o10 || we meet again
the pursuit of happiness
10
we meet again
"Ah, she already gained weight this week. That's good. That means the cancer had stopped spreading and the surgery was successful. Please continue the prescribed diet and make sure she takes her vitamins. I'll see the two of you again next month?"
She patted the bichon frise before her and bowed at her client before washing her hands.
"Any more client, Minhyuk?"
"No. She's the last one. Are you going to the shelter now, doc?"
"Ah no, I have to go home. Take care of the place okay? Hyunsik is coming for the night shift with you, right?"
"Yes, doc."
"Alright, I'll get going then. Good night, Minhyuk."
The woman exited the room and went to her car, but not before greeting the dogs on her way out.
Her father said he wanted to talk. She offered to talk with him over the phone but he insisted they should talk face to face so she came home earlier today.
The traffic was pretty clear and she entered her house shortly.
"I'm home," she called out and she saw her father already eating dinner.
She bowed before sitting down.
She patted the bichon frise before her and bowed at her client before washing her hands.
"Any more client, Minhyuk?"
"No. She's the last one. Are you going to the shelter now, doc?"
"Ah no, I have to go home. Take care of the place okay? Hyunsik is coming for the night shift with you, right?"
"Yes, doc."
"Alright, I'll get going then. Good night, Minhyuk."
The woman exited the room and went to her car, but not before greeting the dogs on her way out.
Her father said he wanted to talk. She offered to talk with him over the phone but he insisted they should talk face to face so she came home earlier today.
The traffic was pretty clear and she entered her house shortly.
"I'm home," she called out and she saw her father already eating dinner.
She bowed before sitting down.
The man before her simply gave her a nod before he continued his meal. To be honest, she didn't have an appetite so she just watched the man eats.
"What do you want to talk about, abeoji?"
Her father dabbed his mouth with his napkin and sipped his water before looking straight at her.
"I met the Jungs early this week."
"What do you want to talk about, abeoji?"
Her father dabbed his mouth with his napkin and sipped his water before looking straight at her.
"I met the Jungs early this week."
Jung...?
"And?"
"I talk to the parents. We agreed on setting you up with their oldest son."
“The Jungs? Which Jungs?”
“The Jungs from Hanryang Company. You know their son, right?”
"I talk to the parents. We agreed on setting you up with their oldest son."
“The Jungs? Which Jungs?”
“The Jungs from Hanryang Company. You know their son, right?”
Once the gears in her brain clicked, Yerim balked immediately.
"W-wait. Abeoji? Oldest son? Y-you mean Jung Jaehyun?!"
The man nodded.
"What? Abeoji! No!"
"Kim Yerim."
"Abeoji!"
"Kim Yerim! You have been a burden to this household for such a long time. Even if you live far away and avoid working in the company, you still carry my name and will still be associated with this family. Once you got married, you're not going to be our family's responsibility anymore and I don't have to worry about keeping our family's name. Marrying the Jung will give you a higher social status and it can keep you off our backs. So please, do accordingly. I am tired of seeing your face around."
The man stood up with a loud sigh and the girl felt her eyes watering immediately.
So much for going home earlier.
She climbed the stairs to her room and threw herself on the bed as she sobbed silently.
It has been like this for the past 20 years. After her mother's tragic death, her relationship with her father went worse with each passing year. It's as if he resented her existence.
"W-wait. Abeoji? Oldest son? Y-you mean Jung Jaehyun?!"
The man nodded.
"What? Abeoji! No!"
"Kim Yerim."
"Abeoji!"
"Kim Yerim! You have been a burden to this household for such a long time. Even if you live far away and avoid working in the company, you still carry my name and will still be associated with this family. Once you got married, you're not going to be our family's responsibility anymore and I don't have to worry about keeping our family's name. Marrying the Jung will give you a higher social status and it can keep you off our backs. So please, do accordingly. I am tired of seeing your face around."
The man stood up with a loud sigh and the girl felt her eyes watering immediately.
So much for going home earlier.
She climbed the stairs to her room and threw herself on the bed as she sobbed silently.
It has been like this for the past 20 years. After her mother's tragic death, her relationship with her father went worse with each passing year. It's as if he resented her existence.
The nightmare happened when she was 8 years old. It was a happy normal day, and her mother picked her up from school. She wanted ice cream and her mother was being generous so she asked the driver to drive them to this famous ice cream parlor. Just like a nightmare, a random car crashed into their car. Her mother went the extra length to cover her body with hers.
It was very chaotic. She remembered the paramedics coming and her mother insisting her daughter to be rescued first. Yerim made it through her critical phase, but her mother died even before she reached the hospital.
The whole family blamed her for that incident. She always thought it was ridiculous. It's not like she wanted her mother dead! She was a kid making an innocent request of eating ice cream. The driver of the damned car that hit them was put in jail. But everybody still hates her.
Her mother's side of family disowned her. Her father hates her. He changed. And his father's family blamed her for the change. She was just 8 and she just lost her mother yet nobody seemed to care.
Her relationship with his father crumbled and she tried many years to salvage it but it seems like it was always futile.
She was a burden because she was still carrying the family name. Her father hates seeing her face. She was objected from joining the family business. She left home since college, only coming home several times every few years. And even when they rarely see each other's face, her father still hates her.
It seems like being married off will be the only solution for her to be able to cut ties completely from her father.
It was very chaotic. She remembered the paramedics coming and her mother insisting her daughter to be rescued first. Yerim made it through her critical phase, but her mother died even before she reached the hospital.
The whole family blamed her for that incident. She always thought it was ridiculous. It's not like she wanted her mother dead! She was a kid making an innocent request of eating ice cream. The driver of the damned car that hit them was put in jail. But everybody still hates her.
Her mother's side of family disowned her. Her father hates her. He changed. And his father's family blamed her for the change. She was just 8 and she just lost her mother yet nobody seemed to care.
Her relationship with his father crumbled and she tried many years to salvage it but it seems like it was always futile.
She was a burden because she was still carrying the family name. Her father hates seeing her face. She was objected from joining the family business. She left home since college, only coming home several times every few years. And even when they rarely see each other's face, her father still hates her.
It seems like being married off will be the only solution for her to be able to cut ties completely from her father.
"Minhyuk! I'll step out a bit, I have to meet someone at the cafe!" Yerim said as she put away her stethoscope.
"Okay, doc. There's no more patient anyways."
"Alright, I'll be at the cafe. Ring the cashier if there's an emergency."Yerim walked through the small backdoor that led her to the employee's room of the dog cafe next to her pet clinic.
"Ma'am!"
"Chaewon! Have you baked the pie?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's already on the counter."
She exited the room and went to see her cafe bustling with customers.
"Are they selling well?" Yerim inquired.
"Not bad for a new item, ma'am."
"Okay. Can you save a slice of pecan pie and a slice of apple crumble for me? I'm meeting an old friend of mine. I'm running late and I probably have to change my—"
"Yerim?"
"Okay, doc. There's no more patient anyways."
"Alright, I'll be at the cafe. Ring the cashier if there's an emergency."Yerim walked through the small backdoor that led her to the employee's room of the dog cafe next to her pet clinic.
"Ma'am!"
"Chaewon! Have you baked the pie?"
"Yes, ma'am. It's already on the counter."
She exited the room and went to see her cafe bustling with customers.
"Are they selling well?" Yerim inquired.
"Not bad for a new item, ma'am."
"Okay. Can you save a slice of pecan pie and a slice of apple crumble for me? I'm meeting an old friend of mine. I'm running late and I probably have to change my—"
"Yerim?"
Jaehyun parked his car in front of the cafe. It's quite packed when he entered the creme colored building and he was immediately greeted by the sight of dogs roaming the cafe freely. It was weird for Yerim to set a dog cafe for their meeting place. He didn't have the chance to negotiate into meeting in a more reasonable place since her mother was the one who arranged this appointment.
Jaehyun sat down in an empty chair and ordered a coffee for himself as he looked around. He hasn't seen Yerim for at least ten years. The girl disappeared after high school graduation. To be honest, he's quite curious on how she will look as an adult. She has always been pretty.
He looked around as he waited for the girl to come when he saw someone who looked familiar coming out of the employee's room.
Is that… Yerim?
Jaehyun decided to push his luck and he pretended to examine the desserts displayed on the counter before he approached the girl who was standing near the register.
"Yerim?"
The girl jerked when she saw him. Her eyes widened and she had opened.
"J-Jung Jaehyun?"
Jaehyun smiled.
"It’s me. So nice to see you again, Rim."
"Oh my god. Oh, yes. Yeah…" she blushed as she's embarrassed at her current state. She hasn't change out of her work attire, damn it!
The girl jerked when she saw him. Her eyes widened and she had opened.
"J-Jung Jaehyun?"
Jaehyun smiled.
"It’s me. So nice to see you again, Rim."
"Oh my god. Oh, yes. Yeah…" she blushed as she's embarrassed at her current state. She hasn't change out of her work attire, damn it!
Jaehyun smiled as he took in the appearance of the girl who's now sitting in front of him. She looks just like she did back in high school, but her features are a bit more mature now. She had ditched her bangs and pitch-black shoulder length hair. She's now sporting blonde hair that she tied into a ponytail and she's cladded in a dark blue scrubs and lab coat. Her face looks fresh and she's barely wearing any make products, unlike those he met the previous weeks.
"How are you?" Jaehyun asked.
She smiled awkwardly, "Uh… fine. How about you?"
Jaehyun jolted in his seat when the dogs began to roam their table area.
"How are you?" Jaehyun asked.
She smiled awkwardly, "Uh… fine. How about you?"
Jaehyun jolted in his seat when the dogs began to roam their table area.
"Snowy! Cookie! Russo! Tabby! Sit down, okay," she reprimanded the dogs gently and all of them sat down obediently next to her seat.
"Pretty good. Wow, we haven't met each other in ten years. You work here? The dogs seemed to be… well acquaintance with you." Jaehyun asked after he sipped his coffee.
"Uh, I own this place actually. I work as a vet in the clinic just next door."
"Oh, really? I thought you'd be venturing into your family business."
Yerim gave him a pressed smile and shook her head, "Well, here I am now."
"But this place is cool, though," Jaehyun said as he reached down to give the big samoyed a scratch behind its ear.
"That's Snowy. He's the customers' favorite. He's nice and calm with kids," she smiled fondly as she looked at the fluffy white canine.
"Anyways... Where have you been? Ten years, Rim. Ten years."
Yerim blushed and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Things didn't work well in Korea at that time…. So, I went to Japan for college."
"And when did you get back?"
"Uhmm… two years ago?"
"Two years and you didn't contact any of us? Rim, you missed out a lot!"
"I did, didn't I? I'm sorry... How are the guys doing? You're still close to them, right?"
Jaehyun smiled softly, "Well yeah. Sicheng got married a year ago. His wife is now pregnant with their first child. Ten is on a serious relationship and we'll probably hear wedding bells shortly.”
"Wow. I used to think that Sicheng would definitely be the first one to marry. I was correct! How about the underclassmen we were close with? Dejun? And Ten's stepbrother… Lucas wasn't it?"
"Dejun is a doctor now. Lucas is doing fine, we work together often."
"How about your brother and his close friend?"
"Jungwoo works for the company like me. His friend, Mark, works for his family's company as well."
Jaehyun stared at the girl who had a longing look on her face.
"I want to meet the guys again but I don't think they will be all too happy about it. I disappeared for too long," she looked down as she swirled her cup of tea.
"They'll be happy, I think. Don't be too worried."
She smiled gently, "You didn't change that much, Jaehyun. Still the same old Jaehyun."
Jaehyun chuckled, "Aside from our hair, I don't think we changed much. Both of us."
Yerim noticed how both of them no longer keeps their black hair anymore. She smiled.
"If anything, I'd say we look better as adults," she commented.
"Pretty good. Wow, we haven't met each other in ten years. You work here? The dogs seemed to be… well acquaintance with you." Jaehyun asked after he sipped his coffee.
"Uh, I own this place actually. I work as a vet in the clinic just next door."
"Oh, really? I thought you'd be venturing into your family business."
Yerim gave him a pressed smile and shook her head, "Well, here I am now."
"But this place is cool, though," Jaehyun said as he reached down to give the big samoyed a scratch behind its ear.
"That's Snowy. He's the customers' favorite. He's nice and calm with kids," she smiled fondly as she looked at the fluffy white canine.
"Anyways... Where have you been? Ten years, Rim. Ten years."
Yerim blushed and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Things didn't work well in Korea at that time…. So, I went to Japan for college."
"And when did you get back?"
"Uhmm… two years ago?"
"Two years and you didn't contact any of us? Rim, you missed out a lot!"
"I did, didn't I? I'm sorry... How are the guys doing? You're still close to them, right?"
Jaehyun smiled softly, "Well yeah. Sicheng got married a year ago. His wife is now pregnant with their first child. Ten is on a serious relationship and we'll probably hear wedding bells shortly.”
"Wow. I used to think that Sicheng would definitely be the first one to marry. I was correct! How about the underclassmen we were close with? Dejun? And Ten's stepbrother… Lucas wasn't it?"
"Dejun is a doctor now. Lucas is doing fine, we work together often."
"How about your brother and his close friend?"
"Jungwoo works for the company like me. His friend, Mark, works for his family's company as well."
Jaehyun stared at the girl who had a longing look on her face.
"I want to meet the guys again but I don't think they will be all too happy about it. I disappeared for too long," she looked down as she swirled her cup of tea.
"They'll be happy, I think. Don't be too worried."
She smiled gently, "You didn't change that much, Jaehyun. Still the same old Jaehyun."
Jaehyun chuckled, "Aside from our hair, I don't think we changed much. Both of us."
Yerim noticed how both of them no longer keeps their black hair anymore. She smiled.
"If anything, I'd say we look better as adults," she commented.
Jaehyun smiled and cleared his throat before speaking, "Rim… I know our parents pushed us to meet again, I mean, my mother definitely did. But please, don't think about it too much. I'm just happy I got to see my old friend again."
"Well, my father pushed me too. But it's okay, I guess. I mean, it’s you."
Jaehyun smiled and nodded before taking a bite of the pecan pie.
"Oh, this tastes good," he praised her as he took another bite.
"Made with fresh organic ingredients, less sugar, and no preservatives added," she playfully winked.
He laughed, "Good for kids, then. I think my kids would love this," he casually replied.
"Well, my father pushed me too. But it's okay, I guess. I mean, it’s you."
Jaehyun smiled and nodded before taking a bite of the pecan pie.
"Oh, this tastes good," he praised her as he took another bite.
"Made with fresh organic ingredients, less sugar, and no preservatives added," she playfully winked.
He laughed, "Good for kids, then. I think my kids would love this," he casually replied.
"K-kids?"
Jaehyun froze upon noticing his slip of tongue.
"You are married with kids?" She asked softly and Jaehyun quickly shook his head.
"N-no! Uh, I mean, I won't be going to a date like this if I'm married. But well… yeah. I have kids… two actually."
"Are you divorc—never mind, I shouldn't pry!" She brushed it off quickly and he smiled a little at her panicked face.
"They're adopted. I'm still single," he answered. He half expected her to judge him like all the girls he went on the arranged dates before but instead she smiled.
"How old are they?"
"Uhm, Jeno is five and Sungchan is still seven months old."
"Oh, they must've been cute! You should definitely bring them here! I'll introduce them the dogs. We also have a shelter behind the clinic. I'll give you guys a tour if you'd like to," she offered warmly.
"Oh, it's okay for them to go here?"
She smiled, "Of course, why not?"
Jaehyun froze upon noticing his slip of tongue.
"You are married with kids?" She asked softly and Jaehyun quickly shook his head.
"N-no! Uh, I mean, I won't be going to a date like this if I'm married. But well… yeah. I have kids… two actually."
"Are you divorc—never mind, I shouldn't pry!" She brushed it off quickly and he smiled a little at her panicked face.
"They're adopted. I'm still single," he answered. He half expected her to judge him like all the girls he went on the arranged dates before but instead she smiled.
"How old are they?"
"Uhm, Jeno is five and Sungchan is still seven months old."
"Oh, they must've been cute! You should definitely bring them here! I'll introduce them the dogs. We also have a shelter behind the clinic. I'll give you guys a tour if you'd like to," she offered warmly.
"Oh, it's okay for them to go here?"
She smiled, "Of course, why not?"
Jaehyun smiled softly. Yerim is indeed different.
"So, how did you suddenly open a cafe like this?" Jaehyun asked, changing the topic.
"Ah... I originally had a plan only for the clinic. After like… eight months? Well, I began to see many stray dogs and a lot of friends contacted me to help some dogs get into adoption by putting their pictures in my clinic. And then I had the idea of building a shelter at the back, which was soon filled with many dogs. And the cafe was opened earlier this year. I was just thinking on how to fund the shelter because the revenue from the clinic alone is not enough. So, I opened the cafe, and let some of the dogs from the shelter to go here so people can see them and hopefully, interested enough to adopt them. And I love baking too so everything aligned, I guess?"
Jaehyun smiled at how passionate she sounds when she talks about her job.
"So, you work here every day?"
"I'm mostly at the clinic, working with several other vets. But when it's not my shift or if I don't have any surgery lined up, I like to hang out here in the cafe, bake some stuff, handle the cash register, or simply mingle with the customer, assisting them on how to approach our dogs."
"That sounds like a lot of fun. I probably should come again. I know we're both pressured by our parents but… let's just keep seeing each other? For old time's sake?"
Yerim smiled warmly, "Of course. For old time's sake."
"So, how did you suddenly open a cafe like this?" Jaehyun asked, changing the topic.
"Ah... I originally had a plan only for the clinic. After like… eight months? Well, I began to see many stray dogs and a lot of friends contacted me to help some dogs get into adoption by putting their pictures in my clinic. And then I had the idea of building a shelter at the back, which was soon filled with many dogs. And the cafe was opened earlier this year. I was just thinking on how to fund the shelter because the revenue from the clinic alone is not enough. So, I opened the cafe, and let some of the dogs from the shelter to go here so people can see them and hopefully, interested enough to adopt them. And I love baking too so everything aligned, I guess?"
Jaehyun smiled at how passionate she sounds when she talks about her job.
"So, you work here every day?"
"I'm mostly at the clinic, working with several other vets. But when it's not my shift or if I don't have any surgery lined up, I like to hang out here in the cafe, bake some stuff, handle the cash register, or simply mingle with the customer, assisting them on how to approach our dogs."
"That sounds like a lot of fun. I probably should come again. I know we're both pressured by our parents but… let's just keep seeing each other? For old time's sake?"
Yerim smiled warmly, "Of course. For old time's sake."
A/N
Hi, it's me, and YERIM IS FINALLY HERE! took us long enough to meet her, yeah? but she's here, and she's ready to meet everyone! please anticipate for her role in this story!
i initially wanted to post this chapter yesterday, but i had a long and unexpected weekend shift at the hospital so when i got home i just drop dead asleep, lol. but well, i finally had time this morning, so here ya go! i hope you like it!
thank you for everyone who had read/commented/subscribed/upvoted this story, it means a lot to me. have a nice monday everyone!
Love, btfg <3
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