2 years later
Shadows crept over the private airport terminal as its numerous occupants scurried about readying for departure. Working in perfect tandem with one another, they set about like a well-oiled machine milling about like so many bees in a hive. Their sharp, heavily starched uniforms and blank expressions painting the perfect picture of the ever efficient business professional as they worked noiselessly around the hangar.
Despite the bustle, it was a still, rather dull morning with barely a word exchanged among the workers as they prepared for another routine flight that would be as uneventful as the next—provided the new hire, who still held the distinct sent of "fresh meat," didn't cause any upset to their plans.
For plans they were indeed, it was by no accident the staff maintained as unobtrusive a profile as possible considering the owner disliked being bothered and rewarded them handsomely for their silence. Given the many expensive vacations and pensions lined up in their near future, it was no wonder those working paused often that morning to study the nervous-looking man in their midst, furtively trying to ascertain whether or not he would be a hindrance to those plans.
The man in question held his breath slightly as the tall shadow of Shinhwas's heir finally ascended the tower of stairs to the cockpit entrance, his sure confident steps making a soft echo in the airplane terminal. Go Jun Pyo paused momentarily at the top, one more step and he'd be on the plane…the plane taking him away for an entire week while Jandi…No, Dr. Yoon said she was progressing fine…
Watching his formidable new boss disappear into the plane's dim interior, the new pilot yanked at his tie—which had suddenly become quite tight—and entered the small area that served as a passageway to his own compartments. He was greeted by the stewardess, a middle-aged matronly woman who gave him a reassuring smile before bopping out of sight behind the scarlet curtain. She at least seemed to want him there, the others had been rather cold. Unlike his new coworkers, Joseph did not possess several degrees from stately universities or recommendations from powerful connections. In fact, he was somewhat of a loner in South Korea and barely spoke the language, let alone knew the ins and outs of the competitive world he had found himself flung into once the dust of graduation had worn off and an unfortunate incident with his previous boss made him anxious to leave the States.
As Joseph closed the door and set about flipping switches and twisting safety valves, he recalled with bitter recollection the reason he had been forced to leave everything he held dear. He'd never forgive the man whose testimony had falsely accused him of damaging equipment at his last job, subsequently leading to his termination and the incurring of insurmountable debt. Debt he had little hope of ever repairing till this job had come around.
There was nothing left to do but move on in hopes of a fresh start somewhere far away. Very far away. And that urge, paired with fond memories of a high school trip via his foreign language class many years prior, had landed him in Korea.
Whether for better or worse, he had yet to discover, but great had been his surprise when he'd snagged the much-coveted interview with the prestigious Shinwa group. A group he couldn't fail to learn about scarcely two minutes upon his arrival to the foreign country as dotted throughout the airport in various stands had been friendly attendants handing out free samples for a myriad of things such as bathroom toiletries, makeup, and even insurance, all with the prestigious Shinhwa logo in its bold black letters. Heck, even the brand on his expensive coffee from the airport canteen came from Shinhwa's SlowRoasted Coffee Inc.
He'd put his resumé in on a whim, what did he have to lose? Little expecting to get a call back that very same day and an in-person interview with the big boss himself the following week. Greater still had been Joseph's shock when he was hired on the spot with nothing but his meager experience to rely on. Strangely, that had been enough for the Shinhwa heir, whom joseph found much different than his earlier prejudices against all individuals belonging to what he called the "snooty class" had led him to believe.
The tall man with the unusual curly hair and snappy brown eyes had interviewed Joseph personally and actually shook his hand at the end of the interview, seemingly delighted with the prospect of a new hire though Joseph couldn't for the life of him understand why. From what he'd seen and heard, there were hundreds—if not thousands—of workers employed by Shinhwa. So interviewing a new hire should have been something handed to a lower-ranking employee who had nothing better to do than vet incomers who dared dream of applying for a job.
Perhaps this was a standard procedure in South Korea? Or, perhaps more likely, he saw that Joseph was a foreigner and wanted to increase his minority hires. Regardless, Joseph had not expected such courtesy and was grateful for the job and the worker's bonus that would help keep the debt collectors at bay.
Jun Pyo shuffled some papers before him absentmindedly. The flight would leave in five minutes if the crew hustled. Second-guessing this trip for the fourth time that day, he pulled out his phone before tossing it onto the long table extending from the wall of the plane in frustration. He couldn't cancel, Jandi had insisted he make it, in fact, she had been adamant he continue his work schedule as usual and, being all of eight months pregnant and every inch as feisty as the first day he'd met her, had made her declarations well known that she refused to be treated like a fragile doll, or coddled in any way. And him staying behind on business was in her mind "coddling."
Perhaps he had gone over the top with the baby shower and nursery decorations, Jun Pyo thought with a smirk. Fireworks and ice sculptures seemed to be losing their charm though he'd detected a flicker of gleam on Jandi's chubby face before she swatted at him for the extravagance. The baby won't need its own lifesize carriage! she had shot with annoyance before waddling off to explore what other "useless" things he had chosen to fill the entire second story of their modest 5-acre mansion with, her short legs taking her here and there with as much excitement as a toddler at Christmas.
Jun Pyo stretched his own long legs and attempted to push such thoughts from his mind. He'd never leave if he kept thinking about her. It was of little use though, as his mind betrayed him with the comical image of his dear wife, standing fist firmly planted on either side of her round belly as she endeavored to give him her deadliest glare, he was sure, but only succeeded in making herself more adorable than ever, dimples even more prominent with her newly puffy cheeks as she scolded him all the way to the car. Not a day went by that he wasn't thankful she had roundhouse kicked him that time so long ago in the F4 lounge.
The plane lunged forward with a start and began its way down the small airstrip as Joseph's voice resounded over the radio, reminding of the weather and estimated time of arrival in his best customer service voice which he had learned working long hours in retail. "We're looking at relatively fair weather for the beginning of the trip and should arrive around 8:35 tonight. We may encounter some slight turbulence as we ascend, so ask that all passengers please remain seated during takeoff and when signaled to do so."
Passenger Joseph chided himself. He was not used to flying a noncommercial flight and hoped his boss hadn't caught his small blunder. Never mind that, just fly the damn plane. This is just like any other of the thousands you've done...just with your boss on the plane, his brain added wickedly. At least he hadn't thanked him for choosing to fly with Shinhwa inc.!
The "boss" in question smiled slightly in his luxurious overstuffed chair, he had, indeed, caught the little fumble, but all in all, Jun Pyo was quite satisfied with the new hire. If his calculations were correct, which they undoubtedly were, this new pilot would be the final nail in the coffin of his mother's stifling control over his life—business or otherwise.
Kang Hee Soo had taken to planting spies around her son ever since she lost share majority in Shinhwa's stocks six months ago. A feat that had taken Jun Pyo years of painstaking work, costing him dearling in terms of time, money, and sanity. But it had all been worth it. It was all for his little family that he had worked so hard, and now, now he was free. They were free. He had successfully cut off her control in his life and the relief that had shown in Jandi's eyes when she learned the success of his efforts was the greatest reward in the world.
Winning loyalty among stockholders and board members had not been easy, however, and there were still many who refused to work with him without his icy mother's say. They'd come around eventually, either that or lose business as legally the witch had no claim. Nevertheless, when the final deal that would give him 4% (how ironic) majority in shares had at last come to fruition, Jun Pyo had steeled himself for the fury Hee Soo would unleash in her venomous reel. Strangely the call never came. It seemed she had anticipated, or at least suspected, such a move from his corner and did little to express her displeasure except for the usual iciness that marked every one of their few encounters, which had drastically dwindled since Jandi's pregnancy.
Now, besides a few snide remarks to Jandi and the passive-aggressive threats they had come to expect from her, Hee Soo had done little to disrupt their lives, and it took both Jun Pyo and Jandi by surprise. Could someone so entrenched in their bitterness really change? Had pigs really learned to fly?
But her schemes were never-ending, as Jun Pyo soon learned, and it wasn't more than a month after he gained majority that an inside report from one of his most trusted men revealed infuriating information. Nine. Nine people in total under his employment had been ensnared in her bribery or intimidated by her threats. He wouldn't be surprised if—
"whoops, so sorry sir. That glass just spilled by itself." Mi Rae, the only flight attendant that ever accompanied his private flights chuckled to herself while she sopped up the dark liquid that had spilled all over the table. "No worries Myra" Jun Pyo called her by her preferred English name, "those papers are useless anyway."
If Myra had been worried, she certainly didn't show it. Moving about with all the ease of a seasoned flight attendant that didn't give a damn what anyone thought of her, she hummed nosely to the other side of the cabin and repoured the coffee. Perhaps she had every right to be so carefree, given Jandi herself had picked her for the job and prohibited anyone else from taking the position. It wasn't that she was worried—who'd ever want her bossy, annoying husband?—but myra was a woman who could hold her own and keep Jun Pyo in check with what Jandi lovingly called his "silver spoon syndrome" or, rather, his habit of expecting the world to cater to his every whim.
Spies, the whole lot of them—Jun Pyo mused once Myra had cleared away—No wonder things had taken a nosedive as Jun Pyo was met with more obstacles in that one month than he had his entire career. Mother dearest wanted him to think he couldn't make it, that he needed to be irrevocably tethered to her proverbial apron strings.
He could have sued but chose the more merciful path of permanently terminating all their contracts, imposing new rules that would effectively fire any individual seen to associate with madam Kang, and refocusing his efforts into personally rehiring individuals to fill their place. Individuals whom he could fully trust, individuals who had no possible ties to his mother or her various business partners.
As the plane lifted higher and higher, Jun Pyo settled in for another long flight to the States for boring business meetings that would hopefully result in a contract. Then there would just be the Europe trip, and he'd be free to pester Jandi till the baby came. Light mood returning at the thought, Jun Pyo flicked on his phone, which had suddenly brightened with an incoming call.
"Yah Yi Jeong, finally put a ring on it? don't tell me you're calling to borrow the jet to Cassadona cuz you'll just have to take a commercial flight if you think—"
"Jun Pyo, I need help.—the voice faltered, "she's gone, she's just. Gone…"
The hairs on the back of Jun Pyo's neck bristled slightly at the strained tone on the other end of the line, "What? Whose—"
"She's gone." Repeated the voice blankly as if in shock.
"What's wrong, whose gone? Is it Jandi?!" A sudden fear gripped Jun Pyo's chest as he rose from his chair, ready to bolt, flying plane or not.
"No. god no." at his friend's reassurance, the vice grip lessened somewhat only to return with the next words,
"It's Ga Eul…she's missing...I...I couldn't-." Yi Jeong didn't finish his sentence, but Jun Pyo felt the gravity of the words left unsaid as the silence stretched between them.
Miles away, the potter sat on the floor of his small workshop, the last place he had checked in his desperate effort to find her when he'd discovered her disappearance. Shards of pottery lay scattered around him, broken in his hast to open the door. And now what had once been a priceless teacup, lay forgotten at his feet. He had promised to protect her. He had promised to never lose her again. Now here he was. Useless. Powerless…and she was gone.
The voice continued from the phone loosely held in his hand beside him."We'll find her Yi Jeong. Just Don't—the voice cut out with a loud beep—
don't do anything." Jun Pyo was making his way quickly to the cockpit as his phone lit up with one after another blaring red alert.
"What was that?"
"let me just—" This was bad. He pounded the cockpit door twice to get Joseph's attention, "Yes?" a voice muffled through the door. Jun Pyo barely managed a few words to the surprised pilot when Yi Jeong cut in, this time loud and frantic.
"No, you got an alert, didn't you? You know something, they wouldn't contact you if…if it wasn't important." Yi Jeong's voice had shaken out of its shocked state and now a steely edge had taken over, "Send me everything."
There was no arguing, Jun Pyo knew Yi Jeong was referring to the unit he had hired to watch the girls-the men who had just red alerted his phone, "Ok Yi Jeong. Ok, just don't do anything stupid. Wait for backup."
-
Jun Pyo's thumb hovered over the send button. Please don't do anything stupid, the messages were sent, the call abruptly ended. He needed to get down there now. One hurried conversation with Joseph and the plane began its rapid descent, the Shinhwa heir could only hope Woo Bin had received his own intel and they would find Ga Eul soon. In the meantime, Woo Bin would keep Yi Jeong from doing anything stupid that would land him in jail or, at least, help him cover for it if he did.
The hope that she was just out with a friend or had gotten lost in the mall or something went out the window as Jun Pyo scrolled through the messages grimly. No exact time of disappearance. No suspected location. Nothing that would help them find her. But one detail stood out. When they had lost contact with her somewhere around two hours earlier, her phone had stopped sending signals in a slum area of Seoul. A bad area of Seoul. What was she doing there?
The minutes passed at a snail's pace as Jun Pyo's mind raced with a million possible scenarios, all of them worse than the next.
-
What would he say to Jandi when she learned her best friend had vanished?
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How would he help calm Yi Jeong, who was now reliving the nightmare that had haunted him since the fire incident two years ago?
-
Jun Pyo was well aware of Woo Bin's ties with the mafia and that he had likely already received his own report as the man refused to scale back his monitoring of their activities, an action Jun Pyo was now thankful for. Perhaps they'd have more information than the scant details in the messages he had already scanned five times in as many minutes. Ten minutes ago, he would have rejoiced at an excuse to stay, now he dreaded telling Jandi that Ga Eul went missing. The future godmother of their little girl was missing. But they would find her, whatever the cost.
Ok buckle up guys, here we go! What do you think happened to Ga Eul? I hope you enjoyed part 1 of chapter 13, see you in part 2!
