Flashback: Four Years Ago (3rd Person POV) [San Francisco, California]

You're walking through the law firm you work at in San Francisco on your way to your office. You've come back from Japan after handling some matters for Keito and his family. As you walk through to your office, you're greeted by several admiring and envious collegues. After all, you're only an associate that does more than any partner at the firm. Making it to the office, you're greeted by two childhood friends. 

Nick: "You're late."

You: "No, I'm not. I'm 5 minutes early."

Michelle: "Learning to tell time, amazing."

You: "Ha. Ha. Ha. So, why are you two here?"

Michelle: "We can't just come here to see how our little prodigy is doing in his law firm?"

Nick: "After all, your grandfather has been asking when those stupid partners will let you take a seat at the table."

You: "Is that so? Well, after the news comes out of how much money I made the firm on my trip to Japan, I know for sure that I'll be the youngest partner in firm history."

Michelle: "Speaking of your grandfather, have you heard about his health?"

You: "Is he not well?"

Nick: "You're hopeless. Do you really not care about anyone outside of yourself?"

You: "And if I don't?"

Michelle: "Then you haven't changed a bit. Well, I guess you'd like to know that your grandfather has been on a variety of trips around the world? Last week he was in Switzerland, and the week before that, he was in Hong Kong. Rumor has it that he's not doing so well and he's been prepping his assets to be passed down to his family."

Nick: "That means that you'll be in line to inherit his investments and business."

You: "I'm not going to inherit any of that."

Michelle: "Why not?"

You: "Those are going to my father and brother. I'm not interested in any hand-me-downs."

Nick: "Always have been your own man. I guess your stubborness has helped you out in achieving a lot early in your career, but I still think you should reconsider. After all, you're the most qualified out of everyone else in your family. Even if your father is in the investment banking field and your brother is in med school. You are the one who should be running all of your grandfather's assets."

You: "Whatever. Can you two come back in two hours? I have a meeting to attend to."

With that, you left them in the room and made your way to one of the meeting rooms in the office.

Flashback: Four Years Ago (3rd Person POV) [Seoul, South Korea]

At the same time you were talking with Michelle and Nick, there was meeting occuring between four people all the way across the Pacific Ocean, in Seoul. The meeting is in a restaurant and it's between two families who have a history of doing business with each other. These two families are none other than the Jung family and yours. To represent the Jung family, Jessica's mother and father are present. For your family, your father and grandfather are present. While eating their dinner, they are also disscussing major issues in the future of both investment empires. 

Grandfather: "So, I take it that the investments in Hong Kong have gone well? I'd have like to play a steady role in the purchases, but I'm afraid that my health has been declining and I can't simply fly around like I used to."

Father: "Yes. We have a controlling stock in the company and should be breaking down the assets in the near future. Of course, while I did most of the dealings, the acquisition would be nothing without the generous aide that Mr. and Mrs. Jung so generously provided."

Mrs. Jung: "Please, don't flatter us. It's all business. We've been working with both of you for years now and it's only right that we helped you when you needed the funds."

Mr. Jung: "After all, who could forget the help you provided us on the purchase of land in San Francisco? We surely wouldn't have been able to complete the purchase without some of your help."

Grandfather: "Please, the pleasure is mine. Speaking of San Francisco, how is my grandson? Is he doing well at his law firm there? Rumor has it he had a key role in the establishment of a small investment empire in Japan."

Father: "So I've heard. Sad to admit, but I haven't had much contact with my son since he left the house to go off to college and law school. I'm sure the boy is doing well, he's been the more independent one of my sons, but my other son is finishing med school in the near future and should be well on his way to paving a strong career."

Mr. Jung: "It's great to hear that your sons are doing well. If it's anything, our daughters are have been achieving quite a lot in recent years. Our oldest, Sooyeon, has been making a name for herself in the music industry for some time now as a member of SNSD and our youngest, Soojung, has just debuted with her group, f(x)."

Mrs. Jung: "Yes, while they may not be as bright as your sons, we are still proud of our daughters and their talents."

Grandfather: "As you should be. Have you any plans for how to pass down the family business once the time comes that you're not able to run the investments?"

Mr. Jung: "My, that does sound mildly morbid. Well, we haven't put much thought into it, but I think we might have to sell our assets and just pass down the money to the girls. Do you have anything planned for when your time comes?"

Grandfather: "Actually, I do. My investment company and it's cash holdings will be passed down to my son and his youngest son."

Mrs. Jung: "And which son is that?"

Father: "The one in medical school."

Mrs. Jung: "Oh, I see. What of your oldest grandson?"

Grandfather: "While the other two get the business, my eldest grandson will be given the holdings of my company in Asia. I believe he'll be the most capable to run those investments by himself. He doesn't need my business to prop him up, he's more than capable of making his own name."

Mr. Jung: "You definitely have a lot of confidence in him."

Father: "Unfortunately, he has quite a bit too much..."

Mrs. Jung: "Don't be rediculous, you should be proud of your son."

Father: "I am. He's just a bit stubborn and self-centered, he could be a liability when it comes to handling investments. My other son on the other hand, he could be very valuable in running the business."

Grandfather: "Which is why you and him will take the business over. Now, I have a proposition."

Mr. Jung: "And that is?"

Grandfather: "Seeing as you have no apparent heir for your family investments, why don't we arrange something that wll ensure that both of our lines go on?"

Mr. Jung: "How exactly do you intend to achieve that?"

Grandfather: "We have had a great deal of history amongst our families. If I were to choose, your family is the one I would chose to combine with ours. In a sense, instead of continuing as business partners, why not consimate this relationship amongst us and make us one big family?"

Mr. Jung: "Are you talking about an arranged marriage between one of our daughters and one of your grandsons?"

Grandfather: "Exactly."

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Back To Present Time: 11:00 a.m. (Your POV) [Seoul, South Korea]

We finished moving Jessica's stuff in yesterday and we slept for most of the night. It's Saturday morning in Seoul and Jessica seems to have gotten up earlier than I did. I can hear and smell some cooking outside and I think I'll stay here in bed until she calls me over to eat breakfast. Feeling well these past few days, some extra sleep couldn't hurt, would it? 

Suddenly, I smelt some burning and I heard the condo's fire alarm go off. Instinctively, I ran out of the bedroom and ran towards Jessica in the kitchen.

You: "Jessica!?"

When I got there, I saw some smoke in the air and Jessica with a rather large pout on her face. Looking deeper at the situation, I saw a burnt thing in a pan and quickly understood what had happened. Assessing how to react, I went over to Jessica and tried to help her clean the mess up. 

You: "What happened?"

Jessica: "..."

You: "Jess, I won't get angry. What happened?"

Jessica: "I'm... not that good at cooking..."

You: "I can tell. Why didn't you just call me? I would've been glad to help you out."

Jessica: "I wanted to make something special... I thought it would be a quality you wanted in a wife..."

You: "Oh, come on. You don't have to do anything special for me. Just being with me and loving me is enough. Now, come on, let's get this cleaned up and cook something together. Okay?"

Jessica: "Okay..."

Cleaning up the mess she had made, I noticed that she had tried making her own pancakes. Good thing she chose something that I can actually cook, it's kind of sad how the both of us were relatively unskilled chefs. When we got the ingredients out again, I connected my phone to the condo's surround sound system and began playing some of the songs on my phone. Luckily, Jessica also liked older songs so we were able to get along as we fixed up our breakfast. When we finished, we set the table for the two of us and ate our non-burnt American breakfasts while talking. I still had to handle things with Taeyeon and Suzy, but there was something I wanted to do before all of that. After all, today was a very significant day for me.

You: "Jess?"

Jessica: "Yes oppa?"

You: "Can we go fly somewhere?"

Jessica: "Today!?"

You: "Yes. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Jessica: "How long will we be gone?"

You: "Not long, maybe a night? It's just going to be a little trip, no big deal."

Jessica: "Sure."

We finished our breakfast and quickly got dressed. I told her to dress well because I would take her out the moment we landed at our destination. Carrying only a suitcase to hold both of our belongings, we made our way to the airport. There, I bought a ticket to our destination and we went on the plane. 

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Flashback: Four Years Ago (3rd Person POV) [San Francisco, California]

It's been two weeks since your grandfather had a talk with Jessica's family. You're on your way to a dinner with your grandfather and father to catch up. Once you get to the venue, you make your way to the private room and see your grandfather and father already enjoying their dinner. 

You: "Didn't care to wait for me?"

Father: "Didn't care to arrive on time?"

You: "I had to put on a nice suit."

Grandfather: "Stop it. Both of you. Now, can we please enjoy this dinner? In peace?"

You: "So be it."

Grandfather: "Now, why did you buy that suit? You've barely made Senior Associate and you're already buying $2,300 suits? You should be saving your money for investments."

You: "I already have. I had an excess, so I decided to use it to indulge myself. After all, why not have a little fun every now and then?"

Grandfather: "You're a genius, have I ever told you that? I must say, there is nothing wrong with being happy."

Father: "Please, dad. Don't feed his ego and please don't feed this bad habit of his where he spends on luxury goods every chance he gets."

Grandfather: "As I was saying, there's nothing wrong with being happy. At the same time, buying a bunch of things doesn't ensure your happiness. You need to find something that isn't material that will complete you, I think that's what you truly need."

You: "Are you talking about marriage? I'm a bit too young for that grandfather..."

Grandfather: "You never know. Four years from now, you may find that person that matched you perfectly. When that time comes, you should be able to see what true happiness is. Look at me, I may have money and a mass of expensive things, but the thing I truly value is my family. One day, you'll find it, you'll find what it truly means to be happy."

You: "Why are you being so sentimental all of a sudden?"

Grandfather: "Because I'm getting old and I need to make sure my family is prepared for when my time comes. With that, I need to tell you something."

You: "I don't want the business."

Father: "Hey! That's no way to talk to your grandfather!"

You: "I'm speaking my mind."

Grandfather: "Son, let him speak. He's earned his right to be at the table, he also deserves the right to speak to us as equals. Now, lucky for you my grandson, I had no intention of leaving my business with you. In fact, you won't get a single share, but I still wouldn't leave you unattended."

You: "So, what do I get?"

Grandfather: "You get my real estate and other holding across Asia when you turn twenty-eight."

You: "Twenty-eight? Why twenty-eight?"

Grandfather: "By that time, I expect that you will have found true happiness in someone, not something."

Father: "I still don't think we should give it to him at such a young age, I should just handle the trust for him until I deem him ready to recieve the property."

Grandfather: "He'll be ready by then. Won't you?"

You: "Of course."

Flashback: Four Years Ago (3rd Person POV) [Hong Kong, China]

Two days after your meeting with your grandfather, he flew to his home in Hong Kong and is once again meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Jung, this time to discuss more pressing matters. Your father is there as well, but he isn't aware of why this meeting is occuring. As the four talk, they create new bonds to tie the family together. 

Mr. Jung: "So, is our agreement in place? Our daughter will marry your grandson?"

Grandfather: "Yes."

Mr. Jung: "When will this arrangement occur?"

Grandfather: "When my grandson turns twenty-eight, he will inherit all of my assets in Asia. At the same time, our agreement will take effect and my grandson will marry your daughter."

Father: "How come I was not consulted with this?"

Grandfather: "I decided this in the last few days because I feel like my time is coming. I made this descision in order to make sure that our businesses and our families would thrive on together."

Mrs. Jung: "It's so sad to hear that from an old friend. Please, take care of yourself, it would be too painful to see you go."

Grandfather: "Don't worry about me, I am old. It is only right that I pass on. For now, let us enjoy the new bond that will join our families for decades to come."

Mr. Jung: "So, our daughter will be marrying your grandson that is a lawyer? Not the doctor?"

Grandfather: "Yes."

Flashback: Four Years Ago (3rd Person POV) [San Francisco, California]

It's been a month since the meeting between the families and your grandfather's health had declined severly in that time. However, you had no idea of this and just kept living your life the way you always had. You're currently at the law firm walking into your office after a long morning meeting with some of your clients. As you walk into your office, you see Michelle sitting in front of your desk. 

You: "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Michelle: "I don't know how to say this..."

She got up and looked you straight in the face and stared into your eyes. 

You: "What is it? Just spit it out."

Michelle: "Your grandfather... he had a heart attack..."

She just nodded as she looked into your eyes. Turning to look over through the window onto the city streets, you held the tears in and just kept looking. 

Michelle: "I'm... so sorry...."

You: "It's okay..."

You wanted to cry, but you wouldn't allow that. Even now, in this most painful moment, you didn't let anyone see any weakness in you. The next day, you just went back to work as usual, as if nothing happened. No matter what, you were determined not to show any sign of caring. You never went to the funeral, you never visited the grave, all you did was sit there at night for weeks following his death, wallowing in your grief. 

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Back To Present Time: Three Hours After You and Jessica Left Seoul  (Your POV) [Hong Kong, China]

Jessica and I left Seoul some three hours ago and slept the majority of the plane ride here. I bought a ticket to Hong Kong because I wanted to introduce Jessica to somebody. Buying some scotch at a local liqour shop my grandfather used to buy his scotch from, we made our way to the cemetery. When we got there, Jessica and I made our way to a grave and I took the scotch and poured two glasses. Taking one, I started to cry as I drank. 

Jessica: "Oppa, who is this?"

You: "This is my grandfather's grave."

Jessica: "Why did you decide to come here today?"

You: "Today's my birthday..."

Jessica: "What? Oppa, how come you never told me? Why come here to mourn on your birthday? We should be celebrating!"

You: "It's also his death anniversary. Four years ago, today, he died. He died on my birthday."

Jessica: "I'm sorry to hear that..."

You: "It's okay... I never let myself cry about his passing, I've always brushed it off. Now, I feel like I can show myself being vulnurable because you're here. For once, I can let myself feel the grief I've kept inside all these years."

Jessica: "Oppa, you can cry if you want. I'll be here for you..."

With that, I let myself go and let the emotion take me over. Jessica did her best to console my weeping, but there was no stopping the immense feeling I had at that moment. In our confinement, we didn't notice someone walk up behind us. We only noticed their presence when a familiar voice spoke up.

Father: "Surprised to see you here..."

Noticing the voice, I immediately put my defenses up and became confrontational seeing as my father was here. I put my arm around Jessica to ensure her safety. 

You: "What are you doing here!?"

Father: "Well, he is my father... and it is his death anniversary..."

You: "You have some nerve talking to us after what you put us through."

Father: "Do you think I don't regret what I did!? I almost lost both of my sons that day! Don't you ever think that what happened that day is what I wanted! Now, I'm not here to open old wounds..."

You: "Then what are you here for!?"

Father: "It's also your birthday, son. Your 28th birthday. You do know what that incurs, right?"

You: "Of course, grandfather left me with his assets and I'm supposed to inherit them today."

Father: "There's also another clause in that inheritance..."

You: "And what is that?"

Father: "An arranged marriage."

You: "WHAT!?"

Father: "Well, unbeknownst to both you and Jessica, our families have known each other for a very long time now. In turn, your grandfather and Jessica's parents had arranged a marriage so that each of our investment empires would be able to survive the test of time. In order to achieve that, your grandfather arranged you to be married to their daughter once you inherit his assets."

You: "So, I'm supposed to marry Jessica? That's great!"

Father: "You're supposed to marry one of the Jung sisters..."

You: "Sisters?"

Jessica: "Yes oppa, I have a younger sister."

Father: "Son, I know you're happy now. I'd hate to say this, I really do. As a father, it hurt me to see my sons try to kill each other and it hurts me more to have to do this to my only living son... You have to take my word that this was not my doing... I really just want you to be happy, but the agreement... You're supposed to marry..."

You: "Who am I supposed to marry!?"

Father: "Son, you've fallen in love with Jung Sooyeon... but..."

You: "BUT!?"

Father: "... you're supposed to marry Jung Soojung..."