Jung Yong Hwa

Okay.. Breathe, Yong Hwa-yah.. Breathe.. Please don’t pass out now.. Especially not in front of THEM.. You just passed the hard part, asking Hyun’s siblings for their permission and you got it, now you just have to tell THEM about it.. It’s not like Mi Young Noona said to ask their permission, too, right? She said to just tell them ABOUT IT.. What else can they do? – Uhhh.. Beat you up? – Yah! Aishhh!

 

Min Hyuk and I were on our way back to the Dining Room where the rest of the guys were still cutting ingredients. Thankfully, the only other person I have to get rid of before I tell Hyun’s brothers-in-law was Jong Hyun. Sig Hyung and Jung Shin went out to see Kim Sa Jangnim while Moonie Ahjussi and my Manager went out again after Yu Ri Noona had a talk with them.

 

“Don’t worry so much, Hyungnim.. I’m sure you can do this.. Oh, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do this with you with Soo Jung-ie—”

 

“Eihhh.. It’s okay.. I was the one who was so busy at the time.. Uhhh, Min Hyuk-ah?”, I hesitated.

 

“Yes, Hyungnim?”, he asked, peering at me curiously.

 

Probably thinks why I’m being so quiet all of a sudden.. Haikkks!

 

I tried to word my question in a more tactful way, but my nightmare kept coming back to me until I blurted out what really was going through my head, “Does ummm your brothers-in-law have a history of being violent? I mean Seung Gi Hyung must have done this to Nich Khun Hyungnim and Chang Sun Hyung.. And I remember him saying he’ll do the same to the next one..”

 

Which is me! Gahhh!

 

“Hmmm.. Well, all of them ended up marrying my sisters, which means none of them hurt or made my sisters cry, so I really wouldn’t know—I’m just teasing you, Hyungnim! They wouldn’t hurt a fly! Unless their wives ask them to.. Besides, you already experienced the extent of them getting angry—”

 

“I did?!”, I asked, surprised.

 

“Yes.. Remember the night when we all found out about that scary, crazy girl claiming she’s pregnant and you’re the father—”

 

“Yeah, unfortunately—”

 

“Remember them barring you from getting close to Joo Hyun-ie? That’s what they’ll—WE’ll all do.. We tend not to show the kids any violence if we can.. We’d probably shout and yell, yes, but mostly, we’ll never let you get close to her.. Ever again.”, Min Hyuk explained with finality.

 

Which is what will hurt me the most.. Heck, I miss her even if she’s right next to me! What more if I can’t see her ever again?! I think Death will be less painful..

 

“I see—”

 

“Now, my sisters, Hyungnim.. That’s another topic! Speaking from experience, of course—”

 

“There you are! What took you so long?! We’re running out of containers here!”, Chang Sun Hyung called out as soon as he saw us.

 

“Sorry, Hyung, we got sidetracked—”

 

“What’s with you? Did something happen?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim asked me all of a sudden, taking me by surprise. I just stood there with my mouth opening and closing as if I was fish out of water.

 

“What is it, Hyung?”, Jong Hyun asked worriedly because he knew I wasn’t the quiet type.

 

“What happened, Min Hyuk-ah?”, Seung Gi Hyung asked. “911?”, he added cryptically as Min Hyuk’s 2 other brothers-in-law drew nearer.

 

911? Yeah, I may need 911 later on.. Aishhh! Toughen up, Jung Yong Hwa!

 

“No, nothing like that, Hyung.. Oh, by the way, Jong Hyun Hyung, the girls are looking for you..”, Min Hyuk informed Jong Hyun as he looked at me meaningfully.

 

“Eihhh, let them find me..”, Jong Hyun answered still looking at me worriedly when I still couldn’t find the words to even make small talk.

 

“Something about peanut butter—”

 

“Yong Hwa Hyung, let’s talk later..”, he cut Min Hyuk off at the sound of ‘peanut butter’ and hurriedly rushed off that Min Hyuk could barely keep up with him.

 

Okay, this is my chance.. Thank you, Min Hyuk-ah..

 

“Hyu—Hyungnims.. May I—May I talk wi-with you?”, I stuttered clumsily.

 

“Always, Yong Hwa-yah.. What is it about—”

 

“Is something bothering you—”

 

“Did something happen? Is it bad—”

 

“No! No! It isn’t bad.. At least, it’s not for me.. But if it is in your opinion.. Then I’m dead.. But surely, you’ll understand.. Since you went through it, too.. So please understand.. Oh, God, please understand—”

 

“Yah! Yah! Calm down, Yong Hwa-yah—”

 

“You’re not making any sense—”

 

“Yeah! And start at the beginning! Please!”, they yelled at me when this time I couldn’t stop myself from talking.

 

I took a deep breath and accepted my faith. If they were going to beat me up, at least, I’m sure that Hyun and Cherisse will be together and that my cousins will take care of me ’til I can walk again.

 

OH MY GOD I HOPE I SURVIVE THIS!

 

I started to relay what had happened with Hyun’s siblings earlier and what exactly my intentions were. I made sure I was sincere and upfront with everything. Hyun’s 3 brothers-in-law were quiet all throughout, just listening and looking at me intently. At first, I looked at them straight in the eyes, but as time passed, I lost my confidence little by little that by the time I ended, my head was bowed and they were STILL quiet.

 

“Yong Hwa-yah.”, they said in unison making me look up at them.

 

I was puzzled when all 3 of them tapped my shoulder, turned around, and continued what they were doing.

 

“Uhhh Hyungnims? Are we­—Are we good?”, I asked, quietly.

 

“Yes..”, they casually answered together, looking at me for a millisecond.

 

“Rea—Really? Aren’t you going to—”

 

“What? Give you a hard time—”

 

“Tease you—”

 

“Beat you up?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim asked, making me cringe as they gathered around me once again.

 

You just had to ask! You couldn’t just let it go, could you?! Cham!

 

I nodded and braced myself with what’s going to happen next. I was startled when they all started laughing.

 

“Wow! I guess the girls are right! You really are afraid of us, aren’t you?!”, Chang Sun Hyung asked in amazement.

 

“You really thought we’d beat you up?! Why? You haven’t done anything, Yong Hwa-yah!”, Seung Gi Hyung commented.

 

“At least, not yet, though..”, Nich Khun Hyungnim added, looking at me as if confirming.

 

“No, of course not and I promise not to, Hyungnim­—wait, you already knew? Even before I told you?!”, I asked in surprise.

 

“Sorry, but our wives beat you to it! You do know that there’s no secret between married couples, right?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim informed me, this time smiling at me.

 

“We didn’t mean to keep it from you, but our wives made us do it—”

 

“They wanted to know who you’re afraid the most, us or them.. It seems like it’s us—”

 

“Ha! That’s where you’re wrong, Yong Hwa-yah.. Yes, we could break every bone in your body—”

 

OUCH!

 

“But our wives? They can make you writhe in pain without even touching you.. So you better watch out—”

 

“If you’re going to do something that will hurt Joo Hyun Cheoje—”

 

“I won’t, Hyungnim—”

 

“But IF you do, Yong Hwa-yah, IF YOU DO, you better pray we get to you first..”, Nich Khun Hyungnim advised.

 

“Arasseoyo..”, was all I could say as we all got back to cutting ingredients while my pulse tried to slow down back to normal.

 

Whew!

 

“Oh, by the way, Yong Hwa-yah..”, Chang Sun Hyung called me as he looked at his 2 other brothers-in-law. I watched as they nodded at each other as if something unspoken came between them.

 

“Good luck!”, they all said in unison. I just nodded.

 

I wonder if one day I’ll be part of their pact.. I hope I do..

 

After a while, we all went to have breakfast. I was in a very good mood and apparently it was contagious because everyone readily agreed to a dancing game at the TV Room where we joined my cousins and the kids. They even convinced me, Jong Hyun, Jung Shin, and Min Hyuk to try one song and ended up with everybody joining in.

 

Flash! Flash! Flash!

 

I moved at the sight of flashing white lights even before I heard the sound of clicking and put them together to form a coherent thought. Instinct took over as I scooped Cherisse in my arms and passed her onto Hyun while I shielded them both with my body and at the same time making sure I had my head down. I felt my cousins surround us as we moved purposely forward, undoubtedly one of them already had a plan for a quick exit.

 

“Oppa, I—”

 

“Bravo! Bravo! I knew something like this would happen! I’m so happy I came early! Ummm Yong Hwa-ssi, Seohyun-ssi, where are you going? Is there something wrong—”

 

“Yah, you guys, calm down! It’s just us!”, I heard a familiar voice call out.

 

“YAH, JUNGS!”, someone shouted.

 

At the sound of our collective family surname, we all looked up and was surprised to see everyone in the room gaping at us.

 

I looked around and found Jong Hyun with Eun Ji and her sister Soo Jung on either side of him as my first line of defense. Sue Ji, Jin Ri, and Ga Young were just a little behind us, following closely.

 

“Yong Oppa, it’s okay.. It’s just Kim Sa Jangnim, Manager Oppa, and Moonie Ahjussi—”

 

“Huh?! Wait a minute.. What just happened—”

 

“She left me—”

 

“Whoaaa.. I’ve never seen anything like that before—”

 

“I did, back at Min Hyuk-ah’s wedding—”

 

“She LEFT me—”

 

“That was daebak—”

 

“Did you even see them move—”

 

“I can’t believe SHE left me—”

 

“Oh my God! We still do it after all these years—”

 

“She left ME—”

 

“I’m sorry, Crinkles! It’s just instinct! We’ve been doing that for so long that the second I saw the flashes, the need to protect Yong Yong Oppa kicked in! I’m so sorry, Crinkles—”

 

“YOU LEFT ME—”

 

The tension was broken when I heard Min Hyuk’s accusing voice as he stared at his wife unable to believe that she left him to protect me.

 

I felt anxiety and fear leave my body at the realization that it wasn’t paparazzi or sasaengs (over-obsessive fans) that broke in the mansion. Flashbacks of that day at the hotel lobby when we; Cherisse, Hyun and I, were swarmed by the paparazzi that almost caused Hyun and Cherisse to be seriously injured, subsided on bombarding my mind’s eye, but my heart was still racing unable to cope with the sudden adrenalin rush.

 

“Daddy, boom boom boom..”, Cherisse observed as her right hand rested on my chest, feeling the thunderous beating of my heart.

 

“Oppa, it’s okay.. Calm down.. We’re okay.. You’re okay..”, Hyun added soothingly, looking at me with worried eyes because I knew I was donning my self-preservation look, brows in a knot, head down, and completely clamped up, refusing to let her and Cherisse out my sight and grasp.

 

I used to do this with only myself, now I’ve included them.. That’s a relief..

 

“Yong Hwa-yah, it’s alright.. Breathe..”, I heard my Manager instruct and when he said breathe, I realized I wasn’t even breathing so I let air come in to my lungs, ridding me of the pain I was feeling in my chest.

 

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Yong Hwa-yah.. I keep forgetting you’re a celebrity and very sensitive about these things.. I’m sorry..”, Kim Sa Jangnim apologized solemnly.

 

“No, no, please don’t be sorry, Sa Jangnim.. I was just remembering an incident the very 1st morning we had here in the island back in the hotel.. And at least, I know now that I’ll be able to protect Hyun and Cherisse when we go back to Seoul or wherever.. Anyway, I should be thankful actually, because I know you see me as just an ordinary guy vacationing with my family—”

 

“You ARE an ordinary guy vacationing with your family—”

 

“Yah, what I meant was—”

 

“We know, we know! Just teasing you! You seem so shaken up! Are you alright?”, Chang Sun Hyung asked with concern.

 

“Yes, I’m fine! I’m fi—”

 

“Yah/Oppa!”, rang out around the room as I suddenly felt light headed.

 

“Sit down, Yong Oppa.. You’re not alright.. You look so pale—”

 

“I’m alright, Hyun, it’s just adrenalin rush—”

 

“Eihhhhhh! Adrenalin rush means you’d be full of energy, not feeling faint, Yong Hwa-yah.. Just rest for a bit.. Actually we all should rest.. You don’t mind, do you, Sa Jangnim?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim asked after berating me and ordering me to sit.

 

“No, of course not.. Actually, don’t mind if I join you.. Now, I suggest we all sit.. I’m sorry I ruined all your mood—”

 

“Eihhhhhh, you didn’t, Sa Jangnim—”

 

“Actually, Sparkles did—”

 

“Hey—”

 

“And Yong Hwa Hyung—”

 

“Yah—”

 

“Arasseo, arasseo.. Forgive and forget?”, Kim Sa Jangnim cut in, smiling widely which earned a lot of nods, even Min Hyuk’s reluctant one.

 

After everyone found a suitable place to sit down or lie down in the TV room, Kim Sa Jangnim sighed looking at us.

 

“This was what I imagined when I started building this place.. A large family just comfortably lounging around one of the rooms..”, he said wistfully.

 

“Where is your family, Kim Sa Jangnim, if you don’t mind me asking..”, Sig Hyung asked while everyone turned to listen, curious.

 

“Abroad.. I have 2 kids.. A boy and a girl, respectively.. My girl married an American so she’s in the States with her family.. They have 2 kids who barely speak Korean so they’re not too keen on coming here—”

 

“Really? Have they SEEN this place?!”, Sue Ji asked in surprise.

 

“Yah, not everyone is like you, Sue Ji-ah—”

 

“Merong!”, she stuck her tongue out at me. I was about to retaliate, but Kim Sa Jangnim beat me to it.

 

“Yes, they’ve seen it once.. They were happy the first day, but the next few days, they said they feel like they’re marooned in a deserted island inside a castle somewhere—”

 

“I wouldn’t mind that—”

 

“As I said, Sue Ji-ah—”

 

“Eihhh! Arasseo, Oppa! Cham!”, Sue Ji pouted while everyone else tried not to laugh.

 

“They felt alone here, even if I have provided the best amenities I could provide..”, Kim Sa Jangnim continued sadly.

 

“I could understand that.. But being happy is a choice.. You just have to find a way to amuse yourself, to not let yourself feel alone and lonely..”, Mi Young Noona remarked.

 

Kim Sa Jangnim agreed. “That’s why I like you, kids.. You don’t go out much, but I still find you happy just by dancing, and the songs there must have been old.. My grandson bought those games years ago..”, he added, smiling at the thought.

 

“Your grandson? By your son, Sa Jangnim?”, Hyun asked.

 

“Yes, you mentioned you have a boy and a girl, Sa Jangnim..”, my Manager recounted.

 

A long silence followed with Kim Sa Jangnim looking uncomfortable.

 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, Sa Jangnim, it’s okay.. We’re sorry if we brought up sad memories..”, I apologized, trying to let him out of it.

 

“No, no, it’s okay.. It’s just that I lost my son and his wife in a car accident—”

 

“Oh my God—”

 

“We’re so sorry, Sa Jangnim—”

 

“Eihhh, it’s not your fault.. That was years back.. Back when I still had black hair..”, he chuckled, but we could see the pain in his eyes as he remembered the past.

 

“Where is he now, Sa Jangnim, your grandson?”, Hyun asked quietly as Cherisse comfortably on her thumb and leaned against her Mommy while staring at me as if I’d suddenly disappear.

 

Oh, babycakes..

 

“He’s abroad, too.. Last time I heard he’s in Nepal.. He likes to travel.. A lot.. He and I—”, Kim Sa Jangnim paused, sighing deeply, “—we’re opposites, you see.. We’ve always butted heads.. In everything.. But the only thing we’ve truly agreed upon is our love for music—”

 

“So that’s why there’s so many musical instruments and recording studios here..”, Jung Shin cut-in to which Kim Sa Jangnim nodded, smiling.

 

“So does that mean you can play these instruments and sing and dance—”

 

“Not dance, nope, sorry.. Got three left feet—”

 

“Three?!”, Jong Hyun asked, incredulous.

 

“Yes, that’s how bad I am, Jong Hyun-ssi..”, Kim Sa Jangnim confirmed laughing.

 

“Then that must mean Yong Hwa Hyung has 10 left feet—”

 

“YAH! JONG HYUN-AH—”

 

“10? More like a hundred, cham—”

 

“Yah! Yah—”

 

“Nyahahahahahahaha—”

 

“Aishhh! Cham!”, was all I could say when everyone burst out laughing, undoubtedly remembering the first time I showed them how I dance.

 

Graaaaahhhhhh!

 

“Hyun! Are you laughing?!”, I asked, trying to look hurt.

 

“I’m not, Oppa! I’m not!”, she insisted, her eyes watering from trying so hard not to laugh.

 

“Eihhh! You are, too—”

 

“I’m not—”

 

“Are too—”

 

“Am not—”

 

“Arasseo! Arasseo! I’m sorry I brought it up! I didn’t mean to bring up such a touchy topic.. Anyway, I can play the guitar, if you all are curious, and I think I can carry a tune—”

 

“Will you sing for us then, Sa Jangnim?”, Hyun asked hopefully.

 

“Later, Seohyun-ssi, I promise, later.. For now, I wanted to ask you guys what are your plans for the day? You all leave tomorrow night, right?”, he asked looking at us expectantly.

 

No one answered. Everyone else was looking at everyone else, waiting for their reply.

 

“I guess no one planned on doing anything—”

 

“All I wanted was to hang out where everybody are mostly—”

 

“Oh, I thought of that, too—”

 

“Me, too—”

 

“Well, I guess that’s the plan, Sa Jangnim.. Unless you have a better idea?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim prodded.

 

“Anybody would like to fish?”, Sa Jangnim asked.

 

“ME!”, half of the crowd answered, mostly the men, while the girls went quiet.

 

“I have a boat where you can catch the sun on the deck..”, Sa Jangnim added, smiling.

 

At this, the girls’ faces lit up with their hands happily raised because they finally get to go sunbathing and get their tan.

 

The question is will the men agree to this..

 

I looked around as the husbands started frowning at the idea of the girls sunbathing in their swimsuits while the men fish in an enclosed space, parading around the sea.

 

“What? What’s with the frowns?”, Sa Jangnim asked when he started to notice the men’s changed reactions.

 

“Can’t we just go fishing, Sa Jangnim—”

 

“And what about us?”, Mi Young Noona interrupted huffily.

 

“There’s plenty of space in the boat.. The girls can stay in one place while us men can go fish on the other end..”, Kim Sa Jangnim explained.

 

“Arasseoyo—”

 

“And what do you mean by that? As if we need your permission to come! It’s Kim Sa Jangnim’s boat!”, Yu Ri Noona snapped, followed by the other girls nods.

 

“Then that settles it! Okay, go get ready while I call the marina.. I’ll have the Captain come pick us down at the beach since it’s high tide..”, Kim Sa Jangnim instructed as we all went in different directions to get what we needed.

 

Captain..? – Yes, it’s a boat, duhhh! – Aishhh! Cham!

 

“Oppa, are you alright now? If you want to just stay here at the mansion, Cherisse and I will stay with you..”, Hyun suggested as the 3 of us walked towards our room.

 

“I’m alright, Hyun.. Honest.. And I know you wanna hang out with your Eonnies since they’re going home tomorrow night, so we’ll go.. Will you be alright with Cherisse with you or would you rather I take her and show her how to fish?”, I asked her as I took Cherisse from her. As soon as her hands were free, they held on to my arm as if on automatic and I realized that I was expecting her to do so.

 

Interesting..

 

“No, I’ll take her.. I’ll just be lounging around, anyway.. You, on the other hand, you need both hands to fish so..”, she reasoned out, smiling up at me.

 

“Arasseo—”

 

“Catch a lot of fish, alright, Oppa—what? What is it? What’s wrong?”, she asked, when she caught me frowning.

 

“Nothing—”

 

“Eihhhhhh—”

 

“It’s nothing—”

 

“Oh, come on, Oppa—”

 

“It’s nothing, honest—”

 

“Arasseoyo..”, she conceded as we continued to walk to our room.

 

“Hyun?”, I called out after just comfortably walking silently for a minute.

 

“Hmmm?”, she answered absently.

 

“Never mind—”

 

“Eihhh! What is it, Oppa? What’s on your mind? Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!”, she persisted, her nose starting to flare.

 

“Arasseo, arasseo, arasseo!”, this time it was my time to concede.

 

“Hyun..”, I started.

 

“What, Oppa, what?! Just say it! You’re driving me nuts—”

 

“Okay! Okay! It’s just that.. Can you do me a favor?”, I asked her as she looked at me expectantly.

 

“Can you please ummm don’t wear that ummm thing that you ummm wore that was the same as the thing that my cousins ummm wore when you went ummm beachside—”

 

“You mean a bikini?”, Hyun asked innocently.

 

“Yes ummm that—”

 

“But Oppa, it is the proper attire to wear to—”

 

“Cough! Cough! Cough! Aherm! I think I’m going to be sick—”

 

“Arasseoyo! Arasseoyo! I won’t wear one, I promise..”, she quickly answered making me suddenly feel well.

 

That’s that.. Now for the brats.. Oi, this is going to be a long day..

 

 

 

Seo In Guk

THIS is a boat?!

 

“Whoooooooooot-Wheeeeeeeeeeew—”

 

“Whoaaaaaa—”

 

“Kim Sa Jangnim, this is—WOW—”

 

 

This is NOT a boat! It’s a freaking LUXURY YACHT! I’m getting the feeling that Kim Sa Jangnim likes to under-talk everything he owns! Cham!

 

“I thought you said we were just going fishing, not going on a cruise—”

 

“So I take it you guys like it?!”, Kim Sa Jangnim asked, looking at us hopefully.

 

“Like it?! We LOVE it, Sa Jangnim—”

 

“Sa Jangnim, are you sure we’re allowed to go aboard it?”, I asked in disbelief.

 

“Of course! Of course! As a matter of fact, come on aboard if everyone’s ready!”, he beckoned.

 

After meeting the Captain and the crew, Kim Sa Jangnim toured us around and every place we went to, we ooohhhed and aaahhhed our appreciation.

 

 

The last place we went to was the Sun Deck which will be off limits to the boys because this is where the girls were supposed to sunbathe as it’s the uppermost part of the yacht. It had a small pool with a Jacuzzi in it which the girls loved.

 

As for the guys, before we went back to the Main Deck where different kinds of fishing gears and lures were provided for us, the married men went to kiss and hug their wives and kids.

 

“Have a great time, okay?”, Nich Khun Hyungnim told his wife and kids as he kissed them all on top of the head.

 

“We will.. And you, too please..”, Mi Young Noona answered, hugging him tight and didn’t let go.

 

“Don’t forget to put on some sunscreen..”, Chang Sun Hyung reminded his wife.

 

“I won’t forget—”

 

“Are you sure? You’re getting forgetful these days.. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Sung Ri-ah put some on, too..”, he interjected, mushing both his kids hair with his hands.

 

“I won’t forget! Cham!”, Yu Ri Noona harrumphed with annoyance which made Chang Sun Hyung kiss her repeatedly ’til she laughed.

 

“Yoo Na-yah, Gi Na-yah, drink lots of water, okay? I don’t want you getting dehydrated.. If you get too hot, then go inside, okay? Sit down and let your body cool off.. If you feel nauseated then call me—”

 

“Yes, Doctor!”, Yoo Na Noona mocked salute, laughing heartily.

 

“Yah!”, Seung Gi Hyung barked.

 

“Arasseoyo! Arasseoyo!”, she pacified, hugging him around the waist while looking up at him and kissing him on the chin which made Seung Gi Hyung laugh.

 

Min Hyuk and Soo Jung, on the other hand, had their foreheads drawn together, their arms around each other’s waist, talking to each other quietly.

 

I thought the girls, Yong Hwa’s cousins, would gush about all the PDAs happening around us, but when I looked at them, I found them putting lotion on themselves, oblivious to what was happening.

 

I was about to open my mouth to complain when a shrill voice beat me to it, earning everyone’s attention.

 

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—”

 

“What is it, Joo Hyun-ah—”

 

“Is something wrong—”

 

“What does she want—”

 

“That’s just it, I don’t know, Eonni.. She just suddenly burst out crying.. It’s alright, ma chérie.. Don’t cry..”, Joo Hyun whispered to Cherisse, hugging her.

 

“Do you want to come with Daddy?”, Yong Hwa asked, looking at her worriedly.

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”, Cherisse cried even louder, surprising Yong Hwa and Joo Hyun.

 

“Maybe she’s hungry.. Have you fed her yet?”, Soo Jung asked, earning a nod from both Yong Hwa and Joo Hyun.

 

“Take her temperature, does she feel hot?”, Seung Gi Hyung asked.

 

Yong Hwa put his hand on Cherisse’s forehead and then to Joo Hyun’s just to compare, “She seems normal—”

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”, Cherisse cried again.

 

“What? What? Is it me, babycakes? Are you upset with me? Why? What did I do? Did I do something bad? Did I hurt you?”, Yong Hwa asked, almost pleading for her to answer no.

 

“Of course not, Oppa.. I think she’s just having a tantrum.. The Doctor warned us about this..”, Joo Hyun reminded him, frowning at the thought that Yong Hwa could hurt Cherisse even by accident.

 

“Oh, right.. But if it is me, babycakes, if I hurt you in any way, I’m so sorry, okay?”, Yong Hwa pleaded. Cherisse just looked at him with sad eyes.

 

I wonder what’s bugging the blue-eyed princess..

 

“Maybe I should stay here with you—”

 

A resounding ‘NO’ reverberated around the Sun Deck making the kids, Joo Hyun and Yong Hwa jump in surprise.

 

“Aishhh! Arasseo! Sheesh! You all act like I’m a Nazi or something—”

 

“You are, Oppa—”

 

“Yah! What?! YAH—”

 

“Arasseoyo, arasseoyo.. Calm down, everyone.. We’ll just go down to the Upper Deck.. We have a meeting with Sa Jangnim, anyway..”, Joo Hyun interrupted as she, Cherisse, Yong Hwa and the rest of us men took the stairs down to the upper deck and the main deck.

 

Sa Jangnim made the Upper Deck, which is between the Main and the Sun Deck, our common place. This was also where the yoo-mohs decided to take the kids for a nap or if they get too hot and wanted to cool off as it housed a big enough suite to accommodate us all. It also has an exterior dining room and connected to it was a galley (kitchen) which Sa Jangnim made sure had lots of food, junk and nutritious ones alike.

 

     

 

Before we closed the door of the suite, which resembles a long, luxurious family room, we could hear the guys casting their rods. I decided to get a little work done since, Kim Sa Jangnim, Joo Hyun, Jung Shin and I were going to be in one place again since the Gala.

 

Joo Hyun, Yong Hwa, and Cherisse immediately went to a quiet corner of the elongated room away from everyone as they try to get Cherisse to take a nap. In minutes, she was out like a light.

 

“I’ll take her, Ate..”, one of the yoo-mohs offered. Joo Hyun passed Cherisse to her and we watched as the yoo-moh disappeared behind a closed door on the other side of the room.

 

“I’m glad that room is finally in use..”, we heard Kim Sa Jangnim murmur happily.

 

“So she was just sleepy?”, I asked Yong Hwa.

 

“Looks like it, Hyung..”, he answered looking relieved. “I really thought she’s mad at me.. I thought I did something to hurt her—”

 

“Eihhh.. You would never hurt Cherisse, Oppa—”

 

“I know.. But accidentally, it could happen..”, Yong Hwa reflected worriedly.

 

“No way.. You’re too careful with her.. You didn't hurt her when you went divi—”

 

“Maybe we should get on with this meeting..”, I interjected, cutting off Joo Hyun as I glared at her.

 

Kim Sa Jangnim still doesn’t know what happened to Yong Hwa and the kids at the beach and we were determined not to let him know because we know he’d blame himself. And after all he’s done for us, we didn’t want him to feel unnecessary pain since it wasn’t his fault and everything went alright anyway.

 

“Why don’t you join the guys downstairs, Yong Hwa-yah? Enjoy yourself while Cherisse is still asleep..”, I suggested.

 

“But—”

 

“Go ahead, Oppa.. I have things to do here anyway.. You’ll just get bored.. I know, I know.. I’ll call you as soon as Cherisse wakes up and looks for you.. I promise..”, Joo Hyun assured Yong Hwa as she walked him to the stairs leading to the main deck below. Yong Hwa couldn’t do anything but obey. Soon we heard him asking for some bait before Joo Hyun shut the suite’s sliding doors.

 

As soon as Joo Hyun sat down, we started our meeting. Kim Sa Jangnim and I were discussing the revisions we talked about in the Gala. I glanced at the other two in the table with us and as usual, when we’re fortunate to work together on a project, Jung Shin and Joo Hyun had their heads together, making sure not a single error escapes them.

 

“Yah, do it again—”

 

“I did, Seohyun-ah—”

 

“Then do it again! Yours is wrong—”

 

“And yours is right? How are you so sure that yours is right and mine is wrong?!”, Jung Shin demanded.

 

“Because it always is.”, Joo Hyun answered matter-of-factly.

 

“But what if it’s wrong now?!”, Jung Shin retaliated.

 

“It’s not! So do yours again, Jung Shin-ah!”, Joo Hyun shot back.

 

“You do yours too, again—”

 

“I said it first—”

 

“Yah! You guys sound like children! Just do it again, both of you, at the same time!”, I barked at the two quarreling over a computation of an electrical load they couldn’t agree on.

 

“Arasseoyo.. It’s your fault—”

 

“Hah! Not! It’s—”

 

“Yah! I said stop it!”, I yelled, shouting at the two still arguing. Kim Sa Jangnim just watched us, amused, undoubtedly used to us by now.

 

“Excuse me.. Hyun, can I have a minute?”, Yong Hwa suddenly asked, coming back in to the suite so quietly that we didn’t even notice him ’til he spoke.

 

“Of course, Oppa..”, Joo Hyun politely answered. “Yah, Jung Shin-ah! Don’t touch my calculator! Arasseo?”, she hissed at Jung Shin who stuck his tongue out at Joo Hyun and started clicking on her calculator defiantly as soon as she turned her back on him.

 

Cham!

 

“What is it, Oppa?”, we heard Joo Hyun ask Yong Hwa.

 

“I’m sorry to bother you, but do you mind if I borrow your sunscreen?”, Yong Hwa asked and had this look I couldn’t understand.

 

Sometimes I swear his expressions look like Cherisse’s! Are they becoming alike? Aigooo..

 

“Oh, of course, Oppa.. Wait, I have it in my bag.. I’ll just go get it..”, Joo Hyun excused herself unaware of Yong Hwa’s frown just a second ago.

 

Hmmm..

 

“Here you go, Oppa.. Do you want me to put it on for you?”, she asked after handing Yong Hwa the lotion, still oblivious to Yong Hwa’s look towards her.

 

“No, no.. I can manage.. I’ll just put it in my arms and face anyway.. Thanks, Hyun.. See you later..”, Yong Hwa answered, turning to go back to the Main Deck.

 

“Arasseoyo..”, she called out as she head back to our table.

 

“Yah, Jung Shin-ah! I told you not to touch my calculator!”, Joo Hyun accused, her nose flaring.

 

“I didn’t—”

 

“Yeah right! You liar—”

 

“I didn’t! I swear! I didn’t touch it! Not with my fingers anyway.. I used my tongue! Wahahahahahahahahahaha—”

 

“Ewwwwww!”, Joo Hyun exclaimed, disgusted, as she tried to wipe her hands on Jung Shin’s shirt because she started clicking on her calculator as soon as she got back.

 

“Yah! Yah! If you’re going to be like that, then get out! Get out—”

 

“What do you mean, Oppa? Be like what? We’re not doing anything—”

 

“And technically, this isn’t your boat, Hyung, so you can’t throw as out—”

 

“Aishhh! Cham! Kim Sa Jangnim?”, I turned towards the owner of the boat who was failing at trying hard not to laugh. He threw up his hands in surrender, not wanting to do with any of it.

 

“Sa Jangnim!”, I protested but he stood his ground, now as red as a tomato for holding his laughter in.

 

“Fine! You two, get away from us! Now! Or I swear I’m hauling both your butts into the sea—”

 

“You wouldn’t dare, Oppa—”

 

“Do you really wanna try me, Joo Hyun-ah—”

 

“Yeah, right—arasseoyo, Hyung! Arasseoyo!”, Jung Shin conceded when I stood up and moved towards them menacingly. “Come on, Seohyun-ah, let’s go get some snack first..”, he added, both looking at me warily.

 

“Those two, they quarrel like siblings that sometimes I think Jung Shin-ssi is Seohyun-ssi’s twin..”, Kim Sa Jangnim observed, smiling.

 

“Well, we consider Jung Shin-ie as family.. I’ve known him for maybe a year less than Joo Hyun-ie had known him.. They’ve gotten closer because they had to work together for as long as they’ve known each other.. I heard they were together since day 1..”, I told Kim Sa Jangnim.

 

“I see.. But did you notice the difference between the way Seohyun-ssi talks to Yong Hwa-ssi versus Jung Shin-ssi?”, Kim Sa Jangnim asked.

 

“Hmmm.. You’re right, Sa Jangnim.. Do you think it’ll be a problem?”, I asked.

 

“What do you mean? Surely, Yong Hwa-ssi wouldn’t get jealous of Jung Shin-ssi? They’re co-workers, and as you said they have known each other for so long—”

 

“But the thing is, Sa Jangnim, Yong Hwa-yah had known Joo Hyun-ie far longer than Jung Shin-ie—”

 

“Really? How—”

 

“Oh, it’s a long story, but basically, Yong Hwa-yah had been looking for Joo Hyun-ie for almost 20 years—”

 

“Huh? Whoa.. That is longer—”

 

“And Yong Hwa-yah is the jealous type.. He even got jealous of me—”

 

“No way—”

 

“Well, he didn’t know we were first cousins—”

 

“Aaah, I see..”, he chuckled. “I bet he was cold towards you..”, he added.

 

“He was.. He wouldn’t even look me in the eyes.. But as soon as he found out who I was, I thought he’d break his cheeks from smiling too wide!”, I cringed at the thought, remembering Yong Hwa’s megawatt-smile at the balcony of the Pavilion the night of the Gala.

 

“Ahahahahahahahaha—”

 

“I even thought I’d go blind from the glare of Yong Hwa-yah’s teeth! Cham—”

 

“Ahahahahahaha! Oh, Sig-ssi—”

 

“I swear, Sa Jangnim—”

 

“What’s so funny, Sa Jangnim? Sig Hyung?”, Jung Shin suddenly interjected, putting down drinks on the table.

 

“Oh uhhh Sig-ssi just told me a funny story he heard from uhhh a co-worker of his—”

 

“Yeah, you already heard it, Jung Shin-ie, so never you mind..”, I dismissed, looking around for Joo Hyun.

 

“Seohyun-ie? She took some drinks to the girls upstairs.. And since I’m not allowed up there, she needed to take 2 trips..”, Jung Shin explained when he noticed I was looking for her.

 

“Here she is now..”, Sa Jangnim pointed out as Joo Hyun entered the suite again.

 

“What did I miss?”, she asked as soon she was within earshot.

 

“Not much because you haven’t finished checking the calculations..”, I reminded her.

 

“Arasseoyo.. Yah, Jung Shin-ah, come on and let’s tackle this.. Let’s do it slowly so we’ll know who made a mistake..”, Joo Hyun instructed.

 

“Arasseo..”, Jung Shin agreed and the two started calculating again, their heads almost colliding with each other.

 

After a while, I turned towards one of the sliding doors because I felt someone was watching us, but all I saw was the back of someone walking away.

 

Was that—naaahhh..

 

When we finished working, Joo Hyun decided to join the girls at the Sun Deck while Kim Sa Jangnim, Jung Shin and I made our way down to the Main Deck. It was chaos as the guys tried to catch a rogue eel slithering around the deck. And every time someone had his hands on it, the eel would wriggle free and would flop back down on the shiny floor as the guys dove to catch it again.

 

 

“Yah! Yah! Block it—”

 

“Don’t you let that eel get away! I want to grill that for later!”, Manager Hyung shouted at us from his perch on top of a chair.

 

“If you want it so much, Hyung, go catch it yourself!”, Yong Hwa shouted back.

 

“Yah! You brat! I—AYIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”, Manager Hyung let out a blood curdling scream as the eel went flying towards his direction like a slingshot when it got away from Jong Hyun.

 

“Oh my God, Hyung! Get a hold of yourself! It’s just an eel!”, Yong Hwa called out, looking disgustedly at his Manager.

 

“It just—It just surprised me! That’s all—”

 

“Yeah right! Who are you kiddi—”

 

“Moonie Ahjussi, it’s coming towards you—”

 

“I got it! Arghhh! I don’t got it—”

 

“Catch it—”

 

“Chang Sun-ah—”

 

“Nope—”

 

“Yah! Yah! Taec Yeon-ah! Watch out—”

 

“What? Oiiiiiiii! Owww—”

 

“You klutz! Are you okay? Get up—”

 

“I’m okay! I’m okay—”

 

“Yah, In Guk-ah—”

 

“I see it! I see it!”, I yelled. I was getting ready to catch it when it veered to the left, directly towards Kim Sa Jangnim. We all held our breaths, waiting for his reaction. We didn’t know if he’d scream like a banshee like Manager Hyung or just excitedly grab it like everyone else.

 

Imagine our surprise when he stooped down, grabbed the eel with both hands and coolly plopped it on the pail of water that Seung Gi Hyung had waiting.

 

“Yes!”

 

“Finally!”

 

“Daebak!”

 

“Woohooo!”

 

“Sa Jangnim! How did you do that?!”, I asked in surprise.

 

“We’ve been trying to catch that eel for almost 20 minutes now and you just caught it in under a minute, Sa Jangnim!”, Nich Khun Hyungnim stated, amazed.

 

“Ahahahahaha! Really? Then I’m glad I could help! The trick is not to hold it so tight.. Just scoop it gently and just let it hang in your hands.. It’s easy really, once you’ve got the hang of it..”, he told us, his eyes almost in slits from smiling so wide.

 

“Aaaaaaaah..”, we all sounded, nodding our heads in synchronization.

 

“So want to try it? Should I let the eel loose?”, he asked in return.

 

“NO!”, we all shouted as Kim Sa Jangnim laughed.

 

“Oh, well.. Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch another one!”, he said enthusiastically as everyone went back to their fishing gears.

 

Soon, Kim Sa Jangnim, Jung Shin, and I joined the men’s ranks as we waited for the fishes to bite our lures. Naturally, Kim Sa Jangnim’s fishing pole was the biggest one. It even has its own stand that was attached to the boat itself.

 

“I have always wanted to do this with my son..”, he said wistfully when a quiet moment came.

 

“You didn’t get to go fishing with him, Sa Jangnim?”, Yong Hwa asked.

 

“When he was a still a kid, we barely had money back then so I had to work.. When I earned enough for us, he had to go away for college.. When he finally graduated and had time, I was starting to establish my own company.. And when I finally had time, he got married and had a family.. And then he died..”, Kim Sa Jangnim quietly recounted.

 

We all just stayed quiet, commiserating with him.

 

“So I’m glad I had the chance to do this with you all.. Imagine fishing with 1, 2, 3....10 sons! I couldn’t ask for more!”, he added, breaking the silence.

 

“Eherm! What about me, Sa Jangnim?”, Manager Hyung asked from behind us, clearing his throat for attention. He refused to be under the sun and opted to stay under the shade away from all of us. Apparently, he had flawless skin which Yong Hwa greatly opposed, saying he had skin eczema just a few days ago.

 

“You aren’t fishing, Manager Hyung—”

 

“So? I still would like to be included, if you don’t mind—”

 

“You can be my dongsaeng (younger brother), Manager Jo—”

 

“More like his pet—”

 

“Unwanted pet—”

 

“Hmmmmmffffffffffffftttttttttt—”

 

“Yah! I heard that!”, Manager Hyung protested, walking towards us in indignation.

 

“Hyung! Your skin! The sun!”, Yong Hwa reminded him with mock concern.

 

“Oh, right! Oh my God! I need to apply sunscreen again!”, he screeched, panicking at an invisible spot on his arm.

 

Aishhh! Cham!

 

Suddenly, Kim Sa Jangnim stood up. It was so abrupt that his chair toppled backwards. “Whoa! I got a bite!”, he shouted, grabbing his fishing gear and pulling hard while winding fast.

 

“This is a big one!”, he shouted.

 

“No kidding, Sa Jangnim! Whoaaa—”

 

“Yah! Hold onto him, guys!”, Nich Khun Hyungnim yelled as everyone scrambled to get to Kim Sa Jangnim before he was pulled into the sea by whatever he caught with his heavy duty fishing pole.

 

We heaved hard, trying to make the fish break the surf just to see what we were fighting against.

 

“It’s coming up! It’s coming up!”, Moonie Ahjussi warned us.

 

After 5 seconds, a big black fish with a gleaming underside broke the surf and jumped high, as if challenging us to take him in.

 

 

“WHOAAAAAAA, DAEBAK!!!!!”, we all yelled in unison.

 

“Boys, we need to catch this one!”, Kim Sa Jangnim ordered us for the first time.

 

“We will, Sa Jangnim! We will!”, everyone agreed as we prepared to take the battle to the second round, reeling it in.

 

After 30 minutes, we were all getting exhausted, but fortunately the battle was about to end. Kim Sa Jangnim refused to give up or even be replaced for a while so he could take a breather. He persevered through, but we were all afraid for him. Although at his age, we were surprised and impressed at the same time, that he still had the energy to keep standing as long as we all had. But because of that and because of him, we fought on. Nich Khun Hyungnim, Chang Sun Hyung, and Taec Yeon had his back while Seung Gi Hyung and I were in front. Cousins Yong Hwa and Jong Hyun were on the right while Jung Shin and Min Hyuk were on the left. Moonie Ahjussi was our spotter, telling us when to reel in and when to put on some slack. At last, the final pull came. Even the Captain of the boat and some of the crew came out. We could hear the girls cheering and screaming with excitement somewhere above us every time the fish breaks the surf and makes an appearance.

 

“PULL, LADS! PULL! THIS IS IT! PULL!”, Moonie Ahjussi shouted as he scrambled to make a knot with a rope while the boat Captain readied a pole with a hook. “THAT’S IT! THAT’S IT! HOLD ON! HOLD ON!”, he screamed as the girls went crazy with cheering.

 

“Hurry up, Ahjussi! We can’t hold on any longer! Hurry!”, we all pleaded, groaning. We all used our energy to the last drop because we could still feel the fish struggling to get away.

 

“WE GOT IT! WE GOT IT! WOOHOOHOOOO!!!”, Moonie Ahjussi yelled triumphantly. Hearing this, we all let go with a moan and dropped to the floor.

 

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