Chapter 10

Soo Bin then stood up and walks to the door; she peeks outside just to found that no one is around. She then closes the door and walks to the closet. She was looking for some bottoms to wear, since she’s just wearing her undies under the huge white shirt she’s wearing. She was in awe every time she opens a closet, “He’s really that rich.” She concluded as the closets reveal a bunch of signature coats, long sleeve’s polo, ties, shoes and etc. “Maybe he earn that much being a top smuggler.” She then continue to browse his dressing room as he looks for something to wear, there she found a Calvin and Klein boxer shorts on a drawer then wears it.

Soo Bin had walk out of the room since Kris have give her permission to roam around. She wanders on the house as she look for the stairs, she felt like she was being lost and by just wandering around she can’t stop herself from accusing Kris as he gets everything because he’s doing something illegal. Finally, she had found the stairs which was covered with a huge carpet and it went down to a living room which had a chandelier hanging above. She went down to found a lot of maids being busy with their own tasks that they didn’t even notice her presence. There she spotted a maid who has a bag of groceries in her hands, she followed her and it brings her to the kitchen.

“Annyeong! Is there anything I can help?” She offers assistance since she doesn’t have something to do in the house.

“Good morning Ms.” The maid was obviously surprised by her presence, but she instantly bows down to Soo Bin.

“Uh, don’t be too formal for me, Soo Bin will do.” She introduces herself as she thought that the maid might think she was just a vulgar. What she doesn’t know is that Hyemin the head of the maids had notify them already about her stay there. “Hmmm, so what can I help?” She asks again.

“No, there’s nothing much to do Ms. Soo Bin. I can manage everything.” The maid smiled at her. Then someone had enter the kitchen, the maid had bowed.

“Ms. Soo Bin, what are you doing here?” The head of the maid questioned her presence in the kitchen. Soo Bin had just look at her so she takes the opportunity to introduce herself. “I’m Hyemin, I’m the one in charge of everything in this house.” She then bowed.

“Neh, I think you know me already.” Soo Bin bowed to her also.

“Is there anything you need Ms.?” Hyemin asks her.

“Oh just call me Soo Bin, and anniyo. I don’t need anything; I just want to help in cooking.” She responded.

“I’m the one in charge of cooking also.” Hyemin smiles at her as she wears an apron. “But the young master might be mad if he knew that you work.” She informs her.

“B-but, I have nothing to do. Let me help, pleaseee.” Soo Bin pleases her then Hyemin agrees and offers her an apron. “Yeah! Kamshanida! I’m really dying in boredom in the room. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Kris so that he won’t get mad at you.” She gladly hops around.

“You don’t have to Soo Bin, I can explain everything to the young master.” She flashes a smile as she prepares the ingredients they need.

“Young master?” Soo Bin wonders why every ones pertaining Kris like that.

“Oh, we used to call him like that. It was a tradition in the Chinese families to refer a child of a businessman like that.” Hyemin explains and she just nodded.

“So what’s our menu for today?” She asks eagerly.

“Pork Tonkatsu. It was the young master’s favorite.” Hyemin replied as she was glad that she had finally had someone who she can talk to in the mansion.

“woooh?” She scooted “Can I manage? It was one of my expertises and I really miss cooking.” her voice toned low as she remembers how she uses to cook for her sister, but when she leaves, she just always bought instant food.

“No problem dear, I’ll just go ahead and assists you.” She grants her request but had notice her change of tone. “What makes you sad?” She questioned.

“Well, I just missed to cook for my sister.” Soo Bin simply answers.

“Mind to tell me why?” Hyemin hesitated asks but she knows that Soo Bin had also needs someone she can talk on to.

“Hmmm, it’s just that, I used to take care of my twin that I even give all my time just for her. But there comes a time that she chooses to work abroad, so I was left alone in the house. Since I’m all by myself, I just bought instant foods instead for myself.” Soo Bin narrates as she started to chop the vegetables for the menu.

“So you just missed cooking or you missed your twin?” Hyemin asks, without a common sense so that she will ease the atmosphere.

Soo Bin smiled at the question. “Maybe both?”

“Why don’t you just take advantage of your situation? Perhaps spend some time for yourself. You had always been thinking of your twin as what I can see. You know what; sometimes it’s nice to be alone. It feels like you’re independent, that you can do anything you want without worrying for someone.” She gives her advices.

“But it’s different in my situation.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m scared of being alone. Especially at night.” Soo Bin explains. “Oh, enough for that topic.” She cuts it off then continues to cook. “May I just ask how Kris was at home?” She takes advantage to know Kris more as she wonders.

“Kris?” Hyemin started to think and Soo Bin had caught her smiling. “Well I’m the one who take care of him since he was young. So I treated him like my own son.” She stated.

“What about his family?”

“Mr. Wu had a lot of investments all over the world. That’s why they often stay here and they just leave Kris here in Seoul during their trips because they don’t want to have conflicts with his studies. Now, his family is staying in China, since the main base of their company was located there. Actually, he just came back here a month ago from China.” Hyemin starts to narrate.

“What about the nature of their business?” Soo Bin started to pamper her questions.

“The Wu’s company was well known for producing high-end vehicles for transportation like cruise-liner ships, luxury cars and jet planes. Kris had already inherited half of their company shares from his father, that’s why he became so busy lately. I can say that he was so dedicated with his work.”

“Oh, it’s almost cooked!” Soo Bin claps her hands as her attention had turn into what she is cooking. “Taste it, taste it.”

Hyemin had blown it first then taste it. “It’s delicious. The young master will really like it.” She grins.

‘I just wanted to do something, it’s not my intention to cook for him’ she thought. “For sure he will” She fakes a smile

“Let’s just leave it to the maids; the young master will be here shortly. You have to prepare.” Hyemin puts out her apron and brings Soo Bin out of the kitchen.

“I thought he left for work?” She wonders.

“He just went out for a lunch meeting, he’ll be back after.” Hyemin had drags her upstairs on one of the room.

Soo Bin had look around as she wanders on the room where Hyemin had brought her. She then pulls Soo Bin on one part of the room and that is a walk-in closet, a closet full of wardrobes for a girl.

‘Who owns this? Perhaps his girl friend? His live-in partner? Or maybe his wife?’ She wonders as she looks around.

“Go and pick something casual to wear. I believe you haven’t brought anything, so maybe the young lady’s clothes will do.” Hyemin had commanded her.

“Young lady?” She simply asks.

“Oh, maybe the young master hasn’t introduced her to you since she’s not here. The young lady is Kris’ noona.” She explains. “You’ll meet her one day, since she visited in Seoul once a month. Just choose anything, I’ll just go ahead and check something.” Hyemin leaves her.

Soo Bin had started to browse the clothes; she’s having a hard time to choose because the clothes are not her style. She had used to wear clothes like plain tee’s, loose sweater and jeans, but what on the closet is like dresses, skirts, and blouses. She doesn’t have a choice so she just pick the simplest dress that she found and gets an undergarments that she found on the drawers. On the other side was a drawer full of shoes that looks like they haven’t been used. Soo Bin gets a simple flat that can be paired to the dress she picks.

She was about to walks out the walk-in closet when something had caught her attention. On the other side of that room was a vanity table where a picture frame stood there.

“Maybe that was her sister.” She walks closer to the table, and as she comes close, the person on the frame becomes familiar to her, but her tracks stop when Hyemin called her attention.

“Soo Bin-ah! Are you already done?” Hyemin called for her.

“Yes, I’m coming!” She yelled back, she takes one glance of the picture from afar then exited the walk-in closet. ‘She looks like her’ but she brushes her thoughts when she think that she might be mistaken because she haven’t seen the picture closely.

“Go ahead and take a bath, you can use the young master’s bathroom.” Hyemin had instructed her and Soo Bin had walk back to his room.

“Young master.” Hyemin greeted as the maids gets Kris’ coat and satchel.

“What do we have for lunch?” He asks Hyemin. “I’m starving to death; we don’t have much time during the meeting so I didn’t eat there.” Kris tells her as he seated on the dining table. “Have Soo Bin had eaten already?” He looks for Soo Bin.

“She hasn’t eaten yet, young master.” She responded.

“Can you call and told her that I’m waiting for her?” Kris asks a maid who was arranging the food and plates on the table. “What about you?” He asks Hyemin.

“Go ahead young master, I’ll eat after you.”

“No, eat with us.” He commanded her and Hyemin had seated.

In a few minutes Soo Bin had already walked downstairs and made her way to the dining table.

“Come, let’s eat. We’d been waiting for you.” Kris offered her to seat when he notices her presence but was stunned and looks at her from head to toe, amused by how pretty she looks like when she was dressed nicely.

She seats across Hyemin so they are both sitting besides Kris. He coughs. “Let’s eat.”

He offers to start, and had taste the main dish first. “Your cooking becomes more delicious eomoni huh.”

“Anniyo young master. Soo Bin is the one who cooked the main dish.” She makes it clear.

“You cook?” He looks at Soo Bin’s direction.

“I’m sorry young master for making her work.” Hyemin bows her head as she apologizes.

“She hasn’t done anything. I was bored in the room, so I asked her if I could help.” She defended her.

“Oh, it’s not like that. It was just that, your cooking is good.” He praises her, and everyone started to calm down. They eat peacefully while Kris is hesitating to talk. “Hmmm, Eomoni. Have you prepared the room?” He asks.

“Neh young master. It was ready to be occupied.” Hyemin pauses from eating.

“Are you done eating?” Kris asks Soo Bin as he saw that she already put her spoon and fork together.

Soo Bin just replied by a nod.

“You eat a little? It’s not what I know. You have eaten a while ago like a monster.” He started to and Hyemin just smiles on his humor. But on the other side, Soo Bin was feeling uncomfortable; she’s not still used by this environment. “Since you’re done, come on.” Kris wipes his mouth with the napkin and stood up. He went upstairs, so Soo Bin had just followed him. He enters a room right across his’.

“What do you think about this room?” Kris asks her opinion as he signals him to go and wander around.

Soo Bin had walks slowly as she started to roam her eyes around. She had nothing to say about this room except from… “Wonderful.” She said with a sweet almost like a whisper voice. But just by that simple word, it had already painted a smile on Kris’ lips. Soo Bin can’t take her eyes with the beauty of this room; it was like a room on a fairytale. It was so calm since the colors around was pleasant to the eyes.

“This will be your room from now on.” He had announces as he also was amused by this room. Perhaps, Hyemin had never disappointed him. She had considered everything that Kris had told her about what Soo Bin wants.

Soo Bin slowly looks on Kris’ way, and there she flashes her very sweet smile on him that makes Kris skip a breath. It was the very first time she had smiled on him like this, that’s why he was stunned.

“How do you find it?” He asks

“This was my style.” She responded with a giggle.

“Go look around; there are still a lot of things to check out.” He made her follow him as he tours her around and explain the uses of the appliances there. The room was as big as him, it also has a bath room that has a bathtub and there is also a walk-in closet which was still empty. They had went back to where the bed is as he told her instructions on how to operate the air conditioner and the flat screen television. Then he saw her walks to the sofa and seated on it while still looking around. She looks like she was in her deep thoughts.

“Is there something you don’t like?” Kris notices her change of mood, from being excited into this.

“Hmmmm, nothing.” She fakes a smile, but he knew that there’s something wrong.

“Arraseo, is there anything else you need?” She shook her head. “I’ll be leaving you for now, you can still arrange the furniture on how you want it to be, just asks the maids to help you.” He reminded and walks to exit her room. “Don’t hesitate to knock on my room, if you also need help from me.” He peeks in again before he totally walks out the room.