Chapter 23 The Discovery
Disclaimer: I don't own BBF characters.
This chapter is especially for JaeBin couple. I just love them. They're my second favorite couple after JanPyo. I'm so sorry if you thought that it would be JanPyo moments. I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. I promise. Next chapter is for JanPyo.
Thank you so much to ladyofthedragons1 for being my beta and correcting my mistakes in this chapter. Here is the chapter. Enjoy ;)
Woo Bin was sitting in his seat in his office when Ji Hyuk, his assistant came into the room. Ji Hyuk brought in a stack of reports from his clubs' managers. Ji Hyuk set the papers on Woo Bin's desk before bowing down and leaving the room. Woo Bin sighed and picked up the paper on the top. As he read the first report, his thoughts started to drift. He picked the second report despite his unfocused thoughts. His thoughts were drifting back and forth between his work and his problems.
It had been almost two weeks since he had mentioned his problems to his mafia friends. At the time, Kim Man Dok had agreed to dig up something for him. It had been too long without any news from him. It made Woo Bin start to worry that there would be nothing that could help them to prevent the arranged marriage.
Woo Bin sighed again. The numbers on the reports were starting to blur. He ran his hands across his face as if to wipe the worry away. It had been so difficult for him to stay focused on his work since they had found out about Hwang Q. The problem was taking over his thoughts. He sighed again when suddenly his phone rang. He checked the screen and saw Kim Man Dok's name flashing on it. He picked up the call quickly.
"Hey, man!" he greeted.
"Woo Bin. My man!" Kim Man Dok's voice greeted back.
"You got some news for me?" Woo Bin asked to the point.
"You really don't beat around the bush, do you?" Kim Man Dok said teasingly. "Yeah, man. I got something on Azawa, but it's not much, really. Just same old, same old. Honestly, I don't think that you can use it," Kim Man Dok answered seriously. Woo Bin sighed in worry.
"What's the information?" he asked nevertheless.
"Well, they're not exactly covering their business, you know. They have bars, clubs, and all that. They deal with smugglers and black market for many things. But, that's all. That's not exactly news, truthfully," Kim Man Dok explained. Woo Bin groaned.
"So, that's a dead end? I can't use that at all?" he asked for confirmation.
"No, I don't think so," Kim Man Dok admitted. "But, I still have good news for you," he added proudly. Woo Bin could almost see the smirk on his friend's face.
"Yeah? What is it?" Woo Bin asked, feeling slightly more hopeful than before.
"Something wicked about Hwang Q," Kim Man Dok answered mysteriously.
"You're serious? What is it? Can I use that to blackmail them?" Woo Bin asked excitedly.
"Blackmail? That's what you're planning to do?" Kim Man Dok asked curiously.
"Yeah. Why?" Woo Bin asked, feeling slightly unsure. Kim Man Dok didn't answer immediately.
"We've been friends for a long time. We go way back," he started. "Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly. Woo Bin wasn't sure how to answer the question, so he took time to talk again.
"Sure," he said. He didn't lie, but he was still confused. "Why are you asking?" he asked back.
"I can handle the problem for you," Kim Man Dok answered.
"What do you mean?" Woo Bin asked again. He still didn't have any idea where the conversation was going.
"The point is you want to get rid of Hwang Q, right? You want them to get out of your way. Right?" Kim Man Dok asked specifically.
"Yeah," Woo Bin answered, feeling confused.
"I can do that for you," Kim Man Dok said confidently. "I can't do anything about Azawa, but I can get rid of Hwang Q," he added.
"What are you gonna do?" Woo Bin asked instantly. "You're not gonna kill them, are you?" His voice sounded so worried. Kim Man Dok chuckled.
"No, of course not. We're not that dirty," he said nonchalantly.
"What will you do, then?" Woo Bin asked again, feeling a little relieved. He didn't want Hwang Q near Jae Kyung and him, but he didn't want to kill anyone, especially for the sake of his relationship with Jae Kyung. He didn't want something like that to blacken their relationship.
"I'm just gonna use the information that I have to get rid of them," Kim Man Dok said. Woo Bin could hear the seriousness in his friend's voice. Woo Bin frowned.
"What is the information?" he asked. It seemed like the information was really important.
"They did something really bad when they built their first factory a couple of years ago," Kim Man Dok answered.
Woo Bin knew that his friend wouldn't lie to him, but he also could feel that Kim Man Dok didn't want to tell him the whole story.
"What is it?" he asked nonetheless, wanting to get the details. There was a sigh that came through the phone.
"Why don't you just let me handle this for you, okay? I will just make sure that the right people get the information. And everything will be uncovered. Then, they won't disturb you and little Miss Ha Jae Kyung anymore," Kim Man Dok explained, trying to assure Woo Bin.
"What will you do? How are you gonna do that?" Woo Bin still demanded for answers despite of the clear reluctance in Kim Man Dok's voice.
"Let me handle the details," Kim Man Dok said clearly. "You don't have to worry about that. I will handle this for you," he added confidently.
Woo Bin didn't respond for a few seconds. He wanted to demand details, but he knew how stubborn Kim Man Dok could be. He sighed.
"Why are you doing this for me?" Woo Bin asked curiously.
"Woo Bin, we're good friends. You've done so much for my men and me. Despite the crap reputation, you still helped us for time to time. However, on the other hand you never asked for help from me before. I just want to do something for you to get even, you know," Kim Man Dok answered truthfully.
"Thanks, man," Woo Bin said immediately.
"Yeah. You'll see how it works soon. Talk to you later," Kim Man Dok replied before hanging up the call.
Woo Bin stared at his phone after his friend hung up. He knew that he could trust Kim Man Dok. Despite of his reputation, Kim Man Dok was still a very good and loyal friend to Woo Bin. He would never betray Woo Bin. Woo Bin knew that, but he couldn't help feeling curious and worried about his friend's plan. Woo Bin just hoped that everything would turn out okay.
A few days had passed since Woo Bin had talked to Kim Man Dok on the phone. Woo Bin had just gotten home from his office. He was opening a can of soda when his phone suddenly rang. Jae Kyung's face was flashing on the screen. He smiled instantly seeing her face. He answered the call immediately.
"Hey, baby. You're home?" he greeted happily.
"Yeah," Jae Kyung simply replied. "Woo Bin, are you watching TV?" she asked again. Her voice sounded tense to Woo Bin's ear. Woo Bin felt slightly worried hearing it.
"Huh? No. Why?" he asked feeling confused.
"Turn on your TV now," Jae Kyung ordered.
Woo Bin, despite of the confusion that he felt, did as he was asked to. He turned on the television, but he still didn't know what was going on.
"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Just find the news channel," Jae Kyung answered firmly. Her voice sounded so serious and that made Woo Bin became even more anxious.
Woo Bin changed the channels until he found the one that Jae Kyung might mean. On the screen, Woo Bin could see some people who were accompanied by the police. He thought the people looked familiar.
"Is that Kwon Dae Gyu?" he asked, feeling unsure.
"Yep. And the middle aged-man is Kwon Go Tae, his father," Jae Kyung said confirming Woo Bin's guess. Woo Bin never really paid attention to their faces, so he hadn't been sure.
"Why the hell are they there?" he asked, feeling shocked. It seemed like Kwon Dae Gyu and his father had been just interrogated by the police.
"Just turn up the volume, Woo Bin. Listen to the reporter's explanation," Jae Kyung said matter-of-factly. Woo Bin could imagine her rolling her eyes when she said that.
He turned up the volume, so he could hear the reporter's voice. The reporter was talking about Hwang Q's company and their first factory that had been built two years ago. Apparently the police had gotten a tip that Hwang Q had killed some people who had lived on the land where the first factory was. Those people had protested, not wanting Hwang Q to build a factory on the land where their homes were. There had been three families and they found eleven corpses that were buried on the outskirts of the land.
"What the hell? They killed those people?" Woo Bin gasped.
"You're shocked?" Jae Kyung asked. "So it wasn't you who reported that to the police?" she asked with surprised tone.
"No, of course not. If I had something like this, I would've told you before doing anything," Woo Bin answered truthfully.
"So you've got nothing to do with this?" Jae Kyung asked again for confirmation.
"No, I didn't. I told you I.." he suddenly stopped talking. He just remembered something. "Wait a minute. It must be Man Dok," he said, more to himself than to Jae Kyung.
"Man Dok? Kim Man Dok-ssi? Your.. uhm.. friend?" Jae Kyung asked, feeling unsure about how to describe Kim Man Dok.
"Yeah. I told you that I asked my friends to get some information about Azawa Clan or Hwang Q, right? Man Dok called me a few days ago. He said that he had some dirt about Hwang Q. He didn't want to tell me any details, but he said that he would handle this for me," Woo Bin explained, telling Jae Kyung his conversation with Kim Man Dok.
"Why would he do that?" she asked, feeling confused and little suspicious.
"I don't know. He just said that he wanted to help me. Maybe I should give him a call," Woo Bin replied.
"Okay, then," Jae Kyung agreed.
"Talk to you later, baby. Bye," Woo Bin said before ending the call.
Woo Bin dialed Kim Man Dok's number right after he ended his call to Jae Kyung. He needed to find out about this mess quickly. He waited for Kim Man Dok to answer when he heard the dial tone. After the third ring, the call was finally answered.
"Man Dok?" he asked instantly.
"Yo, Woo Bin, my man," Kim Man Dok greeted back lightly.
"Hey, man," Woo Bin replied. "Well, I heard some interesting news about Hwang Q. Is that your doing?" he asked to the point. Kim Man Dok chuckled.
"Yup," he answered, popping the 'p'. "What do you think?" he asked. There was slightly proud tone to his voice. Woo Bin scoffed.
"How the hell did you work that out? Did you report the killing to the police?" he asked, feeling curious. Kim Man Dok laughed.
"Are you kidding me? I'm the one who would've been investigated if I reported to the police directly," he said, jokingly but truly.
Woo Bin thought that for a moment. He agreed with the logic.
"So, how did you do it, then?"
"Well, my men dug up everything about Hwang Q. There were some suspicious movements about their first factory. I got my men to dig deeper and they found that there were people who had been reported missing. I put two and two together and I got four. I told this fact to the right people. They started some rumors and made the police feel suspicious about Hwang Q. The police investigated Hwang Q on their own and they found the corpses. Then, here we are," Kim Man Dok explained. "What a fool, right? Burying the corpses at that location," he added.
"Wow. That's terrific, Man Dok," Woo Bin commented. "This is really impressive that you could do that," he added. "I can't thank you enough for doing this. I still don't understand though why you wanted to do this for me," he confessed. Kim Man Dok chuckled.
"Woo Bin, my man, you're great. You're really a great man, but I have to admit that I didn't think that you could deal with something like this," Kim Man Dok started. "That's why I offered to do this for you instead. You were planning to blackmail them. That was a good plan, but I don't think that's good enough. They wouldn't back out just because you blackmailed them. That's why I made another plan. I didn't tell you the details because I didn't think that you could do anything about this," he admitted. "You have great characteristic and skill, man. But, you don't have the resources like I do." Woo Bin chuckled.
"You're right. You have the people and the power to start rumors like that. I wouldn't be able to pull that off by myself," he admitted. Kim Man Dok chuckled.
"So, the plan was a success, right? That solves your problem, right?" he asked.
"Yup," Woo Bin replied. "I just need to clean something up," he added. "And once again, thanks, man."
"Yup.. yup.. no problem, Woo Bin. Talk to you later," Kim Man Dok said before ending the call.
Woo Bin was reading some of the newspapers articles that his men had gotten for him. All of them were about the Hwang Q scandal. The police were still investigating looking for other crimes that Hwang Q might have committed. Woo Bin had asked his men to investigate more about Hwang Q's actions in this matter. He was worried that they would not go down without a fight. He sighed and stroked his face when his phone rang. One of his men was calling him.
"Yes?" he said after answering the call.
"Boss, Miss Jae Kyung just walked out of JK headquarters and suddenly the reporters surrounded her. What do we do?" Park Jin Pyo reported immediately. He was one of Woo Bin's men who got signed to guard Jae Kyung, just in case when her own bodyguards couldn't handle the situation.
"What about her bodyguards?" Woo Bin asked quickly. He instantly stood up from his seat and left the papers carelessly after hearing the report. He suddenly felt worried.
"They're with her, but I don't think they can just push the reporters and get rid of them," Park Jin Pyo answered.
"Get closer to them. Make contact with Hye Rin. Find out if they need assistance," Woo Bin instructed. "And find out why the hell the reporters are there!" he added loudly. Kim Hye Rin was Jae Kyung's head of bodyguards. She was very loyal to Jae Kyung. That was why she knew about their secret relationship and also Woo Bin's men.
"Yes, Sir," Park Jin Pyo said readily.
"How many men are with you now?" Woo Bin asked again.
"I'm with two guys right now."
"Alright, I'll send more just in case you need them. Bring her to me," Woo Bin said and hung up the call. He cursed loudly. He didn't understand why the reporters suddenly wanted Jae Kyung. "Is this because of Hwang Q?" he asked to himself. He called for Ji Hyuk, his assistant.
"Find out why the hell reporters want to talk to Jae Kyung!" he commanded immediately after Ji Hyuk stood up in front of him. Ji Hyuk suddenly looked nervous.
"Umm.. Boss. I knew the reason why they want to talk to Miss Jae Kyung," he reported weakly.
"Why?" Woo Bin suddenly looked alert.
"One of the guys just reported that Kwon Dae Gyu talked about Miss Jae Kyung," Ji Hyuk informed quickly.
"WHAT?" Woo Bin yelled. "About what? Tell me everything!"
"One of the guys was watching the news about Hwang Q. Apparently Kwon Dae Gyu talked to the media about an arrangement between Hwang Q and JK Group. He confessed that he was engaged to Miss Jae Kyung," Ji Hyuk answered. He looked scared of what Woo Bin's reaction would be.
"DAMN IT!" Woo Bin cursed. "I'm gonna kill him!" he yelled angrily. Suddenly his phone rang again. Park Jin Pyo's name was flashing on the screen. "Talk!" Woo Bin commanded immediately.
"I got Miss Jae Kyung, Boss. Hye Rin and her team handled the reporters and we got Miss Jae Kyung out of there. Where do you want me to bring her?" Park Jin Pyo reported.
"Bring her to the office. I'll be waiting," Woo Bin instructed. "Let me talk to her," he added. He walked toward the windows and away from Ji Hyuk while he was waiting for Jae Kyung on the phone.
"Yes, Boss," Park Jin Pyo obeyed and there was no sound for a few seconds.
"Woo Bin," Jae Kyung's voice was sounded shaky over the phone.
"Baby, you're alright?" Woo Bin asked immediately.
"Yes, I'm okay. The guys and Hye Rin got me out fine," she answered. There was no panic in her voice, just a little distress.
"That's great. They'll bring you to my office. I'll be waiting," Woo Bin tried to assure her.
"Okay," she answered weakly.
"Just sit tight, alright? I love you," he said.
"I love you too," Jae Kyung replied before they ended the call.
Woo Bin turned back to Ji Hyuk. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he did not realize Ji Hyuk was speaking with someone at the door. Woo Bin stared at them when they didn't realize that his phone call had ended. Ji Hyuk finally caught Woo Bin's stare. He looked startled when he saw Woo Bin's serious expression.
"Boss," he said weakly.
"What is it?" Woo Bin demanded quickly.
"One of the guys just reported that there is news on TV right now," Ji Hyuk answered.
"Turn on the TV! I wanna see," Woo Bin commanded firmly.
Ji Hyuk walked toward the flat screen and turned it on immediately. He searched through some channels and found a breaking news about Hwang Q scandal. Woo Bin focused on the screen. The reporter was talking about some highlights of the scandal when suddenly there was a news feed. Jae Kyung's face was suddenly on the screen. She was surrounded by reporters.
"Ha Jae Kyung-ssi, is it true that there is an arrangement between JK Group and Hwang Q?" one of the reporters asked.
"No, that's not true," Jae Kyung answered immediately. She looked confused hearing that question. It seemed like she hadn't heard about Kwon Dae Gyu's confession.
"Are you in relationship with Kwon Dae Gyu-ssi?" another question.
"Are you engaged to the heir of Hwang Q?" another one asked. Jae Kyung suddenly looked shocked.
"What? How can you say that?" she demanded quickly.
"Kwon Dae Gyu-ssi just admitted that he's engaged to you," one of the reporters answered kindly. "Isn't that true?" he added.
"NO!" Jae Kyung answered firmly. "I don't have any relationship with him. I'm not engaged to him. I'm not even acquainted with him," she informed them clearly.
"So, he's not your boyfriend? You're not dating him?" another reporter asked again.
"No! My boyfriend's name is Song Woo Bin, not Kwon Dae Gyu," Jae Kyung answered quickly. Her voice was so firm and clear.
The reporters were suddenly quiet hearing Jae Kyung's confession. Suddenly her bodyguards started to push the reporters away from her. Park Jin Pyo and a couple of his men were on screen. It was clear that they were trying to get Jae Kyung away from there. The camera followed their movement until they disappeared. Jae Kyung's bodyguards were guarding the reporters, so they didn't follow Jae Kyung. Suddenly the screen changed and back to the reporter in the studio.
"That was the news feed from JK headquarters. It seemed like Ha Jae Kyung was telling the truth about the identity of her boyfriend. By looking at the guys who dragged her away, it looked like they were Song Woo Bin's men," the reported said. "Song Woo Bin is one of the F4 members. He's the son of the real estate tycoon, Song Woo Young. Song Woo Bin himself owns some clubs and bars in Seoul.."
Woo Bin turned the television off. He was stunned hearing Jae Kyung's confession. It seemed like the secret was finally out. Suddenly he smiled because he felt proud of his girlfriend. He turned to Ji Hyuk when he finally could wipe the smile from his face.
"You can go. Tell me immediately if there's more news and let Jae Kyung in as soon as she arrives," he instructed Ji Hyuk.
"Yes, Boss," Ji Hyuk said. He bowed down and left the room.
Woo Bin was still smiling to himself while sipping his coffee. It felt like the burden on his shoulders had finally been lifted with Jae Kyung's confession. He was truly happy with the situation. He couldn't help but grinning like a fool. Suddenly his phone rang again. Hoping to see Jae Kyung's face on the screen, he felt confused when he saw his father's instead.
"Hey, Dad," he greeted readily. Despite of the dark image that his father had, Woo Bin was still close to his father. They had an easy relationship. His father was a really good father despite of the bad and abnormal lifestyle that they had.
"So, my secretary just reported something to me," his father answered easily. "Your name was mentioned on the news or something. Ha Jae Kyung, huh?" his father finally got to the point. Woo Bin grimaced. He hadn't thought that his father would get the information this fast.
"You heard, huh?" he answered, sounding uncommitted.
"Yes. I didn't watch the news, but my secretary did. I'm still feeling slightly disturbed that she watched television during office hours," his father confessed, clearly annoyed. That made Woo Bin chuckled, imagining his father was shaking his head with an annoyed expression. "However, that's not the point. You never talked about any girl. Was this the reason you were really eager to go to America to check our business there?" his father asked half-annoyed half-teasing. Woo Bin smiled sheepishly.
"Well, kinda," he admitted quietly.
"Good thing that you still did a good job or I would be really mad," his father said firmly. "You never told me about her, Woo Bin. Is this serious? Because a girl like her telling the media about a relationship sounds really serious," he added. Woo Bin grimaced.
"Yeah, we're really serious, Dad," he confessed truthfully.
"Really? You're serious about a girl?" his father asked without covering the shock in his voice. "I get it that she's pretty and rich, of course. But, why is it so sudden?" he added. There was little worry in his voice.
"It's not sudden, Dad. It's been going on for a year or two," Woo Bin corrected. He knew exactly that it had been sixteen going on seventeen months since he officially became Jae Kyung's boyfriend.
"It's been that long? And you didn't tell me before?" his father asked with tone of disbelief.
"Sorry, Dad. It just never came up before," Woo Bin said trying to decrease his father's fury.
"Woo Bin, I don't want to interfere with your decision, especially about this. But, are you sure about her?" his father asked. Woo Bin frowned. He had thought his father wouldn't care about who he chose to be his wife, but suddenly he wasn't sure anymore.
"Why? What's wrong with Jae Kyung?" he asked. He could feel that he was getting angry by the second.
"I don't know, son. I'm just not sure about you and her," his father replied.
"Dad, we have a deal, remember? You won't say anything about my relationship if I leave you alone. I never interfered with your relationships, Dad," Woo Bin pointed out.
"I know.. I know.. It's just.. She's an heiress, Woo Bin," his father said.
"So what?" Woo Bin asked, feeling more confused than angry.
"I just never thought that you would want an heiress. Let alone an heiress from the company as big as JK Group. I always imagined you bringing some random woman home and just deciding to get married or confessing that she's pregnant or something like that. I never imagined an heiress," his father explained. Instead of clearing up the situation, the explanation just made Woo Bin more confused.
"Wait a minute. So you prefer me to bring home some random woman without a name rather than an heiress? Why?" he asked with clear confusion. His friends' families had been difficult to them because their girlfriends were commoners, but his father felt the opposite.
"Because if you marry an heiress, it will be serious and complicated, you know?" his father replied.
"What's so complicated about an heiress? It will be just the same as marrying an heiress or a common girls," Woo Bin insisted.
"No, it will be different, so different. With a commoner, if you want to seperate, you can just get the divorce. Pay the lawyers, give her the things that she asks for, and get full or at least shared custody of the children. It won't be too difficult," his father started. "But, if you marry an heiress, the divorce will be difficult. The custody battle will be awfully hard because you'll need an heir and so will she. And of course the shared property and money will be other big problems."
Woo Bin was speechless hearing his father's explanation.
"Dad.. when I get married later, my focus will not be how I can get an easy divorce. My focus will be about loving my bride and trying to get the marriage work out," he said trying to assure his father. His father didn't say anything for a minute.
"You're that serious with her? You're really planning to marry Ha Jae Kyung?" his father asked reluctantly. Woo Bin sighed.
"Well, yeah. Someday. We're not planning anything yet, but we've been thinking about marriage and all that," he admitted. His father didn't respond immediately again.
"You really love her, huh?" he asked again.
"Yes, Dad. I really love her," Woo Bin answered firmly. His father sighed.
"Fine, then. According to our deal, that's your life. That's your decision. I won't interfere. But, just be careful, son. Don't get hurt too badly, okay?"
"Hopefully I won't, Dad," Woo Bin replied confidently.
"Yeah, hopefully," his father answered, sounding resigned. "I'll just let you get back to whatever it is you're doing, then," he added, preparing to end the call. "And don't forget to bring her to meet me." Woo Bin chuckled.
"Yeah, Dad. I will," he said before ending the call.
Woo Bin was silent and just staring at his phone's screen. He had mixed feelings about his conversation with his father. He felt relief that his father wouldn't be another obstacle for his relationship with Jae Kyung. However, he could hear the unsure feelings in his father's voice. His father didn't have the confidence that Woo Bin and Jae Kyung's relationship would work. It made Woo Bin worry about how to make his father sure about them.
Woo Bin's office door was suddenly opened without any warning. Woo Bin, who was still deep in thought, startled. He turned his head quickly and found Jae Kyung stepping inside the room. He jumped and stood up before walking to meet her halfway. He opened his arms to pull her inside his embrace.
"Hi, baby," he murmured while kissing her head. Jae Kyung moaned.
"Miss you," she mumbled to his chest. They stayed like that for a minute before she finally looked up to see his face. "What a mess, huh?" she said with a grimace. Despite of her grimace, Woo Bin found it amusing.
"I don't know. I'm still feeling so happy with this one statement," he said teasingly. Jae Kyung frowned. She honestly looked confused.
"What are you talking about? What state.." suddenly she stopped talking when the realization down on her. "How can you hear the statement this fast?" she asked. There was slight blush on her cheeks. Woo Bin grinned happily.
"You were on TV. The reporters were very quick on updating the news," he explained happily. Jae Kyung grimaced.
"That explains why my parents have been trying to call me this last twenty minutes," she said. And true to her words, her phone suddenly rang. She groaned and pulled out her phone to check who called her. Her father's face was flashing on the screen. She silenced her phone and threw it back into her purse.
"Why don't you answer?" Woo Bin asked, feeling confused. Jae Kyung shrugged.
"I just think we need to talk first. I'm afraid that I've made the situation worse," she said weakly. Woo Bin frowned hearing that.
"That's nonsense. Why do you think that?" he asked. It was clear that he disagreed about Jae Kyung's opinion.
Jae Kyung shrugged and walked toward the couch. She threw herself there before sitting down properly. Woo Bin followed her lead and sat beside her.
"I don't know, Woo Bin. I didn't think when I answered that question. I was getting tired hearing them saying that Kwon Dae Gyu was my boyfriend, so I just said that," she explained while looking at Woo Bin. "But that won't help with our situation with my parents. They'll be pissed. Really pissed."
Woo Bin looked at her sympathetically. He stroked her hair gently.
"It won't be too bad. They just have to choose to have a killer as their son-in-law-to-be or a mafia prince," he said trying to calm her down. Jae Kyung scowled at him.
"Not helping, Woo Bin," she scolded him. "I'm afraid that they will do something bad to us," she added helplessly.
"They won't. I promise you that I won't let them to do anything to separate us," Woo Bin said confidently. Now that Hwang Q was not better than he was, Woo Bin could feel a little confident about their relationship. "We'll elope if we have to," he added teasingly. Jae Kyung snorted.
"Like that matters. As long as you promise to be always by my side, that's enough," she said, enveloping her hands around Woo Bin's left hand. Woo Bin chuckled.
"Why don't you just handcuff me to you, then?" he said mockingly. Jae Kyung laughed.
"That sounds kinky," she commented, still laughing. Before she knew it, Woo Bin had started kissing her.
Kim Hye Rin and her team picked Jae Kyung up from Woo Bin's office that evening. After that, they took her home where her parents were waiting for her. Jae Kyung grimaced when she saw her parents were sitting in the living room. She had been ignoring their phone calls because she didn't want to talk to them in front of Woo Bin yet.
"Jae Kyung, sit down!" her father said firmly. "What the hell is happening, Jae Kyung? How dare you make statement like that in front of the press!" he exclaimed angrily. Jae Kyung glared back at her father.
"You're one to talk, Father. You're the one who started this. You made a mess by planning an arrangement with Hwang Q. It makes them think that they have the right to say those things," she pointed out bravely.
"The mess is caused by your boyfriend," her father spitted the words. "Your boyfriend started the rumors. And by the way, I didn't forget about your lie. You said that you'd broken up with him," he added angrily.
"That's not my fault. You forced my hand to the point that I had to lie! And Woo Bin didn't start the rumors. He has nothing to do with them," Jae Kyung argued.
"And you expect me to believe that? After you so blatantly admitted that you'd lied," her father retorted.
"Stop it you two!" Jae Kyung's mother suddenly yelled, making Jae Kyung and her father startle. "I'm tired hearing your argument over and over again. I don't care who caused the mess. I just want you two to stop arguing and start thinking of a way to get out of this mess," she pointed out angrily.
Jae Kyung and her father didn't look like they agreed with her mother, but they kept their mouth shut. Her mother looked satisfied enough with their silence.
"Now, we have to decide what to do," Jae Kyung's mother instructed. It was clear where Jae Kyung had got the bossy personality. "It's clear that it won't be wise to choose Kwon Dae Gyu to be Jae Kyung's husband. He killed people, or at least caused those people to be killed, so I don't want him to be my son-in-law," she said firmly. "Besides, Jae Kyung has said Song Woo Bin is her boyfriend. It will be unwise to say otherwise. Moreover, I don't find any problem with this Song Woo Bin, so I think it's okay to try to accept him," she concluded.
Jae Kyung's jaw hit the floor. She never thought that her mother would say something like that. Her father didn't look better. He never thought that his usually quiet wife could yell that much. Realizing his wife was scary when she was angry, he decided to stay quiet.
"Now, Jae Kyung, when can we meet Song Woo Bin?" her mother continued kindly. That question made Jae Kyung brighten while her father looked shocked.
"What?" he exclaimed angrily. For a moment he forgot his decision to stay silent earlier. His wife glared at him instantly.
"Your plan to save the company's reputation backfired on you, so why don't you try to hear Jae Kyung's idea for once?" she hinted. That shut him up for sure. She turned to Jae Kyung again. "So, can we meet Song Woo Bin soon?"
"Do you really want to meet Woo Bin?" Jae Kyung asked, still feeling confused.
"Sure. I want to see for myself what's so good about him that it made you prepare to fight with your father for him," her mother answered wonderingly. "He's handsome for sure, as I remember. But, I can't say that Kwon Dae Gyu is not," her mother pointed out. "I just don't understand why you like him so much."
"I don't just like him, Mother. I love him," Jae Kyung declared. This time, it was her mother who looked surprised.
"You're that serious with him?" she asked, suddenly looking thoughtful.
"Yes, Mother. We're really serious," Jae Kyung stated firmly.
"How long have you been dating him, again?" her mother asked curiously.
"Almost two years," Jae Kyung replied readily.
"You were in America most of the time," her father finally talked again. It seemed like he had overcome his fear of his wife. Jae Kyung shrugged.
"Woo Bin came a lot to visit me. Besides, I came home whenever I could," she answered truthfully.
"He's Goo Joon Pyo's friend," her father pointed out.
"So what?" Jae Kyung retorted.
"You don't see anything wrong with that? You failed to marry Goo Joon Pyo, but now you're dating his friend," her father replied sarcastically. Jae Kyung scowled at her father.
"My relationship with Woo Bin has nothing to do with Joon Pyo. That plan for me to marry Joon Pyo was a complete mistake for the start," she answered clearly.
"But, you did like him," her father sneered.
"Yes, I did. I still do actually, though in different way," Jae Kyung admitted. "Joon Pyo is one of my best friends now. However, I've realized that we're not suitable as lovers. Our personalities are too much alike. Woo Bin even said that I'm the female version of Joon Pyo. That's not something that will make a relationship work well," she elaborated.
"And Song Woo Bin is not like that?" her father asked skeptically.
"Of course not. Our personalities are different, but not too different. We're good with each other," Jae Kyung said simply. She didn't want to say too much because it felt awkward talking about this matter to her father.
"Then, I want to meet him as soon as possible. I want to see if he's good enough for my daughter," her mother said with finality in her voice, making Jae Kyung's father stop interrogating her.
Jae Kyung was checking some emails at her bedroom when her mother suddenly barged in. Her mother's arrival startled Jae Kyung, but her mother's smiling face made Jae Kyung confused. She observed her mother when she was sitting down beside Jae Kyung on the bed. It had been a long time since her mother had come into her room with that kind of demeanor.
"What is it, Mother?" Jae Kyung asked, looking confused. Her mother's smile widened.
"I just want to talk to you about something," she answered gently. That made Jae Kyung get even more confused.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked again.
"Tell me about Song Woo Bin. I want to know more about him. You never talked about him before, but suddenly you're telling me that you're serious with him," her mother said. "You didn't want to talk much earlier, but I can understand that. You didn't want to talk in front of your father. That's why I'm asking you now. We can talk, woman-to-woman," she added, half-teasing. Jae Kyung shrugged, blushing a little.
"He's just really good to me, Mother," she said shyly. Her mother smiled.
"How is he good to you?" she asked more.
"I don't know. It just feels like we balance each other out. He can be the mature one when I act so childish. On the other hand, I can be the calm one when he's angry. We're just good for each other," Jae Kyung elaborated a little. Her mother looked thoughtful.
"Is he angry a lot?" she asked, looking concerned.
"Of course not," Jae Kyung objected quickly."He's the most fun person that I know. Sometimes a few things just spike his temper, you know. However, I think that's normal. It just shows that he's still human," she added evenly.
"Tell me about his personality. You didn't elaborate about that earlier," her mother demanded. Jae Kyung thought for a moment.
"Okay, if you want to know about Woo Bin, you have to know about F4 too. They can't be separated. Woo Bin is the fun one in the F4. Ji Hoo is the quiet and smart one. Yi Jeong is the sensitive and observant one. And Joon Pyo is the stupid one, but also the leader figure," Jae Kyung said, chuckling. That made her mother chuckled as well. "So, you see they're really close friends. And being Woo Bin's girlfriend means I have become their friends too. It's just so nice having best friends like them, the F4 and their girls," she added.
"Is that why you want to be with Woo Bin? So you can become their friends?" her mother asked suspiciously. Jae Kyung frowned instantly.
"No, of course not. I'm with Woo Bin because I love him. Being their friend is just a bonus," she explained.
"Then, why do you love him so much?"
"I don't know, Mother," Jae Kyung replied, shrugging. "He just gets me, I guess," she added. "He was raised differently from me, but he still can understand me. Even though he's an heir like the others, he learned about responsibility early. He built his own business despite of having the family company that he will inherit. He wants to be independent first before he accepts bigger responsibility. He's also close with his dad. Sometimes, I envy him for that," she admitted.
"I'm sorry, Jae Kyung," her mother said, looking sad. She put her hand around her daughter's shoulder, to bring her closer. Jae Kyung smiled a little at her mother.
"No, it's okay. Like I said, we were raised differently," she explained. "Woo Bin is really fun, but he can be serious too. He cares so much about the others to the point of having his men to check on his friends. To make sure that they're safe."
"He sounds like a good man," her mother admitted.
"He is," Jae Kyung assured her mother. "He's also so friendly with others. Looking at F4, you can see that they act like they're untouchable. But, if you meet Woo Bin alone, you will see that he's so open and nice. That's why he has so many friends. Even in the underworld," Jae Kyung confessed.
"I see. That's why there's rumor about him being the mafia prince, then?" her mother asked. Jae Kyung nodded her head.
"But, that's it. He just befriends everyone, including the mafia. He's so kind to them, and that makes the mafia very loyal to him. They think of him as their good friend," she explained.
"How do you know so much about that?"
"I have met a few of them," Jae Kyung admitted.
"You've met mafia?" her mother asked, looking shocked.
"Yes, a few times when I visited Woo Bin's clubs. They're really nice as people. I know that their work is not good, but as people and friends they're good," she explained hastily. "And Woo Bin accepts them as they are. Just like a child, no matter who they are and what they do, Woo Bin can see the good in them and befriend them because of that." Her mother nodded her head understandingly.
"I see. I'll just wait to see how good he is for you, then. Bring him here, so your father and I can meet him," her mother reminded Jae Kyung, stroking Jae Kyung's hair gently for a moment. Then, she stood up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom.
Jae Kyung still surprised seeing her mother acting so motherly like that. It was the first time Jae Kyung had been able to speak with her mother woman-to-woman, like her mother had said earlier.
A/N: So, what do you think? Hope you like it ;)
I really appreciate for everyone who took time to write comments or critics for this story. Thank you so much for Male1248, treble, Camy, Melaazul zafiro, ntcmiller, missshay16, ritz2012, Mikaelv, iranjsh8, AnaBrest15, Vickyluv, veeegeee, iamsunshine18, and guests. Really thank you for the reviews.. I'm so happy seeing all of the reviews..
Thank you for your time. Please review...
Next is The Couple. See ya..