Chapter 120. Facing Fears

It played over and over in her head, the way he looked strained by the question and it only confirmed to her how he was still battling with himself. The bittersweet feeling enveloped her when he said that he didn’t want to hurt her. Seohyun knew that falling in love with him was all a whole new experience for her but she was now only realizing that it could be for him as well.

He doesn’t really know how to put his feelings into words and be brave enough to say them out loud. It was frustrating but she was beginning to understand that he had nowhere else to go but be with them. It was all part of her plan, to threaten him of them leaving and even that question she posed. She was hurt by his answer, that was for sure but something’s got to give.

Lucky for him, she got all the patience she needs not to give him up without a fight.

Hopefully, he would start manning up— or realize that feelings wouldn’t make him less of a man. Those words only told her he loves her enough that the thought of hurting her terrified him. Perhaps now he would start thinking how he had been hurting her by even these thoughts. She wasn’t afraid that this would backfire because he wouldn’t think about staying away because of Euna. It helped too seeing him jealous like that and it actually felt good. Seohyun smiled to herself despite the fact that she was feeling a little bit guilty about it for her brother’s friend who had shown interest on her a long time ago.

“That smile says a lot…” her brother walked in with a smirk on his lips occupying half of her small cubicle, “Will you follow me to my office?”

She nodded and wondered how important it was that he needed the privacy of his office. When they got into the room, Jooown sat on the sofa instead behind his desk and it kind of confirm that this ‘talk’ wouldn’t be work-related. Seohyun sat on the armchair across him and asked when he remained quiet for a moment, “What is it, Oppa?”

Joowon smiled, “How are you settling in? And the baby? How is she with you not around?”

“Good?” She replied unsurely because this didn’t seem to be just a social call but she should answer anyway, “Euna didn’t even cry before I left which is kind of upsetting since she cried last night when she realized her appa was no longer in the house.”

“Yonghwa went last night?” He asked settling deeper into the cushion comfortably.

Seohyun nodded quietly scolding herself for oversharing. She sighed, “He said you talked.”

“We did,” he replied softly, “And I asked things about the arrangement. Do you know that his father still doesn’t know who you really are?”

She frowned, “Really? I thought his parents did already.”

Joowon nodded, “Then you probably don’t know that it’s because he was the one who called off the arrangement.”

That made her sigh out loud realizing that she was seeing a new complication especially when her brother explained to her everything that she needed to hear. Now she was even more annoyed with Yonghwa for keeping a lot of important information from her.

“So, you see now that you’re playing this Romeo-and-Juliet thing?” Joowon chuckled when she laughed at his analogy. Clearing his throat, he continued, “Actually that wasn’t why I wanted to talk to you.”

“It should be the worst, Oppa,”she said flatly in an attempt to deflect the situation.

“No, it probably is,” he replied with a small smile then sighed, “Umma and Appa are here. They want us to have dinner at the house.”

Seohyun frowned looking straight at him with those accusing eyes, “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”

“I just found out late last night,” he replied defensively, “They’re here for the opening ceremony.”

She stood and moved over to the window and looked out into nothing in particular at all. If Yonghwa had those presumptions of her and her parents’ deception, it wouldn’t be a surprise that his family would have the same. But with her parents’ appearance, she couldn’t really tell that they could help her clear these doubts from his father’s mind.

Taking a deep breath, she murmured almost to herself, “I thought they couldn’t make it.”

“That was what I had in mind too,” Joowon spoke rising from where he was seated as well and walking behind his desk. “See? They don’t really let us know their plans beforehand anymore.”

She nodded looking back at her brother, “What should we do?”

“The car will pick as up at five. You can go home earlier to get Euna ready,” he simply replied without giving her the deeper answer suitable to that line of question.

“How about Yuri Unnie?” Seohyun faced him crossing her arms on her chest.

He only leaned back on his seat and casually looked at her, “How about her?”

She frowned and muttered pointedly, “Oppa, I know that you have been living together…”

“We’re adults,” he shrugged, “You did the same with Yonghwa.”

“Do you think they will agree?” She asked ignoring that side comment.

Joowon shook his head and, after a big sigh, replied, “I don’t know anymore. But let’s hope for the best.”

~~~~

She couldn’t stop thinking about everything that was hovering in her head. The plan to slowly make Yonghwa realize how he wanted them in the future should be fast-tracked now. This is a terrible thing to say and especially to do but what she knew about him so far is that he would take a step back and not ‘face’ emotions which definitely wouldn’t work for her. She’s a kind of woman who doesn’t want to just float on a limbo along with him. She should know where she stands and he should be the one telling her where.

And now that the threat of his appa’s sentiments about her would affect them all was unnerving for her. Seohyun likes him a lot because he was nothing but nice and sweet to her. He treated her like his own daughter and would even take her side when little arguments with Yonghwa surfaces. She had gotten close to his parents and it would hurt just as much if they wouldn’t accept her for their son because of her own parents.

Speaking of whom, that was another cause of her worry. The impending meeting was inevitable and she also her little girl to get to know her other grandparents. But then again, she hadn’t talked to them since running away which feels like eons ago before. Seohyun sighed pushing away those thoughts for a moment since her baby was starting to stir in her sleep. She waited for a bit until she rolled on her stomach and sat up with her eyes still closed. Euna was not whining so she thought her little one must be still deep in her sleep. It was some sort of a sleep-walking thing although she knew that it was also a sign of stress but she looked too adorable. Taking her phone, Seohyun started to record when she suddenly whimpered.

“Appaaa…. Appaaaaaa…” Euna cried rubbing her hands on her face.

“Aigoo,” she sighed turning her phone off and taking her baby, “Appa is at work, sweetheart. You will play with him tomorrow.”

The baby only wrapped her tiny arms around her and laid her head on her shoulder so Seohyun stood. She had been home for a couple of minutes and was waiting for this time that her baby was awake. Her baby bag is always ready so all she needed was to give Euna a quick bath. Kissing her cheeks, she cooed, “Y