“Excuse me.”

Youngbae bowed deeply to a KT employee passing by.  He dismissed her look of surprised recognition with a small request.  “Could you…?“  He broke off with uncertainty, furrowing his eyebrows hard.  “Could you do me a favor and check to see if someone is in the restr-“

“I need those reports, Hyun-Ju.”

The icy tone drifting from over his shoulder made Youngbae regret ever asking the stranger for help.  He smiled tightly at the half-frightened girl when she tossed an apologetic look his way.  The worker hurriedly bowed and ran off, leaving him to face the hellion alone.  He turned around, meeting Hanna’s direct gaze.  Unconsciously, Youngbae tightened his grip around the folder of estate documents.  Great, he thought to himself.  Another Eun to ruin his day.

Hanna tsked underneath her breath as she watched her latest intern leave.  Good help was so hard to find these days!  She had asked for their quarterly sales reports three days ago and still to no avail.  Pure irritation shown in Hanna's eyes as she glanced towards Youngbae.  She snootily appraised him up and down.  Based on his formal attire, she correctly deduced the choir boy had gone to the Will reading.  Feeling irked that he was privy of family news before she, Hanna’s eyes narrowed. 

“What’s the matter?” she sneered.  “Lose your wife again?” 

“Could you just see if she’s in there?” Youngbae shot back as he jerked his chin towards the nearby ladies room.  Hanna always knew how to zap up all of his patience.  He grew annoyed with himself for letting her get under his skin.  All he wanted was to find his wife and leave.  The lavatory was the only place he figured Amina could be.  She had promised to stick nearby and he had already checked the sitting area and halls.  This was the only obvious place left.

Hanna smirked. 

She didn’t owe him anything.  In fact, if anyone owed someone anything, it would be that he needed to apologize to her for not taking better care of Amina.  She should’ve trusted her gut instinct back at Dolce Vita when she branded him the worst kind of jerk.  And again back in May when she found out he had knocked her cousin up during a time when she was most vulnerable.  Youngbae had no experience when it came to women and it showed!  Damn, did it show!  He didn’t know anything about love.  He was nothing but trouble.  She should let him suffer for all the he had committed against their family, but curiosity got the best of her. 

Without another word, Hanna stalked off.

The sound of running water could be heard as Hanna entered the ladies’ room.  The air of confidence she exuded mere moments ago waned as trepidation filled its place.  She hadn’t seen Amina since the altercation and wasn’t for certain if her presence would be welcomed.  It was ridiculous that she was afraid of her dongsaeng, but it had always been like that between them.  There was just something in Amina’s reproachful gaze that always made Hanna feel like she was being scolded by her parents.  She toughened her resolve and walked further in, the sound of her Manolo Blahniks click-clacking loudly on the marble-tiled floor. 

“Mimi?”

Amina looked up from the sink, her face freshly damp.  Despite her best efforts, nothing could conceal the red flush that grazed across the bridge of her nose and cheeks nor the weary look in her eyes.  She looked tired, the burden of unwanted responsibilities weighing heavily on her shoulders.

“H-how’d… How’d the meeting go?” Hanna ventured, her eyes filling up with concern.  She watched in sympathy as Amina gently pressed damp fingers around her delicate eye area before shutting the water faucet completely off. 

“It went fine,” Amina answered monotonously and reached out towards the stack of cotton face towels nearby.  She took her time dabbing at the water droplets on her cheeks and around her temples before discarding the used cloth in a nearby bin.  “Perfect,” Amina lied, her eyes taking on a distant light.  She started towards the door.

Hanna blocked her path.  Her lips compressed into a thin line and her eyebrows dipped low.  “Don’t!”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t give me the ing silent treatment!” Hanna exclaimed.  “I hate it when you go all ‘Ice Princess’ on me!”

Amina looked stonily away.

“Mianhae, okay?” Hanna stressed.  “I shouldn’t have ed that up!”

“You could’ve seriously hurt her,” Amina chided, anger now filling her eyes.  “And me!”

“I-I would never,” Hanna shook her head vigorously, parted in denial.  “I would never hurt you.  I knew what I was doing.”

“Neh?” Amina retorted.  “If you were so aware of what you were doing, then you should’ve known to control yourself!  We’re not in grade school anymore.”  With a look of reproof still on her face, Amina proceeded to the door.

“Mimi.”

Amina stopped.

“Tell me.”

Hanna’s half-ordered plea bounced off the marble tiled walls and echoed inside the empty restroom.  With a sigh of resignation, Amina turned around.  She couldn’t find any traces of guilt or remorse left on her unnie’s face.  It was all business once again with Hanna.

“Appa changed his will.”

Hanna’s eyes marginally widened.

“So be nice, Hanna-sshi,” Amina continued emotionlessly.  “Because I’m the new head around here.”

On any given day, that would’ve been the opening line for a series of retorts.  But the look of utter defeat in her dongsaeng’s eyes made it impossible for Hanna to entertain.  She took a step closer instead. 

“Well, that’s good news,” Hanna hesitantly replied.

“Good news?”  Amina’s composure broke.  “How is this good news?”  She turned away, struggling in vain to hold back tears of frustration.

“The staff will be delighted to hear you’re taking your father’s place.  I’m sure they’re all tired of me by now,” Hanna lightly joked.

“I’m serious, unnie!” Amina cried, whipping back around.  “I don’t want this!”

Hanna clamped shut.

“I made that decision seven years ago when I left home.”  Amina’s eyes glowed with conviction.  “I informed both of my parents the night of the Ball that I wanted nothing to do with this company.  It was the only bargaining chip I had for moving out.  It was the only reason I agreed to honor their commitment.”

“But you didn’t.”

“But it’s still my life!” Amina’s voice shook, as she pointed to herself.  “The whole purpose of me leaving back then was so that I could live the way I wanted to before committing myself to someone I didn’t choose.”  The pain she felt that night rushed back.  “Someone who I thought was my friend, but betrayed me by going along with other people’s plans without asking me first how I felt.” 

“Are you referring to David or Youngbae?”

Amina inhaled sharply, pain slashing across her face.

“Look,” Hanna faltered, inwardly cursing herself.  “I didn’t mean to cheaply dig at you like that.”

Amina gritted her teeth.

“Personal life aside,” Hanna continued in a brisk tone, “this company is yours whether you want it or not.  You’re an only child, Mimi.  What did you expect your father to do?”  She walked over to the sink area and braced her hands on the countertop.  “When my appa decides to retire or is no longer alive…” Hanna turned around.  “I’ll have to take over his company too.  It’s what they expect of us.”

Amina didn’t say a word.  She couldn’t – not when Hanna’s last remarks still stung inside.

“It’s our legacy.”

The silence lengthened as they stared at one another.

“The board meeting is still a month away.  I’ll brief you over the past five years of sales and operations and bring you up to speed on the new product lines.”  Hanna straightened from her position, a newfound sense of determination in her eyes.  “The elders will want to make sure-“

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Amina beseeched, heat filling her cheeks.  “I don’t want this!”

“It doesn’t matter what you want!” Hanna vehemently shot back.  “It’s already been given to you.  It’s an obligation you must fulfill.  Or have you forgotten what that means?”

“Unnie?” Amina whispered in disbelief, blinking her eyes rapidly.  She couldn’t believe Hanna was speaking to her like this.

“Mianhae,” Hanna bit out.  “But there comes a time when we have to set aside our personal issues for the greater good.”  Her steely eyes bored into the younger girl.  “We’ve been without a leader for the past four months.  Our stock prices continue to plummet the longer this goes on.  I’ve had tenured executives quit on the spot because they want to cut their losses now rather than wait for the next chief-in-command to be announced.”  Hanna’s eyes g