IX

Of Love & Rivalries  

Hanyang Capital’s Market.

“What do you think of this shoes, Sakura and Miyeon unnie?”

“Hmmm, it’s not really Miss Joohyun’s style, Chuu.”  Sakura tilted her head.

“Huh? This is for me though.”

“Yahhhh, didn’t I tell you the ONLY reason we are here is so we can give Joohyun unnie a good welcome present? Stop shopping for yourself for a second Chuu, unless you wanna send your family one grain of rice again because you will spend your wages in buying for shoes that you will just hoard in your small closet!”

Miyeon puts the shoes Chuu was showing back to the shop and takes her hand as the “Hype Girls of Bae Joohyun” now continue to thread the crowded streets in order to find f the great welcoming gift for their miss.

“By the way, why is the streets so crowded? This only happens if some event, royalty, high powered official or unnie walks around the town….which all of the above are not present….unless-“

“Tsk did you hear about the daughter of the visiting Lord from Hwanghae-do?”

“Lord Kwon’s daughter?”

“Yeah! The former fiancé of Doctor Shon! She high kicked egg boy’s dad and now ended up in the prison along with the Doctor Shon’s son! They are now in the police station with Doctor Shon trying to meddle the case since egg boy’s dad is threatening to sue for injuries on his nose!”

The hypegirls puzzled with whom the crowd ranging from housewives, sellers from the markets, and other nosy people gathered for now looked at each other.

“Former fiancé?” The three girls now altogether, uttered.

At that quick moment, The Hypegirls of Bae Joohyun just knew and had to rush where the doctor and this former fiance was…..

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Eunbi was just sitting by the bench with a sleeping Seunghoon on her lap, while Sejeong her handmaiden was fanning the two of them since the summer weather was making it warm inside the station itself.

The man….Eunbi high kicked was in the other room giving his narration of the events that transpired that ended with him with his broken bloody nose.

“Unnie….I think we should really call…your father and tell him what happened.” The worried handmaiden suggest.

Her lady shook her head.

“No, I got us in this mess, I will get us out of this mess.” She sighed as she kept brushing the sleeping little boy’s hair with her hand.

“Where are they?”

“There they are, Doctor Shon.”

Seungwan finally was able to enter after with much difficulty with how many people were eavesdropping outside the station, she saw Eunbi along with the familiar handmaiden, Sejeong and the little protégé he has been looking for all day sleeping on her ex fiancé’s lap.

Eunbi saw her walking towards her, she didn’t know if she was mad or pissed off.

“Sejeong can you take over me for a sec with Seunghoon here?” She asks her handmaiden to sit and take care of the sleeping Seunghoon for her.

So they finally exchange positon.

Eunbi now stood as she waited for Seungwan who was finally approaching her.

 “Sejeong hello, please take care of Seunghoon for a sec, I need to talk privately with Miss Kwon.”

“Ah…yes, Doctor.”

“Doctor Shon-“

Before Eunbi can even speak, Seungwan takes her hand and now gently leads her to the room next to them.

“I asked the police to give me a few minutes with you, please come with me.”

So she finally follows.

“Unnie!!!! That beautiful woman looks like Miss Bae doesn’t she!?”

Chuu whispers as she tugs on the dress of her Sakura unnie.

“Ah…y-yes…she kinda…does.”

“You two idiots! Didn’t you see what the Doctor did!?” Miyeon now whispered to the younger hypegirls.

“What?”

“Doctor Shon held that woman’s hand! We must stay here until he can clarify just what his real relationship with her, or we are telling Joohyun unnie!” Miyeon now thumped her fist onto her other palm.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Sit.” Seungwan ordered the woman.

“Listen to me, I didn’t plan on making a scene…that little worm….er I mean S-Seunghoon, he was being bullied and-“

“Miss Kwon Eunbi, sit.”

Eunbi finally sighed and sat on the chair of the room she and Seungwan lonely occupied but she was still hellbent on explaining since the doctor seems to not get the gravity of the situation she was trying to defend Seunghoon from.

“You’re not listening to me! Seunghoon was bullied by some fat little smelly punk along with his crew, his dad even said bad stuff to the child! Your child…how am I supposed to just stand back and act like NOTHING’s wrong!?”

The handsome doctor all of a sudden kneeled to her and just stared at her former beautiful fiancé pouting.

“I am listening to you, I know Kwon Eunbi won’t act so irrational…she always has a reason…but right now….”

Seungwan she points the feet of the young woman.

“Please tell me which foot did you use to kick the man with?”

“W-What?”

“Eunbi, which foot did you use to defend and serve justice for Seunghoon?”

“T-The right.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Seungwan now took the right foot to rest on her lap.

“Please allow me to check on the foot.”

“Yah…it’s not really necessary to check.”

“Just because you are able to knock down a man…doesn’t mean you are invincible.”

Seungwan now took off the expensive shoe and sock, Eunbi’s big toe along with her two smaller toes and whole foot was so red.

“Hmmm, as expected it has become a bit sore…okay, let us just rub some ointment.”

She opens the pouch of the small hand carry bag she had on her shoulder and now took the ointment to put on the foot of her ex-lover.

“People said you were so cool when you did that high kick…I wish I was able to see it with my own eyes.” Seungwan smiled.

“It wasn’t really that cool…I was just pissed off with how ugly he was.” Eunbi tried to downplay the praise she got that made her blush.

“Kwon Eunbi….why do you always end up using violence, didn’t I tell you that sometimes-“

“We just have to let other people win…yes I know.”

Eunbi sighed.

“But I did tell you before that sometimes we cannot let other people get away with disrespecting and disparaging our characters….and how can I let that be, when those people were saying nasty stuff to that precious little boy!?”

She stared at Seungwan, her eyes filled with concern and justice she felt for the little boy.

Which made the doctor remember certain stuff about Kwon Eunbi yet again.

Just how did Shon Seungwan fell in love with this gentle beauty before?

Was it Kwon Eunbi’s beauty?

Well, she was and still is, indeed so pretty but it’s not really the external beauty she possessed, for the handsome charismatic doctor had pretty women who would throw themselves at her and the fact she wasn’t actually looking for romance at that time, made it impossible for her…so it’s a respectful, no.

It was actually this Kwon Eunbi that was facing her, she fell for.

At first glance she was indeed such an immature, cold yet hot tempered terrifying woman, but her opening up and apologizing years ago, with how she realized after interacting with the doctor….

All her mistakes towards Seungwan growing up and the people who she hurt with her selfish immature games…was the start of it all.

That unofficial internship Kwon Eunbi did in the hospital in Hwanghae-do, all because she wanted to earn Seungwan’s forgiveness when the handsome doctor herself told her that she didn’t need to…made the older girl of one year soften for her and seeing how eager she was in learning in order to help around the poor hospital, not even caring how she got her fancy clothes dusty and stained with dirt and mud, was just very awe striking.

She later then confessed how she felt for the first time she had a higher purpose and use for the society other than her being a high class society woman pressured to marry for the longevity and survival of their clan and even thanked Seungwan for giving her chance to work around the hospital even when she was just helping around to clean and cook, and take care of the patients coming for check-ups.

“It might seem to be so lame to admit, but seeing people approaching me to say their gratitude of how I helped them…has a warm effect on my heart.”

“I used to get hissing or terrified looks, but all I’m getting now are smiles, all of these are thanks to you
Doctor Shon!”

  “I hope one day, you can smile to me too…that would be the most beautiful smile I wanna see.”

“I…I…think…I like you…it seems like…it’s more than friendship I want….Seungwan…unnie.”

“I will never let anyone make you cry! I will protect you even from Kwon Eunbi, myself!”

“Together? Forever, okay?”

“Choose me, or let’s end everything here.”

“Ah.”

Seungwan was startled, her former unofficial gentle beautiful protégé cried a bit of pain as she realize she applied too much pressure on the bruised foot.

“I’m sorry…let me just finish wrapping your foot…don’t worry I will take care of the case, after all Seunghoon is my responsibility.”

She finished wrapping the foot of Eunbi, and finally puts the sock and shoe back in.

“Let me atleast help you when you talk to the police because I’m the one who caused a scene.”

“Okay.” Seungwan now offers her hand to hold for support to Eunbi to stand.

She realized it was the first time…

In four years…

She got to officially hold the hand of the woman she fell for and to this day…still was in love with.

Eunbi felt so overwhelmed by the simple handholding that she cannot even stand nor speak.

“E-Eunbi?”

“Shon Seungwan…I’m bad with timing…but I just wanna say, I’m so sorry.”

“Hmm? I told you it’s fine you don’t need to apologize again about kicking that jerk who-“

“No you dum dum…I’m talking about about…four years ago.”

Eunbi stared at Seungwan, and the doctor realized that she had tears all over her eyes that she was trying to hold.

“I thought….I thought….I was finally able to grow out my own insecurities…but I am still immature…and selfish….imagine asking you to choose between me and your worsening ill mother?! Just how evil how I am!”

She kept crying and now wipes her own tears.

“I’m so sorry….I’m really sorry.”

Seungwan kneels again to her and now uses her handkerchief to wipe her former fiancé’s tears.

“Eunbi…I’m lying if I didn’t say it’s so nice to hear those words of apology from you after all these years, thank you for that…but you’re not evil okay?”

Seungwan now smiled at her.

“I’m…n-not?”

“No…I too was at fault…for feeling upset and just letting our relationship end that way…instead of talking out our feelings.”

“So what are we then?”

“We had our differences…differences that as you said made you immature and insecure…which I as well felt.”

She held the hand of Eunbi and squeeze it gently.

“Maybe that’s why I was brushing you off yesterday and a while ago even when you tried so hard to communicate with me…because I still feel immature and insecure…seeing you…seeing you…finally here…made me panic…made me want to revert back to bitterness…but hearing you apologizing…is finally making me want to step out and wash away the pain of the past.”

Seungwan sighed.

“I’m not making any sense aren’t I?...All I’m saying is, I’m so sorry too, Eunbi, I’m sorry for the pain I caused you as well over the years and thank you for being braver than me and taking the first step for us to finally move on from the past.”

Eunbi didn’t know how to respond since she didn’t exactly think Seungwan would become so welcoming of her apology she feared that will get rejected after becoming estrange for so many years.

“Yahhh, just because we are finally clearing the problem we had doesn’t mean I’m giving you up to Bae Joohyun, that’s a different matter understand!?”

Seungwan realizing that Eunbi might have grown, but her adorable stubbornness over her was still not going to go any minute now made her scoff.

 “Let’s park that for a while, I haven’t even thank you properly, for making an effort to travel and visit me to finally talk things through and save my protégé from his bullies…so how about we have lunch along with Seunghoon and Sejeong after this?”

Eunbi realized the doctor wasn’t aware they have been holding hands for a while now, and she finally grabbed her hand to stand and began shaking the doctor’s hand.

“Hmp…fine.”

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“I don’t care if it’s Doctor Shon who wants to apologize! I won’t forgive that woman! Even if she belongs to one of the most powerful families in Hwanghae-do!” The man with a broken nose now shouts.

Seungwan along with Eunbi, Sejeong and Seunghoon were just staring at the man who…her former fiancé kicked.

“So what do you want to happen then?” The head of the police now sighed as he tried to be the middleman for the two parties.

“I want her jailed!” The accuser now shouted and pointed at Eunbi.

“Yahhh, you better stop pointing at me like that or I will break your thumb too.”

“Why you-“

“Eunbiiii.”

Seungwan now gently pulled her away from the front.

“Sir, and Chief…is there any other way we can fix this without anyone ending up in jail?”

“Doctor Shon…as much as you have helped a lot of people…we cannot just brush this off, Miss Kwon right here did harm someone and ended up breaking their nose.”

“That’s right!” The man exclaimed that earned a death stare from Eunbi again, and finally shut up.

“Eunbi noona just did that because Ahjussi and his son keeps picking on me!” Seunghoon tried adding his side.

“Nye, nye, nye!” The fat boy mocked Seunghoon.

Which earned a death stare from Seungwan, and finally made the fat egg smelling boy shut up.

“Darling? Knock knock, I brought lunch for you and your men.”

An old woman with a small picnic basket, all of sudden interrupted the Police Chief along with the two parties who he was trying to settle with.

“M-Mom? I told you, you don’t have to bring me and my staff lunches….especially it’s very hot to travel and might worsen your health.”

“Aigoo, I told you I’m fine, besides your sister accompanied me don’t worry…we just wanna visit you that’s all.”

“Still…”

“Oh my! Is that the handsome Doctor Shon?” The old woman noticed the familiar handsome face.

Seungwan suddenly remembered it’s the old farmer who she helped by mending her broken arm after one of her cows went on a rampage on her field.

“Oh, ma’am how are you? Your hand must have healed now…because I’m not seeing any bandages?” Seungwan greeted with a smile as she saw the familiar face.

“Ah yes, thank you so much Doctor! I think my arm has increased ten times fold in strength all because of you, thank you as well for delivering that ointment for free, I feel very fine now! Ever since you took over the Makdong Clinic the healthcare of our people have never been better!”

“Aw…well, thank you.” Seungwan feeling so shy now made his two fingers meet.

“By the way why are you here?...I’m sure the doctor has not done something anything wrong right?”

“Mom…please, can you go to my office for a while? I’m on duty…and this is part of it.” The police chief now beg his old mother.

“What? Why? What happened to the doctor?”

“Ahjumma it’s not Doctor Shon, it’s that bully and his dad! They broke my kite, took my money and insulted my Eunbi noona!” Seunghoon now stood from his seat and shouted.

“Yah shut up, you’re nothing but a lying stealing loser!” The fat egg smelling boy shouted.

“I’m not! You’re the one who’s a lying stealing loser!” Seunghoon fought back.

“Why you little freaking stealing smelling orphan, how dare you insult my son!” The man was about to hit Seunghoon again.

Eunbi and Seungwan was about retaliate, when the old woman trips the man with a broken nose, he was about to fall but thankfully landed on one of the police officers, the old woman now goes to the egg boy and now pinched his ear.

“Yahhhhh, Ahjumma that hurts!”

“You better stop insulting people, and fix that damn tongue of yours.”

“Did you just trip me you old hag!” The father now shouted.

“What did you just called my mother!?” The Chief of Police now stood and was about to beat the father.

He looked around to see even the other police officers about to beat him up if he said or did anything wrong further.

“Tsk, Beom Seok ah, you think I don’t know you? You’re mother and I play mahjong together, what do you think she will say if I tell her only son is acting like whiny disrespectful jerk to a weak old woman like me?” She glared at the fat broke nose man, we now know as Beom Seok.

“Ma’am …I’m…kidding…..please don’t tell my mom, I’m so sorry.”

“Aigoo…now you’re apologizing, tsk, listen…you drop whatever charges you have for the doctor and his staff, and how about we call it quits?”

“Dad don’t listen to this old hag-“

The father now covers his child’s mouth.

“Of course…of course, hehehe, I’m so sorry Miss Kwon and Doctor Shon…you too Seunghoon ah.” The father now bowed.

He elbows his son to follow.

“And Seunghoon, if Beom Seok and his child bothers you again, just tell that to my son, the Head of Police here…if he doesn’t do anything to correct this, Doctor Shon you can just tell me okay?”

“Thank you Ahjumma.” Seunghoon and Seungwan now bowed in gratitude.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bowl of hot ramen.

Seunghoon took his chopstick with his little hand and inhaled so hard to blow hard the hot noodles he work hard to pick from the bowl.

He then proceeded to slurp it loudly that the other people eating in the restaurant, can’t help but stare at him.

“Yahhhh, calm down Seunghoon you might choke.” Seungwan giggled as she w