***Flashback***
They're back in Seoul after their theatre performance tour. The theatre performance is finally done. They could concentrate on their school again. It was hectic for all the performers as they needed to do both. Now that the play is over, some heavy burden somehow lifted. Though Mina should prepare herself to direct next year's production. It's always been a tradition that the lead actress would direct the upcoming production. But the lecturers let them take a breath for a while.
Chaeyoung and Mina's relationship grows closer. They courted each other. They support each other. As Chaeyoung said, Mina is her music muse. Chaeyoung wrote better pieces after meeting her.
They are just like any other couple, they spend time together, eat together. Sometimes Chaeyoung spends time in Mina's apartment. They go on a date as well. They study together. In Chaeyoung's life, she never feels love like this. Before, the only person she wanted to protect was just her brother, and now she feels that Mina has become her other part as well.
Dean Jun who was previously hard on her, became soft to her. Well, he is still a cool type, but when it comes to Chaeyoung, he softens a little bit. Dean Jun is very fond of her. He always said to the other F4 that Chaeyoung is one of the most talented students he ever met. And Dean Jun rarely said that. Mina and Chaeyoung are already plotted to lead the next production, Mina would be the director and Chaeyoung would be the lead composer. Dean Jun trusted the production wholly to the students, unlike before.
Mina also excels in her school. At her vocal major, students rarely choose opera. She's one of the kind. She practiced a lot as she really wants to have a career in this. She dreams to be an opera singer and perform in Vienna or somewhere around Europe. She got the perfect mentor. Aside from that, she did well in the theoretical sides too. She's just a perfect and a model student.
Finally, Chaeyoung also passes her first year in college, Mina passes her second year. They got 3 months of school break. Mina spent the first month going home, to Seattle. But she promised Chaeyoung that they'll spend the second month together. They planned to go to Sokcho for their holiday. Chaeyoung spent time with her brother as well while Mina's gone. A month later after Mina came back, they went to Sokcho. Both signed up to be a volunteer in giving kids a music lesson in the orphanage. Mina really loves kids. They spent time there for a good cause, also for their healing time. It's good to have a summer near the beach.
Chaeyoung would wake up early in the morning and cook for them. After that she wakes Mina up, they have breakfast and go to the orphanage together, then they stroll around Gangwon province and have a date after they're done with the lesson. It's their routine for the next 3 weeks. It's good for them to be far from the public eye. It felt free to them as they couldn't really show their love at school, even though people are so fine with it. They just want to avoid the hassle of being together as a lesbian couple.
They went home again to Seoul with a happy feeling. It's great to spend time with each other while doing something for a good cause. Mina always feels thankful for Chaeng that always supports her no matter what. It was good to be outside the house too for Chaeyoung, she didn't have to face her father.
Chaeyoung came home after spending 3 weeks outside the big city. She went home a little late since they took a night train from Sokcho. Chaeyoung enters the house and is surprised that her father is waiting for her in the living room while smoking his cigarettes. It's unusual.
"Oh, Father, good evening" Chaeyoung bowed to her father.
Chaeyoung just passed her father, but the father calls for her again.
"Come here, Son Chaeyoung"
Chaeyoung just took the first stair, descending and obeying her father's request. Chaeyoung then sees him in the living room.
"Explain this!"
Her father then throws some photos. The pictures are scattered on the table.
So many pictures of her and Mina being cozy together in Sokcho. Chaeyoung can't believe what she just saw. Her father can't know about this. Chaeyoung is so scared right now.
Chaeyoung is shocked. Her father ordered someone to tail her up to Sokcho and took photos of her. Chaeyoung's heart is beating so fast right now. The last thing she doesn't want to happen in this world is getting her father angry. Because he will do something really really bad, and he's capable of it.
"I gave you the opportunity you beg for entering that stupid school and you went there to become a dyke! You're such a disgrace to your family, Son Chaeyoung!"
Chaeyoung's whole family is always a conservative type.
"You know I am against this idea. No, my daughter would never be a lesbian, a Son heir would never join that fucking disgusting community! You know that this could hurt our corporate image, you would ruin everything your granddad and I have built so far Son Chaeyoung, this is so disgusting."
Chaeyoung tears up. His words really really hurt her.
"But this is who I am, Father. It's not like I can choose to be like this"
Her father is angry at her statement. He goes for Chaeyoung and grabs her hair down, Chaeyoung is screaming in pain.
"Oh yes, you can. You can choose your life, Son Chaeyoung. You know that I am the chairman of Son and Son Group, and I sacrificed too many to be in this position and if our big family knows about this kind of behavior of yours, your granddad will send me away, you know how this worked. I worked really hard to be in this position, and I WON'T let your uncles take over. I am the heir, you are also the next in line! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME"
"Father, it's hurt, Father" Chaeyoung begs to stop.
Her father then throws her away, Chaeyoung falls on the floor.
Her brother is awake and screams after seeing her father pushed her away.
"YA Father, stop it!" Jisung is helping his sister up. Chaeyoung is crying.
"You disobey my words to go to that fucking school. And yeah I let you, I gave you the chance to prove yourself, I wanted to know if you could striving there, and you're just fucking around girls there. Such a disgrace, Chaeyoung!"
Chaeyoung could only stay on the floor with Jisung beside her and cry.
"Quit that fucking school, and go to the U.S, THAT'S AN ORDER" Her father saying that while sitting down again.
Chaeyoung tries to get up from the floor and says things to him, "No, I won't do it. I want to pursue my dream, I want nothing from your fucking company" Chaeyoung screams at him.
It's the first time Chaeyoung uses that kind of words to her father.
Her father is smirking, he then calmly opens up the brown envelope in front of her. And read what's on the envelope.
"Myoi Mina, a Japanese citizen, a sophomore in SNU, majoring in Vocal, dreams to be an opera. Hanlim top graduate. Her parents have a fishery business in Seattle. Her brother is in Japan studying Management, she lived in the............"
"What are you doing?" Chaeyoung asked.
"You know in a snap finger I could make her life suffer. You know that, right?" Her father looks at Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung gasped. She knows perfectly that her father can do anything, anything.
"Not only that, but I could also make her family suffer. They're living in the U.S, it would be easier. I have so many guys out there. Fishery business in Seattle? Well, you know Son Foods have a big factory there"
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER" Chaeyoung screams at her father again.
"Wow, this girl is interesting, she could make my little girl screams at her own father"
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER, FATHER!!!!!"
"It's your fucking choice, Son Chaeyoung. Either you quit that school and start a new life in the U.S, participating in the family business. OR I could harm this poor little Japanese, making her stop doing her dream to be an opera AND also send your brother away from you" Chaeyoung's father threatened her.
"FATHER!" It's Jisung's time to shout at her father.
"Noona, don't listen to him. You got to choose your happy life, you're dreaming to be a music producer"
"Music producer, my foot!"
"I could study business, Father. I am still deciding what I want to be, I could be your successor, just let Noona have her own dream!"
Jisung is lying.
Chaeyoung knows that Jisung wants to be an artist. He's so talented in drawing. He's too good at it and Chaeyoung promised to herself that she won't let anyone block his dream, even her father. She always wanted to protect Jisung ever since their mother left. Protecting him from their father who always wants everything as his commands.
"Really? Chaeyoung-ah, you will let him be my apprentice"
Chaeyoung shed tears. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Her heart wants to burst. The only two things that she wants to protect right now are Jisung and Mina. She knows it well that her father could ruin her life and make her suffer in a second, he could do everything for his own good, she saw it too many times in her life. Chaeyoung can't let that happen.
She took a deep breath once again.
It was nice the past year to actually get closer to her dream, to make music, to meet people that support and recognize her talent. She can be whatever she wants, she can finally be herself the past year. Chaeyoung was in cloud nine, even forgetting for a while that she's the daughter of Son Jitae, the heir of Son and Son Group. Now the reality hits her again, it was all temporary. Her dream and her wish to do whatever she wants.
She loves Jisung and Mina so badly. She doesn't want to hurt them. Especially Mina. She deserves every praise in this world and the world should know her talent. Chaeyoung feels small once again. At the end of the day, she's just a puppet to her family. The firstborn of Son Jitae, the one who will take responsibility for everything. Never in million years, her father support her dream. The only thing he knows is, he's going to be the next successor of her grandfather, and Son Chaeyoung is on the next line.
"Oh, another thing. I met your Dean as well. Jun Namgil, right? He was a nice guy. But he was so rude to me, he thinks that he could fight me on this. He's just a little ant who doesn't know his place. I asked him to......you know, to make you quit school. To sign your resignation paper, I was going to make you expelled or something to make this easier for you. But your Dean, no shit, he was a pain in the ass and a stubborn human being. He is really fond of you that much '' Her father says things to mock her up.
"But you know, the SNU President, President Oh, he was my junior. He and I played golf together. So I asked him to push his dean to sign your resignation paper. Damn, what a nuisance. Should I also ask President Oh to ruin his career, Chaeyoung? President Oh is a really good friend of mine, I can just donate something to the school and he will certainly do what I want. Your decision tho"
Chaeyoung grinding her teeth, she clenches his fist tight, she gulps her feelings, she takes a deep breath and holds her tears. She knows what her father can do. And it's Jisung, Mina, and Dean Jun's life at stake. He can't let her father touch them. They are too precious for Chaeyoung. They both helped Chaeyoung even when it's all going to vanish now.
"I'll do it. I'll go to the U.S and be whatever you want me to be" Chaeyoung said it in her trembling voices, she shed a single tear in her eyes.
There, she chose to give up her dream.
"NOONA!" Jisung interfered.
"In return, I will take Jisung with me" Chaeyoung's lips are shaking to continue her words, "And you please leave them alone, I beg you, Father. If you touch them, I swear to God, I................." Chaeyoung sheds tears while saying the last words.
Her father is smirking.
"Okay, you have my words on it. I will send you both next week to the U.S, don't say any words to our family or I'll do bad things to them, leave quietly" Her father once again threatened her.
Her father left them in the living room.
Chaeyoung turns her hand into a fist. She just can't take it. When he mentions names, she knows that he will ruin everyone's career that blocking his view. Chaeyoung understands that Dean Jun had to do it under his pressure.
"Noona, why are you doing this? You don't have to do that, let's just disappear from this place" Jisung hugs her from the side and shed tears himself.
Chaeyoung turns her body to face him and pat his head "Jisung-ah, I will do everything, everything for him, so he won't touch you, that's the promise I made to myself when our mother left. So, please, please bear with me okay? You're the only thing that I have right now. And I need your support. This for the best"
Jisung hugs her and cries in her embrace. Chaeyoung also shed tears.
Now, she got to leave the perfect life she tasted in the past year.
One thing she will never be over with, that she had to leave Mina.
Mina, the one that gave her unconditional love.
The next day, under her dad's order, Chaeyoung just disappeared. Her dad made it very clear that she should cut ties to everyone in her school and just go to the states quietly.
The first week in LA was quite frustrating for Jisung. Chaeyoung won't eat anything, she hid herself in her room without any food, without anything. She locked herself up there. Jisung was so worried that he finally busted the door and found his sister unconscious because she won't eat anything for a week. Chaeyoung never put a smile on her face anymore, she just fulfilled her father's dreams, she went to a college and attended the class, and when she's home she locks herself down again. All of her housemaids tried to make her eat but she only ate a little. Her father made sure that she can't touch a musical instrument in the house. Chaeyoung felt empty.
And then, on one Sunday morning, Jisung asked Chaeyoung to go to the church with him. There, Chaeyoung finally opened up herself again. With the help of Reverend Walker, Chaeyoung could finally accept her fate. Reverend Walker knows from Jisung that Chaeyoung is a great composer, and Reverend Walker asked her for help in church music. Chaeyoung could touch her music again, even though she's busy with university and taking care of her father's business at the same time, but she finds a little way to engage with music again. But after she graduated, her father gave her so many tasks for her, at that time Chaeyoung wanted to prove herself that she can do that, she never let her father down, she did that so that she could have spare time to spend on music again, but her father never gave that. Her father won't let her.
And that becomes Son Chaeyoung's life. With her being one of the CEO of Son and Son Group, with her arranged marriage, and with her life. Music never crossed her mind again.
----
Chaeyoung could only hit and bang her forehead to the stirring wheels again. Remembering that she had to give up Mina years ago still hurt her. She was so mad at God and to herself. Seems like, indeed, the universe doesn't want her to be happy. She gave up everything since she was young, and even up until now she should also give up things she really loves.