Chan is drinking alone again at the hotel bar in Japan. He's here for another meeting with JYPE Japan. Knowing that Chan is drinking alone, Sooyoung comes to the bar and meets him.
"PD-nim you're here alone again"
Chan is smirking.
"Sooyoung-ah, I know that you stalk me, don't act as we meet here by fate or something. Sit down"
Sooyoung smiles and sits down in front of him while ordering a glass of wine.
"Oh classy, never think that people from A&R Team would have a classy taste"
"Well, I am a little bit different," said it while pushing back her hair teasingly.
"So many times I've been to Japan, but only for working, what a waste," Sooyoung said.
Chan smirks, "Yeah tell that to the company, ask them to give us at least a day off"
Chan raise his glass, followed by Sooyoung
They ended up talking all night long. And also the next night after.
Chan was pretty open about his music, they talked about career paths and opportunities, they got into some deep talk conversation as well. Chan is extroverted, everyone in the company knows that he's easy to talk to, but he also manages to have a certain charisma around him. Sooyoung asks how he managed to go abroad all the time, staying in the hotel room all the time. And Chan said that sometimes he gets confused, whether abroad is home our real house is home for him. Sooyoung learned about his loneliness right away.
---
"Oh, Jihyo! You wait long? I thought you're in Japan" Mina is surprised to see Jihyo in front of her apartment
"Nah, they're in Japan not for the project, but the creative team meeting"
"Come on in" Both then enter the apartment, Jihyo directly lays her body on the sofa.
"Can I spend a night here? Since Channie is in Japan" Jihyo asks
"Of course, you can sleep with me"
"Nice!"
"Ah I almost forgot, I need to remind Channie about Sujin's school"
Mina then dials Chan's number and puts it on speaker.
"Oh don't put it on speaker, I don't want to hear your household matters"
"Hel...?" Mina doesn't even finish her sentence.
"Hello, sunbaenim"
"Oh? Who's this?" Mina said it confusedly while looking at Jihyo. Jihyo gets up and sits on the sofa.
"Oh this is Sooyoung"
"Ah Sooyoung-ssi"
"Don't get me wrong but PD-nim left his phone here and I pick it up"
Mina then put off the speaker.
"It's okay, it's okay. Please tell PD-nim that I called him, okay?"
"Okay Sunbaenim"
Mina hung up and smiled confusedly to Jihyo.
"Okay, we need to talk about that," Jihyo speaks.
"What?"
"How can you be so sure that there's nothing wrong?"
"Jihyo-ya, if I decided not to trust Channie, I would do it a long long time ago"
"So, do you trust him?"
Mina nods and hums. Assuring Jihyo.
"Even when Sooyoung just picked up HIS phone?"
"I met Sooyoung all the time in the office. Besides, you work closely with Channie. If there's anything, you would tell me, won't you?"
Jihyo nods, "You're such a noble wife, Minari"
Mina smirks, "No I am not"
"I am sure they're just curious about Bang Chan, you know he's always charismatic in the office and a nice type"
"Yes, even though we both know it isn't true"
They both laughed.
---
"Oh PD-nim, I am sorry that your phone is ringing and I picked it up, it was from............"
"My wife, isn't it?"
"Yes"
"Cool, you're her junior she won't get the wrong idea"
Chan said it lightly.
They talked again till both back in their hotel room respectively. As someone who developed a crush on Chan, sure Sooyoung would get the wrong idea. But Chan being Chan, he's always a friendly guy you can talk to (except to his family)
---
it is indeed odd seeing that Son Chaeyoung is here, in South Korea again. She even tried building her music career at the very place that she hates. Chaeyoung once promised herself that she would not go back to South Korea again. First, because of her father, he gave her too much pain. Second, because of Mina. She was in love with the girl, but she had to let her go, and it deeply hurt her.
So, it is confusing for people who are close to her like Dahyun. She never imagined that Chaeyoung would be here, settling down after all those years in Seattle.
But actually, Chaeyoung is here for another reason. 8 months ago, some guy contacted her, he said that he's Chaeyoung's maternal uncle, her mother's brother. Chaeyoung ignored at first, Chaeyoung didn't want to know about her mother at all. She then blocked all his contact. But after that, Chaeyoung's mind became occupied to that matter only. She can't stop thinking about that. All she wanted is closure. She needs to know why her mother abandoned Chaeyoung and her brother.
Seems like the universe is approving her plan, she met Yuna and she thought about moving back to South Korea, feels like a perfect reason. She then flew to Seoul carrying only a little information about her mother. Chaeyoung doesn't stop searching after she comes back. He only knew about her mother and her uncle's name, and their hometown in Pyeongchang. Other than that, Chaeyoung knows nothing. Soon after arriving in South Korea, Chaeyoung went to meet her uncle, Son Garam. The one that she left all the businesses from her father. Chaeyoung made sure to her uncle that she wanted to build her career alone, even though her uncle offered her some help.
Son Garam helped Chaeyoung track down her mother, after a full reassurance because her uncle knows how much she resented her mother. After 3 months, Son Garam got legit leads and gave it to Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung got her mother's address. She lives in Gangneung now.
Today, she will go there to find her mother. She asked for Dahyun's permission to take a day off first.
"So, you're gonna drive alone?" Eunwoo asked.
"Apparently, yes"
"Chaeyoung, you've been here for only 3 months, I can't trust you going alone, to be honest," Dahyun worried about her friend.
"Well, don't worry Dahyun-ah, I have Naver map with me"
"Where are you going?" A voice from the back joins the conversation.
"Oh, Mina Eonnie!' Dahyun knows that Mina is done with her vocal lesson.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you guys," Mina said.
"I am going to my mother house"
Mina is shocked upon the latter's statement.
"You found her?" Mina then sits beside her, across Eunwoo and Dahyun.
"Yeah, I asked my uncle to track her down before coming to South Korea. I think I should see her"
"Where, where is your mother now?"
"She's in Gangneung, I don't know, outer skirt Gangneung I think"
"Shouldn't you call Jisung? I think he has the right to know as well"
"Later, I will tell him once I found out myself"
"I am sorry, you two seem to know each other for a long time?" Dahyun asked, Eunwoo also curious.
"Oh, ehm Mina is my senior at college, we were both members of a theatre club at SNU. I went there for only a year, Dahyun. Remember?"
"Ah right, I forgot that you were once a brainy student who got into SNU, before you vanished," Dahyun said jokingly.
Okay, it's awkward now.
"So, you're gonna go alone?" Mina cleared up the air fastly.
Chaeyoung nods.
"Let me go with you"
"YA, you don't have to........."
"You don't know the way Chaeyoung-ah, everything is confusing when you get into a suburban area. Look, I know Gangneung like the back of my hand, been taught there for 7 years now. Besides, you know that you can't go there alone, Chaeyoung"
Chaeyoung looks at Mina. She then buries her face down, rubbing his tired eyes.
"You have a job, I can ask you to do that"
"Do I have any lessons this weekend Dahyunnie?" Mina asks Dahyun.
Dahyun shook her head, "Nope"
"There, I don't teach or work at the weekend at JYPE as well"
"Chaeyoung-ssi, let Mina accompany you, okay?" Eunwoo begged her.
Chaeyoung just nod, "Thank you Minari"
Mina nods as well.
Chaeyoung then picked up Mina at her apartment the next day.
Mina knocks on the driver window. Chaeyoung lowers the window down.
"Move, I am driving"
"What?"
"Move, newbie" Mina then opened the door and let Chaeyoung get out of her car and move to the passenger seat.
"Funny that you're more Korean than I am while I am holding the nationality"
Mina could only smirk.
"But you don't know Korean Peninsula like I do, I am a Seoul, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, and Incheon native"
"Okay, okay, I am defeated"
Mina started the engine and they went to Gangwon-do.
After an hour drive, they stopped at the rest area to take brunch first.
"You don't mind we're taking a break first right?" Mina asked.
"Of course not, I am starving as well"
"Alright let's go"
Mina and Chaeyoung ordered the food separately. Mina wanted to eat something warm, she ate Seolleongtang, while Chaeyoung ordered Kimchi Jjigae.
Mina eats the food while Chaeyoung only stares at it while stirring her soup.
"You said that you're hungry"
"I am" She smiles and takes rice in her spoon and pouring it with her soup.
Mina then laughs a little.
"You okay? Are you nervous?"
Chaeyoung takes a deep breath.
"Honestly I don't know. I don't know why I even tracked her down in the first place. I didn't want to know. I never wanted to know about her. Just................"
"That's okay. I believe it's a good thing, Changie" Mina put her spoon down and looked at her.
Mina laughs a little again.
"I remember when we did volunteer at Sokcho. Wah, I miss that place. Beautiful beach in summer. It's actually near Gangneung but I never go there" Mina tried to subside Chaeyoung's mind with other topics.
"I miss those kids, I mean, how old are they now?"
"Probably 20, 21?" Chaeyoung said.
"Daebak. What I remember the most, is the ice cream stall, just outside our rented room"
"That's right! I wonder if it's still there. Do you remember the time when they had blackouts then all the residents just gathered around with their candle, and we were all talking with the neighbors? It was just so..............."
"Lovely" Chaeyoung finished her sentence.
"Yeah right"
Chaeyoung smiles to herself.
"When you meet your mother, you gotta say what you need to say, okay? Don't leave things hanging. Just, if you have to look for an answer, go for it"
Chaeyoung takes a deep breath again. Somehow Mina's words struck her like lightning. Chaeyoung left things hanging around her. Chaeyoung left with no goodbye, no messages, she just vanished. And yet, Mina is still here, despite everything that happened, despite the confrontation they had back in Seattle. They're still here. Funny how their fate entangled.
"Does Yuna know about this?"
"Yeah, I told her. She moved to a dorm, she can't go out"
"Right"
"I am sorry to drag you like this, Thank you so much"
"You're welcome. Let's go?"
"Yeah"