Chapter 8
It was in the peaceful afternoon, Myōi Akira and Myōi Mina, two of the renowned corporate figures were taking their time to enjoy a cup or two of green tea surrounded by the green garden view of the Chou's estate. The orange rays from afar indicated that the evening will come and the darkness was creeping slowly with the night.
The two silently sat in their chairs, enjoying the calm green tea fragrance while they sometimes slowly sipping from the traditional ceramic cups made by an old time artist.
Putting down the cup in hand, Akira gently took his daughter's hand, the warmness from the touch showing how much Akira loved his daughter. Ever since he had lost his wife years ago when she was giving birth to his daughter, Mina has had a special place in his heart. To him, Mina was all he had left in this world to remember his wife; no other woman could ever fill her place.
Now, will be searching for her own life, her own world, her own love, her own joy and reason to live. His reason has already been founded, and for that reason now staring back at him with a facade he well verse in them. Behind that facade, he knew Mina was confused with so many questions in her mind.
"Mina..." Akira began. "Do you love Chaeyoung-san?"
"Otou-sama... ermmm, well..." Mina was feeling nervous at the sudden emotional question.
"Tell me honestly, my daughter. Do you love her?" Her father pressed the question
The tone of her father made Mina realise that her father is very serious about it. Looking straight at her father, Mina answered what she felt all this time about Chaeyoung. "Otou-sama. I love her. I'm in love with her."
A moment's silence passed before Akira let go of Mina's hand as he stood up and walked a few steps while looking ahead, far into the distance. Worried of her father, Mina decided to join him. "Otou-sama...Is there something wrong?"
He remained silent before he answered solemnly. "No...No, Mina . Nothing is wrong. Yesterday..." Akira hands clasped behind him as he closed his eyes. Maybe he was seeking the strength to continue. "...at the Chou's Family meeting, I was summoned by them. That is, too clarify about the arrangement between Ren and me. About you and Chaeyoung." Akira then turned towards Mina and looked straight at his daughter. "Before Ren died, he also mention about the wedding between Chaeyoung and you. I had agreed with him and I had promised him."
With the news from her father, Mina didn't know whether she should feel joy or sadness. Part of her felt happiness and joy, but a silent, distance part of her felt sadness and loneliness. About what, she didn't know.
"Yesterday, they also mentioned the terms and condition for your marriage. As Chaeyoung-san is an adopted daughter of the Chou, she will have twenty percent of the Chou's Group shares while her sister, Tzuyu-san will have forty percent. Most of Chaeyoung-san's share is in the Asia Branches, which include Japan's Branch. But..."
Walking back to his seat, Akira sipped his warm tea. "With what given to Chaeyoung-san, she is now dismissed from the Chou's Family"
"Eh...what does that mean, Otou-sama?" Mina raised her brows; her confusion was now evident on her white porcelain face.
"That means, Chaeyoung-san is not a Chou anymore." Her father explained simply.
Yet the words of it was a big weight to them both. "But.. Chaeyoung-san was not a Chou to begin with. She has adopted the name of Son which is... the inheritance name for the family's butler. Nevertheless, the Son then became part of Chou's family"
"Then, what about our company? The plan for the China market, is it still going to happen?"
"Yes, because the agreement of the company's merging was proposed by the head office, specifically, by Ren, therefore, we are still going to commence the company's merging. That is... after certain conditions are fulfilled"
Approaching her father, Mina prepared to listen from her father. With the look on her father's grim face, she knew, the matter was such a serious and heavy condition.
"What the condition, Otou-sama?" Mina braced herself for the worse news.
Looking back at Mina a words left Akira's mouth "You,my daughter...have to marry Chaeyoung-san here, three days from now... in front of the family's members.
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Mina closed her eyes at remembrance of yesterday's event. She still cannot comprehend how her feelings about all of these arrangement. For one, Chaeyoung is now not a Chou anymore. She's not the family member of the Chou, more like she's just another worker or one of the shareholders of the Chou's Group.
Second, she, the heir of the Myōi Corporation will have to marry Chaeyoung if they still want to continue with the company's merger. Of course, with the company's merger, they will gain many benefits in the agreement; one of them is the China market. Their marriage will be in two days, and she felt it was just too early and too soon for both of them. And then, as her father explained, as Chaeyoung is not a Chou anymore, she will then become a Myōi. "Myoi Chaeyoung Son...ka.."
That sounded...weird.
Yet, it felt just right on her tongue. Staring outside the window, Mina was thinking of how Chaeyoung was facing this new transition in her life. With her adopted father death, she was expelled from her family, downgraded to just being their employee, have to marry a Myōi and become a member of the Myōi's family instead of keeping both family's honour.
But after all that, last night and this morning, Chaeyoung didn't say anything about this to her. Of course, her father knew exactly the trick of what was behind the arrangement. As Chaeyoung was not a Chou anymore, if anything happened with the company's merger, the Chou's can just withdraw from the agreement and leave the Myōi's to defend for themselves. They will not hold any responsibilities if anything happened in the future. And as Chaeyoung was being expelled from the family, she didn't have any authorities to interfere with anything about Chou's family or their business. For the Myōi, they have nothing to lose. It's worth a try.
The Chou family was also separating Chaeyoung from her sister, Chou Tzuyu. On the other hand, Tzuyu will not have a rival regarding the inheritance of the family's fortune. It's a very calculated decision of the Chou's family. But, what will happen to Chaeyoung? Being a manager for risk and tactical division for years, Chaeyoung is an asset for Myōi. If only he can make Chaeyoung agree to work for their company instead continue to serve the Chou. Even though she's not working as a manager for the Japan's Branch Chou Group, she's still a shareholder and be given the profit dividend. So working with the Myōi's will not affect her much. "So, now..." Akira spoke with his mind in deep thought. "How can I steal Chaeyoung from the Chou?."
-X-
Part of Mina felt that she was not ready for this. Too be tied to a person she has only known for two months is too early.
Too hasty.. more so, it seemed too desperate. But...even so, right now, Chaeyoung has lost the one she love, her family, her father. Even though she's already faced a lost before, it doesn't mean that she's already immune to such loss and felt nothing at all with the fate. No, it's so impossible. No matter how strong a person is, she will feel grief and sadness knowing the one who cared for them will never stay by their side anymore and they could never see them again. No matter how strong a heart is. Chaeyoung, she might be strong on the outside, but deep inside her, who knows.
Right now, she needs someone to be by her side more than anything else. They have been together through the good and happy times, so right now, its Mina's turn to be by her side when the bad come to worse, through sadness and grief, through rain and dark skies. Sh'lle be the one who will always look after her and protect her. She will be the one to fill the empty space that was being left by the lost.
"Me...only me..." Mina muttered.
"Chaeyoung... I will be your family and I will forever protect you, no matter what happen. You are not alone." Mina hold in the tear that pooling in her eyes.
Two days had passed with no progress with Chaeyoung. In these past two days, Chaeyoung was busy with her family's matter and only came back to her room when it was late at night, as Chaeyoung had already drifted to sleep. Quietly, Chaeyoung would crawl into bed and cuddle with her, no words from her, not even the proposal or saying about love. The silence between them had been dragged on for two days. Every night Chaeyoung would be having the same dream, sobbing and mumbling incoherent words. On the morning of their wedding, Mina was woken up to a kimono already neatly hung in their place with a simple card on the small table next to it. After a long hot refreshing bath, Mina took the card and read it.
"Mina, your father had told me that you had agreed to the wedding. But, it's still not too late if you need more time and forfeit. No matter what your decision, I love you. Therefore, in this card I want to ask you once again, Will you marry me, Mina? If it yes, then you will come to me in this beautiful wedding kimono made especially for you. But if your answer is No, you can stay in your room or tell the butler to take you anywhere you want. I will be waiting for you at the main house.
Your Chaeyoung."
"Your Chaeyoung..." Mina repeated the two words gently. A pink hue colouring her cheeks "...my... Chaeyoungie. You are mine now, fufu..." Mina smiled. With that, she prepared for her wedding day.