1.8.17
Yesterday, I started my day in Busan and then took a train up to Seoul. Then, I took a bus down to JinJu. Now, in a coffee shop, I sit, exhausted and writing SoSoo stuff.

Myung Hee gazed down at her bowl of black rice in concern. Soo knew when lunch was and she had promised to be there. Gazing at the empty seat beside So, Myung Hee sighed and worried for her cousin. Who knew what sort of trouble she had gotten herself into.

Sitting between her husband and brother-in-law, Myung Hee did her best not to pick at her food while she waited for Soo. She kept her ears alert and tried to maintain a smile so as to not worry her husband, but with each passing minute, she could not help but fret if her cousin had gotten herself into trouble. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she breathed to ease her tumultuous nerves.

When Wook asked where Soo was, Myung Hee only shook her head with a smile. "She said she was going to meet her boyfriend, but they must have lost track of time. You know how it is with young people." She paid no mind when So dropped his spoon.

The sound of the front door opening and closing was loud enough for them to hear in the dining room and Myung Hee sat up, hoping to hear a good excuse from Soo- one that was not dangerous or serious. Perhaps Soo had just lost track of time spent with her boyfriend. Myung Hee waited for her cousin to arrive but heard no footsteps approaching but a maid's.

"Madam Hae," one of the maids looked at Myung Hee with a worried glance. Bowing, she interrupted lunch to speak to the mistress of the house. "The young mistress is in distress. She walked in crying and-"

Before Myung Hee could say anything, Wook and So were out of their seats, rushing away from the table and into the hallway.

Wook was the first to reach Soo as one of the maids led her to her bedroom. He intercepted the two and looked at his wife's cousin with clear worry etched on his face. "Soo, what happened?" he asked, holding her shoulders. So stood back, sending a frown toward the bodyguard who stood by the door. He turned his gaze toward his brother and Soo as Wook scanned her for any marks of conflict.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Soo tried to push Wook away. "It's nothing," she huffed, wiping her tears and looking down, her dark hair falling over her face. Wook frowned when her blouse moved to reveal a red mark on her left shoulder. His eyes widened as she moved to cover the blotch that clearly marred her pale skin. So only raised his eyebrows at the mark he had placed on Soo, unworried about its presence.

"Did he hit you?" Wook demanded. So looked up and narrowed his eyes as Soo shook her head without response. "Soo!"

"Husband," Myung Hee called. She walked toward Soo and gently took her in her arms, patting her back as the crowded hallway looked on. "Husband, please go finish your meal," she said to Wook. "I will deal with Soo and return to you."

And with that, Myung Hee, Soo, and the maid carrying Soo's bags walked to Soo's bedroom, closing the door behind them.

A livid Wook pointed to the guard that had walked in with Soo. "In my study, now," he growled. Unwilling to lose any details as to why his Soo was crying, So followed Wook toward the large study that adjoined the house's library.

Four well dressed men gathered in Wook's study, lunch forgotten, and nothing on their minds but the situation at hand. Wook sat at his desk and Eun took one of the seats before the desk. The well lit office was decorated in the same way the rest of the house was and So gazed around as he took a position by one of the windows that overlooked the city below. He knew where the mark on her shoulder was from and did not worry about it, but if another man had physically hurt her, there would be trouble. He mulled over the legalities of beating people to a pulp.

"What happened?" So heard Wook's controlled voice as he listened from his position at the window.

The guard explained that after leaving the shopping mall, they had dropped by a pharmacy and Soo had purchased some vitamins and energy drinks. He went on the say that she and her boyfriend had met. The two had argued, Soo had broken up with him, and then he had called her foul names until she cried.

"He didn't hit her?" Wook asked. So bit the tip of his tongue as the guard shook his head.

"He did not hit her and the shoulder he grabbed was her right, not her left. Though…" he cleared his throat and looked between Eun and So before continuing. "While the young mistress was fighting with her boyfriend, she did mention that she was breaking things off to be with a different man."

Wook seemed perplexed at the guard's answer and So fought to keep a smirk off his lips. "Another man?" asked his brother. "I wasn't aware that she was seeing someone else." He looked at the guard with a frown. "Did you?"

Shaking his head, the guard replied that while he had been guarding her, he had not seen any men other than her boyfriend interact with her.

With a sigh, Wook nodded. "I doubt I could stop Soo from seeing whoever she is seeing, but I hope he knows what kind of family she has backing her. I will not stand to have her hurt. Have my secretary call Jung Jae and tell him to meet me at the offices. I'll have a word with him myself."

The guard bowed and left the office, leaving Wook with his brothers.

"Why do you care so much for Hae Soo?" Eun asked, setting his phone down for the first time since the conversation had begun. It hit the table with a clack and the blonde man looked up at his older brother. "It's not like she's your daughter or anything."

Wook sighed and shook his head. "No, she's not, but she is my wife's cousin and my wife cares for Soo very much. Therefore," he sent a pointed look to Eun, "what is my wife's is also mine. Soo has become an integral part of this house and I will do what I can to prevent her from being hurt."

So scoffed, resting his hand against a decorative sword that sat on a stand carved to look like a roaring dragon. "How noble," he murmured. He knew that Wook's new way of feeling for Soo would pose a problem in the future. If they were caught, So knew that Wook would not hold back in his retaliation. He needed to be more careful.

He also knew that with Wook's paternal instincts toward Soo, So could not track down whoever hurt Soo because it would only draw more attention to himself. He knew he would have to begrudgingly trust Wook's judgement in regards to dealing with her former boyfriend.

In the evening, So rode the elevator up to Wook's apartment with a small smirk as he returned to his brother's house. The process to instill Mu in Taejo's place as the Chairman of the Jong Group was going steadily and with no major roadblocks, that allowed for So's hours to be shortened. He could spend more time with Soo.

So knew that Eun had not returned to the offices and had instead gone to the company that represented him in order to have some paperwork filed about his next album. Wook had worked until four before returning home. At six o'clock, So was the last to return to Wook's apartment.

With a small smile, he looked down at the box of cakes and pastries he had purchased for Soo to help her feel better. The gesture was harmless and it was one that he hoped would bring a smile to her face. If there was one thing So hated more than seeing Soo unhappy, it was seeing her cry.

The doors opened and So punched in the code required to open the front entrance, listening to the high pitched beeps that accompanied each button. When the password was complete, he slid the lock down and opened the door.

"Welcome back, Mr. Wang," a maid was at the end of the foyer to greet him and place a pair of indoor slippers at his feet. "Dinner will be in ten minutes."

So handed the cake box to the maid and asked her if she would refrigerate it for him. "I saw Wook's in-law crying and thought she might like it," he simply stated.

So made his way to his bedroom, passing by Eun as he spoke to someone through his laptop. "I'm actually at my brother's house right now!" laughed the K-Pop star. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to give you a tour. He's a very private person and my other brother is here too. They're both supremely introv-"

"Hello, Eun," So waved as he entered his bedroom.

"Hi, Brother!" Eun shouted back, a guilty smile spreading over his face.

The bed was made and his possessions were all cleanly distributed into the closet space given. His toiletries were stacked on the desk and So knew that the maids had done their work… including putting his newly purchased contraceptives on the bedside table.

So sucked in a deep breath and nodded before tossing his work bag aside and taking his jacket off. Changing from his work clothing into a comfortable t-shirt and pants, he rubbed his eyes and thought about all of the things he would do with Soo.

He knew that he would sleep in her room every night, but he wondered what she would be doing this weekend. He wanted her to take him through Gangnam so they could spend time together and just be a normal couple. The general public barely knew what So looked like, so he could travel unharassed.

If they went out together, So could buy Soo whatever she wanted. In this life, he vowed to please her in every way- something he could not have done as Emperor. In this life, there was no one to save from bloodshed and So could finally live a quiet life with Soo. He would only make her smile and never allow her to be sad again.

A knock to the door jarred So from his reverie and he raised his eyebrows when Soo stuck her head in. She looked tired, but was no longer crying or mleancholic. Instead, she smiled at So and entered the room. "Welcome home," she whispered, stepping towards him and wrapping her arms around his torso.

So leaned down to give Soo a soft, lingering kiss to greet her. He bumped his nose on hers as she toyed with his shirt. "Are you alright?" he asked in a low voice. His lover nodded against him and So smiled, inhaling her sweet scent. "Good."

"Come out for dinner," Soo said, pulling away. So immediately missed having her arms around him, but before he could hold Soo again, she was already walking out of his room.

"Dammit," he muttered, knowing he would have to wait until everyone in the house was asleep in order to hold her again.

When So stepped out of his room, her was surprised to see Baek Ah and Jung sitting at the dinner table. The two were happily conversing with Soo and Eun while Wook and Myung Hee watched on. "Jung, Baek Ah," So raised his eyebrows at his younger brothers. Both sat beside Soo, leaving So the spot beside Eun.

Baek Ah still wore his clothes from work, but Jung seemed to have arrived from the gym, for he wore a white Taekwondo uniform with his black belt slung over the back of his chair.

"Ah, Brother!" Jung waved his hand. "Wook invited us over for dinner!"

Chuckling, Wook shook his head. "I invited Yeon Hwa as well, but she couldn't come. Come sit, So, we're about to begin eating."

Taking his place at the far right of the table, So glanced at Soo as she picked her chopsticks up once Wook had eaten the first bite of food. She smiled at Jung's jokes and laughed when Baek Ah told his stories about crazed fans twice his age, and So found her mesmerising.

"Baek Ah, how is your poetry book doing?" Myung Hee asked as she placed a marinated quail egg on Wook's rice. "And Jung, I know you're very excited for the Olympics this year," she turned her gaze toward So's younger brother.

The two replied in their own way: Baek Ah saying he could now afford a new car- something his brothers guffawed at- and Jung declaring that he would become the most famous member of the Wang family when the Olympics rolled around.

"I know Father will send at least three of my brothers to support me, and Mother is going to be in Rio the entire time I'm there!" he announced. Jung did not notice how his other brothers all grew uncomfortable at the thought of Jung and So's overbearing mother, Madam Yoo, a treasured daughter of the Yoo family and Group.

It was Soo who broke the tense silence. "Well, I'm sure all of Korea will be cheering you on," she grinned. So raised an eyebrow when Jung touched Soo's shoulder and thanked her. Suddenly, dinner tasted bland and his jaw clenched. Jung seemed oblivious to his brother's anger.

"Eun, will you be doing anything aside from your charity work this month?" Baek Ah asked his older brother. Soo was amused to see that the more playful and spontaneous Eun was older than the serene and mature Baek Ah. She remained perpetually happy that the eight brothers got along in this life as brothers should.

Shaking his head, Eun only shrugged. "Just the charity stuff and then I'm going to spend a week by Wook's pool, doing nothing but playing video games and eating fried chicken."

At the words "fried chicken", Jung began to groan. "Don't talk about junk food in front of me, please," he begged, motioning to the plate of plain grilled chicken and bowl of bland lettuce leaves that had been prepared for his dinner- a vast difference from the traditional Korean meal the rest of the family was enjoying. Jung's Olympic diet was met with two servings of brown rice and plenty of vegetables. Even if he had enough food to feed three grown men, Jung wanted nothing more than to have one bite of the juicy, fatty pork belly and newly prepared kimchi everyone else ate.

"Yesterday, I tried to sneak out of the gym and eat street food, but Soon Deok caught me and reported me to her father," Jung groaned, referring to his training partner and coach. Park Soon Deok was the female hopeful for Olympic gold and her father had ruthlessly trained both her and Jung since they were children. "When the Olympics are over, I'm going to live here and do exactly what you do, Eun," he declared. "Be a lazy ass that mooches off of our brother's money."

Shaking his head, Wook chuckled and muttered something about moving to a smaller house without a pool.

The penthouse was quiet and the staff had already left for the evening, turning the lights off around the apartment. In the dark of night, the light-proof curtains guarded each bedroom from the glaring city lights that emanated from Seoul. All was well, and in a bedroom with a locked door, a couple waited for their hearts to slow down as they laid together, their hands intertwined and their soft pants met with smiles. Finally alone together, Soo and So had wasted no time in learning each other's bodies once more. For the first time in this life, they had consummated their relationship.

"What are you doing this weekend?" So asked as he reached past the plate of half-eaten cake for the pitcher of water on Soo's bedside table. There was only one cup, but Soo seemed not to mind when he drank from her glass before remembering to offer her some as well.

Sitting up, Soo accepted the cup from So and took a sip of water as the blankets fell away from her body. She could feel So's fingertips grazing up her spine and Soo leaned against his bare chest. "Nothing that doesn't involve you," she replied. "Myung Hee and Wook are going to be home, but you and I can go out together."

"I would like that very much," So murmured as he bared his teeth and dragged them down the curve of Soo's throat, prying the cup from her hands and setting it back onto the tray. "Walking around with you…" he kissed the roses that bloomed on her shoulders and breasts from where he had taken his time to mark her. "Being with you without fearing anything…" he pressed his forehead to her chest, feeling her heartbeat against his skin.

"You're insatiable," Soo moaned when So's tongue flicked against the sensitive points of her skin.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, feeling So's lips dragging down her torso and pelvic bones. She curled her fingers through his tousled hair, gasping.

"I have waited a thousand years to touch you again. I'm not letting you sleep tonight."

Ugh, So, you cheesy nerd.
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