Sulli

I hang up my keys when I entered my apartment after a disastrous dinner with my family. I grab a beer from the fridge and dialed my best friend number and gave her a rundown of everything that happened tonight.

“Oh my gosh Jin, I can’t believe your parents actually put you up for this marriage,” exclaimed my best friend Yoona. “Please tell me you didn’t agree with them.”

“I don’t have a choice Yoon, they threatened to pull out their support to the orphanage,” I said almost to a whisper. I can hear my best friend gasp into shock. “I really want to turn it down but if I refuse to go with this marriage they will pull out all their support, dad said it himself.”

“If you’re worrying about money, you know I can help you with it. I can also sponsor the orphanage,” she said. Yoona and I became best friends when we were in middle school.  We were both enrolled in an exclusive school for the rich kids in England. Her dad is a famous lawyer in the country and has his own law firm, her mom died when she was still young so her grandparents basically took care of her when she was growing up. She’s the only real friend I made at school, maybe because we’re one of the few that didn’t really let money and power run our lives.

“I can’t let you do that Yoon, it’s too much.” I said. As much as I want to accept Yoona’s help, I can’t oblige her to give money for the orphanage. “It’s enough that your family sponsors some of the children’s scholarships.”

“Jin, that’s nothing compared to what you are doing for them,” she said. “I can’t believe your dad’s really putting this stress on you.”

The orphanage has a special place in my heart. Growing up as an only child really , plus the fact that I don’t have any cousin on both sides of the family, just imagine my dad being an only child as well as my mom; it’s like a jinx in the family where in you can only have one daughter or son. So when I was ten, I ask my nanny to bring me at a park near our house so I can play with the kids. Some men came out of nowhere and tried to kidnap me, a group of orphans helped and scared the kidnappers away, and unfortunately it cost a life of an orphan. Ever since that day, I asked my parents to help and support the orphanage in every way possible. My parents were scared to death so they sent me to boarding school in England where I met Yoona. Even though I studied abroad, I make it a point that I visit the orphanage every year during Christmas and April 18th, the day when the kid died saving my life.

“Do you know this guy?” she asks me.

“No Yoon, just tonight. I met his parents in several occasions when mom and dad visited me when I was still in New York, they mentioned having a son but they never said that they pan on marrying us.” I studied college at Oxford University, I moved in to New York when an American company offered me a job while Yoona studied at Harvard Law School to follow his dad’s footsteps.

“Did he say anything?”

“No, he was very quiet during dinner. When I saw him looking at me, I can see that he’s not happy either. He looks really sad, I think were both put into a situation where we can’t even say no to our parents.”

“This really Jin; I really didn’t see this one coming.”

“So do I Yoon, they’ve never dictate how I will live my life and this one is really surprise to me.”

By the time I’m finished with my third bottle of beer, someone rang the doorbell. When I opened the door, I was surprise who my guest was at this hour.

“Yoon I need to hang up now, I’ll see you at dinner,” I said not taking my eyes off from the unexpected guest.

“Who’s visiting you at this hour other than me?” she asks me.

“My fiancé.”

____________________

Minho

I came back at my office after doing my rounds to my patients when Bom, my secretary, said that my dad called an hour ago and ask me to be in his office immediately.

“Hi Shin, is my dad with a patient right now?” I ask his secretary.

“Oh hello Dr. Minho, no sir, your father is inside talking to your mom, they are both waiting for you,” she said. I went inside and saw my mom and dad talking very intently.

“Hey dad, Bom said you wanted to see me immediately.”

“Yes, I should remind you about the dinner tonight,” he said.

“Of course that, I’ll be there. Is there something wrong?” I ask him.

“Minho, we need to tell you something,” and hold my hand.

“Do you remember my friend Lee Seung Gi?” ask my dad.

“Yes, he’s your friend from college right?” my dad nods.

“We’re having dinner with him and his wife… together with their daughter,” as soon as my dad said the word daughter, I know this conversation would end up to no good.

“Son, we want you to marry their daughter,” as soon as my dad said it, I stood and walk towards the door.

“Choi Minho, don’t you dare walk out on me and your mother!” screamed my dad, I moved my hand away from the door knob and walk near the window and leaned on the window sill. My parents never raised their voices at me, even if I failed a subject at school which happened only once, so I was very surprised when my dad did a while ago.

“Minho, please listen to us first and let’s talk about this.”

“Mom,” I said with pleading eyes hoping my mom would take my side on this one. “You’re asking me to marry someone where you know for a fact that I already have a girl friend, this is preposterous!”

“You know we never like that girl, if you insist on being with that girl you can forget that we are your parents and we will make sure your good for nothing girl friend will not be accepted in any hospital! I don’t care if it’s here or any other country, I will make sure that she regrets even studying medicine.”

I was shocked by what my dad said, I know they don’t like Krystal but they never said it out loud. She’s still studying to be a doctor, I love her so much and we’ve been together for almost two years now. I know my father is capable of doing what he just said and it really got me thinking, I don’t want her future to be destroyed, she’s very intelligent and is promising doctor in the future. I don’t know what to do anymore.

My great morning just became a nightmare; I received a text from my mom that afternoon. “Son, I know this must really surprise you but please attend the dinner meeting, do not aggravate your father and the situation more, see you tonight. – love mom.”

I drag myself to dinner and was delighted to know that the feeling is very mutual with the other party. Mrs. Lee was telling my parents that their daughter once wishes to be a doctor but unfortunately develop hemophobia as she grew up, she suddenly look up and greeted her daughter who was standing at the door. She’s tall and has a long curly hair at the end, she’s very beautiful, and it’s very intriguing that no man has yet asks for this girl’s hand for marriage.

“Good evening, I’m Lee Sulli, nice to meet you,” she greeted us without much enthusiasm in her voice. “I’m sorry for being late, I got stuck in traffic.”

“That’s okay Sulli, what’s important is you still made it.” I can see in her eyes that she’d rather be stuck in traffic than to be in this dinner meeting.

Time was very slow over dinner, a second in there feels like a minute already. Out parents did all the talking, all we did was nod and smile whenever we were ask if we agree or not, as if we were given much of a choice. After several hours of planning, our parents decided that an engagement party will be held a month from now to announce that the two of us are getting married and the wedding will take place at the end of the year, three months from now. She looks pained after hearing our parent’s decisions, I can’t blame her though, and being forced into marriage to someone you barely know.

All of us were outside the lobby while our parents waited for their cars to be brought by the valet. When her parents left, my mom suddenly suggest that I send Sulli home, she politely refused my mom’s suggestion telling her that she brought her own car. My mom didn’t push her luck but I think it’s a good idea, not because I like it but I think the two of us needed to talk and plan out something, besides where in this together. Our cars arrived at the same time, she said goodbye to me and my parents.

“Good night Mr. and Mrs. Choi, I hope you arrive home safely,” she said. My mom took her hand and hugged her.

“Sulli, you’ll soon be part of the family, please call us mom and dad,” she just nodded and smiled at my mom. She has a beautiful smile; I might even drown in her deep dimple. I said goodbye to my parents and drove home to my apartment. After parking the car, I suddenly crave for a drink so I went to a nearby convenient store to buy some drinks and chips. I was walking back at the building when I suddenly saw someone familiar playing at the swing, Sulli. I jolted to a stop and watch her swing back and forth, I was surprised when she suddenly let go of the swing, my heart almost fell off because I thought she might drop in the ground and hurt herself but instead she did a perfect summersault in the air and landed perfectly. She looks very graceful; she probably did gymnastics in school. I suddenly became aware of what I was doing, I was following her. I was surprised to learn that we just live on the opposite buildings, I should probably take this chance to talk to her, but I don’t want her to think that I’m stalking her.

As my mind debate with itself my phone suddenly rang.

“Hello?”

“Hi babe, are you still at the hospital? I hope I didn’t interrupt you or something,” shoot! I forgot to call her the whole day.

“No babe, I’m already home. I’m sorry I forgot to call and text you, I had dinner with mom and dad so I was sort of pre occupied with things.”

“Don’t worry its okay. You’re probably tired already let’s just talk tomorrow. Love you babe!”

“Love you too, talk to you tomorrow.” I said and hung up the phone.

That phone call was all I need to decide if I’ll go or not. I went to the lobby to ask for Sulli’s apartment number, good thing the receptionist was a lady. I sweet talk her to give me the information I needed and proceed to the elevator before I could chicken out. I press the 5 and look at the floor number as it ascends to number five. Alas, I’m standing in front of the apartment, 505. I gather all the courage I need and press the door bell. I can hear someone talking, and then the door opened. I saw her looking at me with a surprised face.

“Yoon I need to hang up now, I’ll see you at dinner,” she said. The caller on the other line probably asks who I was because she answered very flatly. “My fiancé.”

***Hello everyone! I hope you like the first chapter! I look forward reading all your comments.***