Reserved Love: Episode 4

People come and go at the coffee shop, but time stands still for Young Won. She.. doesn’t know how to answer. Mu Young asks her again if she wants to come with him to Jeju. Young Won tries to give her reason on why they shouldn’t be together.

“Come here, come closer," Mu Young tells her.
"Yes?"
“I tell you my actual reason, but that's after we're in Jeju..”
"Director-nim!"
"Ah why? it's not like we will be alone either, at least dozens of people will come and I just need to supervise them.
“So? There are other people right?”
“Do you think we alone can drill Jeju?”

Young Won is a bit flustered and shy. While Mu Young steal glances at her.. but he won't admit it cause he himself is a bit embarrassed. It’s really not his style to joke with other woman, and he shouldn’t joke in time like this either.

Young Won asks him if he’s finished, she needs to go home now. Mu Young agrees and they leave the cafe. He walks to the parking lot, intends to open the car, but he turns around when he sees Young Won walks past him.

“Ya Lee young won ssi!"

She ignores him and goes straight to the road. Mu Young walks toward her.

“Hmm, do you mind if I take you home?”
“No, you don’t need to Director, my house is far from here.”
“No problem, I can just drive you, rather than taking a bus here.”
“It’s okay, I need to go to somewhere else first. Thank you for your suggestion Director, but I prefer to go alone.”
“Oh okay then. Take care!”

Just as his car turns left to the main road, Young Won lets out sigh of relief. She isn’t too comfortable talking to her boss. It’s a bit weird, although her boss always take care of her and pay attention to her. Actually she doesn’t need to go to somewhere else. But she doesn’t want anyone gossiping her with his boss. It’s absurd and the weirdest thing she ever imagined.

She walks in the pavement, hearing car noises, seeing street vendors, people walking in the streets and every glamorous thing in Seoul. She’s really one of a kind as she observes nobody actually like her. She’s always a bit tomboy and a bit rough. Even her male colleagues will be scared and respect her during work. While deep inside, she’s actually still a woman, who also needs somebody else to lean on.

**

Mu Young drives past her, he turns MP3 Player on, hoping to catch some good music. A song comes out from mp3 player.

You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no

“Sigh, I should just stick listening to kpop, not some blonde bloke,” Mu Young speaks to himself.

Mu Young arrives at his superlarge house, intended to park his car. But a servant comes to him, Ms.Wang says Madame will go to Chairman’s house. Mu Young feels uneasy with the thought of meeting his father in-law. He enters the house and sees her wife already dresses up prettily, it’s hard for him to ignore her beautiful face and figure. He smells a faint perfume fragrance on her, Mu Young recognizes this scent as he is the one who bought the perfume for her gift.

“Mu Young-ah, just coming home? Will you okay if coming to my father now?” Na Young asks him.
“Yeah. But let me wash up first,” Mu Young walks past her and turns to the bathroom.

Mu Young takes his bath longer than usual. He continuously sighs a lot of time as he thinks to himself how to meet his father in-law tonight. He shakes his head, thinking again and again. He feels useless and hopeless.

He walks out of the bathroom, half naked. As always, Mu Young finds newly-ironed shirt, pants and jacket lay down on his bedroom. He feels guilty, although it’s still strange why he feels guilty. He doesn’t cheat, nor he ignores his wife, but just look at the clothes, his mind turns upside down. He doesn’t know how to respond his wife, let alone his father in-law.

Na Young already waits for him outside and she calls out his name. He, whose mind is still complicated, quickly wears the clothes and walks outside. He starts the car and let Na Young enters. On their way to their destination, they don’t talk much. Mu Young is busy thinking about himself.

It takes about 20 minutes before they come to Seo Mansion. Na Young gets out of the car but Mu Young refuses to do the same. Na Young calls out his name to just get out now.

“I.. why I should meet your father? What do I do wrong?” Mu Young speaks.
“Whether you’re right or wrong, he already called us. Let’s just meet him and agree to his demands,” Na Young replies.

Mu Young gets out the car with a long sigh and slams the car’s door. It’s always so strange yet so familiar to him when they step in to the house.

 They walk from the main door to the living room. There’s already another guest waiting, sipping his tea from an expensive cup. Mu Young furrows his brows seeing his brother, Mu Won as the guest.

“Woah, this is clearly unexpected move. How dare you to enter this house!” Mu Young cries to him.
“I’m just... invited by Chairman,” Mu Won answers.
“After all you’ve done, do you want to die in my hands today?” Mu Young screams in anger to Mu Won.

He’s clearly lost to himself and all he wants to do is punch him so hard. His eyes flash anger and disappointment to his brother. Mu Won is a bit scared looking at his younger brother like that.

Chairman Seo calls them to his room and that dials down the tension between the two brothers. Chairman speaks without looking at them directly. His voice is deep and heavy.

“We haven’t seen each other quite a while, but when we do... I can’t even comprehend. My daughter, my son in-law, his brother, all of you are entagled in this mess,” Chairman tells them.
“Father, I was wrong,” Na Young apologizes.

Chairman Seo lets them sit on the sofa, while he continue talking.

“Na Young-ah, you know that no matter what it is, I’m always on your side, right? No matter what that was, I always wanted to take care of them for you. But I just can’t understand what happened between you and your brother in-law. Why did that even happen?”

Na Young tears up. She only mumbles, “Dad.” While Mu Young feels he also contributed in this mess.

“Father, please forgive me. It’s my fault that I can’t take care your daughter.” Mu Young kneels down
“You don’t need to apologize, it’s all their fault. Why you’re the one who apologize?”

Mu Young can’t answer, deep down his guilt is coming up again. He doesn’t know why he feels this way. Chairman Seo takes a breath and sits in his chair. He explains his decision to them.

“If I could I would really disown my daughter for her only give me humiliaton by her disgraceful acts. But I couldn’t, no matter how hard I try because I still care for her. So, now I should ask you one by one, what do you think you should do. Son in-law Cha, what do you think you should do?”
“Fa..father.. Doesn’t it too much to ask me now? I’m not in the condition to decide it.”
“Just tell me, what do you wish to do.”
“If you ask me... I want.. a divorce.” Mu Young voices his mind. “I.. dont’t think I could survive our marriage. What kind of man would allow her wife to cheat? And what kind of man be allowed to cheat? That’s why I want to divorce.”

Everyone looks at Mu Young when he says divorce. Na Young is shocked by his decision. She still wants to hold him longer. But that doesn’t surprised Chairman Seo a bit. He tells them that Mu Young is indeed the real man. He allows him to proceed on divorce stuff. While Mu Won, oh Mu Won, he will be kicked out of the company. He can’t even defend his position by himself. Though Mu Young negotiates to his father in-law to let him continue working. Mu Young himself still retains his position. Chairman Seo loves him as if his own son, so even though there will be divorce stuff, he will still working at the company. Mu Won thinks to himself that Chairman’s mind is a bit twisted, but he doesn’t care a bit, as long as he can save his skin at the company. Mu Won steal glances to Na Young, only to meet a glare from the Chairman. It’s a bit awkward situation for them, so the chairman let them leave now. Better just kick them out of this house than see his daughter behave like indecent woman.

**

It’s past midnight, but Mu Young can’t sleep tonight. He’s tired, but he still wonders if he makes the right decision. If marry and then divorce Na Young is the right decision he made. One thing on his mind, there’s no easy solution at all. Even if they’re divorced, he would still indebted to Seo Family, who picked him as an almost penniless guy working at a vegetable store to be an executive at multinational company.

And then there’s Young Won whom he pay attention these past few weeks. Thinking about her, he doesn’t want to sleep, ‘cause there’s no guarantee he can meet her on his dream.

“It’s not only Na Young who’s guilty of cheating. I’m also guilty, I cheat on her emotionally,” Mu Young tells himself.

When he goes to office the next morning, Young Won is not there yet. Mu Young calls his secretary if he knows her whereabout.

“Who? Young Won? Maybe she’s a bit late Director.” Sec.Jo tells him.

Mu Young frowns as he’s disappointed. The only thing that maybe can make him feel better this morning is Young Won. But she’s nowhere to be seen. A minute later Young Won comes to her desk with a pile of works. Mu Young literally jumps in joy, but he calms himself as he shouldn’t show his emotion too obvious. He asks her why she’s late.

“What are you doing that you just come at this hour?” Mu Young asks her.
“I’m not coming late, Director. I just attended a briefing at the 7th floor for the new employees.”
“Ah.. And the pile of paper?”
“Ah, it’s from Sales Team 3. Chief Oh wants me to check the employees’ profiles from his team.”

“You seriously don’t think you can finish it all by today right? Why you didn’t ask some help? Ah.. let’s just share the work between you and another person here.”

**

This week, Mu Young starts his project at Jeju Island. He also submits his divorce lawsuit and probably next week there will be hearing. He brings Young Won and other 10 people to Jeju. Mu Young and Young Won stays at the same hotel, just different rooms, while the other people are on different hotel.

Mu Young invites Young Won for dinner. It’s their first time having dinner together since coming to Jeju. Young Won waits for him a bit, before he comes to their table.

“Do you like drinking alcohol?” Mu Young asks Young Won who is still busy choosing menu.
“I don’t drink Director. My alcohol tolerance is low.”
“Would you mind if I drink then? I need some strong liquor.”
“No problem.”

Mu Young is half-drunk. He rattles and mumbles all things he wouldn’t have said on another day. He tells Young Won how pitiful himself, having a broken marriage, broken heart too. His private life is basically in ruins.

“Who wants me? I don't have anybody to love me? I'm a jerk and cold blooded.” Mu Young rattles on.
“Someday you will find it, Director,” Young Won comforts him.
“And you?? Do u care about me??”
“You're drunk now.”
“Kiss me, then. Kiss me, Young Won-ssi.”
“You’re really drunk, let's stop now.”

Young Won stops him from going further and walks to her own room. She closes the door and literally shocked. Her heart beats so fast and she has cold sweats now. Now she imagines herself to kiss him. Such a hypocrisy, she tells herself.

She changes her clothes to a pair of sweater, skirt and legging. And then there’s an upcoming text on her phone, she’s surprised that it’s from Mu Young.

“Do you have an aspirin? I’m dizzy and cold” he texts her.
“Yes boss.” She replies.

She searches the medicine on her luggage, convinced that she slips few packs of various medicines. She finally finds the aspirin and goes to his room. She knocks the door and Mu Young opens the door slightly. Young Won gives him a pack of it and ready to leave.

“You always have what I want, Thanks for the aspirin!” Mu Young takes the medicine out of her hand.
“That’s only what you need right? I’ll go back to my room.”
“Who says you can go back to your room? Why we don’t talk a bit on my room?”

Mu Young pulls her to the room and pins her to the wall. The tension between them could kill someone definitely. The AC is on with temperature below 20 degrees Celsius but suddenly the room feels hot. Mu Young looks at her eyes, it’s easy to fall for her. She’s beautiful, brave, smart and confident too. While Young Won can’t deny that the man in front of her is also beautiful, a well-built and quite tall man. His eyes look hurt and full of sadness, but his dark brown iris is actually very sexy. She looks at his neck, his adam’s apple goes up and down following a rhythm, his breathing is even more evident.

He looks at her with killer stare, “Do you want to leave the room or talk with me here?”

So intense, she can’t think clearly. Her mind is scattered between her own fantasy and the real man in front of him. She doesn’t even think about moral compass at the time. Moral compass what? Forgets moral compass when you meet a gorgeous man like this who also wants you. Mu Young also knows she wants him. His eyes radiate warmth and joy.

It’s only a matter of time before they surrender, caressing and embracing each other and that time, the moon smiles at them with the longing of love.

***

To be continued...

Writer: kanz
Pictures: as tagged, to owner