“No, I want the whole phone to be touch screen,” Somin said into the phone. “Touch screen is really in right now.” She brushed her fingers through her short layered caramel hair and pushed her side bangs to the back. “Right, just send me the finished product and the papers here by tomorrow. I want this new product in by March.”

 

She began to move out of her office and into the living room pacing around it. “I like the idea of accessories. Everyone’s a er for accessories. Especially cell phone covers.”

 

Somin looked up at the clock. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the time. “I have to go,” Somin said in the phone. “I’ll call you later.”

 

Somin hung up the phone and threw it on the living room couch. Somin picked up her jacket from the hook in the kitchen and put it on. She ran to the counter and grabbed her keys and small bag. Somin looked up at the kitchen clock once again and cursed at how late she was. She knew she was never going to hear the end of this.

 

Somin walked past the calendar before stopping and back tracking towards it. “He always forgets to change this,” She reached up and flipped the calendar to the new month. September 1, 2011.

 

Switch~...//...//...

 

He lifted his large navy blue suitcase out of the luggage carousel. He straightened his pale blue dress shirt and smoothed out any wrinkles on his tan pants. He put on his black jacket that was light enough for the fall season and proceeded his way out of baggage claim.

 

Suddenly, an influx of cameras and reporters came flocking in and harboring around Kim Hyunjoong. He immediately put on his black rimmed sun glasses to shield the flash from his eyes. With a small smile and an air of ease to him he politely moved through the flock. They followed him instantaneously and began shouting out questions to him.

 

“What are your plans now that you’re back in Korea?”

 

“Do you intend to buy more stocks?”

 

“Why did you come back to Korea?”

 

“Sources say you’re dating someone new, who is it?”

 

“What was it like in New York City?”

 

“What do you plan to do with the business here in Korea?”

 

Hyunjoong calmly walked through the sliding glass doors. He looked around him and the saw the taxi’s drive by. Suddenly, his eyes caught of something familiar. He turned to the reporters and photographers. They all stood silent as he took off his sunglasses. His brown eyes caught with each reporter.

 

“If you want answers, call my assistant.”

 

With that, he swiftly turned around. A black car with black tinted windows pulled up to him. Hyunjoong grabbed for the car door and stepped inside. Once the car door slammed shut, the car sped off.

 

“You’re lucky I was here,”

 

Hyunjoong turned his head to the person next to him. He smiled. “How’d you know I was coming back today?”

 

The person smirked. “You know me, I can get my hands on anything.”

 

“That I know, Maerin.”

 

She crossed her legs and turned to him. Her long, wavy jet black hair played against her skin. She smiled at his with bright red lips. “You’ve changed.”

 

Hyunjoong leaned back in the seat. “How so?”

 

“You’re more…fashionable.”

 

“I know,”

 

Maerin crossed her arms as she still leaned back into the cars seat. “But you’re still the same old Hyunjoong.”

 

Switch~...//...//...

 

Somin pulled up to, with her navy blue pick up truck, Jeju Elementary School. She stopped the car and realized that the place was almost deserted. She couldn’t be that late. She looked at the time. 4:30. Yup, she was late.

 

The doors of the elementary school suddenly banged open and a little boy came running out. He opened the truck door and climbed into the passenger seat. He looked at Somin with angry eyes. “You’re late.”

 

“I know,” said Somin as she began to start the car. “I’m sorry. I had an important call from the office and I didn’t realize the time.”

 

He crossed his tiny thin arms across his chest and leaned back. “I’ll forgive you this one last time.”

 

Somin smiled. “Thank you!”

 

Jung Eli. That was the name Somin had given her now five year old son when he was born. He was a small kid, who only came up to Somin’s waist. He had black hair, that he liked to keep short and wide soft brown eyes just like Somin’s. He was a bright child, who loved to play soccer and read chaptered books. Jung Eli was the love of her life.

 

“So, how was the first day of school?” asked Somin.

 

Somin saw him jump up in his seat. “It was great, everyone from kindergarten was there.”

 

“Really? Even Sunmi?”

 

Eli nodded. “Even Sunmi.”

 

Cho Sunmi was Eli’s best “girl friend”. They had been really close since the first time they met in kindergarten last year.

 

“Do you have homework tonight?”

 

“I’m supposed to write about my family.”

 

“Oh…”

 

They turned silent. Somin continued on driving. Family was a touchy subject for the both of them.

 

Twenty minutes later Somin turned into a dirt road that revealed a long hill. She began driving up it. It was the long pathway up to their home. A few curves of the pathways and abundance of trees, Somin pulled up to their two storey house. Their house was a large and spacious contemporary mansion. The house was situated high up in a mountain away from the public town. It had floor and glass ceilings, natural exotic blonde wood, and natural stone. Natural sunlight came through the glass windows and bounced off the rooms every morning. It was a home Somin always dreamed of. (http://deluxearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/The-Mansion-and-Contemporary-Style-of-House-Design-All-View.jpg)

 

They got out of the car and began making their way inside.

 

Eli threw his backpack on the side of the hallway and took off his shoes.

 

“Eli, go upstairs and wash up okay and then come start your homework in the kitchen.”

 

He nodded and began running up the stairs.

 

Somin took off her own shoes and jacket and placed it on the hook. She headed into the kitchen and began making a snack for Eli.

 

The past five years was tough for Somin. After leaving Hyunjoong she went straight home and into the arms of her parents. Heartbroken and emotionally distressed, Somin didn’t know what to do with the baby. The promise between her parents and Hyunjoong’s parents had become null when Somin ran away from home upon finding out that once Somin would give birth, they would take the baby away from her.

 

At first, she lived with Yoomi. She was still heavily pregnant at the time and at the end of her eight month. Yoomi had consoled her and nourished her throughout the next month and into labor. Jung Eli was born on October 17, 2006, weighing in at 5 poundsand 11 ounces. Somin remember that once she held him in her arms that she could never let her go.

 

Through negotiations and desperate pleas to keep Eli, her parents had allowed her to keep him. She had met with Hyunjoong’s parents who had cooed at the baby and both deeply apologized for their sons actions. Mrs. Kim had even cried and Somin, who could not hold in all the pain and hurt, cried as well. The next five years, they would be watching Somin and Eli carefully to see if Somin can handle being a single mother. If not, custody rights would go to her parents. Somin hastily agreed. All she wanted was her baby boy.

 

As soon as Somin recovered, she moved out of her Yoomi’s apartment, took her things from her home and found a house in Jeju Island. She wanted a quiet, deserted, and fresh aired area. The perfect place to raise Eli.

 

As for Kim Hyunjoong, she didn’t know. After she left, she cut off all connections from him but from what Yoomi heard from Jinho, he seemed perfectly fine. Somin, angered by that, refused to acknowledge Hyunjoong in any way. She had made sure her and Eli were well hidden from him for the past five years.

 

So, that is what Somin has been up to. Eli was her number one priority and her job at her fathers company came second. She was still able to be the head of design for new cell phone products from home. She was grateful to her father. With Hyunjoong’s parents, Somin and Eli had gone to dinner at their house and Somin even let Mrs. Jung baby sit while she was in the office in Seoul. Even though she was no longer with Hyunjoong, it felt unfair for Somin to keep Eli away from his paternal grandparents. It was a secret to Hyunjoong and if Eli ever asked where he was Somin’s immediate answer would be, “Busy.”

 

Somin chuckled as she remembered a time when Eli was three and he was asking where his daddy was. At the time Somin was panicking. She didn’t know how to answer him. It took her a couple of days before finally answering him with, “Your daddy doesn’t love me like I love Eli. That’s why he’s not here anymore. He has a lot of important business to take care of so he left me with you.” The answer had worked. For the next couple of years, Eli wouldn’t mention about his estranged father and that was the end of that.

 

Besides, Somin didn’t need Hyunjoong to help her take care of Eli. She was doing perfectly fine as a single mother.

 

Switch~...//...//...

 

“So, tell me. What have you been doing for the past five years?” asked Maerin as they walked into her apartment.

 

Hyunjoong shrugged as he took off his jacket and tossed it on her living room couch. He plopped down and let out a long sigh.

 

Maerin scoffed. “I haven’t seen you since 2006 when you wouldn’t answer my calls or anything. After that…incident, I wasn’t sure what you’ve been up too. I had to find out in the newspapers what Kim Hyunjoong has been doing.”

 

“Aren’t you going to offer me water or something?”

 

Taken aback, Maerin said, “Well aren’t you touchy.” She began making her way towards the kitchen. “Do you want tea?”

 

“Sure,” replied Hyunjoong as he looked around the apartment. Maerin had moved out of their old place. There were pictures everywhere, especially of what seemed to be like a new boyfriend. “You have a boyfriend?”

 

“Yeah,” called out Maerin from the kitchen. “I met him two years ago. He was a blind date set up by our parents.”

 

“What does he do?” Hyunjoong asked.

 

“His family owns KORE Car Dealership,” Maerin came out of the kitchen holding two steaming cups of tea in her hands. He handed one to Hyunjoong. “He’s a nice man. I really like him.”

 

He nodded as he took a sip. A lot has changed since he left.

 

“Now,” said Maerin as she set her cup of tea on the coffee table. “Tell me how these past five years have been to you.”

 

The day Somin had left, it had taken Hyunjoong a full month to realize that she was never coming back to him. Hyunjoong had left Maerin and had gone into hiding for a whole year. He didn’t want to know anything. He didn’t want to hear from Somin. He didn’t want anything to do with her. It was like that for a year. After a year of depression had passed, Hyunjoong decided to find her and apologize. He had hired detective and made his secretaries find any information they can. He even had asked his parents for help. Nothing turned up.

 

After spending another year endlessly searching for her and finding no results, Hyunjoong had basically given up. If she didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t find her. Hyunjoong had decided to move on. He worked harder to advertise the hotels and gain more stocks. Hyunjoong had decided to move to the United States to further expand the Daejo Hotels. And he had done so successfully and famously. Hyunjoong was known in the Korean Business as “The Prince of Stock,”

 

Now, Hyunjoong had decided to come back to South Korea. He had honestly missed his home and America was getting too boring for him. And now that he’s back, he has future plans to make Daejo Hotels more famous.

 

“You seem to be living the life,” said Maerin with a smile.

 

“Living the life?” said Hyunjoong turning his head towards her. “I don’t know about that but I’m pretty content right now.”

 

“If having to constantly work all day and make money is being “content” to you then you really haven’t lived the life,” replied Maerin with a coy smile as she held the cup of tea in her hands. “You’ve become so into your job. Before, it was so easy to swindle you away from the hotel and have some fun time for ourselves.”

 

“Things change Maerin,”

 

“I can see that,” Maerin leaned into the couch. “I have a question to ask you. It may seem thrown out there but it’s a question I’ve been dieing to ask for five years now.”

 

“Shoot,” replied Hyunjoong.

 

“Did you ever find Somin?”

 

“No.”

 

Switch~...//...//...

 

“Umma!”

 

Somin looked up and found Eli running down the stairs with a paper in his hand. She had just finished up cutting apples for him and began to carry the plate over to the dining table. Eli passed the paper to Somin before grabbing a fork and a slice of apple.

 

“What is it?” Somin looked at the picture. It was a colorful drawing of a house, three people standing in the front, and a dog.

 

“It’s us,” mumbled Eli who was stuffed with apples in his mouth.

 

“Us?” Somin looked carefully at the picture. He saw Eli and her but a man and a dog. “I see me and you but who is this and why is there a dog?”

 

“That’s daddy and the dog we’ll get when he comes back home.”

 

“Daddy?”

 

Somin looked down at his innocent smile and could do nothing but smile. “I love it, I’m going to put it up on the fridge.” Somin turned towards the kitchen, walked to the refridgerator, and stuck Eli’s picture with a magnet on the fridge.

 

“Somin ah!”

 

Somin and Eli looked to the front door and found Yoomi and Jinho walking through the door. Eli jumped up from his chair and ran to Jinho.

 

“Uncle Jinho!”

 

Jinho picked up Eli with a large smile on his face. “Missed me?”

 

Somin walked over to Yoomi. “You’ve gotten so big!”

 

Yoomi brightly smiled and gave Somin a posed. “I have, haven’t I?”

 

Two years ago, Yoomi and Jinho officially tied the knot and became a married couple. Somin admired their love, for they were absolutely perfect for each other. Somin served as maid of honor and Eli, who was three at the time, was able to walk and be the ring bearer. Somin recalled the times both Yoomi and Jinho had comforted her with the issue on Hyunjoong. And when Eli was born, Jinho took it upon himself to be the best uncle like figure to Eli. Somin was just so thankful towards them.

 

Now, it’s Yoomi’s turn. She is six months pregnant with hers and Jinho’s first child. And Somin can’t wait to give back everything Yoomi and Jinho had done for Eli and her.

 

“What are you both doing here?” exclaimed Somin as she led Yoomi to the couch to sit on. “Would you like apples?”

 

Yoomi laughed. “You know I would!”

 

A few minutes later, Somin reappeared with a plate freshly filled with sliced apples for Yoomi. “So, why are guys here on Jeju Island?”

 

“What? I can’t take a relaxing vacation once in a while?” asked Yoomi with slices of apples on each hand.

 

Somin chuckled. “How about you Jinho, are you staying for long?”

 

“I have to go back to Seoul soon. I still have some work to finish up but I’ll come back tomorrow and play basketball with Eli. Right?”

 

Eli wrapped his arms around Jinho’s arm. “You have to leave?”

 

Jinho ruffled Eli’s hair with an assuring smile. “I’ll be back tomorrow when you come back from school.” He turned to Somin. “Sorry to leave Yoomi in your hands.”

 

“Hey!” Yoomi yelled out. “It’s an honor to have me, right Somin?”

 

“Sure, Yoomi.” Somin said sarcastically as she sat beside her. “I’ll feed her well Jinho.”

 

“I knew you could,” Jinho stood up. “I should start heading back. I’ll see you tomorrow kiddo.” He walked over to Yoomi and kissed her on the forehead. “Don’t get into trouble.”

 

“I won’t!” Yoomi said playfully slapping him on the arm.

 

Jinho waved goodbye and left the home.

 

Somin turned to both Eli and Yoomi who were both stuffing their faces.

 

She sighed. “What would you two like for dinner?”

 

Switch~...//...//...

 

“Good morning Mr. Kim and welcome back.”

 

Hyunjoong greeted his assistant drowsily. It was the second day back from America and he wasn’t quite used to the time difference yet. Something he needed to get accustomed to quick because of his busy work schedule.

 

Hyunjoong quickly resided into his office and took a deep sigh. “It’s been a long time,” He said out loud.

 

He took a moment to stand before his desk and observe how untouched his office was. It was exactly the same the day he left. Hyunjoong sat down in his chair and realized he had missed the familiar comfort it gave him.

 

Suddenly, his phone began to ring. It was his assistant’s line.

 

“Yes?” He answered.

 

“A stock analyst is here to see you Mr. Kim.”

 

“Okay, bring him in.” replied Hyunjoong without much thought of it. Hyunjoong began to peer through the drawers as he waited.

 

The door clicked open and calm footsteps began to walk inside. Hyunjoong slowly looked up expecting to see the stock analyst, but his eyes told him otherwise.

 

Han Jinho stood before Hyunjoong, hands in his pockets, giving Hyunjoong a small smile.

 

Hyunjoong leaned back in his chair surprised. “I’m pretty sure you’re not a stock analyst.”

 

“No, I’m not,” replied Jinho without a change in his expression.

 

Hyunjoong, not sure what was going on, asked, “What are you doing here?”

 

“To see an old friend,” replied Jinho. “But the thing is, I don’t know whether I should hug you or punch you.”