Chapter Nine: End

“Oh, Hyesoo.” Mihyun, Seolhyun’s mother called me in a startled manner when she walked out my father’s office and saw me sitting on one of the couches in the waiting room. Before they could even end their conversation, I was able to get away from the door and sit on one of the couches. I stood up and bowed at her as she walked towards me, showing me her fake-nice self. “It’s good to see you! Looking pretty, eh?”

I gave her a slight smile. “It’s to see you too, Ms. Han.”

Just before our conversation could go any further, a man who looked so much like Jungkook went in from the door to the waiting room. It’s Jungkook’s father, who looks equally tired like Jungkook. He locked eyes with me and he immediately bowed at me, like I am someone worthy of his respect, “Ms. Hyesoo.”

“Ah, hello Mr. Jeon.” I bowed as well. He looked at Mihyun, who walked towards him and said as she was trying to push her out of the room, “Let’s talk in my office, Mr. Jeon.”

“Yes, Ms. Han.” Jungkook’s father bowed again at me again before he finally followed Mihyun who didn’t give me any look at all.

I sighed, slowly getting a taste of reality regarding Jungkook’s family. But, I really can’t conclude things right away. I have to think of a plan in order to know everything. Scratch whatever Jungkook’s plan, I can’t wait any longer. As far as I am concern right now, I want to know whatever is happening really, after all the conversation I’ve heard, I know what broke me recently is what should break me, and what Jungkook told me was not what he should be telling me at all. We’re being tricked, and I can’t let this pass.

“Hyesoo? What are you doing here?” I turned to see my father standing by his office’s door.

I bowed at him and said, “Let’s have dinner, tomorrow, perhaps?”

There was some light that lit up my father’s mood from being serious. He was trying to hide the smile on his face when he asked, “What’s the sudden invitation about?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know, I realized I deserve something like what you have done for Seolhyun all this years. Time, attention, that kind?”

His face suddenly fell, “Hyesoo…”

“I’ll meet you in the same place last time, 8 PM sharp. Don’t be late, okay? We have a lot to talk about.” I smiled at him and bowed. I did not wait for him to say anything more, I closed the door shut as I looked at the door knob for a little while. By tomorrow evening, I should’ve come up with a plan to help Jungkook. “Oh my god!”

Jungkook was this close to my face when I turned away from the door. He was equally startled as well when he dropped the folder he was holding and looked at me as if he really did not expect I’d be here. “Hey.” He muttered.

I bent down to get the folder and the papers that went with it. I looked at it briefly and realized that it was the financial statements of Han Group. “You’re in charge of the acc—”

“—not really. Just… Can we talk?” Jungkook did not wait for me to speak, instead, he pulled me with him as we walked and went to leave the building.

He then took me to the nearest café and there, we sat on the corner most part of the café, a much hidden part where no one can see us. He placed the folder on the table and stood up, “Stay here for a while, I’m getting us drinks.”

I wasn’t able to say anything. I just let him leave, watching him as he ordered us drinks while I had my hand touching the edges of the folder he was originally holding. A few minutes later, Jungkook went back with two mugs of tea. Mine is definitely mint blend, and his was chamomile. It was what we usually buy for teas, whether iced or hot, right now is a classic hot tea, just like the old times. I missed the old times where we’d talk of anything that we could think of. But now, the only thing we could of is the future that is ahead of us. “What’s this?”

“Mint blend tea, your favorite, right?” he said, taking a sip from his mug.

“I meant the folder.” I corrected, “What’s in the folder?”

Jungkook looked at me cautiously. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of the company’s records. I can feel something wrong with it.”

“What is?” I took the folder and opened it, revealing financial statements of my dad’s company and Mihyun’s, there are also a one page copy of his father’s company, but it was only a brief summary of the past year’s report—stating that either they report bankruptcy or merge with a larger company, Mihyun’s to be specific.

“When I was offered to work in their company, I was immediately assigned with a task that requires me to be away from the company, disabling me to get a hold of records by the company. Until this moment, they can’t make me attend corporate meetings, and other things that I need to because I’ll be a part of this company in case I’d really get married to Seolhyun, because Jeon and Han will be merged. I don’t understand why they don’t want me to check the records, it was supposed to be my job.”

“Why do you have this?” I asked him, pointing at the papers. “Did you see anything wrong, by any chance?”

“I tried to look for gaps, for errors in their records, but I saw none.” Jungkook said, holding tightly around his mug, “But I can still feel there is something wrong. I know it.”

“I can feel it, too.” I told him. He looked at me with a confused look. “I can’t tell you anything, but I think we are aiming to see the same thing.”

“I’m not sure, you should tell me.” He said, fixing the papers inside the folder.

“Can’t.” I said. “Let’s keep everything we know until here. Just know that I am also looking for answers, and you don’t have them.”

“I don’t understand.” He said.

I sipped on my mug and told him, “You don’t need to for now, okay? I need to go.”

“Why are you in your father’s office?” he asked before I could stand.

“I was supposed to ask questions, but I already got the answers.” I smiled at him. “I’m going, Jimin’s waiting for me.”

“Jimin?” he raised an eyebrow. “Are you…”

“No.” I told him firmly. “He’s just worried for me so I’m going to meet him after not seeing him for a long time.”

“Okay.” Jungkook said. “Take care of yourself.”

“You should do the same.” I told him. “I know you look good in working clothes, but please stay healthy. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“I will.” He smiled as I finally stood up an