Chapter 10
Cinderella
Th girl woke to a dull thudding in her head and someone shaking her shoulder gently and opened her eyes to see the concerned look of a kindly old man speaking to her.
"Est ce que ca va? Comme s'appelle?" (Are you ok? What is your name?)
The girl stared at the man, she knew he was speaking g in french but she couold not respond and just shook her head.
"Es-tu Chinois? Japonais? Coreen?" (Are you Chinese? Japanese? Korean?)
"Korean…I am korean Harabeoji.."
The old man smiled and switched languages.
"Aigoo. What happened to you young lady? What is your name? What are you doing here?"
"I…I don't know Harabeoji…I can't..I can't remember my name."
"You are injured and it's cold out here. Would you like to come in?"
"Harabeoji..where am I? I..don't remember…"
"You're in Rue De Convention, this is the vaccine of my family's restaurant." The kindly old man explained, noting the girl's fear and panic. She looked young, maybe a runaway?
"Rue de Convention?" She asked, bewildered.
"In Paris."
She was quiet and her fear was almost palpable.
"Do you have a place to go?" The kindly old man asked. She didn't look dangerous, and there was something about her eyes.. he could not just leave her out there in the cold.
She shook her head, silent tears started running down her face.
"Harabeoji…I can't remember my name or why I am here.."
He nodded. And mentally, made a quick decision.
"My name is Mun Il Sung. I live over this restaurant with my daughter in law and my grandson Il Jin. If you feel like you can trust me, I will convince her to let you stay." He looked at her questioningly.
"Kwang Si is my daughter in law, my son was her husband but he died soon after he brought me to Paris. I am from Busan and they are my only family left. I will tell her you are the granddaughter of a friend — but we'll have to keep up the story until you remember who you are. You must have family looking for you?"
She shook her head miserably.
"Harabeoji..I just know I need to get back to Seoul."
"We can look through your things – maybe you will have some papers there? But young lady, you're very far from Seoul. And unless you work, Kwang Si will not let you stay with us long."
"I am willing to work Harabeoji…I don't know how I know..but I promise I will work hard. I have nowhere to go and I need to go back to Korea."
"Ok then. Follow me and let me do the talking. Kwang Si is…well…let me handle her. Just agree to everything I say. You need a name though…shall we call you Ji Min?"
The girl nodded acquiescently.
The old man smiled, Ji Min had been his late wife's name. But this girl…she had eyes that reminded him of her even after all these years.
Il Sung helped the girl up, and they gathered her battered suitcase and small bag. They entered a metal door leading from the alley into a dimly lit hallway.
"Si-abeoji! Shut the door! You're letting all the cold air in!" A querulous voice shouted out.
The two walked into a brightly lit, small kitchen where a petite korean woman was busy prepping food. She looked up and a scowl settled upon her face.
"And what stray have you picked up now?" She asked almost angrily. Kwang Si was a hard woman – she had had to be, after having lost her husband so young, and been left to support a young son, a failing business and an old father-in-law. She didn't particularly have any affection for the old man — and perhaps if her late husband had not left part of the business to him, she would have taken her son and left him years ago. But she had no choice and put up with him. She thought her late husband Il Song was a lot like his father – always so gullible to strangers, a bleeding heart for every sob story. It had only been because of her that the family restaurant had survived. And here he was again with another of his charity cases!
"This is Ji Min-ssi, the granddaughter of a friend from Korea. She needs a job and that girl Francine never showed up, we need a waitress." Il Sung replied, casting a look at the girl, who nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Hmmmp." Kwang Si cast a look at the girl, noting her disheveled appearance. "You. Come here!"
The girl shuffled forward nervously.
"Have you ever worked in a restaurant before? Can you cook?" Kwang Si asked. The girl nodded.
"Yes Ahjumma. I can wait tables and help in the kitchen. I'm a very hard worker."
"Where is your family? Are you a runaway? We don't want any trouble with the police."
"Ne Ahjumma…they are all in…Seoul. I am alone."
"Where do you stay? The hours are long.." Kwang Si continued until Il Sung interrupted her.
"Her grandfather asked me to give her a place to stay – she can use the little storage area in the back and there is a bathroom there as well."
"Ne Harabeoji…I don't need much…gomawo." The girl said.
"Well you'd better be a hard worker. You can start tonight…but if you mess up, you'll have to find somewhere else to go. I don't want any slackers around here." Kwang Si admonished. "We'll pay you what we paid the other girl — it's minimum wage and of course, I'll deduct room and board and you'll pay for whatever you waste or break in the restaurant."
"Ne Ahjumma." The girl now named Ji Min said quietly.
"I'll show her to her room now." Il Sung interrupted, leading her to the back before Kwang Si could change her mind. He hoped the young girl would work out — he knew Kwang Si was a hard taskmaster and a penny pinching one at that. All their waitresses never lasted long, mostly because Kwang Si was such a demanding and exacting boss and expected the work of two people from one person, at the cheapest possible salary.
Ji Min followed the old man to the back of the kitchen where he showed her into a small room, there was a small cot on one side and open shelving on the other side stacked with supplies. He cleared out an area of the shelving and indicated that she could put her meagre things there.
"I'm afraid it's very small…" the old man apologised "But it's warm and clean…and you will be alright here until we figure out how to find your family."
The girl now called Ji Min turned to him, a bright smile so reminiscent to him of his late wife shining on her face. She bowed low and respectfully.
"Gomawo Harabeoji. Thank you for helping me…I don't know what I would have done. I promise to work hard and not let you down." The girl said.
He patted her gently not he shoulder. "Why don't you check your things?" He suggested, "You have two hours before we open for lunch and maybe you might find a passport or ID in your bag?"
Ji Min nodded and Il Sung turned to go.
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SEOUL
Across the world, a tawny haired young man slowly came to. He opened his eyes and the light hurt him causing him to groan. His head hurt and his mouth had a bitter aftertaste — the kind he remembered from being a child forced to take sedatives by well meaning adults after his parents died.
"At last! Sleeping beauty is awake!" Woo Bin said, getting up from the seating area in the corner of Yoon Ji Hoo's room where he and So Yi Jeong had been quietly watching over their friend.
"Even for you Yoon Ji Hoo – that was quite a long nap." The bedimpled potter added.
"Woo Bin…Jan Di…where is Jan Di?" Ji Hoo asked urgently, looking around the room and not finding the face he was looking for.
"Hey, relax bro. She was here — but she had to go home, some family emergency." Woo Bin assured his friend.
"Has..has she come back?" Yoon Ji Hoo asked with trepidation in his voice.
"Not since she left on Wednesday morning…unless she was here on the days I wasn't. Yi Jeong, did you see her?" Woo Bin replied.
"No – but then I wasn't here the whole day all the time. Your doctors kept shooing us out and you were out cold." Yi Jeong explained.
"I have…I have to find her…I think she's left me…" Ji Hoo hurriedly tried to get out of bed, but his legs, unused to the sudden movement buckled under him and he had to brace himself against the wall. Woo Bin hurriedly helped his friend and settled him back on the bed.
"What are you talking about?" He asked incredulously. He had been with Ji Hoo and Jan Di the night that Ji Hoo had ran out — and he saw first hand how lovingly Jan DI had cared for his friend, the kind of love and concern that could not be faked. He saw how she tended to Ji Hoo, her hands gentle and her voice soft, keeping watch over him through the night, sleeping on the hard cold floor, refusing to even get on the bed for fear that her movements might disturb Ji Hoo's rest. Those were not the actions of a woman who would leave the man she loved. And he had absolutely no doubt that Geum Jan Di loved his friend — not after having seen her that night.
"She…I told her to go away…to not talk to me. She must hate me now." Ji Hoo said, his voice muffled by the hands covering his face, as he sought to still the ravaging headache he still felt.
"No Ji Hoo-yah, I was with her that whole night — she only left because her parents called Ge Eul to ask her to go home." Woo Bin argued. "Do you know she took care of you all night and wouldn't leave your side? Not even to change out of her wet clothes? She slept on the floor! She wouldn't let anyone else tend your wounds. She was so... You know what bro…you're lucky to have her. If that's not love, I don't know what is. I don't believe she would just leave you."
Woo bin exchanged glances with Yi Jeong. Yoon Ji Hoo had been kept heavily sedated the last two days, he was probably not thinking straight and more than a little emotional.
"I have to go find her…" Ji Hoo insisted trying to get up again.
Just then, the door to Ji Hoo's bedroom opened and the nurse on duty came in with a tray of food and a syringe of some medicine.
"What is that?" Ji Hoo asked sharply.
"You have to eat Young Master. And you have to take this — doctors orders." The Nurse replied firmly, sending a glance for help to Woo Bin and Yi Jeong.
"No." Ji Hoo said sharply, he could tell by how he felt that he had been given sedatives in the past days. "No more drugs."
"But Sir…"
"No!" Ji Hoo said loudly, again trying to get up.
"Bro.." Woo Bin said, gently pushing Ji Hoo back down on the bed. "Look…why don't you eat and rest tonight. It's too late to look for Jan Di now and we can't call her. I promise to help you look for her tomorrow."
"But.." Ji Hoo tried to argue.
"Please Ji Hoo." Yi Jeong said, "Just rest for tonight."
Seeing himself outnumbered, Ji Hoo reluctantly nodded and shortly after he felt the sting of the needle on his arm, he started feeling very sleepy, and his eyelids drooped.
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Paris
The Mun Traiteur Asiatique was a small restaurant along a busy street in the 11th Arrondissement of Paris. Being near a metro station, the restaurant did a brisk business especially in the evenings when commuters too lazy to cook dinner or craving Asian food would stop by for a quick meal.
It was about 6 pm when Ji Min (Jan Di) heard Kwang Si shouting for her. Hastily, she put the clothes she had unearthed from the battered suitcase on the little shelf. She could find nothing in the bag that would establish who she was. But at least it contained clothes and basic necessities and a small amount of money. She had also found a sketchbook but did not have time to look through it before she was summoned to start her new job. It would have to wait until the evening.
The night was frantic. While the restaurant was small, Ji Min was the only server. Kwang Si cooked and while Il Sung handled the cash register. During the short lulls between customers, Ji Min was also expected to wash dishes. Even little Il Jin, Kwang Si's eight year old son helped, carrying the lighter trays of food and sweeping up after customers left their tables. He was a sweet little boy and Ji Min found herself remembering…someone..she had known someone like him…but she could not remember.
It was past midnight when the last customer finally left and Il Sung started pulling down the shutters over the glass front of the restaurant.
"Harabeoji! Let me do that.." Ji Min said, hurriedly taking over the task from the old man.
"Gomawo Ji Min." The old man smiled approvingly at the girl. He felt he had not been mistaken in helping her so far. She was clearly hardworking and while she could not speak a word of French, her friendly demeanour, ready smile and quickness to help eased the language barrier. "I'll be going up now. Try to rest as early as you can, it will be another long day tomorrow."
"Yah Ji Min!" Kwan Si suddenly came up to the girl "You broke two glasses! That's coming out of your pay!"
"Mianhae Ahjumma.." Ji Min apologized, looking helplessly at the old man. The truth was, it was not even her fault as a customer leaving the table behind her bumped into her as she was carrying the tray of dirty glasses.
"Kwang Si…" Il Sung tried to argue.
"Are you running this business or am I?"
Il Sung had to stay silent — Kwang Si had become meaner and more tightfisted over the years, and he knew he would never win an argument with her.
"I thought so." Kwang Si said with grim satisfaction noting that neither Il Sung nor Ji Min disagreed with her. And ushering Il Jin up the stairs, she retired for the night. Il Sung bid Ji Min goodnight and went to her little room behind the stairs.
Now that she had time, Ji Min folded her clothing on the shelf, examining each one — hoping that something would remind her of who she was or where she came from. So far, nothing had sparked her memory until she came back to the small sketchbook that she found at the booth of the suitcase.
Opening the pages, Ji Min found the book almost half filled with sketches — mostly of landscapes of what looked like a river scene, lotuses floating on a pond, a small temple on the water. And then on the last page, a sketch of a beautiful young man playing a violin.
Ji Min paused, feeling her heartbeat accelerate — the longer she looked at the young man's face, the stronger she felt a conviction that she knew him…that he was someone very important to her. That she had to find him again. She didn't understand why —- there was only one sketch of him in the whole book. But when she closed her eyes, she could see him — it was like watching scenes from a movie. She did not know if she was in the scene too — but in her minds eye, she watched him playing the violin, smiling lovingly.
Not sure if she could do it, Ji Min picked one of the charcoal pencils that she found in a small case along with the sketch pad. Grasping the pencil tightly, and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes to see the beautiful young man's face again. And she began to draw…
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SEOUL
True to his word, Song Woo Bin had showed up at Ji Hoo's house that morning to bring Ji Hoo to Jan Di. As the Don Juan arrived in front of Ji Hoo's house, he found Ji Hoo was insisting on driving while Secretary Jun was loudly refusing, and insisting that Ji Hoo bring a driver.
"Damnit Secretary Jun! I want my motorcycle keys!" Ji Hoo said angrily.
"I'm sorry Young Master. You cannot drive a motorcycle in this condition…"
"The car then." Ji Hoo argued.
"Only with the chauffeur." Secretary Jun answered, standing his ground.
He had watched over Yoon Ji Hoo since he was a little boy – and over his cold dead body would he let the young man endanger himself this way. Moreover, while Dr. Yoon Seok Young, for reasons of his own, had stayed away from Ji Hoo, he expected Secretary Park to regularly report to him and watch over his grandson. While Dr. Yoon looked like an ordinary old man, he did not become the President of Korea for nothing — and under the gruff and slightly scruffy exterior, the air of authority and the power he commanded had not diminished over the years.
"Chill Secretary Jun." Woo Bin said as he came up to the two. "I got this. I'll go with our Ji Hoo and drive him today."
Secretary Jun looked askance and slightly suspiciously at Woo Bin — he did not quite trust the young Prince Song's driving as he tended to think that traffic rules were mere suggestions. But it was a lesser evil than allowing the Young Master to drive on his own and he did not see Yoon Ji Hoo backing down, so he bowed and stepped back.
"Let's go bro." Woo Bin said as he slid into the driver's seat of his car. Ji Hoo got into the passenger's seat and buckled in. The men spoke very little on the drive, and when Woo Bin pulled up to the street in front of what had been the Geum's dry cleaning business, Ji Hoo practically jumped out of the car.
The alarm bells in Ji Hoo's heart went wild. The storefront was empty, the door padlocked from the outside. Without waiting for Woo Bin, Ji Hoo quickly ran up the stairs to the second floor where the Geum's lived over the shop.
The first thing he noticed was a big "FORECLOSED" notice taped to the front door, but hoping beyond hope that someone was still there, he frantically started banging on the door. Woo Bin had caught up by this time, his face grave and worried as well. He pulled Ji Hoo from the door to pacify him when a voice broke into the empty hallway.
"They're gone."
The two mean quickly turned around to see an elderly lady standing in the doorway behind them.
"If you're looking for the Geums, they left a few days ago."
"All of them Ahjumma?" Woo Bin asked politely.
"Yes – in a big hurry too. I guess they were hiding from all those people trying to collect money….you're not one of them are you?" The old lady asked suspiciously.
"No Ahjumma. We're friends of Geum Jan Di…and we need to find her right away. Did they tell you where they were going?" Ji Hoo said, a desperate note in his voice.
"I'm sorry Young Master, they didn't say."
"Is there anyone else in the building who would know?"
The old lady shook her head, while everyone in the building who knew them agreed that Jan Di and Kang San were wonderful children, hard working and polite — they all shared a very low opinion of the shiftless, gambling addicted Il Bong and his money grubbing wife Go Hee. They couldn't understand how those two had produced the two nice children. Some people had had a huge laugh when the men from Shinhwa Bank came to padlock and foreclose thE Geum's premises — to think that Geum Go Hee had been bragging for months that Jan Di's engagement to the young Shinhwa heir would be announced any day now.
"All that they told me was that they were moving to some relatives and that they would send word about where they went once they had settled in case Jan Di called." The elderly lady explained.
"Geum Jan Di wasn't with them?" Woo Bin asked, his hackles rising, exchanging a look of alarm with Ji Hoo.
"I didn't see her with them, only the little boy and Il Bong told me specifically that Jan Di would try to find them through me. She had left for one of her jobs — that poor girl…always working."
"Gomawo Ahjumma." Ji Hoo bowed politely and handed his business card to the old lady. "Thank you for your help. If Jan Di or the Geum's call, can you please call me right away? It's very important that I find Jan Di right away."
"What do you want with her young man?" The old lady asked shrewdly, she certainly wouldn't help him if he meant to do any harm to Jan Di! The poor girl had been through enough with her crazy mother and lazy father!
"I want to marry her." Ji Hoo said resolutely, looking her in the eye, his face serious and clearly sincere.
The old lady nodded and entering her house, closed the door behind her.
Woo Bin recovered from his shock…did Ji Hoo just say "marry her"? He looked at his friend quizzically and Yoon Ji Hoo, as if expecting this told his friend. "I love her Woo Bin. And if she will have me, I want to be with her for the rest of my life, forever. And if you had been along like me for most of your life, wouldn't you want forever to start as soon as possible?"
Woo Bin nodded. Yoon Ji Hoo was crazy…or was he? He wondered how it felt to be that sure of someone — and unbidden, a face came into his mind. He shook his head to clear it and left to make a telephone call. It was important to find Jan Di's family. Calling his head of security, Woo Bin deployed them to start searching the local bus stops and terminals in Seoul.
Ji Hoo said nothing further — he felt somewhat relieved that Jan Di was just off somewhere on a job and if they found her parents, he was sure they would at least have some idea where she went. But still, something didn't add up. What kind of job would require her to leave so suddenly, with not even a word or a goodbye?
He broke out of his reverie when he heard Woo Bin end his call. Motioning Woo Bin over, Ji Hoo pointed to the logo printed on the Foreclosed sign.
"I need to speak to him. This reeks of that evil mother of his." Ji Hoo saiid with gritted teeth.
"Are you sure bro? You know how he is…and after Macau…" Woo Bin didn't have to finish the sentence. Gu Jun Pyo had cut off all contact with the rest of F4 after they had left Macau.
"I would call the devil himself if it helps me find her." JI Hoo said as he dialled.
The line rang. And rang. And rang until it was transferred to voicemail. Ji Hoo clicked the line shut and dialled again. Over and over and over. He wouldn't quit until Gu Jun Pyo answered.
It must have been the eleventh or twelfth call when finally the line clicked open and Gu Jun Pyo picked up the call. Ji Hoo turned on the speakerphone so that woo Bin could hear the conversation too.
"What do you want?" the Shinhwa heir's voice and tone were as frigid as the coldest day in winter but edged with an anger that would have made anyone with a sense of preservation tread carefully.
"Where is Geum Jan Di?" Ji Hoo asked quietly.
Gu Jun Pyo gave a sardonic laugh, the sound harsh and barking over the line.
"What? Lost your little girlfriend already? Even for you Yoon Ji Hoo, that's pathetic." Jun Pyo said with a bitter laugh. "How would I know? Since when did I ever keep track of trash that I've thrown away."
"Jun Pyo…" Woo Bin said warningly,
"Oh so you're there too Song Woo Bin, you traitor?" Jun Pyo said. Woo Bin flinched, but Ji Hoo shook his head at him, warning him not to answer. They needed to keep Jun Pyo on the line.
"Look Jun Pyo — she's disappeared and the only lead we have is that your bank foreclosed on their home. Is this your mother's work again?" Ji Hoo asked.
"Well — those commoners…you know how irresponsible they are. How am I supposed to know this? I don't deal with stupid little things like foreclosures. Maybe they skipped out on their debt. What do you expect from trash like that?"
This time it was Woo Bin who put a vise grip on Ji Hoo's arm, warning him not to rise to Jun Pyo's bait.
Ji Hoo drew a deep breath. He had to calm himself. Jan Di's safety was relying on it.
"Look Jun Pyo, I am begging you…if not for Jan Di's sake and whatever you may have felt for her — but for ours. We have been friends since we were children. I have never asked you for anything, but now, I am begging you. Please help me find out what happened to her." Ji Hoo swallowed his pride, as he told Woo Bin, he would do anything for Jan Di - he would even beg from his own worst enemy.
Jun Pyo was silent for a long time. And the two feared that perhaps he had left the room or hung up. Until finally, he spoke and this time, his voice was just tired and emotionless.
"Fine. I will see what I can do. But after this Yoon Ji Hoo, you and I are even. We are over."
And then Jun Pyo ended the call. Looking out over his little casino empire in faraway Macau, Jun Pyo could see nothing. Just a memory of a face streaked with tears. And then his best friend, holding the very same girl.
With a snarl he threw the phone at the wall and with a sick satisfaction, heard the sound of breaking glass.
Opening his office door so hard that it banged into the opposite wall, Jun Pyo's secretary paled and startled with surprise.
"Get me Secretary Park. Now." Jun Pyo barked and then slammed the door shut.
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"Mianhae Ji Hoo-yah" Woo Bin apologized to Ji Hoo, bowing very deeply. Woo Bin wanted to kick himself. He should have allowed Jan DI to leave on her own that morning. Or at the very least, made her tell him about the new job. "I should have stopped her that day…"
"No Woo Bin. You know how she is when she's determined to do something — you couldn't have stopped her even if you tried to." Ji Hoo replied wearily. "I know something is wrong — I just wish we could figure out where this new job is. I don't believe Jan Di would leave just like that without telling me…".
It was almost nighttime and they had already been every single place they recalled Jan Di having ever worked but to no avail. No one had heard from her or knew where she was. It was as if she just vanished off the face of the earth.
"Let's go talk to Chu Ga Eul." Ji Hoo said.
But as if he didn't hear his friend, Woo Bin seemed to go off on a tangent.
"There's only one place left to go." Woo Bin said. "We should head to porridge shop and speak to Chu Ge Eul. I mean…we have a reason! A good reason! After all, she's Jan Di's best friend and if Jan DI needed help, I'm sure she would call her. It's not like we're just bothering her for no reason..we have a good reason to go there. I'm sure Yi Jeong wouldn't freak out over that right? And Ji Hoo, I think we really need to talk to her..
"Woo Bin!" Ji Hoo barked at his friend and looked at him sharply.
"We should definitely go. I think Ga Eul can help us. After all she's the one who called me to tell Jan DI about her parents that night..
"SONG WOO BIN!!" Ji Hoo finally shouted, cutting off Woo Bin's monologue
"What?" Woo Bin responded, looking offended.
"I wasn't disagreeing with you." Ji Hoo replied, finally letting loose the smirk he had been trying to keep in check.
Woo Bin smiled ruefully. Embarrassed by his rambling but partly happy to see Ji Hoo smile, even for just a moment after their fruitless search.
"Aish." He grunted, unlocking the car and getting into the driver's side "Just get in the damn car."
Author's Note :
Hello guys! I hope you liked this chapter – lots happening and the new characters are making it a bit more complex to write. Remember Ji Min = Jan Di.
Hang on tight — it's about to go wild.
Disclaimer : I still own nothing of BOF. But this plot and this story are mine. Pardon the typos. I lost the original chapter and this is what survived. (I hate Word for IPad — it ate my documents and spit it out god knows where.)