Two
Pissed off. Jin Ae in her car after confronting Dae Hyun. She took a deep breath before igniting the start button of her white Porsche Macan her father gave on her 24th birthday a year ago. After starting the car, frustrated and annoyed she rest her forehead on the steering wheel for a while. She wants to think. Think things over.
"Oh...this is crazy" She sighed.
Closing her eyes hard that she wanted to cry but she well knows that crying is not the answer. She have to think a way out of this chaos.
The image of her father suddenly came onto her mind. It was her father a night after that incident while having dinner with her.
"I can not get you out on this mess Jin Ae. Not this time" Her father warned.
Jin Ae while slicing her Salmon dinner swallowed hard.
"I just... wanted to protect you. That's all" she fought back.
"Not every time you can do it on your way Jin Ae. I thought you're wise enough to know that"
"Look. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry" shaking her head as if there's no other way but to say sorry.
"It's not enough. Mr. Lee wants something else" Her dad said.
Jin Ae purposely put her fork down to the plate hard enough that the other customers looked at her. She has her temper out of control again. Stubborn as she is, she unrespectfully asked her dad what is this all about.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Her dad swallowed first before answering the question. He can't believe this is happening either. He feel betrayed but what can he do? It's out of his hands now.
"Mr. Lee wants you to marry his son" Looking straight to Jin Ae's eyes.
At first Jin Ae thought this was a dream. She blinked twice before answering.
"I'm sorry... Wha... What?" she asked confused.
"You have to marry his son or else, Mr. Lee will put us aside as their business partner. It totally means we're doomed"
Jin Ae annoyed. She can't think of a reason or a connection about the incident and the marriage.
"I don't seem to find the point here, dad. What's with the marriage have to do with this? Pointless..." She said while shaking her head to show objection.
"This is to punish you" Her dad asked.
"I don't understand. Since when marrying someone a punishment?" she asked.
"This is their way for you to be punished. Because of your unethical doings, Mr. Lee wants you to marry his son. If we don't agree then it should be time for us to look for another business partners that by the way it took me 20 years to build"
"Are they the only one left for us?"
"They are our biggest asset"
Jin Ae closed her eyes once again. She can't absorb anything that's happening now.
Took a deep breath.
"This is wrong" she said, "Why don't you give them other choice like, grant them a 10 year supply of our finest brewed coffee? Or give them a portion from our resort in Jeju" She bargained.
"I already did my girl. They don't want anything but the marriage" her dad said before drinking his red wine.
This is seriously wrong. She thought. She thinks that Mr. Lee probably wants something more than the marriage. It's obvious. But what could it be?
Her flashback ended after a hard knock on her car window surfaced. She opened her eyes and quickly opened the window. It was Dae Hyun's maid. She was handling Jin Ae the bond paper she gave to Dae Hyun a while ago.
"What's this?" Jin Ae asked the maid.
"Mr. Dae Hyun wants to give it to you, madam" The maid answered politely.
The maid went back quickly Jin Ae didn't have the chance to thank her.
She opened the bond paper and at the bottom of the print out of their marriage announcement, there's a handwritten message.
"Meet you up tomorrow. 5.30 sharp. at my hotel"
She refolded the paper and threw it at the passenger seat. She looked at his house from her car and said, "You're an unbelievable man. Unbelievable." and she drove back home.
Kyung Mi finally arrived at her aunt's house in Seoul. Their house is quite bigger than her house near Gangnam. Of course, her aunt has a better job than his brother. Her aunt is a teacher in Ehwa Women's University with no kids. Her aunt is an old maid. That's why she'd always love whenever Kyung Mi visits her.
"How long are you staying here, Kyung Mi?" her aunt asked.
"Just until tomorrow auntie" Kyung Mi answered.
"Oh, can't you stay here a little longer?"
"I can't. Dad's alone"
"Then live here together with your dad. That would be awesome. Right?"
"Omo. Are you serious auntie?"
"Why not?" Her aunt answered with a smile.
"I'll ask dad first. But I'd love to live with you here auntie"
So after her short conversation with her auntie. She began fixing her things to bring on her 'trip'. Her auntie already went to the university so she was alone when she left the house.
She chose this street somewhere along in Sinchon-dong to start selling the light sticks. The street quite fits her. Not too busy not too quiet. She likes it actually. She's been here several times but not to sell. Kyung Mi's dad and her often go here for a walk whenever they visit her dad's sister.
While getting ready with her mini store a stranger approached her.
"Joselin? Is that you?" A woman asked.
The woman looked like in her late 20s. She's wearing a casual attire with just jeans, blue shirt and a jacket. She kinda looked like having a rough time as she didn't even bother to comb her hair.
As she called out a name that's not hers, obviously, Kyung Mi looked back expecting the woman is talking to someone but not her. But when she looked back, there's no one but a a nail art shop named 'Olivia',
Kyung Mi pointed herself as if asking "is it me you're talking?".
"Yeah. You! Oh my god Joselin, where have u been!?" the woman asked.
"I'm sorry. I think you've got the wrong person. Would u like to see my light sticks?" Kyung Mi changed the subject.
The woman was stunned. As if she's shocked why Kyung Mi doesn't know her. The woman studied Kyung Mi's face and said, "No.. It's you Joselin. Can't you recognize me?".
Kyung Mi answered "I'm sorry mam, I don't know you".
"What's the matter with you, I'm Camila! Your friend! What happened to you.. I've been looking for you!" Camila said.
Kyung Mi shook her head and laughed. "I'm sorry madam. I really don't know you"
"Oh my god!" Camila shocked. "You don't remember anymore......" she added.
Camila was like examining Kyung Mi's body as if she's injured or something. When Camila touched her face, Kyung Mi almost dodged it but Camila was too fast.
"If you lay a finger on me, I will call the police" Kyung Mi warned her.
"Alright. Okay. Where do you live now? Where is your twin?" Camila asked.
"What the hell, are you crazy? Police! Police!" Kyung Mi shouted.
Camila immediately blocked Kyung Mi's mouth to shut it.
"Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll go now. Don't call the police. I'll go..." Camila said while taking steps back.
Camila looked back several times as she walked away from Kyung Mi.
Kyung Mi still shocked she was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to get things in line.
"What the hell is she talking about?" she asked herself. She tried to think if she met her somewhere in Gangnam or just one of her customers or classmate in college. But nothing connects. It's the first time she saw that woman. Kyung Mi was more confused when the woman called her a different name. "Joselin?......" She thinks she never heard that name before.
Pissed off. Jin Ae in her car after confronting Dae Hyun. She took a deep breath before igniting the start button of her white Porsche Macan her father gave on her 24th birthday a year ago. After starting the car, frustrated and annoyed she rest her forehead on the steering wheel for a while. She wants to think. Think things over.
"Oh...this is crazy" She sighed.
Closing her eyes hard that she wanted to cry but she well knows that crying is not the answer. She have to think a way out of this chaos.
The image of her father suddenly came onto her mind. It was her father a night after that incident while having dinner with her.
"I can not get you out on this mess Jin Ae. Not this time" Her father warned.
Jin Ae while slicing her Salmon dinner swallowed hard.
"I just... wanted to protect you. That's all" she fought back.
"Not every time you can do it on your way Jin Ae. I thought you're wise enough to know that"
"Look. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry" shaking her head as if there's no other way but to say sorry.
"It's not enough. Mr. Lee wants something else" Her dad said.
Jin Ae purposely put her fork down to the plate hard enough that the other customers looked at her. She has her temper out of control again. Stubborn as she is, she unrespectfully asked her dad what is this all about.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Her dad swallowed first before answering the question. He can't believe this is happening either. He feel betrayed but what can he do? It's out of his hands now.
"Mr. Lee wants you to marry his son" Looking straight to Jin Ae's eyes.
At first Jin Ae thought this was a dream. She blinked twice before answering.
"I'm sorry... Wha... What?" she asked confused.
"You have to marry his son or else, Mr. Lee will put us aside as their business partner. It totally means we're doomed"
Jin Ae annoyed. She can't think of a reason or a connection about the incident and the marriage.
"I don't seem to find the point here, dad. What's with the marriage have to do with this? Pointless..." She said while shaking her head to show objection.
"This is to punish you" Her dad asked.
"I don't understand. Since when marrying someone a punishment?" she asked.
"This is their way for you to be punished. Because of your unethical doings, Mr. Lee wants you to marry his son. If we don't agree then it should be time for us to look for another business partners that by the way it took me 20 years to build"
"Are they the only one left for us?"
"They are our biggest asset"
Jin Ae closed her eyes once again. She can't absorb anything that's happening now.
Took a deep breath.
"This is wrong" she said, "Why don't you give them other choice like, grant them a 10 year supply of our finest brewed coffee? Or give them a portion from our resort in Jeju" She bargained.
"I already did my girl. They don't want anything but the marriage" her dad said before drinking his red wine.
This is seriously wrong. She thought. She thinks that Mr. Lee probably wants something more than the marriage. It's obvious. But what could it be?
Her flashback ended after a hard knock on her car window surfaced. She opened her eyes and quickly opened the window. It was Dae Hyun's maid. She was handling Jin Ae the bond paper she gave to Dae Hyun a while ago.
"What's this?" Jin Ae asked the maid.
"Mr. Dae Hyun wants to give it to you, madam" The maid answered politely.
The maid went back quickly Jin Ae didn't have the chance to thank her.
She opened the bond paper and at the bottom of the print out of their marriage announcement, there's a handwritten message.
"Meet you up tomorrow. 5.30 sharp. at my hotel"
She refolded the paper and threw it at the passenger seat. She looked at his house from her car and said, "You're an unbelievable man. Unbelievable." and she drove back home.
Kyung Mi finally arrived at her aunt's house in Seoul. Their house is quite bigger than her house near Gangnam. Of course, her aunt has a better job than his brother. Her aunt is a teacher in Ehwa Women's University with no kids. Her aunt is an old maid. That's why she'd always love whenever Kyung Mi visits her.
"How long are you staying here, Kyung Mi?" her aunt asked.
"Just until tomorrow auntie" Kyung Mi answered.
"Oh, can't you stay here a little longer?"
"I can't. Dad's alone"
"Then live here together with your dad. That would be awesome. Right?"
"Omo. Are you serious auntie?"
"Why not?" Her aunt answered with a smile.
"I'll ask dad first. But I'd love to live with you here auntie"
So after her short conversation with her auntie. She began fixing her things to bring on her 'trip'. Her auntie already went to the university so she was alone when she left the house.
She chose this street somewhere along in Sinchon-dong to start selling the light sticks. The street quite fits her. Not too busy not too quiet. She likes it actually. She's been here several times but not to sell. Kyung Mi's dad and her often go here for a walk whenever they visit her dad's sister.
While getting ready with her mini store a stranger approached her.
"Joselin? Is that you?" A woman asked.
The woman looked like in her late 20s. She's wearing a casual attire with just jeans, blue shirt and a jacket. She kinda looked like having a rough time as she didn't even bother to comb her hair.
As she called out a name that's not hers, obviously, Kyung Mi looked back expecting the woman is talking to someone but not her. But when she looked back, there's no one but a a nail art shop named 'Olivia',
Kyung Mi pointed herself as if asking "is it me you're talking?".
"Yeah. You! Oh my god Joselin, where have u been!?" the woman asked.
"I'm sorry. I think you've got the wrong person. Would u like to see my light sticks?" Kyung Mi changed the subject.
The woman was stunned. As if she's shocked why Kyung Mi doesn't know her. The woman studied Kyung Mi's face and said, "No.. It's you Joselin. Can't you recognize me?".
Kyung Mi answered "I'm sorry mam, I don't know you".
"What's the matter with you, I'm Camila! Your friend! What happened to you.. I've been looking for you!" Camila said.
Kyung Mi shook her head and laughed. "I'm sorry madam. I really don't know you"
"Oh my god!" Camila shocked. "You don't remember anymore......" she added.
Camila was like examining Kyung Mi's body as if she's injured or something. When Camila touched her face, Kyung Mi almost dodged it but Camila was too fast.
"If you lay a finger on me, I will call the police" Kyung Mi warned her.
"Alright. Okay. Where do you live now? Where is your twin?" Camila asked.
"What the hell, are you crazy? Police! Police!" Kyung Mi shouted.
Camila immediately blocked Kyung Mi's mouth to shut it.
"Ok. Ok. Ok. I'll go now. Don't call the police. I'll go..." Camila said while taking steps back.
Camila looked back several times as she walked away from Kyung Mi.
Kyung Mi still shocked she was shaking. She took a deep breath and tried to get things in line.
"What the hell is she talking about?" she asked herself. She tried to think if she met her somewhere in Gangnam or just one of her customers or classmate in college. But nothing connects. It's the first time she saw that woman. Kyung Mi was more confused when the woman called her a different name. "Joselin?......" She thinks she never heard that name before.