Chapter 16 Fronting Trials

 

Life is all about facing challenges, unending hardships and trials. By facing these, it can only overcome negativities and rather, it can make one’s self stronger than they were a second ago. Yet, by running away from these, be prepared for eternal miseries and sorrows. Yes right, life’s trials and challenges are not supposed to paralyze people, not to cease from moving forward but these are supposed to help people discover who they really are and what they can really do more out of  their stocked life.

 

It’s one fine day for the bubbly Sulli, so fine that her morning eye smile turned so brighter than the sun’s rays, her huge eye smile elevating each tap she makes on her phone while munching that one slice of bread and her giggles shortly turning into laughter to the point that her senior roommate Luna finds her insane, but in a good way she loves to observe from her junior. Luna needs not to ask more or grill her of why she’s having such a bright morning. By just looking on how fast Sulli jots a message on her phone, on how genuine her eye smiles are and how she’s radiating blooms around her, she has long known that only Krystal can make her smile like that.

 

“Sorry to disturb you Ssul, but we have to go. We’ll get late again if won’t move out now.” Luna lightly gave Sulli a pat by her shoulders to somewhat wake her up from those small fantasies and imaginations forming on her free young mind.

 

The happy Sulli nodded, “Yes unnie! I’m coming!” She then hopped out to chase the long gone Luna from their room.

 

Sulli kept the bread on , biting it hard while she jogs down from the apartment. For she’s not looking on where she’s going as she’s overly focused on her phone, she accidentally bumped into Luna’s halted posture from her sudden break of long strides by the apartment’s ground floor. In the end, that one piece of bread that she has been taking care of had gone to waste on the moisty ground.

 

“Yah unnie!  Why did you do that? Look what happened to my bread!” Sulli whined so silly.

 

“By any chance Ssul…” Luna by force pulled her junior forward and placed her right in front of her as a shield. “Do you know that man? He looks so rich and I’ve never seen him around the area before. He might be someone from Krystal’s family or something. He’s been looking at this way too…”

 

“Good morning, Sulli.” The man greeted with a warm eye smile.

 

“Oh!” Sulli smiled back to the man in his business attire and a black hat. “Minho-oppa’s uncle!” She shrilled in pleasure as she stepped closer to the waiting man from across the narrow street. “What are you doing here, sir? And how did you know I live here?”

 

“Minho told me about it. Actually, I came here to fetch you. I would like to drive you to school today, if it’s alright for you. I kind of feel bad that we were not able to talk much the last time we met that’s why I would insist of driving you to school while we talk.” The man said as he directly offered his limousine that was straightaway opened by his driver for them.

 

“Uhm, who is he? He looks familiar.” Luna whispered to the happy Sulli from her back while she hides from the happy-faced man.

 

“He’s Minho-oopa’s far relative. He’s at the stage play after party last time at Minho-oppa’s mansion.” Sulli hissed back for a brief introduction to the carefree rich man.

 

Consequent to noticing Luna’s small presence from behind Sulli, the man at that point also gladly extended, “You too, young lady. I’ll give you guys a ride for this morning. I insist this much so please, accept my offer.”

 

The two friends initially stared at each other, wordlessly asking through the eyes whether they should go for the ride or go for their usual long ride to the university. However, looking back at that pleading eye smile of the rich man, Sulli soon gave up from it as put her attention back to Luna to give her a nod of approval.

 

“If you insist that much sir, then I guess we have to accept it. Besides, I’d feel worse if we decline it and disappoint you. We’ll get late too if we take our usual route now.” Sulli humbly said as she pulled Luna with her going inside the limousine in which they took for the first time in their lives.

 

The on drive Krystal meanwhile is waiting a little impatient for a reply from her continuous exchange of morning messages with Sulli, however, her last message was left ignored but definitely seen by her and successfully delivered. Until such time she found a parking space for her car inside the university campus, her message was left overlooked and it absolutely upset Krystal at some point. Because of this frustration that’s hitting her on an early morning, she chose to stay inside her car as her first class for the day is still minutes away and wait for Sulli to respond to her flooded messages.

 

“Aish, that clumsy giant didn’t drop her phone or something, isn’t she? She didn’t attract accidents again, didn’t she? Then why is she taking too long to respond?” Krystal crumbled on her seat, resting her chin by the steering wheel while staring at her phone’s home screen.

 

Thereupon, the rich man’s Choi was seen making its park in the university’s main gate where Krystal can clearly see from her spot. At first Krystal ignored this limousine for she sees these things every day in her life that if possible, she would get sick with these usual things in rich people’s lives. But when she recognized Sulli and Luna going down with the help of a butler, she almost got electrified on her own car seat and her once sleepy eyes opened wide as she leaned closer to her windshield for a closer and clearer look.

 

“Wait, what? Why the hell are they on a limousine? What’s going on here?” Krystal grumbled in disbelief.

 

It’s not only Krystal who got appalled from the known poor students getting down from a high class limousine but also the students passing by that they found a time to stop from their walks just to gaze at them in bafflement. Both Sulli and Luna though, can see on how they’re being stared at and these piercing gazes make them to lower down their head in wariness.

 

“Thanks for the ride, sir.” Sulli politely bowed down her head towards the rich man who even took the trouble of getting down from his vehicle just to see them off to the gate.

 

“Thanks for letting me experience such a joyous ride too. It’s my first time to enjoy traveling because of you guys. I guess I’m too old to be laughing at students’ jokes but I truly find it enjoyable listening to your gags all throughout the ride.” The man said as he pointed at Luna’s wits and cracks.

 

“No, it’s nothing. People around me call me vitamin so I feel a little responsible for holding on to that label they gave me. Maybe that’s why I gradually learned how to make things a lot happier and easier at a lot of different kinds of situations.” Luna responded while observing her full respect to the generous man.

 

The man smiled, stepping back to his car while saying, “I see. Anyway, you guys should go now too. Your classes will start soon.”

 

“Ah, yeah. Thanks so much for the free ride, sir.” Sulli again bowed down and the man flashed his last eye smile to the both of them before rolling up this windows and drove fast away.

 

Sulli’s eyes are sparkling while watching the limousine moving fast away from the university. She just stood there fascinated wholly of what the old man rendered her and how the poor her was openly accommodated. Luna didn’t let these dazzling eyes from Sulli to get unnoticed as she stared at her closely to see more of these diamond-like eyes of hers with that smile that can’t be washed out of her lips. Truly, Sulli’s attachment to the old man is undeniable.

 

“Eh~ so that man drove you here, huh? No wonder why you weren’t able to reply me back since that man won’t just stop talking once he started and all you can do is to listen and go along with him. Now I know…” Krystal came popping out from the side of the main gate, peeking from the post as she said and called Sulli’s startled self.

 

“He’s so nice though.” Luna immediately defended the old man from the criticism and took Krystal aback. “He’s like a father taking care of his daughters when he was asking about schools and about our future plans. He’s so accepting to us poor despite of being so rich and wealthy and maybe that’s why our Ssul right here likes him so much. We talked about a lot of things and even talked of our personal lives like a family.”

 

“And why the hell are you talking about personal lives to a man you barely known? You don’t even know how that man handles things without any considerations…” Krystal angered.

 

“Hey unnie, stop that. You shouldn’t be talking things like that.” Sulli hissed as she elbowed her senior who is clueless of how the Jung and the rich man Choi are critically linked. She then walks closer to the evidently worried Krystal and said at once, “No worries. At least we arrived here safe and sound. Moreover, that rich man did nothing bad to us too, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

 

“W-w-who ever said I’m w-worried? I w-was just annoyed with that man since h-he’s our family’s enemy yet I s-see you guys with h-him!” Krystal scarcely articulated as she caught off guard, coating her once concerned expression with her usual steered one. 

 

Sulli couldn’t help herself but to titter at Krystal’s weird yet cute gestures going on, fidgeting her fingers against the hem of her shirt, looking above the sky just to avoid Sulli’s entertained stares and even randomly whistling to calm her gawkiness. Although strange, Sulli grows contented whenever Krystal acts in such a way that she always wants to see her like this every day, just like how Krystal wants to see her eye smile all the time.

 

“What are you looking at?” The stern Krystal questioned the smiling Sulli as she’s being stared closely.

 

Sulli gave her not a single word for a response to her irritation, instead she took out a well-packed lunch box from her bag and persuasively handed it over to her and said, “There. I cooked something nutritious for you since I know you’re planning to eat bread for lunch again. And I’d rather see you getting fat than getting thinner and unhealthy.”

 

“Oh…” The speechless Krystal can only leave in circle while she stares down at the given lunch box on her tight grip.

 

“Anyway, we have to go. I’ll see you around.” Sulli gave her a last wink and Krystal could only wave her hand like a seal paving goodbye.

 

They left Krystal stunned and she just stood there watching the two happily hopping, going inside the building for their first class together with those bunch of students rushing like them. She said none to thank the concerned Sulli, she uttered none to her concerns but at the very back of her mind, she’s squealing like most of the fan girls out there, “I got another lunch box from her! Ten points for the Jung!” She beamed with the tone of Harry Potter’s Quidditch game as she scored another from Sulli.

 

The day goes by and the problems of the Jung Group of Companies remain the same, same as bad as the day Jessica left undetected by their strict father but seen by her secretary. None dares to take a rest, none wants to take a break from all the endless complaints and not a single hard working employee wishes to pause from unending paper works and occasional field works. Same goes to the patient media waiting for juicy news and exciting revelations which they know might come out anytime soon and their expectations and their perseverance didn’t fail them as Jessica’s luxurious yet ragged car was seen forthcoming from the busy streets making its park all the way in front of the company’s main entrance, where most bystanders stopped from their paces to finally meet the Jung once again after days of unnoticed departure.

 

“It’s Jessica! Let’s go!” The once idled media have gone alerted and all ran towards the black car, surrounding it with their prepared cameras for coverage of her arrival.

 

Thankfully, the on standby bodyguards prepared by none other than her loyal secretary Yoona came to secure their superior who later came out of her car on her casual wear. The media was temporarily shut from their loud infinite questions that are flying everywhere when Jessica was seen so plain and ordinary with her white shirt and jeans, without her usual heavy make-up and seductive dress. Though they became speechless for a while, cameras didn’t stop taking photos of the stressed Jessica surrounded by bodyguards as they advance inside the building where employees and businessmen this time to stare at her in surprise.

 

“Ms. Jessica, please give us a word. Where have you been all this time?”

 

“Why did you reject the Kwon’s marriage proposal? What are your reasons?”

 

“How will you take responsibility of the company’s financial crisis?”

 

“Please make way. You’re not allowed to enter the building as per instruction from the president!” The bodyguards pleaded these hard-headed reporters taking photos and trying to throw Jessica numerous questions until they closed the main door to stop them from further torturing Jessica’s unprepared mind for definite answers.

 

Not caring of these eagle eyes that are judging her from all sides, Jessica keeps on her strides going straight to the VIP elevator as she asks Yoona, “Where’s dad? Is he at his office?”

 

Yoona, keeping up from her fast strides, she breathlessly responded, “Yes. In fact he just arrived minutes ago. And maybe by now, his guards have also informed him of your arrival.”

 

“I see. I’ll go straight to him then and come with me. I need you there.” Jessica ordered as she entered the VIPs elevator with her bemused secretary who can only comply to her hasty orders.

 

In the middle of these hurried instructions and quick change of circumstances, there’s no way the sharp secretary could have missed one of the most obvious things that isn’t present around the serious superior. And this one big absence is supposed to be the most expected person to be standing beside Jessica, Tiffany Hwang. Indeed, Yoona wonders why but with that look on Jessica’s unwavering eyes, she decided not to speak of it and open an inquiry regarding Tiffany and she just stayed silent and compliant with her swift superior on the run.

 

The moment she arrived at her father’s office, Jessica widely opened his doors and met his father’s flaring glares, her father who is standing tall in the middle of his office with his arms crossed. Yoona stepped aside upon seeing this fuming exchange of determined glares, not wanting to meddle with whatever’s coming next for the both of them and let her superior to approach close the president, her father who has been ranting all over her absence.

 

“Welcome back.” The father said so husky with his voice and Jessica can only nod her head while sharing intense close eye contacts with him. Having no verbal response from his tensed daughter, he goes on as he interrogates, “So tell me, Jessica, where have you been all this time?”

 

Without seconds of hesitations, Jessica answered straightforward but a little shaky, “At the village where Tiffany is. I was there the whole time and stayed under their care.”

 

“Oh my…” Yoona silently gasped for she didn’t expect that her superior would boldly utter nothing but the truth out of her once controlled mouth.

 

“And before you could ask more, I’ll be straight to you.” Jessica breathed deep to ease a bit of her tension and courageously continues on saying to the reserved father, “I’m sorry if I ditched the meeting with the Kwon. I am truly sorry for that dad but to be honest, I really did that on purpose. I don’t want to be tied with Tyler and let myself live under their hands. That’s why I made a decision for myself not to attend that marriage meeting. I’ll try to fix this mess I made as soon as possible and won’t disappoint you with the results. I’ll definitely find a way to fix everything and will prove to you that we don’t need the Kwon to invest with us and that we don’t need them to save our company from its promotions. Just give me enough time to prove it, dad.”

 

“You got some confidence there, Jessica. I wonder where you’re getting all that poise.” Despite of saying such straightforward continuous rejections, the father still found a bit of his patience as he calmly asked, “May I know why is it that you suddenly thought of things like that and defied me for the first time? Tell me, why did you reject Tyler?”

 

“Dad, I’m in love with someone else. I don’t want to marry a man I don’t even love and I hardly know. I don’t want to be with someone I don’t love my entire life and spend the whole lifetime with him. Dad, I love someone else, and absolutely not him.” Jessica said so bold that her eyes didn’t move an inch away from her father’s glares manifesting shock.

 

The father couldn’t hide his decisive anger any longer as he exhaled loud like a bull of her daughter’s unforeseen exposure. He closed his eyes to avoid his own daughter’s determined ones and let himself be defeated due to his building up fury. He wanted to act deaf and heard none of her words but her last words just keep on ringing badly on his mind and can’t play pretentious of the current situation. Jessica though can see how her father turned so dark in wrath and she tensed up more seeing him in such a way. If her father snapped from his calm self to a wrathful one, Jessica can somehow hide her tension by clasping her vibrating hands tightly together and this is also to keep her brave and resolute of what she’s doing.

 

“In love with someone else…” The father lowly groaned. He hates to predict and hates to guess but there’s only one name and face that’s only forming on his mind. Hence, he got no other way but to examine, “Are you talking about Tiffany Hwang? That poor villager who I believe you chased all the way to that isolated village?”  

 

“Y-yes… it’s Tiff that I love, dad…” Jessica nervously admitted as she chewed in her last word.

 

As the father heard this, he raised his raging right hand, preparing to give his first daughter her very first slap from him. Jessica cringed at the view of his hand rising so high that she knows it’s going to be a hell of a heavy slap and Yoona jolted from her frozen stand, not knowing what to do from thereon. Jessica closed her eyes and prepared herself for it. At that time, however, this slap didn’t come and the father didn’t even swing it towards her. Jessica waited nothing and soon she opened her eyes just to find out that her father has long put down his hand and just glaring at her strictly with his eyebrows wrinkling ultimately.

 

“Fix the company’s problems as soon as possible. Don’t let this get worse than how it is now. You caused this so fix it on your own. Don’t let yourself that be the cause of our bankruptcy and be penniless.”

 

The father lastly warned in his roar before stepping out of his own office, leaving his daughter and her secretary overpowered and momentarily paralyzed of what just happened. The two only looked at each other in confusion as neither of them knows how and what the president did that he raged no more and avoided instead having a berserk.

 

“Oh damn… that was intense… I thought he’s going to slap me for real… Thank God he didn’t continue it… I would be probably knocked out by now if he did…” Jessica exhaled rowdy in break and let her stressed and tired body drop on the awaiting couch beside her. “My legs are shaking when dad asked me about Tiff… I never thought it will be that hard to tell a parent about having a lover…” She then said, laughing at her bravery under her palms.

 

“But unnie…” Yoona sat beside her as she finally got the chance for a query, “Where’s Tiffany-unnie? Why isn’t she with you? I thought she’ll be coming with you since we talked about it when I was at the village and even asked for her family’s permission. Why isn’t she around?”

 

Jessica sat up from lying down in idleness as she heard of her secretary’s inquiry. Suddenly, she began wailing like a little kid who lost a toy and even hugged Yoona tight, crying on her shoulders like a koala clinging onto a bamboo tree. The confused Yoona could only hug her back and give her light pats for a comfort while she let her superior pour out more of her tears.

 

“Tiff…” Jessica sobbed as she let go of her secretary from her tight hold. “Tiff can’t come…”

 

“What?” Yoona yapped. “I mean, why? Did something happen, unnie? Did she reject your offer? Did you have some sort of misunderstanding? Did you fight? What?” She then bombarded her with another set of questions.

 

“No! We didn’t fight at all. In fact it’s like almost every night that we slept together.” Jessica directly said so shy that her voice turned softer and lower at every word she let out.

 

“Ah, it’s like you’re saying that you lost your ity every night, eh?” Yoona bluntly retorted and as a result, Jessica gave her a murderous glare yet flushed at her words. Thus, the awkward secretary immediately fixed her words and again asks, “So, why didn’t she come back with you unnie?”

 

“Grandma got sick and there’s no one to look after the kids and the house if she leaves. She has to take over grandma’s tasks for a while. Even if Taeyeon volunteered herself to help, it won’t be enough. So, I decided to let Tiff stay there and I’ll just make a time to personally visit them too.” Jessica said but frowned at the thought of her shattered plans for them.

 

“I see. I guess it can’t be help then since that’s too sudden.” Yoona sighed. “But don’t worry unnie, you still have me to look after you. And oh, you have Yuri-unnie too. She went out to meet an investor to convince them to invest with us. I think you’ll meet her some time again.” She then said as she tries to cheer up the saddened Jessica by making silly faces that are not really needed for someone serious like Jessica.

 

Meanwhile, the lover that the billionaire considerably left in their village is currently busy on taking care of her sick grandmother that was attacked by high fever and colds the night before Jessica left the village. Though Tiffany has a tint of guilt that she failed on tagging along with her girlfriend like what she had promised, she has to hide this dismay for the sake of this old woman who needs her help more than the able Jessica.

 

“Fany, my dear…” The grandmother coughed and this alarmed the spacing out Tiffany holding the warm towel. “You didn’t have to stay. You should have gone to the city with Jessica. She needs you in there.”

 

“Oh please grandma, don’t say that.” Tiffany inhaled as she dipped the towel onto the elder’s forehead to keep her warm. “Besides, you need me more now grandma. Who will take care of you and the kids if I went to the city with Jessi? We can’t keep on asking Taengoo to take over of everything around here. Also, it’s Jessi who said that I should just stay to take care of you. She understands our situation and all that’s needed was a bit of sacrifice. We promised that we’ll keep writing each other letters too in case she can’t personally come here for a visit. We already talked about this so don’t worry.” She assured the worried grandmother laid down sick on the bed.

 

While Tiffany is busy attending the sick one, Taeyeon came knocking to the room door holding basket of fruits for the elder. Although her help wasn’t asked for, the concerned petite woman would still find herself assisting this poor family like her. “I got some letter from Ssul. It was mailed at the post office so I went to get it before coming here.” She then informed after she put the basket down the table and handed the letter to the excited Tiffany who snatched the letter from Taeyeon’s hand for a quick read.

 

And the letter contains:

 

Dear Fany-unnie,

 

It’s been a while unnie. How have you been these days? I heard from Krystal that Jessica-unnie went there to see you. You must be overwhelmed to see her, right? I know you’re happy that Jessica-unnie chose to be with you. I’m happy for you too, unnie. Congratulations! You’ll have my support!

 

As for me, I’m getting a lot more comfortable around Krystal now. I admit I’m having a hard time here in the city because of our upcoming mid-term exams but don’t you worry, I got Krystal here to cheer me up. I got new friends too because of her and now it’s getting a lot easier for me. I’m not that baby that you always worry about anymore unnie. I’ve got a lot stronger since I met Krystal and I want to tell you of that also. You should be proud of me!

 

Our stage play was a success too. It was so exciting and I feel like I’m getting so much closer to my dreams. How I wish you were there to watch it with the kids too. You guys should come soon here in the city too, and take the kids with you unnie. I’m sure they would love to visit amusement parks and experience it here. And oh by the way, I