AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 23

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2016

 

"Living a dream is not as important as the person beside you while you live it." -- Jin Kui-Sung

 

 

JIN HOME, SUBURBAN SEOUL ...

 

"Why doesn't she just be honest, and let him know her true feelings?" Kui-Sung remarks with an air of exasperation before he flicks the remote, turning off the TV as the closing credits roll.

 

"It's because she knows the other girl is really her long-lost twin, and doesn't want to selfishly ruin the happiness of her sister, who she thinks is pregnant with his baby. But it's actually his best friend's child, the guy who really loves the sister, and saved her life before she had the accident that caused her amnesia," Sun-Mi fills her father in on the details from the previous episodes he'd missed while away on a business trip.

 

"Well, it's just a drama," her father shakes his head. "Having to manage all those problems in real life would make my head spin!"

 

"Yes..." Sun-Mi idly replies, her mind gone elsewhere as she glances at her cell phone on the coffee table.

 

Kui-Sung catches the slight movement of his daughter's eyes, repeating something she'd done continuously since they sat down on the couch with a shared fruit plate, to watch the 10 PM MBS Wednesday-Thursday drama together.

 

"Director Yoon is probably just getting back home," he remarks to ease her worries.

 

"If only Senior would drive more carefully, I wouldn't worry so," she laments. "But he's always in such a hurry to get somewhere!"

 

"You mean, he's always in a hurry to get to where YOU are," Kui-Sung pokes in jest.

 

"Daddy!" Sun-Mi protests, then shares a laugh with her father.

 

"How long have you noticed?" she asks.

 

"Do you remember that night I came home and found the two of you holding hands by the gate?" he reminds her.

 

"We weren't holding hands!" she contradicts, then smiles bashfully and admits: "Well, I hadn't intended to, he just made it happen, somehow..."

 

"I suppose he also 'just made it happen' that you two were alone behind those bushes?"

 

"Er... Senior said he wanted to ask me something, in private," she confesses. "I just made the suggestion. It seemed the right place for something like that."

 

"Like what?" Kui-Sung pretends ignorance.

 

"I think Senior was intending to propose," Sun-Mi confides, then complains, "until you all came outside and interrupted us!"

 

Kui-Sung smiles. "If a guy is serious about a girl, he won't let a small inconvenience dissuade him. Believe me, I've been there myself!"

 

"You and Mother?"

 

"I must have tried to propose a dozen times," he recalls. "Something always interrupted, but that only made me more determined to make it happen."

 

"Daddy, you never told me how you proposed to Mother."

 

"I didn't? Then it's about time you knew. I'd just taken my first job, as a straw-boss for a small construction firm," he begins the story. "Your mum and I were out walking one night, and she asked me what my dream was for the future..."

 

He pauses to chuckle, then explains: "Now your Mother never addressed anything directly. If she wanted us to stop and eat, she'd first ask if I was hungry, or if she was ready for us to go home for the night, she'd first comment on how tired I looked. So I had good idea that she was about to tell me what SHE saw for OUR future..."

 

Sun-Mi interrupts, surprised: "Mother proposed to you?"

 

"No, she was just priming the pump, so to speak," he answers. "I took a moment to look around and be sure we were alone, and then I took her hand in mine and said: 'Living a dream is not as important as the person beside you while you live it... I want to live my dreams with you, every day, for the rest of my life,' and that was that."

 

"So beautiful!" Sun-Mi exclaims. "Daddy, I didn't know you were so romantic! I truly understand that feeling now. Whenever I think about Senior, my heart wants to shout with happiness..."

 

 

Sun-Mi's cell phone rings...

 

"There he is. See, you worried for nothing," Kui-Sung chides her with a smile.

 

But Sun-Mi isn't listening; she already has the phone up to her ear. "Senior..." she sighs in relief.

 

"I took Young-Mi up to her apartment, and she asked me to stay a while for coffee," he explains. "I wanted to be sure she was alright before I left her alone, and we did have a good chat. I think she's fine, just so you know...Sorry if I made you worry."

 

"Never mind," Sun-Mi quickly dismisses her nagging fear from the past concerning Young-Mi, that she hadn't been able to completely set aside, and that she hadn't wanted to voice to her father. "All I care is that you're home safe," she tells him, and adds a warning before he said anything too intimate: "I'm not alone."

 

"Okay," he gets the hint, then asks: "Are you free tomorrow for lunch?"

 

"As if you don't have my schedule memorized?" she tries to sound a little irritated, while showing her father a 'fighting' expression in celebration. "Where are we going?"

 

"Let me surprise you," he deliberately intrigues her, intending the double meaning. "It's late... Sweet dreams..."

 

"Good night..." Sun-Mi sends him off simply, too shy to say more in front of her father.

 

She puts down her phone, basking in the joy of feeling loved by the one she loved.

 

"Didn't I say it?" Kui-Sung prompts Sun-Mi momentarily from her euphoric state.

 

"I know. Daddy is always right," she concurs before returning into the bliss of anticipating... tomorrow...