It was a bitter morning when Park Min Young arrived at Incheon International Airport. She just came from her sojourn in Thailand where she worked for two years as a journalist. A short, stout man came to pick her up…

“Hi, it’s been two years, Mr. Han”, Min Young greeted as she bowed politely.

“Hi, it’s been years, Ms. Park. How have you been?” Mr. Han, one of the senior writers in the magazine, A Rosy Life, asked as he helped Min Young pull her wheeled luggage.

“It’s been a fruitful two years of living in Bangkok. How are things here?” Min Young asked as they rode a black car parked at the side of the airport.

“Everything’s fine; but, Mr. Kim Soo-Hyun would want to speak with you. Since he is already the one in-charge with everything at the publishing company ever since you left two years ago”, Mr. Han informed her.

“Soo-Hyun deserved it being one of the most competitive in this industry”, Min Young remarked.

“Aren’t you going to ask about Lee Min Ho?” Mr. Han frankly asked.

Min Young just smiled a little…she knew that a gossip monger like Mr. Han would nt want to miss the opportunity to ask her about Lee Min Ho. She looked at her left hand…on her fourth finger where a wedding band used to be.

“How is he?” Min Young asked nonchalantly.

“He is already the editor-in-chief for the magazine and an effective one at his work”, Mr. Han replied.

Min Young wanted to tell herself that she would not want to ask and she was not concerned since she and Min Ho had been divorced two years ago when she chose her career promotion in Thailand instead of staying married with him.

“Is…is…he already married to someone else?” Min Young asked in a low voice…wanting to kick herself for having the audacity to ask such a question.

“Do you really wanna know?” Mr. Han asked lifting one of his eyebrows in question.

“I’m just curious…that is all”, Min Young said…trying to deny her feelings.

“He is not yet married to anyone after your divorce two years ago. He is seen dating others but nothing serious”, Mr. Han replied.

“Ahh…okay”, Min Young nodded but deep inside she felt as though her heart was relieved in knowing that Min Ho had not yet replaced her.

“Are you married again?” Mr. Han asked.

“No…I didn’t find the time to look for anyone there”, Min Young replied as she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Memories came back…two years ago…

“Min Young, we had been married for two years and I know that we are both struggling in our careers in this journalism industry but leaving for a job opportunity abroad is not the answer for the promotion you want”, Min Ho said as they were eating that night in their small apartment.

“Min Ho, please try to understand…things will be better if I could work on that stint in Thailand…the pay is good and the exposure even better”, Min Young reasoned out.

“How about me? Didn’t you think about me at all when you decide that you want to work abroad?” Min Ho asked his tone hurt.

“I want to progress in my career. I’m a young woman and I wouldn’t stay in this level forever…I want to be famous, Min Ho”, Min Young said acerbically.

“Please, Min Young, don’t leave me here. I need you here…I want you here”, Min Ho said pleading plain in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Min Ho. I’m so sorry but I guess it’s time for us to have a space between us in order for us to focus on our priorities in life”, Min Young replied as she tried to harden herself.

“What do you mean by that? You can’t mean what I’m thinking?” Min Ho asked as his face changed from that of pleading to surprised.

“I want a divorce, Min Ho. I want my freedom back”, Min Young said as though she dropped the bomb.

“You can’t mean that? I love you and we have been so happy together…how could you ask this of me?” Min Ho asked his voice raising.

“Don’t you get it!? Love is not real! What we have is not real! We married because we thought that this relationship could provide us with security from our past. We are products of divorced parents and deep inside we felt that we need each other to provide the affection we never had from them but the truth is we don’t really love each other!” Min Young angrily said.

“I love you and I knew that the moment I married you!” Min Ho tried to defend himself from Min Young’s accusations.

“But…I’m not sure if I love you, Min Ho. I’m not sure if I could stay with you and love you for the rest of my life because I don’t know how to love! Bloody hell! I don’t even know how to define love”, Min Young replied.

“Min Young, please I beg you…don’t leave me”, Min Ho said.

“I’ll file the divorce tomorrow besides whether you grant it to me or not I’ll still leave you so you better give it to me. Find someone who will love you the way I never could”, Min Young said as she went to enter their bedroom.

“If you left me…I won’t beg you anymore to come back because the only way I’ll take you back would be you begging me to take you back again in my life”, Min Ho said…his back turned as tears silently fell from his eyes.

“I won’t, Min Ho, I won’t”, Min Young said as she entered their room and started packing her things. She left their apartment the next day to live temporarily with her mother while she was processing the divorce papers. Min Ho signed the papers without a qualm and she was able to leave two weeks later.

The jolt of the car took Min Young back to reality. She looked at the window and saw that they already arrived at the front of the building of the Kim Publishing Company where A Rosy Life was being published.

______________________________________________________________

Min Ho was inside his office on the fifth floor. He was busy reading the articles submitted by the writers. He was wearing a brown polo shirt, black slack and loafers. He was wearing his eye glasses which gave him a more serious and matured look far from his age of twenty seven.

“Sir, Mr. Kim would want to speak to you at his office”, his secretary said.

“I’ll be there in a minute”, Min Ho replied as he took off his eye glasses and polished them with a cloth from its case. He pressed the bridge of his nose before he stood and walk towards the office of Kim Soo-Hyun.

“Min Ho, did I disturb you from your work?” Soo-Hyun asked with his charming smile. Unlike Min Ho, Soo-Hyun was every inch a CEO as he was wearing a gray business suit paired with a white shirt and black loafers. He looked young for the position of CEO of the publishing company but Min Ho knew how excellently Soo-Hyun performed his duties.  

“No, of course not…I’m just reading some articles at the office. What would you want to talk about?” Min Ho asked.

“I want to speak with you but I want to speak with you and the visitor who I invited here”, Soo-Hyun replied as he requested for his secretary to bring coffee inside the office.

“Is he a new writer?” Min Ho asked curiously.

“Not really…” Soo-Hyun replied.

Gentle knocking at the door made them know that the visitor already arrived.

“Come in”, Soo-Hyun said as the door was opened and Min Ho saw the visitor.

“Park Min Young”, Min Ho muttered in surprise. Standing in front of him was Min Young wearing a dark yellow blouse paired with tight pencil cut one inch below the knee skirt and six inch stiletto sandals. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail… and her face with a light make up. She was only wearing her drop earrings and silver watch as accessories. She looked smart, classy like a beautiful model who just stepped out of the Cosmopolitan magazine.

“Min Ho, I’d like you to welcome, Park Min Young since she would again be working in our company”, Soo-Hyun said.

“Good morning, Soo-Hyun, Min Ho”, Min Young bowed politely before she took a seat opposite Min Ho on the chairs in front of Soo-Hyun’s desk.

“I called you here because aside from coming back to the company, Min Young, you will enter a writing competition for us…a documentary composed of at least five to six articles”, Soo-Hyun started before he thanked the secretary who brought in the coffee.

“What kind of article would it be?” Min Young asked.

“An article to answer the topic, A Question of Love”, Soo-Hyun replied.

“You’re joking, right?” Min Young asked as she smiled as though not believing what she was hearing.

“It’s the truth”, Soo-Hyun replied.

“No…I’m sorry…I won’t write anything about this topic. If only I’d known this I wouldn’t have left my job in Thailand to return here”, Min Young said as she abruptly stood and ran outside the office.

Min Ho and Soo-Hyun were surprised but Min Ho recovered first as he followed Min Young and caught up with her before she reached the elevator.

“They said that you’re valued in Thailand because you’re professional”, Min Ho commented.

Min Young turned to face Min Ho…”are you behind this?” she asked frankly.

“No…I’m not. Anyway, it’s a contest so why won’t you do it?” Min Ho asked.

“I don’t believe in love, Min Ho. How could I write about something that I don’t understand?” Min Young reasoned out.

“Is that it or you’re afraid to work with me?” Min Ho asked.

“Are you nuts? Why would I be afraid to work because of you?” Min Young asked defensively.

“Because you might find that at the end of this project, you’d realized that you want me to take you back”, Min Ho replied.

“Bloody conceited person! I’m not afraid to work under your supervision”, Min Young replied as she raised her face in defiance.

“Prove it! Take this job and prove it! Or I’ll think that you’re afraid of my presence”, Min Ho challenged as he knew that Min Young was someone not afraid to take on an offered challenge and he was right.

Min Young walked back to Soo-Hyun’s office and he was followed by Min Ho.

“I'm going to take this project and win this contest, Soo-Hyun”, Min Young said.

“What made you change your mind?” Soo-Hyun asked.

“I want to prove to Min Ho here my ex-husband that I’m not afraid to work under his supervision”, Min Young replied as she stressed the word ex-husband which made Soo-Hyun and Min Ho winced.

Min Young left without a backward glance after she signed the contract.

“What do you want to accomplish here, Min Ho?” Soo Hyun asked curiously.

“It’s actually a war, Soo-Hyun. A war I intend to win because by the end of this project…I’ll make sure that Min Young will ask me to take her back and she’ll be my wife again”, Min Ho replied.

Soo-Hyun just shook his head gently before he sipped his then lukewarm coffee.

Hi friends! The start of the anthology...with Min Ho and Min Young encountering each other again. Thank you very much to those who subscribed. Thank you to those who are reading my story. Please feel free to leave your comments...they mean a lot to me. Again, thank you very much.