Chapter 8

“Dad?”

Chaerin calls out for her father in the living room but he is not here. She has been searching for him all morning for breakfast but he is nowhere to be found.

As a last resort, she reached the telephone and start dialing his number.

“Morning Chae”

“Where are you? Breakfast done.”

“Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. I have things to do.”

“What? On a Sunday? Isn’t Sunday is supposed to be father daughter bonding time? Whatever happens at the restaurant, uncle Yoo can fix it…”

Chaerin sigh.

“Sorry honey, this is urgent. I’ll pick you up later, we’ll head for dinner okay?”

“Urghh, don’t bother, I’m going out with Hyuna.”

“Don’t be bitter honey”

“Just do your thing.. bye”

Mr Lee weren’t able to say anything because Chaerin has end their conversation.

“Daughter is hard to handle.”

Mr Kwon smile. Since the occurance, both men have been doing their own investigation. And today was no exception, they are at the Kwon’s restaurant trying to figure things out.

“Well it’s no different than raising boys because, the mood they are in.. damn, it’s much more complicated since they won’t even think about getting to their sensitive part and talk about their problem because of ego”

“What’s wrong with Jiyong?”

“Hell, I should ask you, didn’t he hang out with you to watch football last night?”

“I haven’t met him since last week…”

“Huh?”

Mr Kwon is in doubt suddenly because last night, Jiyong told him that he is with Lee.

“Anyway he’s home now right? I’m sure he’s probably having something else. Maybe he went on a date and lied to you because you probably would rub it in his face every time”

“That boy complains about me a lot huh?”

Mr Lee just laughs over his remarks. Things are getting much better between them.

“Anyway, thanks man. For offering a hand”

“I’m sure if I’m in this kind of trouble, you would have my back to huh?”

Mr Kwon teases him by making faces and chuckles.

“Of course.”

“So, back to business”

“Yup.”

“Last time, we know that your brother is still in Korea.”

“Yes, that bastard is still here somewhere”

Mr Lee look at Mr Kwon attentively. Although Mr Kwon said it with anger, but there is longing in his voice.

“Sorry if I cross the line, but. What happened actually? It’s just that, I remember seeing him a while ago but then he disappears.”

“Back then, business wasn’t as stable as it is today, we struggle, you know right?”

Mr Lee nods.

“One day, I checked the account. He was supposed to handle it, and by instinct I went and check. And I saw all these money in and out that weren’t recorded. So I confronted him, and he admits, he used it for his own satisfaction. That money was supposed to be for Jiyong, for my son. I was devastated, I was angry, and… I threw him out.”

Mr Kwon release a long sigh.

“I’d do the same if I were you”

Mr Lee tried to console him.

“Yeah, well.. Look where it got me. My whole family is in jeopardy”

“That’s not going to happen, we just need to find him”

“And then what? Give him to them? God knows what they are going to do to him.”

Mr Lee places his arm on the table and sighs. This is not easy. You don’t want to mess with thugs in Korea. They aren’t meant for simple exchange, most are thirsty for money and blood.

“Well, that’s why we are here right? I may have a way on solving this, but.. I prefer it to be a last resort”

“Well, what is it?”

“We’ll talk about it if there’s nothing left to do”

Mr Kwon look at the man having so many question but decides to keep it to himself. He’ll follow through. If the time comes, then only they will discuss about it.

**********************************

“Ice cream is melting”

“I know”

Chaerin lazily stir her ice cream that has melted which is looking unpleasant at all.

“Yah, you want to talk, talk. This cost me a date with Don, so woman please”

“Yah yah, you beg me to be my friend, you know what it will cost you so shut up and be a friend”

Hyuna rolls her eyes. They are getting more comfortable each day as odd as it seems. Hyuna the chirpy, popular, gullible girl and Chaerin the tomboy-ish kind of girl.

“Anyway, you wanna talk about how rude you were to Jiyong?”

“Urghh, next”

Hyuna sigh.

“Chae, that boy was trying to defend you and you treat him like .”

Chaerin opens to say something but was cut off by Hyuna.

“You know it’s true. You should’ve look at his face. He was… hurt”

“Yeah, well apparently everyone around me is.”

“Girl, why do hate Jiyong that much?”

“I don’t hate him”

Chaerin rolls her eyes.

“Did you listen to yourself when you yell at him the other day?”

“Hyuna please…”

Hyuna sigh, she takes the ice cream from Chaerin without any reluctance.

“You’re troubled I know”

“4 years Hyuna”

“Chae..”

“I’ve spent so many of my hours for him you know”

“Chae, you have to stop…”

“Hyuna, help me. I want to. I want to stop thinking about Jimin. I really do. But I can’t. So if you have any cure for this, please.. do tell me”

Hyuna stop while devouring Chaerin’s ice cream. The distress look on Chaerin with her eyes glimmering in pain make Hyuna sympathizes for her.

“Chaerin, I know you feel like dying. I know you feel like this is the end of the world”

“What do you know, you’re happily in love with Donny”

“Yes and I never been thankful since I met him. I was in a relationship before I met Donny and it wasn’t actually what you call as fairytale as well.”

Chaerin watch as Hyuna continues.

“But I was emotionally abused. He kept on telling me that I’m not pretty enough, skiny enough or worthy enough to meet his family or friends. When you listen to it on a daily basis you started to think it’s for real Chae. For so long, I believe everything he said.”

“That’s… sorry Hyuna, I didn’t know”

“Of course, because I never told anyone. He broke up with me for someone who’s more pretty and smart. When that happened, I felt like a worthless piece of shiet. I cannot eat, think or even socialize with anyone. I was on the verge of thinking about… taking my own life..”

Chaerin gasp and hold Hyuna’s hand.

Hyuna shows her a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry Hyuna.”

Slowly Chaerin is placed in a realization that there are people out there with a bigger problem than she is right now.

“Honey, that’s in the past. I have to seek for help from psychiatrist just to talk about my problem. And I realized that you do too. Open up to me. Talk to me. I am your friend. I’ll help you but you need to help yourself too.”

Chaerin lets out a sigh. She never thought that underneath all that bubbly personality, Hyuna had gone through that level of pain.

“So believe me when I said, I know how you feel right now. You can mourn over this but you have to try to fight it, because if you let yourself go too much, you might never get yourself back”

Chaerin release a long sigh. What Hyuna said made her ponder on things more deeply.

*******************************

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter