YONGHWA

The next 2 months were like a whirlwind of emotions and romance for the couple.  They would spend every available time they had with each other if not then they would be either texting each other or talking on their cellphones.

Their friends often teased them about it especially since they were always holding hands. They explored Seoul during the weekends and on Fridays Yonghwa would fetch Joohyun from school and they would watch a movie.  

But the best parts of the last 2 and  a half months were the quiet times when it was just the two of them. Sometimes they would just sit on their favorite park bench and he would listen to Joohyun read him Korean love poems. He would rest his head on her shoulder while she read to him. He felt at peace just listening to her voice and feeling her hand on his knee. Or the times when she was in Suwon and he would just strum his guitar and she would just be reading her textbook on his bed. And most especially that magical time when they found an old piano in one of the antique shops in Insa-dong and Joohyun had played a beautiful piano piece that she said was called La Campanella. It was the piece she played for her piano recital when she was 12 and her personal favorite. He felt himself fall in love all over again when she smiled at him while playing.  The store owner and several customers clapped heartily when she finished playing and she hid her face shyly on Yonghwa’s shirt front and said thank you repeatedly in English.

Yonghwa felt that Joohyun was the girl that he was waiting for.  He tried to explain it to his mother but she wasn’t really listening. He talked about Joohyun to his father’s new assistant – Jiyoon.  She was supportive and but she said that they should be concentrating more now on studying than having a relationship. Yonghwa just rolled his eyes at her and continued looking at the documents that his father wanted him to check on.

“Yongie – your Omma told me that you should remind your Appa that you’re having guests for dinner tonight. Palli – tell him it’s time to go home or else we’ll all be here until 7 pm.” Jiyoon told him.

It was unusual for him not be with Joohyun on a weekend but her parents were hosting a dinner party for their law firm and Joohyun was required to be there so Yonghwa surprised his father by spending the better part of his Saturday afternoon in the CNB office.  They were busy preparing for a presentation for one of his father’s newest business ventures.

On their way home his Appa had commented that it was unusual for Yonghwa to be home – he was usually either in the clubs or in Suwon with his friends. Yonghwa said that he realized he was neglecting his mother so he’d been coming home during the weekends.

I really need to tell them about Joohyun already.

His mother was ecstatic when she saw Yonghwa getting out of the car with his father.

“Oh, you have perfect timing my dearest son! Now go ahead and dress up and join us for dinner. Don’t tell me that you’re going clubbing! You can go out later” She smiled and embraced Yonghwa.

When Yonghwa got to his room he found Min Sun laying out his clothes.

“Who are coming for dinner?” Yonghwa asked his nanny. Even if he was already 20 years of age, Min Sun still took care of all of Yonghwa’s needs. She loves him dearly and was the only p