ChapterSeven

The party was already in full swing when Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae arrived at the Park household.

After In-Young had all but forced them to attend, Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae had promised to show up after their respective shifts had ended. It was now 8 p.m., way past the time for being fashionably late, but Soo-Kyung didn’t mind. She could actually have made it on time for the party, but she had elected to wait for Kang Dae to finish responding to an emergency call. She wasn’t going to venture into chaebol territory alone.

As Kang Dae steered his car into the private street, Soo-Kyung marveled at the enormous mansion that rose up before them. It was palatial, the imposing structure enclosed by high walls and an equally daunting wrought-iron gate blocked the only entrance.

They were stopped by a smartly dressed security guard who demanded to know their names and their purpose for calling. Although the man smiled, it was a gesture that sent chills up Soo-Kyung’s spine. It was a cold smile, meant to intimidate, and there was nothing pleasant or friendly about it.

After giving their names, Soo-Kyung breathed a sigh of relief when the guard allowed them entrance. As if by secret code, the huge gates swung open with a deafening creak, and Kang Dae drove forward.

The driveway was littered with cars – mostly expensive sports cars, Soo-Kyung noted. Kang Dae grinned as he pulled up between a Ferrari and an Aston Martin, clearly happy to be in the midst of such powerful vehicles.

Soo-Kyung rolled her eyes at him as she got out of the car. “Don’t get any ideas about driving away with any of them.”

Kang Dae gave her an innocent look, but she knew better.  He lovingly patted the hood of his own car – a Mercedes SLK convertible. “This baby will hold her own,” he told Soo-Kyung. His car was impressive enough, and its sleek silhouette often attracted a lot of attention, but tonight, they were in the presence of giants.

Shaking her head at him – men and their cars! – Soo-Kyung took the steps leading up to the main door. At the top step, she paused so suddenly that Kang Dae, who had been following closely in her wake, nearly bumped into her.

“Whoa!” he called, bracing himself against the impact. “What’d you stop for?”

Soo-Kyung said nothing, but turned around and continued surveying the surroundings. Facing the main house were two smaller buildings, no doubt the servants’ quarters. A house of this size would definitely require a lot of help to upkeep. Beyond that was lush greenery that had been gently lit by small garden lights, offering up a serene atmosphere of the area.

Kang Dae peered closely at Soo-Kyung. “Thinking about something?”

She smiled at him, and he was struck by the sadness that seemed to lurk at the corner of her eyes. “Something like that.”

“Do you regret it?”

Soo-Kyung looked up at him in surprise. “No. Why should I?”

“Oh, I don’t know. That looks like regret in your expression.”

Soo-Kyung smiled again, and this time Kang Dae was sure that bitterness was present beneath the action. “It’s not regret. I will never regret the decisions I made.”

Kang Dae looked as if he was going to say something in response to that – something sarcastic – but he held his tongue when he caught sight of Soo-Kyung’s expression. The smile had completely disappeared from her face, and in its place was an expression of profound sadness.

“Come on,” he took her hand instead, wanting to wash away the chill that had set over the night. “Let’s go enjoy this chaebol party.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

They were met at the door by a housekeeper, who directed them further into the living room, where a cacophony of voices and laughter rang out.

Jung-su had been lounging against a wall when he spotted the newcomers, and immediately he rose to greet them.

“Ms. Park! Dr. Shim!” He called out, attracting their attention. “Welcome to our humble abode.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Park,” Soo-Kyung responded instinctively. “Although I have to say your house is anything but humble.”

Jung-su grinned at her words, and offered both of them a drink. Soo-Kyung accepted the glass of champagne, as did Kang Dae.

“Where’s your father?” Soo-Kyung asked, noticing that Park Chang Euk was absent.

Jung-su glanced around the room before replying. “He’s gone upstairs, to bed. His medicine was making him bad company.”

“That would be entirely my fault,” Kang Dae joked.

“Yes it would seem so, Dr. Shim,” Jung-su laughed, glad at the good humor his guests presented.

“Call me Kang Dae, please,” the doctor requested. “Dr. Shim is too formal for a party like this.”

“If you insist, Kang Dae,” Jung-su responded, and then looked at Soo-Kyung. “If you would also allow me to address you informally…”

Soo-Kyung smiled and nodded. “Kang Dae is right. Let’s drop all formalities, shall we not?”

“Only if you will call me Jung-su,” the other man insisted.

“Call him Leeteuk; he responds better to that,” came a voice behind them.

Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae turned, a man in jeans and a gray shirt making his way towards them. “I’m Lee Donghae,” the other man introduced, holding out his hand.  “This good for nothing,” he indicated Jung-su, “is probably going to forget all his manners and not introduce us.”

“Yah!” Jung-su protested. “Remember who you’re talking to!”

“Sorry hyung,” Donghae grinned. “But you know it’s true.”

Kang Dae and Soo-Kyung took the chance to introduce themselves to Donghae, laughing over the easy banter he engaged in with Jung-su.

“Excuse me for asking, but why do they call you Leeteuk?” Soo-Kyung directed her question to Jung-su.

To her surprise, Jung-su blushed. Soo-Kyung raised an eyebrow in question at Donghae, who shrugged. “He should tell you. If I do, I’ll be leaving this house in six pieces.”

“I’ll tell you,” In-Young spoke up. They hadn’t noticed her creeping up on them, and now everyone turned to her with grins on their faces.

“Noona!” Jung-su groaned.

“Jung-su always wanted to someone special, like an astronaut or something equally ridiculous when he was younger,” In-Young explained. “So Donghae here,” she messed up his hair affectionately, “started calling him ‘The Special One’ as soon as he could speak. The nickname’s stuck ever since.”

“You’ve known each other since young?” Kang Dae asked Donghae.

Donghae nodded. “Siwon and Leeteuk are cousins, as you already know. My mother and Leeteuk’s mother have been best friends since their middle school days, so we practically grew up together, even though I’m younger than him.”

“Everyone here is a close family friend,” Leeteuk gestured to their other guests. “Let me introduce you.”

Leeteuk took them to meet the other guests, and Soo-Kyung felt like her head would burst with all the different names and faces. There was Donghae and his girlfriend, Hyo Rin; Leeteuk’s other cousin Shin Donghee and his girlfriend Ga In; and his other close childhood friends – Kim Jongwoon with his fiancée Tae Hee, Lee Sungmin and his girlfriend, Hyojin; and Kim Ryeowook and his girlfriend Jaeyeon.

The other three, Kim Heechul, Lee Hyukjae and Cho Kyuhyun, were Park family friends and although they had a female companion that night, Leeteuk whispered to Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae that introductions to the ladies weren’t necessary since the relationship probably wouldn’t last long.

Siwon was stag that night, without a specific female companion, a fact which surprised Soo-Kyung. She had expected that a man of his status would never attend a party alone, but then surmised that he probably didn’t see the need to have a date at what was essentially a family function.

She was oddly relieved at the knowledge that Siwon had no girlfriend, and unlike his other friends, was content to not have a date for every party he attended. Soo-Kyung had noticed him watching her the moment she and Kang Dae had entered the room, but she tried not to look in his direction.

Until Leeteuk stopped their group directly in front of Siwon, and the lady he was speaking to.

“This is Oh Jin Ah,” Leeteuk said.

Jin Ah stopped in mid-sentence, her attention directed at Soo-Kyung and Kang Dae. “You must be the hospital workers,” she said, a hint of condescension evident in her voice.

“Shim Kang Dae,” Kang Dae immediately offered his hand. “I’m Mr. Park’s doctor.”

“Ah, the surgeon,” Jin Ah’s voice dripped with false sweetness, although she sounded a little more welcoming now. She turned to Soo-Kyung. “And are you samchon’s doctor too?”

“No I’m not,” Soo-Kyung replied. “Park Soo-Kyung. I’m the social worker assigned to Mr. Park.”

“Social worker, huh?” Jin Ah narrowed her eyes at Soo-Kyung, her dislike for the other woman obvious. “You must over the moon to be invited to our party.”

Soo-Kyung met her gaze evenly, refusing to be cowered. “I’m grateful Ms. Park and Jung-su extended the invitation.”

“Oh yes,” Jin Ah breathed, her gaze flickering towards Leeteuk. “The Park siblings are always very charitable to the less fortunate.”

“Appa was the one who extended the invitation,” Leeteuk said, and it sounded to Soo-Kyung like he was gritting his teeth in frustration.

Jin Ah gave a feral grin, the smile never reaching her eyes. She reminded Soo-Kyung of a wildcat baring its teeth in preparation for its next meal. “Where else would you and In-Young unni learn to be kind to the lesser beings if not for samchon?”

Soo-Kyung let the insult slide over her. It wasn’t unexpected, although she had expected that the insults would at least be more veiled, instead of so direct. She squared her shoulders and faced Jin Ah. “You are right. Mr. Park obviously taught his children well enough to be nice to all kinds of people, including the ones they don’t like.”

Like you. Soo-Kyung left those two words unspoken. But judging from Jin Ah’s thunderous expression, Soo-Kyung knew the other woman understood her unsaid remark. Behind her, Leeteuk had started coughing – Soo-Kyung suspected he was trying to conceal his laughter.

Jin Ah looked as if she wanted to add a retort, but words failed her at that moment. She closed promptly, and then without a word, whirled around and stormed away.

The moment she left, Donghae let out a whoop of laughter, patting Soo-Kyung on her back. “I’ve never seen her speechless!”

Hyo Rin shared her boyfriend’s joy. “Well done! I never thought I would ever see the day when someone got the last word with her.”

Soo-Kyung shrugged uncomfortably. “Does she always have such an acid tongue?”

Leeteuk nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, yes. We only put up with her because her parents and my parents are extremely close friends, and they are always pestering us to include her in our gatherings.”

Soo-Kyung only nodded. She didn’t want to be drawn into a war with Jin Ah, a woman she’d just met. Even if Leeteuk and his friends didn’t seem to like her, she was still a member of their group and as such, Soo-Kyung tried to say as little as possible to avoid any conflicts.

As Kang Dae commiserated with Leeteuk, and their conversation slowly turned to cars, Soo-Kyung felt a hand on her elbow. She looked up in surprise at Siwon, who was looking at her in concern.

“Let’s get you a drink,” he told her. Without giving her any chance to respond or protest, he guided her away from the rest of the group and towards the drinks table.

“What would you like?” Siwon asked, holding up a cup. “Another champagne? Punch? Or wine?”

Soo-Kyung stared at him for another instant, taking in how suave he looked in his white shirt and jeans. It was a casual attire by his measure; she had never seen him in anything less than a business suit complete with a pocket square. It wasn’t to say that Soo-Kyung didn’t appreciate this dress-down look of his; in contrast, she observed the way the tailored shirt clung tightly to his shoulders and outlined his torso, cinching together at the waistband of his jeans.

How could any man look as he did?

Soo-Kyung realized that Siwon was staring at her expectantly, and she shook herself out of her stupor. “Wine is fine,” she told him.

Siwon poured her a glass, and their hands touched when she reached out to take it. A tingle shot through Soo-Kyung’s spine, and she suppressed the urge to shiver. It was a delightful feeling, but it left Soo-Kyung confused. Why was she responding in such a way to Siwon?

Both of them sipped their drinks in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Soo-Kyung grabbed the opportunity to breathe deeply, attempting to slow down her now accelerating heartbeat. She wasn’t quite sure why she was having such a reaction to Siwon, only that she was, and it bothered her.

“You know, you look kind of familiar,” Siwon turned to his companion and studied her features.

Soo-Kyung scoffed. “Yeah, you’ve only seen me about ten times since we first met.”

“No, I’m serious,” Siwon told her. “You do look like someone I know.”

This time, Soo-Kyung chuckled. “I bet you say that to all the girls you meet,” she teased.

Siwon laughed. “And how would you know that?”

“I’m surprised you even have to ask,” Soo-Kyung replied. “Isn’t that in your chaebol handbook or something?”

Siwon looked surprised. “Of course not!”

Soo-Kyung laughed, then leaned forward and lightly touched his arm. “I was kidding.”

Siwon looked put out. “I can’t believe you think I’m that sort of man.”

“So what sort of man are you?”

Before Siwon could answer, he was interrupted by Hyukjae, who was dragging Kang Dae behind him. “Soo-Kyung!”

Soo-Kyung turned and grinned at him. “Yes, Hyukjae-sshi?”

“I have a question for you,” Hyukjae looked at her with a serious expression. “You must promise to answer it honestly.”

“O-okay,” Soo-Kyung stammered, wondering what he was going to ask. Her gaze flickered to Kang Dae, hoping he would give her some clue as to Hyukjae’s question. Kang Dae gave a slight shake of his head, and Soo-Kyung let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Hyukjae wasn’t going to ask the question she feared.

“You have to answer honestly!” Hyukjae announced again, and Soo-Kyung nodded. “What exactly is your relationship with Kang Dae?”

Soo-Kyung couldn’t help it – she burst out laughing, and continued until tears started forming in her eyes. “Didn’t he already tell you?”

“Yeah he did,” Hyukjae admitted. “He said you were just friends, but I don’t believe him.”

“You should,” Soo-Kyung said. “It’s the truth.”

“Impossible!” Hyukjae said loudly.

“It’s only impossible for you, Hyukjae-sshi,” Soo-Kyung teased.

Hyukjae pouted, and around them, chuckles were heard from Siwon, Donghae, Kang Dae and Leeteuk.

“Hyukjae doesn’t understand the concept of platonic friendship,” Donghae pointed out.

“We’re just friends, Hyukjae-sshi,” Soo-Kyung touched his arm lightly, knowing how put out he was feeling at the moment. “We’re best friends. But just that – friends.”

“So you can date him, if you want.”

Hoots of laughter peeled at her statement, and Soo-Kyung found herself grinning in response. Hyukjae’s face turned bright red in embarrassment at the teasing.

“I’m sorry, Hyukjae-sshi, but I don’t swing that way,” Kang Dae told him, still trying to get his laughter under control.

Soo-Kyung turned away, her laughter dying down. She met Siwon’s eye, and they shared a small smile, unaware of two other pairs of eyes watching their exchange closely.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *