Chapter 15 – Who’s cheating?

The trip to Jeju island was awkward, to say the least. At first, neither Jaejoong nor Hyomi said a word. Hyomi stared out the window pretending to be absorbed in the view while Jaejoong concentrated on his driving.

Finally, Jaejoong broke the silence. “This is ridiculous. We can’t spend a whole day together and not say anything.” “If your dad hadn’t started dating my mom, we wouldn’t have to spend any time together.” Hyomi snapped. Jaejoong gave her a quick glare. “Is it that painful? I wish he hadn’t started seeing her either. If he marries her, It’ll just ruin everything again. Another woman won’t be any better.”

“than what?”

“Nevermind.” Jaejoong muttered. “It’s none of your business.” Hyomi suddenly needed to know. “Jaejoong.” She said. “What happened to your mom?” Jaejoong’s knuckles grew white as his hands clutched the steering wheel. “She left.” He was obviously very bitter.

Hyomi had assumed his mother had died, as her father did. “When?” she asked softly.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Jaejoong didn’t speak for a while. Finally he let out a long sigh, “She ran off when I was twelve. She wanted a singing career.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “Dad tried to get her to come back, but she wouldn’t, so they got a divorce. She wasn’t good enough for him, anyway.”

Now Hyomi could see where his anger was coming from. She knew that there was no use in trying to persuade him that her mother wasn’t anything like the woman who’d abandoned him. He wouldn’t listen. Though her heart softened towards Jaejoong, she couldn’t forigve him for cheating. Once they found their parents and hopefully prevented them from getting married, Hyomi would have nothing further to do with him.

“What hotel is your mother staying at?” Jaejoong asked when they arrived in Jeju Island. She told him the address. “Let’s see if she’s checked in yet.” Jaejoong inched along in heavy traffic and pulled up in front of a pink hotel laced with back wrought-iron balconies.

“I’ll run in.” Hyomi told him. “You can drive around the block. Just don’t go off without me.” She added as she slammed the door. She asked the desk clerk if her mother had checked in. he couldn’t find a reservation for Park Hyemi or for Dongwoon Kim.

Waiting on the curb for Jaejoong, Hyomi soked up the atmosphere of Jeju island where she and her mother visited many times before. Jaejoong honked the horn, and Hyomi jumped in beside him before the traffic began to move again. “They’re not registered.” She told him. “I guess we could hang around here in case they come, but they might not check in until late tonight.”

“Especially if they have something more important to do.” Jaejoong muttered grimly. Hyomi shuddered. “Don’t say that! What if we’re too late?” “Well, let’s drive around a little.” Jaejoong joined the stream of traffic. “Maybe they’re sightseeing in the Quarter.” Hyomi leaned forward and peered out the window.

As Jaejoong drove slowly down streets crowded with tourists window-shopping at antique storefronts and wandering in and out of many quaint gift shops, Hyomi strained to look everywhere.

Half an hour later she admitted to failure. “This is going to be impossible! Even if they’re here, we’d never be able to pick them out of the crowd.”

“how about a break? My stomach’s growling like a bear after a long winter.” He said as he climbed back into the car. Hyomi realized that she was hungry, too. “Let’s go to the French market and have beignets. I love those french doughnut, and so does mom. Maybe she and your father went there.”

“sounds great to me—if we can find a parking place.”

After two trips through the market, they found a spot. “Inside or out?” Jaejoong asked. “Outside.” She said. “We can keep a better eye out for our parents if they come along.” After the waiter set the plates of powdered sugar-covered doughnuts in front of them and handed them steaming mugs of café au lait, Hyomi sipped her mixture of half coffee, half milk, scanning the face of every passerby.

Jaejoong devoured his plate of doughnuts in record time and asked for another order while Hyomi was still finishing hers. As she bit into one, she inhaled some of the powdered sugar and started coughing. Jaejoong leaned over and pounded her on the back. “That sugar’s murder when you breath it. Are you okay?”She nodded and took a sip of café au lait. Over the rim of her mug, she saw Jaejoong grinning at her. “What’s so funny?” she asked, frowning.

“Your face.”

“Well, gee thanks.” Hyomi drew back. “How come you never mentioned it before?” Laughing, he replied. “You never looked like you fell in a flour sack before!” Grabbing her napkin, Hyomi rubbed at her cheeks. “Here—let me do it.” Gently Jaejoong wiped away the remaining sugar. His face was so close to hers, and she could feel his breath on her cheek. For some crazy reasons, her heart started pounding.

Abruptly, she pulled away. “That’s fine, thanks. I can get the rest.” She said stiffly. His eyes narrowed. “Hyomi, what’s wrong? Lately you’ve been acting like I’m an ax murderer or something.” She turned away and studied the people walking past away. Finally she mumbled, “I don’t like cheaters.”

“I don’t, either.” He sounded puzzled. “So, who’s cheating?”

“Don’t play games! You know you gave yunho that test!” Jaejoong stared at her. “What test? What are you talking about?” “The chemistry test we had on Friday. I heard Yunho ask you for a copy, and you have it to him. That’s cheating!”

Taken back, Jaejoong shook his head. “I don’t have any idea what—“ He broke off, and Hyomi could see it was finally dawning on him.

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cliffhanger? find out in the next chapter if jae really did cheat or not. I'm so glad that I'm gaining more new readers!