The Beginning

Chapter 17A - Yul

“It’s your big deal with your father to safe my mother…” I took a deep breath before continuing, “But it’s part of my fault too.”

I saw her stiffened expression.

“I…”

“I know, Sica,” I cut her words. “It’s because you don’t want me to feel guilty so you hide it from me, right?”

She nodded lightly. “How do you know?” she asked. “I thought it’s only between him and I.” She looked puzzled. “Wait…” she paused. “Is it Mr. Choi?” she tilted her head as she asked.

I nodded in response. “I met him yesterday.”

The memory from yesterday was still so vivid to me.

***

I, like usual, was waiting for my mother in the hospital when I saw the man that had been very kind to my family, especially in our mid-crisis time, walked in the hall. He just entered the hospital. I realized that I’d never thanked him properly after everything he had done.

“Ahjussi!” I called the man and approached him.

“Yul,” he smiled after seeing it was me.

“How are you, Ahjussi?”

“I’m fine, Yul. Are you here with your umma?”

“Ah yes, Ahjussi. She just starts her session. Why are you here, ahjussi? Who is sick?” I asked back. “It couldn’t be Sooyoung, right?”

The man laughed a little. “No. He is more than healthy than a running horse. Don’t worry about him,” he joked. “It’s my boss. I have to handle things in company and report to him, something like that.”

I nodded. “Fighting, ahjussi!”

He laughed at my cheering and patted my shoulder. “Thanks, Yul. Anyway how is your umma now? I’m sorry I can’t visit her the last time she hospitalized.”

“She has been better now, Ahjussi. Don’t be sorry. I know you’re busy. She understand too. You help us is more than enough, for me especially,” I said sincerely.

“Ah, okay then.” He smiled, but I could sense an awkwardness in it. “I have to go now. My boss will be angry if I’m late. See you soon, Yul.”

“Okay, Ahjussi. See you soon.”

I saw him walking to the VVIP area. He was a really busy man. And it must be a very large company too or else he wouldn’t be able to help my mother. I wondered where he worked and how his boss look alike. From his story, the boss must be a really strict man. I curiously followed him for afar.

I was feeling like a detective now. Finally he turned and entered the room. I cautiously walked towards the room. It was thrilling though. I didn’t even know why I should be so hideous like this. The door was closed but there was a transparent glass on it, so I tried to take a look inside the room.

I stopped.

Wait, why I’m so curious like this? I said to myself in my mind. I laughed. Maybe it was because last night detective movie I watched with Sica. I unconsciously smiled. It was hard to convince her to go watching a movie together. She said it was already night and so on and so on. Fortunately after a lot of convincing she agreed in the end. For another couple maybe it was just a simple date. But for me, after 8 months breaking up with her, enjoying every little moments we had together was more than simple. It was precious.

I decided to end my detective action and walked away when I saw the name board on the wall. It was supposed to be the patient’s identity. It showed ‘Jung Yunho’.

I frowned. The name was so familiar. I swore I’ve heard it somewhere. Finally the curiosity got over me. I walked backward and peeked to see who this person was.

Crap.

No wonder the name felt so familiar to me. He was Sica’s father. Yeah. Jung. That’s right. Jessica Jung. Jung Yunho. It meant Sooyoung’s father worked for him, in Jeguk Corp. My guess was right though, he worked in a very big company, multinational company to be exact. I stood there sinking into my own mind, didn’t realize that time had gone for a while and Choi ahjussi had done his visit.

“Yul?” He looked confused seeing me there.

“Ha..haii…ahjussi,” I startled.

“What are you doing here?” he watched where my eyes landed, it was still on the name board. “You? Are you following me?” His forehead was frowned already.

“I…I’m just passing by,” I smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, okay.” Fortunately, he wasn’t suspicious.

“He is your boss, ahjussi?”

“Yes, why?” he asked.

“Ah, no.” I stopped talking. Talking about him wasn’t exactly my favorite topic.

“You seem not like him.”

“He doesn’t look like a nice person to me,” I said indifferently.

He laughed after hearing my words. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Yul.”

“You’re right. But honestly, I have met him some times, ahjussi.” I told him.

“You have?”

“Yes, wasn’t exactly a nice experience too.” I laughed wryly.

“Ah, I see. But I tell you, Yul,” he put his arm around my shoulders. “He is in fact a nice guy. If he wasn’t, I won’t work for him until now,” he laughed.

“I don’t know ahjussi. It’s hard to imagine him as a nice guy.”

He looked at me with a curious yet caring look.

“He is Sica’s father, ahjussi. And he never likes me.” I said matter of factly. From the first time I met him, he only made me suffering.

“Oh, Sica,” he nodded.

“I don’t like him too, though. He’s arrogant and the only thing I get from him is scold and pain.”

“You shouldn’t talk like that, Yul.” Choi ahjussi said calmly.

“He was always against my relationship, ahjussi. Sica even had to run away from her house just to see me.” I said bitterly. “Can I like him after everything he has done?”

“I understand. But Yul,” he put his hand on my arm. “You shouldn’t feel like that.”

“Why ahjussi?”

“I told you. He is actually a nice guy. Just sometimes his way can’t be understandable. And now he is just a weak guy. It’s not nice to keep hating someone else, especially the sick one.”

“I don’t get it, ahjussi. You say he is nice but you know how he acts towards me. That’s hard to think differently, ahjussi. Even if he is just a weak man right now. I can’t throw away all the hardship I had from my mind and forgive him.”

He didn’t say anything for a while yet staring at me.

 “Do you have time?” he asked.

“I guess.” I didn’t know what he was thinking there. In my guess he was considering about telling me something. So I followed him to the park in front of the hospital. We chose the bench that was far from crowd.

“Do you want to know the truth?” he said. It was of course triggering the curiosity in my mind.

“What is it, ahjussi?”

“Your mother. It’s not me who pay your bill,” said him.

“What? What are you talking, ahjussi? I saw it myself that it was you who covering umma’s bill. Then if it wasn’t you, who is it?” I asked in confusion.

“Him. Mr. Jung.”

I laughed hearing it. It was impossible. Why would that cranky old man help my mother? That’s nonsense. “I can’t believe it. He wouldn’t do that.”

“I don’t have that much money and also influence, Yul. You know how much your umma’s bill cost and how hard it was to find the donor. I only helped him. He didn’t want you to know.”

“You don’t have to make him looks nice, ahjussi.”

“I don’t. I’m telling you the truth.”

I looked at him. His expression was serious indeed. “Is this serious, ahjussi? He did it?”

He nodded.

I slumped my shoulders and leaned on the bench weakly