Chapter seventeen.
"Manim, the bathe is ready..." Ga Eul , announced with a bow, and was responded with a smile by Madam So. She then lead the lady in to the vast bathroom aiding her to get in to the bathe tub.
The evenings of all the week days and Saturdays, were filled with Ga Eul's presence at the So Manor. The passed months had made Madam So grow fonder and fonder of Ga Eul that there was no other substitute she accepted in her place. And Ga Eul was more comfortable in hers too, as she was glad to have another being believing in soulmates... At least to hold on to hers.
All these months working with her, had given Ga Eul great knowledge about the woman who Yi Jeong calls as a mother, and truly a mother she was, despite still having some of her childish ness left. Maybe she was immensely pampered by her parents back then, especially her abeoujji and from all the people Ga Eul understood it well, as she was herself being pampered by her appa. When learning more about her childhood it only made the sorrow deepened in her heart, as Ga Eul was quite unable to understand how that spoiled girl had tolerated such kind of a brutal marriage; how she had felt when falling into that completely different universe called a marriage with a man who did not love her.
With the thoughts still bothering her mind, she arranged her a dress to wear after the bath, and placed jewellery she knew she preferred to wear with it. As always when passing that dressing table she paused to spare a glance at that grinning girl, twenty years of age in a wedding gown, unaware of the tragedic life waiting for her.
"Uhm..." her thoughts were interrupted by a sound of someone clearing their throat. She turned around immediately and saw Madam So smiling at her nosiness.
"Curious, aren't you?" she chuckled.
"Ah.. ani... is there anything else I shall do for Manim ?" Ga Eul shook the thoughts away with a chuckle and responded.
"Could Ga Eul sshi, dry my hair?"
"Arasso.." and she plugged the hair dryer, while Madam So took the seat near the mirror.
"So.. ..." the older lady attempted to start a conversation, amidst the humming sound of the hair dryer. "What's new about your boyfriend... you have been silent about him since recently..." she asked, letting her lips twist in to the slightest of a smile.
"Ah... about him.. " Ga Eul forced a chuckle. "there's nothing new to say about him... "and another.
"Are you two still good ?" she asked back in a tone with hints of suspense.
"Ye.. of course... what could possibly go wrong ?" another pretended chuckle which ended up being a smirk.
"You two are quite a lot alike... " the older woman smirked back.
"eh?"
"So... bad at lying?... tsk tsk tsk... haven't you ever got caught and beaten by your omma for that unskillfulness ? .. "
Ga smiled, this time as for the conversation had changed to a more comfortable topic
"Ani.. appa has never let_"
"_ just as I thought... " the woman broke into laughter. " Aren't you a spoiled little brat..." She looked at Ga Eul's flushed cheeks, chuckling even more, " oh, how much I have wanted a daughter, but it's only two useless sons I have got.."
" Manim..." Ga Eul said her cheeks blushing.
"Now... tell me the truth..." she caught Ga Eul's hand and made her come around the chair to face her. " is he treating you well ? What's wrong?" and asked concerned.
" Its just... " Ga Eul took a long breath. She was unable to continue the act anymore, " he became engaged... " and let a tear roll down her cheek.
"M-mwo?" the lady's eyes widened as she ushered Ga Eul to a nearby chair while letting her to continue her story. Manim So listened silently and consciously till she ended. After all her acts were more sensible and sensitive but not that hysteric as Ga Eul assumed she would be.
"I see... " she sighed at the end, and wiped another tear rolled down the girl's cheek. " would Ga Eul shshi mind a cup of tea ?" she stood up and reached to the tray.
" ah.. ani.. please don't bother yourself..."
"Ae.. it's not that much of a bother..." she smiled and brewed the tea. She got her tea and gave Ga Eul hers, seating back on her chair.
"Ga Eulshshi..." her joyous mood suddenly soured. "I... ani ... does Ga Eulshshi think that I am not in my right senses?"
"Eh?" the question was sudden and unexpected.
"You... do know..right? That I am. " the woman chuckled. " They all ask me not to..." she took a sip from a tea and looked back at Ga Eul, " But none of them ever asked me why I am..." she smirked.
"It was the first time I fell in love with... and I thought I was lucky to get married for him... and we even had two sons... " she went silent for a bit, " Ye ... we had two... but after the birth of my first..." she stopped again, and smirked. "I was thrown away.. as if he had split a ball of saliva long stuck in his throat_"
"_manim.." Ga Eul interrupted and the older woman chuckled grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She laughed even more, though tears kept rolling down her cheeks.
" Accidents. It was only meant for the unmarried isn't it?... " she smiled again. " but it occurred to me in my marriage..." she grinned, looking up in to Ga Eul's eyes. "he mistook me for someone else..."
"Manim.." Ga Eul again begged her to stop, squeezing back her hand.
"I am.. worsening it aren't I ?" she chuckled again. Ga Eul kept silent unable to think an answer. Then again her mood shifted to the better side. Smiling at Ga Eul she kept back her almost untouched tea.
" if I would advise you... I'd say, you two better stick together and do whatever it takes to be together... as of course, two of you.. really do love each other, don't you?"
Ga Eu nodded.
".. then forget whatever the others might say and think of you and just do what you think it is right thing to do... " she smiled and stood up stepping towards the dress.
" I'd better dress up soon... who knows if he would come tonight.." and exclaimed making Ga Eul force another chuckle.
All of them.. think that I have gone crazy don't they... but.. I did not want to be like this... once I thought to run away, pack all of my thing and get out of this hell. But... I wanted all of my things... a mother was not supposed to choose but I was that desperate ... they wanted an heir.. so I told: Arasso... keep the eldest give me the other... but ani... in front of their pride... I was just a bit of dust... I tried to run away in one or the other ... till that day I found out.. that he was just a whiner... just like me...
With that conversation, binding all the pieces of information together from the previous ones, GaEul was able to complete her story; the story of Yi Jeong's mother.
Chu Ga Eul had it enough of asking Yi Jeong, ani she was only a bit better than begging, him to contact his mother again. So she decided, she was going to go talk with this So Hyun Sub, to give him a piece of her brain.
She exhaled, touching the door which read,
- Professor, Potter, So Hyun Sub -
Shaking off the last bit of her hesitance, she pushed it open and entered in.
The class was empty with only a pottery placed neatly on their racks and the wheels kept in a line on a corner of the table. It appeared the classes had ended for that day and there was not a single soul in there to be seen. She slowly stepped in as if afraid to disturb that and not even daring to call out anything. She was not unsure if it was the right thing to do but afraid of doing it nonetheless – interrupting the affairs of a family that she was not supposed to have anything to do with.
She stepped further in though, her heels knocking the hollow ness of the room, heading to a small door at its end.
She twisted the knob and looked through the slit at the light came out from it.
She froze immediately at that sight she saw, her legs gone numb and breathing uneased. She was looking into something that she was surely not supposed to see.
Maybe that was because she felt her sight gone dark as something covered her eyes. She was turned around and the door was shut.
Once the hand moved away from her eyes it grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the class along the hallways and into the garden.
It was then she was released to take a breath. And before she was able to utter a single word that person blew out in anger.
"What were you thinking? Going in there and abeoujji and agh!.." he bellowed.
"Sunbae..." she looked up at him, still unable to recover from the shock.
"Just get in the car.."
"But Sunbae_"
"_ I said just get in the car!"
Ga Eul was forced to obey, and the engine roared speeding towards thestorm which had just begun.
The car turned at the familiar parking lot and Yi Jeong stepped out, leading his way to the studio. With another grunt Ga Eul opened the door and followed him in.
"What were you thinking ? Why did you go in there? Didn't you know what kind of a person he is ? Have you lost your mind?"
Ga Eul had never seen him gone that furious.
"I-I went there because manim_"
"And what about omma? What about her ? Why can't you simply mind your own business? Who is she for you?"
"She's your mother!" Ga Eul raised her voice. "She had stayed because of Sunbae And don't you dare to talk to her like that!"
Yi Jeong went silent and Ga Eul knew she had exceeded her limits.
"M-mwo?" He stared at her with widened eyes and Ga Eul looked away.
"N-Nothing.."
"Ga Eulyang.." Yi Jeong pleaded.
"Its n-n-nothing..." but Yi Jeong made her turn around and face him.
"Ga Eulyang... what did you mean that omma..." Ga Eul looked down at ground unable to bare his eyes.
"Sunbae... I did not mean to ... "
Yi Jeong kept silently staring at the floor comprehending what she had just told.
So has she loved them ? Him and his hyung all these times?...
The realisation hit him hard as he looked up blinking his eyes chasing away the tears blurred his sight. He looked up at the girl who was always able to make him realise the things that he was blunt about.
He did not know what to do but lean in and place his lips on hers. But that time the kiss only deepened more. And god knew how it might have ended if not for his phone had rang stopping his hand leading further down her waist.