Won walked around the house, it was really quiet. Da-kyung was visiting her family for a week and all the maids had retired for the night. He wondered how Tan was doing. He had called a few days after he got to America and they had talked. Tan had told him he was settling in fine but was very busy because of classes and his course work. He went into his study and sat at the desk. He pulled out the wishbone necklace he gave Hyun-joo and sighed. Just then, his cell phone rang. He looked at the clock, it was 11:45 pm. He wondered who could be calling him at such a late hour.

“Yeobseyo.” He said.

“Oppa. It’s me.”

He recognized that voice, it was Hyun-joo’s voice.

“Hyun-jooya. Are you okay?” He was worried about her. She didn’t sound well.

“Oppa, how are you? I never congratulated you on your wedding. Congratulations oppa.” She said.

He couldn’t reply, hearing her voice brought back all the pain and memories. He missed her, he wanted to shout.

“Oppa, I know it’s too late to call you, but I wanted to speak to you before I lost my nerve. I promised to cheer you on oppa, I promised to cheer you on from the sidelines. Remember? I want to keep my promise but I miss you so much. Oppa, I really miss you. I know I shouldn’t because you’re married but I can’t control my feelings.” She paused and took a deep breath to steady her voice. “Oppa, I wanted to hear your voice one last time. I’m going away for some time and I wanted to say goodbye. Oppa, Wonnie oppa, you know how much I love you right? I’ll still love you for probably a long while. Even if you never told me once that you loved me, I know you loved me. So, this is my goodbye, I wish you a lot of happiness. Don’t be hurt okay, I really loved you.” She hung up. Won stared at his phone, tears falling silently from his eyes. He thought he had a chance. He thought there was hope. He thought she would wait for him. He was wrong. Hyun-joo was a special girl, she deserved better than him. How could he have expected that she would put her life on hold just for his sake? She was right, he never once told her he loved her. He began to dial a number.

“Yeobseyo.” The voice on the other end said groggily.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” he said trying to keep the tears out of his voice.

“It’s okay. Have you been crying?”

“Da-kyungah, I….” he couldn’t control the tears anymore.

Da-kyung and Won had become more relaxed with one another over the months they’ve been married. They weren’t friends who told each other everything, but they shared some things. Sometimes, they talked about the work they were doing, he told her if he was dealing with a difficult partner and she told him if she was dealing with any difficulties too. This was the first time they had spoken since she left home. He had never called her name so informally and he had certainly never cried in her presence before. She felt her heart lurch when he called her and she wanted to comfort him when she realized he had been crying. She sat up in bed and held the phone tighter.

“Wonssi, what is the problem? Are you okay? Is something wrong with abeonim?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you. I didn’t even know I was dialing your number. It’s pretty late.”

“Aniyo, kwaenchanayo. Tell me, is something wrong?”

“Abeoji is fine.” He was silent for a while, debating whether to tell her about Hyun-joo. He pulled himself together and decided not to tell her. She didn’t need to know. “I’m sorry for waking you. Please, go back to sleep.”

“Are you sure? Whatever it is, I might be able to help you.” She said softly. Won almost gave in and told her.

“Aniyo, it’s fine. How are your parents?”

“They are fine. They keep asking when you will come to visit them.”

“Ah, I’m so busy right now, perhaps before the year runs out I should make time to come and see them.”

“Okay. Well, goodnight then.” She started to hang up when he suddenly spoke.

“Wait,” he paused then said, “the house is really quiet.” Then he hung up.

Da-kyung wondered what he meant by that. “ ‘The house is really quiet?’ What does that mean?” She placed her phone on the bedside table and settled back to sleep.

Won stared at his phone. Why did he call her? Why did he feel the urge to tell her he was hurting? When they had decided to treat each other better, they had begun to talk about their lives with each other. He found that whenever he told her about something that happened at work, she would pay close attention to him and give him advice. He had discovered she was attentive with everyone. He had come home from work one day and overheard her comforting one of the maids who had lost her mother. He returned the necklace to the case and made to put it back in the drawer but decided against that. He needed to let Hyun-joo go and keeping the necklace would just keep reminding him about her. He took out the other half of the wishbone and left his study. He drove to the Han River and threw them both into the water.

Da-kyung was having breakfast the following day, still thinking about what Won said.

“Da-kyungah, where are you lost?” her father asked.

“Neh?”

“I’ve been talking to you for past minute. What are you thinking about?”

“It’s nothing. I’d like to return home today, if that’s okay with you.” She said to her parents.

“What’s the hurry? We haven’t seen you in months.” Her mother replied.

“Erm, I have some work I left pending. My shipment is coming in today and I need to be at the store to help display the designs.” She said. Her mother tilted her head and studied her, she always knew when she was lying. Her father was oblivious.

“If that’s the case, no problem.” Her father said folding up his newspaper and getting up from the table. “Have you visited your father-in-law yet?” he asked.

“Not yet, Wonssi and I have been so busy we haven’t had time to visit anyone. We haven’t been able to get away at the same time, when I’m free he’s busy and when he’s free I’m busy. I couldn’t put off visiting you anymore, that’s why I came by myself.” She explained. Her father nodded and left. She went into her room to pack and her mother followed her in.

“What’s the real reason you’re leaving so soon? And don’t say work because I know you’re lying.” Her mother sat on her bed.

Da-kyung pulled out her suitcase and began to pack her clothes. “Omma, what does it mean when a man says ‘the house is really quiet’?” she asked.

“What?”

“Wonssi called me and before he hung up he said ‘wait, the house is really quiet’. What does that mean?”

Her mum smiled a little, “Could it be that he misses you?”

Da-kyung looked at her mother like she had lost her mind. “Does that make sense Omma?”

“So, is that why you are in such a haste to return? Because your husband said the house was quiet without you?” her mother teased.

“I don’t think he said that because I was gone. He seemed really sad when he called though. I was worried.”

Her mother noticed that Da-kyung didn’t deny that she was leaving because of Won and she smiled to herself. Her poor daughter was beginning to like her husband.

Da-kyung was oblivious to the smile on her mother’s face, she was too consumed with thoughts of Kim Won. What made him call her so late last night? Why did he cry? Was he hurt? Did something happen? She needed to get home quickly.

“Sajangnim, Samonim has just returned.” One of the maids informed Won as he was having breakfast. He had woken up late this morning because he had gone to sleep late last night.

“Did I hear you correctly? Da-kyung is back?”

“Neh sajangnim. She is coming up to the house as we speak.”

Won nodded and dismissed the maid. She was back early. Was it because she was worried about him? He calmly got up from the table, his calm betraying the urgency in his heart. He went out and saw her coming up the driveway while talking to the maid carrying her bag. “Da-kyungssi.” He called out to her. She turned to him. He saw a look of shock flash across her face before it was replaced by a smile of relief. That’s when it hit him, his wife was really beautiful.

Da-kyung was out the door before the vehicle came to a full stop. A maid approached her and took her bag. “You’re back early samonim.” The maid said as they both walked up the driveway.

“What’s been happening in the house?” she asked.

“Nothing special. Everything has been fine, just as you left it three days ago.”

“Oh? What about Wonssi? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He has been a bit listless since you left but nothing out of the ordinary has happened.”

Da-kyung paused, ‘he didn’t sound okay last night. Why won’t he tell me what’s wrong with him?’ she thought to herself.

“Da-kyungssi.” She heard someone call her name. She looked up to see him standing at the door, dressed in a white cashmere sweater and black slacks. She was shocked t see him at the door. Was he waiting for her? He looked fine, not a trace of the pain she heard in his voice last night showing on his face. He even looked handsome. She smiled in relief, she was glad he was okay.

He closed the door behind him as he entered his bedroom after her. She placed her bag on the bed and immediately started unpacking.

“You’re back early.” He leaned against the door, arms folded across his chest.

“I was worried about you.” She stopped unpacking and turned to him, leaning on the bed frame.

“Worried about me? Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? Didn’t we decide to treat each other better? I have a right to worry about you, as your friend.” She said.

“I told you, it was nothing. You didn’t have to cut your visit short because of me.”

“Are you angry that I came back? Do you want me to leave?” she asked.

He didn’t want her to go, the house would become too quiet again. “No, I don’t want you to leave. Thank you for worrying about me.” He smiled and she smiled in return. ‘Dammit, she has a beautiful smile.’ He thught to himself.

“Do you want to tell me what that call was about last night?” She turned back to unpacking.

He didn’t respond and she turned back to see him running his hand through his hair. “Wonssi?”

“Hyun-joo.”

“What?”

“Hyun-joo called me last night.”

“What did she want?”

“She’s leaving. She wanted me to know that she was leaving. I might have overreacted a little to that but I’m over it now. I finally let her go.”

“Are you okay? It must have been hard for you.” She said. She felt the urge to put her arms around him and comfort him.  

“I’m okay now. I called you last night because I was such a mess.”

“It’s fine. We have to be there for each other at times like this. We promised each other right?” she said and smiled at him.

‘There was that smile again.’ He thought. He cleared his throat. “So, how was your trip?” he asked changing the subject.

Da-kyung was a little confused about the sudden change but she guessed he felt uncomfortable talking to her about his ex-girlfriend. She finished unpacking and returned her suitcase to the closet. “It was fine. Omma and Appa send their greetings. We have to make time to visit them together soon. Abeonim too, he must really miss home.”

Rachel flopped on her bed. The first few weeks of school had been really stressful. She didn’t have a problem with the course work because she was very smart and she didn’t have a problem with her class mates because she always stayed away from them but she was stressed out because she had so many things to study and on top of that Hyo-shin sunbae wouldn’t return her calls. She had taken a break and decided to come home to visit her mother this weekend. Her cell-phone began to ring. ‘Ugh, go away. I need to sleep.’ She thought to herself, wishing whoever was calling her would get the message and stop calling. The phone finally shut up and she sighed and snuggled deeper into her bed. Just then, she heard a knock on her door.

“Ah wae! Go away.”

“Rachel, you have a guest.” Her mother poked her head into her room.

“I don’t want to see anyone Omma. I’m tired and I need to sleep. Whoever it is can come back another day.” She said and waved at her mother trying to shoo her away.

“I think you’d want to come down.”

Rachel sighed and got out of bed. “This better be good.”

Rachel followed her mother down the stairs and stopped at the entrance of the living room. Lee Hyo-shin was sitting on the couch in his full army attire. She went slack-jawed and her mother patted her back. “I told you you’d want t come down. You two behave now.” She smiled and left them alone.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I came to see you.”

“You wouldn’t take my calls for weeks and then you just show up in my living room. What were you expecting that I’d just run into your arms and hug you?” She was angry, she missed him but she was really angry.

“I’m sorry Rachel. I couldn’t answer your calls even if I wanted to. Our phones were confiscated for weeks. Our new general is stricter than the last. I tried sending you letters but there was to be no outside communication for some time. My parents don’t even know that I’m on furlough, I came here straight away. I tried calling you to let you know I was coming but you wouldn’t answer. I really missed you a lot.”

“Your parents don’t know you’re out yet?” she felt all her anger dissipate; she had missed him too much to stay angry at him.

“No, I will go home as soon as I leave here.”

She sat next to him and he moved over to make room for her. “How was your first day at school?”  He asked and she caught him up on all that had happened since she went to school.

Later that evening, Hyo-shin and Rachel stood outside waiting for a cab. “Call me when you get home.” She said.

“I will.” A cab pulled up and he loaded his bag inside and sat down. Just before the cab driver drove off, he put his head out and kissed Rachel on the lips. “I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.” He said and indicated that the driver leave. Rachel put her fingers to her lips, shocked and then she smiled. He was naughty as always.

Hyo-shin arrived at his house and went in. The maid opened the door. “Master Hyo-shin.” She said and he put his finger on his lips, telling her to shush. He went into the living room and saw his mother sitting on an armchair and staring at her phone and his father sitting on the love seat looking lost in thought.

“I’m home.” He said.

They looked up at the same time. He could see anger on both their faces. “Why did you decide to come home now? You should have just stayed away forever.” His father yelled.

“How could you just leave like that? Do you know how worried we were? We thought something happened to you.” His mother said.

“You wouldn’t listen to me when I said I didn’t want to go to Law school. What other choice did I have?” he replied.

“So disappearing without a word is better? Your mother aged ten years when you were gone. Didn’t you even worry about how we might feel?” His father said again. The anger seemed to have left his voice and his mother looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“I’m sorry Omma, Abeoji. But I thought I needed to make a statement. I don’t want to go to law school. Please listen to me this time.”

After what seemed like an eternity, his father finally spoke. “Fine, you can do whatever you want. If it makes you happy.”

“Chincha? Chincha abeoji?” he said and started laughing. “Kamsahmnida. Cheongmal kamsahmnida abeoji.” He bowed to his father.

“Lee Hyo-shin, don’t you ever do that to me again. I was so afraid. I thought something bad at happened to you. And you didn’t call for weeks. We are so sorry for not listening to you.” His mother said and he hugged her.

“Mianhae Omma. Kumawoyo.”

Finally, things were beginning to fall into place. He couldn’t be happier.

Author’s note: Thank you everyone for subscribing and reading and commenting. I appreciate it a lot. I’m going to disappear for a while, but never fear I’ll be working on the story till I can post again. Which shouldn’t be too long, hopefully, I hope you enjoy the chapters I added. I had fun writing them.