Jung Yong Hwa

What was that?! Good thing Hyun is here! - *facepalm* - What?! That was scary!

 

As I cling to Hyun for support, I was grateful it was dark and that it was just the 3 of us because if any of my cousins were here, I’m probably being assaulted by now for being such a scaredy-cat in dark places that I need to cling to a girl and a baby no less.

 

You are such an embarrassment, Yong Hwa-yah! – I know!

 

“Oppa, do you think that was Moonie Ahjussi..?”, Hyun whispered tucked inside my right arm, while I held Cherisse on my left. She was silhouetted by the glow of the moon above us. Her scent of apples and strawberries calmed me down enough to find my voice.

 

“No, I don’t think so, Hyun.. It sounded like a girl’s voice or maybe a wounded animal.. Should we go look—”

 

“We can’t, Oppa.. We promised Moonie Ahjussi we’d stay put..”, Hyun replied, reminding me that we were being recorded.

 

Did it record me clinging to Hyun?! Aishhh! There goes my manly façade! – You never had one. – Yah!

 

“Oh, right.. But what if—”

 

I abruptly stopped what I was saying when our whole surrounding lit up and the house was suddenly revealed to us, which made my jaw drop.

 

“I think Kim Sa Jangnim lied to us, Oppa.. This is NOT a beach house..”, Hyun murmured in awe.

 

“No kidding, Hyun! Beach house was an understatement! Because this is a freaking MANSION!”, I exclaimed, amazed.

 

The garden was full of exotic flowering plants lighted by different color garden lights, while the trees had lanterns and twinkling lights hanging from them. There were also small and big fountains and man-made falls everywhere, while benches of every size and shapes were scattered around.

 

     

     

      

 

In front of us, loomed Kim Sa Jangnim’s mansion. It was surrounded by a porch made of white stone with columns as impressive as those in Greece. The building itself was a glittering cream-colored marble like the sands of a beach.

 

 

Hyun, Cherisse, and I just stood there huddled in a circle gaping at the largest ‘beach house’ I have ever seen when the front door opened revealing Moonie Ahjussi and my Manager.

 

“Omo! Don’t you three look so close like a real loving family!”, Manager Hyung commented, smiling knowingly as soon as he saw us, while Moonie Ahjussi nodded in agreement.

 

Hyun and I looked at each other. She had her hand on my right shoulder while holding Cherisse’s hand with the other, the 2 of them almost blocking half of me. My right arm was around Hyun, with my hand resting on her waist. We both blushed and jumped in separate directions, pretending we didn’t hear anything.

 

“Hyung! What are you doing here?”, I asked because I don’t remember telling him about this house yet and, hopefully, to change the subject.

 

“I went to Seohyun-ssi’s clients’ office earlier and they told me.. But only after making me show them several IDs that I am, indeed, your Manager and then threatened me that they’d drown me in the ocean if I turn out to be a stalker or a paparazzo! Cham!”, he explained, looking so offended, it was hilarious.

 

“Moonie Ahjussi, did you uhhh maybe step on an animal like a dog or a cat’s tail on your way in..?”, Hyun asked our VJ.

 

“Yah! I am NOT an animal—”

 

“That was YOU, Hyung?!”, I asked in surprise, while Hyun suppressed her giggle and I started to laugh.

 

“Aishhh! Me and my big mouth! In my defense, I thought Moon Sik-ssi was a burglar! Sneaking around in all black like he’s some kind of ninja or something! Cham! Seriously, Moon Sik-ssi, wear some colors once in a while! And you didn’t have to tackle me! I had my hands up in the air!!!”, Manager Hyung said accusingly to Moonie Ahjussi, who was trying not to laugh.

 

"I apologize, Manager Jo..", our quiet VJ uttered softly, bowing to my Manager.

 

“If you thought he was a burglar, Hyung, then why did you have your hands up in the air?! Shouldn’t you have defended yourself?”, I asked him trying to know what really happened while laughter shook me and Cherisse, who I was still carrying. Hyun, on the other hand, was turning red from trying not to laugh at all.

 

“Yah, those defense classes always say NOT to fight, but to just give in, especially if the burglar is armed and dangerous!”, my Manager defended himself.

 

“Yeah, AND if the burglar is almost half your height and armed with a cell-phone and some keys!”, I added, bursting with laughter.

 

“Aishhh! What took you so long to get here, anyway?! I was waiting outside near the beach, freezing my behind! And then when you do get here, you almost gave me a heart attack!”, scolded my Manager.

 

“Sorry Manager Oppa, we went to a nearby market to check out some things..”, Hyun apologized, while I added, “How did you get in, anyway, Hyung?”

 

“One of Seohyun-ssi’s clients gave me a lift here.. He let me in, but only through the front gate because you have the main keys with you.. I’ve been sitting on these steps for almost 2 hours when I decided to go beach-side because it was getting dark and the moon is brighter there due to the lack of trees..”, he explained.

 

“Ummm Oppa, can we go in now? I think Cherisse is getting cold..”, Hyun requested.

 

“Yah, come on in, you three.. You won’t believe how enormous this place is! Oh, Moon Sik-ssi and I have to go out for a while.. I’ll get your things from the hotel and he needs to get some more cameras, batteries, and tapes to cover this whole mansion!”, my Manager informed us.

 

“Daebak!”, was all I could say as an elaborate staircase greeted us with a big chandelier in the middle. As we go further and further inside, it was apparent how massive this mansion was.

 

     

 

“I must say, this is one of the most beautiful beach-mansions I have ever seen..”, Hyun declared, appreciating the architecture and structural design rather than how big and how stylish the furnishings were.

 

I keep forgetting she’s an Engineer, too and not just a Translator! A world-class Engineer to top it off! And of course, she had seen much more luxurious mansions and probably even hotels than this one.. Heck, she and that JERK might have designed and built a few of them, too! Aishhh!

 

“Yong Hwa-yah, explore later.. Let’s find the kitchen first so we can re-heat these food I bought for us.. It’s gone cold already! Aishhh!”, my Manager suggested, looking disgustedly at the bags of food he was carrying.

 

“Food? Let’s go!”, I agreed, as hunger settled in.

 

We walked through the house looking for a kitchen, and every time we see a new room I can’t help but gasp. We found numerous living rooms, which according to Hyun were different types according to its function. It confused me greatly because they all looked-alike to me with just different furniture. 

 

     

     

 

There were also different dining rooms, the next one much more elaborate than the one before. One even had me thinking of old English men with white wigs wearing white makeup, pink blush, red lipstick, and a faux mole on their cheek.

 

     

 

“Hyun, remind me never to use this room, especially when our families arrive.. I don’t think we can afford anything in here in case we break something..”, I told her as we left the last dining room we were in, which made her nod and laugh.

 

“That’s why I’m glad Cherisse isn’t walking.. Just in case..”, Hyun commented, laughing as she reached out and touched Cherisse gently on the cheek, who smiled and laid her head on my shoulder.

 

“Maybe I should carry Hyung, too—”

 

“Yah! I can hear you—”

 

“Just kidding, Hyung! Sheesh!”, I relented because I knew he has the food and I didn’t want to go to bed hungry.

 

We found a kitchen after the expensive-looking dining room, which, unfortunately, looked expensive, too. The backsplash atop the stove looked liked it’s made of gold and a small sink in the center of an island looked like it’s made of silver!

 

 

“Hyung, be careful, okay? Kim Sa Jangnim said we can use his house, I mean mansion, rent-free, but he didn’t say he won’t let us pay for any damages! If you’re going to break anything, break something inexpensive—”

 

“Arasseo! Arasseo! Aishhh! I’m just using the stove! Stop nagging, Yong Hwa-yah!”, Manager Hyung snapped at me, looking exasperated, which made me laugh again, but then I noticed Hyun looking uncomfortable.

 

“What’s wrong, Hyun?”, I asked. She looked a little surprised, which I thought wouldn’t surprise her anymore.

 

I thought she’d know by now that I notice EVERYTHING about her.. – Like a stalker? – Yah!

 

“Nothing, Oppa—”

 

“Seo Joo Hyun—”

 

“Arasseoyo, haikkks! Shouldn’t I be doing what Manager Oppa’s doing?”, she confessed in a whisper.

 

“Why? Because you’re a girl? Sheesh, Hyun! For such a modern woman who commands the attention of businessmen and who’s not scared to dive in and talk among diplomats and foreign-speaking clients, you sure are one old-fashioned lady..”, I observed loudly.

 

This girl is really.. I can’t even find a word to describe her anymore!

 

“Why? What’s wrong?”, my Manager asked absently as he was busy re-heating our food.

 

“Nothing, Ma—”

 

“She said she should be doing what you’re doing, Hyung, because she’s the ‘girl’—”

 

“Oppa—”

 

“It’s alright, Seohyun-ssi.. It’s the least I could do for you as I’m not always there to protect you and Cherisse.. Since Yong Hwa-yah couldn’t even do that simple—”

 

“Yah, Hyung!!!”, I protested.

 

I will never hear the end of this, all because of that JERK! Aishhh!

 

“Well, at least, let me get you some plates for those.. And maybe set the table.. Where do you think we should eat, Oppa..?”, Hyun asked, changing the subject before I could retaliate.

 

“Definitely not the last one..”, I answered, deep in thought, while she nodded.

 

“Can’t we just eat here?”, my Manager asked, gesturing around.

 

“There are only 3 chairs, Hyung.. Even if only 3 people sit, the chair here is too tall for Cherisse..”, I observed.

 

“I’m just afraid that if we leave this place, we might not find it again—”

 

“Like the Room of Requirement..”, Hyun murmured absently.

 

“The what?”, Manager Hyung asked, confused, as he turned to get the food off the stove.

 

“Muggle..”, I said under my breath, nodding in the direction of my Manager, which made Hyun laugh softly.

 

After looking at all the cabinets carefully, Hyun finally found some tableware that doesn’t look like it will cost an arm and a leg if we so much as scratched it. We finally decided on the first dining room that we saw. We brought our food and some dinner things to the dining table that looked like it could sit Hyun’s family and mine in one sitting, but at this time we only used 5 chairs. We ate companionably, with Manager Hyung taking the head chair, while Moonie Ahjussi was on his left, and on his right were Hyun and I with Cherisse sitting between us.

 

Cherisse and Hyun finished eating first. She let Cherisse walk around the room, explaining to her not to go up the stairs or touch anything that could break. Cherisse just looked at her and smiled, which I think Hyun accepted that she understood her. Cherisse was walking around the room when I noticed the big black grand piano in the corner. I remembered Hyun playing the piano in an almost deserted hotel restaurant back in Seoul. She had a baseball cap on, jeans, and a hoodie, and she was the playing the piano like she was meant to play it since the day she was born.

 

She was so good.. And so beautiful.. – Until she ran away from you like you have the plague! – Yah!

 

“Hyun, please play the piano for us.. The ones you played when we first met..”, I said, smiling at the memory.

 

“Uhhh What, Oppa?”, she asked, surprised.

 

“You know, the songs you were playing that day when you saw how handsome I am for the first time—”

 

“Yah, Jung Yong Hwa.. We just ate! Do you really want us to have indigestion?! This kid! Really!”, Manager Hyung cut me off, shaking his head, while Moonie Ahjussi and Hyun laughed.

 

“Aishhh! Hyung!”, I protested, but laughed afterwards. He knew how much I love saying how handsome I am jokingly.

 

“Come on, Hyun.. Please?”, I pleaded.

 

“Okay, I will play, but I will only take a request from Manager Oppa for feeding us tonight, and from Moonie Ahjussi to commemorate this day when we all first met him..”, Hyun said smiling, as usual, being so grateful for everything. I nodded my agreement as it seemed only fair.

 

“Eihhh, it was nothing.. But I’ll take you on with that offer.. I would like to hear a song from The Beatles.. Do you think you can play one of their songs, Seohyun-ssi?”, asked my Manager, smiling at her.

 

“No problem, Manager Oppa..”, Hyun answered him, turning to Moonie Ahjussi she added, “How about you, Moonie Ahjussi?”

 

“Something from Elvis would be great..”, he replied, smiling.

 

“Do you know any of their songs, Hyun?”, I asked, getting up so I could take her spot from the stairs where she was monitoring Cherisse.

 

“Yes, Oppa.. I love old songs.. And I used to always play them for my parents when I’m at home.. ”, she informed me brightly, clearly remembering those days.

 

She took a seat at the piano, running her fingers over the black and white keys. I could see that she missed playing music using such a grand instrument. She smiled, which made my heart skip a beat, before she started playing.

 

“This is for Manager Oppa.. If I Fell by The Beatles.. Please sing along if you like..”, Hyun announced looking at me, then at Manager Hyung, who I noticed was giddy with delight.

 

Hyun..?

 

 

“And this one is for Moonie Ahjussi.. Can’t Help Falling In Love by The King himself, Mr. Elvis Presley..”, she stated next looking at me first—AGAIN—then at Moonie Ahjussi, who was grinning from ear to ear.

 

What Hyun..?

 

 

“Whoaaa! Daebak!”, we all said in unison to which Hyun said, “Sorry, I got carried away! Ahahaha!”

 

We gave her a round of applause, even Cherisse, who stopped wandering around and walked towards the piano where Hyun was playing. She clapped her chubby little hands, smiling so widely as if she was proud of her Mommy.

 

“Yaaa, Seohyun-ssi.. That was—WOW! I could listen to you all day playing the piano and I wouldn’t get bored or sick of it.. I’d probably fall asleep at some point, but.. Whoaaa! You really are very, very good! Yaaa.. ”, my Manager praised Hyun, which Moonie Ahjussi agreed to by giving her two thumbs-up.

 

Yeeeeahhhhh!!! That’s MY WIFE!!! – VIRTUAL wife! – Whatever!

 

Then we started chanting “Encore! Encore!” and she started to play one more song which sounded familiar, but somehow I couldn’t put my finger on it. This time Hyun didn’t look at me, but she was—

 

—smirking?

 

 

 

 

Seo Joo Hyun

When I was done playing, I stood up and took a bow. My audience clapped their hands and gave me a standing ovation. Then I proceeded to herd them back to the kitchen, much to the protests of the men. I wanted to bring back all the things we used neat, clean, and dry just the way we found it, before Moonie Ahjussi and Manager Oppa went back to the hotel.

 

“But I want to hear you play the piano more, Seohyun-ssi..”, Manager Oppa protested.

 

“You will, Manager Oppa.. You’ll be staying here with us, aren’t yo—”

 

“Says who?! Just stay in the hotel, Hyung! Use our room! And Cherisse and I are the only ones who Hyun should play the piano for!”, Yong Oppa interjected.

 

Haikkks, there he goes again..

 

“This mansion has room to spare, why should I stay there?! And Seohyun-ssi already said I could stay here! Kim Sa Jangnim is HER client, not yours, Yong Hwa-yah! And by the way, SHE can play the piano for anyone SHE wants! I dare you to say what you said when her SISTERS and TWIN BROTHER arrive tomorrow!”, Yong Oppa’s Manager countered with his tongue sticking-out, which promptly shut Yong Oppa up, brooding. I just shook my head and smiled.

 

“Aishhh!”, was all he said before he scooped Cherisse up and followed Moonie Ahjussi, who was still filming, back to the expensive-looking kitchen. Manager Oppa and I carried the dishes with the trays we found in one of the cabinets in the dining room.

 

“Seohyun-ssi, the last song you played.. For Yong Choding, right?”, Manager Oppa nudged me, smiling, to which I nodded, smiling back.

 

“I knew it! Jealous Guy by John Lennon! Daebak!”, he exclaimed as we both laughed heartily.

 

After a few minutes of washing and drying dishes and putting them all back, we walked Moonie Ahjussi and Manager Oppa to the car. Yong Oppa bundled Cherisse with the throw rug we found on a sofa in one of the living rooms and made her wear his baseball cap, much to the delight of the little girl who got to use her Daddy’s things.

 

“Remember, don’t wander around the house yet, just stay in the ‘Pink Room’ as that’s—”

 

“—the only room that has cameras in it.. Or we can go outside because they have CCTVs around there.. We know, Moonie Ahjussi.. We promise..”, Yong Oppa finished Moonie Ahjussi’s sentence for him.

 

“Aigooo.. Look at you so respectful of Moon Sik-ssi.. I’m so envious..”, Manager Oppa commented sourly, which Yong Oppa chose to ignore.

 

“Hyung, make sure you get ALL our things, okay? And please don’t tell ANYONE where you’re going.. And I mean ANYONE!”, Yong Oppa reminded his Manager before they got in the car.

 

“Arasseo, arasseo.. Lock the door and the gate after us, okay? We’ll call you when we get there and then call you again when we’re near.. Don’t open the gate unless we call first!”, Yong Oppa’s Manager reminded us back, to which both Yong Oppa and I nodded.

 

“Seatbelt please, Manager Oppa.. Please take care driving, Moonie Ahjussi.. We’ll see you both later..”, I told them as Yong Oppa handed me Cherisse because he had to punch the codes to open and close the gate.

 

“Arasseo, Seohyun-ssi.. See you later, you two..”, Manager Oppa said, smiling at Cherisse and me while Moonie Ahjussi gave us a