Chapter image by the lovely Imbyul <3 Go PM her for a request

(4 years ago)

Jae-Yeong had never felt so furious in his entire life. He was sorely tempted to throw something or punch a wall. But despite his want to do so, he couldn’t because 1) he was in a formal occasion (namely, a fancy launch) 2) people were watching and 3) he was in a suit. If his father saw him ruining his expensive suit, he’ll never hear the end of it.

But he couldn’t help but feel so annoyed at what he was seeing.

Nari looked too gorgeous in that white backless dress. It was simple yet elegant; all she needed were diamond earrings to complete her look. She was smiling graciously, the light enhancing her already natural beauty.

The entire image would’ve been perfect – if only he was the guy who was dancing with her.

But no, it had to be Il-Sung.

He clenched his fists as he sat by the bar, glaring at them with such frustration. Jae-Yeong couldn’t understand why Nari chose Il-Sung over him. Granted, it was just a dance, but still – she chose someone over him and it had to be his brother.

It wasn’t as if Nari was clueless to Il-Sung’s crush on her; Jae-Yeong was sure that she knew. So why was she dancing with him?

Wasn’t he supposed to be that special someone?

Oh right, they had no label.

As Il-Sung twirled her around, Jae-Yeong had to compose himself. He couldn’t lose it in the middle of a party. But it was hard not feel annoyed at the fact that his girl was being flirted around by his own brother.

Despite the lights, he saw Nari looking at him from the dance floor. He was unsure what she was trying to convey, but there was something. He wanted to dance with her, but she was too busy with his brother.

Surely, this night couldn’t get any worse.

--

(2 years ago)

The night was way worse than he thought. He held his chest because he was so sure he couldn’t breathe properly. His family must be wondering where he was; after all, this was supposed to be an exciting night.

His brother just announced he was getting engaged.

It would’ve been an exciting news for any family. Jae-Yeong would’ve been glad for his brother – except he was marrying the woman he loved.

How could Nari do this to him?

He wanted to pull his hair out and scream, but his family would hear. He had to be happy just like them. His step-mother could barely contain her scream of joy as she hugged Il-Sung, congratulating him on bagging the daughter of South Korea’s second most powerful family. Tae-Won looked like a child as he clapped his brother on his back, telling him he was a lucky guy.

Their father gazed proudly at Il-Sung as he showed a photo of him and Nari, the latter flashing the camera her finger.

When everyone looked at Jae-Yeong, he knew they were waiting for him to respond.

All he did was smile, shake Il-Sung’s hand, congratulate him, and excuse himself because he really had to go to the restroom. But he knew Il-Sung was reveling at him; his brother was aware of his feelings for Nari ever since they started dating.

He was sorely tempted to light a cigarette, but he remembered why he quit in the first place. Still, his body was aching in torment.

How could she do this to him?

When Il-Sung first announced their relationship, Jae-Yeong felt like his world crumbled into despair. Nari never said anything about liking Il-Sung before, he wa so sure that he was the one she liked. The news came to him as a surprise.

Admitedly, they were experiencing trouble that time. He was undecided and so was she, but he never expected she’d do it. Days later, she explained:

“We’re never going to work out. It’s best for me to be with Il-Sung. There’s stability.”

Stability – that’s what she wanted; it was more important than the love he gave.

And now, she was getting married to him.

The girl he loved for more than ten years was finally tying the knot with his brother – his own flesh and blood. Jae-Yeong wanted to rip out his heart because it ached so badly; he wanted the night to end.

But somehow, despite the pain he felt, there was a tiny dot of assurance, which he easily ignored. He couldn’t pay attention to it.

Little did he know it was going to be so relevant a year later.

--

“Isn’t there another way out?”

Tae-Won’s question perfectly expressed the thousands of thoughts running inside Jae-Yeong’s mind. He could’ve said a lot about it an hour ago, but his father rapidly made points, pointing to this and that, as well as listing facts. Once he was done, however, there was silence.

And that’s when the dongsaeng spoke.

“There could be other ways,” said their father, “But this one guarantees immediate assistance, which we fervently need. We’re losing too much and people are also losing their jobs.”

“But this sounds like a terrible plotline from a drama.”

“Now is not the time to joke around, Tae-Won.”

“I’m not kidding around, Father,” insisted Tae-Won, “This is straight out of those drama I turned off because they were terrible.”

“Tae-Won.”

“You’re sacrificing Jae-Yeong hyung!”

Hearing his name brought him back to his senses. Jae-Yeong saw his brother aggressively arguing about the so-called solution they had. He was too much in shock for the first minutes that he forgot to respond, but now that he had his head back in the game, everything dawned on him.

“Tae-Won—“

“You’re asking him to marry just to get help.”

The situation was far too familiar for Jae-Yeong and he was sure it wasn’t because he watched it in a drama. The feeling of being forced into something he didn’t want to do – it must’ve happened a long time ago.

He never thought marriage was part of the emergency plan.

Just an hour ago, Nari came to the company with her father with a proposal: marriage to strike a legitimate partnership with their business group. Once the vows have been exchanged, the Kang Group would be willing to support Hwang Corporation’s losing streak, as well as offer more partnerships, which are the must-haves for their current situation.

They brought up the issue of Il-Sung, asking about the engagement.

Apparently, Nari’s father was not against being associated with the Hwang Corporation – just not Il-Sung. He said despite his disappointment, his daughter moved him to help out and this was the way they figured out.

“The wedding preparations are nearly done anyway,” said Kang Shin-Jae, “All we have to do is change the groom.”

Jae-Yeong couldn’t help but feel disgusted with the proposition. It’s no wonder Nari was like that. His father, however, was seriously considering the deal. Before anyone could disagree, he talked to Kang Shin-Jae and said they’ll talk about it.

And now, they were talking about it.

“Jae-Yeong,” came his father’s voice.

The eldest Hwang looked at his aging father and saw the seriousness in his gaze. He was considering the proposition, Jae-Yeong could see it.

“We might have to consider it,” he said.

“Why?” he dared to ask.

His father was obviously surprised. Out of his three children, Jae-Yeong was the one who rarely spoke; he obeyed without question. Now, here he was questioning his father.

“Because it is necessary.”

“There are other ways.”

“But we need this now.”

Hwang Kwang-Soo, despite the little stumbles, got up from his chair and looked at both of his sons.

“A number of people are losing their jobs because of what happened,” he said, “You’ve seen the numbers; everything is going downhill from here – all because of your brother’s mistake. We cannot afford to waste time.”

“But there are other partners out there. Tae-Won and I are reaching out—“

“Are any of them responding positively? No. None. They are too scared because they think we partner with the yakuza,” negated their father, “Let’s be real, boys: no one wants to partner with us out of fear. Kang Shin-Jae’s offer is a miracle. Despite the rocky start with Il-Sung, he still wishes to be with us.”

“With a condition though.”

“Understandable.”

“A marriage?”

Jae-Yeong approached his father’s table.

“How is a marriage understandable?” he asked, “How is that the solution to failing businesses? This is the 21^st century! People don’t just marry their kids for a living. I have never heard of it!”

There was silence. Jae-Yeong racked his brains for anyone who got married just to save their empire. He couldn’t think of anyone—until his eyes fell on his father, who was waiting for him to realize on his own.

Oh.

He never heard the entire story, but it was there. Hwang Kwang-Soo’s gleaming wedding ring spoke a lot.

“A true leader,” began his father, “Cliché as it may sound, often prioritizes the welfare of the people around him. If you think this is about the money, it’s not just about that. Look around and see the impact of one mistake – lives change in ways we don’t want them, but it happens, and it will continue – until we do something drastic.”

“It’s rare for opportunities to come, especially in our situation. This is a leeway from the heavens.”

Jae-Yeong was torn as he looked at his aging father. Hwang Kwang-Soo hasn’t been looking well these days; the problem also took its toll on him. No wonder the desperation in his voice was too severe.

“Son,” said his father. There was heaviness in his tone and it touched Jae-Yeong where it hurts.

“Please consider your options carefully,” he continued, “Please think about it, think about the future of others.”

--

Is it possible to throw myself and just be gone?

Jae-Yeong heaved a frustrated sigh as he stared at the city skyline from his office window. Everything looked beautiful from his sight – the lights, the cars, even the little people down below. On a normal night, he would’ve gone out and just enjoyed the cold air with a stroll.

But this was unlike any normal night.

Why do I feel like I’ve been in this situation before?

He poured himself a glass of whiskey and brought the glass to his lips. His throat burned as the hard liquor seared his tissues inside, but he didn’t care. He needed something strong.

The last weeks have been a whirlwind of everything. It was amazing how his head managed to wrap around every little detail; unfortunately, it could not come up with an amazing and magical solution – something that would spare him from this ordeal.

Why do I feel like this has happened before?

He took another sip.

Jae-Yeong was grateful his past memories as Wang So did not resurface much during the debacle. Since regaining his previous life’s memories, he also made a habit of writing them down, just to keep up-to-date. So far, the last things he remembered was how he developed a liking for a certain dish during his time in Khitan.

Wang So must be giving him a break.

Has this happened to me somewhere?

He closed his eyes. Jae-Yeong’s mind was so clouded he wanted to pass out. But his bottle of whiskey kept him alive.

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” he said.

He placed his glass on the table, careful not to spill or even pour anymore whiskey. Though he was sorely tempted to drink himself silly, he couldn’t afford it with someone looking. He turned around to face his visitor.

It was Nari.

She looked flawless in a simple white dress, holding that a white purse that seemed oddly familiar. There was a serious look on her face. Jae-Yeong noticed the obviously bare ring finger holding the bag.

But she looked as if she meant business.

“Have you thought about it?” she asked.

Two years ago, marrying Nari would’ve been the best thing to ever happen in his life. It was one of his top priorities: be successful and marry the girl of his dreams. But during that time, it seemed as if life was so against it, like it wasn’t meant to be.

Now that he didn’t want her, however, life played a cruel joke.

“There’s nothing to think about,” he told her, choosing to fix his pile of papers rather than look at her. He really couldn’t believe he loved this woman.

“Yes there is, Jae-Yeongah,” she said, “You can try to ignore it, but you know you can’t. You know it’s the right thing to do.”

“That’s what you think.”

Since it was just Nari, he poured himself another glass of whiskey and took it all down with one gulp. God knows he’ll need the courage to stand up to her.

“Why are you stalling? Why can’t you just agree now so the problems will be over?” she asked him.

“Marriage is not the only solution to this problem,” retorted Jae-Yeong, “Don’t act like your family is the savior of the universe.”

“In other circumstances, that would be true. But given yours, I don’t think you have much of a choice,” she said, “Think about it: no one wants to work with you guys right now, you’re losing money, you’re losing people. You don’t have any other option and here I am, serving the answer on a silver platter and you’re still saying no?”

She walked towards him.

“My father might not be as powerful as yours, but the current situation has placed him a level higher,” she continued, “He can make companies partner with yours while you get up on your feet. He can help you strike deals to regain what you lost. But there has to be a solid proof of connection between the two families – and what better way than a marriage?”

Nari laid down her bag on the chair and looked at him straight in the eye. Judging from her expression, there was no backing down from her end.

“Besides, with me as your wife, you’ll have an advantage,” she said, “You won’t have just my family, but my connections as well. They will say you married into a good family and they will eventually forget Il-Sung’s blunders.”

“You are not my wife.”

She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. “Oh and who is?” she asked, “That measly cosmetic specialist?”

Her lips quivered at her displeasure.

“She can’t help you right now, Jae-Yeongah. You marry her, what do you get? Nothing,” she said, “She’s just another girl who won’t give you anything. Can she offer a solution to all of your business troubles? Can she strike a partnership with companies necessary to your survival? Can she establish connections? She can’t.”

Nari leaned forward.

“Jae-Yeongah, she can’t save you. I can protect you.”

It then hit him.

He was right when he thought that he was in the exact scenario before. The details were not as exact but the problem shared plenty of resemblances. Last time, it was because of the throne. The proposed solution, however, was exactly the same – and with the same woman.

His head throbbed at the thought of it.

Remembering who Nari was in his past life only made the idea of marrying her more disgusting and unbearable.

“Your father worked hard to build this company,” Nari was saying, “Are you willing to let it fall because of a girl?”

Even the dialogue sounded familiar.

Seeing Nari insist her solution, however, made him furious. He set down his glass and glared at her.

“Why are you so persistent with this setup?” he asked, “Just three weeks ago, you were engaged to my brother. I presumed you didn’t want to be connected with us anymore. Why do you want this to happen?”

Almost instantly, Nari’s face transformed from an indignant and insistent expression to one that reflected remorse and utmost sadness.

“Because it’s the best way to get you back.”

Oh my god.

She moved closer, her eyes beseeching him. Jae-Yeong could not stomach what she just said. If she told him this years ago, he might’ve been ecstatic. But he wasn’t 26-year old Jae-Yeong was crazy over Nari. He was far from that.

“You’re crazy,” he told her.

“I might be, but believe me when I say that I regret leaving you for Il-Sung,” she said, “I didn’t know what got in to me. It’s always been you. You don’t know how much I…I wanted to get back, but I didn’t want to hurt him—“

“Okay, stop right there.”

He held up his hand to silence her.

“I don’t want to hear this because for one, it sounds straight out of a drama and two, it’s not relevant,” he told her, “You tell me you want me, so you use some sort of blackmail just to get me back? I didn’t think you’d sink this low, Nari.”

He watched her face fall and her indignance making a comeback, but he spoke first before she could say anything more.

“You don’t love me, Nari. You never loved Il-Sung. To be honest, I doubt you really loved either of us,” he continued, “You just want stability, remember?”

Nari bit her lip in frustration; her hands curved into balls of furious fists as her eyes lit up. He didn’t know what type of nerve he hit, but Jae-Yeong was sure he hit her where it hurts.

“Fine, be that way, but I’m your only choice,” she said, “You don’t have much and I know your father will push through with this. You won’t be able to do anything. You’ll come running back to me, Jae-Yeong. All of you will—“

“That’s enough.”

Both Jae-Yeong and Nari were startled at the sound of Il-Sung’s deep voice. The middle Hwang stood in front of his hyung’s office, his hands also balled into fists. He was glaring menacingly at his ex-finacee, almost as if he wanted to rip her head off.

“Get out,” he told her shortly, “Now.”

His voice was too terrifying, even in Jae-Yeong’s opinion. His younger brother stared at his ex-lover with such hate, if looks could kill, Nari would’ve been dead.

She persisted no longer. With one last look at Jae-Yeong, she said, “Think about what I said. You can’t fight fate.” Without another word, she took her bag, cast Il-Sung a spiteful look, and went out of her way. Jae-Yeong watched his brother as he stared at Nari, his emotions raging and reflected by his eyes.

For a second, Jae-Yeong feared his dongsaeng might hit a woman.

“Don’t listen to her,” he told him.

Il-Sung took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Jae-Yeong’s heart went out to his dongsaeng; Il-Sung has obviously gotten thinner and the dark circles under his eyes spoke much about his ordeal. Without his suit and tie plus his cocky attitude, Il-Sung looked weak and easily broken.

“I know,” said Il-Sung, “I…I just can’t believe…I loved her.”

“You and me both.”

He raised another glass and his bottle of whiskey at his younger brother, silently asking if he wanted a drink. The younger one, after much hesitation, obliged and entered his hyung’s room. That pathetic shuffle he made convinced Jae-Yeong that his brother was definitely different. He poured whiskey on the second glass and handed it to Il-Sung, who immediately drank without hesitation.

Since that night in the alleyway, Il-Sung has been subdued and devoid from any of his annoying swagger. Their father advised that he stay away from the matter first to let the issue cool down, which explained why Il-Sung kept to himself.

As for their relationship, there was no drastic change, but Jae-Yeong was confident it was on the mend.

“I…I know it’s my fault,” began Il-Sung, “I’m sorry I got you in to this mess.”

“It’s too late to just feel sorry,” answered Jae-Yeong, “Now is the time to look for answers instead.”

“You don’t have to answer to her.”

“I know.”

Il-Sung took a sip. “But it won’t be easy. And it looks like we don’t have a choice.”

Jae-Yeong finished his glass. The situation didn't look good today, but he wasn't going to be anyone's dog.

“I want to believe that there’s a way out. I’m not falling for this stupid cliche,” he said, “I’m not going to marry that girl again.”

Before Il-Sung could ask his hyung about his slip of tongue, Ji-Hyun came running into Jae-Yeong’s office – all frantic. Their senior grabbed unto the door’s frame, breathing heavily as if he ran a marathon.

“Ji-Hyun, what’s wrong?”asked Il-Sung, setting his glass down.

The senior looked at both boys with such fear.

“Your father…”

--

Tae-Won was pacing back and forth, his hands shaking behind him. Il-Sung, on the other hand, was still busy on his phone, talking to their mother, who was still in the U.S. He was trying to calm her down, assuring her that their father was alright, lying to her on the phone.

Jae-Yeong stared at his father who was sound asleep, still clueless as to why he hid his condition.

It’s been a day since their father was found unconscious in the bathroom, paler than snow. He hit his head on the sink, which knocked him out. Once they rushed him to the hospital, they found out he was suffering severe symptoms from his cancer – bone marrow cancer, to be exact.

Their family physician immediately arrived at the scene. It was he who disclosed their father’s situation—how Hwang Kwang-Soo found out about his illness a year ago and ordered the doctor not to say a word because he didn’t want to scare anyone. He wanted life to go on as if it were normal, to pretend he was okay.

But that night, his episode reminded him that he was not.

The doctors said it hasn’t reached a fatal stage yet, but it was important to get him to surgery. Otherwise, it would be too late. Hwang Kwang-Soo needed a bone marrow transplant immediately.

Nurses took blood samples from Il-Sung and Tae-Won the other day; Jae-Yeong was not included since he wasn’t a biological child.

Today, they await the donor results.

Jae-Yeong gazed at his father’s resting profile. Everything has been too much these days; he was beginning to doubt life’s game with him. What was the point of the second chance if things were as messed up as before?

His phone buzzed for the nth time today. Jae-Yeong checked the screen and saw Ha-Jin’s name appear again.

She had been trying to get in touch with him, but for some reason, he just couldn’t bear to talk with her right now, not when their family was going through a lot. When he thought about it, he realized that he had not seen her for almost a week already. It was only natural for her to worry.

But he didn’t want to bother her. He was bothering too many people already.

She shouldn’t be part of that list.

Jae-Yeong knew he had a lot of things to sort out right now and he figured it would better if he did it alone. A huge chunk of his thoughts, for some reason, were focused on the reason for his reincarnation.

He looked around the walls of the very same hospital where he regained his Wang So persona. Jae-Yeong believed a new chapter started there and there was still much to uncover. It wouldn’t make sense to others, but for him, it did. There was an unsettled question mark and he needed answers.

He would have to talk to Ji-Hyun.

But now, his father first.

There was a knock on the door. Tae-Won opened it to reveal a young nurse (or medical technician, probably an intern, based on his appearance; his ID eventually proved his status) came in, clutching folders.

“Hwang Kwang-Soo’s family?” he asked.

“Yes,” answered Tae-Won.

“Then you must be the sons,” said the boy.

“Obviously,” retorted an impatient Il-Sung.   Tae-Won shot his brother a warning look. The boy, on the other hand, didn’t look offended. In fact, he seemed a bit enthusiastic.

“I took the liberty of testing the blood samples,” he began, “It was difficult at first because your father has a rare blood type, but we managed to find a match.”

Both Il-Sung and Tae-Won looked expectantly as the intern browse through his files. Jae-Yeong couldn’t help but feel hopeful; the intern’s tone was a positive one. He looked at his unconscious father again and reached out to hold his cold hand.

“Who is it then?” asked Tae-Won.

The boy adjusted his glasses to get a good read.

“Hwang….Jae-Yeong.”

--

A/N: Before anything else, there’s something I’d like to talk about. I think every reader in AFF or any fan fiction site should read this:

Your comments and messages are delights that encourage me everyday. Whatever you tell me, I take them by heart – be it negative or positive. I just want to remind readers, however, that respect is also essential, especially when it comes to the writers. You and I both have our take on what should’ve happened to SHR; this fan fic is mine. I originally started this because I wanted to have my own form of closure of the tragic ending. I didn’t expect people would read it and to be honest, I’m still flustered and honored until now, believe me.

When I first wrote this, I had the story in mind – the beginning, the middle, the end. But when people started reading, I took in some of your suggestions because they made the story brilliant.

It just saddened me that one reader messaged me as if I owed the story to them, like I had no right to write the story the way I want it. Too much clichés, said the reader, and how could I let the story go that way when I’ve been doing such a great job until the last chapter?

Cliches are terrible, to be honest, but whether we like it or not, everything we read or watch is a cliché—it’s just re-hashed cliché. Trust me when I say I’m not a big fan of them, but I use them and try to add a different flavor to make it more interesting.

But what that reader said saddened me; I won’t go into more details, but it was just disheartening.

We all have our opinions and this one is mine. This is how I envisioned SHR 2. We have our own take on what should happen, but please, as much as possible, let us not force other writers to take our opinion and discourage them whenever they take another path. :[ I mean look at SHR; we didn’t like the end (some of us do, though) but we respect the writer for their decision.

Don’t get me wrong, I love you guys. You guys are cool beyond imagination! I appreciate my readers, especially those who’ve come this far with me, but let’s not forget to respect each other, okay? :] Let’s not force readers to do this and that and get them down when we don’t. As writers and readers, respecting creativity is important <3

That’s all. Don’t forget that I love you!

Alas, eight or ten chapters left.

See you again! :D