Chapter 28: Father's Love |
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Park Jungsu got into his car and tossed the envelope onto the passenger seat next to him. He wondered how Chairman Kang managed to find the contents in the envelope.
“What does he take me for?” he thought out loud. There he sat in his car, thinking back to the conversation he and Chairman Kang had on the yacht.
…
“Perhaps this will explain why I have my concerns.”
“What is this?” Park Jungsu asked as he opened the envelope.
“Although I’m not someone who follows the entertainment industry in Korea, I do know that scandals can strongly impact those in the industry and of course those around them,” said Chairman Kang.
Inside the envelope, Park Jungsu found photos and articles related to him and his past relationships. His expression instantly turned grim.
“Where did you get these photos from?”
“It doesn’t matter where I got these photos from. What matters is that these articles are things that the public wouldn’t take so lightly of. Scandals can either have a positive or a negative impact on those who are involved.”
“If you believe all these articles are true, then you’re wrong. What happened back then was…” before Park Jungsu could continue, Chairman Kang cut him off.
“Mr. Park, I truly do not care whether these articles about you are true or not. What I truly care about is that these articles and scandals will affect those around you. By that I mean it will have impact on Sora and is one thing that I won’t allow to happen. I wouldn’t even waste my time on this if Sora had not involved herself with you.”
“I cannot control what reporters write about me and having scandals isn’t a legitimate reason for you to stop me from being in a relationship with Sora.”
“You are correct, Mr. Park. However, I think I would know my own daughter more than you do. She may seem strong on the outside, when really she is someone who can easily get hurt from falling too deep in love. And since I have seen her get hurt with my own two eyes, I do not wish to witness it again. As a father, you don’t understand how heartbreaking it is to see your own daughter break down and there’s nothing you can do to stop the pain from her heart. It took her a long time to get back to where she is now and I am not going to let her fall and get hurt again – especially if it’s from unnecessary articles and scandals like those in your hands,” Chairman Kang explained with agony in his voice.
“I understand your concern as a father. However, you can’t just take me as someone who will hurt Sora like that just because someone in past had done so. Besides, I have never thought of hurting Sora in the first place. Moreover, the Sora I know is someone who is stronger than the one in your eyes. I’m very sure that she is much more matured than before and isn’t someone who will be easily affected and hurt by just rumoured articles and scandals like these.”
Chairman Kang gave Park Jungsu the most antagonizing look as there has not been anyone who would talk back to him in the way he did.
“Are you saying that you are unwilling to breakup with my daughter even when I kindly asked you to?”
“Yes,” Park Jungsu answered with confidence and determination.
“Very well then Mr. Park. How much do you want for you to leave my daughter? Give me a price.”
Park Jungsu looked confused and said, “Excuse me?”
“I said a price. How much money do you want in order to leave my daughter?”
Park Jungsu snorted with disbelief. “I’m sorry Chairman Kang, but who do you take me for? Do I look like someone who can be wavered by money?”
Chairman Kang questioned back, “Are you not?”
Park Jungsu grunted while shaking his head and stated, “For your information sir, I, Park Jungsu, the president and CEO of JS Entertainment is fully capable of making money on my own with my two hands. With what you just did is not only disrespectful to me, but to your own daughter as well and you should be ashamed for even having this slightest thought!”
Chairman Kang showed no sign of emotion as he just looked at Park Jungsu in the eyes. “Well then, I guess there’s nothing else for us to discuss. Hence our conversation will end here. You can take those with you, Mr. Park,” said Chairman Kang as he eyed to the envelope and its contents. “Victor, please kindly send Mr. Park back.”
Park Jungsu grabbed the envelope from the table. Just as he was about to make his way off the yacht, Chairman Kang made one last statement, “Mr. Park, I hope you won’t regret what you have said to me today.”
Before heading off, he turned his head slightly around and said confidently, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
…
After recalling their conversation, Park Jungsu hit his steering wheel and started to argue with his own self, “Yah! Park Jungsu! How can you do what you did back there? You should’ve have stayed calm instead of talking back to Sora’s father like that. Now, you have ruined your first impression in front of your girlfriend’s father. Yah! But he was trying to separate me and Sora. I had to stand up for our relationship! Yeah, but still, you didn’t have to let your arrogant way do the talking. You could have told him that you will love and protect Sora forever and ask him for his blessings. Aish! You can’t be regretting now, Park Jungsu. Stand firm!”
He stowed the envelope away shortly after he had calmed himself down.
***
After meeting Park Jungsu face-to-face that morning, Chairman Kang stood behind his desk while staring out the window into the city view. He contemplated for a long while until he was interrupted by Mrs. Kang, who dropped by to pay a visit to her husband.
“Yeobo, is something bothering you?” Mrs. Kang asked as she held her husband by the arm.
Chairman Kang turned around and looked at his wife for a moment. “How old is our Sora now? She’s twenty-four now, right?”
Mrs. Kang nodded as she smiled and said, “Ne…, who would have thought that our Sora would grow up this quickly? It was just like yesterday when she was just a little girl and now she’s all grown up.”
Chairman Kang sighed as he patted his wife’s hand. “Yes…, our Sora is all grown up. Yet, I still worry a lot for her. I mean, she’s my one and only daughter. I would hate to see her get hurt.”
Mrs. Kang agreed and said, “All parents hate to see their children get hurt and would always want to be there to protect them as long as we can. But if you don’t let them go on their own, they might not know what it would be like to be independent. Yeobo, we can’t always be there for Sora. So why don’t you just let her decide things on her own. We have to let go eventually.”
“Let go?” said Chairman Kang as he snorted. “Once I marry her off, then I will think of letting go. I will find someone who will take good care of our Sora, someone who will love and cherish her unlike that bastard who broke Sora’s heart!”
“Eh…Why must you bring up the past? That man got what he deserved, so why don’t you forget about it already, yeobo?” said Mrs. Kang.
“Arasso, it’s all in the past and we shouldn't bring that up, especially in front of Sora.”
“That’s it, don’t remind Sora of the past since she’s already happily in a relationship now,” said Mrs. Kang.
“Happy? How can she be happy with that insolent boy?” Chairman Kang said with skepticism.
Mrs. Kang looked dumbfounded for a second as she questioned, “Insolent boy?” It took her a few seconds to understand who her husband was referring to and so she quickly defended, “Yah! Yeobo! How can you call Jungsu-ah insolent? He is such a wonderful namja!”
“What? Jung-Su-Ah?” Chairman Kang questioned with his eyes wide opened. “How can you address him like that as if he’s your son already?”
“Waeyo? Jungsu-ah is such a great boy. He even helped me retrieve my handbag from that awful thief last time. Jamkkanman! Why are you calling Jungsu-ah insolent? You haven’t been meddling in your daughter’s affairs, have you?” Mrs. Kang asked her husband with a suspicious look in her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Well I was just…Yah! What’s wrong with a father making sure his daughter is affiliating with the right people?”
“What did you say to Jungsu-ah?”
“Nothing, it’s just a man-to-man conversation,” answered Chairman Kang as he avoided eye contact with Mrs. Kang.
“Don’t tell me that you have been threatening Jungsu-ah to leave our Sora just because of your lousy, old-fashioned and stubborn perceptions!”
“Yah!” Chairman Kang sounded loudly as he pumps up his chest and said, “Who are you calling old-fashioned and stubborn? I am just looking out for our Sora so she won’t get hurt like before. Do you even know how disrespectful that insolent boy was to me? He wouldn’t even budge when I offer to pay him to leave Sora.”
“You what? Yah! How could you do that?” Mrs. Kang asked in shock. “What do you take Jungsu-ah and Sora-ah for? They are in love, so why don’t you let them be and let them have a go at it! I mean how would you feel if my father offered to pay you to leave me back then when we were dating, huh?” Mrs. Kang demanded.
“Eh…Yeobo, how can you associate that with the situation now?”
“And why not? Well, good thing Jungsu-ah didn’t waver to your stupid offer and showed you that he’s not someone who is afraid of a stubborn old man like you, who is trying to separate them two.”
Chairman Kang stood there as his wife lectured him about his actions and interference in Sora’s affairs. After Mrs. Kang was done criticizing Chairman Kang, he agreed that he will give them some slack for the time being just so that she would stop bickering him for the moment.
“You better remember what you promised me today, yeobo. If you fail to keep your promise, then you are going to regret it, believe me,” Mrs. Kang warned her husband.
Chairman Kang unwillingly nods in agreement as he placed his hands on Mrs. Kang’s shoulder. “Arasso…arasso…, just head on home for now. I still need to get on with my work.”
…
After sending Mrs. Kang out, he called Victor into his office. When Victor entered inside, he knew the reason why he was being called for and that was because of Park Jungsu and Sora.
“Take a seat, Victor,” said Chairman Kang as he made his way to the armchairs in his office.
Victor took a seat as he waited for Chairman Kang’s orders.
Sora’s father looked at Victor and asked, “How long have you been with our family, Victor?”
Victor was rather stunned by the sudden question. Why would Chairman Kang ask him this question out of the blue?
“Almost nine years now, sir.” Victor replied.
“Nine years…Time really flies, don’t you think?” asked Chairman Kang.
Victor nodded in reply. “Why is it that you ask, sir?”
“You have been watching Sora grow up ever since she was fifteen years old, correct?”
“Yes, sir, I’ve been watching over her like my own sister since then.”
Chairman Kang nodded in agreement and then sighed. “So Victor, how to you think of me as a father? Do you think I am being a good father to Sora?”
Victor was a bit hesitant to answer Chairman Kang’s question. He started to wonder why Chairman Kang began asking all these kinds of questions.
While Victor remained silent, Chairman Kang noticed Victor was a bit disinclined to answer his question and so he assured Victor that he can answer the question without any worry. “Don’t worry Victor, just tell me what you really think.”
Victor then looked Chairman Kang straight in the eyes and said, “As a father, I can see that you are doing what a father should be doing and that is looking after his own child. However, to be honest, I think you may be a bit too uptight about Sora.” Victor paused for a moment and looked at Chairman Kang to ensure it was still safe to continue.
To his surprised, Chairman Kang was still tentatively listening and asked Victor to continue, “Go on…”
“What I am saying sir, is that Sora is old enough to decide things on her own. She’s not the young Sora that we used to know anymore. She has her own thought of mind and I’m sure she is mature enough to handle situations on her own, particularly her own relationships. One can become stronger through falling and learning from past mistakes. For that, I believe you should let Sora do things on her own rather than laying the path ahead for her,” explained Victor.
Chairman Kang looked at Victor with raised eyebrows. “So even you are taking that insolent Park Jungsu’s side.”
Victor shook his head and said, “Aniya, I’m not taking President Park’s side. But considering Sora like she is my own sister, I think I would want see her happy rather than just working all the time.”
“Happy?” said Chairman Kang.
“Yes. Ever since that incident, Sora has been drowning herself with work to forget about what happened that time. Although she tells everyone that she’s working hard to prove to others that she has her own ability and strengths to be at where she is now, but really it’s just a way to brainwash herself from the unpleasant memories of the past. During those times, she may look like she’s happy, but one can tell that it’s just a way for her to hide her sadness.”
Chairman Kang was surprised and slightly disappointed in himself for not realizing how Sora really felt during all those times. “Is that really how she was? I thought she had forgotten about that time already since she was laughing and smiling with her friends and staff all that time. I didn’t know she was still upset.”
“Sir, I understand that you are trying to find someone whom you think is best for Sora. However, I haven’t actually seen Sora so sincerely happy before until she met President Park. Although…he could be a bit arrogant at times, but what matters is that he is able to bring back the joyful Sora that we haven’t seen for many years. Perhaps you can give them a chan−”
Victor was immediately cut off by Chairman Kang who signaled Victor to stop with his hand and said, “I’ve heard enough. No matter what, I will decide who will be best for Sora.”
From the way Chairman Kang responded, Victor could only let the subject matter pass at this point. He knew Chairman Kang isn’t someone who can be easily wavered by just one’s opinion.
***
Later that afternoon, after having lunch with her mother, Sora went back to her office. When she arrived, she found piles of documents waiting for her to go through and sign. She plumped down into her chair and began picking through different files and folders. “Why are there so many?” she thought out loud as she furrowed her eyebrows.
While Sora was busy working her way through some of the documents, Melissa came knocking excitingly on her office door. “Sora! Someone sent these over for you. They are so pretty!” said Melissa as she held a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
Sora looked up to see what Melissa was referring to. Her jaw dropped for a brief moment and then asked, “Who sent them over?” as she stood up and retrieve the bouquet from Melissa’s hands.
Melissa shrugged and replied, “Umm…not sure. There isn’t any name card with it. Could it be President Park who sent these over?”
Sora took a sniff of the flowers and smiled. “Maybe, I’ll ask him later,” she said as she couldn’t hold in her happiness.
Melissa sighed and said, “I’m so envious of you. Seems like cupid’s been following you around and shooting his little love arrows at you.”
Sora shook her head in response to Melissa’s comment. Just then someone else knocked on Sora’s door. It was another delivery man with another bouquet of flowers and a paper bag with a box of chocolates inside. “Excuse me. Is there a Kang Sora-ssi here?” asked the man at the door.
Sora walked over and said, “Yes, that would be me.”
The man handed the flowers and chocolate to her and had her sign the delivery invoice before leaving.
Melissa stood there looking at all the things Sora had just received. “This is truly unbelievable. Who sent these over this time?”
Sora found a name card from the bouquet and it read:
Dear Sora,
Thank you for your hard work in organizing such a great event for the charity. It all went very well and we managed to raise a good sum of donations. To show my appreciation, I hope you’ll enjoy these flowers and chocolates.
Sincerely,
Minho
“It’s from Minho-ssi. He’s thanking me for helping out with the charity event,” Sora told Melissa. She walked back over to Melissa. “Could you put these two bouquets somewhere for me, please? Thanks. I’ll take them with me after work,” said Sora as she handed the flowers over to Melissa.
“Sure! Let me get these,” replied Melissa as she took the two bouquets into her hands. Before Melissa made her way out of the office, she informed Sora that people from the management office from her home called. “They said that all maintenance and repair works are finished and that you can move back in either today or tomorrow,” said Melissa.
After being informed of the news, she wasn’t as enthusiastic as she thought she would be and said, “Oh…is that so? Alright then…thanks.”
“Wae? What’s wrong? How come you don’t sound that excited? Aren’t you happy that you can move back to your own place?” asked Melissa when she noticed the flat tone in her voice.
“It’s nothing…It’s just a hassle that I need to move some of my things back to my place,” replied Sora as she continued with her documents on the table.
After Sora’s reply, a smirk appeared on Melissa’s face as she began to chuckle. Melissa’s laugh caught Sora’s attention, to which she quickly turned to Melissa and asked, “What? Why are you laughing?”
With two bouquets in her hands, Melissa said, “Oh…nothing. It just seems like someone doesn’t want to move out of someone else’s place.” From what Melissa was saying, she was referring to Park Jungsu’s place.
Sora quickly snorted and denied, “Don’t be ridiculous! Why wouldn’t I want to move back to my own place? I can’t even wait to move back to my home sweet home. It’s just that I have a lot of things to move back, that’s all.”
Melissa nodded as if she believed everything Sora said while still grinning. “Sure…one whole luggage is really a lot to move back. You can always get President Park to help you, you know?” Melissa teased Sora. “Just admit you don’t want to move out of his place.”
Sora’s face quickly turned red when Melissa had figured her out. “Yah! Don’t you have other things to do? Hurry up and place the flowers somewhere!” ordered Sora who was feeling embarrassed from the situation.
“Arasso…arasso…” said Melissa as she made her way out of Sora’s office while still laughing.
Sora could feel her cheeks burning from the embarrassment. “Am I that easy to figure out?” she thought. “Would he even let me moved back to my place? Aish…Yah! Kang Sora! Stop being thick skinned and just move back to your own place. As a couple, you should give each some personal space, arasso? Aja! I’ll just tell him that I’ll move back home,” she contemplated by herself.
***
After a long afternoon of meetings, Park Jungsu was finally done for the day. He asked Miranda if there’s anything else he should be informed of before leaving the office. To his relief, there was none. Before leaving, he bid Miranda goodbye and went down to the underground parking.
When he settled into his car, he rested his head back on the headrest and sighed as he thought back to what happened in the morning with Sora’s father. The more he thought back, the more he thinks he should have handle things a little more carefully before acting irrationally in front of Chairman Kang.
Suddenly, his phone began to ring in his inner pocket from his jacket. He took out his phone and saw Sora calling. As soon as he saw her name, a smiled appeared on his face. He felt like all his worries vanished away whenever Sora came to his mind. He quickly answered the call, “Ne…Sora-ah…How is my Baby Princess doing?”
Sora’s laugh could be heard over the phone by Park Jungsu as he grinned happily.
“Where are you right now?” she asked.
“Waeyo? You miss me already?” he asked playfully.
Sora chuckled and said, “Yes…who wouldn’t miss a handsome looking oppa like you?”
Her answer made his cheeks ascend as he enjoyed the short flirting on the phone. “Jjinja? Am I really that handsome? So what can a handsome looking oppa like me do for a beautiful lady like you?” he asked.
Sora shook her head with a smile on the other side of the phone and replied, “Can you come and pick me up now? I have a lot of things with me right now.”
“Yes, of course! Actually, I was about to come pick you up. I just got into my car. Give me ten…maybe fifteen minutes and I’ll be there. I’ll call you when I arrive, arasso?”
“Ne…I’ll see in a bit then. Remember to drive safely.”
“Arasso…oh and Sora-ah…”
“Yes? What is it?”
Park Jungsu paused for a moment and then said over the phone, “Saranghae.”
Sora smiled with joy on the other side as she said in return, “I love you too, oppa.”
Both ended the call with joy written all over their faces. Park Jungsu then started his engine and drove off to pick Sora up.
…
After ending the call with Park Jungsu, Sora gathered all her belongings and took the flowers and chocolates she received today with her down to the roundabout.
By the time she reached downstairs, Park Jungsu had informed her that he will be there in a minute or two. So as Sora waited with her hands full of flowers, she looked up into the sky and saw many stars shining brightly at night alongside the moon. She then started to realize that she hasn’t been this happy for a very long time and wished this moment could last forever.
Soon Park Jungsu’s car came up to the roundabout where Sora was. He noticed she was looking up in the sky and wondered what was attracting her attention. Stepping out of his car, he walked over and asked, “What are you looking at? Hurry and get inside, it’s getting cold.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about something happy,” she answered.
“Something happy? Does it have to do with me?” he said with a cheeky smile while opening the door for her and noticed the flowers in her hands. “Wait. Who gave you those?” he asked with a bit of change in expression.
Sora looked at her two bouquets of flowers. “Huh? Didn’t you send me this bouquet of flowers as a surprise?” she replied.
“Me? I didn’t send you any flowers today. Even if I did, I wouldn’t send these types of flowers,” said Park Jungsu.
For a moment, Sora felt a bit disappointed that he wasn’t the one who sent her the flowers today. “Oh…” she murmured out.
“Hold on, get inside first.”
She got inside with a bit of a frowned face and Park Jungsu noticed the change in her expression when he went back to his driver’s seat.
“You’re not upset, are you?” he asked worriedly.
“Aniya. Why would I be upset?” replied Sora who was still slightly disappointed. “Well at least Minho-ssi sent me some flowers and chocolates for the day,” said Sora, intentionally letting Park Jungsu to hear.
As expected, Park Jungsu reacted to her comment. “Who did you say sent you those? Yah! I don’t want those in my car! You should throw them out!” he complained with jealousy.
“Aniya! They look and smell nice!” argued Sora, who was clearly trying to irritate Park Jungsu.
“I’m going to chuck out those flowers once we get home!” he stated as he fastens his seatbelt.
Sora just chuckled from the way he was reacting, but then she began to wonder who sent her the other bouquet of flowers when Park Jungsu said it wasn’t him. “Oppa, if you didn’t send me this bouquet here, I wonder who could have sent it?”
Park Jungsu turned to Sora and said, “Doesn’t it have a name-card from the sender?”
Sora shook her head. “Aniya, there wasn’t any when they delivered it to the office.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Wae? Why are there so many people who set their eyes on my woman? You clearly belong to me and they should stay away!”
“Yah! Who said that I’m your woman and who told you that I belong to you?” Sora said with a smirk.
Park Jungsu grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a light kiss. “Do you not want to be my woman after what we had shared last night?” he asked shamelessly as he thought back to the time when they slept together.
Sora’s face quickly blushed from his reminder. “Hurry up and drive, Park Jungsu!” she ordered while smiling timidly.
He was having fun teasing her and found her cute when she’s embarrassed. “Arasso! Aja! Let’s go!” said Park Jungsu and both headed off back to his place.
Meanwhile, from afar, someone was watching their every move while they drove off onto the street.
“What does he take me for?” he thought out loud. There he sat in his car, thinking back to the conversation he and Chairman Kang had on the yacht.
…
“Perhaps this will explain why I have my concerns.”
“What is this?” Park Jungsu asked as he opened the envelope.
“Although I’m not someone who follows the entertainment industry in Korea, I do know that scandals can strongly impact those in the industry and of course those around them,” said Chairman Kang.
Inside the envelope, Park Jungsu found photos and articles related to him and his past relationships. His expression instantly turned grim.
“Where did you get these photos from?”
“It doesn’t matter where I got these photos from. What matters is that these articles are things that the public wouldn’t take so lightly of. Scandals can either have a positive or a negative impact on those who are involved.”
“If you believe all these articles are true, then you’re wrong. What happened back then was…” before Park Jungsu could continue, Chairman Kang cut him off.
“Mr. Park, I truly do not care whether these articles about you are true or not. What I truly care about is that these articles and scandals will affect those around you. By that I mean it will have impact on Sora and is one thing that I won’t allow to happen. I wouldn’t even waste my time on this if Sora had not involved herself with you.”
“I cannot control what reporters write about me and having scandals isn’t a legitimate reason for you to stop me from being in a relationship with Sora.”
“You are correct, Mr. Park. However, I think I would know my own daughter more than you do. She may seem strong on the outside, when really she is someone who can easily get hurt from falling too deep in love. And since I have seen her get hurt with my own two eyes, I do not wish to witness it again. As a father, you don’t understand how heartbreaking it is to see your own daughter break down and there’s nothing you can do to stop the pain from her heart. It took her a long time to get back to where she is now and I am not going to let her fall and get hurt again – especially if it’s from unnecessary articles and scandals like those in your hands,” Chairman Kang explained with agony in his voice.
“I understand your concern as a father. However, you can’t just take me as someone who will hurt Sora like that just because someone in past had done so. Besides, I have never thought of hurting Sora in the first place. Moreover, the Sora I know is someone who is stronger than the one in your eyes. I’m very sure that she is much more matured than before and isn’t someone who will be easily affected and hurt by just rumoured articles and scandals like these.”
Chairman Kang gave Park Jungsu the most antagonizing look as there has not been anyone who would talk back to him in the way he did.
“Are you saying that you are unwilling to breakup with my daughter even when I kindly asked you to?”
“Yes,” Park Jungsu answered with confidence and determination.
“Very well then Mr. Park. How much do you want for you to leave my daughter? Give me a price.”
Park Jungsu looked confused and said, “Excuse me?”
“I said a price. How much money do you want in order to leave my daughter?”
Park Jungsu snorted with disbelief. “I’m sorry Chairman Kang, but who do you take me for? Do I look like someone who can be wavered by money?”
Chairman Kang questioned back, “Are you not?”
Park Jungsu grunted while shaking his head and stated, “For your information sir, I, Park Jungsu, the president and CEO of JS Entertainment is fully capable of making money on my own with my two hands. With what you just did is not only disrespectful to me, but to your own daughter as well and you should be ashamed for even having this slightest thought!”
Chairman Kang showed no sign of emotion as he just looked at Park Jungsu in the eyes. “Well then, I guess there’s nothing else for us to discuss. Hence our conversation will end here. You can take those with you, Mr. Park,” said Chairman Kang as he eyed to the envelope and its contents. “Victor, please kindly send Mr. Park back.”
Park Jungsu grabbed the envelope from the table. Just as he was about to make his way off the yacht, Chairman Kang made one last statement, “Mr. Park, I hope you won’t regret what you have said to me today.”
Before heading off, he turned his head slightly around and said confidently, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
…
After recalling their conversation, Park Jungsu hit his steering wheel and started to argue with his own self, “Yah! Park Jungsu! How can you do what you did back there? You should’ve have stayed calm instead of talking back to Sora’s father like that. Now, you have ruined your first impression in front of your girlfriend’s father. Yah! But he was trying to separate me and Sora. I had to stand up for our relationship! Yeah, but still, you didn’t have to let your arrogant way do the talking. You could have told him that you will love and protect Sora forever and ask him for his blessings. Aish! You can’t be regretting now, Park Jungsu. Stand firm!”
He stowed the envelope away shortly after he had calmed himself down.
***
After meeting Park Jungsu face-to-face that morning, Chairman Kang stood behind his desk while staring out the window into the city view. He contemplated for a long while until he was interrupted by Mrs. Kang, who dropped by to pay a visit to her husband.
“Yeobo, is something bothering you?” Mrs. Kang asked as she held her husband by the arm.
Chairman Kang turned around and looked at his wife for a moment. “How old is our Sora now? She’s twenty-four now, right?”
Mrs. Kang nodded as she smiled and said, “Ne…, who would have thought that our Sora would grow up this quickly? It was just like yesterday when she was just a little girl and now she’s all grown up.”
Chairman Kang sighed as he patted his wife’s hand. “Yes…, our Sora is all grown up. Yet, I still worry a lot for her. I mean, she’s my one and only daughter. I would hate to see her get hurt.”
Mrs. Kang agreed and said, “All parents hate to see their children get hurt and would always want to be there to protect them as long as we can. But if you don’t let them go on their own, they might not know what it would be like to be independent. Yeobo, we can’t always be there for Sora. So why don’t you just let her decide things on her own. We have to let go eventually.”
“Let go?” said Chairman Kang as he snorted. “Once I marry her off, then I will think of letting go. I will find someone who will take good care of our Sora, someone who will love and cherish her unlike that bastard who broke Sora’s heart!”
“Eh…Why must you bring up the past? That man got what he deserved, so why don’t you forget about it already, yeobo?” said Mrs. Kang.
“Arasso, it’s all in the past and we shouldn't bring that up, especially in front of Sora.”
“That’s it, don’t remind Sora of the past since she’s already happily in a relationship now,” said Mrs. Kang.
“Happy? How can she be happy with that insolent boy?” Chairman Kang said with skepticism.
Mrs. Kang looked dumbfounded for a second as she questioned, “Insolent boy?” It took her a few seconds to understand who her husband was referring to and so she quickly defended, “Yah! Yeobo! How can you call Jungsu-ah insolent? He is such a wonderful namja!”
“What? Jung-Su-Ah?” Chairman Kang questioned with his eyes wide opened. “How can you address him like that as if he’s your son already?”
“Waeyo? Jungsu-ah is such a great boy. He even helped me retrieve my handbag from that awful thief last time. Jamkkanman! Why are you calling Jungsu-ah insolent? You haven’t been meddling in your daughter’s affairs, have you?” Mrs. Kang asked her husband with a suspicious look in her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.
“Well I was just…Yah! What’s wrong with a father making sure his daughter is affiliating with the right people?”
“What did you say to Jungsu-ah?”
“Nothing, it’s just a man-to-man conversation,” answered Chairman Kang as he avoided eye contact with Mrs. Kang.
“Don’t tell me that you have been threatening Jungsu-ah to leave our Sora just because of your lousy, old-fashioned and stubborn perceptions!”
“Yah!” Chairman Kang sounded loudly as he pumps up his chest and said, “Who are you calling old-fashioned and stubborn? I am just looking out for our Sora so she won’t get hurt like before. Do you even know how disrespectful that insolent boy was to me? He wouldn’t even budge when I offer to pay him to leave Sora.”
“You what? Yah! How could you do that?” Mrs. Kang asked in shock. “What do you take Jungsu-ah and Sora-ah for? They are in love, so why don’t you let them be and let them have a go at it! I mean how would you feel if my father offered to pay you to leave me back then when we were dating, huh?” Mrs. Kang demanded.
“Eh…Yeobo, how can you associate that with the situation now?”
“And why not? Well, good thing Jungsu-ah didn’t waver to your stupid offer and showed you that he’s not someone who is afraid of a stubborn old man like you, who is trying to separate them two.”
Chairman Kang stood there as his wife lectured him about his actions and interference in Sora’s affairs. After Mrs. Kang was done criticizing Chairman Kang, he agreed that he will give them some slack for the time being just so that she would stop bickering him for the moment.
“You better remember what you promised me today, yeobo. If you fail to keep your promise, then you are going to regret it, believe me,” Mrs. Kang warned her husband.
Chairman Kang unwillingly nods in agreement as he placed his hands on Mrs. Kang’s shoulder. “Arasso…arasso…, just head on home for now. I still need to get on with my work.”
…
After sending Mrs. Kang out, he called Victor into his office. When Victor entered inside, he knew the reason why he was being called for and that was because of Park Jungsu and Sora.
“Take a seat, Victor,” said Chairman Kang as he made his way to the armchairs in his office.
Victor took a seat as he waited for Chairman Kang’s orders.
Sora’s father looked at Victor and asked, “How long have you been with our family, Victor?”
Victor was rather stunned by the sudden question. Why would Chairman Kang ask him this question out of the blue?
“Almost nine years now, sir.” Victor replied.
“Nine years…Time really flies, don’t you think?” asked Chairman Kang.
Victor nodded in reply. “Why is it that you ask, sir?”
“You have been watching Sora grow up ever since she was fifteen years old, correct?”
“Yes, sir, I’ve been watching over her like my own sister since then.”
Chairman Kang nodded in agreement and then sighed. “So Victor, how to you think of me as a father? Do you think I am being a good father to Sora?”
Victor was a bit hesitant to answer Chairman Kang’s question. He started to wonder why Chairman Kang began asking all these kinds of questions.
While Victor remained silent, Chairman Kang noticed Victor was a bit disinclined to answer his question and so he assured Victor that he can answer the question without any worry. “Don’t worry Victor, just tell me what you really think.”
Victor then looked Chairman Kang straight in the eyes and said, “As a father, I can see that you are doing what a father should be doing and that is looking after his own child. However, to be honest, I think you may be a bit too uptight about Sora.” Victor paused for a moment and looked at Chairman Kang to ensure it was still safe to continue.
To his surprised, Chairman Kang was still tentatively listening and asked Victor to continue, “Go on…”
“What I am saying sir, is that Sora is old enough to decide things on her own. She’s not the young Sora that we used to know anymore. She has her own thought of mind and I’m sure she is mature enough to handle situations on her own, particularly her own relationships. One can become stronger through falling and learning from past mistakes. For that, I believe you should let Sora do things on her own rather than laying the path ahead for her,” explained Victor.
Chairman Kang looked at Victor with raised eyebrows. “So even you are taking that insolent Park Jungsu’s side.”
Victor shook his head and said, “Aniya, I’m not taking President Park’s side. But considering Sora like she is my own sister, I think I would want see her happy rather than just working all the time.”
“Happy?” said Chairman Kang.
“Yes. Ever since that incident, Sora has been drowning herself with work to forget about what happened that time. Although she tells everyone that she’s working hard to prove to others that she has her own ability and strengths to be at where she is now, but really it’s just a way to brainwash herself from the unpleasant memories of the past. During those times, she may look like she’s happy, but one can tell that it’s just a way for her to hide her sadness.”
Chairman Kang was surprised and slightly disappointed in himself for not realizing how Sora really felt during all those times. “Is that really how she was? I thought she had forgotten about that time already since she was laughing and smiling with her friends and staff all that time. I didn’t know she was still upset.”
“Sir, I understand that you are trying to find someone whom you think is best for Sora. However, I haven’t actually seen Sora so sincerely happy before until she met President Park. Although…he could be a bit arrogant at times, but what matters is that he is able to bring back the joyful Sora that we haven’t seen for many years. Perhaps you can give them a chan−”
Victor was immediately cut off by Chairman Kang who signaled Victor to stop with his hand and said, “I’ve heard enough. No matter what, I will decide who will be best for Sora.”
From the way Chairman Kang responded, Victor could only let the subject matter pass at this point. He knew Chairman Kang isn’t someone who can be easily wavered by just one’s opinion.
***
Later that afternoon, after having lunch with her mother, Sora went back to her office. When she arrived, she found piles of documents waiting for her to go through and sign. She plumped down into her chair and began picking through different files and folders. “Why are there so many?” she thought out loud as she furrowed her eyebrows.
While Sora was busy working her way through some of the documents, Melissa came knocking excitingly on her office door. “Sora! Someone sent these over for you. They are so pretty!” said Melissa as she held a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
Sora looked up to see what Melissa was referring to. Her jaw dropped for a brief moment and then asked, “Who sent them over?” as she stood up and retrieve the bouquet from Melissa’s hands.
Melissa shrugged and replied, “Umm…not sure. There isn’t any name card with it. Could it be President Park who sent these over?”
Sora took a sniff of the flowers and smiled. “Maybe, I’ll ask him later,” she said as she couldn’t hold in her happiness.
Melissa sighed and said, “I’m so envious of you. Seems like cupid’s been following you around and shooting his little love arrows at you.”
Sora shook her head in response to Melissa’s comment. Just then someone else knocked on Sora’s door. It was another delivery man with another bouquet of flowers and a paper bag with a box of chocolates inside. “Excuse me. Is there a Kang Sora-ssi here?” asked the man at the door.
Sora walked over and said, “Yes, that would be me.”
The man handed the flowers and chocolate to her and had her sign the delivery invoice before leaving.
Melissa stood there looking at all the things Sora had just received. “This is truly unbelievable. Who sent these over this time?”
Sora found a name card from the bouquet and it read:
Dear Sora,
Thank you for your hard work in organizing such a great event for the charity. It all went very well and we managed to raise a good sum of donations. To show my appreciation, I hope you’ll enjoy these flowers and chocolates.
Sincerely,
Minho
“It’s from Minho-ssi. He’s thanking me for helping out with the charity event,” Sora told Melissa. She walked back over to Melissa. “Could you put these two bouquets somewhere for me, please? Thanks. I’ll take them with me after work,” said Sora as she handed the flowers over to Melissa.
“Sure! Let me get these,” replied Melissa as she took the two bouquets into her hands. Before Melissa made her way out of the office, she informed Sora that people from the management office from her home called. “They said that all maintenance and repair works are finished and that you can move back in either today or tomorrow,” said Melissa.
After being informed of the news, she wasn’t as enthusiastic as she thought she would be and said, “Oh…is that so? Alright then…thanks.”
“Wae? What’s wrong? How come you don’t sound that excited? Aren’t you happy that you can move back to your own place?” asked Melissa when she noticed the flat tone in her voice.
“It’s nothing…It’s just a hassle that I need to move some of my things back to my place,” replied Sora as she continued with her documents on the table.
After Sora’s reply, a smirk appeared on Melissa’s face as she began to chuckle. Melissa’s laugh caught Sora’s attention, to which she quickly turned to Melissa and asked, “What? Why are you laughing?”
With two bouquets in her hands, Melissa said, “Oh…nothing. It just seems like someone doesn’t want to move out of someone else’s place.” From what Melissa was saying, she was referring to Park Jungsu’s place.
Sora quickly snorted and denied, “Don’t be ridiculous! Why wouldn’t I want to move back to my own place? I can’t even wait to move back to my home sweet home. It’s just that I have a lot of things to move back, that’s all.”
Melissa nodded as if she believed everything Sora said while still grinning. “Sure…one whole luggage is really a lot to move back. You can always get President Park to help you, you know?” Melissa teased Sora. “Just admit you don’t want to move out of his place.”
Sora’s face quickly turned red when Melissa had figured her out. “Yah! Don’t you have other things to do? Hurry up and place the flowers somewhere!” ordered Sora who was feeling embarrassed from the situation.
“Arasso…arasso…” said Melissa as she made her way out of Sora’s office while still laughing.
Sora could feel her cheeks burning from the embarrassment. “Am I that easy to figure out?” she thought. “Would he even let me moved back to my place? Aish…Yah! Kang Sora! Stop being thick skinned and just move back to your own place. As a couple, you should give each some personal space, arasso? Aja! I’ll just tell him that I’ll move back home,” she contemplated by herself.
***
After a long afternoon of meetings, Park Jungsu was finally done for the day. He asked Miranda if there’s anything else he should be informed of before leaving the office. To his relief, there was none. Before leaving, he bid Miranda goodbye and went down to the underground parking.
When he settled into his car, he rested his head back on the headrest and sighed as he thought back to what happened in the morning with Sora’s father. The more he thought back, the more he thinks he should have handle things a little more carefully before acting irrationally in front of Chairman Kang.
Suddenly, his phone began to ring in his inner pocket from his jacket. He took out his phone and saw Sora calling. As soon as he saw her name, a smiled appeared on his face. He felt like all his worries vanished away whenever Sora came to his mind. He quickly answered the call, “Ne…Sora-ah…How is my Baby Princess doing?”
Sora’s laugh could be heard over the phone by Park Jungsu as he grinned happily.
“Where are you right now?” she asked.
“Waeyo? You miss me already?” he asked playfully.
Sora chuckled and said, “Yes…who wouldn’t miss a handsome looking oppa like you?”
Her answer made his cheeks ascend as he enjoyed the short flirting on the phone. “Jjinja? Am I really that handsome? So what can a handsome looking oppa like me do for a beautiful lady like you?” he asked.
Sora shook her head with a smile on the other side of the phone and replied, “Can you come and pick me up now? I have a lot of things with me right now.”
“Yes, of course! Actually, I was about to come pick you up. I just got into my car. Give me ten…maybe fifteen minutes and I’ll be there. I’ll call you when I arrive, arasso?”
“Ne…I’ll see in a bit then. Remember to drive safely.”
“Arasso…oh and Sora-ah…”
“Yes? What is it?”
Park Jungsu paused for a moment and then said over the phone, “Saranghae.”
Sora smiled with joy on the other side as she said in return, “I love you too, oppa.”
Both ended the call with joy written all over their faces. Park Jungsu then started his engine and drove off to pick Sora up.
…
After ending the call with Park Jungsu, Sora gathered all her belongings and took the flowers and chocolates she received today with her down to the roundabout.
By the time she reached downstairs, Park Jungsu had informed her that he will be there in a minute or two. So as Sora waited with her hands full of flowers, she looked up into the sky and saw many stars shining brightly at night alongside the moon. She then started to realize that she hasn’t been this happy for a very long time and wished this moment could last forever.
Soon Park Jungsu’s car came up to the roundabout where Sora was. He noticed she was looking up in the sky and wondered what was attracting her attention. Stepping out of his car, he walked over and asked, “What are you looking at? Hurry and get inside, it’s getting cold.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about something happy,” she answered.
“Something happy? Does it have to do with me?” he said with a cheeky smile while opening the door for her and noticed the flowers in her hands. “Wait. Who gave you those?” he asked with a bit of change in expression.
Sora looked at her two bouquets of flowers. “Huh? Didn’t you send me this bouquet of flowers as a surprise?” she replied.
“Me? I didn’t send you any flowers today. Even if I did, I wouldn’t send these types of flowers,” said Park Jungsu.
For a moment, Sora felt a bit disappointed that he wasn’t the one who sent her the flowers today. “Oh…” she murmured out.
“Hold on, get inside first.”
She got inside with a bit of a frowned face and Park Jungsu noticed the change in her expression when he went back to his driver’s seat.
“You’re not upset, are you?” he asked worriedly.
“Aniya. Why would I be upset?” replied Sora who was still slightly disappointed. “Well at least Minho-ssi sent me some flowers and chocolates for the day,” said Sora, intentionally letting Park Jungsu to hear.
As expected, Park Jungsu reacted to her comment. “Who did you say sent you those? Yah! I don’t want those in my car! You should throw them out!” he complained with jealousy.
“Aniya! They look and smell nice!” argued Sora, who was clearly trying to irritate Park Jungsu.
“I’m going to chuck out those flowers once we get home!” he stated as he fastens his seatbelt.
Sora just chuckled from the way he was reacting, but then she began to wonder who sent her the other bouquet of flowers when Park Jungsu said it wasn’t him. “Oppa, if you didn’t send me this bouquet here, I wonder who could have sent it?”
Park Jungsu turned to Sora and said, “Doesn’t it have a name-card from the sender?”
Sora shook her head. “Aniya, there wasn’t any when they delivered it to the office.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Wae? Why are there so many people who set their eyes on my woman? You clearly belong to me and they should stay away!”
“Yah! Who said that I’m your woman and who told you that I belong to you?” Sora said with a smirk.
Park Jungsu grabbed hold of her hand and gave it a light kiss. “Do you not want to be my woman after what we had shared last night?” he asked shamelessly as he thought back to the time when they slept together.
Sora’s face quickly blushed from his reminder. “Hurry up and drive, Park Jungsu!” she ordered while smiling timidly.
He was having fun teasing her and found her cute when she’s embarrassed. “Arasso! Aja! Let’s go!” said Park Jungsu and both headed off back to his place.
Meanwhile, from afar, someone was watching their every move while they drove off onto the street.
Hi everyone!
I finally managed to finish Chapter 28! Yay! ^^ For all those who waited patiently for my fanfic, thank you! I sincerely apologize for the long wait as I have indicated before that I am currently quite busy with work and other personal matters. Hence, you can probably expect that I won't be able to update Chapter 29 quickly based on my progress to complete and post this chapter. So I'll just say sorry in advance.
In the meantime, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter as I always find it fun to imagine and picture scenes with all the characters in my fanfic. Feel free to leave a comment.
Now, for those who are requesting for another "IT" scene (LOL), I'll take that into consideration but I cannot guarantee for sure that I'll write another "IT" scene similar to Chapter 26 given that I don't have much free time as before. (Even now, I feel embarrassed for writing that! >_<")
Anyways, I'm done for now. One more thing, I apologize if there are any grammatical and spelling mistakes as I just briefly proofread it once. ^^ So until next time....
Cheers!
lazyme2day
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