AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 153

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2018

 

"Can the mind overrule the heart? On our wedding day, I don't want to be left in a lurch at the altar" -- Huh Young-Mi

 

"This was one of the worst days of my life... I'm very lucky to have met someone to help pick me up" -- Jin Sun-Mi

 

 

JIN FAMILY HOME, SUBURBAN SEOUL ...

 

"We're here..."

 

Hyung-Chul makes the announcement as the BMW comes to a stop in front of the white wrought iron gate, turning his head to look at Young-Mi. The light from the gateposts illuminates the interior of the car. He can see her face is still set and uncommunicative.

 

On the entire drive back, she had frozen him out, not speaking a word... In fact, since the night of the Gala, when they'd left together, she hadn't said a word to him -- except the few words she'd uttered at the bar...

 

 

Young-Mi doesn't reply, but immediately unlatches her seatbelt, reaches for the handle, and opens her car door, not waiting for Hyung-Chul.

 

He quickly alights, circling the car to catch up to her at the gate...

 

"Wait! ..."

 

He grabs her arm to enforce his demand.

 

"I want to know why you were there with Michael Atwater!"

 

"I have the same question about you and Sun-Mi!" she snaps, finally breaking her silence. "Why is it everywhere you are, she is, too?"

 

"Sun-Mi and I are work colleagues," he has the excuse ready. "Can't we meet, to talk business?"

 

"And Min-Cho is my brother-in-law," she defends herself. "Can't we meet, just to talk, too?"

 

 

 

"I don't believe his intentions were limited to just talk," he accuses. "There's something else going on."

 

"Do you really think so little of me?" she rebukes him. "I met with him, out of concern about Sun-Mi ... and you."

 

"Why? Sun-Mi and I are just good friends, like before," Hyung-Chul tries to allay her worries.

 

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" she exclaims doubtfully. "People who are 'just friends' don't look at each other that way, don't touch each other that way, don't dance together that way. The truth is plain to see... you're both as much in love, as when you and she were engaged!"

 

"But, Young-Mi..."

 

 

She abruptly turns her back to him, so he can't see her tears...

 

"I've never been so humiliated... or felt so helpless," she discloses, her voice breaking with emotion. "Whatever I do... it's not enough, it will never be enough... you promised that you'd do your best to make me happy... this isn't doing that!"

 

Hyung-Chul recalls the day at Yuldong Lake with Young-Mi, when he had indeed made that promise.

 

"You're right... I stepped outside the line," he apologizes. "It won't happen again..."

 

"You say that so easily! How do I know it really WON'T happen again?" she contests his assertion. "What will keep you from choosing the woman you love over me, if not today, some other day?"

 

 

He turns her around to face him again, and sees the tears streaming down her face.

 

"Don't cry," he says soothingly, taking her into his embrace.

 

But Young-Mi resists, pushing him back...

 

"Can the mind overrule the heart?" she argues vehemently. "On our wedding day, I don't want to be left in a lurch at the altar, like a total fool!"

 

"Young-Mi, please. This isn't a TV drama."

 

"Then why do I feel like I'm a spare tire in a love triangle?"

 

Hyung-Chul sighs heavily, tired of dealing with all the dramatics. "Go in and sleep. After a good rest, tomorrow things will look better," he encourages her.

 

He reaches out again, to rest his hands on her shoulders...

 

"Trust me..."

 

 

But Young-Mi isn't convinced. She steps back, irate. "Don't touch me..."

 

"I said I'm sorry," he tries again. "What else do you want me to do? Go on my knees?"

 

"No, don't do anything," she answers, her eyes as intense as her voice. "There's nothing that either of us can do... I hoped it was possible, but I see now that some things may be impossible..."

 

Then she looks away and grasps the wrought iron gate to steady herself for what she is about to say...

 

"Oppa... You and I... we should break up..."

 

 

 

WOO-JIN'S FORMER STUDIO, MAPO-GU ...

 

"Who are you, and how did you get in?"

 

Sun-Mi stands in the open door of Woo-Jin's photography studio, glaring at the intruder she has just encountered inside.

 

The man unhurriedly turns and looks at her with a glint of recognition -- and male appreciation -- slowly sweeping his eyes from her high heeled boots upward along her trim thighs, then over the curves of her body hugging minidress...

 

"Correspondent Jin Sun-Mi, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he remarks casually.

 

"I'll ask nicely one more time, before I call the police," she threatens, flipping her mobile open, ready to tap in 112.

 

"The name is Lee In-Soo," Bae In-Soo, using a fake moniker, introduces himself, "and I got in with the key hidden behind the photograph by the door, the same as you did," he refers to the key she still holds in her left hand.

 

He looks past her, at the wheeled carryon bag at the top of the steps, hurriedly packed so she could get out of the penthouse before Min-Cho followed her back.

 

"Let me help you with that bag," he offers, taking a step forward.

 

Raising her hand, Sun-Mi halts him. "If I got this far, I can finish the job," she declines his help. "Don't come any closer, until you tell me why you're here!"

 

"As you can see, I'm here to have a drink," he refers to the bottle of soju and two shot glasses on the table, "honoring my old colleague, Kim Woo-Jin, God rest his soul..."

 

 

She eyes him warily -- something about this man is setting off warning bells -- and asks, "How did you know Kim Woo-Jin?"

 

In-Soo smiles at her suspicions. "Kim Woo-Jin and I had a common interest in a certain, er... major investment..."

 

Sun-Mi is surprised to hear this. "Woo-Jin Oppa shared everything with me, but never mentioned having a business partner."

 

"From necessity, I took more of a 'silent' role in the relationship," he explains. "Things were just beginning to develop in a major way between us, when he met his untimely demise."

 

"I didn't know Woo-Jin was so ambitious," she doubts his veracity. "That doesn't sound like the person I knew..."

 

"People can surprise you," he shrugs. "And in Kim Woo-Jin's case... he had a strong motive behind that ambition..."

 

He turns and looks at the photographs on the wall...

 

"A beautiful woman -- Huh Young-Mi -- isn't she?" his remark is more a statement of fact than a question...

 

"A man obsessed will do almost anything... Kim Woo-Jin was determined to be more than 'just another ordinary cameraman' in her eyes, intending to challenge his rival for her affections, Director Yoon Hyung-Chul..."

 

"You knew about Woo-Jin Oppa's relationship with Young-Mi?"

 

"I had a front-row seat to the entire tragedy," he affirms, and then offers, "Would you like to share in that drink to Kim Woo-Jin?"

 

"Why not?" she smiles agreeably. "I've nothing better to do, and right now I sure could use a drink..."

 

 

Sun-Mi rolls her bags inside and closes the door, then sits at the table across from In-Soo, who fills both glasses to the brim.

 

"To the memory of Kim Woo-Jin," he says, raising his glass. "One shot!"

 

They upend their glasses simultaneously and drain them.

 

Sun-Mi reaches for the bottle and offers, "Let me pour you a drink, too..."

 

"Woo-Jin Oppa... a good  and reliable brother!"

 

They upend their glasses again.

 

"Now that we're introduced, may I ask why are you here, too?" he asks. "Those bags suggest an unhappy story."

 

"Mr. Lee, we've just met," Sun-Mi points out. "We hardly have the kind of relationship to discuss personal matters."

 

"Fair enough, but the way I see it, a friend of a friend is a friend, too," he repeats the old adage, and adds, "and good friends are in short supply these days."

 

Sun-Mi considers his words for a moment and agrees, "If Woo-Jin trusted you, I suppose I can, too. "

 

 

He fills their glasses again. Raising his, he declares, "To new friends..."

 

She picks up her glass, gazing into it before responding, "Yes... new friends..."

 

When I came tonight to remember an old friend, I didn't expect to find a new one, too," he tells her. "I guess I'm a lucky guy."

 

"Actually, I'm the fortunate one," she replies. "When I came here, this was one of the worst days of my life... I'm lucky to have met someone to help pick me up."

 

"If you have anything to say, I have nothing better to do than listen, so go on," he encourages her.

 

Sun-Mi sighs. "It's a long story, and it begins with Huh Young-Mi ..."