Chapter 4: Meeting you.

Soeun walked across the ballroom, as she headed towards the doors. The thick atmosphere of the room mixed in with the chatter and music that Soeun found quite irritating.  She was already imagining what Mr. Jung would do to her for leaving the auction so soon. However, her will to leave the auction, was greater than the will to stay. Her heels made a small sound as it collided with the marble floor as she walked towards the exit. Soeun descended the stairs, her coat in one hand, and her purse in the other, while she pursed her lips in anger. ‘If it wasn’t for that – that – brat.’ Soeun silently thought, cursing Junho.  She looked down at her phone as she started to call her driver.

~ ~ ~

Junho slid his hands into his pockets. The water trickled down the fountain as he sat down on the bench where Soeun had been seated before he had arrived. It was quite amusing thinking about her. He remembered her pursed lips form as she got angry. Despite the fact that she was quite irritating, it seemed like she had grown on him.  

Maybe he liked her?

Maybe she was different from the rest?

Junho laughed at himself. The thought of actually falling in love was far from what he expected in life. People only marry for two reasons.

1.     Fame and fortune

2.     Pure Lust

It wasn’t something he wanted to invest his time on anyway. His marriage was only to be made so they can expand their company, and to create a new heir. What was the point of love anyway? So women can expect flowers at their bedside table each morning? So men can take the advantages of a woman? Junho scoffed.

Love.

Doesn’t.

Last.

For the sake of it, love probably doesn’t even exist. Love at first sight? Ha!

No such thing.

His hands shuffled in deeper into his pockets, as the atmosphere became cooler. The smell of wine and food, crossed over towards the garden, as sounds of laughter came through the doors and windows.

“Who was that?” Wooyoung asked as he rubbed the red lipstick mark off his own lips. He turned around only to see Wooyoung standing behind him as he stopped Junho’s deep downward spiral of thought.

“What do you mean?”

      “That girl you were with before.” Wooyoung questioned. Junho could feel his arms tense. He wasn’t expecting that sort of question coming out of Wooyoung. Sure, they were best friends, but Wooyoung would never ask him about the women he hung around with.

“No one.” Junho replied as he looked back at the fountain. “It didn’t look like no one to me.” Wooyoung smirked as he lightly nudged Junho’s shoulder.

     “Says the one who’s been playing around.” Junho replied as he poked the red mark at the corner of Wooyoung’s cheek.

Wooyoung was always, somewhat, like, a….chick magnet. The ladies would always swarm around him as he began to give off his ruthless smile. He was the life of a party. Like him, Wooyoung had a perfect background. He had the perfect family, the perfect life. Yet just like Junho, the thought of ‘falling in love’ was something he was never going to waste his time on.

He slightly touched the surface of where Junho poked at. The red lipstick that had just been planted on him was still there.

   “See, it’s the things like this that tick me off about women.” Wooyoung said as he vigorously scrubbed it off with his hands.

Junho put on a mere smile, as he stood up and started to walk back to the reception hall. “Yah, where are you going?” Wooyoung called out.

“Back to the hall, my mother is probably waiting for me.”

Wooyoung laughed at the thought of Junho actually obeying his parents. Never once had he obeyed them, let alone worry about them. What made this occasion so different? “I guess marriage does change you.” He teased with a smirk. Junho, kept on walking ignoring what his friend implied.

It wasn’t that his marriage had changed him. To be honest, he didn’t care less.

It was the thought of breaking that one promise he made years ago.

~ ~ ~

“Miss. Kim, I specifically told you that your attendance at the auction was very critical for the company.” Mr. Jung stated as he banged his fist lightly on the table.

Soeun jumped a bit at the sound of his fist hitting the wood. “Well, it was….j-just that… I wasn’t feeling well.” she lied. Soeun had woken up at 5:45am this morning in spite of her three hours of sleep. Last night was terrible, and when she said terrible, she meant that it was a disaster.

Last night, her driver stood her up. Although she did remember bits and pieces of him telling her before hand, that his daughter had a presentation last night. Soeun at the time was too busy to concentrate on his words and because of her lack of focus, she had to catch a bus home. She didn’t really mind catching a bus, it was just the fact that she wasn’t really in the mood for… well, anything. Soeun wanted to collapse on her bed, and hide under the covers forever. She knew Mr. Jung would scold her sooner or later, but right now, she just wanted to switch off the world, and sleep.

Yet here she was. In a chair, directly facing Mr. Jung as he went on lecturing her about how she had to grow up. Soeun opened her eyes just a squint to notice that Mr. Jung was rubbing his temples, as the table supported his elbows. He exhaled, trying to let all his frustration out. As she kept on looking at him, she noticed that he stood up from his seat and started walking around the office.

Soeun hated that.

As a child she knew the worst could come out of a person when they would walk around you, whilst having their two hands linked together at the back. Although he only walked around her for a couple of minutes, she felt like the time that had passed was a lifetime. “Miss. Kim, I have discussed this matter with the family, and they would gladly like to have you for dinner this evening.” He said politely.

Soeun’s eyes widened as she looked at Mr. Jung with utter shock. This evening? Ani. It couldn’t be this evening. Why this evening? She was tired, exhausted, mad at Jieun.

       “But you see-“

“Miss. Kim.” He repeated her name in a loud manner. By the tone of his voice, Soeun knew that even, the most serious of excuses could not help her get out of the situation. Soeun looked down at her shoes ashamed, as she scratched her nails nervously. “Arasso.” She pouted. Mr. Jung sat back down again in his seat and looked directly at Soeun. “Your father wanted the best for you. Please try to make him happy.”

She slowly looked up at Mr. Jung, nervous. Every bit of her wanted to melt in her seat, as she hated it when people would punish her with nothing more than guilt. “Arasso.”

He slightly sighed as he turned his chair around, to face the huge window behind his wooden desk. “You may now leave.”

Before thinking twice, Soeun stood up quickly and scurried her way out of the office, without saying another word.

~ ~ ~

Soeun took tentative steps into the restaurant as a waiter greeted her.  

“Right this way Miss.” The waiter said while leading the way. Soeun followed closely, her feet beginning to tremble, as she kept on playing with her fingers. The restaurant seemed quite busy tonight.

On one end of the room, she saw two lovers snuggling together on one side of the bench, leaving their ordered pasta to waste on the table. ‘If they only knew that people were starving, they would’ve finished their food.’ Soeun mumbled directly to the lovers, only to be ignored.

Thoughts kept fluttering into her mind. Would she be like that? Always snuggling and kissing, and wasting her time on lovey-dovey things rather than attending her seminars and completing the company’s paper work? Wait. What was she thinking? Were they even going to fall in love? What were the chances of her actually falling in love with her husband? Was she obligated to love him? Wait. Husband? What was she saying! She wasn’t even married yet.

The waiter led Soeun to a privately booked room, at the back of the restaurant. It was quite secluded from the rest of the customers, but seeing that their family was quite wealthy, she wasn’t surprised. For the heck of it, she thought that they were going to book the whole restaurant out. The waiter opened a wooden door as it made a small squeaking sound. Inside, was quite a large table, which was fit for four people. The scent of vanilla candles filled the room. It reminded her of her mother’s warm and beautiful scent. Soeun took light steps inside, only to fine a familiar face waiting for her.

Mrs. Lee.

Her eyes quickly widened, as she blinked in disbelief. “Annyeonghaseyo.” Soeun greeted, as she quickly bowed still quite shocked. Her heart was beating faster, as every breath she took, felt like huge chunks of rocks were filling .

Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Lee was here. Wait.

 Mrs. Lee has a son. Her son.

Ani. It couldn’t be him.

It couldn’t be Junho.

Maybe he had a brother?

Yeah, a brother that was…. much more mannered and… uh… sweet?  

Yeah. That could be it.

I mean, it couldn’t be Junho.

Or could it?

            “Please sit.” Mrs Lee called out.

 Soeun quickly realised she had been standing blank faced for a while.

“Eh?.... Oh! Excuse me.” Soeun apologised awardly. ‘Aish. Stop thinking about useless matters.’

Mrs. Jung warmly smiled at her. “No worries. I’m quite glad you could make it this time.”

“Oh, yes. I wasn’t feeling well the other night. Haha ~ Must have been those period pains.” Soeun said awkwardly with a laugh.

    “Ugh. Period pains? Really?.”

Mrs. Lee, raised an eyebrow, as she looked at Soeun strangely.

“Ah.” Mrs. Lee said awkwardly.

       “Well, my son couldn’t quite make it on time tonight, I’m sure he had an important meeting.”

Soeun looked down as she entwined her fingers together under the table.  “Ah.”

She wanted to damn know who her son was. To be honest, it was biting away at her like termites biting away on a log of wood. She had heard rumours speculating that they were a family of four. Yet, the eldest had left for America two years ago. Maybe he came back? Soeun was beginning to question her thoughts. Sweat was beginning to trickle down her forhead. Why was it so damn hot in this room?

   “Soeun?” Mrs. Lee called out.

“Oh?”

“How are your studies going?”

        “Oh. They’re going fine.” She said with a smile. “I’m actually graduating soon with a teacher’s degree.”

“Teacher’s degree? Aren’t you going to eventually… well, going to take over the company?”

Soeun looked down at her lap, and gripped her mother’s wedding ring. “Well, before my parents… left, I took a degree in teaching. I mean, of course I would someday take the responsibility. But, at the time…” Soeun sighed. It was the first time in months, where she actually got the chance to talk about her parents. The utter guilt, as her voice trembled, felt horrible. The words were choking her.

      “…at the time –“

“Ani. Let’s talk about something else,  I’m sure, that you wouldn’t be – “

      "Mother, sorry I'm late.” Junho looked over at his mother bowing, as he slowly turned over to the women across her. “I had some paper wor –“

~ ~ ~

Soeun’s breath hitched. Her heart stopped. Everything froze.

There standing, in front of the doorway, was the person she was to spend the rest of her life with.

Lee Junho.

I’m sorry I haven’t been updating frequently (school work had been a bugger). Anyway, this chapter was harder than expected. But I’m glad to say that I’m half way finished with the next chapter ~