Yonghwa

New York City…

“Abeoji!” Yonghwa was upset and astonished. “Why do I need to be the one to inherit his estate?! I don’t even know the man.”

“Yonghwa-ah! Have some sympathy.” Youngkyu was becoming angry with how his son was handling the situation and his lack of emotions. He stood from his leather chair. “This is no way for you to be talking. This is nae abeoji. Nae abeoji who just left this world. Your harabeoji who made it possible for us to live here in the states.”

“Well then neoui abeoji should have left his estate to you. I have my life here in New York. I was raised here. This is my home. Not Seoul.”

“Yeobo, Yonghwa-ah. Geumanhae!” His mother demanded. “Adeul, this is not how I raised you to shout and disrespect the people who all had good intentions to support you. Geundae, yeobo, you should’ve explained more before assuming he is taking over abeonim’s estate. But since you two are stubborn men, I have a proposition.”

Yonghwa stared away from his angry father and focused on what his mother reasoned. He didn’t like being demanded to do anything without proper reason. He just couldn’t accept leaving New York for Seoul permanently. Period.

“Ne jagiya. You have our full attention.” Youngkyu sat back in his chair and listened to his wife. Yonghwa just nodded to his mother.

“Nothing is official yet until we attend this official will reading and sign the documents needed to signed. Now adeul, it is in neoui harabeoji’s will, and not ‘the man’, that he preferred you, his grandson, to take over his estate. Over the years since moving here, neoui abeoji and I have kept in contact with neoui harabeoji and sent him pictures of you. He heard of your achievements since you were in elementary. He has never been so proud. It is your parents fault you didn’t become close with him as he wanted. His health over the years have declined and made it impossible to travel. When we left back to Seoul last year, you couldn’t make it because you just landed your new job.” His mother laid it all out with so much confidence and strictness. “Now, we as a family are flying out to Seoul this weekend to hear his will and decide. Nothing is set in stone just yet. Yeobo, you must understand as well just how much uri adeul is making a living on his own. Arasseo?”

“Ne eomoni.” Yonghwa said in defeat.

“Ne yeobo. Joeseonghaeyo.”

“Now I suggest you both call in for the weekend off. Adeul, we must reschedule our chat time later. I have a client I need to see.” His mother made her way around the room saying her farewell.

Yonghwa couldn’t stay another minute with the tension in the air. He bowed slightly to his father and left the room. Yonghwa immediately drove to his office, simultaneously calling his girlfriend about the situation. But she was all but too careless of his own feelings, yet more concerned about her girlfriends and if inheriting his grandfather’s estate would make them richer. Yonghwa made an excuse to end the conversation. He didn’t want to think about any of it at all.

♦

Yonghwa sat alone in his first-class cabin with his parents seated on the opposite side of the plane. He just wished this will reading will go fast and he can reject the whole inheritance so he can get on with his life.

‘Ladies and gentlemen. We have just arrived in beautiful Seoul. The weather outside is just above 85 degrees with 2% humidity. We hope you enjoyed your flight with Asiana Airlines. Enjoy your stay in beautiful Seoul.’

“Great. Let the torture begin.” Yonghwa whispered to himself.

After retrieving all their luggage and being chauffeured by his grandfather’s personal driver, they headed straight to his grandfather’s estate. Yonghwa wanted to spend his stay in a hotel in Gangnam because of the bad omen now in that house. But his mother forced him to stay there.

“Yeobo, the place hasn’t changed much. It’s still so beautiful. Abeonim sure kept up with the landscaping.” His mother gushed over the front yard.

“Ne jagiya. He sure knew how to take care of his things. I miss him.”

Yonghwa had to admit his grandfather’s estate was beautiful and just the right amount of space. It wasn’t grand and not too small. His grandfather’s property sat on 1.5 acres in Itaewon. It was quiet and peaceful despite the estate being in a crammed residential area. His grandfather had great taste and was admirable for being as successful to keep such a costly estate.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Youngkyu stood beside his son on the small patio in the backyard.

Yonghwa was startled a little but kept his composure. “Ne. It is quiet. But it still feels like New York City.”

There was silence between them. None of them wanting to mention their disagreement nor the will. Yonghwa kept his hands in his pocket as he admired the modern design of the house.

“I’ll admit that harabeoji kept a beautiful estate and must’ve been very successful and dedicated as a businessman.” Yonghwa sighed.

“Ne. All his life he chased after the impossible and always succeeded. To him, it wasn’t about the money but the possibilities and results it meant for others.” Youngkyu placed his hand on his son’s shoulders and lightly squeezed. “The will reading is in 3 hours. Continue exploring and freshen up.”

Yonghwa nodded and continued enjoying the fresh air and breathtaking view. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and retrieved his phone. He sighed at the caller id, feeling both angry and happy.

‘Ne Jiwon-ah? Gwenchaenha?’ He looked at the time on the watch. ‘Yah, it’s 1 in the morning there. What are you doing still up?’

‘Oh, j-jaagiiya!’ His girlfriend slurred and half-shouted.

Yonghwa was fuming. He was worried yet done with how much partying with her girlfriends. If her girlfriends weren’t in town, their relationship wouldn’t have changed. She would either keep her distance from him for a couple of days and then act like the perfect girlfriend or she would spend her whole day shopping on Fifth Avenue alone.

As much as he wanted to hang up on her, he was worried about her. He just needed to make sure she gets to her condo or his safely.

‘Are you with your girlfriends again? Which club are you at? I’m sending my father’s driver there.’

‘Al-ways sooo jumpy. R-relaxx. I’m fine. We’re fine.’ Jiwon began laughing. ‘Geundae, I’ve been th-thinking…’

Yonghwa heard her speaking with her girlfriends and he could really hear the blasting music from the club. He couldn’t be more pissed than he was worried.

‘Yah, call me when you are sober and not with your girlfriends. I’m tired of you putting them before me.’

She was mad. ‘Well, I’m tired…of us.’

There was a pause. Yonghwa didn’t know what to feel at that moment. He could figure out what she was trying to get at.

‘Call me once you’re sober. I’m not having this conversation with you. I have nae harabeoji’s will reading soon. Geuneo.’

He hung up and rubbed his temple. At that moment, he just wanted to get this will reading out of the way and fly back to New York to deal with his complicated girlfriend.

♦

Yonghwa and his parents, in their nice and expensive attire, were sitting in the small conference room of his grandfather’s lawyer’s office suite. The lawyer was sorting out legal documents as his father had an anxious yet sullen look on his face. Yonghwa was sort of fidgeting now in his seat to get this reading over with. He was still thinking about his relationship with Jiwon.

The lawyer cleared his throat and retrieved a long white document. “As the legal representative of Jung Younghwan, I shall now read you, Mr. Jung Youngkyu, his only son, and your wife, and Mr. Jung Yonghwa, his only grandson, his signed will.”

Yonghwa sat rather impatiently as the lawyer continued reading the will and entitling much other smaller estates to his father. He couldn’t have imagined his grandfather to be a smart businessman and save such investment. Most of his grandfather’s investments were entitled to his father. Now, the more interesting and only part Yonghwa was curious about but didn’t want was the main estate.

“Now, last but not least, Mr. Jung Younghwan has very much dedicated the last 10 years of his life to his latest investment. Of which has gained popularity and made a handsome investment. His coffee shop in Itaewon. Mr. Jung Younghwan has entitled his coffee shop to Mr. Jung Yonghwa, his only grandson. In addition to his coffee shop, Mr. Jung Younghwan has entitled his whole estate in Itaewon to Mr. Jung Yonghwa as well.”

All eyes looked to Yonghwa as he processed this information. He only thought he would be entitled to his grandfather’s home estate and not his business estate. “Joeseonghaeyo, but may I have a moment to speak with my parents privately?”

“Ne. I’ll be right in my office.” The lawyer left.

“Eomoni, abeoji, I can’t accept this. His home estate I could’ve mo