66
Their Kingdom Panorama
/\_____/\
Victoria looked up when Donghae suddenly slammed his hands down upon the desk.
“Then I can have you for dinner, right?” he asked.
Covering his mouth with her hand, she glared.
When Donghae stepped back he smirked, “You like doing that, don’t you? Feeling my lips with your hand.”
She shot another glare at him.
“Don’t you know when to stop joking?” she questioned through gritted teeth.
Ignoring her, he leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the forehead.
“Ok, ok. Stop messing around and get back to work now,” smiling cheekily he skipped off.
Victoria snorted after him and smiled, however.
/\_____/\
Kyuhyun had been looking forward to meeting with Victoria all day, but the look on her face didn’t seem as excited as he thought she’d be.
“Why are you so quiet?” Kyuhyun wondered.
“Me? Quiet?” Victoria smiled. “I was just thinking of something else.”
“Then, what are you thinking about?”
“Mmm…” Victoria began, “a lot of things.”
“What’s that?”
Her smile faded slowly, “Lets slowly build our relationship…as being friends right now.”
Kyuhyun felt one of his eyebrows shift. What was with this mood that Victoria had brought on?
Pressing his lips together he said, “Does that mean, I also have a chance to compete in this friendship contest along with Lee Donghae?”
The surprise in her face made Kyuhyun smile. So he’d hit it right on the dot.
“I know,” he admitted, “that you and Lee Donghae have an ambiguous relationship.”
Her jaw literally fell apart.
“I didn’t see much of you two together, but the first impression you left on me was something around that area,” Kyuhyun finished.
“You’re scary,” Victoria sarcastically commented.
Kyuhyun laughed.
“I’m not going to let him be the only one who can have you so easily,” Kyuhyun spoke. “I won’t be ruthless, but I’ll show you what I’m capable of. You have to play fair and square as well.”
Victoria’s eyes enlarged at his proposal.
“Don’t worry about Lee Donghae, I’ll let him know somehow.”
/\_____/\
While growing up, So Rae had learned that she’d been born shortly after her parents married. She had always assumed that she’d been in her mothers womb before the wedding, but now So Rae was suddenly getting second thoughts. And those second thoughts scared her.
Even if they weren’t the perfect family, she still loved her father. He had to be her father because no one else, but the investment firm’s President Bang could be her father.
Her steps became slower, quieter, and more hesitant. At the end of her destination was a brown doorway waiting for her. Not once would she have gone there voluntarily. She didn’t like that face behind this door. She never actually liked him, but there was no other than her father’s right hand man who would know what she wanted to know.
All these countless doubts buried her from inside, and she really didn’t want to know anymore. She couldn’t help it, though. Someone needed to tell her who Man Shik was.
Without knocking on the door she opened it to see that bald man speaking to someone, maybe his assistant, she’d never seen before. Park Mung Soo’s assistant refused to meet her eye, however, and quickly walked out. Assuming he was just a part timer, she closed the door shut after he exited so that only Park Mung Soo was the only soul left in the room with her.
“What is the President’s daughter doing here? So far as I know, you’re not under the managing department.”
The mischievous glance in his eyes annoyed her, she hated it. It reminded her of the evil unicorn he’d gotten her when she turned 12. Like really? A unicorn for a girl who was 12?
So Rae started toward his desk, “Lets keep it simple cause I don’t like being in this office, either.”
“Either?” Mung Soo teasingly repeated.
He was treating her like a kid who wanted candy.
“Do you know anyone by the name Man Shik? He was supposedly a part of my mother’s past.”
The spark in his eyes got all serious suddenly. He knew something.
“Man Shik?” Mung Soo leaned back into his large chair and crossed his arms. “Well, it’s certainly been a while since I’ve heard that name, but I’m so very deeply apologetic. It’d be best for you to question your father about this.”
So Rae frowned, “Why? You know something. Just tell me what you know.”
Mung Soo pressed a buzzer on his telephone and his secretary’s voice popped up.
“Please the President’s daughter out of my office.”
An immense heat of hatred anger swelled up inside her. Who was he to treat her that way? How could he just kick her out?!
“You shouldn’t be messing around with finding out your parent’s personal lives,” he advised, “it’d endanger your position in the company, or should I say you’d endanger the company.”
The door opened and So Rae spun around to see his secretary standing there. With a last glare at his ugly face she turned around and walked out.
/\_____/\
What just happened?
Victoria waved to Kyuhyun as he drove off and turned toward the entrance to the company. She wasn’t just screwed, but she was going to die from whatever it was that happened next.
When she got up to the 5th level, Donghae was pacing around in front of her desk. Should she let him know about what had just happened or not?
“Hah! There you are! You think you could hide?” he shouted walking toward her. “30 minutes is up! How could you stay out so long?”
Making a face at his absurd behavior she walked toward her desk sitting down. Would it be better to tell him now or later? Perhaps later when they met up for dinner would be a better decision. Since they’d be alone then. Victoria went with her last option.
“Well, sorry, Mr. Stingy,” Victoria apologized with much sarcasm.
“What? How could you talk to me like that?” he questioned hurt.
“What do you do for your job anyway?” she asked. “Just stand around?”
“Well, I don’t have anything else to do.” he shrugged.
Victoria shoved a folder at him, “Why don’t you go laminate these things then.”
“No. I don’t want to.”
“Lazy.”
“Then lets do it together!”
“No,” Victoria refused taking the folder back. “I’ll do it myself then.”
“Aww…how cute,” he teased pinching her cheek.
Victoria gave a shout and slapped his hand away.
“Yah!”
That was when her eyes darted toward the hallway So Rae had just exited. Donghae turned around as well and calmly greeted So Rae as if nothing had happened at all. Why was it that he could greet her in such a way that she couldn’t?
Silence rung over her world as So Rae heavily walked pass. That girl obviously still did not like her. Victoria had forgotten the last time the two of them had talked.
When her office door closed Donghae turned back to her.
“We’re still meeting up for dinner, right?” he asked.
Victoria smiled and nodded.
That night at the dinner table Victoria quickly picked at the little food she’d set on her plate. Her father quietly sat next to her and So Rae across from them. Nothing else settled upon her mind except for the anxiety she felt, because in less than an hour she’d see Donghae again.
It wasn’t surprising, but the mood immediately shifted when So Rae set down her spoon with a loud ‘clank’. Victoria looked up surprised. The troubled, but yet angry expression on So Rae’s face meant no other than the fact that she was upset about something. But what could possibly be wrong this time? Everything had been so…quiet lately.
“Father, do you and mother know a Man Shik?”
She could feel her father tense up next to her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he denied before turning his special attention back to his plate.
“I heard you and mother speaking about him, and I know he’s dead.”
Bang Dae Jung tightened his grip on the spoon in his hand.
“We never talked about a Man Shik, and I don’t know who he is.” his voice was so clear, low, and solid.
It all only meant that he didn’t want to touch the subject and it was time to put away their curiosities.
“Is it because your daughter is here?” So Rae questioned rudely.
Victoria glanced at So Rae who was only looking at her father. Should she leave? If she left maybe she’d be able to meet up with Donghae sooner.
“Don’t talk to your younger sister like that,” her father scolded, “you should know better.”
“Then why aren’t you answering my question?” the frustration in her voice caught Victoria by another surprise.
Man Shik? Victoria had heard of him before, but she’d long forgotten about why he’d been brought up. Was there a connection between him and So Rae?
“Did mother have an affair with him 27 years ago when I wasn’t born yet!”
Her father’s eyes went wide and he got up almost slamming the tabletop with his fists.
“Don’t you dare bring up this man’s name ever! Don’t you dare ask your mother about him either!”
“I only want to know who he is and why he knew my mom! As a father shouldn’t you assure me that they were just friends? Why can’t you tell me a simple thing like that! Why are you yelling at me like I’ve done wrong? You don’t even talk to Victoria this way! Father! You’re unfair!”
Victoria felt her head turn to look at her father.
“Ignore her,” her father advised, “go to your room, So Rae.”
“I’m not a child anymore!”
“That’s enough! What is wrong with you?”
“Everything!” So Rae screamed. “This house and my parents! And you!”
So Rae glared at Victoria.
“If only you weren’t brought in,” she turned to her father, “and if you and mother weren’t hiding so much from me I’d have assumed I was adopted from an orphanage!”
“Bang So Rae!” her father’s voice reached the top of the ceiling, literally.
Victoria felt her eyes grow wide. She’d never heard her father raise his voice before.
“That’s enough.”
So Rae glared some more before storming off and even after she left, Victoria could still feel the kitchen fuming with overwhelming hatred.
“Dad, are you ok?” Victoria asked.
“Yes, I’m ok,” her father turned to her with a soft smile.
“But about what unnie was talking about…”
“Don’t worry about it. Man Shik was just a very old friend,” her father told.
Was he?
“I’m going out to take a walk.” Victoria informed.
Her father nodded, “Go ahead, don’t come back too late.”
/\_____/\
Whistling to himself he glanced at his watch for the 20th time that night. The full moon was out and the stars beside it twinkling beautifully. It’d be the perfect thing to gaze at, if only Victoria were there. Right then, he totally had no interest in looking at its broad landscape.
A smile lit his face uncontrollably when he recognized her making her way toward him from around the corner. The quivering of his heart became even more serious when she smiled before him.
Ahh…what exactly was this feeling? He wanted to kiss her, hold her, and hug her on the spot. Instead he decided to play cool.
“Took you long enough. You know how long I waited?” he scolded.
Victoria frowned at him, “Well, it’s not like I was fixing my hair or anything.”
He gazed at her outfit to discover that it was the same thing she’d worn to work.
“Shouldn’t you have at least changed your outfit?”
“Oh? Should I?” Victoria asked.
“Well, I don’t know! It’s not like I’ve dated before.”
“Aha!” Victoria pointed a finger at him. “So you’re a first timer at this kind of stuff.”
That grin on her face made her look even more adorable. He was totally melting on the spot.
“Wipe that grin off your face. I know you haven’t done this before either.”
“Then…our firsts will just have to be our last.” Victoria smiled.
“N..no! Then that means I will have to live with a demon my whole life!”
“Demon?!”
He smirked and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, “Because I’m your angel.”
A smile lit up her face before she started cracking up.
Grabbing her hand he led her inside the restaurant. After eating they took a very long stroll around the city tightly gripping the other’s hand.
***And so we have it, Kyuhyun is being lied to right now. And So Rae is becoming more suspicious about Man Shik
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