CHAPTER 8

            Hyun Joong carefully laid So Min on his bed.  He himself was getting exhausted but he still needed to make some phone calls to his New York Office.

            Hyun Joong dialed Mrs. Hwang Hyo Eun’s number, his assistant. 

            “Hello Mrs. Hwang.  Hyun Joong here, how are you?”

            “Oh Hyun Joong, it’s nice to hear from you!  How’s everything?  I received the invitation for the wedding.  Thank you and looking forward to seeing you and So Min in the next few days.”

            Hyun Joong usually would not allow himself to personally get close to his staff, but Mrs. Hwang was different.  Mrs. Hwang was more than an assistant to him.  She had been like a mother to him.  Mrs. Hwang understood Hyun Joong, she just knew when to intervene and when to leave him alone.  She was one of the few people Hyun Joong found trustworthy.

            “Thank you, Mrs. Hwang.  Can you please find out if He Ra is available right now?”

            “Sure, hold on for a moment, let me call her assistant.  Yes, she’s available.  Let me transfer your call.”

            “Hyun Joong, finally you’ve returned my repeated calls to you.  I was convinced you were trying to avoid me.”

            “You know that’s not true.  Let’s cut to the chase He Ra.  I heard you are planning to call a special Board Meeting.  I don’t understand why you are doing this.”

            “You’re asking why I don’t understand?  Then explain to me why you changed the plan for Jung Capital Investment.  When we started this company together our goal was to become a formidable investment bank worldwide, and that could only happen if we grab every opportunity to acquire other investment companies out there,” He Ra said in her angry voice.

            “I’ve told you before, Jung Capital Investment is off limits!”

            “Why, Hyun Joong?  What happened to the heartless and ambitious Hyun Joong that I used to know?  What changed?  And now I heard you are going to marry Mr. Jung’s daughter.  What’s gotten into you?  Are you doing this to punish me?”

            “I’m not even going there, He Ra.  Believe me, that’s not the conversation you would like to get into,” Hyun Joong warned He Ra.

            “Very typical of you Hyun Joong.  You always have to have the last word.”

            “I’m done with this conversation He Ra and I’m telling you, you will not hold that special Board Meeting!”

            “This conversation is not over yet, Hyun Joong.  Do you hear me?  It’s not over yet!” He Ra yelled on the phone.

            Hyun Joong didn’t bother responding to He Ra and hung up the phone.

            After having the conversation with He Ra Hyun Joong felt more exhausted than before.  He made a few phone calls and responded to a bunch of emails.  He looked at the clock and it was almost 1:00 am.  Time to get some sleep, he thought.

            Hyun Joong went to his bedroom and saw So Min was still sound asleep.  He lay on the bed next to So Min and tried his best not to wake her up.  So Min moved a little and unconsciously snuggled up to Hyun Joong.  Hyun Joong kissed So Min’s forehead and held her close for the rest of the night.

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            So Min opened her eyes and at first couldn’t remember where she was.  She looked around and realized she was in Hyun Joong’s bedroom.  She got up and heard some noise in the kitchen.  She saw Hyun Joong busy preparing breakfast.

            “Good morning.  Did you sleep well?” Hyun Joong asked.

            “Yes, I did and thank you for letting me stay here last night.”

            “You fell asleep on the couch.  You were exhausted so I didn’t bother to wake you up.”

            So Min looked at the clock and realized it was almost ten in the morning.

            “Oh, no!  I have to call my parents and let them know.  They are probably worried sick about me.”

            “It’s okay, I took care of that already.  I called them last night and told them that you will be staying here overnight. ”

            “Really?  Did you tell them what happened last night at the restaurant?”

            “Of course, not.  I just told them you were not feeling well and fell asleep on my couch and didn’t bother to wake you up.  Also I called Seung Ha and asked her to find someone to cover your classes today.”

            “Thank you, that was nice of you.”

            “Sit down and have some breakfast.”

            So Min realized she was still wearing Hyun Joong’s shirt.

            “Can I change first?” So Min asked.

            “Sure, your clothes are already in the bathroom.  Don’t take too long otherwise the food will get cold. ”

            So Min couldn’t believe it.  She couldn’t believe this was the same Hyun Joong she met at the Millennium Hilton.  It was like night and day.  She had to admit, she was enjoying this side of Hyun Joong, very much so.

            “By the way, your parents invited us over for lunch at the country club. I told them we will meet them there at noon,” Hyun Joong said to So Min after they finished breakfast.

            “That’s great.  It’s good to spend some quality time with my parents which I haven’t done in a while.”

            “I’m going to shower now but I shouldn’t be long.  Please make yourself comfortable while waiting for me.”

            “Okay,” So Min said.

            So Min turned the TV on and watched the news.  She was glad the incident last night did not make it on television.  She also checked the internet from her phone and was thankful that it was not captured there either.  She was relieved.  After she and Hyun Joong made the headline last time, she couldn’t afford another scandal.

            Minutes later Hyun Joong stepped out of the bathroom only with a towel wrapped around his waist.  So Min tried her best not to look at Hyun Joong, but it was impossible to ignore him.  He definitely has nice muscle tone and an attractive, gorgeous body, So Min thought.

            “Are you okay?” Hyun Joong asked So Min blocking her view of the television.

            “Yes, I am,” So Min said trying to avoid eye contact with Hyun Joong.

            “You know you look even more beautiful when you are blushing,” Hyun Joong teased So Min while leaning against the couch.

            “Me?  Blushing? Of course not!”

            “Liar,” Hyun Joong said while laughing.  He then leaned even lower to reach So Min’s face.  He started giving So Min small kisses on her lips, small kisses that turned into a passionate one.

            “Oh, So Min.  I don’t know if I can wait a few more days,” Hyun Joong said.

            “Yes, we can.  Besides my parents are waiting for us, remember?  So get dressed.”

            “Okay, okay, I’ll go get ready.”

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            So Min’s parents were already at the country club when she and Hyun Joong arrived.  Her parents picked out a table in the dining room overlooking the golf course. 

            “No business discussion on the table please,” Mrs. Jung warned her husband and Hyun Joong while waiting for their food to arrive.

            “No problem, Dear.  No business discussion until Hyun Joong and I are on the golf course. By the way, two o’clock is our tee time, Hyun Joong,” Mr. Jung said.

            “That’s great.  While you guys are playing a round of golf, I will steal my So Min here so we can do some shopping.  Sounds good, So Min?” Mrs. Jung asked.

            So Min agreed with her mother wholeheartedly.

            So Min watched her parents and Hyun Joong.  She was very pleased to see how the three of them got along so well.  It was nice to see her father in high spirits again. Although her father would never admit it, she knew running the business had taken its toll on him.  But with Hyun Joong  now being part of their family, her father seemed energized.  She had never seen her father this happy in a long time and she couldn’t help but feel emotional about it. It took a lot of strength for So Min to hold her tears back.  For the first time, she was finally sure marrying Hyun Joong was the right thing to do.

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            It was Sunday afternoon and So Min was enjoying the wonderful weather out on the patio. She had a busy day so far.  She spent her morning with the wedding planner and her mother for the final fitting of her wedding gown.  At lunch she and her mother met with the interior decorator and selected the furniture for their house.  Hyun Joong gave So Min full authority to decorate the house which made it a lot easier for her.  It was also great to have her mother’s input as she has a keen eye for design.  But at last, So Min finally had time to herself and was reading her favorite book. 

            “So Min, So Min,” she heard her mother calling.

            “Yes, Mom.  I’m here out on the patio.”

            “Hong Ki is outside looking for you.  Should I bring him here?” Her mother asked.

            “I wonder, why?  Yes, mother if you don’t mind.”

            Minutes later Hong Ki showed up on the patio with a nice bouquet of flowers.

            “Hello, So Min.”

            “Hi Hong Ki.  What a surprise.”

            “Sorry for showing up unannounced but I just wanted to stop by and apologize for what happened the other night.  I feel so bad and I want to personally apologize to you.”

            “It’s okay, Hong Ki.  It’s not your fault.  I think that’s the reason our relationship didn’t work out.  It is hard for me to compete with the legion of women and fans who adore you.”

            “I’m really sorry.  Sometimes I wish I’m not in this business.  But I guess I’m lucky since I have a solid following.  It could be worse.  By the way, congratulations again. When is the wedding?”

            “This coming Saturday.”

            “I’m glad that you found someone who can make you happy and start a new life with.  I’m really happy for you and maybe a little jealous too.   I’m afraid I can’t stay long.  I have a recording schedule in half an hour but I just wanted to stop by and again to personally apologize.”

            “Thank you, Hong Ki.  I really appreciate you stopping by.”

            Hong Ki then gave So Min a hug and a kiss on her cheek.”

“WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?”  It was Hyun Joong.

TO BE CONTINUED