Hawaii

Since the day Jiwon landed in Hawaii, he has not had a single available day. Every day is packed with various types of meeting and event scheduled beforehand. From shareholder meeting to board meeting to dinner meeting to cocktail dinner party even to play golf.

There’s no rest for Jiwon as he hardly came back to Hawaii and currently his family were fully utilize his presence here. He could not complaint as he already promised Eunji that he will comply with everything as long as he can stay at Korea and excused from the family business.

The only thing that kept him on track and looked forward to each day is his time with Sunghoon. The call and video call from Sunghoon are his life saver. His day is incomplete without listening to Sunghoon’s sweet voice.  He still remember how Sunghoon drowsily called him ‘HONEY’. It took him seconds to digest it. The endearment sounded too good to be true in his head. Pleasing to his ear. Music to his ear and it echoed loudly within him when Sunghoon said it again.

Jiwon sighed. He glanced at the clock. 10.30 o’clock in the morning. It still early morning at Korea now. Sunghoon probably still sleeping at this moment. He flipped through the documents in front of him. Trying to read the contents but his mind was somewhere else. Flying far away back to Korea. Absentmindedly, his hand stopped flipping the paper. He rested his head on the chair rest with one hand on his forehead.  

‘Knock! Knock! Knock’

 “Jiwon oppa.” Eunji opened the door and walked in.

“Yes, Eunji-ah.” He answered, turned to face Eunji. “Why?”

“Are you tired?” She asked, looking at Jiwon’s face.

“A bit but still bearable.” He smiled.

“Erm… Dad asked me to invite you to tonight cocktail dinner party, but if you are exhausted I can inform dad to excuse you.”

“Tonight? Whose? Where?”

“Yes. One of our shareholders at their house. Do you remember Mr. Klein? Tonight is their annual cocktail event. Dad wants all of us to attend.” She explained.

“Is Jiyong hyung going too?” He asked.

“Of course. All of us will.”

“Then, I’ll go too. It’s not like I have better things to do here. Better go. Besides, I don’t think dad will accept my excuses and it’s been a while since I meet Jiyong hyung.”

“I’m sorry, oppa. Been there, done that. Just remember, after all these you can enjoy your time at Korea.” She smirked, patted his shoulder.

 “So, be ready by 7pm. Dad already notified our driver.” She informed and walked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jiwon was standing in front of the mirror, fixing his cufflinks. Even with a simple dark navy suit, white plain shirt and purple pattern silk tie, he still looked absolutely stunning and charming.  

“Just look at you.” His mother approached. Smiling looking at him. “As handsome as ever.”

“Of course. Who do you think he took after if it wasn’t me?” His father proudly said.

“Honey, you don’t forget right my DNA also a part of this awesomeness. Without me, you won’t get a child as handsome and pretty as them.” His mother replied nonchalantly.

“How can I forget that?” His father laughed, put his arm around her waist. “Without you, I won’t be here.” He kissed her cheeks.

“You do realize I’m standing here right?” Jiwon asked, looking at his parents.

“What kind of question is that? Of course we knew. We are talking about you after all.” His mother laughed.

“I wonder about that.” Jiwon raised his eyebrow.

“Now you know how I felt to face their cheesiness all the time?” Eunji suddenly interrupted, causing their parents to laugh.

 “How do I look?” She posed for them.

“Absolutely beautiful and stunning.” Their father replied. “My daughter is the pretties of all. Well, of course the second after my wife.” He laughed.

“Yes, dad. We know that.” Jiwon and Eunji responded synchronously. “No one can beat your wife.”

“We better get going. We are running late.” Their mother said after laughing upon hearing what they said.

“Wait.” Eunji blocked him. “Oppa, where is your pocket square?” She asked as she noticed he did not has one.

“Do I have to?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you kidding me? Definitely. Of course. Yes for pocket square. Hurry. Go pick one. Make sure you pick the silk and should be neutral in colour.” She warned.

“Yeah, I know.”Jiwon sighed and walked to his room to grab one.

After a couple of minutes, he rejoined his family at the entrance.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Now, you look perfect. The girls going to go crazy over you tonight.” She grinned.

“I just want my Hoonie to go crazy over me.” Jiwon quietly murmured to himself.

“What?” She suddenly turned to face Jiwon, making Jiwon startled.

“What what?” Jiwon asked, confused.

“You said something just now. What is it?” She asked again.

“Huh? Don’t tell me she heard that.” Jiwon talked to himself. “No. I didn’t say anything. You probably imagined it.”

Her eyes searched his face suspiciously for a few moments and then she shrugged.

“Maybe.”

Jiwon sighed relief.

“What are you both waiting for? We’re late.” Their father shouted inside the car. “Your brother already arrived there.”

“Coming.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrived at the cocktail party a quarter to 8 o’clock. The dinner has not started yet. Guests still arriving one by one.

“Mr. Eun. Welcome. Welcome.” The host greeted, extended his hand for a handshake.

“Mr. Klein. Thank you for inviting us again this year.” Their father accepted the handshake, smiling.

“Mrs. Eun & Ms. Elaine.” Mr. Klein greeted their mother and Eunji. “And I assume this is your youngest son?”

“Hi Mr. Klein. Nice to meet you. I’m Eun Jiwon.” Jiwon introduced himself, offered Mr. Klein a handshake.

“I guessed I should call you Jiwon to avoid getting confused with your dad and your brother.” Mr. Klein said, laughing while accepting Jiwon’s hand.

Jiwon flashed his smiled.

Then, suddenly someone hugged his shoulder.

“Hyung!” Jiwon called after recognized the person who is hugging him.

He turned to face his brother and hugged him.

“It’s been a while, Hyung. It’s great to see you again.”

“Yup, Jiwon-ah.” His brother laughed. “You hardly come back here. Is Korea that interesting?” He asked.

“Of course. My Hoonie is there.” Jiwon said to himself.

“My career is there hyung. I’m sorry.” Jiwon apologized.

“Naah…it’s okay. As long as you still remember us here.” He laughed.

“Where is Yoonji? I thought she is coming with you.”

“She is over there with her friends.” Their mother gestured to one side of the hall.

“I’ll greet her later than.” Jiyong said.

“So, Jiwon-ah. How are you? You’ve been here for a week but you don’t even call me. What a good brother you are.” Jiyong jokingly mad.

“Blame that to dad and Eunji. They arranged my schedule here and I just followed whatever they planned for me.”

“Perhaps hyung can talk to dad to release me earlier. I have to go back to Korea soon.” Jiwon pleaded to Jiyong.

“Nope. Won’t do it.” Jiyong shaking his head.

“Aahhh…hyung. Do me a favour, please.” Jiwon begged.

“You just came back here, now you want to go back to Korea soon?” Jiyong raised his eyebrows.

“Why so rush? Any urgent business there or erm…do you have someone that you left there?” Jiyong suspiciously study Jiwon’s face.

“Huh? No urgent business. It just…I just got something to do.” Jiwon replied slowly.

“Hurm…must be someone then…am I right?” Jiyong grinned mischievously.

Jiwon smiled weakly and slowly nodded.

“WOW! Really? Like for real? You actually found someone?” Jiyong slightly shouted, surprised of Jiwon’s sudden confession.

“Hyung! Keep it down. I don’t want others to know it, especially mom and dad.”

“Why? You should tell mom. She will be on cloud nine if she knows. And I can assure you she will start planning for your wedding the minutes she heard it.” Jiyong laughed.

“Not now, hyung. I still need times to break the news to them.”

“Okay. What is wrong?” Jiyong asked.

He can see that Jiwon is having a second thoughts regarding this matter.

“Is both of you alright?”

“We are good. Actually, more than good. It just that…” Jiwon stopped.

“She doesn’t want to be introduced yet?” Jiyong took a guess.

“Not that.”

“So, what is the problem?”

“Erm…not she but he.”

“What?” Jiyong thought he heard Jiwon said HE.

“My lover. Is he. Not she.” Jiwon said it again. This time he looked straight to Jiyong.

Jiyong froze for a while. Silence filled the air between them.

“Are you…I mean, are you serious Jiwon-ah?”

“I am, hyung. I know it is something hard to understand but I just couldn’t explain that. It just happened.”

“So, you are telling me that for the first time you actually fall in love and it’s a guy?”

“I’m sorry, hyung.”

Jiyong studied Jiwon’s face for awhile. Then he sighed.

“How long have you been together?”

“We knew each other for more than two years but being together, it just few months.”

“Who else know about this?”

“My editor and two of our close friends in Korea.”

“What is his name?”

“Kang Sunghoon. He is one of the company director that I worked with before for my book.”

“And he actually love you too?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be so confident about that? Was he the one who flirted…no, tackled…aah...I don’t know the exact words to say it.”Jiyong slightly ruffled his hair.

“No. It’s me, hyung. I’m