48
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
Donghae looked up from his tray when someone took a seat across from him. His eyes almost went wide when he saw that it was So Rae.
“I think having lunch with you seems fun,” So Rae commented, “so I’m back down here.”
“Fun? Me?” Donghae asked with a happy smile.
“As you are a friend, it’s nice,” So Rae told.
“It doesn’t matter,” Donghae cheerily smiled, “at least you’re acknowledging the fact that I am a friend.”
/\_____/\
Friday morning Victoria woke up extra early and even found herself sitting in front of the mirror fixing her hair and putting this and that on her face. After such a fuss, she tied her hair up into a pony tail and grabbed the gift box with the blue scarf. Refusing to let anyone ruin her jolly mood she hurried down the stairs for a quick breakfast and made her way out.
She spotted Donghae’s car out front and started toward it when a voice called her from behind.
“Victoria?”
Turning around she spotted Kyuhyun walking toward her.
“Oh, hey.” she simply greeted.
“What are you up to?”
“Uh…I…” Victoria glanced toward Donghae’s car through the corner of her eye to see So Rae walking toward it. With a sigh she turned to Kyuhyun, “What are you doing here?”
“I start work at my father’s place Monday, remember? It’ll be the last day I’ll be taking you to work,” Kyuhyun explained, “why? Did you want to go with your father?”
Victoria glanced toward Donghae’s car, which was driving further and further away from her. Feeling partially guilty for forgetting that he wanted to spend some time together before he started his new job, Victoria returned him a smile.
“Did you want to go somewhere before work?” she wondered.
“Where?” he opened the car door for her.
Victoria shrugged, “Maybe a walk?”
Kyuhyun smiled, “Sure, but lets do that later. I need to get some things done at the computer lab first.”
When Victoria got to work she spotted Donghae sitting at her desk with arms crossed.
“You’re about 5 minutes late,” he commented, “you should be like me, always punctual.”
“How annoying can you get?” Victoria questioned before placing the gift box in front of him. “Happy birthday, jerk.”
His eyebrow flew up, “What?”
“It’s your birthday,” Victoria restated, “so here’s a gift.”
“Why? How did you know?”
“Oh, I overheard from somewhere,” Victoria smiled, “open it.”
“You’re suddenly being nice now?” he asked.
“I’ve been nice all week.”
“Yea, right.” he grabbed the box and opened it pulling out the blue scarf. “What’s this?”
“It’s a scarf meant for fashion, it’s not used like a normal scarf for the winter.”
He frowned, “But it looks so girly.”
“It’s not a girl’s,” Victoria helped. “I thought you’d be surprised and happy, but you’re actually disgusted. Whatever! Give it back!”
Donghae held the scarf back as she tried to snatch it, “It’s mine now.”
A smirk climbed over the corner of Victoria’s lips. “Anyway, if you’re free tonight, which I’m sure you’ll be, lets go out for that drink you’ve been begging me for.”
“You’re awkwardly nice,” he commented, “how should I react to this one?”
“You should be nice to me,” Victoria told with a straight face.
Donghae waved his hand at her, “Forget that.”
He got up from her seat, “Don’t forget your promise.”
“I cross my heart and hope that I die if I am lying to you,” Victoria played along. “Good enough?”
“Good.” he smiled.
After a long comfortable walk with Kyuhyun, Victoria headed back up to the 5th floor with him.
“You’re finally back,” Donghae started standing up from her chair but quieted when he spotted Kyuhyun with her.
Victoria glanced at him suddenly feeling uneasy before she spotted the scarf tied around his wrist. A short smile grew on her face unconsciously.
Kyuhyun also noticed the blue scarf and half glanced at Victoria suddenly understanding the secret she hadn’t wanted to tell him.
“I should let you return to work now,” he told, “lets meet up over the weekend.”
“Oh yea…sure,” Victoria smiled and watched as he walked off. When he disappeared around the corner she turned back to Donghae, “I knew you’d wear it.”
“It clashes with my suit,” Donghae turned away from her crossing his arms. “Get back to work, you!”
/\_____/\
It was late afternoon when So Rae finally set her papers down. Running a hand over her face she turned when her phone began ringing loudly.
“Yes?” she answered.
“Where are you?” she recognized her mother’s voice.
“What do you want?” So Rae straightened her posture in her seat.
“You’re working overtime again?” the woman asked. “Come out, I’m outside of the office.”
“Why are you here?” So Rae refused to get up.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Her mother abruptly hung up the phone and So Rae set the phone down when the repetitive phone tone started ringing in her air. Heaving a sigh she sat there refusing to allow any thought of sympathy to run through her. Half an hour passed by like that.
When she opened the door she found Donghae sitting at the couch skimming through some magazines.
He stood up when he noticed her.
“I’m letting you off early.”
“What?”
“I have something on, see you tomorrow,” So Rae told.
“Oh…” Donghae said, “then…see you.”
So Rae lightly smiled before she headed down the hallway toward the elevator. A minute later she walked toward her mother’s car.
“What is it you want this time?” So Rae asked when she got in.
“Did you eat? Or have you skipped your meal again?”
“Don’t waste my time,” So Rae warned staring ahead.
“I want to eat, so go with me,” her mother insisted.
An annoyed sigh left her lips as they started onto the road.
Locked into a bamboo concept restaurant in their own room, So Rae sat across from her mother at the knee length table. The fresh soup was still boiling on the middle of the table and all the side dishes around it made her stomach churn, but she refused to let the smell of the food get to her. She watched her mother eat tiny bits of the food one by one.
“It’s so delicious, don’t you want some?” her mother tried.
When So Rae refused to play along she finally placed her chopsticks down.
Staring at her daughter, Hee Young continued, “Sorry. I know it’s my fault that you’re like this. I should have been there for you, but instead I chose to leave you at a tender age. Your mother is sorry.”
“Are you telling me this because Victoria asked you to?” So Rae refused to accept her apologies.
“No matter what I say, you’ll be boasting about something else,” her mother said, “I left without a word, I’m sorry.”
“That’s not what I want.”
Hee Young sighed hopelessly, “The divorce papers are in court right now. It’ll be official by next week.”
So Rae grit her teeth feeling burning rage soar through her body.
“What? The divorce?” So Rae questioned. “If you didn’t want to take on the responsibility of being my mom, you should have never brought me into this world!”
Hee Young heaved an exasperating sigh, “So Rae.”
“No!” So Rae shook her head. “I can’t even listen to you because I don’t know who you are in the first place.”
So Rae started to get up but her mother hurried over and grabbed her hand.
“So Rae-ah, listen to me, please listen to your mother,” her mother begged, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for things to be like this either. Please understand your mother, hmm?”
“Understand what?” So Rae questioned turning to her mother with furious eyes. “What do you want me to understand? I’m confused, ahjumma, about what you’re talking about.”
Her mother’s mouth dropped in shock.
“What I wanted from you has become lost with time, so I don’t know who you are to me anymore,” So Rae told turning away.
“You’re still my daughter, no matter what you’re still my daughter.” Hee Young stated.
“A mother should have never thrown her daughter away like that,” So Rae turned back to her, “a mother would have never hidden so much from her daughter. My mother should have talked to me when she was in times of needs, but she only found me a nuisance! You won’t understand how abandoned I felt when you left me behind for that damn gallery of yours, mother! You don’t understand me!”
“It’s not my fault!” her mother shrieked.
So Rae stared back at her mother with wet eyes.
“What’s not your fault?” So Rae asked quietly.
Her mother stared back as if she was surprised herself that she’d said such a thing.
Pressing her lips together Hee Young changed the subject, “You are my daughter no matter what. Whether you like it or not, I was the one who bore you in my stomach for 9 months. Don’t take back the blood I let you have.”
So Rae stared at her mother unable to even decipher the words she was saying. Angry, mad, and unable to stand the woman before her any longer she stomped out of the room closing the door roughly behind her. To accept her mom back as a mother was something she’d wanted, but it turned out she was unable to understand her mother’s feelings. The divorce, if it happened…when it happened she’d no longer call anyone mother.
***Look forward to HaeToria next chapter
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