Outside, there’s an eerie quiet. Statuesque trees sway silently in the breeze, leaves flying from their branches and falling onto the yard like flecks of gold dust. When the sun rises in the morning the leaves will be swept away by gardeners and they will once again attempt to soar up into the October sky.

Inside, fat crackles on the skillet and boiling water hisses on the stove top. Chaerin stands in her apron, stirring a broth absently. The kitchen is too large for one person and she feels strange. Her phone vibrates in her pocket, disrupting the calm in the spacious kitchen. She puts a lid on the boiling pot before picking up the phone and cradling it on her shoulder.  

“Dad?” She answers, reaching over to lower the heat on the stove top.

Jiyong’s head pops up across the room where he sits doing work on his laptop. Chaerin makes eye contact with him as she listens to her father..

“Is it alright if I bring a couple of guests to dinner tonight?” Mr. Lee asks over the phone.

“Of course, dad. I was planning on making a large meal anyway.” She twirls a strand of hair with her finger, leaning against the counter and keeping an eye on the stove. “Lee Soohyuk will be here tonight, as well.”

Her father is quiet on the other line.

“Your lawyer friend?” He asks after a moment and she nods even though he can’t see her response.

“Yes, that’s him.” She replies and they give each other their farewells. Chaerin hangs up as Jiyong observes her from his makeshift work station.

“Has your father ever met Soohyuk?” Jiyong asks and she shrugs, putting a pan into the oven to warm. Chaerin walks over to him slowly and he watches her every step, his eyes never leaving her. She peeks over at his laptop, his screen filled with multiple tabs of graphs and spreadsheets.

“Are you working hard?” She asks with a teasing smile, ruffling his hair with her hand.

“Don’t talk to me, I’m mad at you.” He mumbles grumpily as he fixes his hair.

“I’m so sorry, oppa.” She apologizes sincerely, catching him off guard with her hurt expression.

“Chae,” He murmurs quietly, picking her up so that she falls onto his lap. He nuzzles his nose into her shoulder as she playfully turns away from him. “I was just teasing you.”

She smirks as she moves to type at his computer into an open tab not letting him see her work. He tries to move her out of the way but she blocks his view until she’s finished.

“Stop sabotaging my work!” Jiyong shouts in false anger as she laughs, leaning back against him. He looks down at the bottom of a yearly earnings projection sheet and squints. “What does it say?”

“It says ‘get back to work.’” She smiles as Jiyong stares at her in awe.

“No it doesn’t.” He grins like an idiot, pointing at the screen in front of him. “It says, ‘Oppa, I love you!’”

Chaerin laughs, embarrassed by herself, and tries to bury her head in his jacket.

“Why do you have to say it in that voice? I don’t even sound like that.” She grumbles, her cheeks burning red.

“Thank you, Hunchae, I have energy to conquer the world now.” He cups her cheeks with his hands. He kisses her on the forehead, then the nose, and then pecks her lightly on the lips. She blinks up at him and he looks away, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Why are you blushing like that?”

She smiles nervously, realizing the position they’re in and her heart pangs guiltily. He presses his lips softly against her neck and she wants to push him away. She doesn’t want the makeup to wear off and expose the fading love bite. She feels like a being coddled in her fiance’s arms when she had nearly given herself to another man not even a week ago. Chaerin feels her body burn, not in passion or in lust, but in a deep shame.

The intercom on the wall buzzes loudly, saving Chaerin from her thoughts.

“Miss Chaerin, Mr. Lee is here.” A maid’s voice announces over the speaker and Chaerin gets up from Jiyong’s lap.

“We should go greet him and his guests.” She grips onto Jiyong’s hand, leading him as they walk out front to the main foyer.

“Chaerin-ah!” A familiar voice calls out and Chaerin covers in shock.

Chaerin wraps her arms around the older woman, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“Omma, I missed you so much.” Chaerin murmurs into her mother’s shoulder as she pats her back in soothing circles.

“I missed you, too, ma petite.” Her mother smiles as she steps back.

Chaerin notices the young woman standing behind her mother and her eyes widen.

Her hair falls down her shoulders in glossy honey brown waves and her figure has matured into womanly curves but Chaerin could never mistake that face.

“Yejin unnie, is that you?” Chaerin asks in shock as her cousin gives her an awkward hug.

“Chaerin, it’s so good to see you.” The older girl says with a blindingly bright smile before turning to the man at Chaerin’s side. “Kwon Jiyong, how are you doing?”

He nods his head absently, caught off guard by her presence.

“I’m doing well, thank you.” He tells her, bowing his head in her direction.

“Where is Appa?” Chaerin asks curiously, noticing the only guest invited is no where to be seen.

“He’s in the office.” Her mother tells her.

“Oh, that’s right. He said there’s was something he needed from the office.” Chaerin nods as her gut squeezes. “Oppa, could you take Yejin unnie and Omma to the parlor? I’ll go check on my dad and see if he needs any help.”

Jiyong smiles and leads the two women away as Chaerin cautiously moves toward Mr. Kwon’s office. She gets to the office and sees him rummaging through the desk from the door. Her heart beats painfully in her chest as he pulls out file after file. She quickly knocks on the side of the door to catch his attention before he can find where the ledgers had been.

“Appa, did you find what you needed? Everyone else is in the parlor having drinks.”

“Ah, Chaerin.” He looks up in surprise, an uncomfortable smile on his lips. “No, I couldn’t find the books but I may have left them elsewhere. Let’s go back to the others.”

Chaerin takes her father to the parlor where they are each handed a glass of wine from a maid. Time seems to pass in a strange warp as Chaerin socializes with the others in the room, uneasy in her own home.

No, this isn’t her home.

This would never be her home.

She finds her eyes wandering to the door and is surprised when the doorbell rings. She had forgotten Lee Soohyuk would be joining them that evening and a small part of her is excited by his company. As the lankily tall lawyer walks into the parlor he seems irritated, more irritated than usual. His dark eyes are wild like an unbroken stallion.

Chaerin watches him carefully, studying his stern features and his deathly pale hands folded at his lap. She notices the nervous clenching of his jaw and the way his thumb twitches impatiently every few minutes.

“If you’ll pardon me, I need to use the restroom.” He suddenly excuses himself. Jiyong offers to show him the way but he politely refuses.

Chaerin looks up after he’s left and notices that Yejin is watching her, then gives her a sweet smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Yejin-ah.” Jiyong says through the multiple conversations floating around the room. “Not since we all vacationed in Hokkaido together, what, maybe six years ago?”

“I’m happy to see you still looking so healthy and happy, oppa.” Yejin smiles at him.

“Thank you,” He grins. “You look well, too.”

“Oh, that’s right. Oppa, Chaerin-ah, congratulations on your engagement! I can’t believe I forgot to tell you that.” The older girl laughs girlishly and Chaerin can’t help but envy her carefree femininity. Lately she just feels jaded, aged. “Have you done any planning?”  

Jiyong squirms in his seat, looking over at Chaerin helplessly.

“You two don’t be so bashful.” Chaerin’s mother says with a laugh. “These kids are both so busy it wouldn’t make sense for them to have the time to get a wedding planned.”

Yejin laughs politely as the young couple seem occupied in emptying their glasses of wine.

“Actually, Yejin-ah,” Chaerin’s mother looks back to the older girl like a thought had suddenly come to mind. “I had hoped that you could help Chaerin with the preparations. I know that you’re my husband’s assistant but as Chaerin’s only cousin it would be so wonderful if you could help her.”

“I would be more than happy to help.” Yejin answers courteously, that lovely smile still perfectly in place. “I’ve always seen Chaerin as more of a sister than a cousin anyway.”

“Thank you for being so thoughtful, unnie.” Chaerin bows her head, knowing this is mostly just to make her mother happy but she could use the extra help. “You’ve always been too kind to me.”

“But where did Lee Soohyuk go?” The Kwon heir clears his throat and asks suddenly, changing the subject.

“I bet he got lost.” Chaerin says quickly. “He’s not very used to this house, I should go find him.”

“Ah, that’s a good idea.” Jiyong smiles as she gets up and kisses him on the cheek before leaving the room.

Her heart beats rapidly as she rounds the hall headed to where she’s sure Soohyuk is. She tries to keep her footsteps light as she gets nearer and nearer to the closed door at the end of the hall. Under the jamb she can see the light shining through and she swallows hard. She braces herself before cautiously reaching out and turning the golden doorknob before opening the door slowly.

Soohyuk looks up in shock as she Chaerin walks into the room with confident strides, her posture straight and her eyes darkened.

“What does 1990 mean to you?” She asks him, her voice controlled and steady like an executioner at the gallows.

“It’s none of your business.” He answers harshly.

“If it involves my family it’s my business.” She tells him, anger leaking through her composed facade. “I trusted you. You were my friend.”

“You have the ledger, don’t you?” He asks, furiously rushing toward her.

“Don’t get any closer to me.” She warns in a strained laugh but he only laughs.

“Is it with you now?” He asks, reaching for her jacket.

Chaerin steps back and slaps him with all of her strength. An audible snap pierces through the air as the back of her hand connects with his cheek. He stumbles backward in shock, clutching the side of his face and slamming into the bookcase behind him, falling to the ground. Empowered by the fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins she stalks toward him, standing above his slumped body. She grabs onto his tie and jerks him up toward her as he fights for breath in her sudden choke hold. Her other and reaches into her jacket and pulls out the missing ledger.

“Tell me everything.” She demands, shoving the ledger onto his heaving chest.

“Instead of that, you should copy every page and then give the ledger to your father. Ask him to explain what it means.” He coughs out in her tight grasp.

“My father?” Chaerin asks quietly in confusion as the doors creaks open behind her.

She turns her head to see Lee Yejin gasping at the doorway. Chaerin bows her head, curses as she realizes the compromising position she’s gotten herself into.

“Unnie, it’s not what it looks like.” She tells the older girl, letting go of Soohyuk’s tie.

“No, no.” Yejin stammers, her cheeks red in embarrassment. “It’s okay, I didn’t see anything. Your secret is safe with me.”

Chaerin gets up to go after Yejin as she runs down the hallway but Soohyuk stops her, snaking his arm around her waist. Her back slams into his firm body from the sudden action. Goosebumps rise on her arms until she feels the weight of the ledger returned to her pocket.

“Sorry about the misunderstanding,” He whispers in her ear before moving his arm and walking out the door. She follows after him back to the parlor, her mind scrambled full of doubts and fears. She sees Jiyong standing up with his phone to his head and her breath catches at the sight of him. Chaerin slowly approaches him as he watches her, his eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“I understand, I will be there as soon as possible.” Jiyong tells the voice on the other line and Chaerin looks at him curiously, reaching out to him. He takes her hand and squeezes it as he hangs up, looking her directly in the eye with an urgent expression on his face.

“What’s going on, oppa?” She asks him as he brings her hand up to his lips, kissing the soft skin.

“Someone hacked through our computer systems at the office.” He tells her and her eyes widen in shock. “Lee Soohyuk and I are going there now, you should stay here with your parents.”

“I’ll go with you, Jiyong.” Mr. Lee speaks up from the doorway. “This is my specialty after all.”

“I would appreciate that, father.” Jiyong nods toward the older man as he and Soohyuk gather their jackets. The young heir steps toward Chaerin, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll  be going then, tell your mother and Yejin I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Goodbye Jiyong, be safe.” She tells him, watching as her father and the two men leave and she hates herself for feeling calmer now that they’re no longer in the room.

She inhales and exhales slowly, feeling like she can breathe again.

- - -

Author's Note: Thank you to all of my readers for subscribing, upvoting, and commenting! I really appreciate it. I wouldn't have the motivation to keep writing without you all! I hope that you enjoy this chapter. What could the arrival of Chaerin's cousin mean for everyone else? Look forward to the next update and a big thank you to xxxchaelin for giving me inspiration to write this chapter!