AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart
Chapter 120
written by LoveCR2 -- 2005
edited by All-About-AAE -- 2017
"When things seem impossible, and that there's nothing else we can do... we can still pray." -- Huh Young-Mi
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF TV PRODUCTION, MBS YEOUIDO HQ, SEOUL...
Hyung-Chul droops at his desk, staring hollow-eyed at �the TV monitor as he watches a CNN replay of the collapse of the South and North WTC Towers.
Listlessly, he switches to watch again the video of Sun-Mi's stand-up... "Hello, I'm Correspondent Jin Sun-Mi, reporting for Global News..."
"Director Yoon?... Director? Are you there?" Miss Lee concerned voice on the intercom is insistent, intruding on his numbed consciousness.
Scowling with irritation, he flicks the remote, stopping the videotape, and presses the TALK button as he answers wearily: "Yes?"
"Director Kim Sun-Dal to see you..."
After a pause, he growls, "Send him in... please..."
Sun-Dal opens the door and ambles in, his tiredness from a night without sleep obvious from the dark circles surrounding his eyes. On seeing Hyung-Chul's drawn, haggard face, he remarks, "You look terrible."
"You don't look so good yourself," Hyung-Chul shoots back, then his demeanor softens as he asks hopefully. "Any word about Sun-Mi?"
Sun-Dal eases his weary frame into the visitor's chair by the desk and reports, "The good news is the remote team has returned to the Bureau office."
"And the bad news?"
"Sun-Mi wasn't with them."
Sun-Dal pauses to let the words sink in, but when Hyung-Chul shows no visible response, he continues with his account...
"After the second plane crash, debris damaged the satellite truck and knocked out the transmitter. Fortunately everyone had taken shelter under the nearby building, so there were no injuries. That's when the PD decided to get everyone out with the Production van. But Sun-Mi refused to go, insisting someone should stay to cover the ongoing developments..."
Hearing this, Hyung-Chul bursts out violently, "That's crazy! Why would she take such a risk?"
"Apparently the PD tried to dissuade her, but Sun-Mi was adamant that she was doing nothing any good reporter worth hiring wouldn't do," Sun-Dal explains. "The camera was undamaged, so the cameraman and a few of the crew also volunteered to stay on, too....
... in his mind, Hyung-Chul hears again his rebuke to Sun-Mi, words that condemn him as the perpetrator of her fate... 'Why don�t you try harder and become a celebrity that any broadcast company would want to hire?' ...
"After the South Tower collapsed, in the chaos of the debris cloud, the team got separated. Eventually they all made their way back to the office, except Sun-Mi. The last anyone saw her was over four hours ago..."
"It's all my fault," Hyung-Chul accuses himself, dropping his head into his hands. "I never should have pushed Sun-Mi so hard..."
"Stop blaming yourself, no one could know this is how things would turn out," Sun-Dal argues to support his boss. "There could be any number of reasons why she hasn't showed up -- maybe she went to one of the emergency clinics for the wounded -- so don't give up hope yet."
"How can I have hope, when there's nothing possible we can do to help her," Hyung-Chul replies despondently.
From the open doorway, comes a response, "When things seem impossible, and that there's nothing else we can do," Young-Mi declares. "We can still pray..."
The two men, surprised by her unexpected appearance, turn to look. Young-Mi is standing in the open doorway, holding a tray of coffee and pastries from the canteen.
Sun-Dal remarks, "I thought you went home."
"How could I sleep, not knowing what is happening with Sun-Mi?" she replies. "So I went to a quiet place to pray for her safety."
"Of course you'd think of that first," Hyung-Chul nods approvingly, feeling more encouraged now.
"I thought you'd be hungry, so I brought these," Young-Mi refers to the pastries.
"Now you're talking!" Sun-Dal eyes the refreshments eagerly, since his stomach had been growling for some time.
"This wasn't necessary, but thank you," Hyung-Chul commends her efforts.
"Why don't we go to a more comfortable place?" Sun-Dal suggests, immediately moving to in the conference area of the office, where the cushioned, leather couch and chair form an 'L' around a low rectangular table. There he plops himself onto the couch with a sigh.
Hyung-Chul gets up from his desk and joins Sun-Dal, sitting on the chair, while Young-Mi busies herself with arranging the pastry plates and setting steaming coffee cups in front of the two Directors.
When she finishes, she steps back, toward the door.
"Why not eat too?" Sun-Dal suggests.
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry," she replies. "If there's nothing else you need, I'll be leaving first."
But Hyung-Chul waves her over. "Please, Announcer Huh. Even if you're not hungry, you should eat a little, to keep up your strength."
Self-consciously aware that Hyung-Chul's eyes are fixed on her, staring at her pregnant belly, clothed in the blue pants suit of another woman -- the woman he truly loves -- Young-Mi awkwardly sits on the couch next to Sun-Dal, stiffly upright, hands resting on her knees and clasped together.
His mind focused on food, Sun-Dal is unaware of the tense atmosphere as he grabs his coffee cup, and enthusiastically devours a pastry, washing down each bite with a swig of coffee until his hunger pangs are satisfied.
Meanwhile, Young-Mi focuses on the table centerpiece, avoiding Hyung-Chul's intense, agitated eyes.
"I was telling Director Yoon about how much you've accomplished in training, and were ready to take the slot on Monday," Sun-Dal compliments her.
Young-Mi and Hyung-Chul exchange a quick glance... sending a non-verbal agreement to keep her decision to resign between them, for now.
"You flatter me," she responds humbly. "Senior Joo-Hee deserves all the credit."
"Nonsense," Hyung-Chul jumps into the conversation. "You're a natural talent. I thought it was a loss when you decided to leave MBS, and I'm happy that you've demonstrated that you still have the aptitude to succeed."
Young-Mi sees his words for what they're meant, as an appeal for her to reconsider... "Director Yoon, your commendation exceeds my meager talents," she demurs to his praise, then suggests a compromise. "I'm only happy to help out the Company for now, but I'm sure that you'll soon find someone better to take my place."
Belatedly, Sun-Dal catches that there is a conversation going on that he is not party to...
"Okay, what's the big secret?" he demands.
Since it is Young-Mi's decision, Hyung-Chul defers answering, signaling with a slight move of his head that it is her choice whether to speak up or not...
With a weak smile, she reveals her intentions. "Director Kim, I've decided to resign from MBS, effective in a month, or as soon as you can find a replacement for me."
At the news, Sun-Dal almost drops his half-empty coffee cup. "But why?" he asks. "I thought everything was going swimmingly..."
Young-Mi sighs. "It's personal matter, that I'd rather not discuss at this time," she declines to explain.
But Sun-Dal presses on, "Like Director Yoon said, you're a natural for this work. Why let your talent go to waste?"
"Really, I should go now," she announces, standing immediately.
"Very well, Announcer Huh," Hyung-Chul allows her departure. "But both Director Kim and I are together on this, that you should stay with MBS as long as possible."
"I understand," Young-Mi answers and bows politely, then quickly exits through the door.
There she turns back and says, "About Jin Sun-Mi, let's trust in God. Whatever happened, and will happen, I'm sure it will be for the best... for everyone..."
After she leaves, Sun-Dal still puzzles over her announcement, and turns to Hyung-Chul for clarification, "Something happened between you two at the orphanage hospital, right? How do you expect me to run things when you keep secrets from me?"
"You'll know everything you need to at the proper time," Hyung-Chul promises. "Meanwhile, trust me..."