New Beginnings

Up and Down

Seunghyun opened the fridge door, the glassy exterior of the whisky bottle gleaming against the reflection of the fridge light.

"Mother, is dad jumping on the bed with that woman," six year old Seunghyun questioned his mother, confused as to why he could hear his father's bed creaking upstairs.

His mother scoffed, "Yes darling, that's exactly what he's doing." She spoke in such a tone that Seunghyun knew from that day on never to ask his mother what his father was doing.

Seunghyun watched as his mother poured herself a glass of the golden liquid that he had always been curious of, "Mum, what is that, that drink you're always drinking."

"My happy drink."

For as long as he could remember, his mother had been more reliant on this bottle of wisky that she had ever been on Seunghyun; she had been more happier with this drink than with her own son.

"Does it make you happy mum?"

"No, but it doesn't make me sad either."

****

Soojung entered the door and went to the front desk.

"Is this the woman's refuge," she asked the lady at the front desk, a kind looking woman with a sweet face and a slim body. She was very beautiful.

"Yes this is it," the woman replied, "but I'm afraid we're full for the night."

"Please, my brother Jiyong told me to ask for Dara."

The woman's eyes widened, "Soojung?"

"Yes, how did you know my name?"

"Because I am Dara."

Soojung smiled, "My brother told me you would be able to help me."

"Do you need a place to stay?" Dara asked softly.

"Actually I need a place to hide."

*****

Initially Seunghyun only limited himself to three glasses a day. But he found he could sleep better if he had a drink or two before bed, otherwise he wouldn't sleep at all.

His mother had been right, although the alcohol didn't make him happy, it didn't leave him feeling dejected and hopeless either.

*****

Dara made a bed for Soojung in her own room.

"Sorry it's a bit cramped in here," Dara said, "the other rooms are completely full, so you're stuck with me."

Soojung smiled, "I'm glad."

"In your condition you need peace and rest, but it'll be difficult to get that here. This refuge is very underfunded so we have to rely mostly on donations and a lot of the women who stay here have to work too."

"How long have you had this place open?"

"About two years. After my mum, bless her soul, passed on. I had nowhere to go. With the little inheritance she left me, I opened up this place. It didn't take me long to realise how many lower-class women had no place to stay when all the rooms started to quickly fill up."

"The world needs more people like you Dara. If you hadn't taken me in I don't think I would have had any chance of keeping this baby alive."

"I think the world needs more love to be honest."

Soojung's suddenly burst into tears, causing Dara to panic.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry, please don't cry," Dara worried, holding Soojung's teary cheeks in her palms.

"No its not you," sobbed Soojung, "I just miss home, and Jiyong and ..." but just the thought of his name made Soojung sob more.

"You have to be strong now," said Dara, "its not just yourself you need to take care of anymore."

*****

Seunghyun's father walked into his office, surprised to see his son sitting on the opposite side of this desk.

"Son, to what do I owe this pleasure," asked his father cautiously, curious as to why his son who avoided spending anytime with him was waiting for him in his own office.

"I wanted a drink and cigarette with my father, is that a bad thing," replied Seunghyun.

"Its not bad, just unexpected," his father replied, poring a glass of chardonay from himself and his son, "I always wondered when me and my boy would have a drink together."

"Maybe, we should drink more together, there's been a lot of lost years between us father."

"What's this really about Seunghyun?"

"I need another drink father."

Seunghyun's father surveyed his son closely, the lingering smell of alcohol, the restless eyes, the slight weight loss, "What's happened to you son?"

Seunghyun took a drag of his cigarette, "I want to get married father. So arrange mine and Yoona's wedding as soon as possible."

*****

The faint reflection in the window glared back at an almost lifeless Jiyong. Huddled in the corner of his cell, Jiyong listened to the tick of the clock, each second, each minute, each hour Jiyong was positive he was getting closer to death. 

He pressed a skelaton hand to his ribs, concentrating on breathing in and out, desperate for a filling of fresh oxygen, but only absorbing the damp air. 

Jiyong fixated his eyes on the scratches on the wall, each one a memorial of the countless lower-class men like Jiyong who had become psychotic whilst waiting for their impending death. 

Jiyong wondered if he would die like them, starved and bruised.

Jiyong hoped they would be merciful and just hang him.

Quickly.

The small rectangular shapes of light streaming onto the floor and Jiyong's memories were the only reminders of the life Jiyong had once lived outside his prison wndow.

Suddenly, the shadow of a man overfell Jiyong. He threw a protein bar in Jiyong's direction.

"G-Dragon," the man over him said.

"What?" Jiyong would have been confused if he didn't feel so delirious and weak. What was G-Dragon, who was G-Dragon?

"Eat the bar and get some energy, we're escaping tonight, be ready for a blackout at supper."

Even through his blurred vision Jiyong could make out the two diamond beneath the man's ear, "Who are you?"

"The name's Taeyang."

*****

Choi Seunghyun, the only son of our Minister of Defence is engaged is Im Yoona, grandaughter of the former President Im.

The news of Seunghyun's engagement was like another heavy stone placed upon Soojung's chest. Within the few months that she'd last seen Seunghyun, Jiyong had also broken out of prison and a death warrent was put on his head.

Soojung's belly swelled. It was the protected hope growing within her that motivated her to get out of bed in the morning, even when her feet felt like they were tied to shackles and sadness would wash over her as often as the sea under the full moon.

Dara looked after Soojung well. She had offered to find a job to contribute to the overall income for the ladies in the shelter but Dara had forbidden her: "You need to concentrate on keeping your baby healthy."

Soojung reread the headline, nostalgia building up in .

Had Seunghyun already forgotton about her, did she mean so little to him that he would get engaged so soon after they had seperated?

Once she had missed Seunghyun so much that she'd dialled his number on a payphone, her heart fluttering when he'd slurred the word, "Hello."

But as quickly as her longing for Seunghyun would flood her, it would be replaced by his betrayal.

Never again would she trust an upper-class man.

 

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ilovekrystal
Please leave some comments of your thought's on the story so far. I'd be interested to know what you think, and where you think the plot will lead to.

Thank you for you interest
xoxo

Comments

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Soojungkrystl
#1
Chapter 12: Update
Soojungkrystl
#2
Chapter 12: Update
2ne1blackjackvip #3
Chapter 10: Been patiently waiting for the update since January hehe. Please update soon! :)
Popkorn17 #4
Chapter 9: Ooh interesting! Please continue!
dxrd05 #5
new reader here! the story seems interesting. looking forward forbthe next chapters thank you!!
y0onda #6
Thanks for the update authornim <3