p a r t : f o u r
BOUNCE BACK

“Irene… I’m sorry to say this but starting from tomorrow, you’re no longer belong to The Blue Moon”

“Am I… Am I fired?”

Irene believed she was the victim and that reflexive slapping action — sorry not sorry — was coming out from her automatic self-defense mechanism. If not, most probably that Lee ert Hyukjae would’ve touched other parts of her body. To top it off, any guests, including the vvip, were not allowed to touch any hostesses without a consent of agreement and Hyukjae obviously didn’t even ask for permission in the first place. She didn’t understand why she’s likely to put on a wrong side and bitterly fired. 

This is definitely not the justice she was hoping for. She thought The Blue Moon management would defend her but she’s wrong. It’s almost like a typical unwritten corporate rule, that those who had more money and influence would win. 

Meanwhile, all the whine she’s about to say was just frozen in the tip of her tongue when Hyukjae said that it’s an absolute command from Chairman Lee himself — to kick her off.

“Oh well… “

As she’s thinking about it again, she remembered she refused to be his companion and she caused a trouble in his place. It wouldn’t be surprised anymore that he found no advantage  to keep her.

“Alright, Mangaer Suh, I got it” Irene said firmly while hiding her disappointment. 

“Honestly, it’s hard for me too to work in a place full of ert. Thank you and I’ll excuse myself now” Irene said casually, bowed to him and then walked away.

“Did she just say it’s a place full of ert? Well, she’s not wrong though” Johnny talked to himself as watching her get out from his office.

Irene was not the type who cried over her misfortune. She left The Blue Moon while Joy was crying over it. 

•••

It’s been a few days, she’s constantly rack her brain upon what to do next? How could she get another job soon? What kind of job she could get? She wished Donghae didn’t fire her. 

Those thoughts were exactly what’s swimming in her hectic mind right now, contrary to the way she was sitting solemnly in the park bench. She was alone, accompanied by a cartoon of banana milk and a sad looking soggy sandwich she brought a while ago in a discount section of a convenience store near her small and humble apartment her brunch.

As a new comer in Seoul who had limited knowledge about the neighborhood, a while ago Irene asked the cashier for where to find a nice and entrance free-free place to relaxed and chilled.

So there she was, taking that cashier’s advice and followed the directions to a park. It’s not disappointing though, that’s a great place. It’s right beside a building that looked nice and grand. 

••• 

Meanwhile, Donghae was having a business meeting in a private restaurant. He would normally think of work-related matters at that point, as he should, but no he’s not. It’s like an uninvited thought when suddenly the image of Irene creeped into his mind. The very same girl he entirely aware he kicked out from The Blue Moon a few days ago. The very same girl who rejected him. 

His eyes were scanning to the outside and laid his eyes on the bench that was occupied by a girl in a baby blue knitted shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair of sneakers. He could see the girl clearly from the third floor. As clear as he could see her ponytails.

For some reason, Donghae kept an eye to the girl because somehow she resembled Irene. He smirked because by now he was sure that he’s out of his mind. 

The weather was nice and the wind blew nicely. Once in a while, the wind swept that girl’s face harder in a way made her deflect her head to the opposite direction from where the wind came, the same direction to where Donghae was. 

That way, he could see that girl’s face better and suddenly butterflies were flying in his stomach and lifted the corners of his lips into a compressed smile. She’s not only looked like Irene, but she was indeed Irene. She wore no make up and totally different style of dress compared to when she’s working in The Blue Moon but Donghae recognized her. 

“What a small world, Irene!” Donghae whispered while kept looking at her who’s still struggling with the wind.

“Yes? Did you just talk to me, Chairman Lee?” His business partner asked. 

“No, nevermind” he said, was now feeling like a foolish but he liked it, it’s a new thing for him.

It’s just one or two minutes Donghae looked away from Irene to pay attention to his business partner, but when he glanced again to the bench, he found nobody. He frowned as his eyes scanned around but she’s not there anymore. 

Donghae didn’t notice when Irene left from the bench but he saw something that most probably belong to her and he had no idea why she left it, a 14x17 inch sketchbook. 

•••

A while ago…

Just after she’s thankful that at least the clear blue sky and the perfect temperature chose to lighten up her day, seconds after, as if the universe didn’t allow her to savor the least joy she had on that day, she got a phone call from one of her relatives in her hometown.

A single call that made her heart dropped and hurriedly run back home. 

“Hyun! Where are you? Can you go home now? Your mom…”

••• 

Donghae was back in his car after the meeting and was ready to head back to Jaesan Group Headquarters. As easy as it could be for him, soon as he was seated, his driver handed him the sketchbook. 

Once it’s already on his hands, Donghae straightforwardly opened it up. For each pages he flipped, he saw drawings. Not just any drawings, it’s like she’s been doing it for her whole life. 

As he immersed in the drawings, he noticed something. Irene always put an initial on the corner of the page, written as Baebae. He’s almost chuckling because he thought it was a childish nick name. He flipped again and came to a page with some notes as rough sketch for Baebae Modern Art Gallery.

“What is Baebae Modern Art Gallery?” He questioned himself. He’s now aware that everything about Irene made him curious. 

So, he tried to look up online because it’s the least thing he could do at the moment. He didn’t expect much but turned out what he found out was blowing his mind away. 

“Bingo!” Donghae snapped and smiled smugly.

A moment later, he took his phone and pressed a shortcut to Kim Doyoung, his secretary in Jaesan Group Headquarter.

“Prepare a meeting now, I got a new masterpiece idea” he commanded.

“Irene, you’re my lucky charm”  he voiced inside his head and the rest of his day felt so great.

••• 

“What happened to my mom?”

“She’s in the hospital. She fell down this morning in her house and passed out. Can you come home?”

Irene was now in a train, she didn’t bother to stop by her tiny apartment to bring anything, she just wanted to get home as fast as possible. 

It’s still vivid in her mind the day she lost her father and even the pain was still fresh in her memory. Her thoughts consumed by the fear of losing her mother as well because at that point she might can’t take anymore lost.

“Please, not my mom… She’s all I got…”

••• 

As soon as Irene touched down her hometown, she went straight to the hospital where her mom was treated. She started to shed tears while running to hug her mom. 

“It’s alright, Hyun. I’m okay” her mom consoled her but hesitated to hug her back because physical touch was not her love language. 

“You’re hospitalized, how can you’re alright?” Irene was still overwhelmed by her dread and refused to let go off of her hug.

As Irene spoke to the doctor, she was told that her mother should undergo a surgery because she had appendicitis. 

Irene’s mom insisted that she didn’t need that surgery. It’s absolutely nonsense for Irene because her mother literally was in pain. The doctor said, without the surgery, her health condition would be worsening and it’s a sure thing that she’d collapsed again as that day. 

“We don’t have money, Hyun! We’re in debt and we don’t need to add more. I can take pills and I’ll be fine” said her mother.

Irene sighed as she felt useless as a daughter who couldn’t afford a better health care for her parents. She couldn’t even say that she’s just fired and still in a seek for another job. 

In that desperation, with chaotic thoughts and filled with worries, she couldn’t think of anything else other than to get money – a lot of money.

“I can get a loan from my company, mom. I heard they had loan facility for the workers. I can pay monthly from my salary”  she lied.

“No, Hyun…”

“Mom, please…”

After some time of persuasion, at last, her mom agreed to arrange the surgery. Irene relieved but honestly not really because when she lied about the company loan, actually, she’s ridiculously thinking of her ex boss, 

Lee Donghae. 

•••