T H I R T Y – S E V E N

Word of the Day – “Consommé”

The original plan was to do it together, as they should. Face the man as a couple who were madly in love and were willing to fight for their relationship. That was until Kyungsoo got an email from Ra Wonsuk early in the morning which particular stated that he wanted to see him without Miyoung.

It terrified him, to say the least.

Taking advantage of the fact that Miyoung stayed the night at his place last night, Kyungsoo left her on his bed as soon as he got the email and left her a note saying that he was going for a run. Now, he wasn’t intending to keep it from her but he wanted to tell her once he was back rather than telling her now and worrying the crap out of her. It was inevitable. He had to eventually face the man, alone. Their relationship was more than professional. He treated Wonsuk like his own father and he knew, or at least, he hoped that Wonsuk might have also treated him like his own son.

Miyoung had her time and now … it was his time.

It was a chilly autumn morning but Wonsuk was out to his garden, having tea. Kyungsoo braced himself as he stepped out, letting the cool breeze worsen his goosebumps. It was seven in the ing morning and normally, he’d be on his way to work.

Well … that was if he still had work after this talk.

“Boss, good morning,” Kyungsoo called making the man turn his head.

Wonsuk’s face was unreadable as he motioned him to sit with him. With uncertainty and half-praying that the old man didn’t have a rifle hiding under the table, Kyungsoo took the chair across him and sat down. “Have some barley tea.” Wonsuk poured tea on another teacup and pushed it towards him. Kyungsoo took it with two hands and bowed. “Th—thank you.” With his gaze lowered, he took a small sip.

“Good job.” The old man suddenly smiled as he lifted his teacup before taking a sip as well. Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he shook his head. “Boss—what do you mean?” He asked.

There was a brief silence before Wonsuk set the cup down the table. “When Miyoung started doing … rather well on this so-called training I made up to keep shut, I got really worried, you know? I love her but I really can’t let her … of all people … take the restaurant from me. I mean—she’s obviously my daughter so I never thought of ever asking you to play with her heart but—Kyungsoo, I must say, I think with my daughter being in love with you now is even better. She has stopped trying to take over the restaurant, hasn’t she? She’s willing to give it to you now, right? I like that strategy, you’re smart.” He chuckled.

Kyungsoo’s whole body morphed from cold to warm really quickly. His head boiled with pressure as he looked at the man in disbelief. “That wasn’t a strategy, Wonsuk. I love your daughter. What do you mean?” he asked, calling the man by his name for the very first time.

Wonsuk’s smile faded really quickly. “What did you just call me?” He asked sharply.

Kyungsoo put the cup down creating a thud sound as he stood up. “You know what, I respected you so much that I thought couldn’t even hate you for one second even if you fired me after this conversation. I was willing to work it out and keep my relationship with you because I cared about you … like a father.” He looked away, breathing out a worn-out chuckle. “You don’t even deserve to be a father. You never acted like one, you never treated Miyoung like your daughter and I’m so sick of being a bystander and letting this happen, okay?” He pointed at the man with a trembling finger.

Not getting any response, Kyungsoo turned away to leave. He was wasting his time; he was wasting his breath even trying to knock some sense out of the man.

Ra Wonsuk was never going to change.

“I’m not firing you. You can’t leave SCORCH, Kyungsoo. Don’t forget that I made you, otherwise you were nothing but a homeless orphan that even an actual orphanage threw away.” Wonsuk suddenly spoke making Kyungsoo stop just before stepping into the house. “I gave you life, Doh Kyungsoo. A life that you would have never had if I didn’t find you like a lost alley cat eating cake at the back of my restaurant. Don’t forget that. Everything you have is because of me. So, don’t disrespect me.” He added with a raised voice.

Kyungsoo’s breath trembled as he clenched his fists tightly on the hem of his shirt. He turned around and put on an obviously fake smile. “You know what, I don’t mind being an alley cat. Because that was still the most delicious cake I’ve ever had. And you know what else?” He asked. Wonsuk scoffed and folded his arms while looking back at him with the same firm expression. “I officially quit.” With one last sarcastic salute, Kyungsoo turned around and walked back in quickly. He stopped when he met Mrs. Jung hiding by a wall with a big frown on her face.

“Mrs. Jung, good morning.” Kyungsoo’s expression softened as he bowed at the old lady.

It was unexpected when she approached him and dragged him to the room under the stairs, the room where Miyoung used to paint. “Ar—are you okay, Mrs. Jung?” He asked while peering down at her. Mrs. Jung was silent for a moment as she rubbed her palms together. She then closed the door and leaned on it. “I can’t … keep this anymore, this has been too much. He’s … too much already. It’s hurting me because I really care about Miyoung.” She spoke vaguely making Kyungsoo frown even harder. “Keep what?” He asked.

Mrs. Jung looked up at him and sighed. “I swore to her grave that I was gonna keep this to myself but Miyoung … isn’t Wonsuk’s biological daughter.”

“I need to sit.” Kyungsoo felt weak all over his body as he took a few steps back until the back of his leg hit the stool at the corner of the room. He collapsed down and brushed a hand across his hair.

“It was a big secret that only Wonsuk himself and Mrs. Ra knew … and then I accidentally found out one day but they—” Mrs. Jung looked away for a moment. “—Wonsuk paid me to keep quiet and … I did because I badly needed the money at the time but I just—I can’t take it anymore. I heard everything that Miyoung said last night and it really made me feel bad for the poor child. I can’t do this anymore.” Mrs. Jung sat on the edge of the table across the room and started crying.

Kyungsoo closed his eyes and pressed a hand over his temples. All he could think of right now was Miyoung. He couldn’t possibly think of any ways to tell her this. “But Mrs. Ra was really pregnant with her, right? What soap opera is this? Seriously—, what the ?” He asked.

Mrs. Jung quickly looked up and nodded. “Oh no, don’t worry, it’s nothing like that at all. She really was, she did give birth to Miyoung but … Wonsuk’s not the father.” She revealed. “He had a problem but he was too ashamed of it and never let anybody else know. He didn’t want to accept it, that’s also why he didn’t want to adopt. Mrs. Ra secretly went through artificial insemination with a donor.” Kyungsoo sighed in relief as he heard the last term. “So … what’s wrong with just telling Miyoung that? A lot of people do that now and there’s nothing wrong with—”

“Yes, but Wonsuk never wanted anyone to know about it, he wanted to keep his reputation in the family as the only son of his parents. That secret has been buried to the ground the moment it was decided upon. And … he forced Mrs. Ra to do it because he didn’t want to be humiliated for being the problem. Mrs. Ra didn’t even want to do it initially because she thought she was too old to get pregnant and she might not be able to … handle it.” Mrs. Jung looked down and sobbed harder. “And she was right.” She hummed with a trembling voice.

Kyungsoo’s heart broke for Miyoung