Chapter Fifteen

I apologize for any mistakes and any typos or any grammar or whatever errors in this chapter. Please bear with me

We arrived at Gimpo around 1.30 pm. Mom called to tell me that pa has been discharged from the hospital at 12 in the afternoon. At the same time, I felt so heavy to tell ma that I was coming home with someone, and that someone was my own boss. So, I decided to continue our journey to my home without telling ma about Miss Sooyoung was coming along with me.

As soon as I reached my home, ma was the first person who welcomed me, followed by Yunho oppa. I invited Miss Sooyoung into my house. I knew that they will be surprised to see her.

“Pa, ma.. This is Miss Sooyoung, my boss. Miss Sooyoung, meet my family.”

I watched as Miss Sooyoung approached my parents and bowed respectfully. “Mr and Mrs Jung.”

My parents, as usual, bowed back and welcomed her cordially. Pa gestured for her to take a seat.

“This is my first brother, the one who I told you before; Jung Yunho. Where’s Il Woo oppa?”

“He is working,” ma replied.

Miss Sooyoung sat on the sofa opposite pa.

“How can you fall in the bathroom, pa? Can you please be extra careful? The bathroom floor is very slippery.” I nagged indirectly as I sat on the sofa beside him.

Pa just grinned as he looked at me, while Miss Sooyoung just watched us.

“Thankfully Yunho was here. If he wasn’t here, I don’t know how to lift your pa up,” ma continued.

“When did he fall?” I asked.

“When he was about to take a shower, last Wednesday,” ma answered.

“So, are you Jessica’s boss?” Yunho oppa suddenly asked. Now the topic has changed.

Miss Sooyoung nodded.

“For how long she has been working with you?” he asked further.

“For the company, it’s almost 10 months. With me, it’s like 5 months.”

I smiled while looking at Yunho oppa, “I was in the Engineering Department before they transferred me to the Marketing Department.” I cut in.

“You guys got tender last night?” he asked even more. I know he was seeking for the sureness.

Miss Sooyoung took a deep breathe. I knew she was exhausted, “yes, we got a tender from TK Telco. Today is the closing date. We just found out about it yesterday, and it’s already late evening. So we had to settle it last night.”

Yunho oppa nodded his head slowly.

“Wait, did you send Jessica here right after you submitted the tender this morning?” ma suddenly cut in, she seemed quite surprised.

Miss Sooyoung nodded. Ma and Yunho oppa were looking at me one after another. I felt suspicious of their acts.

“Why did you trouble yourself to send her here? You must so tired since you have been working overnight. Our house is not a short distance from Seoul, Miss Sooyoung.” ma explained, feeling indebted to her.

“It’s nothing, aunty. Besides, I haven’t come to Gimpo for quite a while,” Miss Sooyoung replied politely.

“How is she at work? Has she ever being stubborn?” Yunho oppa changed the topic again.

“Oppa?” I called him, dissatisfied of his question.

Without looking at me, Miss Sooyoung casually replied, “oh, she is okay. She’s been so patient with me. But when she’s not around, it’s kinda quiet and peace in the office.”

I was stunned by her sentence. I eyed her questioningly. Since when I became her attention? And since when she knows how to pull a joke about me and tease me in front of other people?

“She is! She can’t keep shut once she starts talking. She only stays silent when she’s sleeping or watching her favorite tv shows. But, there’s nothing we can do, if she isn’t here, it’s kinda boring too,” Yunho oppa added.

“Jessica is living far from us. If she makes any mistake, please guide her. Aunty and uncle are old already, we can’t visit her frequently. Her brothers are all busy too. Yunho here, he only comes home once in a while. Working as a sailor isn’t an easy job. While Il Woo, he’s always busy at his own Law firm. So, we both had to put our 100% trust to her. Hope she can take care of herself there. If you ask me, I don’t like her working in Seoul. But, on second thought, I just let her. It’s for her own future. Besides, if she stays here, she can’t develop so much.” ma spoke.

I looked at ma, “ma, she is my boss. Not my keepers.”

“But ma wants someone who can look after you there.” ma replied.

“Ma, it’s not like you didn’t know my housemates, or my other friends. You are being weird, why do you suddenly act like this. You never did this before.”

“Sooyeon..” pa called me, indicating that he didn’t like what I have said to ma.

I sighed. Actually, I felt embarrassed by my family’s behavior. Suddenly they depended on Miss Sooyoung to take care of me. It wasn’t like they didn’t know that Miss Sooyoung is just my boss!

“She is pissed!” Yunho oppa added the salt in my wound.

I threw a small cushion at him, “I hate you!” I grunted and walked away into the kitchen.

And then I heard pa talk, “I’m sorry, Sooyoung. It’s always been like this. Every time she comes home, she will keep having a fight with her brothers. And her brothers are such a teasers.”

“It’s okay, uncle. I’m happy with your family.” Miss Sooyoung quickly responded.

I walked into the kitchen, looking at the food that ma has cooked. So I took a spoon to taste the soup.

“She’s beautiful, Sooyeon-ah.” when I was about to sip it, suddenly ma’s voice came from my back.

I almost dropped the spoon because I was shocked by her sudden appearance behind me. I wrinkled my forehead, “who’s beautiful? Miss Sooyoung?” I couldn’t believe it.

Ma nodded while smiling big, “is she really your boss?”

“Yes, she is my boss! We are not in a relationship. She is my boss and I am her worker, nothing more than that. Don’t think nonsense!”

“How can you say that there’s nothing between you and her? If not, she won’t trouble herself to send you here.”

That comeback made me lost for a word. I didn’t know what to say anymore, and ma started preparing our food for lunch. Once in a while I will steal a glance at the living room and I saw pa and Yunho oppa were so busy talking with Miss Sooyoung. I felt kinda happy to see my family was treating her just like how they treated the other guest. Sometimes I could hear pa’s and Yunho oppa’s laughter.

I helped ma in the kitchen, but somehow ma’s word made me think. Ish! This is just coincidence! Just because she has gone through all the trouble to send me here, doesn’t mean I have a relationship with her.

Ma asked them to move to the dining room once the food was served on the dining table. “Let’s eat, Miss Sooyoung. I just managed to cook these dishes for today. I didn’t expect that Jessica will bring someone with today. If she told me sooner, at least I could cook something special today.”

Miss Sooyoung smiled at ma, “this is more than enough for me, aunty.  It’s special to me.”

I didn’t know why I felt so happy, listening to what he just said to ma. Is this Miss Sooyoung that I’ve known all this time? I felt weird. She was different. It’s like she was not the same person who I have been working with since 10 months ago.

I watched as she was trying to help pa to stand up and she held pa’s arm when pa was walking using the walking stick. I didn’t notice that Yunho oppa was watching me all the time.

“Stop smiling!” Yunho oppa whispered.

I gave him my death glare and he just grinned like a fool. He stayed beside me and whispered again, “I see you already got a new replacement. I give you 5 stars.” he walked away to the dining table and sat on the chair.

I took a deep breath, trying to be patience. I walked behind Yunho oppa and stopped to whisper, “if you think that I’m having a relationship with her, you are dead wrong!”

Pa sat in his usual place. I sat beside ma, while Yunho oppa was sitting beside Miss Sooyoung. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I had to sit opposite that tall girl.

So today we were having rice, miso soup with bean sprout , beef cutlet, stirfr