let So-Hyun get tangled with the likes of his halmeoni knowing fully well what she was capable of. "You're a woman capable of killing her own family, is there anything you couldn't do? Me and that girl have no connections anymore, so you can try and get to me through her, but it won't work."
Bluff.
"So, do as you please, but know that it won't affect me." His final words were laced with ice, but his heart was burning with pain.
This is the only way I can protect you So-Hyun-ah, forgive me, I might not make it tomorrow.
"Secretary Jung, come and report to me" she ordered from her intercom and watched as he ran into the office giving her, her well-deserved bow. "What else have you found out about that girl anything new? Anything useful?"
"Yes, Mrs Sook, besides being involved with her professor, she seems to be applying for an internship at different facilities" He confirms
"And so? Who cares" she retorted
"But... it's that, one of the facilities she's applying for is at Mr Kim's practice"
"What? Mr Kim... You mean Kim Jung-Woo? My cousin?"
Secretary Jung nodded and gave her the files containing So-Hyun's application. Mrs Sook scanned the documents to find it to be true, she laughed and threw the paper's back at him.
"Call him and make sure that he doesn't accept this girl and do whatever you can with the other place to make sure she doesn't get there either" she said, slowly leaning back in her arm chair. "Make a move, don't just stand there!"
Jin-Goo-yah, you think your halmeoni is stupid? If that girl isn't happy, then you won't be either. I'll make sure of it.
^^^^
"Happy Birthday!" Called a very familiar voice from behind the door, and when Seung-Ho opened the door he was surprised to see who it was.
"Hyeong!" He exclaimed and rushed to hug his older brother "What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean? When have I ever missed my little brother's birthday" Ji-Sub spoke.
Seung-Ho hugged his brother once again out of excitement, he'd really missed his Hyeong. They only saw each other on special holidays and family gatherings. They were only half-brothers, but they treated each other like full blood brothers and if anyone was to say otherwise he wouldn't accept it.
"Come in" Seung-Ho urged.
"Woah, this place is nice" Ji-Sub beamed "Hanyang must be treating you right" He joked
"Not as nice as Seoul Uni is treating you Hyeong" Seung-Ho joined in.
"Well..." He finished with a cheeky shrug
"Sit down, I'll get you something to drink"
"No need" Ji-Sub said whilst holding up a carrier bag filled with drinks in one hand and a luxurious bag with cake in the other "I brought the goods"
It had somehow turned into a tradition for both, whenever it was Seung-Ho's birthday no matter what Ji-Sub had going on, he'd always make sure to visit him with cake and drinks. He didn't think his Hyeong would have time this year considering how busy he was with taking over Seoul Uni.
"This cake is good" Seung-Ho sang "Better than the one you made last year"
"Anything would be better than the thing I made last year" Ji-Sub shuddered
"Yeah, I don't think it could even class as a cake. A deformed cookie maybe, but not a cake" He joked
"You little" Ji-Sub pretended to hit him. "Have you spoken with father lately?" He asked and watched as the smile from his little brother's face dropped.
"What do you think?" Seung-Ho asked "Hyeong, you know him. If he's not telling me to be more like you then he's pointing out all my flaws"
"Seung-Ho-yah, it may be hard to see it, but he scolds you because he loves you" Ji-Sub sympathised.
"Hyeong I don't want to be like him when I have kids, I don't want to love my kids like that" His smile weak as he continued to eat his piece of cake. "We're better off not talking to each other you know that... Hyeong don't ruin the mood, I haven't seen my one and only brother in such a long time! Do you want to watch a movie?" He asked changing the topic, despite hearing his older brother sigh.
They spent the afternoon drinking beer and marathoning action movies, both the reminiscing the times when they used to play as kids.
^^^^
Since it was Seung-Ho's birthday Go-Ara had stepped into the mall to buy him a present, as her schedule was filled she barely managed to make it out for his birthday. She had her eye on getting him the new Louis Vuitton scarf that came out seeing as he'd need something for Autumn and Winter. As she was a regular, she casually sat down and called for the new season items to be shown to her. Seung-Ho was a picky guy, so she had to find something that would suit his professional exterior. Once she was done paying, she started to make her way out when an elderly woman with a walking stick approached her.
"Go-Ara-ssi, you know me, right?" The halmeoni asked as if it was obvious. Go-Ara blinked twice, which was enough indication that she did not know this halmeoni.
"I'm a close friend of your college hoobae's grandparents" She said and turned to her secretary "What was that girl's name?"
"Kim Na-Ra, Mrs Sook" her secretary replied
"Ah, yes I'm good friends with Kim Na-Ra's grandparents"
What a shameless old woman Go-Ara thought "Ah... I see? How are you?" Giving a short bow.
Mrs Sook laughed "Well, I'm quite well, but it seems like your friend isn't doing too well" She said with a smile still on her face.
"Pardon? Did something happen to Na-Ra, halmeoni?"
"How about we sit down for some tea? I don't think you'll want to hear this standing up..." she asked without really asking, because she'd already staggered her way to the tea-house on the opposite side of the mall.
***
By the time they had finished talking, Go-Ara was left dumbfounded and embarrassed. Leaving the tea house, she went straight for her car and straight over to Seung-Ho's house with plenty of questions at the tip of her tongue. Pulling up at the front of his house, she gathered the birthday card and presents she had prepared for him and stepped out of the car.
The steps to his door were tiresome and she didn't know if she could do this today, but it was something that needed to be done. She took a deep breath and knocked on his door, counting the seconds it would take for him to open it - 5 seconds.
"Hyeong, did you leave something behi-" Seung-Ho was surprised "Oh, Noona?"
"Happy Birthday" she said, shoving the envelope against his chest and helping herself inside as usual.
"Oh, you remembered" He smiled "You wrote me a card? Thanks, noona! You just missed Ji-Sub Hyeong, he literally just left." They made their way into his living room and he opened the card but was surprised when something else followed the card and fell to the floor. He bent down to pick it up and was shocked to see what it was.
Right there, on his living room floor was a photograph of him and So-Hyun from his birthday date last night.
"Noona... What is this?" He asked, his eyes still fixed on the photos.
"We need to talk" She stated, throwing the bag filled with his presents on the floor and folding her arms.
The wheels in his head must have been malfunctioning because they weren't turning, he couldn't think of anything to say that would help him process this moment. He knew what was coming and his heart could sense it too because it started to ache and the only thing that came to his mind was, her.
So-Hyun-ah.
When we reach a cross-road, what do we do? Do we just turn around and leave or do we make the best out of the mistakes and keep on going?
A/N Thanks for reading! Also FYI - wanted to make the timeline clearer because it might have been confusing, but So-Hyun is well into her second semester, so they've now been dating for like 6+ months.