A/N: Happy Friday everyone! I got some really, really great news this morning that I've been waiting for for almost a year! I can tell you since this is anonymous. My husband and I are expecting kid number two (which explains the emotional craziness of the last two weeks). It has been weighing heavily on me for several months now after fruitless doctor's visits and homeopathic remedies and dieting... So. Now I hope to have the motivation to finish out this story in the best way possible... but every chapter might feature something tasty because, well, now all I can think about is food. ^^
Also, from here on out, there will be a few instances of under-aged drinking. This story is rated T, but I forgot to warn people at the end of the last chapter.
Chapter 28
Young Do wandered down the sidewalk until he came to a soju tent.
The ajumma eyed his fake ID for a moment, before giving it back to him and taking his order. A full bottle of soju and a pile of chicken feet later Kim Tan plopped down on the plastic bar stool across from him.
"Do you know how long it took me to find you?"
Young Do checked his watch blearily. "Maybe half an hour?"
"You shouldn't be drinking."
"Just go back to your barista."
"I'll take you home."
"I'm not going home." He downed the last of his drink. "Ajumma! More soju!"
"Just bring the check," Kim Tan said and he disappeared from his seat. Young Do stood as well, but the tent wouldn't stay still, so he sat back down and picked up another chicken foot.
Kim Tan pulled him from his seat and he struggled to break free. "Get off you bastard."
"Yea, I am. Stop being such a jerk. Come on, I'll take you home."
Young Do shoved him and staggered, trying to stay upright. "I'm not going home, I said."
"Fine, I'll take you to your fiance, I'm sure she'll have something to say about your drinking." Somehow, Young Do found himself in a taxi and then the world outside began to move.
"Where does she live again? Across the river, right?" Young Do nodded, but said nothing.
"Why does your fiance hate you?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't have come to ask you."
"Well, if you can't get out of the marriage, the only thing you can do is try your best to make things bearable for her. Perhaps ask her to do the same. I assume your father's put you in this situation."
"Since when were you so smart?" Young Do folded his arms and leaned his head against the window. The summer evening was beginning to turn his stomach.
"Eun Sang told me to tell you that . . . and to make sure you got back home safely."
"Don't tell her I drank. I don't want that judgy stare." He turned the air conditioning on full blast.
"Considering I now smell like soju, I've got to tell her something and it's better you than me."
"Disloyal bastard." He smiled slightly, closing his eyes.
OooO
Yeong In walked laps around the living room. Stairs hurt, so she couldn't go outside. Sitting hurt. Walking hurt. Laughing hurt. Peeing hurt.
Her stomach growled. The canister of soup Young Do had brought home with her was in the fridge and after a nap, she felt a lot better. Better enough to be really hungry. But not enough to brave the stairs quite yet. Walking and moving around seemed to help, so she circled the couch again. Standing was okay. Just not stretching, bending, coughing, reaching, crying, or any other movements she had never given much thought to.
Voices floated up from the kitchen. "Byung Ho-ya?" she shouted, wincing at the twinge in her stomach. He appeared in the stairwell.
"Would you get the metal canister from the fridge and bring it to me?"
There was no time to heat it up, she felt like if she didn't devour it the second it passed into her hands, she'd die on the spot. When it was gone, her stomach felt deliriously bloated.
"Are you sure you should have eaten that so fast?"
"It's the only thing that hasn't bothered me in a week!" she exclaimed, feeling strong enough to sit down on the couch. Byung Ho-ya plopped down next to her and switched on the TV.
"Did Young Do get it for you?"
She nodded, guilt filling the space in her heart left by the hunger.
"Make sure you thank him. He's been doing a lot for you the last two weeks. It's been hard on him too - Oh! That was an awful pass!" His attention was drawn away by a soccer game, leaving her to marinade in self-pity and shame. She knew he'd done a lot of things, but was never quite sure if they were for her or himself. She'd never asked him to swoop in and ruin all her plans . . . and yet, she hadn't totally considered how he was probably feeling.
"Where's Aboji?"
Byung Ho-ya cleared his throat and looked around the room suspiciously before whispering, "He's on a date."
"A date?" When had that happened?
"He's been staying out later and later with the ajumma at that corner grocery store. I wonder if he'll be home at all tonight."
"He's been staying out late? When?"
"Generally on weekends, but some weekdays too. You've usually been working, haven't you noticed he's been smiling more?" He finally dropped his conspiratorial demeanor.
"Not really, there's been so much going on . . ."
"Well, he seems happier. And he deserves it too, so don't go badgering him about it."
"Funny, coming from you. Are you an advocate of love now?"
"Appa never wanted to live the life I do and plus he's had a bit more experience in that area. If she makes him happy, then I'm not going to stand in his way."
Yeong In scoffed and immediately regretted it. She groaned in frustration more than pain as she clutched her stomach.
"Does it hurt still?"
"No, I just like to look like this."
"No need to get so mean. Do you need your heating pad or anything?"
"Who uses a heating pad during the summer?"
"People recovering from having their guts chopped up." He retrieved the unopened box for her heating pad.
"It's too hot."
"I'll give you ice water. The nurse said this would make you feel better, and I'm hoping if you feel better, you'll stop trying to take it out on everyone else."
She stopped talking. Had she really been that bad?
Once the pad heated the warmth stung a bit, but spread through her torso. For the first time since she'd woken from the IV pain medication, she breathed a sigh of relief. Why hadn't she used this days ago? She relaxed back into the couch drowsily.
Too soon, Byung Ho-ya interrupted her. "I'm sorry, but you can only use the pad for fifteen minutes at a time. Otherwise you'll do more damage."
"I'm sure five more minutes won't hurt."
"Nope, fork it over. If you want, I'll set a timer so you know when you can have it back."
She held it closer to her. "Just try to take it, see what happens."
Byung Ho-ya walked over and unplugged it, waving the plug at her. "Just try getting off that couch and chasing after me, see what happens."
The heat soon left the pad and she would have argued more with him, but banging sounded from the gym doors. He left her on the couch and headed down the stairs. Soon, she heard voices echoing below her and Byung Ho-ya hollered up the stairs. "Noona, I hope you're feeling a bit better." He grunted and soon his head was visible from her vantage point. Along with an unconscious Young Do flopped over his back. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, Yeong In had stood and hobbled to them. "Because now I have to take care of your fiance." Kim Tan appeared behind them and helped Byung Ho-ya lay Young Do on the couch.
"What happened to him?" she asked Kim Tan, worried that he'd gotten into some kind of 'accident'.
"A lot of things, I think. I had to pull him out of a soju tent after he blew up on us for no reason."
"Soju? Who gave a minor alcohol?" Yeong In asked angrily.
Kim Tan grimaced and made a show of looking at his watch. "I have to go, but I hope he's misunderstood that you hate him," he said, bowing to her and disappearing back down the stairs with Byung Ho-ya. She looked down at Young Do's sleeping face and wished she could kneel next to him or lift a blanket over him . . . And then beat some sense into him when he came to. She understood he was under a lot of stress, but so was everyone else!
She kicked the couch, but untied his shoe and uncovered the foot hanging over the edge of the couch. Her stomach throbbed and she felt dizzy. She had the other shoe half off when Byung Ho-ya gently pushed her out of the way. "I'll take care of him this one time, but next time he's your problem." His small smile relieved her and she stayed by him.
"You ought to cut the boy some slack, you know-"
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry I've been a witch, but it's not been a cakewalk for me either. I could have died! All I'm asking is to have my opinion taken into consideration." All this blame was unfair.
"Why do you think we're going to such extremes? You want to be involved? Fine. Learn some politics. I've been in this world for a while now and he grew up there. If anyone could work the ropes in your favor, it's him."
"I know, it's just going too fast. Can't we wait until I'm better? Or until I can make it through the whole day without needing a nap?" And so she could desensitize herself to Young Do's touch. Would they have to sleep in the same room? How would she sleep with his face so close to hers; so serene and . . . vulnerable.
"Earlier, you were ready to marry Kim Won-ssi on the spot. What's changed? If it's your injury, I would think you'd want to get it over with as soon as possible."
"It's nothing. I'm going to bed." She reached her door before Byung Ho-ya called her back.
"Noona, I gave Young Do this idea because I thought you marrying someone you knew and liked - someone we all knew and liked - would be less miserable for you."
"That's part of the problem," she muttered before putting a wall between her and the rest of the world.
OooO
Young Do sat up slowly after the door to Yeong In's room clicked shut. "I'm still confused."
"I think I might have some idea, but I'll need to check a few things first. For now, I'd suggest taking her to try on dresses tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? But I've got meetings with my elders that I barely managed to get her out of since she can't move very much."
"Have you made living arrangements for your abonim's house?"
He'd almost forgotten about that. What was he going to do about her having to live under his watchful eye?
"I'll take that as a no. Take her shopping for new bedding or furniture or something. Maybe it'll wear her out enough to hand the rest over to you."
"Is that safe? What if she collapses again?"
Byung Ho slapped his arm. "I trust her with you. After hauling your derriere up all those stairs, I'm confident you can carry Noona across the globe." He yawned and walked toward his room. "I'll let your under-aged-ness slide this time, but no more drinking. Right now is too important for any slip-ups."
He nodded his head, checking his phone when his chat notification sounded.
Myung Soo: Prepare yourself for the wildest bachelor party known to mankind.
He groaned. What was that about drinking?
