CHAPTER 3- JINWOO AND HANI

NO ONE’S POV

            Inside a noisy club, one man was sitting by the bar and ordering a glass of rhum. He has been there for quite some time and has drunk a number of glasses and was starting to get tipsy. He was laughing to himself like crazy.

            On the other hand, a group of four people came crashing in the club in search of him. “Goodness, that hyung will get himself in trouble drinking on his own. He can’t even handle drinking one bottle of soju!” Seunghoon bawled.

            “Did anyone see him?” asked Minho. The lights inside were crazy and the dancing people were distracting their sight, it made it difficult searching for the older guy.  They roamed their gaze along the club and soon they saw him, in his drunken state, by the bar. They hurriedly ran to him, as he was lolly gagging.

            “Hyung! Look at you! You are such a mess!” said Taehyun, as he ran to assist him.

            “Taehyun-ah! Nice to see that you came! Come drink with me!” he said with a slur due to his drunkenness.

            “Come on. Let’s get you back home. You can’t even drink then you got yourself in this state,” said a frustrated Seungyoon.

            “Aniyo! Aigoo, the fun is just starting. Don’t be such kill joys!”  Jinwoo held on Seungyoon’s shoulder and suddenly wobbled forward.

            “Yah!” Minho exclaimed as he caught Jinwoo by his waist, just in time when he was about to fall, face first. He fainted in too much intoxication that they have to piggyback him into the car.

FLASHBACK

            “How could you make me do this?!” Jinwoo was in rage. He was in front of his Mom, burning in anger after the announcement she made to him.

            “Son, it has been arranged since you were still kids.” Jinwoo’s blood was boiling. He can’t do this. His girlfriend is Irene. How can he marry another woman?

“Is this about business? Because if it is, you don’t have to worry about handing it down to me. I am more than ready to take over the company.”

“No, it isn’t, son. It was your late father’s wish to have you betrothed to her. Please be cooperative.” At the mention of his father, Jinwoo’s knees buckled. He adored him and knew that this one could not be avoided. He promised his father to do anything he wished.

            He looked down to the floor in defeat. He felt a deep stabbing pain in his chest.  “So, who is she?” He didn’t want to know. Of all this right now, the last thing he’d want to do is find out who is this girl who is tearing him apart from Irene. The girl he was about to be tied to for the rest of his life. But he knows he can’t do that, he could not bear the idea of failing his father. He will be too selfish to do it.

            “She is you childhood friend, Ahn Heeyeon,” Jinwoo’s dad said. Jinwoo’s head was swirling in clouds. Ahn Heeyeon, whom he called Hani,  was his childhood friend. It makes sense. Their families were business partners and their fathers were best of friends. It did make perfect sense that they were betrothed.

            “What if I say no?” Jinwoo said, still wanting to fight the idea of it.

            “Can you do it? Break your promise to him?”  his Mom asked. That broke his heart, he knew part of his dad’s will said that he can only have the company if he do all the conditions in it and he was sure enough that the marriage was included there. He was the only child and the idea of turning over the company to a different person was unbearable. His dad worked so hard for it.

            All Jinwoo could do was remain silent.  Even when he was against it, this was also a responsibility he needed to face as the sole heir of KJW Group of Companies.

            “I’m sorry son, but you really have to do this.” Even when he knew very well how apologetic his Mom is towards the situation, Jinwoo couldn’t help but feel angered about the situation he was in. He walked out of their mansion, now feeling how big it is and how small he was. Just like how small he was that he can’t do anything to stop this.

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            “How did you find me?”  asked the groggy Jinwoo in Minho’s car.

            “Hani told us that she can’t contact you,” Seunghoon said.

            “We found you though your phone’s GPS. Damn, man! How can you be so careless drinking alone? You know you can’t stand too much alcohol!” Minho can’t help but swear.

            “That woman! Why can’t she just leave me alone?!” Jinwoo was frustrated. He hated being alone in the same house with her. They were in that set-up since the day they got married secretly.

            “Goodness, Jinwoo! Stop treating Hani like she is some garbage. She did not choose to be placed in this situation too. And, if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have known that you were wasting yourself away in the club,” Seungyoon sounded angry. He didn’t like seeing Jinwoo in this state and it was also not right to blame Hani when both of them were just dragged to this situation because of their responsibilities to their families.

            “Hyung, we know you are hurt because you have to leave Irene-noona but first and foremost, you knew that this day will have to come that you have to face your responsibilities. We all have to,” said Taehyun, the youngest in the group.

            “But, Irene, I miss her,”  Jinwoo's tears stained his face. His friends pitied him but they can't do anything about it. They wished to help him but they to don't know how to. They continued driving to his house and the older boy already fel asleep as they drove. Minho had to carry him on his back to bring him in his house. Seunghoon rang the door bell and out came the worried Hani.

            "Jinwoo!" She moved forward to help Minho get him off his back. Jinwoo woke up and as soon as he laid his eyes on Hani, he slapped her hands off him.

            "Take your hands off of me," he said in a cold manner. His eyes showed no affection for her unlike when they were kids. Hani flinched at the sound of his voice and just simply let the other boys in so they can bring her husband in.

            "Let us take care of him, okay?" said Seungyoon in a gentle manner. Hani nodded. Seunghoon chose to stay with her.

            "Gwaenchanayo?" he asked her. Hani nodded but Seunghoon knew she isn't okay seeing the way she bit her lower lip.

            "I'm really okay, Hoon-ah. It's just now because he's drunk but on normal days, he isn't like that," Hani said, with her hands clamped in front of her. It was obvious that Jinwoo's presence made her nervous but it wasn't like that before. She was her happiest whenever she was with Jinwoo when they were still kids. They would play in the fields and run around without any care in the world. Jinwoo used to call her "Baby" but that wasn't the case anymore.

            Everytime Jinwoo sees her or talks to her now, she would just get cold stares and answers from him. If not, he would act as if she wasn't around, like she was some kind of invisible wind blowing around him.

            "Hani, if things get more difficult you know you can always tell me, arasso?" Seunghoon held up her face and smiled at her. Hani nodded.

            "I'll be okay, Seunghoon, but thank you." Hani tried to smile at him but Seunghoon knew that behind it is a turmoil brewing inside his friend.

            "He is okay now. No need to worry, Hani." Seungyoon's voice boomed as the three filed out of Jinwoo's room. Hani bowed to them and thanked them. "Ani, no need to thank us. You're both our friends. We're bound to help."

            "He wouldn't let me near him. He hates me so much," Hani said, sadness can be traced in her voice.

            "Aniyo, Noona. I guess hyung is just hurt right now. He's not the type to hate on someone. You now very well he is the nicest one among the five of us." Taehyun placed a lock of hair behind his ear with a muddled expression drawn on his face.

            "I know very well he is depressed right now. He has a girlfriend whom he loved dearly and the frustration he is feeling now, he wants to show it to me. He wants me to feel it. I can't blame him. With me being the girl in the agreement, I guess he felt betrayed knowing that all this time, I knew about it and I never told him. He should be mad at me."

            "Don't be too hard on yourself, Hani." Minho patted her shoulders, trying his best to console the girl. "We'll have to leave now. Goodbye, Hani."

            Hani opened the door of their house and the four boys walked out of it. Hani waved her hand goodbye and silently closed the door behind her. She said goodnight to their helper who was still busy finishing up the things to do in their house and walked up to Jinwoo's room to check on him. Since the day they got married, they never stayed together in one room.

            She walked up to her husband and sat on the floor to get a clearer view of his face. She waved a hand in front of his face to see if he was sound asleep. Now sure he was really sleeping, Hani held his face gently, admiring the look of the man he loved since she was a child.

            "I'm really sorry Jinwoo if I'm the one causing you so much pain now but I can't let you go now, because I also love you. I know you love her but maybe you can also learn loving me too." She continued staring at his sleeping figure for a while and soon, kissed his forehead before leaving the room.

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Another update. Sorry for making you all wait long. I hope you like this. Kindly leave your comments. I'd love to hear from all of you.

satisakro_chi