30
Their Kingdom Panorama
“Get some good sleep and wake up early tomorrow. So Rae doesn’t like being late,” her father told her as they walked up the stairs together.
The next morning came just as fast as the night passed by. Victoria had left the house after her last bite of the food on her plate and not later than just a minute that went by she found herself in a store overflowed with all sorts of dresses. She was left in awe standing in one area as So Rae quickly moved on.
Victoria browsed each row lost in awe before the dressing room door opened and So Rae walked out to glance at herself in front of the full length mirror pasted to the wall.
“Whoa…” she felt the gasp escape her and thought she saw So Rae’s reflection in the mirror steal a glance toward her.
Victoria returned So Rae with a smile. She’d always seen So Rae dress up so professionally for work that seeing her in a dress felt different. It really brightened her face up, for one thing, and it also made her look more like a woman. Donghae would totally fall for her like this, she found herself thinking.
Victoria turned away and walked out of the shop to sit down at the stairs. She couldn’t imagine herself wearing such a refined dress made for only women who lived as women.
“I, for one thing, live as a culprit,” Victoria told herself.
She’d never been donned in such a glamorous dress before. Just how strange would it feel to be walking in heels wearing a nice dress made of jewels? Victoria couldn’t almost imagine. Even while going to work she’d only wore flats.
The door opened and So Rae’s feet appeared beside her. Victoria looked up to her and So Rae walked off immediately. She followed wondering if she did not have to buy a dress. Pausing and hesitating and glancing back into the store Victoria felt open a little bit as if to retort, but in the end she followed So Rae back into the car.
Again, the drive to the next store was silent. It didn’t feel as awkward as any other time, instead it felt like any kind of silence any friend would have between them when they were tired after a long talk. Victoria assumed that it was different because her dad wasn’t there to give her special treatment in front of So Rae.
When the song on the radio changed Victoria smiled, “I like this kind of song.”
She turned to look at So Rae who gave her no reaction, whatsoever. Victoria turned away feeling a bit stupid for seeming as if she were talking amongst herself. Why did So Rae make it so difficult to get along?
“Maybe I’ll copy you and just stare out at the scenery to see what’s so interesting about it,” Victoria whispered to herself.
They stopped for lunch at a small café and after ordering her share Victoria turned around to find So Rae sitting at a table near the corner. Turning away from the counter with a tray Victoria paused and wondered if So Rae would mind if she shared a table with her. Pressing her lips together nervously she walked toward So Rae and bravely took the empty seat in front of her. So Rae half glanced up at her before taking a last sip of her coffee then grabbed her tray and walked off to dump her food away.
That evening when So Rae returned to the office Victoria stole out of the house. It wasn’t to return to her grandmother’s place, but to head back to the homeless shelter. She got there with two bags of take out chicken and discovered the three guys from the other night. However, she didn’t expect everyone to race toward her like wild hyenas when she stepped into the shelter.
Minutes later she found herself sitting around a small fire listening to stories about hideaways and near death experiences. For some reason, Victoria felt comforted just by listening to these adventures. Maybe, just maybe because these guys had had it worse than she.
When the sky began darkening Victoria split away from the group with the three stooges.
“I didn’t think you’d come back,” Yesung expressed.
“Sorry, if we’re burdening you. Did we make you feel bad seeing us like this?” Ryeowook questioned concerned while Eunhyuk remained busy the last taste of chicken off his fingers.
“Well, I’m grateful,” Eunhyuk voiced then received a hit on the arm from Sungmin Ryeowook. “What? Shouldn’t we be thankful? To get fed with some fried chicken. Ah…just thinking about it makes me want to have some again.”
Victoria smiled at them realizing she’d always wanted lively siblings like these guys. Thinking about it made her a little disappointed in life, itself.
/\_____/\
“This monster is really not coming in for work, is she?” Donghae wondered passing the hall back and forth.
The office door opened and So Rae appeared. Turning on attention mode he turned toward her awaiting any order she’d give out.
“Do you have any plans this weekend?” So Rae asked.
Donghae felt his heart jump. Was it that moment? Had So Rae seen it? Was it really coming to him? He hoped it wasn’t a dream. He gulped.
“No.”
“My parents want to hold a party for Victoria. Since you’re a friend, why don’t you come as well?”
Donghae’s heart slowly came to a hesitant stop. What? Party for Victoria?
No way!!!!! His heart sunk.
“Sure,” he replied with a small smile.
When So Rae returned to her office Donghae headed out toward the balcony rubbing his head with both hands.
“Gahh!” he screamed. “Why couldn’t you have asked me out instead? Victoria? Why Victoria?!”
/\_____/\
Because of So Rae’s mother’s complaints about Victoria exterior look that morning she’d been rushed toward the salon in a jippy. After putting on some lotion that would supposedly make her skin look better she was now having her hair washed while someone else was massaging her thick legs. As Victoria lie there on the bed she wondered how much more complaints So Rae’s mother would have about her.
“Ah! Please don’t touch me there, it feels uncomfortable,” Victoria lifted her head up.
“Please don’t move,” the woman washing her hair told pushing her head back down.
How much longer was this misery going to last?
Two hours later Victoria walked out of the salon full of complaints herself. After taking a look at herself in the full length mirror that ran from wall to wall she didn’t confirm any change in her at all.
“A 300 dollar treatment for a 3 hour long session of what’s supposed to give me a makeover?” Victoria snorted to herself. “Aiish!”
Walking down the street toward the car she hopped in and wondered how exactly the party tomorrow would turn out.
It wasn’t as Victoria had expected it the next morning. The nanny had woken her up at 6 in the morning and forced her to dress before she was driven off to an early salon. There she had her makeup and hair done while half asleep. She awoke an hour later when the chauffeur came to get her.
Back at the house she discovered a few women and men who’d been hired to help set the party up. Long tables pooled in white poured over the back yard and not even a speckle of green grass was visible. Ok…Victoria admitted she exaggerated that part, but there were plenty of chairs and tables around. Standing by the back door she wondered just how many tables would hold the food served that evening.
“Victoria,” her step mother walked toward her.
When Victoria turned she felt a surprised gasp escape her. The woman had basically dressed herself in something made out of jewels that came from jewels. Her outfit was golden shiny and her hair had been expensively held up by pieces that looked like jewels themselves.
A cough escaped her.
“Hurry up and go upstairs! So Rae’s already getting ready and you’re still standing here?!” she scolded.
“Get dressed?” Victoria asked recalling that she hadn’t even bought one the other day so how was she supposed to get dressed?
“Hurry up!” Hee Young shouted.
That made Victoria spin around on her feet and hurry up the stairs. Boy, was the woman an animal! She slowed the pace of her steps when she reached the stairs and wondered what she’d do.
Why was she only worrying about her outfit now when she should have two days ago? Mumbles escaped her as she trotted toward her room deciding that maybe she’d just wear a dress inside her closet. One that she hadn’t touched yet. Besides everything in the house looked nice…right?
Victoria opened her door unwillingly and felt her eyes widen half an inch when she spotted a pink asymmetrical Chiffon evening dress sitting on her bed still in its plastic wrap. Questions filled her head about how it’d gotten there when she hadn’t seen it nor bought it in the first place.
Walking forward in a daze she picked up the hanger and held it up. A smile she’d been unaware of creased over her face. It had to be one of the most beautiful things she’d seen in her life, no, it had to be one of the most beautiful things she’d received in her life.
After getting into the dress she worked on the little heels she’d discovered by her dresser and while putting them on she began to really wonder about how the dress had gotten there. Then it came to her a second later. She’d left the shop before So Rae had…had So Rae bought the dress as well as the shoes for her?
Another smile creased her lips and suddenly her heart felt lighter.
“Maybe today won’t be so bad after all,” she thought.
When Victoria walked out of her bedroom she sighted So Rae dressed in a strapless knee length dress with bows of flowers at her chest. She seemed to pause a bit as Victoria excitedly walked toward her in her easy heels.
“Thank…”
“Don’t thank me,” So Rae cut her off with a plain explicit glare. “I’m only doing my job.”
Victoria’s mind became overflowed with half confusion and half uncertainty about who So Rae was to her and who she was to So Rae. In the end, she only watched as So Rae turned away from her and headed down the stairs.
Pressing her lips together she smirked anyway. So Rae was probably just embarrassed and shy of admitting she’d done it for her sister. Victoria skipped toward the stairs and made her way down. As she made her way pass the front door she heard a cough and stopped to see Kyuhyun standing there dressed in a neat…what do you call it…Victoria forgot the words for his outfit then suddenly recalled it a moment later. A tux, was it?
He smiled at her before she heard a familiar voice coming from her left. Victoria turned to see Donghae carrying a load of clean dishes down the hallway. He also stopped when he noticed her and her mind entered a whirl of complete loss wondering why he was there. She noticed his eyes waver over her and half hoped that maybe, just maybe and maybe hopefully he’d also think she was gorgeous.
A warmth on her arm made her turn to see Kyuhyun suddenly standing beside her, that told honestly. calm smile still present.
“Lets head out back,” he suggested and led her down the hallway.
Her heart slowly pounded as if regretfully when they passed Donghae. As they headed toward the back door quietly Victoria wondered if Donghae had come for her part of the party or So Rae’s part of the party. Most likely So Rae’s since she’d never spoken to him about the party. Pressing her lips together into a bitter line of disappointment she noticed a score of people already out in the yard talking amongst themselves.
“You’re not going to waste all your time inside the house tonight, are you?” Kyuhyun asked as if teasing her.
Victoria only smiled in reply still caught onto Donghae who she’d seen back there. Still grasping her arm he led her out onto the yard toward her busy dad.
“Kyuhyun!” he called homily. “I’ve been meaning to introduce you to my daughter.”
The conversation trailed on and Victoria spaced out for a moment politely nodding and smiling every now and then. It was…uncomfortable and she didn’t like it when the circle became bigger and transitioned into a gathering. Once the adults began speaking to the others, Victoria backed up and squeezed her way out of the crowd.
“Where are you going?” So Rae’s mom asked her.
Quickly spinning around she turned to see that she’d bumped into the woman.
“Uh…no where.” Victoria replied with half a hidden scowl.
“Your father’s waiting for you. So Rae’s already up there,” she told grabbing Victoria’s shoulders and spinning her in the direction of a large circular table.
The woman wheeled her forward and Victoria found herself joining the two in just seconds. Her father smiled toward her and she wondered where the sudden group had dispersed to. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder with a thick smile while So Rae remained blindly expressionless beside him.
“We all know, that I’ve suddenly discovered my daughter and that’s half the reason why we’re here tonight, the other reason is to congratulate So Rae on becoming VP of the investment team.” Bang Dae Jung announced proudly tightening his grip around her.
Victoria found herself glancing wildly around the crowd for any sign of Donghae. She wanted to talk to him at least.
“And to announce the upcoming engagement of my daughter, Victoria, and Chairman Cho’s son, Kyuhyun,” his voice rose above all others.
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