On Rainy Days

Summary: When biracial, Korean-American, Kim, So-Ri decides to return to her homeland, Korea, and make a fresh start, she did so with a plan. Plans don’t always go the way you plan...?

Genre: Romance/Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Drama

Alternate Universe: BTS/Original...Unknown Pairings…

Rated: M for Mature Content

A/N: If you have suggestions for Pairings, let me know!! I’m totally open to hearing what you guys have to say.

-x-x-x-

August 12, a small funeral service was held for Elaine Kim. She was laid to rest beneath a young weeping Plum Blossom tree that had been planted just for her mother. Around the grave site, in a halo like ring, she’d had someone professionally plant some Achillea Japanese Lace, a delicate and attractive flower that her mother had been fond of.

“Mama...I see why you like these flowers...they attract butterflies.” She smiled at the small Western Tailed-Blue butterfly that had landed gently on one of the soft light pink petals of one of the many flowers that now encircled her mother. Laying down on her stomach, she watched the butterfly for a few seconds as it focused on the pollen it was collecting. “Little butterfly, I know you’re busy, but if you find that you have the time...could you deliver a message to my mom?”

The butterfly’s white wings moved in a mesmerizing motion as it moved along to another flower, one just slightly closer to So-Ri. It was like a little angle.

She took that as a sign to continue, “...please tell her that...I love her, and I miss her. Let her know, I’m going to move forward and take steps towards my own dreams now. I want to surround myself with dance and music, maybe I can get a job doing something that lets me become submerged in my hobbies. Ah...maybe not, but I won’t get anywhere if I stay here.” She stopped talking for a second, her eyes becoming glassy as she watched the butterfly, “...I’ll work hard to live my life, so that I have no regrets. I know...you always lived life on a whim, doing things that made you happy. I’m glad, because I think you left without holding onto any unhappiness...well, except for one.” She looked at the tree and frowned, “...I’m going to look for him, once I get to Korea...I’ll be sure to find him, I promise you.” She finally stood up and smiled as she made steps carefully away from the butterfly and closer towards the tombstone of her mothers grave, “Mama...Happy Birthday.”

Her eyes lingered on the grave stone before she turned and walked away from the grave site. She made a promise to return before she left for Korea.

The butterfly that held the softly whispered message to her mother, fluttered lightly atop the flower before flying to the tombstone and landing gently on the white marble. The stone read:

~Elaine Kim~

Beloved Mother

Eternally Faithful Wife

Always Loved

Never Forgotten

Forever Missed

“I’m only a Butterfly Whisper away...”

- Elaine Kim

BORN: August 12, 1970

DIED: August 7, 2017

The flutter of wings vanished into the sky as it left the small floral paradise behind.

-x-x-x-

“...I’ll pay the extra for expedite...how long will it take?” So-Ri asked the woman who was helping her file her application for a Passport. She was limited on time, and needed to get everything done before she left for Korea.

“Shouldn’t take longer than two weeks, three at the absolute max.”

So-Ri nodded, calculating the days in her head. ‘It’ll arrive sometime between August 25 and 31...that won’t cause me any problems, I’ll get the tickets once I get my passport.’

“Ma’am?”

So-Ri looked up and blushed, “sorry, what did you say?”

The woman sighed, “I need you to sign here, and then, do you have your Drivers License and Social Security or Birth Certificate?”

“Oh, I have my Drivers License and Social...” she dug the two cards out of her wallet and handed them over to the woman. Grabbing the pen, she quickly signed her name before pushing the paper back towards the lady helping her.

“Alright, you’ll receive a verification call sometime on Monday, after that it’s just the waiting game.” The attendant helping her said, giving her back the cards after she’d made copies of them.

Standing, So-Ri thanked the woman before she grabbed her purse and left her office. Pulling her phone out, she looked at the time, “I have to meet with the Fiduciary in charge of Mom’s Will in an hour...”

~You know I~

~I’m Gonna b-~

“Hello?” So-Ri pulled her car keys out as she walked towards her Hyundai.

“Hi, is this Kim, So-Ri?”

She climbed into her car and started the engine, “It is, yes.” she listened as her phone connected to her Bluetooth in her car, tossing her purse into her passenger seat as it did. “Who is this?”

“My name is Ahn, Kenneth. I’m calling from RM Sotheby’s about a listing for a 1962 California Spyder...I’m in the California area picking up a 1974 Camero...and I wanted to meet with you concerning your 1962 Spyder. Would you be available today?”

“...I’m actually meeting with my mothers Fiduciary in a bit, will you still be in town tomorrow?”

“I will be here till tomorrow evening, then I have to leave.”

“I might be able to meet with you in a few hours, I don’t know how long this will take, but if not, I can meet with you anytime that you are available tomorrow. Ah...or, you can come to the house and talk there. You could come by in about three hours, and I should hopefully be done with my meeting.”

“If you are okay with that, I’d be more than happy to drive over; I’d like to see the car too.”

Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she took a right and pulled off the road for a few seconds, “that’s fine. I’ll be there for most of the day today, is this your cellphone number?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I’ll text you the address, head over whenever.”

“Yes, thank you!”

She hung up and texted the address to the number that had just called before continuing towards her mothers house. Pulling onto Collins Street and then taking a right onto Mammoth Avenue, she pulled into the driveway of the house on the corner and drove up the driveway. So-Ri put her car in park and climbed out of her Hyundai before walking up the walkway towards the front doors.

“Miss. Kim?”

She turned to see someone calling out from their car, their window rolled down so that she’d hear him. She watched him pull up on the driveway and park before he climbed out and walked up to her. Holding his hand out, she took it curiously. He introduced himself with a smile, “Christopher Moore, I’m here as your mothers Fiduciary.”

She nodded and held her keys up, “shall we go inside?” Turning away without waiting for an answer, she unlocked the doors and walked in, holding the door open for Christopher to follow inside. He did so and she closed the door just as a beautiful reddish ruddy cat came running down the stairs. It’s almond shaped evergreen eyes were set in a dramatically marked and expressive face. A spectacularly warmly ticked coat produced a shimmering iridescence, whether the cat was being still or in motion. So-Ri watched it jump onto the pedestal railing of the staircase it had just descended from and gave it a gentle rub on the head before walking past it to her mothers office.

“What kind of cat was that?? It’s gorgeous.”

“I’d hope so, considering how much money my mother spent on them. She’s an Abyssinian, her mate and kittens are running around here somewhere too.”

“I’ve never heard of that breed...although, my repertoire of cat breeds falls under Bobtails and Tomcats.”

“Ah...” So-Ri smiled, “Cats are the familiar of the Kim family. I have an Egyptian Mau, Ocicat and Toyger at my apartment.”

“So...how many cats is that? Three...two adults here...five, how many kittens do these two have?”

“Four, two boys and two girls.”

“Why so many cats?” He sat down across from the coffee table on a leather chair, So-Ri joining him across the way.

“I told you, Cats are the familiar of the Kim family...they are our Spirit Guides. For thousands of years, cats were worshiped by the Egyptians. Believing that the cat had occult and psychic abilities of the “Great Power”. To them, these creatures could not only see at night, but they could also see into the future and cross the veil to the spirit world. Beside that, cat’s are particularly good to have around when your life begins to change and you need to adapt...it just so happens, my life is changing...and I need to adapt. That’s why your here today, yes?”

He smiled sadly and nodded before pulling out her mothers Will and getting straight to business. From the corner of the room, a pair of almond shaped golden yellow eyes watched thoughtfully over the two.

-x-x-x-

So-Ri let out a sigh as she reread a copy of the Will left behind by the Fiduciary. It wasn’t shocking, her mother had left her everything, the entire house, her car...her dads car...the cats, all five of them. She had it so that her money would be wired to her daughter in the scenario of her passing away. The Fiduciary brought over the bank statement revealing the account that her money was in and the amount.

The amount…

So-Ri sighed again and closed her eyes. “Who puts that much money away in a savings account for their daughter? What am I supposed to do with it all...”

~Diiing...Dooong~

She opened her eyes at the sound of the doorbell, grabbing all of the papers left behind by the Fiduciary, she placed them in the first drawer of her mothers desk before walking to the front door. The doorbell sounded again and she called out, “coming!” She passed the man of the house on her way and gave him another gentle touch to the head as he purred on his perch. Opening the door, she took in the Korean at her door. “Ahn?”

“Yes,” he smiled.

Taking a note from the little bit that she knew of Korean culture, she bowed respectfully before stepping aside and letting him in.

He smiled at the gesture before returning it and following her inside. “I’m sorry I’m late, I got caught up on a call. I was telling my employer about the treasure I found here and he was adamant that I do whatever I can to procure it.”

“You are referring to...Dahlia?” She walked down the hall, ushering for him to follow as she did. Leading him towards the Garage, she opened the door and he was surprised by the cool temperature that hit him. “My mom took good care of her. Dahlia was my fathers car.”

“Where is your dad now?”

She scoffed, “you know, that’s a really good question. I don’t have an answer though. You can go in and look at her.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He stepped past her and his eyes sparkled as he took in the vehicle. “So, RM is a Collectors Auction...we do charge a Consignment fee, but it’s minimal in comparison to what this will sale for.”

“I’m honestly torn on whether I should get rid of her or not. Like I said, she belonged to my father...” she eyed the clean state of the car and her heart felt as if it might break, “...looking at the state she’s in, my mother really took care of her despite him never coming back home.”

He looked at the car and turned back to So-Ri, “where did he go?”

“When I was seven, he went back to Korea for a business trip... I never saw him again.”

He nodded his head and stared longingly at the car before closing his eyes and sighing. “Are you going to look for him?”

“Well, that’s the plan. I’m meeting with an Agent tomorrow and selling my moms car back to the Dealership it came from.”

He raised a brow at that.

“It’s nothing exciting. My mom owned a Honda Civic, a normal compact sized vehicle.”

“Ah, well, let me just say this. The opportunity to acquire a short wheelbase California Spyder rarely comes along, particularly one of this pedigree and exceptional rarity. It’s a magnificent example of one of the world's most revered Ferrari's, and it would certainly garner strong interest should it cross the podium at our Auction House...It easily falls into the $8.5-10 million price range...that’s not saying what you’ll get once the Auction Starts. I’ve seen that number triple for cars less valuable.”

Tears burned at her eyes and she shook her head, “I shouldn’t have listed it, I’m sorry if I got your hope up. I also hope this doesn’t cause you trouble with your boss.”

Staring hard at her, he gave a small smile and shook his head, “my boss will understand. For many a man, cars are collector items, but I think...for your mother, it was a memory, and for you...it’s a promise...”

‘Promise?’ The confusion must have shown on her face as he smiled and answered her unspoken question.

“A promise to find your father...”

“A promise...” She thought of the promise she’d made to her mother and smiled, “...your right. That’s exactly what she is.” So-Ri met his eyes and held the garage door open for him, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ahn...but I can’t sell this car yet. She’s not mine to sell, but I thank you for your time...and for your words.”

He bowed and straightened before walking with her back to the front door. “Thank you for letting me see her. She was well worth the drive.”

He left the house and So-Ri returned to the garage, walking towards the car, she took a seat on the concrete floor with her back leaning gently against the passenger door. Sitting there, she closed her eyes and tried to remember something about her father. She had cloudy memories of him, but...what she could remember, stood out. A smile, a warm and happy smile when he looked at her mother. She couldn’t for the life of her, understand why he stayed in Korea. He had loved her mother so much...and her mother loved him. This car was a testament to that. “Alright, it’s settled then, I guess you’ll be coming with me.” She laughed at the thought of more paperwork, and most likely...another license she’d need to get before the end of the month.

Putting her best foot forward, she stood up and made her way out of the garage for the second time. She would need to pull the car from the online listings, and she still needed to sell her and her mothers car. Not to mention the house, and her apartments contract would need to be paid out. “Oh...and I still need to do that...”

-x-x-x-

Morning the next day found So-Ri sitting on the wood floors or her apartment with nine cats sniffing one another as they all became acquainted with one another. Her personal bodyguard came running over as one of her mothers favored Abyssinian’s came too close to her. “Tch...what are you being so protective for?” She watched the kittens toddle over to their mother for breakfast and made to stand up, immediately being pushed around by her guard cat. It purred warmly against her bare calves, rotating around her as he brushed up against her on both legs, pausing for a moment to stare at the many cats around him, then continuing to circle her. “I have to get ready Pharaoh,” she leaned over and scratched the cat lightly behind the ear and smiled as he rubbed against her hand before she left him staring curiously after her. His attention was gone before too long as he turned and chased after one of the many felines in her apartment.

She had to sneak them all in late last night so that her Apartment Complex wouldn’t fine her for nine cats. Not that she couldn’t pay it...she just didn’t want to if she was going to be leaving in a few weeks. The envelope with the money for the last four months of her lease was already sitting on her desk waiting to be turned into the Receptionist in the Leasing Lobby. She dressed nicely, since she had a meeting with the Community Agent for her mothers neighborhood today. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, she brushed it out and then brushed it into a tight, high ponytail before pulling on a black blouse and a pair of black dress-pants, her outfit accompanied by a pair of black heels that had been much cheaper than they looked. Applying a light gloss and blush, she touched some mascara along her lashes before grabbing her purse and car keys.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she locked her door behind her, she answered with an overrated greeting.

“So-Ri? This is Erik Bagman, I was your moms Manager.”

“Oh! Mr. Bagman, I remember you. You came over last New Yours for moms end of the year celebration. How have you been, sir?”

“I’m doing good, thank you for asking.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Was there a reason you called?” She leaned against her door, tapping the tip of her shoe on the floor as she talked on the phone.

“Yes, and I wish it was for better news. Your mother filed you as her Beneficiary, in case of Death. As such, we need you to come in a sign some papers so that we can get your claim started for your payout.”

“I didn’t know she had me as a Beneficiary...can you send me the location of your Agency? I can come in after I finish with my meeting...”

“I’ll text it to you. ...listen, So-Ri, I’m sorry if this is all so sudden. Your mother was a precious member of the family. It hurts knowing that she won’t come into work tomorrow...I can’t even imagine how her own daughter must be feeling.”

“...I can’t cry anymore. I keep getting hit at every turn with more papers to sign, and more payouts. My mom really took care of me in the scenario of her passing...I really hate it. I don’t need money...but a mother I need.” She sniffed and blinked the tears that wanted to fall away. She wouldn’t let them fall, not yet, not till this was all over and she could tell her mother “good bye” properly. “I have to let you go, sir. I am running late for my meeting.”

“...I understand, I’ll see you later then.”

She hung up and pushed herself off of her door, making her way down stairs and to her car. “I still have so much to do...maybe I should have taken another week off.”

Climbing into her car, she put her keys into the ignition and readied herself for another painful fight with life. Pulling out of the parking spot, she left the apartment complex. Her phone buzzed with a text from her moms Boss and she spared it barely a moments glance as she started towards her mothers house.

“Mom...”

-x-x-x-

Me: Chapter two!! I hope everyone is enjoying, this story thus far. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments below~!!!