AAE -- For Better For Worse

Chapter 17

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

 

After the drinking was done, Hyung-Chul went up to Sun-Mi's bedroom while she cleaned up the snack dishes. Gui-Sung, who had overindulged, went directly to his bedroom and soon turned in for the night.

 

 

Making the most of this golden opportunity to learn more about Sun-Mi, Hyung-Chul slowly browses about, taking pictures with his eyes. Shortly, Sun-Mi arrives, carrying a set of pajamas. She hesitates at the door for a second, unsure of how to handle the novel situation, before stepping inside.

 

"What should I do? Can I really sleep over?" Hyung-Chul asks, then sees the clothes in her hands. "What is this?"

 

Sun-Mi looks down and smiles shyly. "Daddy says you should wear this." She walks over to the bed and sets the pajamas down. "When my dad drinks, he's really bossy."

 

Hyung-Chul walks over to the bed and sits down. "I'll leave after he falls asleep."

 

 

He pats the bed several times to indicate that Sun-Mi should sit next to him. She glances at the bed, back to Hyung-Chul, and then the bed again as she mulls over the possible implications of this invitation. She thinks back to the lounge, where it had seemed he was about to propose, until she had raised going to London, and the moment had passed. Could this be why he came in and agreed to stay?

 

Sun-Mi awkwardly sits on the bed, watching Hyung-Chul. He smiles back. Shyly, she lowers her eyes to wait.

 

The seconds drag on, each seeming an eternity to Sun-Mi, but Hyung-Chul doesn't move or speak.

 

Realizing that her imagination was running wild, Sun-Mi smiles to herself at her foolish hopes. Looking for something to fill the uncomfortable silence, she picks up the TV remote and presses the POWER button, then turns to look at Hyung-Chul again.

 

But when the TV comes on, instead of the MBS program Sun-Mi expects, the videotape Hyung-Chul made for her starts playing at the point he says, "This is my favorite expression of yours."

 

Hearing his voice, Hyung-Chul turns to look over his shoulder at the TV, watching himself on the tape, "I'll always make you smile like this. I promise."

 

Quickly, Sun-Mi turns the TV off, then looks to Hyung-Chul for his reaction.

 

He glances at her, grinning with satisfaction that she is still watching the tape.

 

Sun-Mi cringes with embarrassment.

 

 

Meanwhile, Hyung-Chul recalls the photo album he'd seen on Sun-Mi's shelf and retrieves it. Despite her protests, he opens the album and pages through Sun-Mi's baby pictures.

 

As he laughs, she reaches over to grab the album, scolding him, "Senior!"

 

He laughs, promising, "OK, I won't look."

 

But he continues to turn the pages, until he comes to photographs of Young-Mi and Woo-Jin.

 

 

Sun-Mi's expression turns somber as she remembers Woo-Jin's tragic death, reaching out to touch one of the couple together.

 

"Woo-Jin, Young-Mi. I think I got this far because of Young-Mi," she reflects, "My dreams and work, I split them both with Young-Mi."

 

Hyung-Chul listens without comment as she continues, "We did it while fighting and hating each other ... If it were Young-Mi, she wouldn't give up the London Special Correspondent job, right?"

 

Wanting to avoid that discussion, Hyung-Chul changes the subject, "I talked about this with Sun-Dal. We wanted to put you as the announcer for Eve's Morning in place of Young-Mi."

 

"Was that what you wanted to tell me?" she asks.

 

"Yeah," he replies, neither looking nor sounding as if it is true. "But, this is a much better opportunity than Eve's Morning."

 

 

Perceiving the discordance between his words and his demeanor, Sun-Mi wonders ... Does he want her to go, or stay?

 

She gives him one more chance to make it clear if he wants her to stay and be part of his life, "Can I really go?"

 

"Of course. Go."

 

 

The instant she hears his answer, Sun-Mi wishes she hadn't pressed for it. Up to this point, she could entertain some hope, now it appears she has nothing left to hope for. Joo-Hee was right. She has no part in his future, even if he can't bring himself to tell her directly.

 

Then Sun-Mi recalls the advice Hyung-Chul had given her in London when she was struggling with returning to Seoul and facing Woo-Jin over Young-Mi -- "It's sad to be rejected, but it's sadder when you don't say everything you want to. Try telling him how you really feel. Speak from the heart, then it'll work out."

 

As Sun-Mi is lost in her thoughts, Hyung-Chul waits patiently hoping she is about to say what he wants to hear.

 

Finally, Sun-Mi finds the courage to speak, "Senior...?"

 

Hyung-Chul looks up expectantly.

 

But as they make eye contact her confidence falters, and instead she tells him, "Never mind. It's very late so sleep here. ... Sleep well."

 

He doesn't respond. More words at this point seem futile.

 

 

Sun-Mi stands and walks out of the room, closing the door. For a moment she stands there, debating whether to go back in and try again, then walks away.

 

After her footsteps fade, Hyung-Chul moves to Sun-Mi's desk. He takes the engagement ring out of its box, looks at it wistfully, then puts the ring over the hand of one of Sun-Mi's music box dolls. Winding it up, he watches the doll slowly turn as a melody plays, regretting his failure tonight to put the ring on a real finger.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Downstairs, Sun-Mi lies in her father's bed, listening to his snoring as she ponders the evening's events and it's disappointing conclusion. She is about to be dumped for another woman, and again, there is nothing she can do about it.

 

Unable to sleep, Sun-Mi passes the time imagining their breakup, what he would say, and how she should respond -- Accept it stoically? Break into tears? Throw a tantrum? Or slap him and walk away? -- But whatever the outcome, she finds being a helpless victim of unwanted circumstances unappealing. Then it dawns on her that she has another choice.

 

She can take control, choose the time and place herself, and break up with him, first ...

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Upstairs, Hyung-Chul finds sleep just as elusive. Resting on Sun-Mi's bed, he mentally rehashes the tenuous position he now finds himself in. With Sun-Mi going to London, his plans for marrying her have gone awry, and the pressure to marry Joo-Hee and not lose control of MBS will only increase. Then it strikes him -- there is another possibility that he hadn't considered.

 

Hyung-Chul checks his watch. Seeing it is 1:00 AM, mentally he converts hour to 4:00 PM in London. Just enough time to make a call ...