Jongin’s POV

“Welcome to Incheon Airport, Seoul, South Korea. The temperature is a surprising 20 degrees and there is not a cloud in the sky. We thank you for flying with us today and wish you a happy stay here in Korea. Good day.”

“Mr Kim, your country is so pretty!” Arisa chirped cutely and pressed her small nose against the window. “I have always wondered what Seoul looks like and I can see that it looks much more different than I thought it would. But I like it! I really do, Mr Kim.” She looked at me with a broad, nearly pleasurable, smile. I nodded my head like a stubborn, dull CEO and gulped the last of my champagne – naturally, we had flown first class to Korea. The aeroplane finally hit ground and we could start to the door. I sighed as I stepped on the familiar asphalt of my birth country and sighed even deeper when I recognised the language spoken by the inhabitants. Had I come to hate the country I was born in, grew up in and lived in all my life? Why? I waved to Arisa to follow me inside the actual airport, going through the thorough controls and lastly step through the arrival doors. I marched forward with determination, not wanting to stop and get emotional due to the people around me who reunited with their families. My family was not like that, would never be like that. The end. Nothing more to discuss. I got a hold of a cab and opened the door for Arisa who jumped in and then went in after her. “Where are we going to live, Mr Kim?” Arisa asked when I told the driver whereto we wanted to go. Even a few months after being in Japan, I took note of how unused I felt with speaking Korean again. I felt uneasy speaking it. My own mother tongue. Dear God, what is wrong with me?

“We are staying at a hotel,” I replied Arisa plainly. She gave me a short nod of her head and then turned to look out the window. I glanced at her, glad that she understood me so well. Because she knew the world of business, she could catch the small hints when I wanted to be her boss and not chitchat with her like we knew each other any deeper than that, and she didn’t get offended by my ‘cold’ way of acting towards her. I wondered what would happen if I fell for her instead of sometimes thinking about Mi Song who surely had moved on to Sehun by now. Would we work out or would it get disturbing to have your girlfriend working for you and vice versa? I shook the thoughts off my mind. Keep it professional, Jongin.

Half an hour later, we arrived to the hotel and I took the lead up to the reception and booked two rooms. Arisa giggled as I gave her the room key, causing me to frown. “What?” I inquired. Arisa took the key and made a cheeky toss of her head.

“I thought we were staying together, Mr Kim.” I raised a brow at her; not a hard one, just a small, almost insecure one as if she might have been right. I composed myself and then turned my heel around, walking towards my door. Then I heard something very disturbing: a giggle. It wasn’t the kind of giggle when someone has made a mistake and giggles and blushes. No, it was a teasing giggle, an ‘I know you want me’–kind of giggle. But once I had turned my head back to glare at her even more, she had already disappeared into her room. I looked around in a dumbfounded manner and started at my door again. Well inside the safety of my room, I dropped my briefcase on the floor and leaned to the door. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring her with me.

“She’s clearly not discreet with liking me,” I muttered to myself aloud. I perched my lips together while tapping my fingers against my thighs. “Okay,” I then decided, “enough of this and let’s get to business! First, contact Mirae. Secondly, meet my parents.” I heaved out a long, tired groan after the latter. I picked up my phone from the inner pocket of my jacket and dialled the home number I had to the two.

“Shen residence,” a voice that belonged to neither Luhan nor Mirae answered. I cleared my throat.

“Good day. My name is Kim Jongin. Who is it I am speaking to?” I asked politely.

“Jongin? Mirae’s brother?” I frowned. Who was this person who had answered? I frowned. I have heard this voice somewhere before...

“Yes.”                                                                

“Ah! It’s Weici! Luhan’s mother. Do you remember me?” the woman said, chuckling. “You sound so different... How is it going for you in Japan? I heard you are the CEO of your family’s company. Congratulations!” I was quite taken aback by the fact that Weici sounded so genuinely happy for me. Having met her on only a few occasions, I couldn’t guess what kind of impression she had of me; it was not certain that Mirae had spoken correctly about me since I now felt not even she knew who I was, or had become …

“Yes, I do remember you, Mrs Lu. Thank you. I am actually astounded myself of what I have managed to accomplish...”

“You are your father’s son. And you have struck me as very determined for your young age, you and your sister both. I figured it must be in your blood.”

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