AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 194

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2018

 

"Cherry blossom season is as magical as it is ephemeral. We should enjoy the moment, while it lasts." -- Jin Sun-Mi

 

 

YUNJUN-RO, YEOUIDO PARK, SEOUL ...

 

"I can't believe I'm so lucky to meet you in person!" ...

"I've been a fan since you were on The Morning Show!" ...

"This is so exciting! Wait until I tell all my friends!" ...

"We never missed a night when you were on the News!" ...

 

"I'm glad to meet you, too... Thank you... I appreciate your support," Sun-Mi replies to the flurry of compliments, repeatedly signing her name, accompanied by short, personal notes, on the scraps of paper being thrust at her with eager hands.

 

You look even prettier than on TV!" the last woman in line gushes when it is her turn.

 

"Thanks, but you're being generous," Sun-Mi smiles, then asks, "What's your name?"

 

"It's Ra Chae-Won," the middle-aged woman replies.

 

"And you, Sir?" Sun-Mi addresses the man accompanying Chae-Won.

 

"Er... Mun Sun-Young," he answers, appearing discomfited by being dragged into this by his wife's overt enthusiasm.

 

"I just love your outfit! Like on the News, it's so chic," Chae-Won raves on Sun-Mi's after-work change of clothes for dinner -- a fuscia Givency one-shoulder mini dress with draped bodice, caped sleeve, and tiered skirt, paired with matched-color Balencia ankle-strap snakeskin sandals on 105mm block heels.

 

"Thank you so much," Sun-Mi responds to the praise. "Here you go..."

 

She hands the two autographed papers back to the woman, who clutches them in both hands like she'd just been handed an award...

 

"You should bring back your radio program," Chae-Won declares, "Your love and concern helped so many people through their problems..."

 

"Dear, we've taken up enough of Ms. Jin's time," Sun-Young tries to intervene diplomatically, exchanging a fleeting glance with the man whom he'd seen patiently waiting on the periphery through all the commotion.

 

But his wife ignores his effort...

 

"I hope you'll come back on the News again -- it's not the same now," Chae-Won prattles on, "When you were reporting, it wasn't just about the cold facts, but you went right to the heart of how the lives of real people were affected. Everyone I know told me how you changed their way of looking at..."

 

"Let's go," Sun-Young takes his wife's arm, interrupting the torrent of words.

 

"But..." Chae-Won protests.

 

Sun-Young is adamant. "Thank you for the autographs, Correspondent Jin."

 

"It's my pleasure," Sun-Mi answers with a warm, wide smile. "Have a wonderful evening...."

 

She sends the pair off with the trademark little wave she used as a signoff for her newscasts.

 

 

Turning back, Sun-Mi sees that Hyung-Chul is grinning at her, seemingly amused...

 

"What's so funny?" she asks, her bright smile dissolving into a wary expression as she presses her lips together.

 

"Nothing," he assures her, observing humorously, "It's just that since we came here, you've given one autograph after another. Weren't we supposed to be just another anonymous couple, among thousands out for a stroll?"

 

"That was about avoiding rumors in the Company," Sun-Mi clarifies her intention, "not avoiding people..."

 

 

They start off again, walking slowly, arm-in-arm, for the moment at least, anonymous.

 

"To most people, I'm still News at Nine Anchorwoman Jin Sun-Mi, or Special Correspondent reporting from London, or Paris, or New York," she reminds him.

 

"How do you manage to keep acting like you're interested and happy to sign all those autographs?" he comments on her consistently positive attitude despite the constant attention and interruptions.

 

"But I'm not acting, I truly enjoy meeting and speaking with them," she insists. "Every person deserves to be treated with respect. Even at the end of a long day, when I'm tired and my feet are sore, being able to make people happy by something as small as an autograph helps me keep a smile on my face."

 

"Oh..." Hyung-Chul gets the hint, a subtle reminder that she'd walked the entire 1.7 kilometers in high heels since they'd left the restaurant over two hours ago.

 

"Shall we sit a while? I could use a break," he suggests, pointing to a nearby bench.

 

"I'd like that, too," she gives him a quick smile of appreciation.

 

As they sit down, Sun-Mi sighs lightly in relief as the weight comes off her feet.

 

"Better?"

 

She nods. "Umm..."

 

"I know I shouldn't say it," he prefaces his statement, but goes ahead anyway... "Why dress like this, if you know it'll be uncomfortable?"

 

"You heard this last lady, people have expectations," Sun-Mi declares, paraphrasing the woman's raves, "You're prettier than on TV ... I love your clothes; you always look so chic ... This is how they expect me to be. I don't want to disappoint them."

 

"Working so hard just for celebrity, what's the point?" he contends.

 

"I seem to recall, someone once told me becoming a top celebrity is exactly what I should do," she reminds him of his criticism.

 

"I was talking about achieving the full potential of your abilities," he clarifies his meaning. "Becoming a top celebrity was one thing, being effective as Chairwoman is a different challenge."

 

"How do we know when we've reached our full potential?" she raises the question. "And who determines what that is, anyway?"

 

 

Hyung-Chul gazes off contemplatively, looking back in his mind...

 

"My mother used to say, that we should keep trying until we see our dream achieved, then find a bigger dream," he recalls.

 

"That must be frustrating," Sun-Mi remarks, "Like Sisyphus, striving ceaselessly, knowing that as soon as you succeed, you have to do it all over again."

 

"My mother's dream was to see her son follow her father, but be even more successful. Nothing was ever good enough to meet her expectations," he recalls the strictures of his youth. "It's one of the reasons I went off to London, looking for my own way..."

 

"So coming back to MBS wasn't about fulfilling your mother's dream?" she probes.

 

"To be honest, I had regrets that she died without seeing that dream come true," he reveals, "but it wasn't the only, or even the main reason... I came back to pursue my own dream..."

 

Pondering his words, Sun-Mi quietly murmurs, "So when is something good enough to meet your expectations?"

 

"Huh?" he responds, having been lost in his own thoughts as she spoke.

 

"I mean, as Chairman, how does a person succeed?" she rephrases her words.

 

"It's no different than before," he advises, "Just keep trying harder so MBS becomes the best it can be. Only now it's about the company's success, not just your own. Worrying about anyone else's expectations only will distract from that."

 

"Then you're saying I should ignore what others might want, and follow my own dreams too?"

 

"More or less," he acknowledges her understanding.

 

Sun-Mi sighs. "If it were only so easy..."

 

Hyung-Chul, sensing she is holding something back, asks, "Is there something you want to say?"

 

She gives him a coy smile...

 

"Let's stop talking about business. That's not why we came here," she unilaterally declares the discussion over.

 

 

Looking up into the canopy of blossom-laden branches illuminated by the path lighting, Sun-Mi crosses her arms, hugging herself, as she shrugs.

 

While they had rested a breeze had picked up off the River Han. Noticing the goose bumps on her bare arm, Hyung-Chul takes the hint and removes his jacket, placing it around her shoulders.

 

"Better?" he asks.

 

She thanks him with her eyes. "Mmm..."

 

Hyung-Chul puts his arm protectively around her, resting his hand on her waist.

 

Sun-Mi leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder, and remarks happily, "This is so nice..."

 

He turns his head to look over at her. The breeze has caused sporadic showers of blossoms, and a veil of white and pale pink petals crowns her hair.

 

A smile of contentment plays on her lips as she enjoys the warmth of his embrace amid the spectacular display of nature's beauty, bursting out in full exuberance after waiting through a long, barren winter.

 

"It's so perfect. Aren't the blossoms beautiful, Senior?" she asks. "Like the multitudes of stars in the Milky Way, all smiling down on us."

 

Her words bring to his mind a memory of the brief moment one night that they'd shared in her garden...

 

... 'It's so beautiful, so perfect. All the sparkling stars in heaven are smiling down on us' ...

 

 

"Yes, so beautiful," he agrees, thinking not of the ubiquitous cherry blossoms overhead, but the radiant blossom of femininity nestled in his arms, so close to his heart.

 

Sun-Mi turns to look at him, seeing his eyes intense on her...

 

"What is it now?" she asks, pretending exasperation.

 

He barely hears her words, mesmerized in the dark pupils, wide open in the dim light, gazing back into his...

 

"Senior?" she tries again, giving him a teasing poke in the ribs with her forefinger. "What are you looking at? Is something wrong with my face?"

 

Roused from his captivation, Hyung-Chul tells her, "It's not just the flowers that are beautiful tonight."

 

"Are you taking a picture of me with your eyes again?" she asks self-consciously, her cheeks glowing pinker than the petals.

 

"Why not?" he laughs, "It's like you said, so beautiful... the stars shining in your eyes..."

 

"Senior, stop it!" she admonishes him, even as she basks in his admiration. "That's enough for tonight!!

 

"If you say so," he concurs, adding, "But it's getting late. Shall we go back?"

 

 

Sun-Mi turns her eyes back to the floral canopy above them, contemplating...

 

"Let's stay a while longer. Cherry blossom season is as magical as it is ephemeral," she muses, thinking of the transient joys of life that must be treasured for the inevitable times of trouble. "We should enjoy the moment, while it lasts. Soon the rains will come and wash it all away..."