AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 3

by LoveCR2

edited by All-About-AAE

 

"I'll wait for you... always..." -- Yoon Hyung-Chul

 

 

Hyung-Chul paces in the dressing room waiting area of Madame Kim's fashion boutique, watching the closed curtain impatiently, a smile of anticipation on his face... it is the moment he is waiting for, to see the woman of his dreams, resplendent in white...

 

But before the curtain opens, a woman storms into the room, breathless from her frenzied rush.

 

Hyung-Chul turns to look. "Sun-Mi?" he exclaims in surprise. "But I thought you..."

 

Sun-Mi faces Hyung-Chul, eyes ablaze with accusing fury: "I heard the rumors, but I never believed they could be true!"

 

"What... what are you talking about?" he responds, bewildered.

 

As they are talking, the curtain starts sliding open...

 

Hyung-Chul turns to see a woman wearing a white wedding gown, her back to them. Madame Kim stands by her, and two attendants are fussing about, making adjustments to the gown and accessories.

 

"Jin Sun-Mi, you gave up your chance when you went to London," the woman declares. "It's my turn, now."

 

Her voice is familiar to Hyung-Chul. "Young-Mi? But..." he begins...

 

"How could you betray me like this?!" Sun-Mi wails loudly. "You told me: 'I'll wait for you... always...' I believed you, Senior...you gave me your promise!"

 

"How can you blame him?" Young-Mi argues. "He waited five long years for you to give him all your love, but even after Woo-Jin died, you couldn't let him go. What did you give Hyung-Chul, except petty tantrums and childish games, making his life miserable? So if you can hurt him, then why can't I comfort him? He's a man, not a saint..."

 

"I don't care what happened between you and him," Sun-Mi counters, "Senior made a promise to me first!"

 

The attendants finish their work, and step aside, one holding the long train up so Young-Mi can turn around.

 

"Isn't this dress beautiful?" Madame Kim gushes admiringly. "You made a good choice, Director. It looks perfect for her condition."

 

"But..." Hyung-Chul starts to speak, but his voice dies as Young-Mi pivots to face them.

 

Sun-Mi's mouth drops as she stares, disbelievingly, at Young-Mi's visibly pregnant belly.

 

"I think the 'promise' Hyung-Chul gave me trumps his promise to you," Young-Mi smirks, rubbing her baby-bump lightly. The diamond on her engagement ring... the ring Hyung-Chul had bought, intended for Sun-Mi... sparkles on her hand.

 

"But.. but..." Hyung-Chul sputters, confused, as Young-Mi continues:

 

"Hyung-Chul and I were fated to be together from the beginning," Young-Mi declares. "You were never right for him, Jin Sun-Mi... Go back to London, live the life you chose for yourself, forget Hyung-Chul. Forget it all happened."

 

"No... I can't, I won't," Sun-Mi retorts, her voice agitated. She closes her eyes and puts her hands up to her head, shaking it slowly. "It's this that isn't happening," she tells herself, in total denial, "It's all a bad dream... a terrible dream! I'll just open my eyes, and..."

 

 

A dull thud arouses Hyung-Chul; he opens his eyes with a start. On the floor is the book he was reading as he'd sat at Sun-Mi's desk. In front of him is the music box doll, with the engagement ring still on the doll's hand.

 

A sense of relief passes over him, gratitude that the dream -- or more accurately, the nightmare -- wasn't reality.

 

He reaches down and picks up the book, a collection of European fairy tales he'd pulled from Sun-Mi's shelf. The cover is worn, and the pages dog-eared from use. He opens to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, bookmarked by a black and white photograph of Kim Woo-Jin holding his camera, dated 00-06-09 -- just before Sun-Mi and Woo-Jin went together to Ulsan, he recalls. The glossy emulsion is streaked and blotchy, as if water had accidentally spilled on it.

 

Or tears… he acknowledges the possibility with a resigned insight. Tears for an unrequited love, never resolved?

 

He recalls the end of the fairy tale, how a single kiss of true love awakens the princess to live happily ever after.

 

Hyung-Chul sighs, wishing it was as easy to win his princess' heart, that he didn't have to compete with the lingering ghosts of Kim Woo-Jin and Huh Young-Mi.

 

Dawn is just breaking, and orange-yellow light floods the room with a warm glow.

 

Hyung-Chul closes the volume and returns it to the shelf. The pile of English newspapers and periodicals on Sun-Mi's desk catches his eye. He picks up a copy of The Guardian and opens to the lead sports page, where the headline reads "Arsenal 3, Chelsea 0". The paper is weeks old. Disinterested in old news, he discards the paper for a magazine and opens it to a folded page titled ‘London Fine Dining'. Scanning the columns, he finds marks on several, including 'Savoir Faire' and 'Schuberterie'.

 

The names bring back memories of London, of the romantic spots he'd hoped to take Sun-Mi on their honeymoon. But that hope has to be postponed... again, this time while she puts her career first.

 

A knock makes him look up. Sun-Mi's voice is muffled through the closed door: "Senior? Are you awake?"