Chapter 49. Storm

It has been over a week after his proposal. It had been days as well since he last spent the longest time with her and right that moment they were having a late lunch at the restaurant close to the gallery. Yonghwa suddenly decided to ambush her just to get her to spend time with him especially now that she seemed to be wanting to be chased. They were eating quietly— too quiet that he couldn’t endure it anymore. He gazed at those eyes back but she looked away. Until when was he going to endure that little time she was spending with him?

“I shouldn’t have agreed of you leaving the company…” he finally said.

“Oppa…” Joohyun was about to grumble but when she looked up from her plate, she saw the frustration on his face. Her voice softened when she continued, “Appa agreed already. Besides, I settled my problem with him and I really want to concentrate on the gallery. I want it to work but Changmin Oppa is also running other businesses and it would be better if one of us oversees the gallery’s transactions. Between us, it’s only me who can take that responsibility… we talked about this already.”

“I know but—“ he took a deep sigh and lounged on his seat, “It’s just that we don’t spend time together more often than we did before.” ‘And we’re drifting apart’. Yonghwa didn’t say that although he wanted so much to. Instead, he complained, “I even think you spend more time with Euna than with me…”

What could she say to that? Joohyun forced a smile, “I—I’m sorry… I’ll try to make it up to you next time, oppa. ‘Just break it to him, Joohyun!’ Her mind screamed at her and she winced so she pretended to check her phone.

“I’m getting jealous over that phone.”

“Don’t be silly…” she scoffed but her mind spoke again, ‘You’re prolonging your own agony.’

“Why don’t we go somewhere this weekend?” Yonghwa spoke gently focusing on her reaction, ‘To iron things out.’

“With Euna?” ‘Don’t take the bait,’ she warned herself.

“No… just the two of us…” Yonghwa said casually but he could feel how his heart was starting to pound so loud, ‘Come on, I want to work things out with you.’

“But… I…” ‘Think, Joohyun, think fast.’

“Am I being a burden?” ‘Then let’s iron things right here.’

“What’s that supposed to mean?” ‘You ARE a burden!’

“Just answer me…” his jaw tightened watching her watch him with critical eyes. Yonghwa challenged her and he knew that. In the end, they would have this conversation and he probably may not be ready for it but he was willing to take everything he could get. Something flashed in those beautiful eyes of hers— anger or annoyance, he couldn’t tell.

Was she ready to? She could see by her periphery that there were a few diners nearby and she didn’t want to cause a scene. Not the right place, she decided. Instead, she pushed back her chair and stood, “We are not having this conversation.”

Yonghwa wasn’t surprised by that but he didn’t want to be the one to let this go so he spoke pointedly, “Sit down, Joohyun.”

She was clearly taken aback by what seemed to be an order. It was as if she was looking at the man she first knew. But she didn’t want to have this— at least not yet. Without looking at him, she answered, “Talk to me when you’re coolheaded about this.” Joohyun tested her luck as she stepped away but managed to stop right on his side ignoring the way he was looking at her, “I need to go back to the gallery. You too, go back to work.”

Yonghwa remained still, too stupefied with her attitude—like she came back to the intimidating Seo Joohyun he met before.

~~~

The unevenly cut papers sprawled all over her bedroom floor. The finished products rested silently by the bed as glue tubes, a pair of scissors, colored papers and other trinkets splattered everywhere. Joohyun plopped up an elbow to support her head and smiled gleefully at the very serious-looking child.

She picked Euna up and brought her home that Saturday to help her with her school project since she insisted that she needed her umma to help her. Joohyun playfully took a heap of her hair and let go when she finally looked at her. Euna smiled, bended over and kissed her cheek.

“You love me so much?” Joohyun giggled rolling over to lie on her back and motioned for Euna to take the empty space beside her.

She hastily shifted on the bed and lay down beside her mommy while their feet dangled in the air. Euna nodded turning to her, “Uh-huh, I love you so much. Do you love me so much too?”

“Yes, I love you so much, Jung Euna,” Joohyun declared while staring at the ceiling. Yonghwa was right, she had been spending more time with the little girl especially lately that she left the company. Euna was one of the reasons why she couldn’t just break up with him. As days passed by, she had that only resolve to end things but the confrontation scared her. That or the chance that he might charm his way deeper inside her.

She was undeniably in love with him but there were just reasons that she couldn’t allow herself to.

“My daddy loves you so much too.”

The sudden declaration caused an ache in her being. Joohyun turned to the little girl whose eyes were still fixed at the ceiling above them, “Really? How’d you know?”

“Because he looks funny when he looks at you…”

She laughed out loud then shifted her attention back ahead. Joohyun asked in a softer tone, “Did he ever tell you that he loves me?”

“He doesn’t need to tell me because I can see it,” Euna sat up crossing her legs in front of her, “Appa always looks happy when he comes home after seeing you and he looked awful when you went to Chinese…”

“China, Euna,” she giggled yet again. What she said though pulled her deeper. Joohyun shifted on her side and plopped an elbow to support her head, “He did?”

“Yeah, he was like ‘why isn’t she answering her phone?”

Another laughter erupted because of the way Euna tried to imitate her father’s voice, “He was like that?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded earnestly, “And he was grumpy because he couldn’t see you and halmeoni said ‘why don’t you just marry her so that she will pick up her phone when you call?’”

Joohyun lied on her back once again with a small smile on her face, contented with that little information she got.

“I wish you marry my appa soon.”

Euna’s voice crept through her and she tried hard to swallow that lump that suddenly appeared. She shifted, “Euna, if your mommy in heaven is still here with you, would you love me the same way as you do now?”

“Hmmmm…” she looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded, “I think so…”

“But your daddy…” it was not a good thing to ask a six-years old that question but she felt that she had to, “He can’t love me the same way he does now, right?”

Euna picked up a paper flower that they made. She sighed and looked at her mommy, “If umma in heaven is still here and we met you, I think it would be hard for appa to love you since he has her… it’ll really be hard.” Her face brightened with her smile as she continued, “But since she is not here, it’s not difficult anymore. Appa loves you.”