29
Their Kingdom Panorama
“Lets go eat some Japanese cuisine, how about it?” Victoria asked.
Even at the restaurant Victoria only poked at her food tastelessly. Worried about whether he’d said something to wrong her he leaned forward to whisper.
“Did you argue with your friend today?” wondered Kyuhyun.
A spark flared in Victoria’s eyes.
“You don’t look like you’re in a good mood.”
Victoria sighed and shifted in her position.
“Sorry,” she apologized then smiled. “I shouldn’t be upset, should I? It’s nothing worth being angry about when I just heard some puny words.”
He frowned, “What kind of words?”
“He was So Rae’s first love, her fiancé…before they made him yours.”
Victoria lowered her eyes before going on, “Say, you said you and unnie grew up together. How close did you two get?”
“Eh?”
“I’ve heard many stories about childhood friends who grow up to love each other and they get married and so on. Have you and So Rae unnie been like that?” Victoria looked up at him.
Kyuhyun stared back at her wondering why she was asking such a question.
Swallowing his saliva he smiled, “Why? Did someone say something to you about So Rae and I?”
“Yes,” she wanted to say but instead lied, “no. I was just wondering. But why does unnie seem so angry at you sometimes? I never understood that.”
“Ah…” he nodded, “because when I went abroad I didn’t contact her at all. “I guess she’s still holding a grudge against me for that.”
“Oh…really?” Victoria played along.
The conversation ended there. He sent her back to the office and watched her climb up the stairs feeling a sense of uncertainty climb up his spine.
/\_____/\
Victoria paused at the top of the stairs for a bit and estimated the duration of time in which Kyuhyun would head back into the lab since So Rae never gave him any assignments to finish. After a count of 5 minutes she rushed back down the stairs and out of the office building to see the street buzzing with busy cars.
She was sure her father had said he’d be out all day running errands. Pressing her lips together she rushed toward the bus stop and sat there for almost half an hour before the bus arrived. Victoria jumped off the bus in front of the mart and headed inside after recounting the money she had in her wallet.
“To get things off my mind I shall focus my attention on other stuff,” Victoria urged herself.
And minutes later she was browsing the aisles for wallpapers, paint, new pots and pans, and even new furniture for her grandmother’s house. After buying the simple set of wallpapers, rags, and a new vacuum she checked out and rode the bus toward her grandmother’s house never minding the complaints passengers gave out because of the space she unfairly occupied in the bus.
Finally walking up the small driveway she grabbed the key out of her new branded bag and unlocked the door to find that same light full of dust streaming down from the window.
“I’m home!” Victoria shouted throwing both arms up into the air.
No one answered her, but she still walked in cheerily. Dropping her shopping bags down on the floor she took off her office jacket and started with what she’d always planned on doing. Cleaning and remodeling.
After spreading the wallpaper out amongst the pale walls she finally sat down onto the ground and wiped sweat off her forehead. She tried grinning broadly, but it disappeared after a few seconds.
“Grandma, if you were here we could be living this fortunate life together,” Victoria talked aloud to herself. “It would be great, wouldn’t it?”
She reached her hand up to feel the ring on the necklace around her neck.
“And mother too.”
Pushing her hair away from her face behind her shoulders Victoria looked up at the bright wallpaper she’d chosen from the outlet.
“I always wanted a family and siblings, but now that I’ve got it why does it not feel like one at all?” Victoria wondered.
She sat there for the next few hours and finally got up when the sun went down. Leaving the house made her feel more lonelier than when she first arrived there to find it in such poor condition. Making her way down the street she closed her eyes for a few seconds cherishing the small breeze that pushed against her.
“This is it, Vic,” she thought to herself, “I won’t fall so unjustly. This is just a small breeze that can’t push you over.”
Reopening her eyes she smiled and started skipping ahead. A while later she came across the intersection she and Donghae had arrived after being kidnapped.
“Then, Victoria, if you’re ever bored and you’re looking for trouble I’m just down that way.”
Victoria glanced down her left and started toward it very slowly. She walked pass graffiti walls and disgusting trash bins with old oily newspaper scattered about. Some old men settled in groups with scrubby dark faces, broken tooth, and winter hats on their heads. Most were awake and were still chatting toward the early dawn while others had gone to sleep in curled up positions. Others slept while sitting.
What a pitiful sight. Even Victoria had had it better than most of these men. However, she knew how they lived. She’d been there before. It wasn’t her right to discriminate when she knew how it was.
Her feet came to a stop when she reached the corner of the shelter. The few men inside were sitting around a garbage can turned upside down and it looked as if they were still playing a board game someone must have picked out of the trash. Victoria glanced at each and everyone of them, however the trouble she was searching for wasn’t there this time either.
“Oooh! A lady!” someone shouted.
Victoria finally picked up her senses and looked up when three of them headed toward her way. When they got closer she found that they were scrawny people.
“Who are you?” someone asked.
“Yah! She’s rich! Look at her!”
“Why are you here?” one of them asked before introducing, “By the way, I’m Eunhyuk. This is Ryeowook and Yesung.”
Victoria glanced them over and toward the other men in the shelter.
The man with sharp cheekbones turned to follow her gaze. She took him to be Ryeowook.
“Who are you looking for?” he questioned.
Victoria turned back to them half embarrassed.
“You’re looking for someone?” small eyed Yesung repeated.
“Uh…” Victoria started. “Just…”
“Yes?” Eunhyuk leaned forward.
“Donghae…he’s not here?” Victoria finally pushed herself to ask.
The three turned to each other.
“He hasn’t been back for a while. We think he may have gone off one a running away spree again.” Eunhyuk explained.
Victoria wanted to laugh at the thought and then looked the three over again.
Eunhyuk stole his way out from the door as if expecting something.
Victoria pressed her lips together feeling bad for the three scrawny guys, “Do you want something to eat?”
15 minutes later Victoria found herself sitting at a small roadside stall where she’d bought each of the three guys a bowl of soup. They looked like small wolves gnashing down on the meat and noodles. She found herself watching them with a smile full of laughter.
“How many times do you eat each day?” Victoria asked.
“2.” Yesung held up two fingers.
“No wonder you’re so skinny. Makes me feel fat for eating one more meal.” Victoria told.
“Yea, you are fat,” Eunhyuk agreed before Ryeowook slapped his head.
“She is not,” he told them turned to her, “I think you’re just fine. By the way who are you again?”
“Ah…I’m Victoria Song,” she introduced herself.
“And you know Hae?” Eunhyuk asked slurping a noodle.
“That’s gross!” Yesung snapped.
Eunhyuk stuck his tongue out at him.
“Yea…just…we’re not friends, but we know each other.”
“Why are you looking for him?” Yesung turned to her.
“Ah…I was wondering if he still comes here.”
“Still?” Eunhyuk repeated. “What do you mean ‘still’?”
“Nothing,” Victoria shrugged.
“If you come back tomorrow to look for Hae, would you treat us to another meal?” Yesung asked.
Ryeowook turned to him, “How can you still ask her that?”
“It’s alright. She offered,” Eunhyuk agreed.
Victoria smiled, “No problem. I’ll make my way back when I can find the time.”
When they departed ways she took a taxi home shocked to find that it was 10. If her father was home he’d be upset because no one knew of her whereabouts. So Rae would definitely be blamed and she’d take the blame without a word then direct her anger quietly at her. Victoria hated the thought of it.
Instead when she got home the nanny led her toward the kitchen and there she found So Rae’s mother along with her father and even So Rae sitting there calmly as if they hadn’t worried at all.
“Sorry for coming back late,” Victoria apologized taking a seat.
“Who do you think you are to be roaming about the streets so simply?” Hee Young scolded. “You’re the daughter of Bang Dae Jung. Don’t just go recklessly around. If anything were to happen what would your father do? And what would I do? Did you ever think about how it would ever affect So Rae as well?”
“Hee Young,” her father snapped.
Victoria glanced at So Rae and wondered how the three of them had managed to sit at one table for so long without arguing and without So Rae stomping off.
“Victoria,” her father began, “your party is going to be held this weekend. So Rae’s mother has prepared it all already. Go with So Rae tomorrow to go buy a dress.”
Victoria’s eyebrows helplessly raised themselves at the sound of the announcement.
“Don’t act like you didn’t hear,” So Rae glanced at her from the corner of her eyes, “tomorrow morning we’ll leave. You better not wake up late.”
A day…with So Rae?
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