Round Sixty-Eight

“Yul!”

Yul got the wind knocked out of him by an ecstatic little creature that whammed into him and was now squeezing the life out of him. As soon as he had sent Jessica back to her home to get changed, Taeng had called and asked to meet him. He was now wondering if he would regret his decision to meet Taeng since this might be his last breath.

“Calm down, Taeng! I can’t breathe!”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Taeng released Yul hastily and grinned sheepishly. “I’m just too happy to control myself.”

“What’s the good news, Taeng? You know…coincidentally, Tiffany called Sica and told her that she has good news too.”

Taeng’s grin grew even wider than before and he started to bounce up and down with glee. “She said yes!!! She said yess!!!”

“Who is she? And what did she say yes to?”

“Fany!!! Fany said yes to me!!!”

“You proposed?”

“LAST NIGHT!!!”

Yul was beginning to feel giddy—Taeng was bouncing around too much.

“Stop. Please stop bouncing. STOP!” Much to his relief, Taeng finally stopped. The grin, however, was plastered to his face and Yul suspected that it would take a huge disaster to wipe it off. The grin was infectious and Yul found himself grinning away like an idiot too. “I’m happy for you, Taeng. You totally deserve it. Come, give me a hug, buddy.”

Yul opened his arms wide and engulfed the smaller man completely. He patted Taeng’s back a few times before releasing him from his embrace.

“I’m so happy, Yul. I’m happier than when I read the letter of acceptance to my university. I’m happier than when you gave me my peas. I’m happier than when Hayeon—”

Yul was alarmed when Taeng halted in mid-sentence and turned pale.

“Taeng, what’s wrong?”

“Hayeon…”

“What about her?”

“I promised…”

“What did you promise?”

“I promised her that she would be the first to know.” Taeng looked aghast. “Yul! I totally forgot about it and told you first!!! What am I going to do now?” wailed Taeng.

“What else can you do? Apologize profusely and beg for forgiveness.”

Taeng looked even more petrified than before. “What if she doesn’t want to forgive me? What if she’s so angry that she goes back to Jeonju?”

Yul smiled comfortingly and patted his distraught friend’s back to sooth him.

“Don’t worry. She’s your sister. She’ll forgive you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

~~~~~

“Soojung ah, have you been seeing someone lately?”

Krystal gulped. Her father had asked to speak to her in the study right after breakfast and her stomach had sunk instantly. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep her relationship with Young under wraps for long but this was only their fifth day together and they’ve only just had their first proper date the night before! How in the world did her father…sigh…her father was no ordinary father…

“Yes.” Lying was definitely not an option.

“And how long has it been going on?”

“Five days.”

“Five days and you’re kissing him already?”

Krystal could have acted as a tomato on stage and no one would have doubted her role—she was so red. “I…”

“Don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be giving him that sort of thing?”

“But…”

“I mean, Sooyeon is a lost cause but you…I hope you aren’t like your sister.”

“Unnie isn’t a lost cause.”

“She’s lucky she found Yul. You, however, have to watch out for yourself. If you want to date a player like Young, you can’t give it to him so soon.”

“You…You’re not…objecting…?”

“Were you expecting me to?”

Krystal nodded surreptitiously and Papa Jung laughed out loud.

“You’re like that teenage daughter I never had. Trying to sneak out of the house to go on dates with the boyfriend she thinks her father wouldn’t approve of. You’re so different from Sooyeon. That girl would just bring him home, regardless. Soojung ah, I’m not objecting to you seeing Young because I think you are sensible enough to know if he’s good for you. However, I will have eyes watching him for me. I’m not afraid to tell you that much. And if he even dares to flirt with another woman, he’s in trouble.”

“Daddy…” Krystal teared at his words. Fatherly love. Was this what it was like? Was this warm, blob of a choking sensation her getting emotional? “Thank you.”

“Soojung ah, I want you to know that I don’t love you any lesser than I love Sooyeon. You are my daughter too. My…genes…I can see them in you. And sometimes, you remind me of myself even more than Sooyeon.”

“Really?” Krystal was surprised to hear that.

“Sooyeon takes after her mother. When they fall in love, they’re practically blinded by it. Sooyeon wouldn’t have broken up with those cheating men if I hadn’t done something about it. She’s just like her mother. You know…I’m not the best husband in the world…but she stayed with me, nevertheless.”

“It’s a good thing that she stayed though. Or unnie wouldn’t have a complete family. I certainly wouldn’t wish that on her.”

“You have suffered…a lot…”

“It’s all over now.”

“I’m glad you think that way. Are you happier now that you’ve survived the press con?”

“Things are better now. I’m happier.”

“Good, good. Well, in that case, I’d like to invite Young to dinner. I’ll invite Yul too. We’ll have a good dinner and I’d like to talk to Young after that.”

“Talk? To Young? Why?”

“I’m your father, that’s why.”

Krystal knew when to back down. This was definitely one of those times. Her father would not be denied that talk with Young and she could only hope that Young would get through it unscathed.

~~~~~

“Krys! Your dad invited me to dinner!”

“I know, I was right there when he called.”

“Were you?”

“Yes, I was just about to call you when you called.”

“Er…why do I sense that this isn’t a good thing…?”

“It’s not bad or anything like that…”

“Okay…go on…”

“…My dad is planning on having a talk with you after dinner.”

“W-What? W-Why?”

“He knows, Young.”

“He kn-knows? About us?”

“Yes.”

~~~~~

“Tif, I have to own this bag.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“You already have more bags than you can carry, Jessi.”

“But this one is different.”

“They’re all different.”

“Precisely.”

Tiffany smacked her forehead on her palm. Talking to Jessica had its risks. One could contract a really bad headache while doing it. One could also lose a little bit of their sanity. “My point was…you shouldn’t buy this bag when you have a cap on your shopping.”

Jessica’s shoulders slumped instantly. “Tif…I can’t stand it. I’ve watched you shop all day and it’s getting to me…” she whined.

Tiffany raised both her hands and backed up immediately. “Hey, hey, whining to me isn’t going to help you. You promised Yul so you’d better keep it. Think of how angry he’s going to be if you don’t keep your promise.”

Much to her consternation, Jessica grinned slyly. “Actually…I might want him to be angry…”

Tiffany stuck her fingers in her ears and started humming immediately. “I’m not listening to your excuses,” she said in a sing-song voice.

“Tif…” Jessica pouted sadly. “This is limited edition and it’s the only one. It’s telling me to bring it home.”

“You have custom-made leather bags from the top luxury brands, Jessica. What do you care about limited editions.”

“Don’t say that! You’ll hurt its feelings!” Jessica cast a loving gaze at it and smiled. “I don’t care. I just have to have it. I like this bag and it likes me too. I’m buying it. That’s that.”

“It’s sixteen thousand dollars, Jessi. Remember what your limit is.”

“I’ll take an advancement on it then. I’ll spend only fourteen thousand next month. Besides, how would he know if you and I don’t tell him?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Don’t worry. If he’s mad, I’ll pout and be all cute and shy and he’ll succumb to my charms.”

“I don’t think Yul is going to like this. Seriously. He has serious principles, that guy.”

Tiffany chewed on her cheek. There was nothing more she could do. Jessica was stubborn enough when she wanted to be. The spoilt princess in her would undoubtedly require more than a simple deal to go away. So as she watched Jessica handing over her American Express Centurion credit card—one of the most exclusive credit cards in the market—she could only close her eyes and pray that her best friend wouldn’t get herself into too much trouble with Yul.

~~~~~

Jessica was one happy girl. She had had her bedroom satisfaction just last night and now, she had her shopping satisfaction too. The bag was gorgeous. There was no way she was going to let somebody else buy it. No way.

He wouldn’t have to know. Tiffany wouldn’t tell on her. She could trust Tiffany not to. It would be her last big buy. She’d seriously start on the limit tomorrow. Yes. Surely a girl deserved one last day of serious shopping before retiring from it? Yes. She deserved it.

~~~~~

Taeng entered his apartment surreptitiously. He spotted Hayeon who was fast asleep on the couch and heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d be able to get to his room without her waking up.

“Oppa? Why are you tiptoeing?” a sleepy voice drifted to his ears.

“Am I tiptoeing?” Taeng looked down at his feet. Yikes! Why was he on his toes?! “I-I don’t know why I’m tiptoeing…” His heart thumped that much faster as he tried to walk back to his room as normally as possible.

“Oppa, did you just get home?”

“Y-Yes, Hayeon ah.”

“Did Fany unnie say yes?” Hayeon bounced off the couch suddenly and appeared right in front of his face.

Taeng couldn’t stop the grin from taking over his face. He nodded. Speech was unavailable, he was too happy for words.

“REALLY??? OPPA! SHE SAID YES???”

Taeng simply kept on grinning and nodding his head as Hayeon began bouncing around him with a look of glee.

“YAY! FANY UNNIE SAID YES! SHE’S GOING TO BE MY UNNIE-IN-LAW AND I’M THE FIRST TO KNOW!!!” cheered Hayeon.

Taeng cleared his throat uncomfortably as soon as he heard her. Oh no. Was she going to be mad at him? “Er…about that…Hayeon ah…Oppa is very sorry about it.”

“Sorry?” Hayeon stopped bouncing and looked puzzled. “Why are you sorry?”

“Hayeon ah. Oppa is very sorry but you’re not the first to know.”

“I’m not? You told somebody else first?”

Taeng nodded regretfully. “I told Yul about it first.”

Hayeon pouted and her lips quivered as her eyes lost half of the shine that was in them just a moment ago.

“Hayeon ah…I’m really sorry…”

Hayeon sniffed. “But I waited for you to call me…I waited…I waited until I fell asleep…I wanted to know it first…”

Taeng felt like crying. Hayeon was sad because of him and it broke his little thumping heart. To think that she had waited for his news…To think that she had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting…he was such a bad brother!

“I’m so sorry, Hayeon ah…I’m sorry…” He hugged Hayeon as tightly as he could, but his remorse only deepened. “I’m such a bad oppa to you…How could I forget…especially when you were the one who helped me with everything? Hayeon ah…”

“Oppa…don’t cry…” Hayeon blinked her teary eyes as she looked at him. “I-It’s okay…I’m the second to know…right?”

Taeng nodded vigorously. “Yes, you’re the second to know. I came home right after meeting Yul.”

Hayeon sniffed a few more times but much to his relief, a tiny smile crept onto her face. “Okay…being second is good too…”

“Really? You’ll settle for second?”

Hayeon’s smile grew a little bigger and she nodded convincingly. “Second is okay. You love me second too right?”

Taeng was taken aback by what she said. “Second? No! Hayeon ah, I love you more than anything else.”

“Even Fany unnie?”

Taeng blinked. Fany? He’d never compared his love for them before. Did he really love Fany more than Hayeon?

“It’s okay. It’s okay if you love Fany unnie more than me. She’s going to be your wife!” Hayeon began to grin again.

Taeng shook his head and said, “No. I don’t love Fany more than you. I love the two of you just the same.”

“So we’re both first?”

Taeng grinned blissfully and nodded. “You’re both first.”

The shine returned to Hayeon’s eyes and she began bouncing around Taeng as she chanted, “Oppa loves me and Fany unnie the same!”

~~~~~

Jessica couldn’t wait to show Krystal her new bag. “Soojung! Look!” went Jessica, as soon as she set foot in her home.

Krystal turned away from the drama that was showing on the television and smiled at her sister. “What am I supposed to look at?”

“This!” Jessica held up the bag that she had just bought.

Krystal gaped and walked towards the bag immediately. “Wow, unnie! Gorgeous!”

“I know I’m gorgeous but I’m talking about the bag, Soojung ah.”

Krystal choked back a laugh and said, “The bag…the bag is gorgeous too, unnie.”

Jessica smiled. “I know, right? It’s limited edition too, you know. Royalty like the Princess of Monaco carry bags like this one too.”

“It looks really good on you, unnie. How much is it?”

“Sixteen thousand dollars,” she replied casually.

“Sixteen thousand dollars?!” Krystal couldn’t shut —her jaw was too shocked to move.

“Sixteen thousand dollars?” Yet another voice was heard. Only, this one wasn’t in the least like hers or Krystal’s or her mother’s voice for that matter. She knew who it was instantly, having heard this voice even in her dreams. But for the first time, she did not welcome the sound of that voice. No. No way. No. Why would he be in her home? No, she was imagining things, wasn’t she?

Her oxymoronic curiosity got the better of her and her head turned slowly to check the accuracy of her ears. Was it really him? No, please, let her ears be wrong…let her ears be wrong… Unfortunately, her ears were completely right. Her fervent hopes were dashed when she saw Yul standing right behind her sporting the darkest frown she had ever seen.

~~~~~