Fan Fiction |
by chinay
HeeJun's already large eyes were as big as they could be now. His mouth remained open
after he muttered the name he had not spoken for a long time. HaNeul stood there equally
as shocked, if not more, to see him.
HeeJun quickly organized his thoughts in the midst of his shock. He examined her outer
appearance; she was a lot paler than he remembered, and also thinner. Her dark brown
hair was neatly French braided. She was wearing a white long sleeves without any design
and an ivory colored long skirt. Overall, HeeJun thought, she looked like a ghost, with a
white face and her outfit.
"Ha...HaNeul... you've been hiding here all these years.... and we didn't even know? You
were right under our nose...."
EunWoo was clinging onto HeeJun's arm as he looked up at him. His clueless eyes
wandered around as he stared at his mom, then back at HeeJun. The smile ceased to leave
his small face as he was overcome with an excitement that he brought a guest over.
"Hyung-ah, you know my mommy's name!" EunWoo yelled excitedly. HeeJun was once
again hit with an ineffable shock.
"He's.... yours..? EunWoo's your kid?"
When HaNeul finally snapped out of her shock, she became frighteningly calm. She
glanced at EunWoo who was looking at HeeJun with a smile on his face.
"EunWoo, go to your room," she commanded with a cold voice. EunWoo looked at her
disappointedly as his smile faded away.
"But mommy..."
"Go to your room!" she yelled. This was not an act of a loving mom, but as if the kid was
used to this, he quietly obeyed her and scurried away to his room. HeeJun was the one to
flinch at her yell, for he had never seen her yell or get angry before.
HaNeul walked past HeeJun without looking at him and started rearranging the books on
the shelves to keep her hands busy.... or so she didn't have to face his querying eyes.
"HaNeul, we've been looking for you.... after you left for whatever reason..." HeeJun
began speaking to her back, but she cut him off.
"You didn't see me and I didn't see you. Now get out."
"HaNeul! I can't just pretend that I don't know where you are now that I've found you. I
don't know what your side of the story is, but you're going back with me," he said firmly.
"Oh, and who says I will go back? With what right will you take me? That arrogance is
still in you, MoonHeeJun," she replied without turning back. HeeJun was stifled by this
time at her coldness.
".....Are you married? Whose kid is that.... EunWoo...?"
"Mine," she replied shortly. HeeJun sighed deeply. 'This is not going anywhere.... she
has changed too much...'
"After you left... your father had a heart attack... JaeWon was looking all over for you...
KangTa was searching the whole world... I don't know what all that means to you, but the
bottom line is, there are people who love and care for you who are waiting for you to
come back. You do care about KangTa still, don't you?" HeeJun said with much
conviction, hoping to change her mood.
Her hands didn't stop moving as she was rearranging her magazines and books. She
responded, still without facing him.
"JaeWon? I didn't know my half brother had so much love for me. And KangTa now has
Miss Yang so why should I care. And as for Father..."
"Quit being so sarcastic and acting like someone you're not. You weren't like this before."
"You never knew too much about me anyway, did you? I wasn't 'good enough' for your
class, in case you've forgotten," she said with a voice full of bitterness. To HeeJun, she
was no longer a passive girl whom he used to make fun of when they were little. Whom
he saw right now standing in front of him was a woman colder than an iceberg.
"I'm truly sorry if you kept my childhood taunts to your heart. I was immature and foolish
back then," he apologized with sincerity. But she didn't seem moved by it at all.
"You messed up my whole childhood and you expect me to forget about it after saying
one word of apology now? The world doesn't work that way, MoonHeeJun."
She sounded so distant to him because she kept on addressing him by his full name. He
just stood there, not knowing what to do. The only thing he knew for sure was that she
wasn't the same person he used to know. As calculating as he was, though, he realized the
need to think of a different approach.
"Yes, I do not expect your forgiveness for all the wrong I've done, from the grades 3 to
12. However, to redeem myself, I have been an active participant in search for you and
now that I've found you, I am determined to take you back to those who are desperately
looking for you," said HeeJun, enunciating every word clearly.
"How did you find me anyway... and how do you know EunWoo?" HaNeul's hands
moved nonstop, still her back facing HeeJun. She seemed rather unmoved and nonchalant
about everything at the moment; even HeeJun's appearance didn't seem to struck her after
a first few seconds.
"I believe EunWoo's friends with my adopted sister, MinKyung?" he replied.
"Ah, yes. You're the one who took her, I see..."
'All right... this is going somewhere now...' thought HeeJun in relief.
"Now, how did you find me here?" she asked again. Her hands were now reaching for
the CD collection.
"I went to the St. Agnes orphanage and saw EunWoo there few days ago... and he wanted
me to come here today to meet you. A very meek kid you got there. I must say, I was
very surprised at first because he had so much resemblance to WooHyuk..."
Before HeeJun could finish, the CD's HaNeul was holding all fell out of her hands and
dropped onto the ground. The plastic cases of the CD's she had dropped crashed as they
met the hard wooden floor. She slowly turned around, as her face came into HeeJun's
view.
"Ha...Neul...?"
HeeJun said worriedly, as he noticed that her face became exceptionally pale, which made
her white face look even whiter. She looked as if she was going to faint any second.
"Are.. you okay?"
HeeJun took a step towards her readily. As if she was startled by that, HaNeul suddenly
bent down and started picking up the CD's she had dropped.
"Yes... I'm fine..." she mumbled quickly. HeeJun narrowed his eyes in contemplation.
"Are you sure? You looked like you were going to pass out for a moment there...hey,
you're going to hurt your hands. Let me help you...." HeeJun tried to approach her but
she looked up and stopped him.
"No! Stay there...."
He backed away from her, surprised by her yell.
"Yes...Yes... I'm fine.... umm... HeeJun... do me a favor, will you?"
HeeJun stared at her blankly, who was still down on the ground gathering her CD's at a
very slow pace and avoiding eye contact with him.
"Sure... go ahead..."
"I regard you as a trustworthy person and expect you to not tell anyone about me," she
said in a calm voice.
"You know I can't do that," he responded. But he was shocked once again when she
looked up at him in teary eyes, her face still as white as a dove. This was yet another side
of her he didn't expect to see.
"...Please...?"
"But why do you want to..."
"I've been trying to start a new here... and forget the past... that's why I got married to
some man with no name and had EunWoo... although he died right before EunWoo was
born... anyway, I was doing quite well until you showed up today," she spoke slowly and
stood up, her eyes finally meeting his.
"If you are truly sorry for the things you did, the names you called me, and having the
whole school turn against me just for your own enjoyment when we were little, then this is
the way. You didn't see me here, and you never will again. Can you promise that?"
There was a painfully pleading look in her eyes as she went on, leaving HeeJun still in
surprise.
"KangTa and JaeWon... their lives are fine without me... I've heard about them in the
newspapers. Consider me dead and never look for me again."
"What about your father, though? Aren't you worried?"
Sadness flashed in her eyes at HeeJun's query. She remembered her father's words when
he first brought her back to Korea from America, right after her mom passed away.
'And now I'll live with you forever and ever, until I die and meet my beloved angel
again....'
"JaeWon will take care of him," she said shortly and calmly, "though I am terribly
worried, as long as someone is taking care of him, I'll be fine. Now, can you promise me
that you won't reveal my presence? Or must I move away to a place where no one can
reach me?"
"All right, I promise. I'm a man of my words so you can count on me to not tell anyone,"
said HeeJun.
"Thank you," HaNeul said, with a slight nod of satisfaction and relief.
And for the first time in many years, HeeJun saw the faintest smile spreading on her face.
***********
On his way home, after talking to the lady at the orphanage, HeeJun couldn't help the
feeling that he was doing something wrong. But how was he supposed to resist her favor
when she looked at him with such cold, yet painfully pleading eyes?
The first thing he wanted to tell her when he saw her was about WooHyuk... how he had
been searching for her most desperately, not sleeping every night and not eating right.
HeeJun remembered being in shock when he saw WooHyuk's change in attitude towards
her right after she disappeared 6 years ago. He soon figured out that WooHyuk had liked
her all along.
'I should at least tell WooHyuk. But he's probably the person she would hate to see the
most. I mean, she doesn't even want to see her own father or KangTa, so would she like
seeing WooHyuk? I doubt that.... argh... what to do.....he would faint if he finds out that I
hid the truth from him... and also that she's married, and with a kid...'
************
Many days passed since HeeJun met HaNeul. As he promised, he told no one, but his
conscience was slowly eating him away. He knew he wasn't doing the right thing.
The whole nation, especially the world of 'riches' received a shocking news when Mr. Lee,
one of the leading men in the country's business industry, was finally about to meet his
time in his deathbed few days later.
[Hospital]
"....Have... you.... found...HaNeul.... yet..?"
"No.. we've tried our best, Dad. But we still couldn't find her," JaeWon replied. He was
next to his father's bed, holding his hand with mournful eyes. Mr. Lee was only in his
fifties, too young to die. But lately, his condition had aggravated very abruptly and he
couldn't even speak most of the time. Once in a while he would mumble his daughter's
name, much to JaeWon's sadness. JaeWon always knew that Mr. Lee loved his noona
more.
-----------
"She must be dead. Even the most famous detectives couldn't locate where she is. Where
could she have gone? And if she's dead, why can't we still find her dead body?" JaeWon
exclaimed out of frustration.
"Father's still looking for her. I can't take this anymore. He doesn't even care that I exist.
I'm his only son! Who is SHE to do this?"
"He loved her mother, not yours. That's what makes HaNeul who she is, an important
person to him," Tony answered coldly. JaeWon shot him a fierce look, but Tony went on
regardless.
"Don't you guys still get it? She left because she got sick of how you guys were treating
her. Especially you, WooHyuk. And JaeWon, if I were her, I would never want to come
back to your house."
"That's not entirely true," HeeJun disagreed, "because she still had KangTa and they were
dating. She seemed pretty happy for a while then. There is nothing that explains why she
really left."
Then HeeJun remembered what the lady at the orphanage told him the other day.
'Sister Mary found her out in the street at 3 o'clock in the morning.... she was holding a
small violin, refusing to let it go even when she woke up. And when we saw the ads
looking for her, she begged us not to tell anyone, if not, she would kill herself. She has
been in this neighborhood ever since, and because we were afraid that she would harm
herself, we weren't able to report her.'
JaeWon looked away with a guilt stricken face.
"I know I maltreated her. Because of my stupid jealousy... but I'm sure, if she's still alive,
that she heard about our dad... how he's dying in his bed mumbling her name... it's okay
that she's making me suffer, but it's not okay if she's neglecting Dad, who had given her so
much love. For that, I won't forgive her."
WooHyuk closed his eyes slowly as he sank into his own world.
'I know you left because of me.... an escape.... but it's been 6 years... 6 years! Damn...
watch, when I find you, I'll never let you leave again... even if I have to chain you for rest
of your life, you won't be able to escape....'
No one noticed that HeeJun, who was in the conversation, had slipped out of the room,
out of JaeWon's house discreetly.
-----------------
"Why are you crying?! I told you, good boys don't cry!" HaNeul's sharp voice was heard
when HeeJun stood in front of her house, hesitating to go in.
"But... but... Mommy, kids at my school always tease me about where my daddy is...."
EunWoo couldn't stop answering because he felt his mom's look of fury on him. He
looked up at her with his innocent eyes and clung onto her skirt pleading for forgiveness,
but she mercilessly pulled away from him and didn't face him twice.
"You're being a little harsh here, aren't you? I mean, he's only 5 years old."
HaNeul and EunWoo both looked at the direction HeeJun's voice was coming from.
"You... what are you doing here again? You promised," HaNeul said, while glaring at
HeeJun with bitter eyes.
"Hyung~!!" EunWoo ran to where HeeJun was and embraced his right leg tightly, still
crying.
HeeJun patted EunWoo's head gently and continued speaking.
"I mean, it's not the kid's fault that your husband died. Why are you being so cruel to
EunWoo?"
"You don't know any sh*t so shut up."
HeeJun was shocked by her harsh figure of speech, but calmed down instantly.
"You sure have changed a lot. Don't you think your language was a little inappropriate in
front of EunWoo?"
"Mommy doesn't love me. She never lets me talk about Daddy and she always yells at me.
Mommy hates me and I hate Mommy too."
HaNeul's face immediately turned into hurtfully white face.
"EunWoo, go to your room," she commanded, but this time, EunWoo shook his head
defiantly.
"Sil-uh (no)! I'm gonna go with hyung-ah. Hyung-ah doesn't hate me," EunWoo
clutched onto HeeJun's leg even tighter.
"That's enough, EunWoo. Now go to your room!"
"No! I wanna go to a big house like MinKyung noona. I hate Mommy! I hate Mommy!"
"You...! How dare you!"
HaNeul raised her right fist and got into a position to hit her son. Her pupils were
trembling with fury and sadness at the same time. EunWoo squeezed his eyes shut and
was ready to receive the blow as he buried his face into HeeJun's leg.
"HaNeul! Stop it! What's wrong with you!" HeeJun yelled furiously as he stopped her
fist and detached EunWoo from his leg. "He's just a kid!"
"Not just a kid! He's...he's...." her voice rose up but went back down as she trailed off.
"Why are you here again?" she recovered her calmness and took a step back and glanced
at EunWoo who was sniveling.
"Your father's dying in his bed. He wants to see you for one last time. You wouldn't say
no to that, would you?"
"I can't..."
HeeJun raised his hand and stopped what she was saying and went on.
"I know what your worries are. You don't want to be seen, right? I will arrange it so that
you'll speak to him in private. That way no one has to know that you're there.... except
JaeWon, that is....but only JaeWon. His mom wouldn't know... or KangTa, Tony, or
WooHyuk."
"But..."
"No 'But's', this time. You're coming. Don't make me use force on you, I'd hate to do
that. However, if I must, then I will. In fact, one phone call right now and people are
going to come and drag you out of here. Do you want that?"
HeeJun gave her a threatening look as he reached into his coat pocket and took his cell
phone out.
"You bastard... you've grown worse since I last saw you," hateful words escaped her
mouth in a low voice. She then shot a scary look at EunWoo, who flinched as he buried
his face into HeeJun's leg again. HeeJun lifted him up and held him tightly in his arms.
"Whatever. You coming or not?"
When HaNeul opened her mouth to answer, HeeJun's cell phone rang. He set EunWoo
back down and answered.
Soon, his face became white without any trace of blood.
"Oh...all right... I'll be there right now..."
He spoke slowly and hung up the phone. HaNeul was staring at him with a weird look on
her face.
"Looks like... it's too late anyway....Tony just called."
"And?"
HeeJun gulped nervously, not knowing how to break the shocking news to her.
"Mr. Lee...your dad just passed away."