Hae Soo
Soo collapsed onto Wook's chest, gasping for breath. Her hair curtained around them and she gazed at Wook as he panted beneath her. His eyes stared up at the ceiling and Soo saw a smile on her husband's wet lips. She lifted her hips from where they were connected, removing Wook's member from her and rolling off of her husband. Her chest rose and fell with each static breath she released.
Sitting up, Soo reached over Wook for the cup of water he kept beside the bed. She felt the blanket slide down her body and smirked when Wook's hand reached to fondle her breast. "Thief," he called her. "That's my water."
She drank from her husband's cup before cheekily smiling at him. The cold water washed over her parched mouth and wet her lips, preparing her just a little bit further for the day. Wook sat up and accepted the cup from her hands, drinking the rest. He set the glass back onto the nightstand before slipping out of bed. "Stay." Soo reached to grasp Wook's hand.
Catching his pinkie and ring finger, she held him back, meeting his eyes. She could feel the warm gold of his wedding band against her palm and with her eyes, she implored him to remain. "Let's just stay in bed today. I want to be with you."
They stared at each other and Soo smiled when Wook knelt back onto the bed, feeling the mattress dip beneath his knee. His hands caressed either side of her face and Soo closed her eyes as he pressed a kiss to her lips before placing a quick peck to her nose. Wook's hands ran down her shoulders before squeezing her elbows. "The staff will be up and the girls need to get ready," he said quietly.
When Soo opened her eyes, Wook was already entering their shared bathroom.
Sighing, she looked around the empty bed before nodding. He was right. The morning was already underway. There was no time to lay in bed.
Her legs met the cold morning air and Soo shivered before making for the bathroom. She was met with a gust of steam and knew that Wook was already in the shower. She made the choice not to join him, using a tissue to clean between her legs and proceeding to brush her teeth and go about her morning ablutions, listening to Wook practice a speech while he washed his hair.
Soo brushed her hair as Wook stepped out of the shower, drenched and glistening in the white lights. She smiled at him through the mirror as he dried himself off. Wook tossed his towel over his head and shoulders before kissing her cheek.
She followed him out of the bathroom and to their separate closets. Soo looked at the collection of winter clothes that had replaced her summer outfits. No doubt Chae Ryung had sent her measurements to a stylist and made sure each piece of couture was tailored to her exact specifications.
She slipped a bra and put underwear on as Wook asked if she had seen his watch case. "I told Chae Ryung to put the case on my vanity- have you checked there?" she called in return. Black lace clung to her skin and she stepped out of her closet to make sure Wook had found the box.
He sat at her vanity, examining his watches. In only a button down and boxers, Wook dried his hair as he picked a leather strap up before setting it down. Wook glanced up at her and offered a smile when he noticed her lingerie. "Who do you plan on enticing with those panties?" he asked, strapping a gold watch to his wrist. Soo playfully shook her hips before sashaying away.
"Maybe I'll use these on my bodyguard so you'll get rid of him!" Soo said as she pulled a shirt over her head. Her hands dragged the blouse over her torso.
"I know you're joking, but please know that this is all for your protection." Wook's reply was instantaneous.
Soo scoffed as she buttoned her pants. She poked out of her closet and watched Wook as he pulled a jacket on. "I don't need protection and I certainly don't need your guard dog breathing behind me all day."
"His name is Wang So. He's a Yonsei University graduate." Wook smiled at Soo as she threw her hands up in exasperation. She sat at her vanity to do her makeup. "He's the most overqualified bodyguard I've ever hired and I'm sure your father would approve of my choice. Speaks four languages and knows like four types of martial arts. I dug some information up about him. He was in the Navy."
Soo only scoffed. "I'm going to lose my mind," she muttered. She set her mascara down as Wook pressed a hand to her shoulder. "If he is so overqualified, then why is he my bodyguard and not some corporate lawyer?"
"Says he wants to protect the man he voted for."
"Patriotic much?"
Standing, she walked to Wook's closet and sifted through the neckties that sat, color coordinated, on stacked shelves. Her hands chose a blue tie with a platinum tie pin. Oh so gently, their colors matched. Wook's suit and Soo's black sapphire earrings; the blue of his necktie and the lighter shade of her blouse. They complemented each other, neither matching nor not.
The tie was wrapped around Wook's throat and Soo completed a Windsor knot, adjusting the silk before clipping the pin in place and smoothing her hands over her husband's chest. "I don't and will never approve of your choice to throw a bodyguard onto me," she sighed.
They exited the bedroom together. Soo was greeted by Chae Ryung and Wook was greeted by his secretary. Both attendants handed their employers their itineraries, citing the more important aspects of the day.
Soo and Wook scanned over the materials before handing them back. Together, they walked past the two bodyguards that waited in the hallway. Soo eyed Wang So as he adjusted his jacket. He wore a black suit with a green tie, his slim body fitting easily into the polished cut of his jacket. They met eyes and Soo quickly averted her gaze. The two guards bowed and Soo greeted them with a smile. She did not look at Wang So again.
Up the stairs and each taking a separate bedroom, the parents separated to wake their daughters.
Soo walked into Mi's bedroom and turned the lights on, humming softly. Opening the drapes that covered the windows, she allowed sunlight to stream into the bedroom before sitting down on the bed and tossing stuffed animals aside to sit beside her girl.
Mi drooled onto her pillowcase, her dark hair a rat's nest against white pillows. Her hands were raised high above her head and her shirt rode up to show her belly. Soo smiled down at her little girl, brushing hair away from Mi's face.
"Mi," she sang. "Hwang Bo Mi, it's morning. The sun is up." Soo pulled Mi's shirt down and rested her hand against the center of Mi's chest, gently rubbing circles into the sleeping girl's shirt. "Mi… time to wake up."
In seconds, Mi was yawning and opening her eyes, revealing the same irises that belonged to Soo. "Hi Mommy," she groaned, stretching her arms out.
"Hi baby." Soo kissed her daughter's forehead and used her thumb to wipe the drool from Mi's cheek. "Time to get dressed. Grandma and Grandpa are coming today."
"Because it's the weekend?" Mi asked as she sat up.
Soo nodded and patted Mi on the back, waking the tired seven-year-old. "I think my schedule said the cook is making crepes this morning. I bet if you ask nicely, he'll sprinkle some chocolate chips in there."
In an instant, Mi was dashing out of bed and toward her bathroom. Soo listened as her daughter dragged her step stool up the the sink and began running water.
She stood and approached Mi's closet, looking over the designerware that had been unpacked, dry cleaned, and hung just the night before. Winter wear had made its entrance upon the Hae-Hwang Bo household.
As she touched a cashmere sweater, a scream came from the next room and Soo smiled when she heard Wook shout, "I'm gonna catch you and I'm gonna eat you when I do! Roar!"
Soo gasped in feigned surprise when her youngest barrelled into the room in only a pair of pajama bottoms, squealing, "Daddy's gonna eat me!"
"Oh no!" Soo exclaimed as Yoon took cover behind her legs.
"Sh, Mommy!"
Soo smiled when Wook walked into the bedroom, his hands clasped behind his back. "Hello, dear. Have you seen a baby dinosaur anywhere?" he asked Soo. "I've misplaced one and I'm getting very hungry."
Shrugging her shoulders, Soo shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen any baby dinosaurs… have you checked the bed?"
Wook raised his eyebrows before swiftly bringing his hand down onto Mi's pink bedsheets and tossing them aside. "Nothing!"
Soo held her hands to her mouth when Yoon giggled from behind, only peeking her head out. "Here, Daddy!" she laughed. Wook lunged for the girl and Soo smiled when he caught Yoon by the armpits, hoisting her into the air and bringing her little belly against his mouth.
Wook blew against Yoon's stomach, causing the little girl to shriek at the flatulent sounds and squirm with laughter. "Daddy, no! Don't eat me!"
Soo turned to the sound of the bathroom door opening and smiled when Mi stepped out. "Ready to get dressed?" she asked.
"Good morning, princess," Wook said as he placed Yoon onto the bed. Walking over to Mi, he crouched to her height in order to pick her up and press two kisses to each of her cheeks. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.
Mi nodded and wrapped her arms around Wook's neck. "I did," she yawned. "I wanted to sleep more but Mommy said the cook is making chocolate chip crepes."
Wook nodded with a grin. "Chocolate crepes? We'll have to get them before Mommy eats them all!" he exclaimed, tickling Mi. The two laughed and Soo reached to pull Mi's pajama shirt off, handing a yellow sweater and a pair of jeans over to Wook as she folded the purple tee. "Dress her, please. I'll take care of the dinosaur."
"Roar!" Yoon shouted.
"Roar!" Soo echoed her daughter. "Come on, Yoon, dinosaurs can't be naked in the twenty-first century," she said, picking the little girl up.
Soo accepted a wet kiss on the cheek from her daughter before taking the girl back to her bedroom. "Alright, I guess today's a dinosaur day?"
"I a T-rex!"
Chuckling, Soo opened Yoon's closet and selected two shirts that featured dinosaurs on them. Holding them out, she motioned for Yoon to point to which massive lizard she wanted to wear. Yoon chose a gray shirt with a Tyrannosaurus on it.
With the shirt went polka dot leggings and Yoon's dark hair was brushed and pulled back with a cat-eared headband.
Soo sent the little girl off to the dining room as Mi emerged from her bedroom dressed in the outfit Soo had chosen for her.
Standing in the hallway with Wook, Soo leaned against her husband as they watched Mi run down the stairs and Yoon take them one at a time, holding onto the guardrail with her chubby hands. Soo felt her husband wrap an arm around her waist. "I wish they'd stop growing," she sighed.
"So do I," Wook said. "How about we go get some crepes before my parents arrive?"
Nodding, Soo tried to find Wook's heartbeat, pressing her head closer to his chest. Once, the very thought of having him near had comforted her, but through the layers of his suit, she could barely gather the thrum of his pulse. "Why do we allow your parents to come whenever they want?" she asked. "Even my parents don't come by this often."
"They're my parents, Soo. We should be welcoming." Wook kept an arm around her as they walked down the stairs together. Soo passed by Wang So as he spoke with Chae Ryung about car placements for the day. He glanced up at her and she looked away. "Besides, they've come every weekend for the past seven years. I thought you would have gotten used to it by now."
Soo pressed her head against Wook's shoulder and sighed when Mi shouted that Yoon was pulling her hair. Chae Ryung ran past Wook as she made for where the children were. "Hwang Bo Yoon! I thought I told you hair was off-limits!"
Soo smiled at her in-laws. She pretended to smooth the creases of her pants while wiping her sweaty palms against the stiff material.
She nodded at the story Wook's mother told; she had stopped listening so long ago. Something about having to declare herself the mother-in-law of the child of the Chairman of the Hae Group… or something. Soo lost count of how many times Wook's mother had declared herself as 'the mother-in-law of Hae Ha Jin's daughter'.
They took tea in the glass orangery at the back of the house, sitting on cushions on the heated floor. While Mi and Yoon regaled their grandparents with stories about school and daycare, Soo sat stiffly beside Wook, sipping tea and hoping to any god that would listen that her in-laws would leave soon.
"Soo, you look pale. Are you sick?" Wook's mother asked. "Dear, you should really know that blue is not your color. It completely washes your skin! And those earrings… dear, you're a mother. Are black earrings really something a mother- even one as young as yourself- should be wearing?"
Smiling, Soo nodded. "Thank you for your advice," she replied calmly, swallowing whatever sarcastic comment that bubbled up within her mind. Maybe you should stop judging my appearance and tend to the son you care so much about and ignore me for a while. "I will inform my stylist of your opinion for our summer closets."
"And a dinosaur shirt for Yoon? Shouldn't she be wearing something nicer? She is a chaebol after all," the older woman tutted. "Perhaps a blouse would be better. You seem to be better at dressing yourself than your children."
Soo only smiled as Yoon perked up at the sound of her name. "I a dinosaur!" the toddler declared, curling her fingers into claws. "Roar!"
"Of course you are, dear." Wook's mother gave Yoon a patronizing smile and Soo looked to her husband for help. However, Wook only smiled and sipped his tea, watching as his father bounced Yoon on his knee. "She's an heiress, our little Yoon. Shouldn't she be taught to be seen and not heard? Look at how well behaved Mi is."
At the mention of her name, Mi looked up before moving to sit between Wook and Soo. She held onto her father's hand and whispered something in his ear.
Soo gave Wook's mother a gentle smile. "My husband and I believe that the girls should be allowed to grow up as normally as possible. If Yoon wishes to be a dinosaur, I don't think there is any reason why she should not be one." She would not break. Soo knew that if she broke beneath Wook's mother's stare, she would never be able to hold her own against the woman again.
The older woman pursed her red lips. "Well, if you think that's what's best for them…"
They had lunch and dinner together, signalling a new round of criticism from Wook's mother on how boring the plates looked. "They're just white plates! Why are my grandchildren eating with plastic utensils? Wook, are you eating well these days? Look how thin you've gotten!"
Soo had one bite of each meal before losing her appetite and proceeding to focus on her children, making sure they were eating their food. She listened with one ear as Wook replied that he was eating well and exercising regularly.
Later, once the in-laws had left, Soo's anger boiled over and she sent the girls upstairs before searching for Wook. When she found her husband, Soo demanded to know why he had not defended her against his mother. "I'm your wife- you should take my side!"
Wook looked up from the newspaper he had been reading before folding it and tossing it onto the coffee table his feet were perched on. "Soo, must we do this every time my parents come over?" The dull flop of the papers only angered Soo further.
"Wook, she implied that I care more about myself than my children and she continues to objectify our girls as nothing more than heiresses to my father's company. They aren't objects! They're little girls! They deserve to wear dinosaur shirts and-"
"What do you want me to do?" Wook demanded, his voice growing exasperated. Soo pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Defend me!" she shouted at her husband, unable to hold her rage. "Defend our girls! Must they be objectified by their own grandmother? Must I continually be nitpicked for how I raise my children?! I don't need you to agree with every single thing I say, but some input would be nice. The least you could do is tell your mother our children use plastic utensils so they don't hurt themselves."
She watched as Wook turned to address her, his voice level and cool. He took on the mellow expression he wore during interviews, the political poker face Soo knew very well. "Soo, I can't control my mother, you know that. And I'm sure you could do something as simple as telling her about Yoon and Mi's plastic chopsticks."
Exasperated, Soo crossed her arms and glared at Wook. "I do hope you enjoy sleeping alone tonight," she snapped. "Take your pick of sofas; we have six, don't we? Your mother made sure to inform me that the one in the sitting room is lumpy. I'm sure a maid will see to provide you with sheets and a pillow." She glared at Wook as made her way out of the living room.
"Soo-"
"No! Don't 'Soo' me," she shouted, turning around. "I spent an entire day being attacked by your mother! I think the least I deserve is a bed to myself without a husband that refuses to defend me!"
"What was I supposed to do?!" Wook shouted at her. "Tell my mother to go fuck herself because she didn't like Yoon's shirt?!"
Soo stormed out of the room and froze when she reached the hallway.
Mi and Wang So sat side by side on the floor with their backs pressed against the wall. A pair of black headphones sat over Mi's ears and she glanced up at Soo with wide eyes. "What's this?" Soo asked.
Wang So stood when he noticed her, helping Mi off the ground. "She was afraid, Mrs. Hae," the bodyguard stated with a bow. "Mi refused to go upstairs with Chae Ryung, but she didn't like the shouting, so I gave her my headphones."
Soo bit her bottom lip as her daughter removed the headphones and stared up at her. "Did you and Daddy fight because of Mi and Yoon?" Mi asked, her eyes welling up with tears. Her bottom lip jutted out and quivered as she whimpered, wiping her eyes with her sweater. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I don't want you to fight with Daddy. Please don't fight."
Kneeling, Soo fought her own tears and picked Mi up, cradling the girl's head against her shoulder and gasping when Mi hugged her as tightly as she could. "Oh baby, this isn't your fault," she said to her child. Soo listened as Wook walked up behind her.
"Why is she crying?" he asked.
Turning toward her husband, Soo glared at him before turning to Wang So. "Thank you for caring for my child," she said to him. Then, she turned away from both men and carried Mi toward the master bedroom.
Soo knew Wook followed close behind. She ignored him.
Once inside their bedroom, she heard Wook close the door behind them.
She set Mi down onto the the stool in front of her vanity, kneeling before her daughter so that they were eye to eye. Gazing at her daughter, Soo spoke to the girl in the most comforting voice she could muster. "Sometimes, Mi, Mommy and Daddy fight," Soo said, gently tucking stray hairs behind Mi's ear and looking into the eyes that matched hers. "Mommy and Daddy fight because we need to explain things to each other, but sometimes, only outside voices can get the point across."
Soo felt Wook crouch down beside her and saw the smile he made for Mi. "It is never ever Mi or Yoon's fault that Mommy and Daddy are fighting," she continued. "Mommy and Daddy love Mi and Yoon so so so much. It's just that sometimes, Mommy and Daddy don't agree on things- grown up things. Okay?"
Slowly, the child nodded and Soo wiped her daughter's eyes as Wook kissed her forehead. "Daddy is very sorry that you thought we fought because of you, Mi," he said.
Mi blinked and looked between Soo and Wook, rubbing her eyes. "Can I sleep with both of you tonight?" she asked.
Soo felt herself inhale. "How about," she spoke before Wook could open his mouth. "How about Yoon, Mi, and Mommy have a girls' night?" she suggested. "We'll sleep in a guest room and Mommy will do Mi and Yoon's nails and we can have cookies and watch a movie."
"Soo," Wook muttered through clenched teeth. He continued to smile as Mi wrapped her arms around Soo and agreed, eager to spend an evening with her mother.
Soo later ignored Wook as she held three sets of pajamas out for Mi to decide. "What should Mommy wear tonight?" she asked, displaying a pair of pink pajamas, a white nightgown, and a green set.
"Daddy thinks Mommy should wear the green lace," Wook cleared his throat. He raised an eyebrow at Soo who ignored him.
"Mi's decision is the only one Mommy cares about!" she sang, smiling when her daughter chose the long-sleeved pink set. "Good choice, baby! I was going to choose these too! They cover Mommy's arms and legs really well, don't they?"
Soo changed in front of Wook, removing her blouse and bra and laughing when Mi pointed out a freckle near her breast. "It is funny!" she exclaimed before putting her pajamas on. "Say goodnight to Daddy, Mi," Soo instructed her daughter. She watched as Wook picked Mi up and tossed her into the air before catching her and kissing her cheeks.
"Goodnight, Daddy," Mi smiled.
"Goodnight, Princess," Wook grinned at her. "Can Daddy have a kiss?" he asked. Soo smiled when Wook kissed Mi before setting her down. "Sleep well, Soo," Wook stated, pointedly staring at her. They met eyes with vehemence and she nodded.
"I will." Soo took Mi's hand and led her out of the room. "Let's find your sister and get you baby dinosaurs into pajamas," she said. "Maybe we can ask the cook for some popcorn and chocolate ice cream."