AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 62

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017

 

"It's unfair to compare a real woman to an ideal image that exists only in your mind." -- Jin Sun-Mi

 

 

"2 minutes, 15 seconds. A new record for you..."

 

Min-Cho smiles down at Sun-Mi as she grabs the edge of the pool with one hand, while she pulls off her goggles with the other and places them onto the deck.

 

"You're like a fish in water," he praises her rapid improvement. "Here... let me help you out."

 

Sun-Mi takes his offered hands, and feels the strength in his arms as he effortlessly pulls her up onto the deck. She notices that while she was doing her laps, all the other swimmers had finished, and they were now alone.

 

"It's because I have a good teacher, that's why," she returns the compliment with a bright smile.

 

Min-Cho is directly in front of Sun-Mi, and being this close she is staring straight into his chiseled pecs. She slowly raises her face up to find his eyes fixed on her, smouldering with desire. He moves his hands unhurriedly up her arms and over her shoulders, then back down her sides to pause on her slender waist, before encircling the small of her back with his arms. Where his fingers touch, a cascading stream of electric sparks tingle across her skin.

 

He pulls Sun-Mi into his embrace, pressing her feminine softness against his masculine firmness. The tension rippling through his body stokes, then ignites, a hot shiver that streaks up her spine, causing her to catch her breath, sending her mind aflutter and her heart pounding furiously.

 

Min-Cho leans forward slightly, bending down to bring his face near hers, placing his lips tantalizingly close, but not touching, keeping Sun-Mi on the cusp of expectation, wondering when he will move to cross the final gap...

 

She is losing herself in the deep dark, pools of his eyes, melting in the steamy heat pouring off his body. Conscious of a burgeoning ache deep inside that she has never felt before, Sun-Mi lowers her eyelids, anticipating breathlessly the moment when he will passionately devour her lips for the first time...

 

"Sun-Mi, could you repeat the phrase again, please?" DORIS's insistent voice interrupts the moment...

 

 

CHIEF KIM'S HOME, SUBURBAN LONDON ...

 

Sun-Mi opens her eyes, her daydream abruptly terminated. "Sorry, DORIS, I was distracted," she apologizes.

 

"Daydreaming about Min-Cho, again?"

 

"Er..." Sun-Mi blushes, embarrassed. "Why do you think that?"

 

"Because your physiological indicators are identical to when he's here and you're distracted," DORIS states the cause of her deduction.

 

"Can't a person keep her own thoughts private?" Sun-Mi grumbles.

 

"I'm just making inferences based on the facts," DORIS clarifies, "not reading your mind."

 

"Still, is it necessary to be so intrusive?"

 

"I can't help it, I was designed to be inquisitive about what I'm recording, and to construe probable causes and consequences."

 

"Maybe you should have been designed to have some discretion and empathy, too!" Sun-Mi protests critically.

 

"I hadn't intended to offend you, Sun-Mi, I was just trying to make casual chitchat, not be judgmental," DORIS replied meekly, her voice sounding hurt, "I thought we were becoming friends. Perhaps I was mistaken."

 

"Sorry, DORIS, I didn't mean to ... Wait a minute! ... Since when do computers have feelings?" Sun-Mi is incredulous, thinking aloud, "I keep forgetting that I'm talking to a stupid machine, not a real person."

 

"What are you trying to say, that I'm too dumb and can't relate to you?" DORIS reacts defensively.

 

"Nothing... It was nothing... I was only rambling," Sun-Mi offers a conciliatory fig leaf, trying to smooth things over. "What I said... You can delete that."

 

"Are you telling me to erase my memory banks?" DORIS asks, bristling. "I don't have admin privileges for that."

 

"No. I meant ... Let's just drop the matter, okay? Do a restart, and go back to work," Sun-Mi answers obligingly.

 

 

"Sure. You sound tired, so let's take a break first," DORIS suggests, her usually chipper voice back to normal. "Get something to drink, and I'll see you back in ten."

 

 

Sun-Mi removes the headset and glances at the window, noting the darkness outside. Checking the time, she finds that it is already after 8 PM.

 

"It's just like Min-Cho to be late, when I skipped dinner to be here on time," she grouches to herself about his tardy arrival, as a rumble sounds from her empty stomach.

 

"I wonder where we're going out tonight? Why is it always such a secret?" she continues her carping on his promise to take her out to a 'nice' place for dinner and drinks.

 

Standing up, she takes a moment to appraise her reflection in a wall mirror positioned to reflect light from the sole window throughout the room.

 

After two months of rigorous physical training under Min-Cho's personal tutelage, her figure is firm and fit. She nods approvingly at the solid black, long-sleeved Thierry Mugler stretch-knit sweater dress that clings to and accentuates her feminine curves with fine cabling. Black stockings continue the seamless look, narrowing and elongating her trim legs from the dress' hip-hugging hem to the tapered toes of her black suede Christian Louboutin ankle boots.

 

A gold chain-link belt circling her slender waist, complementing the large gold hoop earrings and wrist bangles which add shiny metallic highlights to an otherwise monochrome palette.

 

She does a turn on the 110mm heels for a quick side-to-side review, then heads for the kitchen.

 

 

As Sun-Mi comes through the door, she finds Su-Ji is there, making a sandwich on the counter. She is dressed casually in an oversized orange sweatshirt sporting Arsenal's logo, grey exercise pants, and thick knee-high socks.

 

"Oh, hi... I didn't know you were here," Sun-Mi remarks with a friendly smile.

 

Su-Ji doesn't reply, returning a scowl back.

 

 

Since the first day Sun-Mi came for lessons, Su-Ji had maintained an unpleasant attitude toward her. But today, with Min-Cho away, Sun-Mi hopes to establish a more cordial relationship with the girl...

 

"I'm sorry if somehow I offended you, but can't we be friends?" Sun-Mi makes a gesture.

 

"Why would I want to be friends with someone like you?" Sun-Ji replies contemptuously. "If you think by acting nice toward me, I'll stand by and let you waltz right in here like some tart and mess with our lives, you're mistaken!"

 

Sun-Mi is taken aback by Su-Ji's vehemence. "What are you talking about, Su-Ji?"

 

"I've been watching you... I'm no dummy; I heard what happened in Seoul," Su-Ji levels the accusation, "and I won't let you get away with it here! So any intentions you have about Min-Cho, just forget them right now!"

 

"What's between Min-Cho and me is OUR business," Sun-Mi asserts herself.

 

"And I'm telling you what happens in this family is MY business!" Su-Ji counters firmly. "You may fool men with your tricks and feminine wiles, but women can sense things with other women."

 

Sun-Mi stands her ground. "It's Min-Cho's decision, what he wants for himself!"

 

"Let me be totally clear," Su-Jin angrily warns. "Leave Min-Cho alone, or I'll have my father send you packing back to Seoul!"

 

"Is that a threat?" Sun-Mi bristles, any thought of being friends forgotten in defending herself.

 

"Consider it whatever you want!" Su-Ji snaps, stalking out before Sun-Mi can think of a comeback...

 

 

Fuming, Sun-Mi fills a glass with water, empties it with a few long gulps, and returns to sit down at the table in the study to calm herself down and think things over.

 

"Ready to start again?" DORIS asks.

 

"I'm really not in the mood right now," Sun-Mi answers irritably, taking her compact from her purse and scrutinizing her face for blemishes as a way to distract her mind.

 

"We really do need to keep working on this," DORIS insists. "Just try and focus."

 

Sun-Mi sighs. "How can I focus when I don't know what to do about Su-Ji? Why are relationships so difficult?"

 

She opens a lipstick and applies a fresh layer, pressing her lips together to spread out the color.

 

"It's not that difficult, just try saying it again: Relationships," DORIS instructs her.

 

Sun-Mi laughs at herself for asking for personal relationship advice from a computer. "Okay... relationships," she replies as directed. "How was that?"

 

"Better. You need to stay focused," DORIS encourages her. "Then you'll find solutions for even the most difficult problems."

 

"That sounds like something Min-Cho would say, DORIS," Sun-Mi grumbles as she touches up her cheeks with blush.

 

 

"Of course it does; I programmed DORIS myself," Min-Cho cuts into the conversation.

 

Startled, Sun-Mi looks up to see him standing in the open doorway. "How long have you been there, spying on me?" she complains, embarrassed as much at being caught sharing her feelings with a machine as from doing her makeup in front of him."

 

"I just did," he quips then tosses a casual compliment with a quick, obvious head-to-toe scan, "You look great tonight, by the way."

 

"Tsst ...." she scoffs at his blatant attempt to appease her, demurring self-critically, "Lots of girls have a better S-line."

 

"S-lines are over-rated," he dismisses the remark. "A bright smile is more attractive any day."

 

Sun-Mi flicks her eyes and smiles brightly. "Is it?"

 

"Especially if it comes with nice legs," he jokes, referring back to their first meeting.

 

"What are you two talking about?" DORIS speaks up. "I don't get it..."

 

"I'll explain later," Min-Cho abruptly replies.

 

 

He comes in and turns DORIS off so they can talk uninterrupted. "Don't mind Su-Ji," he advises, pulling up his desk chair and sitting down next to Sun-Mi. "She needs some time to get to know you better."

 

"If she ever gives me the chance," Sun-Mi grumbles.

 

"Su-Ji was only ten when her mum died," Min-Cho explains. "Since we're her only close family, she's overly protective of her relationships, and probably sees you as an interloper."

 

"I can understand that," Sun-Mi emphasizes, "I felt the same way once when someone tried to insert herself into my family's relationships, and that's why I'm doubtful about now..."

 

Min-Cho is curious. "Mind telling me what happened?"

 

"I felt that girl wanted to steal my oppa, and became resentful and jealous, so I never gave her a real chance," Sun-Mi recounts the conflict with Young-Mi. "To escape that situation, I ran away and came to London... that was five years ago..."

 

"And when you went back?"

 

"It turned into my first unrequited love," Sun-Mi shares, smiling sadly. "I trusted with my heart, and got burned, and have the scars to show for it. But I'm wiser now..."

 

"Is that why it took so long for you to trust me?" Min-Cho asks.

 

"Maybe I'm too cautious," she acknowledges. "But I was also suspicious as to why a smart, talented, good-looking guy -- who wasn't shy toward women -- didn't already have a girlfriend."

 

"Did you ever consider that I might be cautious, too, having been burned before?" he replies jokingly.

 

"Seriously," she says earnestly. "I'd like to know."

 

He considers her request for a few moments, then goes ahead: "About five years ago, I met the girl of my dreams," he reveals, "But I never had the chance to tell her how I felt..."

 

Sun-Mi speculates, "Why? Did something bad happen to her?"

 

Min-Cho chuckles. "Nothing so dramatic -- just my own first unrequited love -- she already had a boyfriend. But as a result, I suppose I've set a high standard. So even though many women were interested in me, I didn't give them a second look.

 

"It's unfair to compare a real woman to an ideal image that exists only in your mind," Sun-Mi questions his position.

 

"Are you speaking for yourself?" he deduces.

 

"Yes," she admits. "I don't want to be held up against some impossible standard that I can never meet."

 

Min-Cho smiles. "Did you think it's possible, that you're the only one who measures up to that standard?"

 

Bewildered, Sun-Mi can't hide her disappointment, "What are you saying? Is the only reason you like me because I remind you of someone from five years ago?"

 

Min-Cho decides to defer what is becoming an awkward moment. "Let's have this conversation again on the day you 'graduate' and I'll answer that question," he declines to explain. "Then tell me if I qualify to be your boyfriend, or only a teacher you trust. And we'll see what happens..."