Chapter 35. Clouds of Doubts

The heat outside made him even more pissed off and he has waited a good deal inside the restaurant for him. Changmin has a different air of sophistication that was obvious considering his status in life. Not that he felt small and unimportant next to him nor there was a need to compare himself to him at all but he knows who Joohyun belongs to now.

“Have you eaten?” Changmin asked with a pleasant smile as soon as he settled on his seat.

“I just had my lunch,” Yonghwa replied coolly trying to mask his intimidation and annoyance.

The other man casually talked to the waiter who came by for their order and it didn’t escape his attention that he asked for takeouts that was obviously not for him alone. He frowned at the thought that they were for his girlfriend.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Changmin asked and when he nodded, he turned his attention back to the waiter. After the later left, he sat back and started, “It must be a surprise that I asked to meet you here today.”

“Yes, it is,” he could see that hidden smile from across the table. Besides being curious, Yonghwa just wanted to know what Joohyun meant to him aside from being a ‘brother friend’ and a business partner.

“I heard so much about you,” he took a sip of water, “From Joohyun. Quite a reputation.”

“I hope everything she said is not so degrading,” he was thinking about their past disagreements and how the tables turned.

“Don’t worry, she took it all back,” Changmin couldn’t help but chuckle, then settled with a serious expression, “I won’t beat around the bush anymore, Yonghwa-ssi.”

Just by the look on that face especially the tension on his jaws, Yonghwa could tell that Changmin is harder to deal with than the Chairman. Speaking of, he spoke to the old man about his relationship with his daughter. He did warn Yonghwa that it would be bad if he didn’t treat Joohyun right but he could tell that Chairman Seo looked quite pleased with the news. With these thoughts, Yonghwa wondered if this meeting with this man sitting across him was even relevant to his relationship with Joohyun.

“I’m quite surprised myself since she isn’t the type to be in a serious relationship right now,” Changmin revealed then shot him a dead serious look, “So I should probably congratulate you because you are the lucky guy she chose.”

There was certainly sarcasm somewhere in that statement and it annoyed the hell out of him some more so he sneered, “I should be thankful then.”

Changmin noticed how the other man looked threatened and he wanted to laugh at the idea but he kept a straight face, “I don’t mean harm. I asked for this meeting not to scrutinize you and I’m sorry if it appears like that.”

“Not at all,” Yonghwa tried to sound unaffected.

Changmin let out a soft chuckle then went serious again, “As you may know, I have known Joohyun for almost all her life and she has become a sister to me and I will do everything just to make her happy and most of all, protect her. I trust that is also your intention.”

“Of course,” he just nodded.

“Good, so far she’s happy and I hope being with you can make her happier.”

“I have no intention of hurting her if that’s what you want to know.”

“I know. I can tell that you are a good person,” Changmin smiled again but the other man still looked unconvinced. He didn’t really care so he continued, “I don’t want to meddle in whatever affair you are having actually. I’m sorry if this may sound rude but I don’t want to see or learn that she shed even a single tear because I cannot let that pass.”

“Again, I have no bad intention to her and I won’t even let her shed that tear. I’m sorry if this may sound rude as well but I believe that this conversation is between me and Joohyun. I am only answerable to her not to anybody else,” it annoyed him some more when the other man looked amused, “I don’t see why this is your business.”

Changmin couldn’t help but laugh especially by how irritated the other man looked. Then he sighed, “Everything about Joohyun is my business, that’s the truth we all have to live with…”

The hard pounding in his chest was just a small proof of how he was feeling. He didn’t want to cause a scene so he contained himself and thankfully, the waiter came with the packed food he laid on the table for Changmin. The latter thanked him graciously after giving back the bill holder he slipped with cash.

They were both quiet even when the waiter left.

Yonghwa was quiet for the mere reason that he already said what he wanted to say.

It was Changmin who cleared his throat with a confident smile, “So I guess, there’s nothing more to discuss.” He stood taking the paper bag then looked at it with a smirk, “I need to get going and feed my girls at the gallery.”

If it was aimed to make him even angrier, then Changmin succeeded. Yonghwa remained still and did not move even when he raised his hand to him. He just looked at him squarely from his seat.

He knew the other man was not going to take his hand so he dropped it back on his side and spoke, “It was such an honor making your acquaintance Mr. Jung. I hope this is not the last time we will meet.”

Yonghwa managed a curt nod before standing, “And thank you for taking care of Joohyun.”

“No need for that, I have no choice but to do that,” he grinned but followed by a sharp tone as he continued, “Just make her happy.”

~~~

It seemed that they were all enjoying this new phase of their lives. Yonghwa who was usually busy and would come home after the sun sets decided he wanted to spend more time with Euna and Joohyun that they have been going out a lot.

And the little girl was the happiest on this development. She couldn’t hide her excitement when she saw her umma and appa outside her academy to pick her up and they went to the nearest shopping mall. They walked the way she wanted them to be—her mommy and daddy holding hands while she was on her mommy’s side. Finally, it wasn’t an imagination that they are a family now, it felt so amazingly good and she wanted that moment to last forever and ever. Her appa seemed to be very cool that he would laugh a lot especially when she and her mommy would say something funny.

She was seeing a different kind of daddy because he looked very relaxed and would even joke around with them and he noticed that he was doing a lot of aegyos at her umma. He said before that it was for babies only but seeing him do those kinds of cute faces was making her love him more. Her mommy really changed him, she just bring that special kind of smile on his face that Euna was just seeing now.

Her father really looked like a happy appa and she loves hi