23
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
Victoria watched Dongae drive off with So Rae sitting in the back seat from the bus stop. After she’d told the driver to head off home by himself and promised to head back with So Rae he’d finally left her alone. However, she’d had no plans to head back with So Rae.
The bus arrived and Victoria stepped onto it. For the next hour she rode around town with an empty mind.
/\_____/\
The door closed and he watched as So Rae walked out to get some fresh air. The night sky was shining with the little white dots which people called stars. Donghae scrolled down the window and half leaned his body out to feel the soft breeze grow in the air. It was calming and it’d be even more romantic if he were on an actual date with So Rae. The thought made him want to giggle.
Sitting back in the car he glanced out his right window to see her standing alone on the empty plain staring out into what seemed like heaven. She’d never spoken much to him so she always seemed so mysterious. It always made him so curious.
But what seemed to be bothering her? Was she thinking about that man again? The one she’d talked about the night she went drinking?
Her tearful face was still so visible in his mind and it made him feel sorrier to see her so soulfully sad. How much had she loved that man? And who was he?
Donghae was ready to get out and join her, but the ringing of a phone caught his attention first. He looked around wondering where the noise was coming from. He didn’t have a cell phone himself, so who’d left their phone behind? Twisting his body around he rummaged around in the backseat blindly with his arm before he grabbed the phone.
“Hmm?” he wondered. “This is So Rae’s phone.”
The name flashing on the screen belonged to her father.
“Should I answer?” he wondered then glanced out the window to see that So Rae was still gazing out at the stars.
Finally deciding that he didn’t want to bother her he answered.
“Who is this?” her father’s angry tone asked.
“I’m Lee Donghae, Bang So Rae’s driver, sir.”
“Where is So Rae! Give the phone to her this instant! How dare she leave behind her phone!”
“She’s…a little busy…”
“I said give the phone to her this instant!” he roared.
Giving in Donghae stepped out and walked toward So Rae.
“Your father,” he told handing her the phone.
She turned to look at him slowly before grabbing the phone from him, “Yes, father?”
Donghae watched as her still expression become a frown then a half scowl.
“I understand,” she said before hanging up and headed toward the car.
Donghae followed, “What did he say?”
“Drive around,” So Rae ordered opening the car door.
“Why? Did something happen?” he wanted to know what her father had told her.
“Victoria’s not home, we need to look for her.”
The door closed and he found himself staring at the door. Missing? Why would she go missing?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we find her drinking somewhere,” he told himself.
/\_____/\
She finally got off at the last bus stop and turned around to walk back. When young, when her grandma was alive she’d always return late. Her grandma would be sleeping and sometimes she would even wake up to scold her, but however late it was her grandma would warm up some food for her to eat before bed.
The reason why she’d always returned late was because she’d always be strolling around the city because she’d been so lonely back then. Even her gangster friends had good homes. A good home as in they shared a home with family members, siblings all who were blood related. Victoria had none of that but a poor home with an old and frail grandma.
But even if she thought back to her past she knew she wasn’t ashamed of it. She could only feel sorry toward the grandmother who’d raised her in such a tough world. Unconsciously she stuck her hands forward expecting to hide them inside her sweater pocket, but only came to realize that she wasn’t wearing a sweater but a neat jacket suit.
“Psh…” she snorted with a sill smile on her face.
Tilting her head down she felt her soft hair flow down over her shoulders. How long she’d been out, she wasn’t sure. But after a while her legs started to feel tired before she saw a food stand not too far away. Walking toward it she felt water and instantly took out some money from her wallet.
“Oh?” she sounded when she noticed that she had more money than she’d expected. “But didn’t I pay for my drinks the other night?”
Then the sudden remembrance of Donghae appearing there entered her memory. A small laugh escaped her when she realized that he must have returned her money.
“Are you buying, miss?” the stall owner asked.
Victoria nodded and handed her a few dollar bills. As she stood there to eat Donghae’s words came knocking her at the back of her head.
“Why! Are you looking down on me just because you’ve become someone rich?”
“Psh! That jerk,” she muttered. “I just wanted to talk with you for a moment and that’s how you see me?”
Victoria didn’t want to admit it, but his words didn’t just offend her. They also hurt her a bit.
A little after 5 minutes of eating like a pig there she turned around and walked back toward her father’s home. When the nanny unlocked the door Victoria found her glaring back at her.
“Look at what time it is,” the nanny scolded, “what kind of big trouble are you trying to cause? Entering this family is already creating enough distraction to this family peace.”
Victoria felt her mind get whisked away by confusion. Without a word she followed the nanny up the stairs and entered the large home. Its cold white walls welcomed her blinding her eyes for a moment before she heard a loud booming voice come from the living room. Slowly edging toward it she peeked into the doorway to find her dad scolding So Rae.
It all became silent when her father spotted her standing there.
“Victoria!” he called.
Victoria walked toward him.
“What’s going on?” she questioned before she found So Rae glaring at her.
“Where’ve you been?” he sounded more worried than angry.
“I was walking around…”
“Are you ok? Nothing happened?” her father asked worriedly gently taking a hold of her arm as if he were her mother inspecting to see if she’d gotten any bruises.
“No…” she shook her head. “But…why?”
Her father sighed and turned to So Rae, “You should have made sure you returned home with your sister. Why would you leave her out there? Aren’t you afraid of anything happening to her? Who’s going to take responsibility if Victoria goes missing? I’ve spent so much time looking for her and if I were to lose her again…I don’t even know what I’d do.”
Victoria finally realized why her father had sounded so angry earlier. Because she’d lied about coming back with So Rae.
It was a misunderstanding.
“No, father, actually I…” Victoria started.
“It’s ok, you don’t need to explain yourself,” her father cut her off then turned back to So Rae, “make sure this never happens again.”
Victoria turned back to So Rae who turned away from her.
“Go wash up and come back down for dinner. I’ll have ahjumma cook something for you,” her father gently ushered her toward the door.
“No…I already ate,” Victoria told.
“Is that so? Then go wash up and go to sleep. We’ll go to work together in the morning,” her father said.
Victoria nodded and stopped in the hallway to see So Rae brush pass her without a word. Feeling guilty and bad for having let her dad yell at her Victoria quickly followed her up the stairs hoping that she’d be able to clarify any misunderstanding with her sister.
“Unnie!” Victoria called.
So Rae didn’t stop so Victoria ran toward her and stopped in front of her. So Rae glared at her.
Victoria put a hand up to her lips recalling that So Rae didn’t want to hear her call her that.
“Sorry,” Victoria apologized for both reasons: calling her ‘unnie’ and for the misunderstanding earlier. “I didn’t think I would be out that late and I didn’t think father would get that angry. It was just a small lie I told the driver…”
“Father?” she repeated. “Whose father? Yours? Or mine?”
Victoria felt dumbfounded.
“Don’t talk to me if you don’t want me to hate you,” So Rae warned before walking around her.
Victoria spun around to watch So Rae walk into her bedroom closing the door after her loudly. What had she done for So Rae to dislike her so much? She couldn’t understand any of it.
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