AAE  A Tragedy At MBS 25th Anniversary

2003-07-21

A Complete Story
Author: Margie L

[1]

There is an air of festivity and excitement in the station. The reason that everyone is being kept on their toes is that for the very first time in the 25-year history of the station a family day will be held in conjunction with its silver anniversary.

As MBS will be broadcasting this event live on TV, Hyong Chul is meeting with staff of the Business Planning department to discuss on the arrangements since everything must go according to plan. They can't afford to make any mistakes.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Hyong Chul's secretary poked her head in and smilingly told him that he has visitors. He was surprised, because, as far as he could remember, he has no appointments on this Saturday morning. He had told everyone to dress casually as they would be going around the city to get some purchases after the meeting.

Before the surprised Hyong Chul could get up from his chair, two little twin terrors toddled over to their dad and each one grabbed his loafer-clad legs to hang on. The delighted Hyong Chul scooped them both up and gave them each a kiss on their chubby rosy cheeks. "Hey, you little terrors, what have you done to your mama?" The little tots were too busy gurgling and playing with their dad's nose to answer.

The next minute, a panting Sun Mi burst through the door. She was breathing hard and was quite annoyed with the two terrors for having out-run her.

"Sanbaeneem, your sons disobeyed me again. I had to put them down to get their things from the lift and the next minute, they had dashed off to look for you. With their short legs, who'd believe they could run so fast?"

Sun Mi suddenly noticed the many pairs of amused eyes on her. Hic! She was so disconcerted that she suffered an attack of hiccups!

Hyong Chul was just as amused as the other onlookers. All the staff, especially the ladies, was crowding round the twins making a fuss over the cherubic pair.

"Ooh, Director Yin, your sons look just like you. Oh my, they're so cute!"

Since everyone was trying to pinch the boys' cheeks, they were fidgety in their father's arms. Hyong Chul handed his sons over to the eager hands reaching for them and walked over to Sun Mi.

"If you could not catch up with them, looks like you have to go to the gym more often", he said smilingly to his beloved.

Even after having the boys, Sun Mi is just as cute as ever. In fact, she never looked more beautiful and seemed to have bloomed after becoming a mother. Since everyone's attention seemed to on the twins, Hyong Chul gave Sun Mi a kiss on her lips.

The still reticent Sun Mi elbowed him in the ribs -- "Stop that, Sanbaeneem. What if they see you doing this?"

He reassured her that the boys are keeping the staff too occupied to take notice of them.

"You think I'm getting fat?" Hyung Chul quickly reassured, "If you're getting fat, then I'm obese!"

Sun Mi looked at her trim and taut husband and pretended to ponder, "Now, you look Ok - but how would I know if you're not wearing suspenders to hide your spare tyres?"

Hyung Chul was astounded. "I'm wearing suspenders? Come here and I'll prove to you I'm NOT wearing suspenders!" and he lunged at her, tickling so hard, she immediately apologized. After they both managed to stop laughing, they saw every pair of eyes looking intently at the two of them.

Sun Mi was so embarrassed she did not quite know where to look. Hyung Chul diverted his staffs' attention and told them that they had better start their trip; otherwise they would not be able to make it back by late afternoon.

"Are you coming along, wife?"

"I'd prefer to remain at the station to wait for you, but take Junior along -- you can handle him better."

Junior is the younger, more mischievous twin, who is always giving his mama a difficult time. Senior is a better-behaved boy, when he is not influenced by his younger brother.


[2]

The day of MBS' 25th anniversary dawned bright and clear. Hyung Chul, Sun Mi, the twins and both sets of grandparents piled into two cars and headed for the station. Everyone was in a jovial mood, anticipating a great day ahead.

On the way to the station, Hyung Chul received a call on his mobile. Thinking it must be an impatient Xian Da calling to hurry him, he answered cheerfully. "We're on the way."

Sun Mi noticed the way his body tensed while listening to the caller. He did not say a word but listened intently.

He pulled over and stopped his car. The grandparents who were traveling in the other car also did likewise. Hyung Chul got out of the car and carried the twins out. He handed the twins to his stepmother and Sun Mi's aunt and told them to turn back and take the twins with them.

"Sun Mi, go with them. I have to go to the station. Something has happened!"

"What has happened, son?" Hyong Chul's father demanded to know. "I have a right to know!"

Seeing the grim expression on her husband's face, Sun Mi too, was worried. "Sanbaeneem, what has happened at the station?"

Before Hyung Chul could reply, his mobile rang again.

"What do you want? I'm on my way. Don't you dare do anything rash or harm my staff!" Hyung Chul shouted angrily over the phone.

Sun Mi was startled, realizing that something terrible has happened. She has never seen him so livid as he was at that moment.

"You must be joking! I don't care what you're going to do. There's no way I am going to bring her with me!"

He was looking at Sun Mi. He cut off the conversation.

"Sanbaeneem? Tell me, what is it?" The frantic Sun Mi was pulling at his sleeve.

Hyung Chul turned worried eyes on her.

He told them a lone gunman had 'hijacked' the station. Upon their gasps and disbelief, he said that the gunman claimed that his school board had unfairly sacked him. He claimed that a female teacher had framed him for alleged sexual harassment because he had caught her in a compromising situation with one her students.

His school board had sacked him without any concrete proof. And without any proper inquiry. They had merely taken the word of the female teacher to sack him. He wanted to clear his name and continue teaching.

As it was easy to gain access to the station due to the family day event, he had seized his chance to take over the broadcasting studio. He wanted Sun Mi to be the one to interview because she is married to the son of the boss of MBS. Who would be a better trading tool than her? Moreover, Hyong Chul's devotion to his wife is an open secret and as long as she is held hostage, no one would dare to take do anything to jeopardize her life.

The gunman said he would do what he has to do if Hyong Chul refused to let her interview him.

"That means he will harm our friends? Sanbaeneem, you can't let him do that. Think of their families. Let me go to him." Sun Mi pleaded with Hyong Chul.

'No! What if he harms you? He has a gun. Do you think it's a toy?"

"Sanbaeneem, I'm sure he will not harm me. If he shoots me, what will be the point? All he wants is a chance to talk on air and clear his name. Besides, if he shoots me, he knows he would never get away with it. Surely, he would not be so stupid?" Sun Mi pleaded with the unyielding Hyong Chul.

She tried again, "Sanbaeneem, are you that selfish to put your own family above your staff? Would you be able to hold your head up should any of them be harmed, just because you refused to risk my life? You would not be the man I love and married, if you put self before others!"

"What if something happens to you? What if the boys lose their mother? How do you expect us to carry on without you? I will not want to live if you leave us!"

Sun Mi feels that she is getting some leeway and persisted, "Sanbaeneem, I promise you that I will never leave you and the boys. The three of you are my life. I will talk to him as a wife and as a mother." She added, "I know he will not harm me because he must be a family man too, isn't he?"

Hyong Chul's father finally spoke up. "Hyong Chul, Sun Mi is right. I'm sure she will safe because all he wants a chance to speak up. It's not his intention to harm anyone, least of all, Sun Mi."

Cui Cheng and Zhen Su did not say anything because they fear for Sun Mi. The boys were getting fussy and wanted to go to their mama and dad. Hyong Chul's stepmother spoke up, "Sun Mi, whatever situation you're in, you must remain calm. Do not antagonize the man -- persuade, rather than argue with him."

Sun Mi thanked her, "Yes, I'll do that. Thank you, aunty. Sanbaeneem?"

"Promise me you'll be very, very careful. You must come back to us safely!"

Sun Mi nodded and after kissing her sons and hugging her the elders, she followed Hyong Chul to the station.

The police were already there when they arrived at the entrance. The gunman had forced the guards to padlock the main entrance by pointing his gun at the head of one of the staff. Except for the studio crew, the gunman had made everyone else leave the station.

When he saw Hyong Chul and Sun Mi alighting from their car, he told the guard to unlock the padlock and let Sun Mi enter. Hyong Chul held on to Sun Mi's wrist and pulled her back to him. He embraced her tightly and told her, "Remember your family are waiting for you. Come back to me safely. I love you!"

Then reluctantly let her go and watched her enter the gate.

Hyong Chul shouted to the gunman, "Let me take my wife's place. I promise I will not try anything."

But the gunman shook his head.

"If you lift a finger on my wife, I'll personally come and get you! You'll be sorry you every lived!"

The gunman did not reply.

When Sun Mi reached him, the gunman released his other hostage. He did not hold Sun Mi against him nor point the gun at her head. If fact, he was very respectful towards her.

"I'm sorry I'm making you go through this, but I have no choice. Don't be afraid, I won't harm you or anyone else, for that matter. I was just bluffing. All I want is for the people to hear my side of the story."

Sun Mi nodded and led him to the studio. She showed him where he should sit and how he should face the camera and clipped the mike to his shirt. She did the same and when the cameraman gave the signal, Sun Mi slipped back into her mode as one of MBS' top anchorwoman.

"Dear viewers, this is Mr. Li Hao San, a former teacher at the Chun Xing Secondary School. Mr. Li alleged that he had been unfairly terminated as a teacher on the word of his colleague that he had sexually harassed her."

Sun Mi turned to speak to the gunman, "Mr. Li, how can you prove that you had never sexually harassed your colleague?"

The gunman looked directly at the camera. "I am a devoted family man. I love my wife and children very much. In the few months that my colleague joined our school, I had never been alone with her on any occasion."

He glanced briefly at Sun Mi. "Ten years. I've devoted ten years of my life in that school -- while she joined for just a few months. And they preferred to believe her, rather than me," he shook his head.

"Mr. Li, if as you say, your colleague framed you, what reason did she have to do so?"

"One weekend, while I was returning home after extra classes for some students, I saw her with one of her students in the class, embracing each other. I confronted her and threatened to report her to the school board."

He added that his colleague had tearfully begged him not to report her, as she cannot lose her job. She has sick parents to care for and has to support her younger sisters who are still schooling. She also promised that she would never repeat that offence again. Taking pity on her, Li Hao San let her go and he had thought that was the end of it.

However, the following day at school, she had turned around and accused him of sexual harassment. She called the same student that Li had seen her with, as her witness. The school board had immediately sacked him after the student said he saw what Li had tried to do to the teacher. The teacher had gloated and told Li, 'Next time, mind your own business.'

Outside the station's entrance, Hyung Chul, the police and the entire MBS staff were watching the live program. He was pacing up and down while keeping his eyes on the TV set someone had set up. He wanted to climb the gate to enter gain entry into the studio. But the police refused to let him do so and kept an eagle eye on his every movement.

Inside the studio, after letting everything off his chest, Li Hao San told Sun Mi, "Ms. Zhen, again, I apologise to you and Director Yun. I know Director Yun is very devoted to you and if he gets his hands on me, he would beat me up for putting you through this." He smiled, "You're a kind lady, Ms. Zhen. Please stay that way forever. And now, you're free to go. I'm sorry I wasted your time and spoilt this anniversary celebration. Forgive me. Go to your husband."

He gentled ushered her and the crew out the studio and locked the door. And with the camera still running, he looked directly into the camera, put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. Sun Mi jumped at the sound of the blast and screamed.

When Hyung Chul and the others heard Sun Mi's scream, they broke down the gate and rushed into the studio. Sun Mi and the others were looking at the gunman's blood spattered and lifeless body still on the chair. She seemed to be in shock.

Hyung Chul rushed to her and held her. "Did he hurt you?" he asked while checking to see if she was in any way injured.

"Oh Sanbaenee, the poor man! He did not have to do that. What about his wife and children?" she sobbed -- unable to stop.

Hyung Chul led her out of the studio and left everything to the police and the other staff. He put Sun Mi into the car and was about to drive off when the police stopped him. "Director Yun, we need to take your wife's statement."

Hyong Chul gave them an angry look. "Can't you see she's in shock? I'm taking her to hospital first. You can take her statement after the doctor permits her to do so! Now, please get out of my way."


[3]

It took a week before she was her normal self. It was the first time in her life that she had seen someone commit suicide in front of her eyes. While she felt sorry for Li Hao San, she was also angry that he took the coward's way out -- without thinking what effect his death would have on his widow and children.

That night, with the twins asleep, Hyung Chul and Sun Mi shared a quiet moment together.

"Sun Mi, don't think about that incident anymore. He did what he thought he had to do. There's nothing anyone can do about it."

Sun Mi turned to Hyong Chul and asked him, "Can we do anything for his family? His children are still so young and their father would have wanted them to continue schooling. Please help them, Sanbaeneem."

"Don't worry. I know what to do. Go to sleep."

He gave her a goodnight kiss, still wrapping her in his embrace. All he knows is that he grateful to The Almighty for keeping his beloved family intact.

The End.

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Ladies, Actually, I wrote this story before "Zhen Sun Mi (Architect). I stopped halfway to complete Zhen Sun Mi (Architect) and I've just managed to complete this story. Hope you enjoy reading it.