In the serene café with soft music at the background, the bright yellow wallpaper did anything but lighten up her mood. Jieun sat uptight and tensed- like a porcupine being ready with its quills to prick if any danger is sensed. She shut her eyes briefly when a waiter came to take their order. All the while she followed the man and rode his car to a nearby café, she hadn’t come up with a reasonable reason why he would be here.

Once the man ordered his drink, she recollected herself and waved the waiter away. She came straight with the very first question she had when they met earlier.

“Why are you here Uncle Lu? Or should I address you as Director Lu?”

It had been two years since she last saw Luhan’s father in her house and the only reason the father and the son visited was because the Lu’s was eager to collaborate with her father’s company. Nevertheless, when the Lee’s declared bankruptcy, Lu Junyi signed a contract with the Kim’s without missing a beat. May it be matters on business or personal affairs with their family, there was no reason for them to associate with each other.

Likewise, Lu Junyi sipped his coffee and did not beat around the bushes.

“I’ve come to ask you to convince your father to work with me.”

“Why?”

Jieun blurted out. The Kim’s and the Lu’s were now partners and this man clearly knew the discord between her household and the Kim’s. What he just said was plainly an act of bringing problems upon oneself; what if Lee Taewon took this chance and caused dissension between the companies?

Lu Junyi smiled reassuringly and his whole expression lit up with the warmth brought by his charming smile- those female workers had been walking past for numerous times. The man clearly understood the unsaid questions behind Jieun’s blunt response. He took another sip of the black drink and answered unhurriedly.

“There is no permanent partner in the business and I’m sure your father understands this. Not to mention at the moment, I’m the only one who could give him the space and opportunity your father needs to rise again.”

“You intend to employ my father.”

“That’s right.”

Jieun fell silent and pondered on what she had been told. Lu Junyi subtly observed the girl who was just in her twenties. Her head of raven hair was a contrast to the blonde long hair adorned with the red jewels he last remembered. Now with a clean bob hair resting slightly below her jaw line and without the dazzling red diamonds, he couldn’t help but to think the girl was more dignified than ever. He was too deep in amazement for the girl opposite that he almost missed her soft voice.

“You have met my father.”

A statement.

Lu Junyi nodded and sighed.

“He refused to come and we both know, the reason being is for your sake.”

“For my sake?”

For the first time throughout the talk, Lu Junyi’s composed bearing slacked as he hesitantly answered.

“…I heard that Jieun is not exactly well received in university…”

“…You’re saying that my father refused to come with you because he’s worried the fact that I may not be treated well in university.”

Lu Junyi nodded and again silently complimented this girl- no, young woman. She was definitely the daughter of the formidable entrepreneur Lee Taewon.

Endowed with remarkable intelligence by nature.

The thought of his son- troublemaker by nature, the vein on his forehead throbbed and the sigh he swallowed sat uncomfortably on his entire being as his son’s recent mischief conducts flashed through his mind.

On the other hand, Jieun’s heart clenched for her father. She knew Busan was never where her father could fit in, neither for her. Despite starting all over again in Seoul would be far more challenging and exigent as compared to the port city, that place had always been where they belong, where their beloved wife and mother was at. However, now it had turned out that she was the one holding her father back. Merely because Lee Taewon feared for his daughter’s well-being in the university; without the sturdy background she had, her impudent personality was what left to defend herself.

Jieun’s fingers fumbled with the thin curb chain she wore beneath her shirt and could not help but to feel sombre that Taewon was too protective of her.

“Do you know what is your father working currently?”

Lu Junyi seemed as if he casually threw out the question, but, Jieun knew better and kept quiet as she thought of Taewon’s low spirit for the past few weeks.

“What he is doing now is no match to what he is capable of, even I feel frustrated for him. And I couldn’t imagine how he feels himself.”

Jieun clenched her fingers.

〜❅〜

She heard the deep rumbling of the engine and she lifted the curtain slightly. The headlights lit up the dark and narrow way of the neighbourhood. The passenger rear door opened as her father stepped out shortly afterwards with another figure followed behind. The long hair lady was not ready to send her father off just yet as she closed the door of the Lexus and went closer to Taewon.

Jieun moved away from the window and leaned on the opposite wall. She was staring at the floral curtains, but her mind was replaying how her father tried to avoid the woman from leaning too close. How her father could only stepped away hastily when the woman did more than a simple hug. Instead of pushing her away as he should as a man with daughter, a man who still love his deceased wife dearly, he chose to withstand all the guilt and humiliation alone, simply because he could not bear of having Jieun to be ridiculed if she was back to Seoul University.

Not long after that, heavy steps were heard ascending to the second floor. They stopped right at her door and the doorknob was not turn in the end. Her father sighed outside before retreating to his own room. Jieun hugged her knees tight and her shoulders began to tremble.

The next day after Jieun was done with her shift, she finally made up her mind to dial the number from the business card that was long crumpled from her constant fidgeting.

The phone only rang twice and it was picked up; as if Lu Junyi expected her call, he showed up a few minutes later after their call. Not the slightest he showed that it was unseemly for him to appear right after the phone call when all he could think was Jieun was finally giving him the answer he had been waiting. Before they left the café where Jieun worked at, Lu Junyi generously bought all the remaining cakes in the shop and the duo left the shop while Solbin and Jinyoung seethed in jealousy with the exception of the jolly manager as they sent them off.

Back at the same café they visited the day before, Lu Junyi ordered a cappuccino this time and was stirring the drink lesiurely after putting in several sugar cubes. Jieun did not touch the glass of pressed juice and suddenly she stood up. The stirring stopped as Lu Junyi curiously looked at the petite girl in front of him and furrowed his eyebrows slightly when Jieun called him.

“Uncle Lu.”

Before his mouth could make a sound, Jieun bowed deeply towards him and his opened mouth left hanging at the girl’s sudden behaviour.

“Please help my father, I’ll leave him under your care.”

The surprise faded away from Lu Junyi’s face and was replaced with a gentleness he had never gave to anyone aside from his family. He could not help but to be envious of Taewon’s filial and intelligent daughter at the same time feeling disconsolate when he subconsciously compared his son to Lee Taewon’s daughter.

That night, sleep did not come easily, not after she saw the same Lexus that had just left. Jieun lied on the wooden flooring and looking out to the window that she did not recall drawing up the curtain. The silver of moonlight spilled into the dark room while the window frame shadows stretched long and thin over her slackened body. Her whole face basked under the white-silver glow and as time passed the shimmering glow became unbearable. Squinting her eyes, Jieun glared at the moon before raising her hand to block it from her view. Her palm aimed right at the Earth’s only permanent satellite and curled into a fist as if to crush it. She repeated a few times until her fingers dug creases into her palm and the moon still remained in the sky- exactly how it looked liked when she was younger and she faintly remembered the whispers of stories while being wrapped in a warm embrace and soothing caresses. Now, what remained was the moon and the dull pain of reminder that Goomi was no longer with her.

Just then, she recalled the quote by Richelle Mead, ‘As long as we’re together, that’s how we’ll be. No trembling. No faltering. We’re unstoppable.’

Yes, where she was at did not matter. What mattered was she was with who she loves; she still has her father by her side.

“So what even if it’s like this.”

Jieun clambered up and went to her father room.

Lee Taewon who was still clad in his suits, sprawled on the unmade mattress as he gazed at the photo. His fingers gripped so hard on the frame that the knuckles turned white, but he was not feeling any less guilty. Just then, the door to his room swung open and Jieun’s bare feet was what he noticed first. The summer was coming to an end and the weather at night had been relatively cooler- she was normally asleep at this hour, what if she saw he was again sent back by Lisa? At this thought, Lee Taewon sprung up, trying to say something before his daughter questioned, but she did and what she said was not what he expected.

“Dad, let’s go back.”

Heyyyy, so I'm back for good and I'll be updating regularly from now !