Destiny, as the dictionary says, it is a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency.

And Harry Truman once said that, "Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny."

Could this be applied in the story of two people who happened to be on the same path?

After spending ten days in a cruise and not to mention, a steamy night together, both wondered...

...would destiny allow them to meet again?

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JI HOO

It’s been a month since I came back here. Just what I expected, my friends didn’t stop nagging me about this and that. Why did I lie about taking the trip and what so ever question they kept on asking. I told my grandfather my real intention behind the trip. Good thing he understood every single bit of it. My friends also stopped with the niggling when they knew about it. It’s not that I’m blaming Jan Di or Jun Pyo for that and I’m glad that they also understood. After all, what are friends for?

But of course, I didn’t tell them anything about Hong Mo Nae. I must be crazy doing those things. When I think about it now, I’m wondering if some monster or evil spirit captured my soul to be able to do such thing to her. I must apologize. I know how important ity is for a lady and I shouldn’t have taken advantage of her. I must be out of my mind.

But upon recalling the things that happened, I’m pretty sure I knew what was going on that night. I just don’t have any idea why I didn’t stop myself. The longing to have the pleasure to forget everything is so strong that I have done things I shouldn’t have done.

Now, walking alone here in a park nearby the hospital, I’m wondering where she is right now or what she’s doing. Another thought bugs me all this time since I came back and it sends chills down my bones when I come to think of it. Did she, by any chance get preg---

“OUCH!”

Oops. Looks like I bumped to someone because of too much thinking again. Reminds me of how I met her on the ship.

“Sorry, miss. Here, let me help you.”

I extended my hands to the lady to help her stand up. What is a sophisticated lady doing in a place like this?

Okay. Is it my imagination? I guess I’ve been thinking too much that I see her face to this lady in front of me. But when she caught my eyes...

“You? Why are you here?” She asked me.

So it’s really her. It’s not my imagination.

“I’m just taking a walk to have some fresh air. You?”

“As you can see, I’m also taking a walk around here.” She answered me frankly.

She tugged her hand away from my grip and smiled. “Good to see you here. I’ll go now.”

I sensed some tension between her words. She must be feeling shy after what had occurred between us. Well, she’s not alone with that. I can feel my muscles tensed up upon holding her hands and hearing her voice a while ago.

“Okay, see you around.” I tried to be cheerful uttering these words.

I don’t want her to sense that I’m feeling the same thing that she does. She just smiled and continued walking on the opposite direction.

I headed back to the hospital to continue working.

“Sunbae!”

I look up from the charts of the patients I’m working on. It’s not that long since I came back from walking outside and meeting her again.

“Yes? What brings you here to my office, Jan Di?”

“Why is your face like that? Anything bothering you?

I weakly smiled at her. “No, I’m just stressed is all.”

“I see.” Her tone lowered down a bit.

“I’m here to invite you to a party.”

I went back working on the charts. “What party?” I asked her.

“My mother-in-law set a thanksgiving party for Jun Pyo and I.”

Thanksgiving? What for? Jan Di knows I want details that are direct to the point and no beating around the bush. That’s why she continued, “For our most awaited angel.”

I looked up to her again with bright widened eyes. They are going to be parents? Woah! Although I have been bitter because of my unrequited love for her, I’m really happy to know the news for them. In fact, I couldn’t feel any pain right now. Guess the trip and the uh— yeah— really helped me recover.

I smiled genuinely at her. “Sure! When and where is it happening?”

I’m not the type to get all glorified to attend such events, but this one is different. It’s for the blessing of an innocent soul soon to be born from such vivacious parents. Knowing the famous couple, Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di, I wonder how hard-headed that child would be.

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MO NAE

“Hee Soo!” I heard my mom called someone.

I guess that woman is the one who invited us here. They are close friends because the woman is a fan of mom’s art gallery.

I don’t remember what this party is all about. I heard it’s for a baby.

“You have to behave this time, Hong Mo Nae.” Tae Ra unnie’s words are always like this.

When I came home last month from the trip, she never stopped bugging me about it. She scolded me to death. She’s one hell of a sister. But I admit I was wrong for not telling them my whereabouts.

“Go find a table now. I’ll just accompany So Dam to the comfort room.” She commanded me and went away with her daughter.

Right. I’m left alone again. I travelled my gaze around the room to look for an empty table for our family. When my eyes landed on one, I carefully walked to it.

Oh! There’s already someone sitting on one of the chairs. Maybe I didn’t see him earlier. But it’s too late for me to go back now. I once again looked around, but there’s no other table that would be able to suit us aside from this one in front of me. Well, since this is an event for people under the higher level of the society, there’s no harm in starting a conversation.

“Uhm, excuse me? Sorry for my interruption, but I would like to know if my family and I could take the rest of the seats on this table?”

The man looked up to me and when he did, we both didn’t know what to do.

“Hi. We meet again.” His voice ended the silence after my question.

“Yeah.” I replied.

I wanted to go find another table for us. I just don’t feel like talking to him. What, after that night? Who would want to talk to him without feeling awkward?

I steadied my gaze on the floor because I couldn’t find the courage to look at his eyes. He might be laughing at me right now because I gave in easily to the calling of lust and desire. But I wouldn’t deny that I, myself, liked how it felt. It’s just that it had occurred so fast. It’s just ten days that we knew each other and we ended up doing something only married couples are allowed to do.

“Here.” My thoughts are interrupted again by his voice.

I looked up and saw him pulled out a chair beside him and waited for me to sit on it. I took a deep breath to gather all the courage I have in me. I smiled and slowly walked towards him. He sat back on his chair as soon as I was comfortably sitting next to him. Not really comfortable. My heart is beating as fast as it could and I think it would explode any second now.

“So how have you been?” He asked me.

“Good.” My thrifty answer.

I still couldn’t afford to look at him directly so I just let my eyes look around the venue.

“This reminds of me our first two encounters.” Again, he disturbed my thoughts.

Seriously, how many times does he plan to startle me with that calm voice of his? Every time I hear it, memories of that night flash through my mind that I found myself melting.

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“First was when you bumped into me, then now, you asked if you could share the table.”

Oh, he’s talking about our encounters on the ship.

“So you think I would drown again?” I jokingly asked.

He laughed at my comment and reached for the glass of wine on the table.

“I didn’t know you were invited here.” He stated although it sounded more like a question to me.

“Me too. I mean, I don’t even know the couple.”

“Jan Di and Jun Pyo?”

I nodded at him.

“They are my friends.” He stated again.

There was some meaning behind his words and this time, my hesitation to look at him was gone as I stared back at him.

“Oh! They are the ones you talked about on the cruise!” I yelled when I remembered the nine days we spent talking about anything about ourselves.

“Yeah.” He replied and flashed a smile. A real smile. A smile without any signs of bitterness unlike before. That gives away the clue. He has finally moved on and I am glad for him.

“There you are, Mo Nae!”

We both looked up to my sister coming towards us. She gave me a sinister look and I know what she meant by that.

“This is Tae Ra unnie, my elder sister. Unnie, this is Yoon Ji Hoo, an acquaintance of mine.”

Ji Hoo smiled at her and so did my sister.

“And this is So Dam, my pretty niece.” I continued as the girl made her way on my lap.

“Auntie, where did you meet him?” So Dam asked me.

I didn’t tell them about him. How could I when I know they wouldn’t stop scolding me if I did?

“Just here on this table.” I lied and I earned another death glare from my sister.

After a minute or two, my parents sat with us on this round table, and an old man sat beside Ji Hoo. He looks so familiar to me.

Oh my—! What’s a former president doing here?

“He is my grandfather.” Ji Hoo said looking at me. He must have noticed the look on my face.

I slightly nodded and shifted my gaze away from his. So Dam also went down from my lap and claimed the empty seat on my right side. Tae Ra unnnie was sitting next to it.

Not soon enough, some elders completed the round table. Ji Hoo and I remained silent as we both didn’t know what to say to each other. The elders talked about random things such as business, hobbies, the art galleries, and other things they could think of. It was then when I learned that Ji Hoo is the heir of Su-am Cultural Foundation, Art Center, and Orchestra own by his family, and also a musician. I didn’t know he is that rich.

After a moment, the food was served. We ate in silence with some laughter in between due to the elders’ topics. It wasn’t long when a woman spoke to the stage. I recognized her. She was the one my mother called when we arrived here.

“We invited you all here for this evening to witness the blessing of my soon to be born grandchild from my son, Gu Jun Pyo and of course, his wife, Gu Jan Di.”

The couple then walked to the stage and shared their happiness to the crowd. They surely are a cute couple. In my opinion, they suit each other well. Now, I understand why Yoon Ji Hoo surrendered his feelings for her.

I resumed eating while the couple continued delivering their respective speeches of gratitude. But what’s this? Something in me wants to eat more as I haven’t eaten much before the couple was introduced. But my stomach, I feel something odd within it. I feel like I’m going to—

I put my hand over my mouth as I began gagging.

“Are you all right?” Ji Hoo asked me.

“What’s wrong, Mo Nae?” Unnie also asked.

I immediately stood up and ran to the comfort room to let out what I’ve just taken in. I held my stomach as I throw up on the sink as if there was no tomorrow. When it seemed that there was nothing left inside me, I washed my mouth and cleaned myself. I stared at myself in the mirror for a while.

Oh my God! No way! This couldn’t be!

I went out of the toilet and walked to our table. This time, I didn’t have any appetite left anymore.

“Something wrong?” Unnie asked again in a worried note.

“None in particular. I think I just ate something that turned my taste upside down.” She nodded and recommenced talking to the others.

Ji Hoo was just as silent as I was. Should I tell him what I think is the reason for my vomiting?

“Can I have this dance?” I nearly jumped on my seat when I heard his voice again.

It was then that I realized that the party has reached its last part – the dance night. I lifted my hand and put it on his as an indication that I am accepting his offer. We made our way to the middle of the venue where the other pairs were. I also saw the Gu couple there.

As we stopped at a certain spot, our hands automatically toured to their places. Mine on his shoulders and his on my waist.

“We skipped the drowning and directed to the dance.” He said and half-smiled.

I could only stare at him in confusion.

“This is definitely the same on the ship, isn’t it?”

Oh yes, he’s talking about the events. When I bumped into him, when I asked him about the table, and now, the dance. The only missing is the drowning incident.

“Right.” I replied and smiled back.

But my smile easily faded as I recalled what occurred right after the dance. Would it happen again after this? But what if my intuitions were right? What if what we did already have its consequence? What if my retching earlier is one of the signs?

“Have you missed your period these past days?” His question made me look at him intensely. And it made me think about my personal calendar.

“I— I don’t— I don’t know.” I faltered and buried my gaze on the ground.

Have I missed it? I really don’t have any idea. I don’t remember when the last time was.

“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”

I looked at him again.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it to you. But now that it had happened, let’s face it. We did it together and we both have to bear with it.” He continued.

“But I’m scared.” I replied close to my tears.

He leaned in closer and reached my forehead as he kissed it.

“It’s normal for you to feel, but hey, I am a doctor, so no worries. And I don’t have the intentions of ignoring my responsibility to you.” He smiled after saying that.

Although in his eyes, I could see the same fear that I feel, I feel like I should trust him.

Just like the first dance we shared before, our arms enclosed into an embrace that reassures the faith we have. It brought back the warmth we shared during that night. Forget about the reactions we would receive. What’s here is already here and there’s no other way for us, but to live with it.

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