Thank you Krysyuy for being the best beta in the world~
Wang So
"Mommy, I wanna see Grandma," Mi said from the backseat.
So glanced into the rear-view as Soo nodded to her daughter. She nervously pulled at her jacket and tried to smooth her skirt. Soo looked disheveled in a way he had never seen.
"We're not going to see Grandma, baby," she said, reaching over Yoon to take Mi's hand.
"But you told Daddy-"
"Mi." Soo's voice grew stern and So quirked an eyebrow as he spied on the mother and her children. He took a turn and pulled into the driveway of the Shilla Hotel, nodding to the valets that stood at attention.
What happened? he thought as he pressed on the brakes. Why is she acting so strangely?
There was no explanation for the surge of protectiveness So felt towards Soo when she put on a fake smile for her children. The girls did not need to know about Mommy's breakdown just hours earlier.
So was the first out of the vehicle and he held a hand out to stop the valet that approached the car door. So reached and opened it for Soo to step out.
He watched as Soo helped Yoon jump out from the car and glanced over to the other side, where an impatient Mi opened her own door and stepped out on her own volition. Mi scurried over to her mother's side and grasped Soo's jacket. "Mr. Wang, please… um, collect our…" So frowned as Soo trailed off, a dazed look in her eyes.
He tossed the car keys to one of the valets as Soo walked into the hotel with her children. So helped one of the workers load the three suitcases in the trunk onto a luggage cart. "We will bring the bags to your room," the valet said. Nodding, So jogged into the hotel, moving past displays of diamond necklaces and silk gowns.
He approached the front desk and noticed the back of Soo's yellow skirt and gray jacket. She held Yoon's hand while Mi stood on the tips of her toes to try and peek over the front desk.
Before he arrived by Soo's side, So paused to adjust his suit. Pulling at the lapels of his coat, he walked at a steady pace until he was behind Soo. He watched her charge the rooms to her credit card.
So breathed deeply when he was handed a master key for both rooms.
In the elevator, So stood by Soo as she pressed her forehead against the cold metal walls. He watched her breath fog the glass-like pane as her children asked their incessant questions. Soo ignored their chatter and So watched as she grew dazed, not moving when the doors opened on their floor.
He reached to touch her arm and quickly drew back when she flinched. Her wide eyes grew even wider as she looked at him. So motioned toward the open doors. "Mrs. Hae," he said quietly.
They stepped off and So guided the family toward their rooms. Trekking through the desolate hallways, he walked at a slow pace, constantly keeping his attention on Soo. He wondered what had happened. She had hyperventilated on the staircase before leaving her husband with a lie and taking their children. Nothing added up and So wanted to know what was going on.
The doors were beside each other, two heavy entrances. So wondered what he would do while Soo was hiding from her husband.
He opened the first door and saw the girls' luggage inside. He assumed his bag was in the other room… with Soo's.
Sunlight streamed into the large space, illuminating the dark maroon and cream theme of the interior. The brown tabletops gleamed and the two beds were made without flaw. "Girls, this will be your…" Soo trailed off and So pressed his lips into a fine line, his worry tripling.
Yoon was already jumping around the room, laughing and tossing pillows at her sister. So glanced down at Mi who continued to hold Soo's hand, staring at her mother. "Go play, baby," Soo smiled. "Play 'til dinnertime and I'll come check on you in a bit." She gave Mi a reassuring nod and So watched as the little girl let go, scampering off to where her sister was already pulling her shoes off and tossing them aside.
He followed Soo as she closed the door to the room, locking the children inside. His eyebrows furrowed as Soo pressed a hand to the barrier that cut her off from her children.
As soon as the lock clicked, So noticed Soo's shoulders slump and her smile disappear.
"Mr. Wang." Soo clutched his wrist, her hand grasping at his coat. "Please make sure no one comes near my children," she pleaded, pulling at his sleeve. They met eyes and So felt his stomach clench at the utter desperation in Soo's gaze. "Not even their father. If he comes, keep him away, please."
So snapped. There was no other reason for Soo to keep herself and her children away from Wook unless he had abused them or her. So needed answers.
Reaching forward, he grasped Soo's shoulders and stared down at her. "What's going on, Soo?" he demanded, her name slipping from his lips. "Why are you acting like this? What's going on?"
Her beautiful eyes welled with tears and So's heart ached as she raised a hand to wipe them away. Soo sniffled and he loosened his grip on her shoulders. He breathed deeply, watching her press her hands to her face to muffle her crying. "I'm sorry," she hiccuped. "I'm sorry. I just… I don't know what to do."
Glancing around, So located a security camera. He sighed before unlocking the room next door and holding it open for Soo.
She walked past him, entering the bedroom and making for the nearest chair. Soo sat down on the chaise longue, her skirt fanning around her like a flower. So followed close behind and knelt before Soo as she used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "Soo," he said quietly. He did not touch her, only looked up at her from where he knelt. "What happened? What do you need me to fix?"
"He's cheating on me," she whispered abruptly. So froze when the words hit him.
Unconsciously, his hand curled into a fist and rage engulfed his body. "What?"
"Wook," Soo sobbed, "he's cheating again- been cheating- I don't know!"
I'll kill him, So thought. How dare he treat her like this?
Swallowing and breathing deeply, So bit back his vicious thoughts. Instead, he reached into his coat and removed a handkerchief. He placed it against Soo's hand and gave her some space as she accepted the square cloth to wipe her tears.
"What would you like me to do?" he asked, sincerity coating every single word. "Anything you ask, I'll do it." If you ask me to get rid of Wook tonight, I'll do it.
Soo looked up, her wide eyes rimmed with red and wet lines running down her cheeks. So did not touch her. He wanted nothing more than to dry her tears and comfort her, but he sat still.
"Please take care of my girls," Soo said. "I'd like to sleep and… and have some time to myself."
She's distraught. You can't leave her alone. What if she does something dangerous?
So wanted to stay with Soo. To comfort her. He wanted to keep her company; shoulder her burdens; keep her from hurting herself. "Of course," he nodded, going against his own thoughts. "I'll be in the girls' room if you need anything."
As he left the room, So looked back and watched Hae Soo shed her jacket before reaching toward the in-room bar.
So could not remember the last time he had spent so much time with two small children. He sat on the chaise longue in the girls' room and watched as they colored together.
The girls sat beside him on the longue with two books open between them and a box of pastels each. They colored quietly, their little heads pressed together. One child had her hair in twin plaits tied with blue ribbons. The other's hair was in a ponytail.
So watched them as they spoke. Mi would direct Yoon's crayon inside the lines and Yoon would retaliate by placing dots of strange colors within Mi's paper. The two played, argued, and hummed. Neither seemed to care that So was with them. The girls were content in their own world of black and white mermaids, playing pretend and giggling as they gave their pictures green hair or blue skin.
After an hour of coloring, So cleared his throat.
Both Mi and Yoon turned towards him. While Mi remained in her seat, Yoon tossed her crayons aside and clambered onto So's lap. He felt her little hands pull at his shirt as she adjusted her position. So held Yoon with one hand as she leaned her head against him. "I hungwy," she whined. "Dinner dinner!"
And so, they ordered room service. So sat beside the phone as Mi and Yoon each chose a dinner. He also ordered food for himself, unwilling to leave the girls unattended to get his own meal.
Yoon decided on pasta while Mi asked for oxtail stew. So chose the same as Mi and placed an order for the three meals. He paused before ordering vegetable porridge for the room next door. Wondering if Soo would be able to eat anything, he asked for the porridge to be made especially watery.
He helped the girls unpack their shared bag, opening it and digging through the piles of clothing. His hand burrowed through layers of ruffles, denim, lace, velvet, and fur in search of what was asked. "Socks, please," Mi said behind him. So felt her little shoulder press against his side and he reached to pick up a roll of lacey white. Handing the socks to Mi, So watched as she sat down and raised her knee to her chest, pulling them onto her little feet.
When room service arrived, So pulled the cart into the room. He paused and addressed the girls as they eagerly scrambled toward the delicious smelling meals beneath their coverings. Yoon bounced before the cart and giggled as So pushed it toward the chairs. "Will you girls start first while I see if your mother will have dinner?" he asked.
After receiving confirmation, So left the girls' room and entered the hallway. He looked at Soo's room number and knock. "Soo- Mrs. Hae?" So called. He waited for ten seconds before unlocking and opening the door.
So stepped into the bedroom and immediately caught sight of the small bottles of whiskey from the bar. An empty bottle sat on the table and was joined by a second that Hae Soo set down. She sat on the chaise longue in a pair of green pajamas, her bare feet tucked beneath her.
She's feeling indecisive. She could have opened one large bottle of whiskey but she chose to go through multiple small ones instead.
"Sit beside me," she said, patting the spot next to her. So complied. Moving forward, he took his place and felt the cushion sink beneath his weight. He kept his eyes trained on Soo as she sighed and took another sip of whiskey. "Thank you for the room service." She nudged her chin in the direction of the white cart in the corner of the room. So noticed that the food had been opened but left untouched.
"It's no problem," he said quietly.
"I apologize for not getting you your own room," Soo muttered. "It was shortsighted of me." So listened to the now empty bottle clack onto the wooden table as Soo set it down. Johnnie Walker joined Ballantine.
He sat straight and she turned towards him. "It's alright," So replied. "I can stand guard in the hallway if that's what you wish."
Soo seemed clear-eyed for someone who had just consumed three mini-bottles of whiskey, but So had no idea what her drinking tolerance was. "Or you can sleep here," she sighed, cracking another bottle open.
Blinking, So detected nonchalance and wondered if she was being sarcastic. "How are you feeling?" he asked, changing the subject. "Can you eat anything?"
He watched as Soo shook her head. She pressed her hands over her eyes before removing them and staring at him. So peered into the mesmerizing orbs, silently listening to her troubles and offering himself as her comfort. "I don't feel anything," Soo whimpered. She gave a small laugh and So nodded.
She's in shock. She's not thinking properly.
"I feel like I should be hurt that Wook is cheating and that this is happening again, but I don't because… because I think I've been cheating as well." She laughed and So raised an eyebrow at Soo. The younger woman set her whiskey down and pushed the still-full bottle towards the empty ones. "I thought it would be the natural thing to do, but the alcohol just makes me feel warm. I don't have any tears."
She's been cheating on Wook? How? I've been with her every second of the day for the past few months. She's not sleeping with anyone.
Soo heaved a sigh and So felt her elbow brush his arm as she ran a hand through her hair. "I just… is it so wrong for me to fall for someone other than my husband?" So glanced at his feet and shook his head.
"I don't think it's my place to tell-"
"It's you," Soo interjected. So's head snapped up. He stared at the woman before him as she gazed at him with an expression he had never seen before. Her gaze felt warm and her eyes were smiling, even if her lips were not. "I… like you."
It was everything he had hoped for. For the affection of Hae Soo. For her to like- or perhaps need- him. So had no words to express his relief that his pining had not been one-sided. He opened his mouth to speak, and then Soo's lips came crashing down onto his.
His eyes widened and So nearly fell backwards, but she was too light to completely topple him. He held her arms and kissed her back, feeling her lips as her hands pulled at his shirt. Closing his eyes, So tilted his head and met her lips with his. She tasted like whiskey and smelled like honey. He could feel her untucking his shirt and pulling at the buttons.
His mind blurred at the sheer intensity of the moment, but before So could open his mouth to Soo's tongue, he felt her hand against his skin and he returned to his senses.
He pushed her away.
Holding Soo at arm's length, So took a deep breath and shook his head. "Please don't do anything you'll regret," he pleaded, unable to look into her eyes. His heart thrummed and his body yearned to touch hers, but he held her away. He did not want her to unintentionally hurt herself. "You're drunk. Please just… don't let yourself make any decisions you'll regret when sober."
When he looked up, Soo's hand was pressed to her lipstick smudged lips. She stared at him with dejection in her eyes and he averted his gaze. "I'm not drunk, Wang So," she softly replied. At the sound of Soo saying his name, a shiver ran down So's spine, but he grounded himself and looked up once more. "I can drink better than anyone I know."
Slowly, he let go of her arms and Soo looked away from him. He saw the embarrassment on her face as she pressed a hand to her chest. "I have to check on the children," So murmured. He stood and moved away from her, tucking his shirt back into his pants and wiping lipstick off of his mouth. "I'll come again to see if you're alright. Excuse me."
Bowing, he left Hae Soo behind.
In the hallway, So leaned against a wall and pressed a hand to his pounding heart as he fought to control himself. She affected him like no other. He licked his lips, trying to taste her again. His palms ached with the need to touch her skin.
He placed a hand against his stomach, where Soo had pressed her hand to him. He wanted to be with her and now he knew that she wanted to be with him.
Taking a deep breath, So calmed himself and wiped his mouth, making sure he was presentable. Then, he opened the door to the girls' room and joined them for dinner.
After picking through his oxtail stew, So helped the girls get ready for bed. While Mi was able to change and brush her teeth on her own, So fought and wrestled with Soo's fiesty three-year-old in order to put the little girl into pajamas and brush her teeth.
He had once taken part in an illegal fighting ring, playing for the gang he usually worked for. So found that putting a squirmy child in pajamas was exponentially harder than fighting a hundred kilogram man. Adults had rules. Children did not.
When So released the screaming toddler back into the wild, she immediately sprinted around the room and laughed as he caught his breath on the floor. He stared at the duck covered pajamas he had just forced each of Yoon's arms and legs into and wondered how Hae Soo did this every night.
His thoughts drifted to Soo and So glanced up when Mi sat down in front of him. She handed him a hair brush. So accepted the offering with a confused look and stared at the little girl as she sat and turned her back to him. "Mommy brushes my hair so it doesn't get tangly, but I don't wanna bother her, so can you brush my hair?" she asked.
Of all the strange things So's hands had ever done, brushing a seven-year-old's hair had to have been the strangest, yet purest. He parted Mi's locks into quarters as she told him to, carefully detangling each section and running the brush through them until they shone in the dimming lights.
Both girls were tucked into bed and So sat beside the youngest, rubbing his forehead. He wondered how something so cute could create such a mess.
Yoon was the first to sleep, her eyes closing as soon as her head hit the pillow. So made sure her bed sheets were tucked beneath the mattress and also placed pillows onto the floor to cushion the girl if she should fall.
He sat beside Mi, and So raised his eyebrows when the girl sat up and held his hand. "Mr. So, is my mom alright?" she asked. With wide eyes, the girl stared at him and So nodded.
She's drinking and grieving the death of her marriage to your father, child. She's suffering.
"Mommy is doing just fine. She's just a bit tired and wants to rest," he replied. And, for some reason, So knew Mi could tell he was lying. Her bottom lip jutted out as she pouted. "Mi," he patted the girl's shoulder, consoling her, "your mother is the strongest person you know, isn't she?"
He watched as Mi nodded. "Yeah, she is."
Smirking, So nodded with her. "Mommy is strong, but sometimes, even moms need to take a little break. She's having a mini vacation right now. Mommy will be fine. Mr. So will make sure she's alright, okay?"
He did not expect the hug. Mi's arms wrapped around his torso as she thanked him.
I'm losing my edge, So thought as he accepted Mi's embrace. Nevertheless, he hugged the girl back and patted her head before tucking her in again.
So stepped next door, noticing his bag had been placed beside Soo's. He met eyes with her as he entered. She looked away again.
He changed in the bathroom, pulling sweatpants on. Though So usually slept without a shirt, this time he pulled one on. He did not want to risk anything while Soo was inebriated- especially after they had just kissed.
"How are the children?" Soo asked.
"They're both asleep," he said. "I made sure they both ate dinner, brushed their teeth, and also brushed Mi's hair." He looked at Soo as she nodded her thanks.
So sat on the chaise longue as Soo glanced up from her position on the bed. She sat with her legs beneath the covers, her hands in her lap. "It's too short to fit you," she sighed, shaking her head.
She was right. So knew the greater portion of his shins would hang out from the longue if he were to lay down. With a pillow and blanket, he would look and feel supremely uncomfortable.
"I can deal with a bit of discomfort," he said to Soo as she offered a place on the bed to him. I once spent three days in the pouring rain just to snipe someone. I'll be fine on a weird sofa.
"Well I can't deal with the fact that I was too shortsighted to get you a room," Soo said to him, pushing blankets aside to offer him the space beside her. "Either you and I both sleep on the bed or I sleep on the sofa and you take the bed," she decided.
So wanted to laugh at her stubbornness. Instead, he cleared his throat and tried to protest. "Mrs. Hae, I-"
"Just call me Soo for fuck's sake," she sighed, laying down. So watched as she pulled the blankets over her shoulders until he could only see her head. She was too cute and he so wanted to laugh at her antics. "I order you to join me on this bed or you're fired."
When So sat down onto the bed, she did not move to face him. Soo remained stiff and curled to one side as he laid down on top of the blankets. So made sure there were layers between them as he faced away from her. Neither spoke and neither moved from their positions.
The lights were turned off and the two adults laid side by side with four layers between them. Neither slept very well that night.
Damn. I have the SAT again this weekend. Ugh.