Chapter 54

2 Years Ago
"Park Changsun, you-"

Hearing how angry Uncle Wu sounded, Yeojin halted in front of the door; her hand froze on the knob. She gulped and stopped herself from opening the door wider. Maybe it wasn't a good timing to visit him in the hospital.

"Don't stress yourself, my friend. You don't want your heart to be in another trouble, right?"

Despite hesitating, she peeked inside and saw a man patted Uncle Wu's shoulder. She had seen him several times whenever she visited the Wu's. This man was introduced as a friend and colleague of Kris' father, she remembered. Yet the tension surrounding the two was far from being friendly. The scowl on Kris' father's face contrasted the grin on the other man's face.

"Tell you what," the other man spoke up again. "I won't give my vote for Geum Enterprise. Your son can even be the chairman as you wish too. But on one condition." He held up a finger as his lips curled into a crooked grin. "He should marry someone first. And I want it stated in your will that he can only inherit the position if he's married."

"What?!" Wu Yihuang gritted his teeth. 

For some reason, Yeojin felt her heart drop hearing it. She covered to stifle a gasp.

"Are you in your right mind? Yifan hasn't even finished his college!"

Park Changsun shrugged. "We married young too, didn't we? Think about it. Your health is degrading and your son hasn't even finished college. If you don't want to agree to my terms, why would I not vote for the company to be handled by a more capable entity?"

He sat down on the chair beside the bed and ran a hand through his hair. "But I will consider your son if he's married."

"What does that have to do with him being a chairman?"

"Well-" he played with the tips of his nails "-I don't know how responsible he can be. If he's married, he need to be responsible for someone else too." Despite the glare from Yihuang, Changsun still grinned. "It can be his training ground to be a responsible young man."

"Don't talk nonsense, Changsun! Marriage is not a game!"

"I know that," Changsun replied nonchalantly. "My vote isn't a game either." He stood up buttoning his suit jacket. "I'll give you until the end of next week to think. Let me know if you've found a bride for your son."

Yeojin scrambled away to hide when Changsun walked toward the door. Hiding behind a wall, she peeked and sighed when she saw his retreating back. A deep sigh escaped her lips again when she leaned back on the wall. Her stomach churned at the thought of earlier conversation to which she eavesdropped. She wondered if she should tell Kris about this, but their relationship wasn't in a good state.

"Oh! Yeojin!" Uncle Wu beamed when she entered his room.

He was smiling, but Yeojin knew better that he was just hiding his initial worry. 

"How are you doing, Uncle?" Yeojin tried to smile for his sake.

"Better. I'll be discharged the day after tomorrow."

"Are you sure you should be discharged so soon?"

Kris' father suddenly chuckled. "I feel like I've gained another daughter! Yes, yes, I'm better now. So it's okay."

The sincerity in his wide smile only broke Yeojin. Though his smile was radiating, it couldn't hide the tiredness in his eyes, the decline of his physical strength and his weakening heart. The thought of losing another father figure her heart. She prayed Uncle Wu's health would be restored.

Yeojin couldn't really sleep well that night or the nights after. The thought of Uncle Wu being blackmailed was unsettling. But she knew that wasn't the only thing that bothered her. No matter how much she tried not to think of it, her heart was just not at ease. If Kris knew about this, he would hate it. He wouldn't want to marry anyone now. Would he?

Unless he had a girlfriend, she thought. That wouldn't be possible though. As far as she knew, Kris never brought anyone home nor had he introduced anyone to her. But then again, who was she to him? They were just ex-best friends.

 

Yeojin laughed when she heard Lin's stomach rumbled. "I'll go get us some snacks," she offered herself to go knowing Lin wouldn't budge from watching the latest drama even though she was hungry.

"Thanks, Eonni! You know me so well. You're the best!" Lin winked then grinned.

Yeojin chuckled shaking her head before going down. With Mr. Ahn's help, she was able to ransack a few snacks to bring up to Lin's room. Grinning at the snacks in her arms, she suddenly flinched and halted in front of Uncle Wu's study when she heard him curse Park Changsun's name.

She gulped and hesitantly pressed an ear on the door.

"What should I do, Mr. Lee?" Yeojin could hear the weight of worry in his question. "I can't believe my own friend did this." He sighed. 

"It is such a shock even to me, Sir."

"I know exactly what he's trying to do. He knew it wouldn't be possible to find someone to marry Yifan in such a short time. He wanted Yifan to marry his daughter, I'm sure."

Yeojin's heart suddenly drop. The uneasy feeling returned though she wasn't sure why.

"I know Yoora is a good girl, and I would have gladly agreed to them marrying if I didn't know any better that Changsun just wanted to have control over Yifan. I can't let that happen."

Yeojin bit down her lip. She knew she should just stop eavesdropping, but her feet were planted on the ground. Even though it wasn't a matter she should meddle with, her worry couldn't be suppressed.

"I'm not sure if I can coax Yifan into agreeing to this, and I don't even know where to find the right girl to marry him."

Before Yeojin could even think straight, she suddenly barged in and surprisingly announced, "I'll marry him!"

With wide eyes, both Wu Yihuang and Mr. Lee stared at the girl who just barged in with snacks in her arms. Yeojin's eyes darted to the ground when she registered in her mind what she herself just said. She pursed her lips suddenly regretting it, but she thought there was no backing down now.

She briefly closed her eyes to muster her courage and finally lifted her gaze. She apologized for barging in and for eavesdropping both this conversation and the conversation days ago. Upon the revelation, Yihuang could only sigh.

"I'll marry Kris," Yeojin repeated. "I will help you, Uncle."

Yeojin was like his own daughter, but Yihuang couldn't lie that he and her father had always wanted their children to marry each other in the future. They never really put their wish into an agreed arrangement nonetheless. Maybe this was fate's way of granting their wish. But he was reluctant to agree because Yeojin was still very young. Plus, he knew the kids' relationship wasn't really good this time.

The girl, however, was determined to help. Yihuang sighed not being able to deter her. And just like that the arrangement was planned. Yihuang, though, warned Yeojin and Mr. Lee not to reveal the real reason for this arrangement to Yifan or anyone else in the family. He knew his son would right away choose not to inherit the company and feared that in the end the company would fall into someone else's hand.

That night, when she was back home, Yeojin couldn't believe what she got herself into. But she loved the Wu's so much and she couldn't bare to see Uncle Wu suffering just to protect the company Grandpa Wu built with sweat and tears. She knew Kris wouldn't want to marry her. Not with their current relationship.

Sure enough, Kris was enraged when his father broke the news of the arranged marriage. He pulled her aside and told her to disagree to it. He even went as far as pleading. Yet not knowing that he had a girlfriend and knowing only of the urgency from Uncle Wu's side, Yeojin didn't grant Kris' plea.

They fell apart even more from then. But Yeojin prayed that somehow the marriage would bring them back together.

Kris' train of thoughts was cut off when Lin surprised him from behind. 

"Ya!" Kris scowled while his sister laughed then took a seat beside him.

"You've been spacing out since earlier." She picked some french fries Kris had bought. "And you've been frowning a lot too since last night when you arrived, Gege. Why?"

"Nothing." Kris sipped his lemon tea. 

In truth, he was still thinking of Yeojin's recount of why she married him and her confession which he still thought of as just a dream. He was sure he wasn't dreaming it, but Yeojin didn't seem to remember.

"Where are Yeojin and Jinho?" He looked around.

"Still at the pandas'." She grinned. "Oh! There they are! Eonni!" She raised an arm and waved her hand looking back over her shoulders.

Kris felt childish for sulking over the possibility that her confession was just a dream. But what could he do? He really thought that things were finally going well for him. Turned out, he was too soon to assume things. However, seeing Yeojin's wide grin as she walked to them holding Jinho's hand in hers made his heart expand with delight.

Maybe her confession was just a dream. But even so, things did seem to be turning well between them. She might still have someone else in her heart, yet Kris wanted to believe that she was slowly opening her heart for him too.

After lunch, they roamed around the safari park a little more. Jinho sure looked like he was having the time of his life and so did Yeojin. Pride was swelling in his heart for being able to put those smiles on their faces.

"I think I know why Sehun sunbae fell for Yeojin eonnie," Lin suddenly spoke up beside him as they walked few feet away behind the Kwon siblings. Kris turned to his sister with a raised brow as she continued, "I think he got addicted to making her smile." 

Lin suddenly seemed a little distant despite her presence beside him. With a sigh she started again, "You see, they weren't really in good terms at the beginning. But Yeojin eonni, being herself, warmed up to him pretty quickly. And he must've fallen for her smile." She looked at her brother with a tight smile. "You love that smile too, don't you?" She nodded her head toward the direction of Yeojin who was laughing with Jinho. "So keep that smile on her face and don't make her sad again if you don't want to lose her."

She strode ahead leaving Kris behind blinking at her. That was so sudden, but he agreed with every word his sister just uttered.

"We're home!" Kris announced as he entered the house with Lin.

"Sparklers!" Jinho jumped up from the couch and ran toward Kris prompting Yeojin to laugh. "Where are the sparklers, Hyung?"

"Here!" Lin exclaimed raising a plastic bag in her hand. "Let's go to the backyard, Jinho!"

"Did you get the sausages?" Mrs. Wu appeared from the kitchen wiping her hands on the apron.

"We did." Kris approached his mom with plastic bags of his own.

"Good. Grandpa's grilling the beef at the back. Go help him." Kris nodded to his mom's request and went out to the backyard. "Jin, you can help set up the table outside too. I'll go back prepare the desserts with your mom and the maid."

"Yes, Mother."

It was a winter night, but the weather was fairly pleasant. The family planned to have a simple outdoor barbecue dinner to celebrate the New Year's Eve. Since Guangzhou is usually more festive for Chinese New Year, it would be hard to find fire works display for the new year's eve. Thus, Kris suggested buying the sparklers for Jinho's sake.

"Ya, Jinho! Don't ignite the sparklers yet!" Yeojin hollered while she was setting up the table.

"It's okay, Eonni." Lin laughed. "We still have a lot."

Yeojin smiled shaking her head and went back to setting down the plates. Her eyes then drifted to Kris who was grilling the beef in place of Grandpa. She stifled a laugh watching him scowling and blinking from the smoke. It's been long since the last time they all went out for a holiday. The last time they did was for Chuseok. And Yeojin remembered they had their biggest fight then and even got locked up in a storage room by the family just so that they could reconcile.

"How was the safari park?" Grandpa appeared beside her and took some of the utensils she was holding to help her set them up.

Yeojin grinned. "Fun! You should've come with us, Grandpa."

Grandpa chuckled. "Should we all go again then?" They both laughed before the older man sighed. "It's nice having you kids here. Do you remember the last time you were here?" He softly chuckled. "You, Yifan, and Lin were still in elementary then and liked to run around right at this backyard."

Yeojin lowered her head with a smile. "I think I somewhat remember that." She arranged the spoon and chopsticks beside a plate.

"That was when ten-year-old Kris declared he wanted to marry you."

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She paused before turning to Grandpa who was staring at Kris.

"He said whatever happened he wouldn't let anyone marry you except himself." Grandpa laughed again. "Of course we all didn't take the childish dream seriously. I never thought you two would actually get married." He suddenly turned to her with a sad smile. "Yifan told me everything last night. About the truth behind this arranged marriage."

Eyes widening, Yeojin let out a soft gasp.

"Thank you for loving my family so much."

"Grandpa..."

The old man patted her head. "It must have been tough on you." His warm hand then grabbed hers. Yeojin lowered her gaze to his thumb that was caressing her wedding band. "You may not want to preserve this marriage later, and you have every right not to. But I just want you to know... that my grandson is an idiot."

The statement surprised Yeojin. She stared at Grandpa with wide blinking eyes before bursting out with laughter. "Grandpa!" She laughed some more. "Why would you say that?"

Grandpa let out his signature chuckle and shrugged. "Well, he is." He smiled and patted her head again. "That's why he didn't run away from the wedding even if he could."

Her laughter gradually died down and her grin slowly faded when she let his words sink in. All this time, before their relationship was restored, she always thought of herself as the victim of the cold marriage. She forgot that she was the one putting the heavy weight of marriage and chairman position on Kris' shoulders. He could have run from them. But he didn't.

Again, her gaze was drawn to her best-friend-turned-husband. Kris was putting the sausage on the griller while eating some of the beef he had grilled to test the taste. Jinho came to him and asked for a taste too. Kris complied to the boy's wish and ruffled his hair. Seeing that, a small smile played on her lips.

"Yifan is such an idiot; he couldn't accept and confess his own feelings for you," Grandpa continued as he set the utensils across her. "I think he didn't choose to run away from the wedding because unconsciously even with the strain in your friendship, deep down... his feelings for you never changed."

The wedding band she started wearing again since the press conference attracted her attention now more than ever. Like a time machine, the sight of it took her back to their wedding day. He had the chance to leave her at the altar and run away with Areum, but he didn't. He stayed beside her despite not wanting to and unwaveringly uttered his vow. She couldn't understand why did he not leave if he hated her so much. Could Grandpa be right?

Grandpa suddenly laughed again. "Yifan!" He called for Kris' attention. "How much more beef are you going to eat? Stop testing already and grill!"

Kris frowned and rolled his eyes. "I am grilling," he retorted then continued grilling.

"That's my idiot grandson for you." Grandpa patted Yeojin's shoulder with chuckles and then left her side.

Yeojin sighed. Kris wasn't an idiot. It was just that love is always a bit blurry between friends. With another sigh, she looked up only to feel her heart skip a beat when she found Kris' eyes already staring at her. For a moment, they only stared at each other. Then slowly the corners of Kris' lips curled up into a smile causing her to catch her breath. Yeojin felt butterflies in her stomach with Kris smiling at her as if waiting for her to return the smile. Mentally calming her heart down, she too gave him a smile.

There you go! The cat's finally out of the bag!

Oh! And though I didn't mention Luhan in this chapter, HAPPY [belated] LUHAN DAY!