TAEYEON’S STORY

SEUNGRI

I shifted nervously as my orbs fixated at the black clouds wrapping the Suvarnabhumi airport. At times, sheers of lightning blinded my sight as the thunderstorm turned the earlier sunny evening sky to midnight. Strong wind lashed torrents of rain onto the window, totally hindering my already limited view, adding to my growing anxiety.

I glanced at my silver Elle watch. Seungri’s plane was late. Earlier he called from Indonesia to inform that his plane will land at 9 pm. Now it was freaking 9.30 pm, the thunderstorm hasn’t shown any sign that it will be subsiding and the Wisteria Hotels and Resorts private jet hasn’t clearly feasted my eyes yet at the runway. Uneasiness began to crawl inside my heart as the thunder once again roared out loud.

Chill, Taeyeon. Seungri’s jet must be circling somewhere overhead, just waiting for the storm to fade away before making a safe landing. Don’t get shook up because of the storm. Everything will be just fine.

As I kept chanting the last sentence that popped out inside my mind, 2NE1’s Falling in Love was blasting from my phone, asking to be picked up. Upon reaching the phone from my handbag, I swiped the phone to answer it. Choi Seunghyun, Seungri’s right hand man at Wisteria Hotels and Resorts branch in Thailand greeted me warmly.

“Hello, Taeyeon.”

“Ah, hello Seunghyun oppa.” Still with my eyes rooted to the runaway, I greeted him back.

“Taeyeon, has Seungri landed yet?” His voice was barely audible due to the heavy storm outside and not to mention the chaotic sound in the terminal. The static heard from the line caused me to cover up one of my ears, hoping that I could hear his voice more clearly.

“Oppa, our connection is very y as of now. Can you speak louder?”

The man from the other line raised his voice higher by a decibel. “I know. The storm is wreaking havoc the connection. I can’t even fly back to Seoul for today.” He then took a moment of silence. “Hey, has Seungri landed yet?”

“Nope. Did something come up at the office?”

Seunghyun let out one heavy sigh that was quiet impossible for me to hear but knowing him, I was sure that there was something bothering him. “Same old, same old. It’s Jiyong all over again. He’s painting my office red with his strictness. I’ve been on the phone with him since the last two freaking hours. And FYI, I think I’m gonna opt for a new iMac soon. He’s basically melting it down with his emails.”

Jiyong again? Shoot! That guy is one bloody messy pain in the . I glanced at my watch, calculating the time difference. “Oppa, it’s almost 11 pm in Seoul. Didn’t that major dictator knows when to go back and have a rest?”

“Taeyeon, you should know better about Jiyong. He never sleeps or rests. He spent the whole night reading the proposal that Seungri emailed him from Indonesia. And mind you, Big Kwon wants to speak to Little Kwon the very second he reaches Bangkok.”

I tried so hard not to breath out the curses that have been playing like a replay inside my mind since ages ago. Kwon freaking Jiyong is the dictator who ruled the multinational Wisteria Hotels and Resorts. While the Big Kwon enjoyed the coziness and comfort that Seoul could ever give to him, Little Kwon was banished to Bangkok, away from his family and friends.

“I see. Does Seungri need to head straight to the office or he can call Big Kwon from his apartment?” After making sure I was calm enough to control myself, I responded to Seunghyun.

“Judging from how things are crumbling down into ashes now, regretfully I must say that Seungri should come to the office.” Seunghyun replied in a disappointing tone. “I’m sorry, Taeyeon. I really do. I know that you’ve been planning something special for that panda’s return but this is seriously unavoidable.”

Special? That didn’t even come close to what I had in mind for Seungri’s return. There was news that I’ve been anxious to tell him, news that could change both of our lives. It had been a total torture for me for these last few weeks to restrain myself from babbling that news out on the telephone. I tried damn hard to zip my mouth shut and wait for his return as I wanted to see what kind of expression that Seungri would make when I told him that we’re going to have a baby together.

Frankly speaking, part of me believes that Seungri would be thrilled, jumping up in midair with the news of my pregnancy. He’d been hinting out, giving clues regarding marriage for months. However a part of me, the country girl Kim Taeyeon from Jeonju who’d grown up in poverty, living on the pity from others and wearing old unwanted clothes from charity knew I wasn’t good enough to be the wife of Kwon Seungri, the second heir of Wisteria Hotels and Resorts, the largest and wealthiest company in South Korea. That was why I need to look him straight into the eyes when I drop the bomb about the baby to him, to make sure that this baby is really what he wants for both of us.

But now, thanks to Big Meanie Kwon Jiyong, I have to postpone the big news from Seungri’s knowledge. Just great!

“Don’t be, oppa. It’s not even your fault to begin with.” It’s that Hitler’s fault! How I wish I could just make him disappear from the surface of this earth! Then maybe, Seungri will be happier than he is now.

He let out one faint chuckle. “Should I tell Jiyong that you think that he is one despicable arrogant bastard who deserves to be shot with an arrow straight into his heart and leaves alone to bleed to death?”

“Urgh! Don’t joke around oppa. You know that bastard really hates me to the core. He’s been pressuring Seungri to break up with me since the very first moment that he got a sniff of my relationship with his precious little brother. I don’t know what his problem is but I’m sure as hell if he knew how much I despise him, he’ll gladly fire me himself and not to mention sending an army of securities to kick me out from the office.”

“You probably hit the bull’s-eye there.” Seunghyun agreed. “Let me cut a deal with you. I’ll keep your hatred for Jiyong