"The recognition"

Chu Gaeul

A child sitting calmly at the edge of the bed crooked head sideways when a man in a white robe entered the room. Furrowing his eyebrows and evident disappointment were clearly seen on the child's face.

"Where is Dr. Geum?" He inquired at the man who had settled himself on the bedside chair.

The man smiled at him. "Sorry but it's her off for this morning. But don't worry she'll be here late this afternoon."

"Are you going to be my doctor for today?"

"Apparently, I am here to check up on you before your doctor come in."

"Oh... I see..." He read through the doctor's nameplate. "Dr. Yoon. Uh?! You are with Dr. Geum yesterday, right?"

"Yes. Have you seen me with her?"

"No. I barely heard her mention you yesterday. And as you can see I'm fine and I am not feeling dizzy anymore. "

The child suddenly changed his apprehension towards Jiho, but the doctor shrugged it off and smiled knowingly.

"I can see that you're fine and a little blunt also. But just so you know Dr. Geum is just a close friend of mine." He smiled and spoke of the fact.

"Really?"

"Hmmm.”

In a matter of seconds, the kid was caught up being mesmerized by the doctor's smile. A knocked from the door stole the kid's attention away from Jiho.

"Good morning Siwon!" The Doctor greeted from the door.

"Oh?! Good morning Dr. Han! Are you my doctor for today?"

"Yes. Just for this morning."

The doctor shifted his gaze from the kid to Jiho. "Good morning to you too, Dr. Yoon"

"Morning Dr. Han." He then looked at the folder Dr. Han was holding. "Is that Siwon's data?" He pointed his finger to the folder.

"Ah... This?" The doctor lifted the object. ''No this is actually Ms. Chu's evaluation results from last week. I brought it here with me because I know you'll be here. Will you hand this to her, for me?"

"Sure no problem. How was it?"

"She's actually doing fine. But I'm afraid she might not... I mean..."

"I see... I think she can handle this news well."

"I suppose so..."

The shrill sound of his phone interrupted Jiho’s thought. "Will you excuse me? I have to take this call." Jiho asked the kid and the doctor.

"Go ahead Dr. Yoon." The kid busted while Dr. Han gave him an approving nod. With a smile Jiho headed out of the room and answered the call.

"Oh... What is it?"

"I need you at the lounge by 10. I have something important to tell everybody. "

"Okay. Be there in a few minutes. Bye"

…

"Hey Jandi!?" Gaeul crooked her head right above Jandi's who's lying on the carpet watching the television.

"Hmm."

"From those years... I mean. Did you not get tired of fighting for Junpyo Sunbae? Like just gave up and let go. Haven't you thought about it before?"

Shocked by the question; Jandi bolted up from her position and looked at Gaeul as if she had grown another head. Did she?

"What did you say?" She actually heard her but she just felt the need for her to repeat the question.

"I said, have you ever thought of giving up your relationship with Sunbae because it's just too difficult to go any further?"

Jandi's brain ran like lightning speed formulating something that she forgot to answer the question.

"Yah! Jandi."

She felt a slight nudge on her elbow and saw Gaeul making a face to her. "Ah... That question. Um... Yeah, I did before but that punk kept on squeezing his self to me. And like glue he won't leave so until now he's still here. Why do you ask?"

Gaeul was taken aback by Jandi's inquiry. She herself didn't know why she had asked the question. She regained herself. "I think he's your soul mate." She sounded a bit off and her answer seemed a little strange even to herself.

Looking all confused with her answer made Jandi chuckled. "You look cute when you're lost in your thoughts. I'm jealous. “She said with a pout.

"Was that a complement or a criticism?"

"Both."

"Yah!"

…

The huge door flung open to reveal the oh-so-late Gu Junpyo while both Jiho and Woobin made a face by the not-so-grand entrance Junpyo made.

"I thought you said you'll never get late again, Great Gu Junpyo." Sounding annoyed, Woobin put up a smug face in front of Jupyo while Jiho remained serene.

"What? I'm not late you know."

"Yes. You're not late. You are super late."

The sound of Jiho clearing his throat got Woobin's attention back to why he asked for the meeting. At their age they had seldom made any event unlike before. Work had occupied each of their time but at times like this, everybody made it sure to be always present. Only Yi Jeong hadn't been able to catch-up for that pace since he's too far away and where, they don't know.

The Prince shifted on his seat and rested his elbows on his thighs. And tossed the envelope he's holding on top of the table.

"I need you to listen to everything that I will say."

…

Nobody said anything. A deafening silence enveloped the whole place; it was like they have been placed on top of a frozen mountain, afraid to move because they might end up falling. The realization had sunk into their minds, the realization that all along they had thought about it wrongly. And the guilt creeping up to them was eating out every inch of their ego.

If they had known it from the outset, if they had seen it coming things won't happen the way it did. The feeling they had earned from what happen should never been felt because if they had known they would definitely intervene.

Earlier that morning.

"How about if we first open that envelope you have and let's see what your men had in it."

He settled himself on the black leather revolving chair across the old man. He tore the envelope and took the files out with the attached pictures in it.

Both men consumed their time analyzing all the data. Little by little the truth behind Yi Jeong absence was slowly unfolding in front of Woobin's eyes. All along he had his fist tightly close but it was unnoticed by his conscious mind.

"He was taken to Morocco by my father, by threatening him about her." After clearing all the data Woobin's men had gathered, So Hyun Sub stated to Woobin what exactly had happen.

"According to Yi Jeong, he was at a place when father showed up. He told him his intentions but knowing Yi Jeong, you probably got the idea."

Getting all the facts straight, Woobin nodded his head with understanding.

Flash

Engrossed with a lot of thoughts coming from his head, Yi Jeong had been smiling at himself like an idiot. He was patiently seated beside the kiln and was waiting for someone he asked to meet him. But the unwelcoming sound coming from the line of cars which had parked right in front of him had pulled him out of his reverie. Curiosity had drawn him on who could be the person inside the tinted car. His inquisitiveness was quickly answered as a man in his late 70's emerged out of the luxurious car with his cane at his left hand.

"Grandpa!"

A mischievous look was given to him by the old man that he had just called grandpa.

"Is that how you greet your Senior, So Yi Jeong?" The words came out from him sounding like a statement rather than a question, it sounded so cold that it sent chills to his spine.

"I'm sorry Senior So that I have to skip with the formality. But what is it that you want from me?"

"Smart. You're learning kid. But not that fast." A smirk plaster on the old man's face hinted an insult. He had placed himself dominant, too high above Yi Jeong. God knew how much Yi Jeong wanted to wipe that smirk out of that old man's face. But even so, he presented himself to him calm and collected, though his defenses were already set up high.

"I need you to come with me to Sweden."

"WHAT?"

The voice went out from him a second after it was said. Never in his sane mind would he leave with him to Sweden, not at the moment. Not at all. Yi Jeong gave the old man a stern look, not wanting the situation ruin the moment he had been in his mind for a long time now. He clearly went to the place for a reason. A reason that could make a big difference in his life but here he was with his grandfather who stood before him asking him to leave, to leave the only reason he had remained steady all along.

"Excuse me?"

A scoff came from his grandfather. "Don't act like you did not hear me."

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Senior So. But I have no plans of going with you to anywhere you offer."

"I know the reason. Friends. How childish of you? You know that sooner you'll be taking over the entire business. And I won't hand it to until you follow what I will say."

"I'm sorry but I am not interested in taking over any of your business."

"So Yi Jeong. You know exactly that you don't have a choice but to follow my orders, right? Or else..."

"Or else? What? You're dragging me off from here and send me to Sweden by force?"

"I might have..." The old man could clearly see how Yi Jeong clinched his jaw together with his fists. "But I just know how to make you go with me without force."

It irked Yi Jeong that he can't even hate this man even more. God knew how he hated despising his own grandfather, and the hate that he felt towards his own father won't get any less.

"And what is it? Blackmail?"

"Smart. That’s it. But I may have a better one for you."

Yi Jeong just gave him another stern look.

"Actually, what I have is a threat."

"Tell me." It scared the hell out of him but he needed to front a smug or less shaken feature in front of his grandfather.

"Chu Gaeul." The old man announced.

It didn't need to be repeated for him to conclude the outcome of the talk. His grandfather had laid down his card in front of him. And even though it was all in front of him, he's afraid he couldn't do anything for a counter attack.

It was like an eternity for Yi Jeong but he hadn't got any temporary solution for his current predicament. And the idea of dragging his friends into it would do them no good. Especially if it involved his grandfather, they merely were all powerless against the man.

And no matter how he despised the man in front of him, he couldn't do anything beyond a harsh conversation with one person who had given him his name. Indeed, So Woo Seong was his grandfather.

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A/n: Everybody! Thank you for reading this and thank you so much for all who subscribed. :)