track 10 - The End

miyeon put the phone in her bag and entered in her family's house. she came to visit her mother and have dinner together. and hwiyoung came with her.

"who was that?" he asked.

"a friend"

"friend?"

miyeon gave him a death glare then proceeded to the great room. her mother was sitting there without moving an inch, looking into the space. the housekeeper welcomed them.

"... mrs. cho was waiting for you, go and take a seat on the sofa, take your coats off. dinner will be ready in ten."

just when miyeon sat down, her mother groaned, "no, i have bad feelings about this. i tried to stop him, but he had no fears. i can't believe he really turned himself in and gave the company to you. and you're-"

"i'm what?"

"i love you sweetheart," she sighed, "but until yesterday, you didn't even care about us. now you're taking your father's seat?"

"i was going to take it anyway."

"but not this early. you're obviously not ready."

"well, it had to be done."

"i want to know what is going on."

"didn't he tell you everything?"

"not exactly. all i know is that it won't be long, and he will come back soon. and this is all because of that ivy -"

"watch your words"

"why?"

"because-"

"you're defending her?"

"no, i'm not."

"that soojin you have known for two years is not soojin, you know that?"

"i know"

"she's a liar. but more than that, she is our enemy. and you're still taking her side!"

"i said no!"

when miyeon and her mother started yelling at each other, hwiyoung stepped in.

"okay ladies, stop for now. let's eat first, you can fight later."

they settled down for a bit. but the quarrel continued at the dinner table.

"oh please, mom, don't pretend like he is so innocent."

"of course he is not. but that doesn't justify her actions."

"if i were soojin, i might be mad too. and today i learned that her mother passed away. she was sick. i mean i'm not defending soojin, but maybe that's why she's taken things this far in the past two years. she's just been through a lot, and she's taking it out on us."

"her mother died?"

"mhm"

"good"

"mother!" miyeon screamed as she slammed her hand down on the table, "you're crossing the line!" her voice trembled with outrage.

her mother raised her voice in a rage, "don't yell at me miyeon, i'm your mother!"

***

the girls stopped in front of the building where lucas was living. they stepped out of soyeon's car.

"she is not around, must be at his door already." said yuqi and rushed to the building. soyeon and minnie were right behind her. they arrived the apartment, and yuqi hesitated to ring the bell for a moment. minnie touched her back to show her support, then yuqi was able to go on. lucas opened the door and left the girls in awe. because he was messy as hell. his dark circles could be a sign of sleep deprivation, yuqi thought. but she also wondered how he'd become like this in two days or so.

"yuqi? w-what are you doing here?"

"where is she? i swear to god if you touch her-"

"what nonsense are you saying right now?"

minnie pulled yuqi back and took a step forward, "did shuhua come here?"

"are you kidding me?"

soyeon ranted at him, "just answer the damn question you-"

"hey, hey, hey, calm down." said minnie.

"minnie unnie, soyeon unnie, let's get out of here." said yuqi and left.

minnie followed after. soyeon gave lucas an intimidating look and then walked away. when they left the building together and headed to the car, lucas came after them, throwing himself outside in a hurry.

"yuqi!" he called, "c-can we talk?"

yuqi stopped, didn't look back. instead, she looked into soyeon's sparkling eyes and held her hand, intertwining the fingers. a reassuring smile crawled across soyeon's face.

"come on, let's go."  said minnie.

they hopped in the car then. minnie was in the back. she tried calling shuhua, but shuhua was ditching her calls.

"she's not answering."

"i'll text her." yuqi stated.

after a couple of minutes later, shuhua texted yuqi back.

"oh, she replied... eh?"

"what does she say?" soyeon asked.

"she says she's home."

"what? then why the hell doesn't she answer?"

"okay, it looks like we were worried for nothing."

they came back shuhua's home as quickly as possible. they were still at the door when minnie asked, "are you okay?"

"i should be the one who's asking that."

"why'd you take off like that?" yuqi was so serious as she asked the question.

"soojin texted me that her driver came by here to give me my bike. so i went to the car park, down the basement. i had no idea they would have it fixed."

"you could have told us." said soyeon.  they all went inside, minnie and shuhua settled down on the floor.

"i told minnie unnie i'll be right back."

they looked at minnie at the same time. minnie smiled, "well, i must have missed that part."

"okay but, where did you all go?"

"did you listen to anything i said?"

"no, sorry, i was distracted. but i think you were saying something about lucas, right?"

"yeah i-"

yuqi slightly shook her head, giving a sign to minnie to stop. all this fuss made her nervous. minnie kind of stammered then.

"i was... talking about... lucas, yes. lucas and yuqi broke up."

shuhua looked at yuqi, "really? why?"

"yeah, we just never got along."

"well, understandable. and that's the entire reason?"

"yes"

"what about the group chat?"

"we don't always have to text each other." said soyeon as she sat down, "yuqi, why don't you sit?"

"sorry, girls. i'm not feeling well. would it be awful if i left early?" asked yuqi.

"it's fine" they said.

then she took her bag and left.

"should we go after her?"

"no, shuhua, just give her some time." said minnie, and she added "by the way, soyeon, i'm sorry to interrupt your intimate moment earlier."

"huh?"

"oh, a what moment?" shuhua got curious.

"they were kissing"

"wha-" soyeon almost choked on her own spit for a moment and couldn't finish her word. she coughed a lot as minnie hit her on her back a few times. shuhua brought her a glass of water. after a few coughs later, soyeon finally got better but remained silent. her red face, however, said it all for her.

"minnie unnie, you broke her."

minnie attempted to say something but got a phone call from miyeon and went another room to answer it.

"hi again"

"are you still busy?"

"oh, not really."

"minnie, i really need someone to talk to."

"is everything good?"

"not really"

"where are you? i'll be right over."

***

minnie came to a park near miyeon's place and looked around. no one was there except a girl with a cap sitting on the stairs. minnie realized it was miyeon and came closer.

"here you are"

a smile came onto miyeon's mouth when she saw minnie.

but minnie felt like it was a forced smile, knowing she's not okay. and it really was. her smile disappeared in less than no time.

"aren't you cold like this?"

"i'm fine. it feels good."

minnie sat next to her but was a little behind, "mkay"

then nobody talked. miyeon started playing with her fingers.

"what is wrong?" asked minnie.

"everything is wrong"

"whatever it is, you know you can tell me."

"hmm, where do i start? oh yeah, my father is in jail, i'm a ceo now, soojin, my sister, is now my enemy. and her mother, who i just knew of her existence because i thought she was already dead, died. i can't even go to the funeral and be there for soojin, because she doesn't want me," then she bellowed, "all she wants is to destroy me and my terrible family."

"miyeon i... i don't know what to say..."

"it's okay. i'm sorry i got mad."

minnie raised her hand to reach miyeon. she wanted to touch her. her thoughts were loud. her mind was reeling with feelings and emotions.

'why do i feel so safe and secure when i'm with you? it's like this emptiness that i have felt my entire life is suddenly full. what's it called?'

"and i'm getting married soon." miyeon blurted out.

"what?" minnie's heart started racing, "to whom?"

"to the only son of xx corporation's owner, hwiyoung."

minnie remembered the voice recording:

... no, i only agreed to take over your company. i am not marrying him. and if i weren't your only child, i wouldn't do that either...

and asked, "why?"

but she didn't get an answer to her question and asked her something else, "do you love him?"

miyeon turned her head and gazed at minnie under her cap, with a half smile, "why ask a question when you already know the answer?"

minnie was surprised, "what do you mean?"

"when i was at the office, i knew your phone was still recording."

"oh my god, i swear i didn't mean to-"

"no, it's all right. i guess i wanted you to know anyway... that i'm not perfect. i don't know why, though."

"do you have to marry him?"

miyeon turned around and faced forward, "can you do me a favour and go to the funeral? and check on soojin?"

"eh? uh, yeah, of course."

"and don't let her know that we're close." 

'are we... are we close?'

miyeon got up and looked at minnie, "okay?"

"o-okay."

"thank you"