As the triplets second birthday came and went, all any one could wonder was when exactly they where going to see Ji Hoo again. Ji Hoo's wife had died just after the triplet's first birthday, and no one had seen him since.
The triplets where the children of Geum Jan Di, and Goo Jun Pyo. They consisted of the oldest boy Goo Jae Sun, the second oldest boy Goo Jae Hwa, and the only girl, and the most dominate triplet; Goo Jin Ae.
Woo Bin and Jae Kyung's child Min Ki's second birthday past, and no one had heard anything from Ji Hoo.
Yi Jung and Ga Eul's son Sang Min had his second birthday, and still nothing.
Finally it got back around to the triplet's birthday. They turned three and a massive lush party was held in their back garden, the same as every year. But their uncle Ji Hoo, who they could no longer remember was still not around.
When Ji Hoo left suddenly two years ago, Jan Di had stepped up and taken over the running of his clinics. The worst bit of this process was when she had to find a new children's doctor. That had been Ji Hoo's wife; Hyo Joo before she had died suddenly of a brain aneurysm.
'I really hope my grandson returns before their next birthday.' Ji Hoo's grandfather said as he left the triplets party. Every one agreed. No one knew when or if he was coming back; they didn't even know where he was.
Min Ki's birthday past again.
Then Sang Min's.
With the triplet's fourth birthday coming up soon, still no one knew where he was.
Ji Hoo had really gone to Scotland. He had brought a small log cabin, and was just sitting in there nearly all day every day. He would only leave once he ran out of alcohol, which he had massively turned to since his wife's death. In front of him, next to the fireplace which was the only thing heating the cold cabin was a picture of his wife. Some times if he stared at it long enough he could almost see it moving, and talking to him.
'Hyo Joo, what should I do?' He asked the picture. He swore the picture looked up at him.
'Go back to Korea.' The picture seemed to say. He blinked, and rubbed his eyes. Thinking to himself he'd drunk too much, he fell asleep on the floor.
Back in Seoul, at the So house, tensions where running high.
'Sang Min! Just eat your rice.' Ga Eul snapped. Sang Min had been playing with his bowl of rice to several minutes with out eating any.
'I don't feel like rice. Please, can I call Noona?' He asked. Sang Min was very well spoken for a child of his age. Ga Eul sighed.
'What do you want to call Jin Ae for?' She asked. Sang Min was very well behaved, and asked for everything so politely she found it hard to say no to him.
'Noona told me I should paint her a picture, but I don't know what she wants a picture of.' Sang Min said sweetly. He almost worshipped his Noona, and would do anything she asked of him.
'Why don't you just paint what you want, and then it will be a surprise for Jin Ae?' Ga Eul suggested. Sang Min's expression when went very serious for a long moment.
'That's a good idea, Mother. Could I get down to paint then?' He asked. Ga Eul smiled a little.
'Yes, Sweetheart.' She nodded. Sang Min happily hopped down from the table. She sighed as she was left to eat the rest of her meal by herself. Her husband had the most important exhibition of his life coming up. It was due to be sown in the Louvre museum in Paris, and was a massive deal which would firmly cement him as one of the best potters of all time. She was very proud, however it was taking up so much of his time. He was coming to bed late, and falling straight asleep, missing meals, and just generally working constantly. When he wasn't working he was spending those rare free moments with Sang Min. Ga Eul sighed, as it seemed no one had time for her any more. She finished eating and stood up. She stepped over to the door that lead in to the workshop. Sang Min was sat at a small table that was sat next to Yi Jung's potter's wheel.
'You're doing a painting for Jin Ae?' Yi Jung asked his son. He took the pot he had been working on off the wheel.
'Yes. We where painting at Noona's house and she said mine was really good, and that I should paint one for her.' Sang Min said in his intelligent tone. Yi Jung chuckled.
'Your paintings are very good.' Yi Jung praised. Sang Min smiled at his father.
'I want to be a big painter when I'm older, like you but instead of pottery I want to paint.' Sang Min smiled sweetly. Ga Eul smiled from the door way, it was moments like this she lived for.
'You need to work very hard then.' Yi Jung smiled at his son. 'This time try drawing out in pencil what you're going to paint, and then pairing it after.'
'Okay, Daddy.' Sang Min said happily. He began to draw in pencil on the paper. Ga Eul walked in to the room.
'Oppa, do you want your dinner now?' She asked Yi Jung. He looked up and shook his head.
'I can't, I need to keep working.' Yi Jung said. He turned back to his potter's wheel and started moulding the clay straight away. Ga Eul sighed, and nodded.
'I think I'll just head over to Jan Di's house then.' Ga Eul replied.
'Be careful on the road.' Yi Jung told her. He didn't look up from his work. Ga Eul almost wondered if he meant it, or if it was an automatic reflex to say it for the sake of it.
'Mummy, could I come?' Sang Min asked politely. Ga Eul looked behind her as she put her coat on.
'Don't you want to finish your painting?' She asked. Sang Min shook his little head. He had an adorable bowl hair cut, and the entire thing moved as he shook his head.
'I can finish it later. Sun-Hyung said he'd show me how to make the fishes jump out of the water.' Sang Min said. Ga Eul laughed.
'I feel sorry for those fish.' She said. Sang Min laughed. Ga Eul pulled Sang Min's coat off the rack and put it on him. She then held out her hand to walk him out of the house.
'We're going.' She told her husband. Again, he didn't even look up.
'Be careful on the road.' He said again. Ga Eul frowned a little, but then smiled as her son looked up at her.
The pair of them got in the car, and then quickly drove off to the Goo mansion. As soon as they pulled up on the drive way they could hear the children's loud voices echoing around. Sang Min perked right up as he heard the voices of his sibling like friends. Ga Eul had to quickly unstrap him from his car seat, as he was already wiggling around, desperate to see his friends. As they entered the big house, it became very clear that Jan Di was not home.
On the floor of the entrance hall Jae Sun and Jae Hwa where sat down. Between them their father was sat. Each one of them was grumbling as Jin Ae played hair dressers. Jae Sun's hair had five hair bobbles in it, Jae Hwa's had six, and Jun Pyo's had fifteen. Ga Eul did everything she could not to burst out laughing as she walked in.
'I'm guessing Jan Di's not home?' She asked. Jun Pyo looked up at her. He didn't look embarrassed to be caught with his hair tied in hair bobbles, but there was a slightly mischievous glint in his dark eyes.
'She's working, I'm looking after them.' Jun Pyo spoke with a some what irritated tone. 'Mermaid' He called his daughter's nickname 'don't you think Auntie Ga Eul has long pretty hair?' He asked. Jin Ae jumped straight up.
'Auntie Ga Eul.' She said in her cutesy voice. 'Can you play hairdressers with me?' She asked. She clamped her hands together in a begging motion.
'Uh...' Ga Eul stuttered. She didn't want to say no to her little niece, but she didn't want her hair attacked either.
'Look, she said yes.' Jun Pyo said standing up. He started pulling all the hair bobbles out of his own hair. Both his sons mimicked his action.
'While my mummy has her hair done should we go and look at the fishes in the fish pond?' Sang Min asked his friends sweetly.
'Yeah, lets go.' Jae Sun replied. He wisely ran out before his younger sister could stop him.
'I'll go too.' Jae Hwa said running out. Sang Min ran along behind them. Ga Eul looked at Jun Pyo desperately. She had once before suffered the torture of Jin Ae's hair salon game. The roots of her hair had hurt for a week after.
'I better go and supervise them.' Jun Pyo said, running outside.
'Jun Pyo-Oppa!' Ga Eul called helplessly after him. But it was too late. Jin Ae approached her, and ordered her to sit down.
The first stage of the torture was a rough hair-brushing. Ga Eul whimpered to herself as the small girl pulled the brush through her long hair with no care what so ever. The next stage was where the hair bobbles started. Jin Ae roughly separated parts of the hair in an uneven way. Huge clumps where left hanging loose as the hair bobbles she pushed in.
'Please be be a little more careful, Sweetie.' Ga Eul said.
'I'm being careful, Auntie!' Jin Ae replied with her little but strong tone. Ga Eul whimpered again, as the painful hair pulling continued.
'Yah! Goo Jin Ae, I thought I told you you shouldn't play hair dressers any more.' Jan Di said walking through the front door. She kicked off her trainers as she stepped in.
'Jan Di-ah!' Ga Eul said in such a tone you would of thought a angel appeared in front of her. Jin Ae hid her hairbrush behind her back quickly. Jan Di stepped over and took the brush from behind her daughter's back. She tapped Jin Ae's head with it lightly.
'Rascal.' Jan Di scolded her slightly. 'Where are your Oppas and Daddy?' She asked.
'Outside with Sanggie looking at the fish.' Jin Ae replied.
'Aish, I told them to stop tormenting those fish.' Jan Di shook her head hopelessly. She seemed quite amused by it, even if she was pretending not to be.
'I'll go tell them off.' Jin Ae announced. She went running out of the house on her little legs. Jan Di carefully stated taking the hair bobbles back out of Ga Eul's hair.
'Sorry about this.' Jan Di said laughing.
'It's okay.' Ga Eul laughed in return.
'Did you just come with Sang Min?' Jan Di asked. Ga Eul turned around.
'What do you think?' She asked bitterly. She took out the last few bobbles herself. Jan Di frowned.
'Just tell him you want him to pay more attention to you.' Jan Di told her. Ga Eul shook her head.
'I can't. He needs to do this, and it's just going to make him stressed if I start stirring trouble.' Ga Eul sighed. Jan Di nodded.
'I'll be over soon and every thing will be back to normal. It's only another month until they exhibit, right? You can live until then.' Jan Di said. Ga Eul smiled. Her friend always knew how to cheer her up.
'That's right.' She said.