Hello everyone!
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for being patient.
Thanks to Sandy for all her help.
Also, this chapter is dedicated to ScarletBerry for coining the phase "negative shame" when it comes to Yeon Hwa. And for finishing her most excellent fic Epilogue: I Will Find You. \^0^/
Chapter TWELVE: Life of the Party
Present Day.
Hae Soo smiled at her reflection, fluffing her newly shorn hair and checking her makeup for the last time. She had never enjoyed these society parties the few times Myung Hee had made her attend when Soo was still a teenager and living with her cousin. She already knew this party would be no different.
Thankfully, So had offered to escort her so at least she would have someone to talk to at the party, other than Myung Hee. With enough luck, she wouldn't even have to talk to Yeon Hwa or Wook beyond a passing greeting.
With a last sigh, Soo smoothed down her dress and put on her coat before making her way to Baek Ah's office where So was waiting. She could hear Seol's giggles as soon as she rounded the corner. Wang So had Seol propped on his hip and was waltzing her around the hallway while Baek Ah hummed a waltz-y tune and tried to keep a straight face.
At the sound of her heels approaching, So stopped.
"Umma! You look pretty!" Seol said, wiggling so her father would let her down.
"Thank you, baby," Soo said, stumbling a little when Seol launched into her. "Now, Appa and I have to leave okay? But Uncle Baek Ah is going to take you out to eat and then take you home. We won't be late."
"Yes, Umma."
"And you are going to be good and not wander off, right?"
"Yes, Appa," Seol nodded.
"I'll watch her like a hawk!" Baek Ah said while So lifted Seol to kiss her chubby cheeks repeatedly, making his daughter giggle.
"You better; she's my treasure," So gave Seol one last snuggle before passing her to Soo for a few kisses.
Once Seol and Baek Ah disappeared into Baek Ah's office, Wang So took a moment to admire how pretty Soo looked.
"Are you sure we have to go to this party?" He asked, drawing her close by the waist.
"Pretty sure," Soo replied, giving him a peck on the lips. "And we can't be late. Unnie hates that, and you want to make a good impression on my Unnie, don't you?"
So grumbled, but followed her while making small talk about her new haircut and what their days have been like.
-0-0-
Wang Yo was feeling more like an asshole than usual as he and Mun Seong arrived to the Four Seasons main ballroom for Yeon Hwa's party. He had ended up saying it was a work thing—since the Taejo Group did do a lot of business with Hwangbo Holdings, it wasn't even exactly a lie, technically—and asked Mun Seong to come. Mostly because he suspected she had already seen the invitation when he came out of the shower to find his discarded clothes neatly folded.
She had been a bit frosty during dinner, and he had just blurted it out. Mun Seong had agreed to accompany him, but when he dropped her off she didn't ask him to stay the night at her place as she usually did; and she kept claiming to be busy whenever he managed to get her on the phone during the following days.
Yo had half expected her to cancel on him—which, to be honest, he would have preferred—but instead, she was waiting for him when he arrived at her place. She was quiet during the drive, and even under her makeup, she looked a bit pale.
"We don't have to stay long," He said as he helped her to remove her coat.
She nodded, fidgeting and playing with her ring, like she didn't know what to do with her hands. "It's fine."
"We'll say hi to our hosts and then we'll find a quiet place to talk, okay? I haven't seen you all week," He added trying to tease her a bit, but it came a little reproachful.
"I've been busy."
"So you said."
"I don't get mad when you have to work and cancel our plans out of the blue."
"I'm not saying you do," Yo said, backpedaling. "I was just teasing you."
"I'm tired and it's not like I wanted to come tonight."
"You could have said so."
"You would have come anyway," she mumbled under her breath as some of his friends walked up to him, talking like she wasn't even there as they usually did. The men were all older and wanted to talk business with Yo while their girlfriends and wives were all friends with Yeon Hwa and had no interest in her.
Mun Seong tried to retreat into herself, finding distraction in the decorations, the light, trying to frame it all as if were a photograph she was taking, detaching herself in an effort to cope with her growing discomfort.
000
"I'm sorry! This will only take a minute. I know exactly where it is!" Park Soon Deok said as she unlocked her father's house, walking in with Wang Eun in tow.
"It's okay, we still have plenty of time."
"I can't go to see my team play without my lucky cap!" Seon Deok said happily as she located her Doosan Bears baseball cap amid a pile of coats and other hats her father always left lying around, piled on the living room couch. Ever since she had moved out, her father had just gotten messier. She would complain to him about it but her own small apartment was no better to be honest.
"Honey Bear! Is that you?"
"Yes, Appa!"
"Good! I need your help!" Park So Kyung said, stepping out of his room. "What do you think? How do I look?"
"Like you're going to the office?" Soon Deok answered, looking at the suit and tie her father was wearing. "Why are you going to the office at this hour?"
"I'm not going to the office," he despaired. "I just don't know what to wear… I have a date, sort of," He added sheepishly.
"A date?" In the twenty years since her umma had passed away, her appa had never dated anyone… that she knew of, at least. "Oh! A date!"
"Don't make too much of it, Honey Bear," Park So Kyung admonished, "She was just sitting there when Choi Do Ha called to reminded me, and I just asked. It's not a big deal."
Soon Deok peered into her father's room. "That's why you currently have the entirety of your closet tossed on your bed, right? 'Cause it's not a big deal?".
"Don't be cheeky, Park Soon Deok."
Soon Deok giggled. "All right, we need to soften this up," she motioned toward the conservative suit. "What do you think, Eun-ah?"
Wang Eun cleared his throat to cover up the fact that he had been staring at Soon Deok. "Um...maybe a darker shirt and no tie?"
"I think that might work! You're a genius!"
"What are the two of you doing here anyway," Park So Kyung asked, looking from one to the other.
"Eun has extra tickets to the Doosan game tonight. Since his friends flaked on him, he's taking me!" Soon Deok said cheerfully, coming up with a bottle-green shirt from under the pile on the bed. "But I left my lucky cap here, so we stopped on the way to the stadium to get it."
"Fickle friends, uh? That seems to happen a lot to you, doesn't it?" If you asked him, it was awfully suspicious how Wang Eun always happened to have tickets to see Soon Deok's favorite baseball team.
-00-
Hae Soo was having a surprisingly good time. Since she and So had arrived early, Soo had had a few moments to talk with Myung Hee before the guests started to arrive in earnest and she had to leave to play hostess. Her cousin was a little surprised over the fact that Soo had never mentioned that Wang So of the Taejo Group was Seol's father, but she took it all in without making a fuss.
Soo only grew tense when she had to greet the Hwangbo siblings. Yeon Hwa kept a sickly-sweet grin when Soo introduced So as her date, and Wook was overly serious and almost deferential to So (whom later mentioned they did a lot of business with Hwanbo Holdings). In short, So's presence assured that Wook and Yeon Hwa stayed away.
Instead, Soo got to dance with Wang So and eat yummy food—much as she hated to admit it, Yeon Hwa knew how to throw a great party, even if the price tag of this whole event would probably give Soo a conniption —and spend a lovely evening with So. He even introduced her to a few of the people that were attending, whom he knew from his business dealings.
So, all in all, it wasn't a bad night.
The same could not be said for Kang Mun Seong though. So had introduced Soo to both Mung Seong and his brother Wang Yo when they ran into each other. They had both been pleasant enough and seemed genuine when they asked after Seol. But then Yo had been drawn away by some other friends of his.
After that, whenever Soo happened to find them in the crowd, Mun Seong looked… off, until it finally clicked: she reminded her of Myung Hee right after she had married Wook.
Soo remembered their wedding and how Myung Hee had stayed quietly by the side while Wook networked and talked to his friends. Sure, Myung Hee had had an overall happier demeanor, but to Soo she had still looked very much alone in a way that made her profoundly sad for her cousin.
She felt that kind of sadness creeping over her whenever she looked at Kang Mun Seong.
-0-
Hwangbo Yeon Hwa had zero shame, it seemed, as she brazenly walked up to Yo —wearing a backless dress that, had it been in the hands of a lesser tailor, would have gotten her arrested for indecent exposure—and asked her to dance with her, for old time's sake.
Yo had agreed, of course, egged on by his friends whom proceeded to pair up and leave Mun Seong standing there. It was just too much, and Mun Seong found herself making her way off to the bathroom. She kept biting her lip to keep herself from crying, until she tasted blood.
She had only been locked inside a stall for a couple of minutes when the sound of fast approaching heels had her choking down her tears, trying to not make a sound.
"Miss Kang? Mun Seong-ssi?" A familiar voice asked, and it took her a moment to realize that it was Seol's mother, Hae Soo. "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay," She answered in a watery voice. "I just want to stay here for a moment, if that's okay. You don't have to wait."
"It's fine. When you're ready, I'll help you fix your makeup, okay?
"Ok."
Mun Seong sniffled and took some deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She knew she could do it; she could hold perfectly still in order to take a picture. She did it all the time. She just needed to get herself under control now.
Since she didn't know how much she would have to wait, Soo sat down and slid off her heels for a moment. She was considering if it would be too much to call Baek Ah to check on Seol when she was interrupted by Yeon Hwa herself.
"Oh, you're here," She said, her voice sounding cold and biting though she kept smiling.
"It was a bit stuffy in the ballroom," Soo said with a smile though her guard was up.
"Oh relax, Hae Soo, you're too insignificant for me to bother with you tonight." Yeon Hwa was admiring herself in the mirror. "And I do think it's cute how your cousin insists on bringing you around even though you're not of our class. It'll do you good to mix with your betters, I guess."
Hae Soo rolled her eyes. Sure, she was the proverbial poor relation of the main Hae Family Branch, but as far as bloodlines went—if she were the type to care about such things—Soo's pedigree was just fine.
"And I should give you credit. You managed to snag Wang So even if everyone knows he has a rotten temper. And the thing with the accident… Still, he's filthy rich, and quite handsome. You did well, little Hae Soo, as much as it pains me to admit it. Can you imagine? Once I marry Yo, we'll be related through marriage twice over. Won't that be funny?"
"I would say it would be tragic if it weren't because it's impossible. He's engaged already."
"I'll get rid of that nobody soon enough," Yeon Hwa said, and Soo had to admire her confidence.
Not that she would say so. Instead, Soo opened her eyes wide, a picture of interest and innocence and said: "Are you about to monologue about your secret evil plans? Like a super-villain? Am I this lucky?"
Yeon Hwa sneered. "You're as childish and stupid as ever."
"And yet, my odds—and Kang Mun Seong's—of marrying into the Wang family are much better than yours. Alas, such is life."
Yeon Hwa huffed and left, the angry clacking of her heels cheering Soo up. Until she remembered Mun Seong, who finally decided to come out of the stall.
"Thank you," she said, sniffling.
"Annoying Yeon Hwa is my favorite sport," Soo grinned. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, though."
"It's not like I don't know she's after Yo. She's always been." Mun Seong took a few deep breaths. "Besides, she will be gone soon. She usually is."
"Small blessings," Soo grinned, reaching for her purse. "Come on, let me fix that makeup so we can return to the party."
"Do we have to?"
"I'm afraid so, Miss Kang."
"Please, don't' be formal with me. I'll call you Soo, if that's okay with you."
"Of course."
Mun Seong held still will Soo worked her magic, her chit-chat about makeup easing her mind until Soo declared her work done and that they were ready to return to the party… at the worst possible time.
-0-
By the time Baek Ah got to So's house and helped Seol get ready for bed, he was both exhausted and giddy—and glad So and Soo weren't around to see that he had broken Seol's bedtime by keeping her out almost an extra hour!
But was it really his fault?
On the way out of the National Theater, they had seen Kim Woo Hee leaving as well, and managed to convince her to come with them for dinner. She had mostly ignored him at first, but after a little bit of coaxing she relaxed and eventually she began to talk to him more normally.
By the end of the night, Baek Ah had managed to get her phone number—which sure, he could have gotten from her personnel file, but he would leave that level of creepiness for the likes of Wang So—and a date to see a traditional instruments exposition at the museum.
Life was good.
-00-
Hae Soo was pensive as So took her home, reflecting on the night's events. She had walked back into the ballroom just as Yeon Hwa announced that she was joining her family's company and staying in Korea for good. Next to her, Mun Seong had stumbled and when Soo reached out to steady her, she had been trembling.
"Soo," She said quietly. "I'm not feeling so well, do you think you could help me get a cab?"
"So and I will give you a ride if you want. We were leaving, anyway." Soo offered, quickly reaching for her phone to text So to meet them in the hotel's foyer.
Thankfully, So had shown up almost immediately and whisked them away. Poor Mun Seong had been quiet and looked positively wilted as they took her home. Though she put on a brave face when it was time for her to leave the car, saying she was just tired and that she would go to bed immediately, and telling them not to worry.
Wang So sighed as he started the car again, taking his phone at the same time to dial his older brother.
"In case you haven't noticed, your fiancée is no longer at the party," So said into the phone. "I thought you should know that Soo and I just dropped her off at home since she wasn't feeling well." He listened for a moment, "Yeah, if I were her, I wouldn't be picking up your calls either."
So disconnected the call and sighed. "He's usually not that bad," He commented absentmindedly, reaching for Soo's hand and playing with her fingers as he drove, which brought a smile back to her face.
Once at his house, they tiptoed around Baek Ah whom they found asleep on the couch, with the TV still on, and made it to Seol's room. She stirred a little and blinked a couple of times when Soo kissed her forehead, but then rolled over and went back to sleep, clutching her toy wolf all the while.
"See, Baek Ah isn't so bad as a babysitter," So said as they closed Seol's door behind them.
"I never doubted it. You're the overprotective one."
"That's because there is nothing in this world that I love more than the two of you," So said, kissing her forehead and bringing her in for a hug.
To his surprise, Soo pressed closer, seeking comfort. Apparently, seeing how his brother treated his fiancée had shaken her. "You know," she said, "Seol doesn't really get up once she's asleep...she'll probably be out until morning."
"Baek Ah sleeps like a log," So answered, understanding and liking the direction of Soo's thoughts.
"Do you think It'll be okay if-"
"Yes," So said, already pulling her into his bedroom and letting the door close behind them.
Soo couldn't help giggling when So tossed her onto the bed. She hadn't even finished bouncing onto the mattress when So was on top of her, his hands easily finding the zipper of her dress even as he kissed her.
Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I can't put a "From the next chapter" excerpt yet because it doesn't exist ... yet! but I'm woking on it. I can say that it's going to be entitled: "Like the Sun" (and that it relates to the Wang Bro's feels about their Soo and Mun Seong, and it's not all sunshine).
hit me with guesses!