Incheon
Col. Park Dong Woo glared at the poster of the young man hanging above his daughter's bed. The tic which had begun the minute the apple of his eye had decided to sign a trainee contract with SM Entertainment and move out, grew worse as nineteen year old, Park Joo Hee, closed the lid of her suitcase.
"I don't suppose you want to change your mind, do you?" He stood at ease, trying to control his temper at the thought of his daughter throwing away a career in the military to chase after a pop idol. "You were accepted into the Korean Military Academy. You could have commissioned into the KOR Army as a First Lieutenant."
"I only have one path." Joo Hee said resolutely as she set her suitcase on the floor, wheeling it out of the room. Her father followed her down the hall to the foyer. Her mother shook her head at her husband with a sigh. "Let her go." She told him as he ground his teeth, then kissed her daughter's cheek. "Your taxi is here. Be safe. Keep us updated. I love you, Joo Hee-ya."
She hugged her mother real tight. "I love you too." Then turned to her father as he continued to mutter under his breath that he bet the idol hadn't even gone through his mandatory enlistment yet. "Please don't blame Baekhyun oppa for my choices." She threw on her favorite faux fur coat, the panda eared hood bounced against her back as she tossed back her blond pony tail. "If I'm going to do this then it has to be now. I promise I will be safe and I will call you regularly. Bye."
Seoul
So pushed the buggy, following Jin as she guided them through the produce aisle. Picking up a whole white onion, she glanced at So. "I think I remember how to make soy braised beef. We should pick up some quality tea." A forlorn expression passed over her face. "I don't think the tea here will be of the same quality as the Damiwon." She sighed.
"That sounds good, Jinnie." So gave her a tender smile that took her breath away. It struck her dumb for an instant that he was here with her. Her So was standing beside her in a grocery aisle discussing what they should have for dinner. Her heart lightened and she felt as though she could breath for the first time in a long time. She blushed when he leaned down to brush a kiss across her cheek. The sound of a giggle caused them to turn around as a little girl peeked up at them from behind her mother.
"Seol-a, it's not nice to stare. I'm sorry." The woman said as she and her daughter moved away. Jin frowned as she watched them go. Her thoughts drifted to another little girl.
"Our Seol-a had a good life, Jin." So said as he cupped her cheek and turned her to face him. "She was a happy child. I promise."
"I know." Jin blinked back the tears, then she laughed as she wiped her eyes. "You would be an overprotective father. A good father to her. And Kyung Hwa would be a good mother. I know I made the right decision for you and her. I'm fine. Really, I am." She turned back to the onions, grabbed a bag and placed three onions in it, tying it off.
"I will tell you about her later." So promised, tilting his head as he smiled at her. "Baek ah and Bok Soon will be arriving around 6pm for dinner. After they leave, we can talk more."
"Thank you." Jin nodded at him, then moving on down to the leeks. They laughed and chatted about the night's menu as they slowly made their way around the store. Grinning at each other when they caught two ajummas whispering about newlyweds.
After paying for the groceries, they made their way to So's Hyundai Elantra. Jin climbed into the front seat when So shut the trunk, then he settled behind the wheel, starting the car. "I need to stop at the drugstore on the way back to your place." She reminded him.
"There's one nearby." So said as he pulled into traffic. He wound his way around the block, pulling into the parking lot when his phone rang. The display on the console showed the caller to be Ok Mun Sook.
Jin gave So a worried glance. "Don't worry, I'll handle it, Jin." He handed her his credit card. "I'll find you. It won't take long. I will let you know if there has been any progress."
"Okay." She smiled at him, feeling reassured as she got out of the car and ran into the store. So clicked on the answer button on the steering wheel. "What's going on, Mun Sook?"
"I contacted the lien holders and found out that Pak Hyun Shik borrowed up to $60,000 won from a group of ajummas in Yeoncheon stating the money was for his fiancee. He used Jin's house as collateral and made promises that Go Ha Jin-ssi would pay them back within three months with interest."
"That son of a bitch!" So growled through gritted teeth. "How much interest?"
"The holder of the loan is claiming it's twenty five percent." Ok Mun Sook replied. "What do you want to do?"
"I will pay off the $60,000 won only. They can take it and walk away or face us in court for fraud." So said decisively. "Take care of obtaining all of Pak Hyun Shik's markers."
"Okay." Mun Sook agreed. "The private investigator has been in contact with his new girlfriend and she's claiming she doesn't know where he is. He has her house staked out."
"Good. Give me a call once the loan has been transferred to me." So instructed. "I will let you go now. Bye." He thumbed the disconnect button with a heavy sigh.
Jin breathed a sigh of relief knowing that So had her back. Ok Muk Sook's call made her feel more at ease. She trusted her favorite kings to take care of this problem efficiently. She trusted So with her heart and life. She happily swung her basket as she check out labels and placed feminine essentials in the bottom. Biting her lip, she spied the contraceptives next the tampons. Memories of nights in So's bed in Goryeo lingered causing a flush of heat to rush through her.
Should I? She contemplated, lost in thought. It would only be prudent. But would it also be an invitation? "Oh!" Startled, Jin jumped as So's arm snaked around her waist.
"Let's be prudent." He whispered in her ear as he picked a box of condoms off the shelf.
"So." Abruptly turning around in his arms, she remembered the feel of his body pressed against her. Her eyes drifted down to his lips caught up in the awakening of her body. Catching her breath, she realized how much she enjoyed being in his arms. Oh, this temptation is too dangerous. "We really shouldn't." She pushed against him. "It might be prudent, but they are also an invitation."
"It's okay, Jinnie. They are a reminder that you are my person to protect. When you are ready to take that step with me again, there will be no worries." He squeezed her tight with a chuckle, his eyes bright with promise. "Although, I would love to have another baby with you."
Blushing fiercely, Jin left his arms and quickly finished her shopping. Her face grew even redder as the clerk rang up her items. She took her bag with a thank you to the clerk and headed out of the pharmacy, ignoring So until they got into the car.
"What news did Ok Mun Sook-ssi have?" She inquired, trying to calm her emotions.
"He's arranging to transfer the loan to me." So informed her as he headed to his high rise condo, pulling into the parking complex. "His private investigator is still searching for Pak Hyun Shik. It seems he has disappeared." He parked the Elantra, then turned to Jin. "You will remain with me until this problem has been solved. I don't trust that you won't be harmed if you go back to your house."
"But..." Jin began, frowning as she sank back into the seat. "No, Jin, I mean it." So said firmly as he got out of the car. Jin opened her door and climbed out after him. He held out a couple grocery bags for her to carry. They silently walked to the elevator. So pushed the up button. "Okay." She quietly agreed as the doors opened. The ride up to his condo was filled with tension. He punched in his security code, opening the door. Jin headed for the kitchen, dropping the bags onto the counter.
"I love you, Jin. Whether you are Hae Soo or Go Ha Jin, you are my person." So stated, turning her around, he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up until she sat on the counter top. Jin stared down at him, her hands on his shoulders.
"So-ya." She began but her words were cut off when he kissed her. His lips caressed her, urging her to open her mouth for his tender assault on her senses. She moaned as his tongue slid along her bottom lip, slipping inside, coaxing her response. Wrapping her arms around his head, she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Her body melting into his, she pulled back realizing how much she wanted to just let it happen. "We can't, So." She groaned softly. "Not yet. Bok Soon and Baek ah will be here in two hours and we have cooking to do."
Breathing heavily, So leaned his forehead against hers. "Okay." He agreed after a minute. So helped Jin down from the counter. Jin giggled softly, planted a quick kiss on his lips then she moved away to rummage around the kitchen. So stood back and watched her as she found a cutting board and chef's knife. He shook himself out of his reverie and started to put away the groceries.
"How are you feeling?" Bok Soon asked as she helped Jin set the table.
"I'm fine." Jin smiled at the incarnation of her best friend. "The doctor said I had very little water in my lungs. I was lucky that So was there to pull me out of the lake in time, otherwise I could have wound up in a coma or dead."
"I'm curious, how did you two meet." Bok Soon grinned at Jin as they wandered back into the kitchen.
"Well, he saved me from falling into a moat, then tossed me off his horse." Jin said as she poured Bok Soon a glass of red wine. "I wasn't too fond of him after that."
"He did what?" Bok Soon turned to glare at So sitting in the living room with Baek ah, their heads together as Baek ah showed So pictures of items from the conservatory.
"Archeology suits him." Jin commented as she smiled fondly at So. She turned to the stove to check on the soup. "It's nearly done. The braised beef will be the last thing to cook. I don't want the meat to be tough."
"You were joking, right?" Bok Soon laughed as she got the marinated meat out of the refrigerator. Sitting the dish near the stove, she leaned against the counter. "Really, how did you meet him?"
"It's a complicated story, Bok Soon." Jin sighed as she took a sip of wine from her glass. "I wouldn't even know where or how to start."
"Don't worry, Ha Jin." Bok Soon said to her new friend. "I'm available when you need to talk about it. So's a good man. Now I understand why he refused to date. He's very loyal."
"Yes, he is." Jin smiled, her gaze returning to So with warm regard. "Thanks, Bok Soon." She said as she turned to prepare the beef. "I love him." She stated as the meat sizzled in the skillet. "The meat is ready. Ladle the soup into the bowls."
Bok Soon ladled the soup over the beef and quail eggs in the bowls. "It smells heavenly." She grinned as both women carried two bowls each to the dinning room.
A/N: I love to hear from you, it keeps me motivated to write. Thank you for enjoying this update. If you have question, don't hesitate to ask.
