Chapter 9

2 days later..

It has been the past two days Yonghwa didn’t come to accompany Joohyun at the resort. No news or any notification from him. Joohyun knows the reason why he didn’t come to accompany her, so she just let him do what he wants. She didn’t call or even send a message to him.

She keeps doing what her father asked. Supervising and monitoring the resort. She tried to do everything herself without the help of Yonghwa or Nari. She comes to the office at the resort in the morning and returned to her room in the late night. This is all she did during these days.

Yonghwa thought he needs some time to himself. He doesn’t want to meet her after the incident on the ship that day. He realized the feelings that he has for her is wrong. He needed time to think. Over the past two days he just take care his father in the hospital. His father’s condition is deteriorating, making him increasingly hard to leave his father. The more things he has to think.

Joohyun was seen not in a good condition today. Occasionally she looks massaging her forehead and leaned her back on the chair. So many reports that she had to check and make her so tired. She decided to get out of the office to breathe the fresh air.

"Agasshi.. Where do you want to go?" One of resort staff asked her who walked quickly out of the office.

She ignored that man. She just keeps walking out of the office and asks for the car keys were parked in the lobby of the resort. She was driving at high speed and makes the staffs worried. She didn’t know where she would go, she just drove quickly. All she wanted was free from tasks that curb her these days.

'Why I was born as heir of Seo Group?! Why I wasn’t born into an ordinary woman and I can love the man that my heart chose freely!’ She looks annoyed. She stepped on the gas pedal deeper.

Nari into the room that’s Joohyun used to work during at the resort. She saw the state of the room. No one there. Then she came out and asked to one of the staff, the staff told Nari that Joohyun is driving the car herself. Nari was panicked. She was afraid of Joohyun lost because she didn’t know the way in Busan. Nari confused to ask whom because no one knows where Joohyun goes and Joohyun’s phone is also not active.

Nari called someone. She was seen walking back and forth while waiting for an answer.

"Yoboseo.."

"Yoboseo.. Jung Yonghwa-sshi, is Seo agasshi with you?" She sounded very panicky.

"Agasshi??  No, I wasn’t with her. It has been the past two days I didn’t come to the resort. Why?" He swallowed. He began to panic.

"Agasshi is driving the car herself and I can’t contact her. I’m so worried. She doesn’t know about Busan. I'm afraid she will lost. And one of the staff said that she was driving at high speed. Where I should find her?"

"I think I know where she went. I’m looking for her. Calm down. I’ll give you the news as soon as possible." Yonghwa hung up. He saw his father’s face whose was sleeping soundly.

"Abeoji.. I'm going out for a while. I'll be right back." He whispered. Then he came out and entrusts his father to the nurse before he left the hospital.

Joohyun parked the car at the edge of the beach that looks so quiet. No other place she knew in Busan, she just could go to the beach where she and Yonghwa visited before. The beach looks so beautiful with white sand and the beautiful view around it.

She leaned her back against the car door. She inhale and exhale, she repeated as she closed her eyes. Occasionally seen she is holding her red skirt that blowing because the wind. Then she walks and sits on one of the benches located at the seaside. She lowered her head and looked at her fingers blankly.

Many things are in her mind and made her heart narrow. Within days she would be engaged with Minyuk but her heart still not sure. She wants to think clearly, but she can’t. However she tried to suggesting herself that Minyuk is the best man in her life.

The tears trickled one by one and make her red skirt wet. Then she felt relieved a bit. Now all she could do just cried. She can’t share what she feels to the others.

'Seo Joohyun.. Why are you so weak. Why are you just crying?' She is holding her chest that felt narrow.

"Agasshi.."

She wiped her tears quickly. She knows who was called her. Yonghwa walked over her. She didn’t turn her body to see him. Yonghwa just stood beside her. But she stood up and walked quickly left him.

"Agasshi..!" He gripped her wrist.

"What’s wrong?!"

"Don’t make the people around you worried. They’re looking for you everywhere. At least let them know where you go."

"They’re all my employees. It’s not your business! I'm not asking you to worry about me and looking for me!" She pulled her hand. She continued her step.

"SEO JOOHYUN! STOP!" He gripped her wrist again and this time more tightly.

"I'm not asking you to accompany me during in Busan.. My father asks you. You can go back to Seoul if you feel resorted to accompany me!!" She is trembling. Her tears ready to fall.

"And I know. You do this because my father gave you a lot of money. You care to me just because of money. Isn’t it?? And I think, you love me because of money, what I think is true??" She looks annoyed.

"Agasshi.." He felt like there were pierced inside his heart after hearing what she said.

"You don’t have to answer. I already know your answer." She walked quickly to her car. She wiped her tears that had fallen on her cheek.

"Seo Joohyun!" Yonghwa ran to pursue her and embraced her suddenly.

"That you think wasn’t right. I love you sincerely. I love you not because of money or not because of you’re the heir of Seo Group. But—now I realized that we’re different. We don’t match each other. Now I don’t need your answer. I know you will not love a man like me. During this time I was just too confident to think that you love me." He didn’t release her body. He hugged her tightly.

"But I’m going to answer now. Jung Yonghwa-sshi.. I don’t love you. You're just too confident as you said. I love Minhyuk, even I love him so much! I don’t want to lose him." She said with a trembling voice. She releases his arms.

"Agasshi.." He can’t say anything. He just looked into her eyes.

"Starting today, behave like the other employees. Our relationship is only an employment relationship. No more. I'm talking like this just to make it all CLEAR. As you want, right? You and I are just employment relationship. Remember this!" She continued to walk. Yonghwa wasn’t pursued further. He just saw her go and get into the car.

'Agasshi.. Thank you. Thank you to hit me that we didn’t quite match each other and thank you that you don’t love me..’ He is sitting on the bench, staring at the empty beach blankly.

In the Night

"Nari-yah .."

"Ne.. Agasshi.."

"I want to back to Seoul tomorrow. Please take care of everything."

"Ne?? but we still have 2 more days here, agasshi.."

"All the work has been completed. I did what my father wants. There’s no more reason for us to stay here any longer. I don’t like Busan, even I hate to Busan!"

"Sorry agasshi, but—but—Jung Yonghwa-sshi still have to stay here two more days, and we have to go back with him. This commands from Mr. Seo."

"I don’t want to go back with him!! I don’t want to meet him again!" Joohyun shouted and moved from her seat. She walked to the balcony.

"Agasshi.. what happened? Is there something wrong between you and Jung Yonghwa-sshi?"

"I don’t even want to hear his name again. Don’t mention his name in front of me from now on. Please.." her eyes glazed.

"Sorry agasshi.." Nari still stands behind Joohyun.

"Nari-yah.. if I wasn’t born as the heir of Seo Group, certainly I can love the man who my heart chose, right?"

"Agasshi.. If you’re born as an ordinary woman, probably you will not meet Jung Yonghwa-sshi, the man who your heart chose. Agasshi.. Sometimes we must fight for the love" Nari knows very well that the man who Joohyun mean is Yonghwa.

Nari left Joohyun alone on the balcony. Joohyun is crying again. She had tried to hold back her tears, but she can’t. The tears seemed to not be restrained again.

The hospital

Yonghwa is sitting in front of the room as holding a cup of black coffee. What Joohyun said always spinning in his mind and made him feel uncomfortable. Sung Shin, her mother came and sat beside him. She gently his back. She knows that her son was thinking about something.

"Yong.."

"Ne, eomma.."

"Your father is getting better today. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing eomma." Yonghwa tried to smile at his mother. He didn’t want his mother worried about him.

"Can I ask you something?" Sung Shin said cautiously.

"Yes.. What?"

"I saw a big box in your room. I saw the contents of the big box. Why did you put all the pictures and the stuffs of Seo Jin into that box?"

"I think.. This is  the right time to forget the past."

"Is there another woman who you love?"

"There should be."

"What do you mean?"

"There should be the woman who I love. But that woman wasn’t supposed to be I love."

"Why??"

"Because—because she doesn’t love me. Yes, because she doesn’t love me, eomma." He lied, he didn’t want to say the real reason.

"Just it? And you give up? Come on Yong.. You are Jung Yonghwa, a handsome man, a clever man, and you have the charm, no woman who is not in love with you. Fighting!" Sung Shin chuckled.

'I wish I could fight for this love.. But it's just useless. How strong I struggled still will not change the fate.’ He just looked down and starting at the floor.

Sung Shin left him who was still sitting alone on the bench. He thinks that now he should forget his love for Joohyun. He gave encouragement to himself.

'Jung Yonghwa, you can forget her!' He stood up and came into the room followed his mother.

In the morning