AAE -- For Better For Worse

Chapter 07

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

From the window of her bedroom, Sun-Mi peers out, a twinge of emptiness in her heart as she watches the cab leave. Leaning back against the wall, she scrutinizes her image in the mirror and contemplates what had just happened.

 

Her mobile phone buzzes, startling her from her musing, and she hurries to grab it from her office tote. The text message she reads dispels the longing ache in her heart, putting a smile back on her face. "Sweet dreams. XXX -- y"

 

"That's odd," she ponders aloud to herself. "He's never signed off like that before."

 

Then she wonders ... What had happened while she slept? Did it have something to do with that 'XXX'? -- Had he, maybe, kissed her?

 

 

She touches her lips with her right forefinger, pursing them as she contemplates the possibility.

 

"Don't get your hopes up, Jin Sun-Mi," she chastises herself. "Anyway, if you were asleep, it hardly counts, right? And that begs the real question -- Why won't he kiss you when you're wide awake?"

 

With a sigh, she sets aside that matter for another time, turning back to the question which nags in her thoughts. What is she going to do about London?

 

She recalls Joo-Hee's advice from earlier that day --

 

"If I have to give up my career, then I won't get married."

"As women, we have it twice as hard as men. Unless we stand up for our goals, they'll never happen."

"Don't give anyone power over your future... Don't get hurt like I did."

 

"Senior Joo-Hee is right," she concurs. "We'll always be fighting for equality in relationships unless we stand up for ourselves!" She twists her lips as she ponders. "Will he really let me make the choice for myself? He did say -- with reason -- that from now on we'll do things his way."

 

 

After her nap in the cab, Sun-Mi is re-energized. Instead of trying to sleep, she sits at her desk to browse through the English newspapers and magazines borrowed from the MBS periodical room that afternoon so she could start brushing up on her rusty English. Unlike Young-Mi, who had achieved fluency in English, Russian, and Japanese in college, Sun-Mi had struggled to master even rudimentary English skills.

 

Living and working in London will be a challenge, personally and professionally. But if Joo-Hee has faith in her ...

 

 

Sun-Mi picks through the stack and settles on the head section of "The Guardian", but a teaser on the front page sidebar prompts her to read an article in another section first. As she searches for the section, Joo-Hee's words from the morning encourage her...

 

"Because you're going to be the London News Correspondent instead of me. If you do well, they'll give you a scholarship."

 

 

Sun-Mi holds the necklace pendant that Hyung-Chul had bought in London for Young-Mi, and reminds herself, "Young-Mi, if it were you ... you wouldn't even look back, right?"

 

The sobering thought, spoken aloud, focuses Sun-Mi's dithering mind.

 

"That settles it ... If Young-Mi would do it, so can I," she concludes with firm resolve. "I'll work hard, and make Senior proud of me. It'll show everyone that I can be as good as Yoo Joo-Hee ... good enough to be Mrs. Yoon Hyung-Chul!"