Hello everyone!
:) I'm sorry I'm a bit late with this months' chapter but alas, such is life.
Thanks for your patience.
And to Sandy for the infinite patience and all!
Chapter SIXTEEN: SURPRISE TURNS
Hae Soo managed to keep it together long enough to have a productive meeting with Woo Hee and Baek Ah, though in the back of her mind she kept thinking about So and what Baek Ah had told her. Wondering what would have happened to them if So had really proposed six years ago; the things they would have done; maybe Seol would have a sibling or two by now.
And when she thought about it that way, she could understand Wang So's impatience a little better. Maybe it was up to her to call him so they could fix things and she could explain her side of things.
After the meeting, she made her way back to her office, already dialing his number. To her surprise, he answered right away.
"Hey, do you think we can meet?"
"I'm on my way to a very important meeting," So answered.
"Oh," Maybe he was angrier than Soo thought. "Okay, just… let me know… We need to talk."
"Sure," He said, before disconnecting.
Soo sighed… and proceeded to collide straight into a solid form, the scent of peonies enveloping her as a pair of arms went around her to steady her.
"You really need to watch where you're going, sweetheart." So said, a smile in his voice.
Hae Soo stepped back and glared up at him. "You said you were heading to a meeting!"
"A very important meeting," So agreed. "And what's more important than you?"
Soo still glared. "Don't get cute with me."
"I can't help it. It's my natural state," So said, wrapping an arm around her and handing her a large bouquet of pink, white and yellow peonies.
"What are you doing here?"
"Like you said, we need to talk," So guided her to her office and closed the door behind them. "And I also needed to apologize for being such a stubborn fool."
"I've been stubborn too," Soo admitted, burying her face in the flowers. She enjoyed their scent, trying not to think that they must have cost him a small fortune, as they were not in season.
"Let's call it even, then."
Wang So took possession of Soo's desk chair, and sat with her on his lap, keeping her close. "God, I missed this," He said, nuzzling her neck.
Soo shivered, "Wang So, may I remind you we are at my place of work so you better keep your hands to yourself."
"I'll behave." He answered, running his hand down her side and not behaving at all.
"I'm sorry we made a mess of things," Soo went on, ignoring his inquisitive fingers. "I might have blown it out of proportion a bit with you overindulging Seol."
"I do over indulge her. I can't help myself, she's my baby. But I shouldn't make unilateral decisions about her. I imagine it's hard to share her with me now. Until a few months ago, you were her sole parent, after all."
"Actually, I like that we have you to depend on," Soo admitted, leaning against him. "These past few years, not having someone to share the happy and the worry? That was very lonely. I think I missed you the most when I was the closest to being truly happy, because I knew I couldn't full be since you weren't with us."
"I'm with you now, and I'm not going anywhere," So vowed. "We already had our messed up-and-apart phase, I just want to get to the happy-and-together phase when I can come home and see my loves there. You and Seol are everything to me."
"I want that too," Soo smiled briefly before going on. "I'm still scared though, that it will all go away someday. I mean, we almost had it all once before and…"
"We were young and stupid and didn't hold on tight enough. Let's just leave it at that. Now we know what it's like to be without each other, and I don't want to go down that road ever again. So I'll be good, I promise."
"You are good," Soo grabbed his face and kissed him playfully. "The best."
So stole another kiss before reaching for a pen and a blank sticky-note from Soo's stash near her computer monitor and began to scribble on it. "So you see I'm serious," He said and read out loud: "Here by Hae Soo and Wang So promise not to let their tempers get on the way of being a couple and a family, by never going more than twenty four hours without speaking, even if they are mad at each other."
"Twenty four hours is too long," Soo said, taking another pen and crossing over that. "Twelve hours tops! So you better get over whatever pisses you off quickly."
"Right back at you, sweetheart," So said before beginning to scribble again. "We also promise to consult each other in all matters regarding Seol, especially whenever it involves spending money for a non-essential item or service."
"How much money are we talking about?"
"Say… more than a million won?"
Soo glared, not sure why a five year old would ever need a million-won anything, but guessing that was as good as she was going to get from Wang So – for him that was probably a low threshold anyway.
"Fine."
"Lastly, Wang So agrees to stop complaining about living arrangements in front of Seol, if Hae Soo agrees to discuss moving in together for real, three months from now."
"That's too little time! I need at least a year!"
"Six months, that's all you're getting," So countered.
"Deal," She agreed, watching as So signed his name at the bottom of the note and then waited until she did the same.
"Now that's taken care of, why don't we go pick up our baby from the Dojang and spend the afternoon together?" So asked.
"Hey! That's true, you were supposed to be with Seol right about now!"
"Your boss offered to pick her up and take her to the dojang herself. Something about spending time with her grandchild."
"Madame Oh? Really?"
"Yeah, she came by the office today. Did you know she's dating Lawyer Park?!"
"What?!"
-00-
Back at the Park Dojang, Wang Seol was immersed in her class, forgetting that her grandmother was sitting with the other parents and everything else… until she noticed the arrival of two someone's midway through class.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Umma and Appa moving along the side of the room, toward Halmeoni, and taking seats next to her. Seol hadn't seen her parents together in what seems forever (around a week), and she couldn't stop herself from jumping up and waving at both of them.
"Miss Wang!" Master Park admonished. "Pay attention!"
Seol turned her round eyes on him. "Yes, sir!" She said, taking her spot next to her classmates, who had already moved to the next formation, but still turning to her parents and waving again when Master Park turned around.
Usually, Seol wouldn't have dared – as Master Park was very strict and even a little scary when he taught (not like Soon Deok-ssi who was very funny) – but she had just seen him get all googly-eyed at her Halmeoni, and there was no turning back from that.
Once the class was over, Seol rushed towards her parents.
"Umma! Appa! Did you see me?!" She asked, bouncing up and down.
"You were really good, princess." So said, picking her up. "But you have to listen to Master Park and pay attention, okay?"
"I know," Seol answered, lowering her head and tucking herself under her father's chin. "What did you think, Halmeoni?"
"Well, it's no ballet," Madame Oh said with a smile, "but if you like it, I suppose it's all right."
Park Soon Deok smiled widely at her father's girlfriend as they sat having dinner together at her father's favorite restaurant. When she and Eun had dropped by the dojang to finally talk to her father about their relationship, Soon Deok had been extremely nervous and Eun had been no better.
But when he got there, it had been to a smiling Park So Kyung, who was talking to Wang So, Seol-ie and Hae Soo… and with them was a woman Soon Deok had never seen before, but who stood close to her father and smiled gently at him.
Once Wang So and his family had excused themselves, Soon Deok saw her chance and pounced on her father, who stammered when he introduced Oh Soo Yeon as "his lady friend" and blushed.
"Why don't we all go out for dinner!" Soon Deok said immediately. "It will be like a double date!"
"Double what-now?"
"Double date!" She went on enthusiastically. "Eun-ah and I are officially dating, Appa!"
"Honey Bear!"
"That sounds lovely," Oh Soo Yeon interrupted.
And now here they were! Sure, her father was glaring and Eun was sweating, but so far this was going a lot better than Soon Deok had ever hoped. Plus, Oh Soo Yeon was turning out to be very interesting.
-000-
In all honesty, Wang Yo was in no mood to leave the house – no matter that it was his younger brothers' house and not his own – but Jung had been bothering him to go out, and Yo was a bit sick of sitting on So's couch watching dramas on TV and thinking of Kang Mun Seong.
They hadn't spoken in nearly two weeks. It was the longest they've gone without speaking since they had gotten together five years ago...and Yo felt lost.
They didn't even have friends in common he could bother for news about her and he had resorted to stalking her on social media a bit—not that he had been very successful as the woman rarely posted anything that was not work related.
Yo was distracted at work, miserable at home and he knew it was all his own damn fault. Hence, he was currently out, drinking with his youngest brother at a loud bar he wouldn't have set foot in otherwise.
"Come on, hyung! Cheer up!" Jung said idiotically as he handed Yo another beer.
Yo ignored him and took a swig of his beer, already craving something stronger and signaling the bartender for it.
"You should at least eat something," A new voice said, and Yo cursed inwardly.
"Yeon Hwa-ssi!" Jung exclaimed like this was such a happy coincidence while Yo turned to him and glared. "What a surprise!"
"Jung, cut it out," Yo snapped, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Now he knew why Jung had bugged him so much about coming to this specific bar.
"Oppa, don't be like that," Hwangbo Yeon Hwa laughed airily, pressing closer to Yo. "Jung-ah, would you mind giving us a few minutes?"
Jung grinned stupidly and disappeared as if by magic.
"What do you want, Yeon Hwa?" Yo asked, refusing to see her.
"We need to talk," She said, her voice losing a little of the earlier sweetness and flirtatiousness. "You've moped for long enough; we need to make plans."
"There are no plans I want to make with you. In fact, I don't want to see you ever again."
Yeon Hwa went on like he hadn't spoken: "Your mother and I have been talking, and we agree that we should wait about another month or so before announcing our engagement and set a wedding date for within the next two or three months. It will be a little rushed but-"
"Yeon Hwa," Yo finally looked at her. "Listen to me carefully: I'm not marrying you. Not now, not in three months, not ever."
"Don't be an idiot! You need this wedding if you want to get control over the Taejo Group! You lost the support of the Parks, you need me."
"I actually don't," Yo said slowly. "I never did. It just took me a ridiculously long time to realize it. It cost me losing the person I truly needed…"
Yeon Hwa snorted. "What? Do you pretend to tell me you have feelings for Kang Mun Seong?"
"She is the best thing that ever happened to me, but I was too stupid to realize it." Yo said, draining the last of his drink and standing up. He dropped a few bills onto the bar counter and turned to leave like Yeon Hwa wasn't there.
Done being ignored, Yeon Hwa reached out to stop him, her voice rising in volume suddenly: "Don't you dare walk away from me, Wang Yo!"
Yo shrugged her off. "Don't touch me," He said, his voice turning menacing, like it did when he had to intimidate someone during his business dealings. He became both cold and detached, and a little bit frightening. "In case you didn't hear me before, hear me now: I don't want anything to do with you. EVER! Maybe you succeeded in driving Mun Seong away from me with your untimely announcement at the party, and I certainly was an idiot to let you wrap me up into it—for even going!—but there is no power in this world that will compel me to be in the same room with you ever again."
Yo stalked off, not noticing how quiet the bar had gotten in the middle of his 'talk' with Yeon Hwa, or the many phone cameras pointed at them, recording everything for posterity, or the fact that some of those cameras belonged to a few society reporters Yeon Hwa had invited herself in order to start the rumors about their relationship once more.
All he cared about as he walked away was the slight vibration that alerted him to a new message reaching his inbox: A press release from Kang Mun Seong's agent that was mass sent to all her business contacts. Intrigued by the subject – The Han Sui Agency Congratulates Photographer Kang Mun Seong…- Yo clicked on it and another piece of his world crumbled:
"The Han Sui Agency congratulates Photographer Kang Mun Seong on joining the faculty of the prestigious Hong Kong College of the Arts as a guest lecturer for the upcoming year, teaching various courses at their Visual Arts and Media Department."