Capsule 3: We can only hope

J-group sky-high building at the central Seoul, South Korea

After that day, many things that he spent time talking with her would come to his mind when they had chances.

Just as when he relaxed his eyes from so much reading on paperwork. He rested his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes, listened to that talk in his mind. It felt so peaceful.

Today the board meeting was stressful as always, discussion about this and that to reach the plans and gain profit. His meeting with big client to close the monthly deal was depressed as hell and seminar with business partners was totally sick.

People in business had never been something merciful, never in a million years, he was sure.

It would not be as hard as this if he didn’t force himself this much. But well… he just wanted to prove to everyone that he came to this not because he was the heir and he didn’t want people to talk that he got only a pretty face.

And after a long day, he wanted some energizer or just one more cup of caffeine would do.

He pressed on office phone to call his secretary at the in front of his room.

“ShinHye-ssi, can you make me a cup of coffee?”

“Neh, I already prepare it though, Hwejang-nim” replied, the sweet voice as always

“Great! Then just bring it in”

It was one of secretary’s duties to know what kind of coffee her boss wanted.

And for the great JungYonghwa, it was always Americano cold coffee – to note that cold coffee was never the same thing with ice coffee. That why the secretary said she already prepared it, she made a cup of hot coffee, let it cool down and then here come a cold coffee her boss wanted.

Shinhye appeared in no time with that kind of coffee on her hand while Yonghwa was back to the same gesture on relaxing.

“Just put it there, thanks Shinhye-ssi” Yonghwa said with the eyes still closed, the head on the backrest.

“Neh” Shinhye followed his order and went back to her place.

The sound of the door shut closed was the sigh to let him know his privacy was back.

He opened his eyes, reached for the 6^th cup of cold coffee of today and sipped it.

For your information, every cup was his favorite cold coffee, to make it clear – the hot coffee that was left and became cold coffee by the matter of time.

Why that? Y, why? Who knew?

He though, was aware that he now preferred his privacy together with a cup of cold coffee over anything else.

But since when?

A year ago? Since the president thing was on his shoulder maybe.

But not exactly, his love for privacy was come last year but the cold coffee was with him all the way from the very begin.

He thought about it and then realized how fast time flied, how life happened and how many things were left behind, so many things…including memories.

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That whole week he was too busy with his work that he couldn’t manage himself to visit on his soon-to-be-under-his-fostering-girl.

Yonghwa felt sorry somehow but at least he had his man sent gifts to her frequently such as a box of expensive chocolate, a basket of fruits, and snacks. Something he thought every girl could love, even a bouquet of sunflowers which he thought it suited her.

Until the day Jonghyun called on to tell him the progress and the appointment on court’s first hearing case.

Then Jonghyun said he needed to check on the girl and discuss something with her doctor, so Yonghwa decided to tag along.

“Do you think of appearing at the court by yourself, you know what you could have someone in charge of you on the first time hearing the case” Jonghyun asked on the way to Yangpyeong inside his car, and he was a driver while Yonghwa was on the passenger seat.

“Well of course, why I need to have someone in charge of me when I can deal with my schedule finely” Yonghwa said in the matter of fact.

“What’s about the press then? I beware of that and especially when SeoJuhyun will be there to have the court check up as well. You didn’t want this to leak out, didn’t you?”

“I pay my price on privacy very well, friend” Yonghwa replied then got himself busy with music CDs in Jonghyun’s collection, he tried to find some to his taste in a bunch of music albums

“Good then, because I’m worried on that girl though, have a chaebol foster maybe a jackpot but if the press dig and find out on her illness that would be the ruined life”

“Such a very nice of you” Yonghwa playfully praised and ended up find Bon Jovi’s CD to his taste. Next, he had to deal with Jonghyun’s outdated car CD player.

“It’s just when I decided to help, I help with all my might. But I’m just doing my job after all.” Jonghyun fixed his eyes on the road while said. He never gets used to kind of praise, prize, honor, or else which people would dying for, but not him. He liked to keep a low profile.

“And yes, that is such a very nice of you” Yonghwa said while troubled with CD player when the disc drive didn’t get in as it should.

“No, not that all, you know what I went to hospital several times to work on her document but I never tried to talk with her, that girl scared me somehow.”

“You mean you’re scared of her? How comes?” Yonghwa found that funny while he pushed hard on the disc drive.

“Or maybe that place not her. When I was done with my task, I immediately rushed back, so I never talked to her. Hey! Stop that dude! You will only break my asset” Jonghyun then made rich friend stop and took care of that stuff by himself. It was not Yonghwa’s fault thought, it because this car and the CD player was really old. Jonghyun seemed to love old stuff like this.

“Go talk to her, she is sweet, you will like her” Yonghwa said in suggesting tone

Jonghyun chocked like something attacked “Sweet? Doesn’t sound right to my ears”

“So what are you expecting to hear?” Yonghwa was a bit annoyed.

When it came to something around SeoJuhyun, his friend became so girly and that annoyed him.

Yonghwa knew it was just because Jonghyun’s work, his friend didn’t easily trust anyone. But he wanted this to be over really soon.

“I don’t know. Inside my head, I kept thinking she is insane” Jonghyun bluntly said.

“No, she is saner than you” Yonghwa said but the music was started covering up his voice.

“What did you say?” Jonghyun was completely unaware that he was target of his friend’s abuse.

“I said she was saner than you” Yonghwa raised his voice a bit, he meant it.

“What? Again, I can’t hear” Jonghyun asked, this time turned the volume down.

“Forget it. Just focused on your drive, will you?” Yonghwa let the thing slip because he didn’t want himself to be bothered by this childish war.

“Tsk…I don’t know what you said, but I’m sure it wasn’t good on me” Jonghyun gave his sharp gazed on Yonghwa.

“Jonghyun, these day you‘re over thinking just like your wife” Yonghwa tried to change the topic to something about his friend’s personal life; it was a good choice to him.

“My wife? Well..I think so. ‘Like husband like wife’ is always true”

“How were they doing; Taeyeon and Chaeyeon?”

Well..for your information Jonghyun was a married man and a farther of 4 year-old girl.

And yes, his wife is Kim Taeyeon, and his baby girl or so-called little princess named Lee Chaeyeon (or Chaechae beegung)

“They are doing…indie as always” Jonghyun rolled his eyes.

You had to know Lee family came with the word ‘indie’ which is a short term of independent, like indie rock star, yeah something like that.  It meant they never cared so much for mainstream trends, never followed anyone’s path. They do whatever they want to do, they are totally got their own style which never alike anyone else. And that was doing ‘indie’ (definition of word by me XD)

Jonghyun also was something like that (Are you aware?)

“Serve you right. Indie daddy” Yonghwa smiled

“Chaechae talks so much now. I like that but sometimes I can’t stay catch up with her words and she would ask me ‘Appa! Comment something ’. So what should I say? I really didn’t get what she up for 5 minutes”

“And then you would kiss on her cheek and carry her to find something else to distract her, I think I could picture that”

“Right, you know me” Jonghyun accepted

But somehow Jonghyun wondered, did he know this rich friend enough?

Yonghwa seemed like he had so much in his mind and had nothing at the same time. But he didn’t share his inside to others much, except it was about work.

“Did you hear on Minhyuk? That punk is soon to be father, too” Yonghwa smiled when thought of his dongsaeng – Kung Minhyuk, who was already married to Krystal Jung, a super rich chaebol who well known as one of two famous Jungsis.

“Jinjja? Soojung-ssi is pregnant already, but last week I saw her picture on the fashion show, still on the super high-heeled” Jonghyun said surprisingly.

“I guess it will stop soon or else we will see kind Minhyuk become pissed”

“Or cry and beg on his wife”

Then two friends blurted out their laughter.

“Well…about another punk, did you see his new girlfriend? He sent the picture to my phone straight from Paris; this time was super hot model” Jonghyun told about another dongseang, yes who else, it was Lee Jungshin, happy virus Jungshin.

Now the maknae worked as a famous photographer in Paris. As always was so y, free, and never be single for long, but never tight a knot with anyone, besides changed his girlfriend every month.

That was LeeJungshin.

“Not surprised though, last time I warned him ‘Don’t dare to send any picture of you and your girlfriend to me’ and I got a daily message trolling on me instead, tsk what should I do with Leejungshin”

“Well..I guess we can only let him be. Let’s see, you and he who will get married first” Jonghyun knowingly turned the wheel to the man next to him “Any plan come up soon, huh?”

“What plan?”

“Marriage”

“Nope, not at all”

“Hey, You know what Korean women, perhaps many women around Asia prepared themselves for heartbreaking for how long. Have mercy on them, friend.”

“What mercy? Should I marry them all?”

“Tsk, don’t play poker face! I mean everyone know, for these two years you have been going out with Korean national angel, ImYoonA-ssi”

“And what then?”

“What then? What what‼ Do the whole country and I misunderstand that you and Yoona-ssi were dating”

“Yes, you and not sure it’s whole country, I never say I’m dating YoonA and she never say that, too”

“But…but you both-“

“We are fine in what we are”

After that Yonghwa seemed focused on music and didn’t feel like talking.

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Seonhwa mental hospital at Yangpyeong county, Gyeonggi province, South Korea

Yonghwa and Jonghyun followed behind a nurse to any place Juhyun would be.

“Juhyun-ah, see who coming” The nurse shouted when stop in the middle of the park, under the big tree.

Jonghyun tried to look around but couldn’t find anyone. Is she behind the tree? He asked to himself.

But then he looked up at caught his eyes on someone sitting on the tree branch, he got a little shock by unexpectation and by the girl’s look.

She looked like a goddess in the deep forest, sat on the tree with the little yellow flower clown around her head while swayed her legs slowly. Then she turned to check on who came and a wide smile plastered on her face immediately.

“Yonghwa samchoen!” Juhyun called out loudly and lively from above. She seemed so happy.

The way she called Yonghwa caught Jonghyun off guard somehow. It seemed like they both were close, by how? Since when?

“What are you doing up there, Juhyun?” Yonghwa asked the girl.

“I’m acting as a tree, samchoen. I’m a Juhyun tree” Juhyun told with a beautiful smile.

“Keudae? And how can the Juhyun tree get down from there? Here, take my help” Yonghwa raised his two hand up in the air, His hands didn’t reach her but he sure could catch her from that height.

This scene was what Jonghyun didn’t really expect, well…he wasn’t sure what he expected but it would never get close to something like this.

Jonghyun was dumbfounded.

He could only ask himself this was still in the safety zone, huh? No string attachment, huh?

Well…somehow the thought of Yonghwa being with a 13 year-younger girl as a couple didn’t do him good, especially when that girl ever had mental illness and was going to be under Yonghwa’s fostering.

But that was what haunting Jonghyun every now and then.

“Kamsahamnida, samcheon” Juhyun said sweetly when her get on her feet safely by Yonghwa catching her torso and put her down.

“You are mischievous also, Juhyun-ah” Yonghwa smiled then ruffled her hair with his hand.

Juhyun was stern “Ah..really? samcheom! You messed my hair and then I need to rearrange it and bother with my clown again”

“Serve you right, mischievous girl”

“I thought you already changed your mind on taking me with you, you went missing in action for pretty long” Juhyun said while took out hairpins that hitched her clown on her head to rearrange her hair as she said.

“Yes, I thought of that sometimes” He and then moved closer to help her get a dozen of hairpins out “But I’m scared that you may ask Junhyung ghost to haunt me down” This was sure to be his sense of humor on new level.

Juhyun chuckled “Uwah…Yonghwa samcheon. Now you really can make fun of death person”

“Like you ever said ‘because we are alive’ and yeah it’s your effort to nag on me last time”

And then their laughter filled the air while someone still rooted on place and was totally forgotten.

“This is not ordinary! It’s beyond extraordinary! It’s beyond imagination!” Jonghyun said out much to himself.

Yonghwa and Juhyun then realized Jonghyun was there.

“Who is him, samcheon?” Juhyun asked curiously.

“Just an acquaintance, I took him here to get some antipsychotic pills. He run out of it and might get nut soon” Yonghwa now made fun of his friend.

“You mean he is insane like me?” Juhyun asked while poked her face to Yonghwa and had one hand cover the side of in a gossipy way.

“No, I think his case was much more severed. We are hopeless” Yong hwa also acted like her on gossiping that.

“Stop it‼ Will you?? Yonghwa! You are insane though not me‼” Jonghyun yelled to his friend and turned to Juhyun “Hello Juhyun-ssi, I’m Lee Jonghyun, the attorney who in charge on your case” He informed her.

“Oh..this is Jonghyun-ssi” Juhyun suddenly realized who he was because Yonghwa already talked about Jonghyun “Nice to meet you, Jonghyun-ssi. Please take care of me, sir” Juhyun bowed low to Jonghyun

“Wait‼ Why didn’t you bow to me like this, Juhyun” Yonghwa grabbed one of Juhyun’s shoulder and asked.

“Well…Because Jonghyun didn’t seem to like me. So I need to behave, am I doing it right, samcheon?”

“Fine then. And yes, you are doing it well, good girl” Yonghwa praised her with a smile plastered on his handsome face.

“Who told you I didn’t like you?” Jonghyun asked to Juhyun curiously and somehow regretted on that fact.

But Yonghwa cut in “I told her because she kept worrying on people she might meet, she was so afraid that she would trouble me”

By that Jonghyun totally regretted on how selfish he was to this girl, even selfish word was a half truth.

“Should we get inside, Juhyun? It may rain. And no need to be worried over anyone, no matter who like or dislike you. You are fine by your own, got it?” said Yonghwa to Juhyun.

She nodded and then they both walked away from Jonghyun’s sight.

Jonghyun felt as if the earthquake occurred beneath his feet, and then the aftershocks knocked in one after one for, like, 15 minutes ago.

Truthfully, all those effects were from his friend, and what should he say?

He was still dumfounded and had no idea how comes those two became THAT close.

One thing he was always sure, Yonghwa could have so much influence on anyone around him, but what happened awhile ago, could he called Yonghwa’s effects or else?

Anyway, there was nothing Jonghyun could do, right?

……………

While Yonghwa and Juhyun were chatting like they knew each other the whole life, Jonghyun couldn’t help but stop a nurse who happened to walk pass to get information. In a small hospital like this, he was sure he didn’t need the specific nurse.

“Excuse me, miss, can you tell me? Did Yonghwa-ssi come here frequently?” Jonghyun asked to the nurse.

“Ah Yonghwa-ssi..as I remember he came only once”

“Just once?!”

“Neh, just once around week ago but he went on talking with Juhyun a whole daylight”

“Keudae” Jonghyun’s face was dumbfounded that the nurse felt like laughing on him, but she didn’t want to be impolite.

“It’s simple, sir. Juhyun is always sweet and good on talking, everyone here adores her wholeheartedly.”

But she is insane! That little voice still existed somewhere inside his head.

“She won’t be here longer, it’s good to her. But we would miss her sweet voice, her smile and her laughter so much” The nurse said in missing tone while looked at the girl’s slim figure longingly from afar.

Jonghyun then decided to be mind-opened. He told himself to look at the girl on bright side from now on.

“Sir, should I get going” The nurse asked Jonghyun.

“Yes please. Thanks for information, miss”

Then the nurse went on her way.

And after that, Jonghyun got himself busy talking with Juhyun’s doctor, since the doctor willingly to help on his side from the very beginning. It’s one of doctors’ duties to support patients to get back to societies and lived normal lives just like anybody else.

Mental illness is not a crime; it’s the dysfunctional incorporated in complex mind-body. And the mentally ills could not to be blame or banded from societies when they do no harm.

Like Dr. Park always wanted this for Juhyun for 2 years long since she completely recovered from her sickness, which was major depression in childhood, one that occurred in children worldwide. He still remembered the day 16 year-old Juhyun was admitted to hospital. She couldn’t think properly but sat still and tried to dig her nails into her hand until it bleed and then she screamed.

The report from the police officer though, said she tried to kill someone else, her grandfather to be exact.

That made it harder on her case.

Until now the old dr. just couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the family’s deal because the girl’s grandfather who own the case never showed up and asked for taking her back except pay for her medical fee.

What’s inside people’s mind, who could tell?

Even for several time, Yonghwa tried to contact that old man just to talk in civility and discuss on his intent, every time it ended with rejection no matter what by the old Seo.

That was how thing went straight to the court eventually.

And then Yonghwa walked in to discuss the case also that was how he felt sorry to Juhyun much more.

4 years ago, after the funeral of his seonbe, he flied back to finish his master degree on business and management at Stanford university, America that was why he lost tract on what happened to the Seo family, the girl and old man, only two as he knew were left, before it turned out this way – family completely fell apart.

And now, after 4 year he came to rescue her as you see, but not exactly, there were much more about what you couldn’t see, YET.

For Juhyun, even she was trapped in this place for that long, but nothing could trap her innocent and curious soul. She told Yonghwa that she was traveling everyday by the books she so loved to read.

And that made Yonghwa adore her even more.

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“I’m going to take her out on trip or shopping sometimes” Yonghwa said on the way back to Seoul.

Jonghyun turned to look at his friend with serious face “No, you can’t, it’s not good for the case since we had no clue what the opponents want. Maybe they will get that point to claim on inducement and that weighs a lot”

“What if she wants it herself, so they couldn’t tell I bribe her, right?”

“Not that’s easy, friend. The arguments will argue just as haters will hate”

“Wow wise word of the day! But don’t tell me you can’t make it right. The law is only thing aside politic that could turn black to white and vice versa or white to fancy, so the attorneys do magic as I concluded” Yonghwa mocked, this skill came when he immersed with the business people too much.

“Right, the law is not straightforward as it should. But can’t the business man wait until the first hearing case? Then the attorney will do magic on asking the court for that. I’m sure the court would do mercy on a lost girl and that will be a compromise” Jonghyun replied in mocking tone as an eye for an eye.

It was a fun match between two friends, the business man and the attorney, but they both were on the same side.

Sometimes they did it as exercise and it was more interesting, right?

“Deal” Yonghwa grinned

So now the attorney came to compromise and the business man could close the deal.

“Can I ask you something, business man?” Jonghyun asked.

“Sure, go ahead, attorney Lee”

“You think about Seojuhyun just as your niece and no other relationships aside, huh?” Jonghyun asked straightforwardly this time.

“Yes, she becomes my niece” Yonghwa replied calmly with serious tone.

Jonghyun couldn’t find any hesitation in that voice or in his eyes. So he came to the conclusion he could trust Yonghwa’s word ever “Okay then”

But somehow it was still haunting him, the thought of two people falling in love for each other since he is a man and she is a girl…a lovely girl than any girl in history. And now they were become close and soon were going to live under the same roof in case everything worked.

Why he felt something bother, because he knew very well that in elite high-class society, chaebol should marry chaebol, or the famous stars, model, any other else in same level, right?

And that what he expect to see from Yonghwa.

Not just because Yonghwa was his best friend, or his boss, but Lee family was chained to stay loyal to Jung family ever since the pass ten decades, he was told that ever and ever again.

The origin of two families was from Pusan and there was a lot to tell in one page, so we will leave that to the point.

Jonghyun knew Yonghwa since they were young. And Yonghwa treated him as a best friend no matter what he should be even they never went to same school.

Jonghyun went to public school while Yonghwa would go to the elite private school. Jonghyun went to the best law school in country while Yonghwa accomplished his bachelor degree on civil engineer in America.

Jonghyun introduce Jungshin to Yonghwa, while Yonghwa introduce Minhyuk  to Jonghyun and four of them became the mutual friends who always hang out together if they had chance, and they even formed a music band named CNBLUE which played at the club sometimes

Four of them enrolled for army at the same time. After got out from army, lives felt more real and tougher and they could rarely meet.

Yonghwa worked at the J-group from time to time before went to study on business and management as said, and back to prepare himself for the president position and the rest was history.

Jonghyun worked as attorney in his uncle law firm that was a part of J-group’s money supporting. And married his senior from college – Kim Taeyeon, a student in art department who was 1 year-older than him, and made him court on her for how long before they were get married and came the most lovely baby girl alive on earth, Lee Chaeyeon. And now Jonghyun was the head attorney in law division of J-group Corporation as you see.

Minhyuk who met Yonghwa at high school studied on marketing in bachelor degree and now worked as the marketing director at the biggest mall in South Korean, one of his family’s business braches. He married JungSoojung or Krystal Jung, his chaebol girlfriend from high school who was the youngest heir in importing industry of luxury cars, cosmetics, clothing, and many more. And now he would soon to be farther of their first child. Chukkahae, Minhyukkie!

Jungshin who wasn’t much rich just like Jonghyun but he was totally cool on what he had. He met Jonghyun at Junior high and became a personal prankster of Jonghyun but since he knew those rich friends, he then promoted himself to be the no.1 prankster of nation, and maknae of CNBLUE. But big thanks to his funny, kind, and sometimes childish manners, he said he bring the glory period to CNBLUE which yeah was kinda true. And he said it was too wasted to rush and push on marriage at this young life, that why he spent time enjoying his free life and kept traveling and collecting his skills on photographing. And now he was a famous photographer who chose to work on whatever he wanted.

And that the brief story of four of them.

It sounded good, huh?

Jonghyun thought if he could he would end the story with ‘…And then we all live happily ever after’

But that was not true, and the story didn’t seem to end yet. (Truth be told, it was still at the 3^rd chapter.)

Jonghyun doubted if there was such a silver lining waiting ahead... for his friend though, and that girl also.

His friend, this great JongYonghwa who seemed to live in grief of losing something important

..Happiness

..Perhaps

That girl, the lone girl in the far lost place who was left and completely neglected by her relatives and had no one come to rescue her

..But now someone came.

..And no one knew where they would go

And well, who knew there was the silver lining waiting ahead or not…

But since life happened like this, only heading forward, so we should hope for that silver lining, something beautiful and glory at the end, should we?

Yeah.. we should hope…and we could hope.

Hope was good after all.

Or else..

We could only hope though.

We can only hope

A/N

This is gonna be the last update for today

I updated 3 chapters straight because I have time and I guess next update is not gonna come soon

So, I decided to leave you here :')

Please looking forwards to next

and comments will be apprciated

thanks guys