AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart
Chapter 21
written by LoveCR2 -- 2005
edited by All-About-AAE -- 2016
"I'm happiest when I share good things with someone beside me. It's a double blessing of happiness." -- Jin Sun-Mi
JIN HOME, SUBURBAN SEOUL ...
"There you are!" Young-Mi says cheerfully as she appears from behind a shrub. "I've been looking for you two everywhere!"
Startled, Sun-Mi looks away from Hyung-Chul and replies awkwardly, "We were just... stargazing..."
"Everything is packed. I'm ready to leave, Director Yoon," Young-Mi declares her reason for coming out.
"Of course," Hyung-Chul answers, letting the ring drop back into his pocket. "But please give us a moment, Miss Huh."
Young-Mi looks at Sun-Mi, then back at Hyung-Chul. "Oh... I'm sorry for interrupting," she apologizes, embarrassed. "I'll tell Uncle and Auntie I need a few more minutes before I'm ready."
After he hears the door to the house close, Hyung-Chul shrugs and grins at Sun-Mi. "Can we discuss this next time?"
"Yes," Sun-Mi replies simply, hiding her disappointment behind a weak smile.
Hyung-Chul holds his hand out for Sun-Mi. Although she doesn't need his help, she accepts it and rises from her seat. For a moment they stand close, both wondering what to say in parting.
"You seem especially happy today, Sun-Mi," Hyung-Chul finally remarks.
"I am, very happy," Sun-Mi concurs, her buoyant demeanor quickly returning as she recalls the day's events. "So many good things happened today: with Young-Mi, and Daddy and Auntie, and..." She stops there, then adds thoughtfully: "But do you know what makes me the happiest?"
"What?'
"I'm happiest when I can share the good things of life with someone beside me. It's like having a double blessing of happiness." She gazes directly at Hyung-Chul, showing a brilliant smile, to convey exactly who it is she is happy being beside.
Being the favored recipient of Sun-Mi's smile is all that Hyung-Chul ever needs to double his own happiness. "I do know what you mean," he reflects warmly. "I feel exactly the same."
Her point made, Sun-Mi reminds him, "We should go in now."
"I can't leave you this way, not tonight, under all these smiling stars," he counters. "Five minutes?"
No more words are necessary. "Umm..." she signals her more-than-willing consent.
Hyung-Chul steps closer, taking Sun-Mi into his embrace. She melts into his arms, basking in the glow of the moment, her heart purring contentment.
But barely a minute into the five, Sun-Mi senses a different feeling from Hyung-Chul, and lifts her head from his shoulder. He is staring down at her, eyes dark and penetrating, gleaming in a way she'd never seen before. She has a fleeting thought to look away, but it dies in the intensity of his gaze, and now, lost in the depths of those eyes, she doesn't want to look anywhere else...
She anticipates what is certain to come next -- finding herself being swept up and carried off in passionate abandon. Her lips instinctively pucker, her eyelids drift down of their own accord, and she rises up on tiptoe to meet halfway... True Love's first kiss...
"Sun-Mi?" Jin-Suk's voice breaks the night's stillness. "Jin Sun-Mi!"
Sun-Mi's eyes pop wide open. Hyung-Chul looking at her, an amused grin on his face.
"Young-Mi said they were right outside. They can't be far," they hear Kui-Sung speculate, then call loudly: "Coming out, Young-Mi?"
"Just a another minute, Uncle," Young-Mi's muted reply sounds from inside.
"I think we're being paged," Hyung-Chul chuckles quietly, finding humor in being interrupted again only because he realizes that Sun-Mi, of her own volition, had wanted him to kiss her.
But Sun-Mi is less sanguine, realizing that, brazenly impetuous, she was encouraging him to kiss her. She drops down off her toes and steps back, cheeks burning red in dismay that she could so perilously allow the cart before the horse.
"Let's go." Hyung-Chul urges, offering his arm to Sun-Mi, as before.
But she declines it and starts off first, leading the way with cautious steps on the uneven lawn. Hyung-Chul ambles along behind Sun-Mi, reminded of her similarly prudish reaction the night he'd introduced himself to her father while holding her hand.
Kui-Sung and Jin-Suk are waiting by the cars, holding the bags prepared for Young-Mi. In the bright lights at the gate, Sun-Mi's face glows. Kui-Sung sends Jin-Suk a wink as they exchange knowing smiles, tacitly agreeing to say nothing.
"Sorry," Young-Mi calls to the group as she comes belatedly from the house. She smiles slightly as she sees Sun-Mi and Hyung-Chul together.
"Goodnight, Mother." Young-Mi gives Jin-Suk a warm hug, and another to Kui-Sung. "You too, Uncle."
"Call me tomorrow," Jin-Suk insists. "I'll bring you home for dinner."
"Yes," Young-Mi smiles happily. "I'd like that."
Young-Mi next hugs Sun-Mi. "I'm so glad we're friends now, Sun-Mi, and soon to be sisters, too."
Sun-Mi tears up despite trying to hold back her emotions. "I'm so happy we found you."
"Let's get together again soon," Young-Mi offers, taking Sun-Mi's hands in hers.
Hyung-Chul has the shopping bags already in the car when he announces, "Miss Huh, shall we go now?"
Sun-Mi and Young-Mi drop hands, and Young-Mi gets into the car. Hyung-Chul dips his head to the elders, then makes eye contact with Sun-Mi. But Sun-Mi self-consciously looks away.
"Sweet dreams," Hyung-Chul says anyway. (Their private code words meaning 'I'll call you later')
He slides into the driver's seat, starts the engine, and drives off under three watchful pairs of eyes.
Kui-Sung puts an arm around Sun-Mi's shoulders and comments, "I don't think I've ever seen such a happy face as yours tonight."
Sun-Mi looks down and replies a bit sheepishly, "I don't know why I smile so much."
"I do," Jin-Suk remarks. "Women can sense these things in other women," she reminds Sun-Mi.
Sun-Mi sighs, "Is it that obvious?"
Kui-Sung mock protests: "What are you ladies gabbing about now?"
Sun-Mi turns to her father and finally admits the truth: "Senior is the One I love... Daddy, this is the man I plan to marry..."