2007

SOOJUNG

"See you later, dad." Wrapping her hands around his dad tightly, Soojung basked in the loving smile. Their meeting was always short and rushed, so she made sure that their goodbye was worth the while.

"See you later, baby." Of course, her dad hugged Soojung even tighter. Over the console of his sports car, the man even gave Soojung twice the usual forehead kiss. "Be good. Study well. I love you."

"I love you too." Despite hearing the demanding knocks on the tinted window, Soojung let the embrace last a few seconds longer before stepping out of the car.

"Get in, baby." Her mother kissed her cheek while snaking a possessive hand around her waist. "It's late."

"I bring Sooyeon her favorite donuts." Beaming, Soojung held up the box in her hand. "The ones that have lemon custards in them."

"Oh, dear, your sister is not home." Her mother caressed her head. "And too many donuts are bad for your figure. Go. Give them away to those noisy little boys next door."

"But-"

"Go."

Soojung stepped away as fast as she could but of course, her parents didn't bother to wait until she was far enough to not hear them arguing.

"She's a kid. One or two donuts won't harm her." It was always her father who started.

"You think? Have you ever seen a successful actress with a few extra inches on the waistline?"

"Soojung doesn't want to be an actress. You do."

"Shut up."

"You, shut up. I see you've overdraft the card again."

"The girls want new swimsuits for upcoming summer and their bedrooms need some renovation."

"You and your lies. It's the last time though. The next time you overdraft I'll have the card blocked."

"And let your daughter starve? Now, hand me some cash to survive for the rest of the month."

"God, you are unbelievable. ." Even as her father said so, Soojung knew he was taking out his wallet. "Where's Sooyeon? I promised to pay her design course the last time."

"Tsk. She and her useless passion for fashion. Just give the money to me, I'll put it to better use."

"Yeah, right. Where is she?"

"With her friends."

"Hers or yours, Eunha? Stop associating her with the wrong people. She's your daughter for God's sake."

"It's because she's my daughter you should keep your mouth shut."

"Damn it, woman. I'm trying to open your eyes before it's too late. When your scam bites back, Sooyeon will have no future."

"Scam? It's for her future that I work hard to get into the right society. But I guess n ex-con like you wouldn't understand the importance of hanging out with dignified people."

"God, I almost forget how much I hate you. Here, grab this money and off."

"Blah blah blah. Wait, this barely covers our daily needs. Where's Sooyeon's course fee?"

"Like you will actually give it to her. Soojung! Hey, Soojung!"

"Yes, dad?" Soojung turned right before the door.

"Send my love to your sister too, okay? I'll get her course paid the next time we meet."

"Thank you, daddy. We love you."

"Love you too, baby. Get in now. Be good."

"You need to stop acting like you care for Sooyeon." Her mother chided as Soojung opened the door. "Don't give her a false hope of father figure."

"Do you want your daughter to live a hopeless life instead? Man, you're so vile. I'm glad I divorced you."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."

"Just make sure you don't steer Soojung the same ugly path. I'm watching you! Do my daughter dirty and I'll take her away."

"As if your flat- stupid wife would let you."

"!"

"You piece of ."

" you!"

Soojung closed the door hard. With the two, it would always end in a cussing battle. Putting the box of donuts on the dining table, she entered Sooyeon's bedroom. The gloomy feeling went away when she noticed that her step-sister had left a note on the PC's screen.

I love you. Hang in there, I'll be back soon.

2010

SOOYEON

"How could you do this to me? After all I've done for you."

"Mom. I'm sorry." If she could, Sooyeon would like to sink into the floor and disappear in the ocean beneath the yacht. "There's nothing I can do. They are probably in love."

Stuck in a corner near the buffet, right before Sooyeon's eyes, Seojoon was standing so close to this pretty girl. They both talked intimately, laughing while sharing a fruit platter. Seojoon's eyes were as bright as his smile. His hand sometimes landed on the girl's shoulder in an affectionate touch. The girl also had twinkles in her eyes, listening to Seojoon as if his words were gold and diamond. One look and everyone could tell that there was something going on between the two.

No. Sooyeon wasn't even jealous. She and Seojoon were childhood friends. She knew him too well. If wasn't for her mom, Sooyeon didn't even think of advancing romantically toward the narcissistic heir. She just wished the two love birds could take their display of affection somewhere else so her mom didn't have to witness everything.

"Sooyeon, we've worked hard for this, remember? I worked hard. Do you think it's easy to lay this opportunity in front of you? Have you any idea how much money this trip cost us? This might be our only chance at a better life. Go! Ask him for a dance. Win him back!"

"Let's sit it out for a while." Sooyeon changed her tactic. There was no use in upsetting her mom even more. "I know how Seojoon is. Be crash and he will hate us for good."

"Who's that ugly anyway?"

"Mom, please." Sooyeon stole a glance around the table, afraid that people might hear her mom. They were seated amongst respectable businessmen and their wives. "She's Minyoung. His new secretary. We are friends."

"Secretary!" Eyes went as round as a pair of saucers, her mom grabbed her hand. "No wonder her clothes look so tacky. What a nonsense. You can't lose to some dirty peasant. Make a move, Sooyeon! Now!"

"Okay, that's enough. Minyoung has always been nothing but a nice friend to me." Drawing an exasperated breath, Sooyeon grabbed the martini glass and drank the clear liquid in one go. "I'm leaving."

"What?"

"Excuse me." Standing up and nodding at the rest of their acquaintances sitting at the table, Sooyeon mustered a fake smile. Something she had been very good at lately. "I need some fresh air."

"Watch your step!" Someone caught Sooyeon by the waist, saving her from falling headfirst into the water. Apparently, in the rush of walking down the dock, she had one of her heels stuck in between the wooden panels.

"Thank you." She smiled, looking up. Tanned and tall was the man standing beside her. A handsome smile that was completed with crinkled eyes immediately caught Sooyeon's eyes. So did the biceps that peeked out from the short sleeves of his shirt. "I was in a rush."

"Rush? You bailed as if the yacht is b with monsters." The man grinned. "Is your foot okay? No muscle being pulled by such dramatic twist of that pretty high-heel?"

"My foot is fine." Sooyeon grimaced, unsticking her broken Manolo from the dock." My shoes missed a heel though."

"Do you want me to snap the other heel to make it even?" He offered in a wider grin.

"You meant like the commercial?" Something about the man's carefree attitude tugged at Sooyeon's lips, creating an almost involuntary grin. She handed her good shoe to the man, for once not caring of damaging such expensive items.

"Exactly like the commercial." He easily snapped the heel off before handing the shoe back. "You do know that a pair of slippers match the whole scene better, don't you?"

"I'm running from monsters, remember?" Sooyeon put the shoes back on. As her eyes caught sight of people starting to get off the yacht, she grabbed the man by the arm. "Let's go. Help me find a pair of slippers so I can run faster."

Laughing, the man let himself be dragged to the huts lining the shore. "At least let me introduce myself first."

"Hi, Bagas." Sooyeon walked even faster upon hearing her mother call her name. "I'm Sooyeon."

"Hi, pretty Sooyeon. How do you know my name?"

"Your dog-tag." Sooyeon glanced at the metal plates dangling on a silver chain around his neck.

"Well, that's not exactly my name."

"What's your real name?" She slipped their bodies into a rather crowded gift shop. The new proximity invaded her sense with the smell of cigarette and aftershave wafting from him.

"Guess." He picked a wide-brimmed hat from the shelf and put it on her.

"Where do you come from?"

"Indonesia." Grabbing a pair of pink-rimmed shades, he fitted them on her too.

"I don't know many Indonesian names."

"I'm actually half-Korean. My real name is actually pretty common in your country." Grinning, he held up two pairs of slippers. "Pink or green?"

"Pink to match the shades." Sooyeon also grinned. Grabbing said slippers, putting them on then kicking her shoes under the shelf, she followed the man to the cashier. "Let me see... Jang Donggun? Lee Jungjae?"

The man laughed out loud, grabbing a leather wallet from the back pocket of his worn-out cargo pants.

"No. No. No. I can pay for them myself." Sooyeon stepped forward.

"Ssssh. I'm practically a local. Watch me getting 50% off the price tags." Bagas or whoever his name was, playfully pushed her aside before speaking what sounded like very fluent Fijian with the shopkeeper. Sooyeon watched, slowly enthralled by Bagas' charm. Before she knew it, they walked out of the shop with her hand linked to his arm. A few of her friends from the yacht passed them by but nobody seemed to recognize her.

"What's next?" Bagas asked in a charming smile. "The bar?"

"Ugh, no. I've hit my limit of alcoholic beverages onboard."

"The beach? The mountain? How long are you planning to hide from the monsters anyway?"

Sooyeon sighed. On the beach, she could see Seojoon and Minyoung walking hand in hand. "Take me somewhere quiet, please."

She came back to the dock with the hat in hand and the flower crown Bagas made sitting nicely on her head. A real smile that actually vibrates in every fiber of her body bloomed on her face. The yacht, however, had a thin smoke coming out of its end.

"Hey, Sooyeon. Where have you been?" Seojoon, with Minyoung in tow, stepped out of the yacht.

"Sightseeing." She