Say I Love U / Chapter 13
“Oppa mentioned that you lived in a big house… but I think he was being too kind. This place is gigantic!”
Yoona chuckled at the sight of Sooyoung’s jaw dropping as they stepped into her house. They hauled bags and boxes into the marble walkway and set them on the floor as soon as they were inside the cool expanse of her home. They stood for a moment, relishing in the air wafting in from the centralized air-conditioning before Yoona motioned for Sooyoung to follow her into the living room and they fell heavily on soft couches with twin sighs of relief.
It had been a long and tiring day of shopping-an activity which she would not have enjoyed doing at any other time but Kim Hyoyeon was planning her a birthday party and as it was, she was also very persuasive. There wasn’t really much she could do but follow her command… even if it meant lifting heavy bags of shoes and dresses to fill her best friend’s so-called quota.
Yoona was grateful that Sooyoung had happily agreed to come along and accompany her while Hyoyeon was stuck finishing her last few days of make-up duty at the hospital.
“Thanks for helping me out today, Sooyoung. I would have never heard the end of it from Hyoyeon if I didn’t get anything new for that birthday party she’s been planning since we got out of rotation a few weeks ago.” Yoona said, her voice muffled by the pillow she had laid on face down.
She turned her head a fraction to the side and bit back a chuckle at Sooyoung who lying across from her in another couch, sporting a similar lying position. She smiled, tucking her chin onto a throw pillow. “You’ve met Hyoyeon and her extravagant way of-er, speaking. I’m sure you can imagine what I mean.”
“It’s no problem. I’ve never gone on a major spree before so even though my feet hurt, I thought that today was really fun.” Sooyoung replied, raising her head from the pillow she had pulled onto her face. She yawned a little, as if to prove her tiredness from the day’s events even though her smile remained intact and bright on her face. “I don’t go to a lot of parties because I also work part-time after classes so I don’t really know much about how they work.”
“Believe me, Sooyoung, if it wasn’t for Hyoyeon I probably would stay indoors all the time.”
Sooyoung smiled at this and nodded. “Didn’t you just attend a party the other night though?” she asked, her eyes wide as she picked herself up and sat cross-legged on the couch. “Changmin-oppa wore that suit you got him the other day for a party he said you were throwing.”
“Yeah, it was a party honoring my father’s homecoming from the hospital,” Yoona explained, sitting up as well to face her companion. She continued, shrugging her shoulders while at the same time wrapping her arms around a pillow on her lap. “This is my 23rd birthday though so Hyoyeon’s making a really big deal about it because she knows I won’t.”
“I probably would be too if it were mine.” She replied, grinning from ear to ear. She had a suspicious twinkle in her eyes, probably from imagining herself in the near future. Yoona had to chuckle at her enthralled expression-it looked like Sooyoung was quickly losing herself from the reality.
Except she wasn’t because a moment later she happily quipped, “Gosh, I can’t wait to be old!”
Yoona pretended to be offended and scoffed in indignation. “Gee, thanks!”
“I don’t mean you look old! I just meant I can’t wait to get the freedom you guys have. I’m 20 and all but my brother insists that he’ll treat me like I’m 9 until I’m legally 21 years old.” Sooyoung explained, laughing as Yoona’s mock-frown stayed in place, even after she threw one of the smaller throw pillows at her direction. The slightly-older woman caught it easily with one hand, tossing it back after a moment’s thought, smiling wide as she wiggled her eyebrows and made a comical face.
“Well, you’re still his little sister-adopted or not,” Yoona replied, giving her a pointed look that made Sooyoung think that she was seeing the female-version of her brother’s patented ‘Don’t-argue’ stare. She had to swallow the urge to let out an unladylike snort at the realization, causing her unnie to raise an eyebrow while she spoke, “He’s kind of allowed to baby you until you’re capable to live on your own.”
“Yeah, yeah. And I appreciate it, believe me… but sometimes I wish he’d give me a break when it comes to the guys I like.”
Yoona wrinkled her nose at the last statement, thinking back to the first days she had with Sooyoung and her senior Siwon’s unusual attendance by her bedside. She recalled the pink-tipped ears her senior sported while being teased by Hyoyeon and how Changmin rolled his eyes over and over every time Sooyoung gushed about the young doctor. Changmin, in his older brother mode, was endearing-and while she understood his protectiveness, she also thought it was a tad bit excessive at times too.
“Still giving you flak about liking Siwon-sunbae, huh?”
Sooyoung nodded vigorously with a loud whine, “He thinks he’s too old for me! Pssh, he’s only 28!”
“Which gives the two of you an 8-year gap…?” Yoona trailed off, counting her fingers dubiously with a grin as Sooyoung’s eyes widened accusingly. She threw her hands up just as a pillow was launched to her face, successfully blocking the force of the object with her palms. She threw her head back and laughed as Sooyoung pelted her with a few more pillows before running out, slumping back into her couch with a huff.
“Oh, don’t start, Yoona-unnie! You sound just like Oppa!” she said, frowning with her arms crossed across her chest, “You’re supposed to be on my side! Hoes before bros and that sort of thing!”
“Sorry, Soo,” Yoona replied, still grinning despite the few teardrops wedged in the corner of her eyes from laughing too hard. She dusted and fluffed a pillow off the floor and threw it back to Sooyoung affectionately. “I’m obligated to agree with your brother too. He’s my boyfriend and all.”
The label seemed to appease Sooyoung’s mood and a smile easily made its way back into her face. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You lo~ove him.” She said, wiggling her eyebrows again-only this time for completely different reasons.
With a conspiratorial tone, she leaned forward onto her knees and whispered loudly, “So… did you guys ever make out in this room?”
“Sooyoung!” Yoona admonished, her cheeks flushing a deep red as Sooyoung squealed in excitement. She quickly bounded over to her side, latching onto Yoona’s arm so she wouldn’t escape. Yoona didn’t think she could have even if Sooyoung hadn’t locked her in place. She was still a little shocked that Changmin’s younger sister would even ask her about their-er-affairs out loud.
Yoona always thought it was Yuri who was the loud, rash one. It’s beginning to seem like Sooyoung was the actual loudmouth of the siblings.
“What? I’m 20! I’ve had my fair share of kisses!” she exclaimed, poking her on the side with her index finger repeatedly.
“It’s really not something I’m comfortable talking to my boyfriend’s sister about.” Yoona explained, squirming away from Sooyoung’s fingers with a light swat of her hand. Her eyes drifted around the room, remembering quite well how well the space worked (without the couches) as a dance floor on the night of her father’s homecoming party. She could also remember the dance Changmin lead her on and the kiss they shared…
The deep but soft kiss Changmin had pressed against her lips that left her stomach fluttering as she responded comfortably… The kiss she hadn’t stopped thinking about since the party ended over a week ago.
Yoona felt her cheeks heat up again at the thought and she quickly fanned herself with one hand. She lowered her head just as Sooyoung let out an thrilled shriek that seemed to reverberate all over the room.
“A-ha! So you have made out here!”
Yoona shook her head almost violently, the redness of her cheeks only flushing even more with her actions. “No! Just-it’s-yes, we’ve kissed here before but it’s not like you think!” she argued, pressing her palms over her cheeks in an attempt to cool them. It helped little to no good, but it at least helped hide a smudge of her embarrassment.
“Was it any good at least?” Sooyoung inquired, eyebrows wiggling again, “The kiss?”
She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that question. It didn’t feel quite right to agree because technically Changmin was not her actual boyfriend-only pretend-but she couldn’t lie and say it wasn’t either. Because it was nice-the kiss was really nice and she did enjoy herself, despite the reasons behind it. It was one of the best kisses she’s ever had in her almost 23 years of existence.
Sooyoung was still looking at her expectantly and with a loud sigh, Yoona nodded fervently-her tone hushed as she finally answered, “Yes.”
The response was instantaneous and very, very loud. Yoona worried for a second if the maids could hear all the way across the mansion but as Sooyoung clapped her hands in glee and pulled her into a tight hug, she couldn’t find the heart to care anymore than nil. At least her pretend relationship with Changmin was believable enough for his sister. That was something, right?
“Ha! No wonder he came home practically bursting!” Sooyoung said after pulling her back from the hug, practically beaming as she clapped her hands again in excitement. Her grin was wide and contagious, knocking elbows with Yoona as she made herself comfortable against the plush couch. “I almost thought he was going to speak with that grin on his face!”
The admission made Yoona pause her smile in surprise and she looked to her companion for any sign if it was a joke or not. She had noticed once or twice before how Changmin would open his mouth at times, as though desperate to speak, only to close it again after a moment passed. She never thought much of it before, but had wondered sometimes if it his decision to be mute was something he could easily change given the right motive. She silently hoped he would speak one day, just to satisfy her curiosity.
Yoona sometimes found herself wondering what he’d sound like.
“But, of course, he didn’t.”
“Nope!”
Yoona felt her smile falter a little, disappointed even though she knew she shouldn’t be. It wasn’t like she couldn’t tell that Changmin was the type who was resolute in his choices. He set a goal and he went for it no matter what. She just wished she didn’t feel so… cheated somehow. It made no sense at all but that was how she felt. “I guess I should be impressed by his tenacity then.” She replied, nodding her head as her fingers played listlessly with each other on her lap.
It felt like a lifetime later when Sooyoung decided to speak again. “He used to talk, you know.” She began, making Yoona turn her head towards her voice in interest. Sooyoung had a peculiar expression on her face, one that had her lips turned slightly upwards in a wistful smile. “Changmin-oppa used to talk.”
“Did he really?” she asked, her tone lilting a little in anticipation. “What did he sound like?”
“He was never really talkative to begin with but he spoke to us when he felt like he needed to before. He wasn’t a complete mute back then.” Sooyoung explained, turning sideways to face her and bring her knees close to her chest. Yoona followed suit, setting herself up similarly before she spoke again, “He had that kind of melodious baritone middle-school Hallyu fangirls go crazy for. When he first came to the house even I was a little in love with his voice.”
Yoona had to smile at that last part because she believed that to be true. It wasn’t at all hard to imagine that Changmin would have that kind of quality in his voice. He was already attractive all on his own and the mysterious aura about him certainly helped boost his appeal even more. Still, she wondered how all of this-his vow of silence and the gloomy aura he exuded-came about.
What was he like before everything? What kind of guy was he?
She worried her lower lip, biting it between her teeth before nudging Sooyoung’s foot with her own. “Could you… tell me about it? About him before the whole whiteboard thing?” she asked, unable to deny her curiosity any longer. She had to know-she didn’t know exactly why she felt this way but she did. And since Changmin didn’t seem to want to share, Sooyoung seemed to be next best thing.
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s a family matter though. I understand if it should be kept secret,” she added quickly, wringing her hands out nervously. Curious or not, she didn’t want to step out of line either.
Sooyoung shook her head slowly, placing a hand over her wringing ones. She gave her a little smile. “No, it’s not really a family matter… and I want to tell you, to be honest.” She said, patting their hands together. “If anyone should know, I feel like it should be you.”
Taking a deep breath, Sooyoung began sharing a part of her family history:
“My mother brought him home one day when I was six. He was 10 years old-almost 11 actually-and already really brooding back then. Mom told me that she found him wondering around the street and took him home because he looked scared and lost.” Sooyoung paused, her lips lifting a little into a melancholic smile. Yoona wasn’t sure if it was because of the memory or the thought of her mother. She thought it best not to interrupt and ask. “I mean, could you imagine my brother looking scared and lost? I knew it was a lie right from the start because there was storm around the time and if Oppa was wondering around the streets, he should have been drenched when he came to us… but anyway, that doesn’t matter. I’d been an only child for six years and really wanted a playmate. Serious as he was, Changmin-oppa was my first real friend.”
Sooyoung’s pensive expression turned dark a moment later and with it, her grip over Yoona’s hands tightened slightly. “It was only later when I was about 15 years old that I learned that Oppa had been sent away with my mom by her boss. It turns out that Changmin had somehow become a burden to his biological family and her boss wanted to get rid of him.”
Yoona felt her chest tighten in shock. “That’s awful! How could anyone do that to their own child?!”
“That’s what I thought too but… I don’t think he was legitimate in the first place if my mother’s boss wanted him gone.” Sooyoung said, shrugging in a beaten manner. Yoona’s brow furrowed at this.
“What do you mean?”
“My mother worked for a man named Jung,” Sooyoung said in tone that sounded like her answer should already suffice her inquiries. Yoona’s chest pulled tighter at the realization and her brow furrowed further together in worry. “My brother uses the surname Shim. It’s in his birth certificate and all of his legal documents. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together…”
This was something she couldn’t quite believe. There had to be a better-less tragic-explanation. “It could be his mother’s surname. There are people who use their maiden names instead of their paternal names.” Yoona surmised, biting the inside of her cheek nervously.
Sooyoung shrugged again. She shot her a look that said she had also thought the same before. “Maybe. But why would he have to use his mother’s surname if he was legitimately his father’s son?”
Yoona had to give her that point. It wouldn’t have made any sense to use someone else’s name if one could use their father’s.
“So… what does that have to do with him not speaking?”
“My dad… He was an engineer and a really good one too. Changmin-oppa worked for him part time after he turned 18 because he said didn’t want to go to college. It helped my dad’s company a lot to have him around because during the time he was really short in staff. The company went on to do a little better than expected at the time, but…” Sooyoung trailed off, sighing loudly as tears began to permeate the corners of her eyes. Yoona reached out to hold their hands tighter together, squeezing lightly in an attempt to reassure her to which she responded with a small but grateful smile.
“My parents were separating then. My father had caught my mother cheating on him with a manager from his company. That manager also embezzled from him, taking almost half of the company’s money before promptly quitting once the affair had been found out. The bastard took my mother along with him and they moved elsewhere, leaving us without a word.” She let out a bitter laugh once the tears she’d been holding started to slide down her cheeks and Yoona herself felt her own tears do the same. She knew the pain of having a mother disappear in a child’s life. The pain of losing a loved one, to death or to any other instance, damages the soul. Though their situations were different, the stab of pain was the same. Yoona could understand that. She understood it very well.
They sniffled together for a long moment, breathing in each other’s presence before Sooyoung continued, wiping her cheeks with a free hand.
“It was a painful time… but my father never let us on about his pain. He never even told us about my mother’s indiscretions until Yuri found the emails she sent asking Dad to forgive her and understand. Yuri told me and Changmin, of course, but we didn’t let my Dad know that we knew. I figured that he wanted to show us that he was strong.”
Yoona took a deep breath and vaguely remembering the vacant look in her mother’s eyes during her last days on earth. It was a lost and desperate look; one that let on the damage of one’s heart that medicine could not cure.
“But he wasn’t, was he?”
Sooyoung shook her head sadly, “No.”
She let out the breath she held in her chest. “Changmin told me once that they died…” she said quietly. Her nose was running but she could care less at the moment. All she could think about was that first bright, sunny day she’d spent with Changmin weeks and weeks ago.
“It’s just like him to say that. I mean, obviously my mother isn’t. She’s off in God-knows-where with her new family but my dad is-” Sooyoung stopped abruptly, unable to continue as her face crumbled with suppressed emotion. She covered her hands over face, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.
“He died.” Yoona said simply, wrapping her arms around her friend’s body-holding her in the way her older sister used to when she was a child and was afraid of lightning and thunder.
“One night, Oppa was asked to meet my dad at one of the buildings the company was building at the time. It was late, around midnight probably, when he called and my brother left. We were doing fine without my mother for a few months and Changmin-oppa was still talking bits and pieces then but-” Sooyoung took a deep breath to control herself, her tears flowing steadily as she burst,
“He-he jumped. My d-dad jumped off the building that night. I don’t know why. Changmin won’t tell me but I probably wouldn’t say either if I had been the one to see it happen with my own eyes. It completely obliterated his will to speak. They’d always been close, he and Dad. They would talk to each other quietly for hours at a time that Yuri and I would always try to ruin it by screaming or running around. And when Dad died…”
Yoona bit her lip as she trailed off again, crying as fresh tears assaulted her. It dawned to her then what Sooyoung meant to say but the admission of it did nothing to lessen the hurt she felt for the man she had bribed to help her. “Changmin decided not to speak anymore.” She finished for her, breathing heavily as a stab of pain sliced through her chest. The sadness she felt earlier was nothing compared to the realization of this portion of the story of Changmin’s silence resolve. This sadness stemmed deeper. It was not pity-it was pure grief for a person she’d come to care for.
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered, her voice cracking as her hold tightened over Sooyoung. “I’m so sorry.”
Sooyoung shook her head, pulling back to wipe her face with the back of her hands. “You don’t have to apologize, unnie. Dad was heartsick and he probably thought that death would be his only relief.”
“No, I understand that but-for you to go through that. You were so young! And Yuri! I-Then for Changmin to witness a loved one fall to his doom-I… I just can’t possibly imagine the pain he felt.” Yoona stumbled over her words, blubbering almost as her tears continued to pour despite her trying to stop them. She watched as Sooyoung crack a small smile at her after she finally calmed minutes later as she blew her nose on the handkerchief she kept in her purse.
“You really do like Oppa, don’t you?” She said without a hint of irony in her voice.
“What?” Yoona paused for a moment, weighing the word in her head. Like? Did she like him?
She cared for him a great deal to feel so consumed of the story of his past, right? That must mean she did. Like him. She only wished she knew why.
Why did I want to know all of this? Why am I crying? Why do I care?
She had no clue.
“Yeah,” Yoona admitted a beat later, wiping at her nose. A blush rose to her cheeks, different from the blushing that colored her skin before-because this time it was for something she couldn’t quite understand yet. “Yes, I do.”
“I knew I liked you for him right from the start.” Sooyoung said, happier this time as their tears subsided. She reached over to envelop her in a hug. “Thank you for caring so much, unnie. It means so much to me and Oppa-though he shouldn’t know I told you any of this.”
Yoona let out a snort of laughter through her nose, hugging her back with a grin. She pulled back just a bit to put a finger over her mouth, wiggling her eyebrows in an almost conspiratorial manner, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
They erupted into chuckles then, the mood calmer now that everything was out on the open. They hadn’t noticed the front door open and close as they finally got down to laying the contents of their shopping bags into piles. They were too immersed into mixing and matching outfits when Changmin finally made his presence known with his heavy steps across the marble floor.
Yoona looked just as he walked through the door, grinning and holding up his whiteboard in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. Her heart squeezed at the way his hair fell over his eyes in an unruly tumble and the way his skin seemed tanner than usual for being out in a construction site again for the day against the white of his smile. He nodded at his sister as he came in and put the groceries down, ruffling Sooyoung’s hair before turning to her.
/Hey,/ the board said and it was all she needed to see before she stood up and threw her arms around his neck.
The impact of her jump surprised him, making him stumble back a little with a grunt. His arms wound around her immediately to regain his balance, holding her in place as her legs wrapped around his waist. Changmin faltered slightly at the too-close contact but kept his expression under control, holding her just by the waist as he waited for Yoona to pull her face back again from where she hid under the crook of his neck.
She smelled nice today, as usual. And while his heart thrummed against his chest in a faster-than-normal rate, he let himself enjoy this moment as a man-and not as a pretend boyfriend. He didn’t even want to think about that.
Finally Yoona pulled back to face him, her face splotchy in a way that made him cringe in worry. He was just about to set her down on her feet when she spoke, her tone lilting as she directed her words to Sooyoung instead of him,
“You won’t mind if my lips happen to attach themselves again onto your brother’s for a really long time, will you?”
Changmin’s jaw dropped in shock and he looked to his sister for-anything. Sooyoung was no help, however, as she simply shrugged and waved her hand nonchalantly. “Go ahead… just keep it PG, okay? I’d go blind if I ever see my brother getting it on in front of me.”
Yoona laughed and pressed a kiss on his cheek, catching him off guard with the simplicity of the action. He shut his mouth promptly as she looked at him head on, her eyes swimming with some unknown emotion he wasn’t sure he wanted to decipher.
“I can’t promise anything.” She said to Sooyoung, softer this time as she moved to cup his cheek with her palm.
His gaze narrowed into her soft pink lips drawing closer than ever and he pulled back to search her eyes. She only smiled at him in response-and when their lips touched in that moment, Changmin could not help the soft groan from erupting at the back of his throat. The sound barely registered to anyone’s ears, though it had with his but he only held on tighter, hooking one around her waist as his free hand reached over to skim the softness of her cheek.
They talked about giving each other signals before any of this, but it seemed useless now.
Not that Changmin minded at all. As long as Yoona initiated it, he didn’t mind if he was caught off guard again.
They separated slowly moments-minutes-later, their eyes opening at the same time as they tried to catch their breaths. Yoona’s eyes held a hazy quality to them for a second before abruptly clearing at the realization of her actions. She stiffened in his arms, mouth hanging open to speak-only to be cut off as Changmin kissed her soundlessly again as he set her down onto her feet.
She could tell that he knew what he was doing. He had stopped her from reacting badly in front of Sooyoung. Never mind that it was her who had latched herself onto him in the first place-he keeping his end of the bargain by helping her not make a full of herself.
“Oh my eyes! I am locking myself in the bathroom to vomit!” Sooyoung’s loud complaining pulled her out of her haze, and the couple turned to her with matching sheepish grins on their faces. She made a gagging sound, pointing at their close proximity and shut her eyes. “Where is it anyway?! I can’t take watching you guys like this!”
“Second door to the right.” Yoona replied, laughing despite herself as Sooyoung immediately bolted out of the room, bellowing a “Thanks!” and “Ugh! Ew! Stupid Couples and their hormones!”.
Once sure they were alone, Yoona stepped back from Changmin’s embrace with a meek chuckle. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she tried desperately not to look at him in the eye lest her embarrassment gave her away. It was not an easy feat as seconds later the whiteboard was shoved under her gaze.
/What was that about?/
She wasn’t sure what that was about either to be honest. Why did she feel so happy to see him? Why did she jump and wrap herself around him? Why did she kiss him and liked it?
“I… I don’t know.” She replied lamely, wiping her hands over the back of her jeans. Biting her lip, she stole a glance at Changmin and found that he was unconvinced by her reply but wasn’t going to push her on it either. The thought deflated her a little, though she didn’t know why.
Another thing to add to the growing list of things she didn’t know why she did.
(But she did know she liked it. The kiss. It was different from the one at the party. It was softer, more… spontaneous. She didn’t know why she wanted to kiss him, but she did.)
/Right. Fine, then why are your eyes all puffy?/
Yoona shrugged, pursing her lips. She couldn’t tell him she’d just finished crying from learning about his adoptive family life; that would be wrong on both sides-for her and Sooyoung and also Changmin’s. Instead, she thought up of an excuse and wished he wouldn’t ask anymore.
“We were watching ‘A Moment to Remember’ earlier. I started crying halfway through it.”
Tch. Changmin rolled his eyes at this and shook his head. Figures. She must have felt romantic when she saw and decided to play up the part in front of Sooyoung. That explanation answered a lot of things and though the awareness of this fact sliced through his chest, he accepted it all the same. He didn’t want to think about the disappointment right now. Or ever.
This relationship was a business transaction. It was all just for play.
/Women and your romantic films/ Changmin wrote, smirking at her and Yoona threw a pillow at his head.
“Shut up.” She replied, sticking her tongue out at him as he easily caught the pillow in his hands.
At the sound of a door closing, Changmin immediately pulled her towards him-making her yelp in surprise. If they were going to be a convincing couple, they had to keep up with the show.
/You can shut me up if you kiss me again, you know./ He wrote, smiling down at her as she read, /We are that kind of couple now, aren’t we?/
Yoona’s eyes narrowed at the words but when she heard Sooyoung groan about food in the distance, it all seemed to click. Oh.
“What kind of couple?” she asked, pushing down the little sense of disappointment poking at her gut. Their relationship was just for awhile… only until her father needed to see her ‘committed’ to somebody. It wasn’t real.
(She didn’t want to think about that part now.)
He looked down at her, watching her face harden in a challenge-catching on to what he was forcing himself to do. Sooyoung entered the room then and complained loudly at the sight of their arms still wrapped around each other before flopping down on the couch in a huff.
/The kind that kiss anytime without signals./ He wrote, stepping away from her. Yoona shook her head, sighing.
If they’d stayed closer together they might have felt their hearts thrum harder and harder in sync. Though only one of them knew why.
“You’re annoying.”
/Keep your hands to yourself then./
Author's Notes:
Yes, I know. FINALLY, right? Enjoy!
Would love to hear your thoughts on a part of Changmin's past revealed. :)
PS. To those who might wonder about Mr./Mrs. Choi...
The backstory between Mr. and Mrs. Choi isn't necessarily important in the story but you have to realize that some people are really just... weak when it comes to love. In this fic, Mr. Choi is exactly that type of person. He is very weak at heart, and that is a fault in him that we cannot entirely blame. All people are not built the same. As for why Mrs. Choi left her family, I can't say much about it since I didn't really think about it in detail... however realistically speaking, we can only assume that she wasn't entirely happy in her marriage. Couples divorce even if they love their children and that's what basically happened here... I hope this clears some stuff up!
Yoona chuckled at the sight of Sooyoung’s jaw dropping as they stepped into her house. They hauled bags and boxes into the marble walkway and set them on the floor as soon as they were inside the cool expanse of her home. They stood for a moment, relishing in the air wafting in from the centralized air-conditioning before Yoona motioned for Sooyoung to follow her into the living room and they fell heavily on soft couches with twin sighs of relief.
It had been a long and tiring day of shopping-an activity which she would not have enjoyed doing at any other time but Kim Hyoyeon was planning her a birthday party and as it was, she was also very persuasive. There wasn’t really much she could do but follow her command… even if it meant lifting heavy bags of shoes and dresses to fill her best friend’s so-called quota.
Yoona was grateful that Sooyoung had happily agreed to come along and accompany her while Hyoyeon was stuck finishing her last few days of make-up duty at the hospital.
“Thanks for helping me out today, Sooyoung. I would have never heard the end of it from Hyoyeon if I didn’t get anything new for that birthday party she’s been planning since we got out of rotation a few weeks ago.” Yoona said, her voice muffled by the pillow she had laid on face down.
She turned her head a fraction to the side and bit back a chuckle at Sooyoung who lying across from her in another couch, sporting a similar lying position. She smiled, tucking her chin onto a throw pillow. “You’ve met Hyoyeon and her extravagant way of-er, speaking. I’m sure you can imagine what I mean.”
“It’s no problem. I’ve never gone on a major spree before so even though my feet hurt, I thought that today was really fun.” Sooyoung replied, raising her head from the pillow she had pulled onto her face. She yawned a little, as if to prove her tiredness from the day’s events even though her smile remained intact and bright on her face. “I don’t go to a lot of parties because I also work part-time after classes so I don’t really know much about how they work.”
“Believe me, Sooyoung, if it wasn’t for Hyoyeon I probably would stay indoors all the time.”
Sooyoung smiled at this and nodded. “Didn’t you just attend a party the other night though?” she asked, her eyes wide as she picked herself up and sat cross-legged on the couch. “Changmin-oppa wore that suit you got him the other day for a party he said you were throwing.”
“Yeah, it was a party honoring my father’s homecoming from the hospital,” Yoona explained, sitting up as well to face her companion. She continued, shrugging her shoulders while at the same time wrapping her arms around a pillow on her lap. “This is my 23rd birthday though so Hyoyeon’s making a really big deal about it because she knows I won’t.”
“I probably would be too if it were mine.” She replied, grinning from ear to ear. She had a suspicious twinkle in her eyes, probably from imagining herself in the near future. Yoona had to chuckle at her enthralled expression-it looked like Sooyoung was quickly losing herself from the reality.
Except she wasn’t because a moment later she happily quipped, “Gosh, I can’t wait to be old!”
Yoona pretended to be offended and scoffed in indignation. “Gee, thanks!”
“I don’t mean you look old! I just meant I can’t wait to get the freedom you guys have. I’m 20 and all but my brother insists that he’ll treat me like I’m 9 until I’m legally 21 years old.” Sooyoung explained, laughing as Yoona’s mock-frown stayed in place, even after she threw one of the smaller throw pillows at her direction. The slightly-older woman caught it easily with one hand, tossing it back after a moment’s thought, smiling wide as she wiggled her eyebrows and made a comical face.
“Well, you’re still his little sister-adopted or not,” Yoona replied, giving her a pointed look that made Sooyoung think that she was seeing the female-version of her brother’s patented ‘Don’t-argue’ stare. She had to swallow the urge to let out an unladylike snort at the realization, causing her unnie to raise an eyebrow while she spoke, “He’s kind of allowed to baby you until you’re capable to live on your own.”
“Yeah, yeah. And I appreciate it, believe me… but sometimes I wish he’d give me a break when it comes to the guys I like.”
Yoona wrinkled her nose at the last statement, thinking back to the first days she had with Sooyoung and her senior Siwon’s unusual attendance by her bedside. She recalled the pink-tipped ears her senior sported while being teased by Hyoyeon and how Changmin rolled his eyes over and over every time Sooyoung gushed about the young doctor. Changmin, in his older brother mode, was endearing-and while she understood his protectiveness, she also thought it was a tad bit excessive at times too.
“Still giving you flak about liking Siwon-sunbae, huh?”
Sooyoung nodded vigorously with a loud whine, “He thinks he’s too old for me! Pssh, he’s only 28!”
“Which gives the two of you an 8-year gap…?” Yoona trailed off, counting her fingers dubiously with a grin as Sooyoung’s eyes widened accusingly. She threw her hands up just as a pillow was launched to her face, successfully blocking the force of the object with her palms. She threw her head back and laughed as Sooyoung pelted her with a few more pillows before running out, slumping back into her couch with a huff.
“Oh, don’t start, Yoona-unnie! You sound just like Oppa!” she said, frowning with her arms crossed across her chest, “You’re supposed to be on my side! Hoes before bros and that sort of thing!”
“Sorry, Soo,” Yoona replied, still grinning despite the few teardrops wedged in the corner of her eyes from laughing too hard. She dusted and fluffed a pillow off the floor and threw it back to Sooyoung affectionately. “I’m obligated to agree with your brother too. He’s my boyfriend and all.”
The label seemed to appease Sooyoung’s mood and a smile easily made its way back into her face. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You lo~ove him.” She said, wiggling her eyebrows again-only this time for completely different reasons.
With a conspiratorial tone, she leaned forward onto her knees and whispered loudly, “So… did you guys ever make out in this room?”
“Sooyoung!” Yoona admonished, her cheeks flushing a deep red as Sooyoung squealed in excitement. She quickly bounded over to her side, latching onto Yoona’s arm so she wouldn’t escape. Yoona didn’t think she could have even if Sooyoung hadn’t locked her in place. She was still a little shocked that Changmin’s younger sister would even ask her about their-er-affairs out loud.
Yoona always thought it was Yuri who was the loud, rash one. It’s beginning to seem like Sooyoung was the actual loudmouth of the siblings.
“What? I’m 20! I’ve had my fair share of kisses!” she exclaimed, poking her on the side with her index finger repeatedly.
“It’s really not something I’m comfortable talking to my boyfriend’s sister about.” Yoona explained, squirming away from Sooyoung’s fingers with a light swat of her hand. Her eyes drifted around the room, remembering quite well how well the space worked (without the couches) as a dance floor on the night of her father’s homecoming party. She could also remember the dance Changmin lead her on and the kiss they shared…
The deep but soft kiss Changmin had pressed against her lips that left her stomach fluttering as she responded comfortably… The kiss she hadn’t stopped thinking about since the party ended over a week ago.
Yoona felt her cheeks heat up again at the thought and she quickly fanned herself with one hand. She lowered her head just as Sooyoung let out an thrilled shriek that seemed to reverberate all over the room.
“A-ha! So you have made out here!”
Yoona shook her head almost violently, the redness of her cheeks only flushing even more with her actions. “No! Just-it’s-yes, we’ve kissed here before but it’s not like you think!” she argued, pressing her palms over her cheeks in an attempt to cool them. It helped little to no good, but it at least helped hide a smudge of her embarrassment.
“Was it any good at least?” Sooyoung inquired, eyebrows wiggling again, “The kiss?”
She wasn’t entirely sure how to answer that question. It didn’t feel quite right to agree because technically Changmin was not her actual boyfriend-only pretend-but she couldn’t lie and say it wasn’t either. Because it was nice-the kiss was really nice and she did enjoy herself, despite the reasons behind it. It was one of the best kisses she’s ever had in her almost 23 years of existence.
Sooyoung was still looking at her expectantly and with a loud sigh, Yoona nodded fervently-her tone hushed as she finally answered, “Yes.”
The response was instantaneous and very, very loud. Yoona worried for a second if the maids could hear all the way across the mansion but as Sooyoung clapped her hands in glee and pulled her into a tight hug, she couldn’t find the heart to care anymore than nil. At least her pretend relationship with Changmin was believable enough for his sister. That was something, right?
“Ha! No wonder he came home practically bursting!” Sooyoung said after pulling her back from the hug, practically beaming as she clapped her hands again in excitement. Her grin was wide and contagious, knocking elbows with Yoona as she made herself comfortable against the plush couch. “I almost thought he was going to speak with that grin on his face!”
The admission made Yoona pause her smile in surprise and she looked to her companion for any sign if it was a joke or not. She had noticed once or twice before how Changmin would open his mouth at times, as though desperate to speak, only to close it again after a moment passed. She never thought much of it before, but had wondered sometimes if it his decision to be mute was something he could easily change given the right motive. She silently hoped he would speak one day, just to satisfy her curiosity.
Yoona sometimes found herself wondering what he’d sound like.
“But, of course, he didn’t.”
“Nope!”
Yoona felt her smile falter a little, disappointed even though she knew she shouldn’t be. It wasn’t like she couldn’t tell that Changmin was the type who was resolute in his choices. He set a goal and he went for it no matter what. She just wished she didn’t feel so… cheated somehow. It made no sense at all but that was how she felt. “I guess I should be impressed by his tenacity then.” She replied, nodding her head as her fingers played listlessly with each other on her lap.
It felt like a lifetime later when Sooyoung decided to speak again. “He used to talk, you know.” She began, making Yoona turn her head towards her voice in interest. Sooyoung had a peculiar expression on her face, one that had her lips turned slightly upwards in a wistful smile. “Changmin-oppa used to talk.”
“Did he really?” she asked, her tone lilting a little in anticipation. “What did he sound like?”
“He was never really talkative to begin with but he spoke to us when he felt like he needed to before. He wasn’t a complete mute back then.” Sooyoung explained, turning sideways to face her and bring her knees close to her chest. Yoona followed suit, setting herself up similarly before she spoke again, “He had that kind of melodious baritone middle-school Hallyu fangirls go crazy for. When he first came to the house even I was a little in love with his voice.”
Yoona had to smile at that last part because she believed that to be true. It wasn’t at all hard to imagine that Changmin would have that kind of quality in his voice. He was already attractive all on his own and the mysterious aura about him certainly helped boost his appeal even more. Still, she wondered how all of this-his vow of silence and the gloomy aura he exuded-came about.
What was he like before everything? What kind of guy was he?
She worried her lower lip, biting it between her teeth before nudging Sooyoung’s foot with her own. “Could you… tell me about it? About him before the whole whiteboard thing?” she asked, unable to deny her curiosity any longer. She had to know-she didn’t know exactly why she felt this way but she did. And since Changmin didn’t seem to want to share, Sooyoung seemed to be next best thing.
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s a family matter though. I understand if it should be kept secret,” she added quickly, wringing her hands out nervously. Curious or not, she didn’t want to step out of line either.
Sooyoung shook her head slowly, placing a hand over her wringing ones. She gave her a little smile. “No, it’s not really a family matter… and I want to tell you, to be honest.” She said, patting their hands together. “If anyone should know, I feel like it should be you.”
Taking a deep breath, Sooyoung began sharing a part of her family history:
“My mother brought him home one day when I was six. He was 10 years old-almost 11 actually-and already really brooding back then. Mom told me that she found him wondering around the street and took him home because he looked scared and lost.” Sooyoung paused, her lips lifting a little into a melancholic smile. Yoona wasn’t sure if it was because of the memory or the thought of her mother. She thought it best not to interrupt and ask. “I mean, could you imagine my brother looking scared and lost? I knew it was a lie right from the start because there was storm around the time and if Oppa was wondering around the streets, he should have been drenched when he came to us… but anyway, that doesn’t matter. I’d been an only child for six years and really wanted a playmate. Serious as he was, Changmin-oppa was my first real friend.”
Sooyoung’s pensive expression turned dark a moment later and with it, her grip over Yoona’s hands tightened slightly. “It was only later when I was about 15 years old that I learned that Oppa had been sent away with my mom by her boss. It turns out that Changmin had somehow become a burden to his biological family and her boss wanted to get rid of him.”
Yoona felt her chest tighten in shock. “That’s awful! How could anyone do that to their own child?!”
“That’s what I thought too but… I don’t think he was legitimate in the first place if my mother’s boss wanted him gone.” Sooyoung said, shrugging in a beaten manner. Yoona’s brow furrowed at this.
“What do you mean?”
“My mother worked for a man named Jung,” Sooyoung said in tone that sounded like her answer should already suffice her inquiries. Yoona’s chest pulled tighter at the realization and her brow furrowed further together in worry. “My brother uses the surname Shim. It’s in his birth certificate and all of his legal documents. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together…”
This was something she couldn’t quite believe. There had to be a better-less tragic-explanation. “It could be his mother’s surname. There are people who use their maiden names instead of their paternal names.” Yoona surmised, biting the inside of her cheek nervously.
Sooyoung shrugged again. She shot her a look that said she had also thought the same before. “Maybe. But why would he have to use his mother’s surname if he was legitimately his father’s son?”
Yoona had to give her that point. It wouldn’t have made any sense to use someone else’s name if one could use their father’s.
“So… what does that have to do with him not speaking?”
“My dad… He was an engineer and a really good one too. Changmin-oppa worked for him part time after he turned 18 because he said didn’t want to go to college. It helped my dad’s company a lot to have him around because during the time he was really short in staff. The company went on to do a little better than expected at the time, but…” Sooyoung trailed off, sighing loudly as tears began to permeate the corners of her eyes. Yoona reached out to hold their hands tighter together, squeezing lightly in an attempt to reassure her to which she responded with a small but grateful smile.
“My parents were separating then. My father had caught my mother cheating on him with a manager from his company. That manager also embezzled from him, taking almost half of the company’s money before promptly quitting once the affair had been found out. The bastard took my mother along with him and they moved elsewhere, leaving us without a word.” She let out a bitter laugh once the tears she’d been holding started to slide down her cheeks and Yoona herself felt her own tears do the same. She knew the pain of having a mother disappear in a child’s life. The pain of losing a loved one, to death or to any other instance, damages the soul. Though their situations were different, the stab of pain was the same. Yoona could understand that. She understood it very well.
They sniffled together for a long moment, breathing in each other’s presence before Sooyoung continued, wiping her cheeks with a free hand.
“It was a painful time… but my father never let us on about his pain. He never even told us about my mother’s indiscretions until Yuri found the emails she sent asking Dad to forgive her and understand. Yuri told me and Changmin, of course, but we didn’t let my Dad know that we knew. I figured that he wanted to show us that he was strong.”
Yoona took a deep breath and vaguely remembering the vacant look in her mother’s eyes during her last days on earth. It was a lost and desperate look; one that let on the damage of one’s heart that medicine could not cure.
“But he wasn’t, was he?”
Sooyoung shook her head sadly, “No.”
She let out the breath she held in her chest. “Changmin told me once that they died…” she said quietly. Her nose was running but she could care less at the moment. All she could think about was that first bright, sunny day she’d spent with Changmin weeks and weeks ago.
“It’s just like him to say that. I mean, obviously my mother isn’t. She’s off in God-knows-where with her new family but my dad is-” Sooyoung stopped abruptly, unable to continue as her face crumbled with suppressed emotion. She covered her hands over face, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.
“He died.” Yoona said simply, wrapping her arms around her friend’s body-holding her in the way her older sister used to when she was a child and was afraid of lightning and thunder.
“One night, Oppa was asked to meet my dad at one of the buildings the company was building at the time. It was late, around midnight probably, when he called and my brother left. We were doing fine without my mother for a few months and Changmin-oppa was still talking bits and pieces then but-” Sooyoung took a deep breath to control herself, her tears flowing steadily as she burst,
“He-he jumped. My d-dad jumped off the building that night. I don’t know why. Changmin won’t tell me but I probably wouldn’t say either if I had been the one to see it happen with my own eyes. It completely obliterated his will to speak. They’d always been close, he and Dad. They would talk to each other quietly for hours at a time that Yuri and I would always try to ruin it by screaming or running around. And when Dad died…”
Yoona bit her lip as she trailed off again, crying as fresh tears assaulted her. It dawned to her then what Sooyoung meant to say but the admission of it did nothing to lessen the hurt she felt for the man she had bribed to help her. “Changmin decided not to speak anymore.” She finished for her, breathing heavily as a stab of pain sliced through her chest. The sadness she felt earlier was nothing compared to the realization of this portion of the story of Changmin’s silence resolve. This sadness stemmed deeper. It was not pity-it was pure grief for a person she’d come to care for.
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered, her voice cracking as her hold tightened over Sooyoung. “I’m so sorry.”
Sooyoung shook her head, pulling back to wipe her face with the back of her hands. “You don’t have to apologize, unnie. Dad was heartsick and he probably thought that death would be his only relief.”
“No, I understand that but-for you to go through that. You were so young! And Yuri! I-Then for Changmin to witness a loved one fall to his doom-I… I just can’t possibly imagine the pain he felt.” Yoona stumbled over her words, blubbering almost as her tears continued to pour despite her trying to stop them. She watched as Sooyoung crack a small smile at her after she finally calmed minutes later as she blew her nose on the handkerchief she kept in her purse.
“You really do like Oppa, don’t you?” She said without a hint of irony in her voice.
“What?” Yoona paused for a moment, weighing the word in her head. Like? Did she like him?
She cared for him a great deal to feel so consumed of the story of his past, right? That must mean she did. Like him. She only wished she knew why.
Why did I want to know all of this? Why am I crying? Why do I care?
She had no clue.
“Yeah,” Yoona admitted a beat later, wiping at her nose. A blush rose to her cheeks, different from the blushing that colored her skin before-because this time it was for something she couldn’t quite understand yet. “Yes, I do.”
“I knew I liked you for him right from the start.” Sooyoung said, happier this time as their tears subsided. She reached over to envelop her in a hug. “Thank you for caring so much, unnie. It means so much to me and Oppa-though he shouldn’t know I told you any of this.”
Yoona let out a snort of laughter through her nose, hugging her back with a grin. She pulled back just a bit to put a finger over her mouth, wiggling her eyebrows in an almost conspiratorial manner, “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
They erupted into chuckles then, the mood calmer now that everything was out on the open. They hadn’t noticed the front door open and close as they finally got down to laying the contents of their shopping bags into piles. They were too immersed into mixing and matching outfits when Changmin finally made his presence known with his heavy steps across the marble floor.
Yoona looked just as he walked through the door, grinning and holding up his whiteboard in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. Her heart squeezed at the way his hair fell over his eyes in an unruly tumble and the way his skin seemed tanner than usual for being out in a construction site again for the day against the white of his smile. He nodded at his sister as he came in and put the groceries down, ruffling Sooyoung’s hair before turning to her.
/Hey,/ the board said and it was all she needed to see before she stood up and threw her arms around his neck.
The impact of her jump surprised him, making him stumble back a little with a grunt. His arms wound around her immediately to regain his balance, holding her in place as her legs wrapped around his waist. Changmin faltered slightly at the too-close contact but kept his expression under control, holding her just by the waist as he waited for Yoona to pull her face back again from where she hid under the crook of his neck.
She smelled nice today, as usual. And while his heart thrummed against his chest in a faster-than-normal rate, he let himself enjoy this moment as a man-and not as a pretend boyfriend. He didn’t even want to think about that.
Finally Yoona pulled back to face him, her face splotchy in a way that made him cringe in worry. He was just about to set her down on her feet when she spoke, her tone lilting as she directed her words to Sooyoung instead of him,
“You won’t mind if my lips happen to attach themselves again onto your brother’s for a really long time, will you?”
Changmin’s jaw dropped in shock and he looked to his sister for-anything. Sooyoung was no help, however, as she simply shrugged and waved her hand nonchalantly. “Go ahead… just keep it PG, okay? I’d go blind if I ever see my brother getting it on in front of me.”
Yoona laughed and pressed a kiss on his cheek, catching him off guard with the simplicity of the action. He shut his mouth promptly as she looked at him head on, her eyes swimming with some unknown emotion he wasn’t sure he wanted to decipher.
“I can’t promise anything.” She said to Sooyoung, softer this time as she moved to cup his cheek with her palm.
His gaze narrowed into her soft pink lips drawing closer than ever and he pulled back to search her eyes. She only smiled at him in response-and when their lips touched in that moment, Changmin could not help the soft groan from erupting at the back of his throat. The sound barely registered to anyone’s ears, though it had with his but he only held on tighter, hooking one around her waist as his free hand reached over to skim the softness of her cheek.
They talked about giving each other signals before any of this, but it seemed useless now.
Not that Changmin minded at all. As long as Yoona initiated it, he didn’t mind if he was caught off guard again.
They separated slowly moments-minutes-later, their eyes opening at the same time as they tried to catch their breaths. Yoona’s eyes held a hazy quality to them for a second before abruptly clearing at the realization of her actions. She stiffened in his arms, mouth hanging open to speak-only to be cut off as Changmin kissed her soundlessly again as he set her down onto her feet.
She could tell that he knew what he was doing. He had stopped her from reacting badly in front of Sooyoung. Never mind that it was her who had latched herself onto him in the first place-he keeping his end of the bargain by helping her not make a full of herself.
“Oh my eyes! I am locking myself in the bathroom to vomit!” Sooyoung’s loud complaining pulled her out of her haze, and the couple turned to her with matching sheepish grins on their faces. She made a gagging sound, pointing at their close proximity and shut her eyes. “Where is it anyway?! I can’t take watching you guys like this!”
“Second door to the right.” Yoona replied, laughing despite herself as Sooyoung immediately bolted out of the room, bellowing a “Thanks!” and “Ugh! Ew! Stupid Couples and their hormones!”.
Once sure they were alone, Yoona stepped back from Changmin’s embrace with a meek chuckle. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she tried desperately not to look at him in the eye lest her embarrassment gave her away. It was not an easy feat as seconds later the whiteboard was shoved under her gaze.
/What was that about?/
She wasn’t sure what that was about either to be honest. Why did she feel so happy to see him? Why did she jump and wrap herself around him? Why did she kiss him and liked it?
“I… I don’t know.” She replied lamely, wiping her hands over the back of her jeans. Biting her lip, she stole a glance at Changmin and found that he was unconvinced by her reply but wasn’t going to push her on it either. The thought deflated her a little, though she didn’t know why.
Another thing to add to the growing list of things she didn’t know why she did.
(But she did know she liked it. The kiss. It was different from the one at the party. It was softer, more… spontaneous. She didn’t know why she wanted to kiss him, but she did.)
/Right. Fine, then why are your eyes all puffy?/
Yoona shrugged, pursing her lips. She couldn’t tell him she’d just finished crying from learning about his adoptive family life; that would be wrong on both sides-for her and Sooyoung and also Changmin’s. Instead, she thought up of an excuse and wished he wouldn’t ask anymore.
“We were watching ‘A Moment to Remember’ earlier. I started crying halfway through it.”
Tch. Changmin rolled his eyes at this and shook his head. Figures. She must have felt romantic when she saw and decided to play up the part in front of Sooyoung. That explanation answered a lot of things and though the awareness of this fact sliced through his chest, he accepted it all the same. He didn’t want to think about the disappointment right now. Or ever.
This relationship was a business transaction. It was all just for play.
/Women and your romantic films/ Changmin wrote, smirking at her and Yoona threw a pillow at his head.
“Shut up.” She replied, sticking her tongue out at him as he easily caught the pillow in his hands.
At the sound of a door closing, Changmin immediately pulled her towards him-making her yelp in surprise. If they were going to be a convincing couple, they had to keep up with the show.
/You can shut me up if you kiss me again, you know./ He wrote, smiling down at her as she read, /We are that kind of couple now, aren’t we?/
Yoona’s eyes narrowed at the words but when she heard Sooyoung groan about food in the distance, it all seemed to click. Oh.
“What kind of couple?” she asked, pushing down the little sense of disappointment poking at her gut. Their relationship was just for awhile… only until her father needed to see her ‘committed’ to somebody. It wasn’t real.
(She didn’t want to think about that part now.)
He looked down at her, watching her face harden in a challenge-catching on to what he was forcing himself to do. Sooyoung entered the room then and complained loudly at the sight of their arms still wrapped around each other before flopping down on the couch in a huff.
/The kind that kiss anytime without signals./ He wrote, stepping away from her. Yoona shook her head, sighing.
If they’d stayed closer together they might have felt their hearts thrum harder and harder in sync. Though only one of them knew why.
“You’re annoying.”
/Keep your hands to yourself then./
Author's Notes:
Yes, I know. FINALLY, right? Enjoy!
Would love to hear your thoughts on a part of Changmin's past revealed. :)
PS. To those who might wonder about Mr./Mrs. Choi...
The backstory between Mr. and Mrs. Choi isn't necessarily important in the story but you have to realize that some people are really just... weak when it comes to love. In this fic, Mr. Choi is exactly that type of person. He is very weak at heart, and that is a fault in him that we cannot entirely blame. All people are not built the same. As for why Mrs. Choi left her family, I can't say much about it since I didn't really think about it in detail... however realistically speaking, we can only assume that she wasn't entirely happy in her marriage. Couples divorce even if they love their children and that's what basically happened here... I hope this clears some stuff up!