CHAPTER 38

As if he can’t wait even a day to figure out how to come up with 500 million dollars, Jin Hyuk calls In Sung right on the next day after that dinner.

“Hello, In Sung – ssi, this is Jin Hyuk, we met last night.”

“Oh, Jin Hyuk – sii. How are you?” – In Sung politely responds.

“I’m great. Well about thing that we talk about last night …” – Jin Hyuk hesitates for a moment

As if In Sung understands Jin Hyuk reluctance, he makes the conversation easier – “About the shortage of your investment?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Sure, what about that?”

“Can we meet up tonight over a dinner?”

In Sung is quiet for a while then responds – “Sure, please just pick a location and let me know.”

“I absolutely will” – Excitement is visible in his voice.

In Sung hangs up and a grin spread brightly on his face and Ji Hyo face. Yes Ji Hyo has been sitting next to him the whole time and the conversation was on speaker so she heard loud and clear how desperate her prey was. The phone call disrupted their peaceful time at his grandparents’ beautiful backyard but that’s fine. Their mood just swings all the way up knowing that their plan is proceeding sooner than they expected.

“It seems as he is losing his patient.” – In Sung comments, taking a sip out of his smoking cup of Gyokuro tea.

Ji Hyo puts her cup of tea down to the table, taking in a deep breath of the refreshing breeze – “I thought that a fox as him would be more hesitate. It is rather disappointed that he falls to our trap too easily.”  

In Sung looks at Ji Hyo beautiful face and smiles softly – “Greed is a scary thing. People are often blinded by the power of money. That guy even uses woman to achieve his goal so I am not too surprised when he got hooked by our plan as he heard about the opportunity of being CEO of HS. If he is not greedy, he definitely could see that this is all too good to be true.”

“But we can’t blame him. You are too good of an actor too, oppa. I almost thought that he wouldn’t let him take the opportunity last night.” – Ji Hyo praises, tapping In Sung shoulder.

 It is rather casual to her to touch him like that but to him, despite 25 years of trying, body contact with her can never be casual. Even a small touch of her hand can make his heart jump a few beats. But at least he learned to act casual on the surface despite the storm inside his heart.

“Save the praise to yourself. Your acting skill definitely improved plenty compared to when we was in Yale.” – In Sung teases but Ji Hyo doesn’t respond with a cheerful smile as she should be. Instead, she looks down on her hand and curls her lips to a wry smile.

“But I hate it very much, oppa. It is too tired playing a role for only one audience who doesn’t even know that he is a part of the play.” – Her voice is low, depressed.

 Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulls her closer to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder as he did every time her mind was troubled. – “I know. It will be over soon. I promise.” – His voice is soft and comforting.

He is reliable. Being with him always brings her peace. Her mind is in relaxing stage but somehow she feels as she missing something. The excitement, the crazy heartbeat, the rush blood flow, she misses those feeling and she misses … the only person can bring her those feelings. She wonders how he is. Is he alright? Is he still hurt? Is his wound healed?

She really … misses him.

If she gives him a chance to answer, he will tell her that he is totally not okay. Yes, he is still hurt, and his wound … his wound is caseated. He has been a big mess ever seen that day. He hasn’t skipped drinking even a night. Beside work, he spends all his time with drink and girls, hoping to get his mind out of that painful night and remove that woman out of his memory. Those celebrities in his long list of call back now have a chance to date him. He changes from one girl to another, taking them to luxury restaurant, buying them extravagance gift. They treat him as a king, smarm him, trying their best to please him but … in his eyes, he never sees the whole them. In each of them, he finds a little of Song Ji Hyo. Her beautiful eyes, her gorgeous smile, her soft hair are always somewhere in the women that he dates. Sometime his dates went rather smoothly but as soon as his ladies said something reminded him of Ji Hyo, his mood immediately changed. All he did was drinking and didn’t even attempt to make an effort to please his date anymore.

There were more than one time he unconsciously drives to her apartment then just stood there for so long, waiting … waiting for what?

 A miracle, maybe.

 Yeah, maybe some miracle would bring her down and she would run straight to his arm, saying she sorry and everything was just a misunderstanding. Then he would believe her and he would forget about everything, opening his arm wide, hugging her tightly and tell her how much he misses her. That is the dream that he is having every single night after drinking his heart out.

Such a beautiful dream!!!

Sadly, the dream is always just a dream. She has never showed up. Her specialty is probably disappearing. He couldn’t even see her at work. And because he promised himself to forget about her so he even destroyed the camera that pointed to her section at work. She totally disappeared in his life and it was more than empty. He keeps lying to himself that he is alright but he totally isn’t, he is not fine at all, not even close …

The phone rings, wakes Ji Hyo up from her depressing thought. Min Hee’s name is on the caller ID. Ji Hyo totally forgot that she promised Min Hee to go look for wedding dress with her.

“I’m on my way.” – She says and hangs up before Min Hee has a chance to whine. – “I have to go, oppa. I forgot that I promised to go with Min Hee for wedding gown shopping.” – She turns to In Sung and says.

In Sung nods and curls his lips softly – “Sure, let’s me drive you there.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you?”

“How dare you talk about bothering to me? Do you even think of me as your oppa?” – He of course wishes that she doesn’t think of him as just a brother but … he knows that is all he means to her. If taking care of her as a brother can make her happy then he is okay being her brother, as long as he can take care of her, as long as he can remain next to her.

She curls her hands around his arm and curls her lips to a bright smile – “Of course, of course, let’s go my prissy oppa.” – She playfully states and pulls him to the car.

He smiles brightly and lets her drag him away. Her bright smile, he loves it so much. The biggest mission of his life is keeping that beautiful smile on her face. He will do everything to achieve that mission.

Getting out of In Sung’s car, Ji Hyo quickly walks to the bridal store where Min Hee is waiting impatiently. 

“What take you so long?” – Min Hee scowls.

Ji Hyo is more than annoyed. Min Hee rushed her so much that she couldn’t even say goodbye to In Sung’ grandparents properly. Ji Hyo can’t wait for this whole thing to be over with. The only thing motivated her to come all the way here is to observing how excited Min Hee is thinking she is about to marry the man of her life so it will be more enjoyable for Ji Hyo later to see how crushed Min Hee is, being betrayed by her prince charming.

Spreading an apologetic smile, Ji Hyo says – “Sorry, I was stuck in a lunch with a friend but I am here now, let’s find you a perfect gown, alright?”

The two quickly go through the wedding gown catalog. This bridal store is one of the best ones in Seoul, only celebrities or wealthy people are able to afford the cutthroat price here. Most of the gowns here are imported straight from France and Italian or from famous Korean designers. They are absolutely fabulous, not only Min Hee but Ji Hyo is also lost in the beauty of those gorgeous gown. After all, she is till just a woman and all women have a dream about being a princess in their fairy tale wedding. She can totally see herself is a white mermaid gown, walking on the beautiful path, paved with red rose pedals and her prince charming, the muscular handsome prince charming is waiting for her at the end of the path with a brightest smile … Her heart is suddenly in a sharp pain. In her unconscious mind, he is still her prince charming, still the one she one to be with, and also the one she can’t ever end up with …    

“May I know where Kim Min Hee is?” – A familiar voice pulls her out of her beautiful imagination. Looking up from the catalogue, her heart almost drops on the floor seeing him walking in handsomely in his tailor-made suit as if he just walked out of her beautiful dream. She is speechless for a long moment, only now she realizes how much she misses him, so much that her heart aches.

“Oh, oppa, I am here.” – Min Hee stands up and waves at her brother.

Jong Kook brightly responds to her with a smile which immediately disappears as he notices the woman sitting next to her sister. That woman … should he hate her? But the more important question is … can he hate her?