AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 121

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2018

 

"Director Yoon, I'll hold you personally accountable, and I swear before God you'll pay for what you did to Sun-Mi." -- Min-Cho Atwater

 

 

HYUNG-CHUL'S OFFICE, MBS YEOUIDO HQ, SEOUL...

 

"Go home and get some sleep, killing yourself won't help anything..."

 

Sun-Dal's point is logical, but his words fall on deaf ears.

 

Hyung-Chul doesn't answer. Hunkered down at his desk, where he has kept constant vigil since Sun-Mi's disappearance, he is fixated on a TV monitor that delivers a continual stream of reporting on the crisis in New York. Next to that monitor is another, soundlessly looping the tape of Sun-Mi's final minutes before 2WTC collapsed.

 

Sun-Dal watches the tape for a few moments... Sun-Mi's face is drawn with fatigue, streaked and smudged with dust, the bandage on her forehead -- she had given up trying to hide it -- discolored with dried blood. Someone had loaned her a man's gray two-button suit jacket to wear over her dress, but the bright sequined blue still shows incongruously behind the lapels. She is speaking to the camera, when, in the background, the tower begins to collapse.

 

As she turns to look, a 10-storey tall, billowing cloud of debris explodes out from between the buildings behind her, engulfing everything in its racing path. Panicked people flee past Sun-Mi and the camera. She turns to the camera, wide-eyed with alarm, saying something illegible, motioning for the cameraman to cut as the cloud bears down on them. Seconds later the screen goes black...

 

Sun-Dal glances at Hyung-Chul, who hasn't moved his eyes away from the monitors for a single moment. "You're not the only one who's worried, you know," he states, hoping to get some sense into his distraught boss' head. "There's a flood of calls and posts on our website, expressing their love and concern for Sun-Mi."

 

Again Hyung-Chul doesn't reply, so Sun-Dal picks up the remote and shuts off the two monitors, saying in justification, "Watching this any longer isn't going to change anything. It's just going to wear you out."

 

Hyung-Chul looks up, his eyes red with exhaustion and despair. "Despite all my promises, I still couldn't do anything for her," he laments, "In the end, Sun-Mi was alone, with no one by her side..."

 

"You talk as if she's already dead. We don't know that for a fact," Sun-Dal emphasizes the positive likelihood. "Everything is in a mess there. The Bureau is monitoring victim lists from local hospitals and morgues, and so far she hasn't turned up, so there's still hope."

 

"It's been more than 24 hours, surely there'd be some word, if she were alive," Hyung-Chul differs. "We'll have to go public soon."

 

"I'm close with her father; I should speak to him first, before the media," Sun-Dal cautions. "Let�s just be patient, and wait... and while we're waiting, deal with some critical business."

 

Hyung-Chul glares at him. "What could be more important, than Sun-Mi's fate?"

 

"How about yours, and mine, and the Company's?" Sun-Dal counters impatiently.

 

Hyung-Chul takes a few moments to ponder his point, then reluctantly agrees, "You're right, worry won't help Sun-Mi, or bring her back any sooner. Like Young-Mi said, she's in God's hands now... What's on your agenda?"

 

Sun-Dal exhales with relief, thinking that maybe now things can get back to normal again... "First of all, why is Young-Mi resigning without warning, just as she's finished training? You know how tenuous the announcer situation is, we just can't let her go, without making an effort."

 

Hyung-Chul is surprised by this. "She hasn't said anything to you?"

 

"No, she asked me to discuss it with you first."

 

Hyung-Chul wonders just how much he should reveal. "I'm not at liberty to say right now, either," he declines to reveal their secret.

 

"For the present, I've refused to accept her resignation," Sun-Dal lays out his strategy. "I told her to stay home, think things over, and come back in a day or two. That gives us time to find a way to convince her."

 

Hyung-Chul disagrees. "I doubt that waiting another day or two will change her mind."

 

"I didn't think so either; so I'm expecting you will do that, for her," Sun-Dal reveals the rest of his strategy.

 

"Me? How?"

 

"She's in love with you, right? Give her some hope, that maybe there's a possibility it won't be unrequited."

 

"You want me to lie to her?"

 

"Not exactly... just suggest that you're 'rethinking' your feelings, and you'd like her to stay on while you do."

 

"She won't believe me," Hyung-Chul sates flatly. "She knows where my heart is."

 

"A woman in love will take the slightest bit of hope and cling to it," Sun-Dal opines. "Give it a chance, if only for my situation."

 

 

Hyung-Chul already had a feeling there was more to the matter. "What is it you're not telling me?"

 

"President Kim is pressuring me about the announcers situation, and laid down the law: without acceptable results soon, my time here is finished. Kim�s taking a stronger stance, willing to buck Director Yoo, since he has the upper hand with the stock issue..."

 

"I was afraid that might happen," Hyung-Chul replies. "It must be hard on Joo-Hee."

 

"I haven't told her yet. The doctor says, with her age and difficulty becoming pregnant, her condition is fragile. I'm afraid any major stress could cause her to lose the baby," Sun-Dal shares his concerns.

 

Hearing his friend's plea, Hyung-Chul grudgingly assents. "I'll talk to Young-Mi, but no promises."

 

"I knew I could count on you," Sun-Dal smiles, relieved, despite Hyung-Chul's disclaimer, that the troubling situation might be resolved.

 

 

The intercom on Hyung-Chul's desk buzzes... He pushes the TALK button and asks, "Yes, Miss Lee?"

 

His secretary transmits the message, "A Mr. Michael Atwater wishes to speak with you, Director. Will you take his call?"

 

Hyung-Chul looks over at Sun-Dal and speculates, "I wonder if Atwater's calling back about the stock offering?"

 

"I thought you said he's tied up in South Africa for the next several months, and wouldn't agree to a meeting," Sun-Dal recalls their previous conversation just before the 9/11 incident.

 

"Maybe his plans have changed," Hyung-Chul surmises. "Let's hear him out."

 

Hyung-Chul then hits the TALK button again and speaks to his secretary, "Put him through."

 

"Line 1, Director," she replies.

 

 

Hyung-Chul picks up his phone and, despite his dislike of the man, greets him politely, "Hello, Mr. Atwater, this is Director Yoon. My colleague, Director Kim Sun-Dal, is here with me. May I put you on speaker?"

 

"Do whatever you wish," Min-Cho answers curtly.

 

Hyung-Chul pushes the SPEAKER button on the phone and asks, "What can I do for you today, Mr. Atwater?"

 

"I'm calling, Director Yoon, about Jin Sun-Mi."

 

Hyung-Chul sends a puzzled glance to Sun-Dal, and replies, "I'm sure you know she's missing since the World Trade Center crisis?"

 

"YYes, I'm aware of that," Min-Cho answers dryly, "But I have some news, Director Yoon, that might interest you... Sun-Mi is no longer missing."

 

Caught flatfooted by the news, Hyung-Chul looks to Sun-Dal for a response...

 

Sun-Dal holds the MUTE button while he says, "This is odd. How can he know anything we don't?"

 

 

Wondering if the line is dead, Min-Cho queries, "Hello? Director Yoon? Are you still there?"

 

Hyung-Chul answers sharply, requesting more information, "Tell me what happened.. Is Sun-Mi all right?"

 

"Sun-Mi is safe, and in good hands now... with me," Min-Cho replies.

 

His assertion is intended as a direct challenge to Hyung-Chul, and is received as such.

 

"Exactly where are you?" Hyung-Chul demands.

 

 

"I'm in Manhattan, at St. Vincent's Hospital, where Sun-Mi was brought," Min-Cho informs him with a matter-of-fact manner. "I arrived in New York from South Africa, early this morning, to search for her."

 

"How could you get there so quickly?" Hyung-Chul is in disbelief. "The US is under a total air travel shutdown."

 

"Unlike some men, Director Yoon, when a woman I care seriously about is in harm's way, I'll move heaven and earth to do whatever I can to help her," Min-Cho replies scathingly.

 

The remark stings Hyung-Chul, but he has to admit -- guiltily -- that Min-Cho is right... Immobilized by shock and grief, he'd made no attempt to personally help Sun-Mi.

 

"Can I speak with Sun-Mi?" he requests, conceding the other man's advantage.

 

"If it were up to me," Min-Cho delivers his opinion coldly, "I'd never allow you to speak to her again. But that's not my prerogative. When Sun-Mi is able, I'll inform her of your interest in communicating."

 

"I thought you said she was safe. Why can't she talk now?" Hyung-Chul worries. "Why was there no word of her?"

 

"When Sun-Mi was brought to the hospital, she was unconscious, without any ID, and so wasn't listed among the injured," Min-Cho explains. "She awoke this morning in a state of mental confusion and partial amnesia, unable to give an intelligible statement... I'm sure you can appreciate the situation, Director..."

 

Hyung-Chul recalls his own slow recovery from the accident, and agrees, "Yes, I understand, Mr. Atwater."

 

"Right now, she's still under mild sedation, for the tests..." Min-Cho continues.

 

"Tests for what?" Hyung-Chul interrupts.

 

"The doctors are still trying to determine the full impact of her concussion. But the prognosis is serious enough that I'm having Sun-Mi transferred to John Hopkins neurology department, for more tests..."

 

"What aren't you telling me?" Hyung-Chul insists. "I want to know... I care about her."

 

"Now you care about Sun-Mi?" Min-Cho is dismissive. "Whatever right you once had, you gave up a long time ago!"

 

Shamefully, Hyung-Chul concurs, "I know that, but I have a responsibility to try and make amends..."

 

"The time is past for amends," Min-Cho rejects Hyung-Chul's penitence. "The damage is already done..."

 

Hyung-Chul's immediate thought is to imagine Sun-Mi mentally impaired, or worse, and asks fearfully..."What damage?"

 

Min-Cho's anger bubbles under the surface as he states simply... "Sun-Mi woke up today... completely blind...."

 

 

When Hyung-Chul hears this, he sags in his chair, and asks numbly, "Permanently...?"

 

He can't help seeing his mental pictures of Sun-Mi as a rookie announcer, eagerly doing her test screening, her sparkling eyes filled with energy and enthusiasm as she reads her script ... "The reason I want to be an announcer is to present happy news to the world" ...

 

Hyung-Chul is still caught up in the past as Min-Cho continues...

 

"The tests so far are inconclusive, whether it's permanent or not. The doctors asked me if it's possible Sun-Mi has ever had any head trauma in the past," Min-Cho asks innocuously, though he is already aware from Sun-Mi of her accident with Hyung-Chul.

 

"Years ago, I knocked her down with my car, and she was briefly unconscious," Hyung-Chul readily admits, but doesn't see the connection, "At the time, and since then, she's seemed fine..."

 

"So Sun-Mi's never showed any adverse symptoms, for example, such as sudden fainting?" Min-Cho, also aware of Sun-Mi's collapse one night while doing her radio show, continues his interrogation.

 

"She fainted just that once I'm aware of," Hyung-Chul recalls. "That was last year... We assumed it was exhaustion..."

 

"So you just assumed? Did you order any tests to ascertain the true cause?" Min-Cho inserts the sharp blade of guilt and twists it.

 

Hyung-Chul cringes at the realization he'd failed to see the possibility. "No... no one suspected, so no one asked."

 

"But YOU knew, Director," Min-Cho relentlessly presses the knife deeper, as he levels the accusation, "Why didn�t you say anything?"

 

"Honestly, I didn't know it had any relevance," Hyung-Chul weakly tries to justify his subsequent act of negligence, even as mentally he is incriminating himself for his inaction.

 

"Really?" Min-Cho airs his doubts. "Or was it because you were trying to cover up your negligence in London, too?"

 

Although feeling guilty that his inaction had contributed to Sun-Mi's present condition, Hyung-Chul doesn't want to give any opening to Min-Cho. "If I had any part in what's happened, I'll take full responsibility," he promises.

 

"Then I'll take you at your word," Min-Cho accepts Hyung-Chul's vow, and makes his own in response: "If she has suffered permanent harm, Director Yoon, I'll hold you personally accountable, and I swear before God you'll pay for what you did to Sun-Mi..."

 

He hangs up, cutting the line.

 

Hyung-Chul stares at Sun-Dal blankly... speechless in despair and self-recrimination.

 

"Let's go for drink," Sun-Dal suggests. "No need to stay here any longer..."