Fan Fiction |
by chinay
Her limp body slid down the edge of the phone booth she was in. Tears glided down her
face like they never had, even more than the night that changed her whole life.
"E...excuse me??" WooHyuk stammered, doubting his ears. He squeezed the receiver
hard to make sure he was still in the real world.
"I will, I will! So please hurry and come to Seoul General."
Her pleading voice gave him an odd way of pleasing sensation. The guilt and hurt that
once dominated him slowly evaporated as he saw that his quest to reach the Holy Grail
had come near its end.
"How do I know you won't go back on your words after I help you?" WooHyuk lowered
his voice in condescension.
"I don't have time for this, WooHyuk!" she clamored at his nonsense. She felt rueful for
having to beg him. Her pride was being peeled away at his words exactly the same way
since she had known him.
"How do I know? Promise. No, swear it, in the name of your honorable father," he
jeered.
There was a long silence on the other side. She moved the receiver away from her right
ear, ready to slam it down.
Then what would happen to EunWoo?
She slowly brought the receiver back to her ear and forced her mouth to part to utter the
inescapable words.
"I, LeeHaNeul, swears in the name of LeeJungMin to marry JangWooHyuk."
WooHyuk's face brightened in true happiness, disguised in satisfactory remarks. He did
not know what it felt like to be 'happy' yet. He smiled faintly.
"Good, I will be right over there."
****************
The next few days went by like a breeze. Needless to say, the operation was successful
and EunWoo was discharged from the hospital.
Awaiting the boy was HaNeul, but where she took him was not their home. Gentlemen
suited in black guided them to a luxurious car and led them to a titanic mansion, where the
new beginning would take place.
"Wow! A big house!" EunWoo exclaimed in an awe, "why are we here Mommy?"
"This is..." HaNeul tried to answer, but she couldn't help the feeling of affliction.
"This is where we would live... from now on..."
She knew that was not enough elaboration to solve her little darling's dubiety. His eyes
inquired for more answer; she did not like what she was about to tell him, but it had to be
told sooner or later. What WooHyuk said earlier was the truth full of scars that must be
acknowledged, that there was one common bond they shared no matter how much she
denied it.
"Because... this is where your daddy is..."
[Lee Residence]
"What brings you here, WooHyuk?" JaeWon greeted his friend who was waiting in the
office.
"I came to ask you a favor," WooHyuk stated simply. JaeWon shrugged.
"Sure."
"I'm getting married."
Being a blunt person he was, he did not waste his words. That surprised JaeWon and
made him wonder how WooHyuk could say those words without any hesitation. They
sounded too straight forward, almost emotionless.
"Why, congratulations!" JaeWon interjected, "who is the lucky lady that captured 'the'
JangWooHyuk's heart?"
WooHyuk avoided JaeWon's focus and put his hands in his suit pocket. This was going to
be rather arduous.
"She...has no father to walk her down the aisle. Or a grandfather, an uncle, an older
brother for that matter."
"How unfortunate," JaeWon responded in a perplexed tone, "but what does that have to
do with me?"
"I want you to be the one to walk her down the aisle. That's the favor I'm asking you,"
said WooHyuk.
At that moment, JaeWon's face seemed particularly drained of color. His eyes were wide
open and ears fixed... on WooHyuk. He shook his head lightly and whispered.
"It's not her."
"It is," WooHyuk affirmed JaeWon's doubt and fear. It was only a matter of milliseconds
until JaeWon's voice boomed, shattering the invisibility in the surface.
"You did NOT just do this to me, WooHyuk! You know how I feel about her! Dad
eventually passed away because of her and she never even showed up. It's her fault that
he died. I vowed that I would kill her as soon as I find her. And now you show up in
front of my face and tell me that you are going to do what?!"
"JaeWon, she's your sister. And I am marrying her. I don't need your approval for this
but I thought I should let you know first... " WooHyuk expounded calmly but JaeWon cut
him off roughly.
"There is no way in hell I'm walking her down the aisle. I deny the fact that we are
related. And I'll deny you as a friend if you really marry her."
Agonizing stillness and tension existed between the two for an extended period. Until
WooHyuk opened his mouth to say something.... then he remained taciturn. It was
difficult for him to stand JaeWon's cold eyes demanding for a decision.
"Why...JaeWon..? Why? She's your noona. She ran away because of me. If you want to
place a blame on someone, it should be on me, not her."
WooHyuk's voice trembled in a barely noticeable style as he decided that he wouldn't avert
Jaewon's eyes anymore.
"What do you mean?" JaeWon enlarged his eyes in question.
WooHyuk stood, drawing himself into reminiscence. How he had trampled down on her,
and the words he said to her afterwards.
'If I have to kill you to be the only one to possess you, then I will...'
"I raped her, JaeWon."
JaeWon took a step back as a reaction to his shock and chortled, soon ready to break out
into a laughter.
"No you did not."
"And she had a son.... my son.... now can you see?"
JaeWon lost his balance and swayed. This was the person whom he had known in the 24
years of life telling him. He watched WooHyuk at a loss of words, like a person with
aphasia. The interesting thing was, though, he had no idea why he was so shocked. He
had grown up watching WooHyuk torment his half-sister all the time. This was nothing
novel. It shouldn't be.....
"Get out."
He rasped in an awfully quiet manner.
"Fine then. It's over."
WooHyuk elucidated nonchalantly, and walked out of the office.
It was the second time he lost a friend because of the same person, and his desire to be
with her.
It would be a lie if he wasn't pained at all.
[Wedding Day]
LeeHaNeul, soon to be the daughter-in-law of the Jang's, had risen as a hot new issue
circling the Korean business world. The fact that she had a child who was already 5 years-
old before the official marriage was a highly disgraceful deed to the name, but the petty
gossips didn't matter to WooHyuk. His liberal parents took the news fairly well,
considering her former status and the relations they held with the Lee's.
The wedding was planned on a reduced scale, so to speak, with 'only' 500 guests. There
was much hype surrounding this event, and everything seemed well off.
Of course, if there was one person who was unhappy amidst the affair, it was the bride
herself. Everything she ever owned was being taken away by WooHyuk. First, it was the
lost happiness throughout her adolescence. Then came her innocence. Now, her last
jewel would be transformed into Jang, the name she despised with passion.
'Jang..Eun...Woo...? Sounds very foreign.... strange. My last strand of hope is all torn
apart now....'
She stared at her piteous reflection in a white wedding dress slightly toned in beige. The
person who was doing her hair was in fact, AnSunYoung, nationally acclaimed hairstylist
who happened to be Tony's older sister. She was precisely the reason An's were so strict
on Tony and KangTa, for she had given up her family in order to pursue her dream. She
sat HaNeul in front of a giant mirror in the waiting room to adorn the bride. She sat like a
mannequin and stared at herself in the mirror, thoughtlessly probing the woman who was
warm and gentle unlike certain unnamed person.
"WooHyuk..." SunYoung began as she busily twirled HaNeul's hair in a lock appropriate
for the veil, "I realize he has done you many wrong. But I hope you would forgive him.
I've known him as long as I've known my own brother...and... he just has some problems
expressing his feelings. Other than that, he's a beautiful person inside."
To HaNeul, WooHyuk had problems, period. There was no way to explain him
otherwise.
HaNeul recalled in her faded memory about SunYoung, supposedly a good friend of
BaekJaeHee when she was alive. When she was forced to attend tea parties as she was
growing up, there was one smile that always welcomed her.
The very same smile was being shown to her again, under different circumstances now.
When she imagined herself wearing a wedding dress, like any other teenage girl once had,
she didn't think she would wed WooHyuk. That was a cruel twist life has brought upon
her, which she blamed herself for. For being too naive, careless, and plain stupid.
Now she was all alone in the room, waiting. Very soon, her life would turn once more,
chaining her next to the last person on earth she wanted to be with.
'Kang...Ta..? Why is your name that?'
'I want to be a big hit.... I'm going to 'strike hard' the classical music industry when I
grow up.'
'Great.'
'Would you be with me then...? Until then? After then?'
"I'm sorry, I could not keep the either ends of my promise."
She felt her block against the tears deteriorating when she fought her tears back. She
continued to stare at her ghostly reflection.
Suddenly, the sound of door opening and closing broke her thoughts. She saw in the
mirror who had entered the room. It was the face she could recognize at anytime, for she
had shared almost her whole life with him.
She immediately turned around and looked at the person with unbelieving eyes.
He paused briefly then walked towards her, each time taking a huge leap with his long
legs. Her mouth dropped open in order to say something, but when she saw what he did
next, she could say no more.
He put out his left hand mildly, in a way she had never seen him act, telling her with his
eyes to hold it.
"Here you go, noona."
HaNeul's pupils shook with uncertainty at his words.
"What...what did you just call me?"
LeeJaeWon, the person who was dressed in a tuxedo standing right in front of her, had
never called her 'noona', not even once.
JaeWon cleared his throat as a reply and continued to extend his hand invitingly.
"Because Dad's not here, I will be the one."
She looked at him who was avoiding her eyes. The eyes he couldn't tolerate at one time.
The ones that got all the attention of his dad, while shoving him off to the peripheral. He
thought he would never be able to accept her as a part of him.
Now he was ready. And HaNeul could see that clearly in him. She turned around and
reached for her case of contact lenses that was sitting on the console. Right before she
could grab it, JaeWon's hand unexpectedly snatched it away from her and made a shooting
attempt to a trashcan underneath the console, which succeeded.
"Wha..?" she blurted out in panic and extended her arm to retrieve it, but he forbade by
seizing her arm with his hand.
"Let them be...." he whispered.
A very light smile spread across her face, barely visible. She stood up carefully while
creasing the dress with her left hand. Her right hand slowly reached for JaeWon's left
hand, until she finally held it.
This was the sign of new beginning... between HaNeul and JaeWon.
Part 20 (B)
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Why do you ask?"
KangTa's feeble attempt to hide his mixed emotions was noticed by HyunJi, who was
sitting next to him. She wanted to understand him; she knew exactly how it felt to pursue
something that she could not grasp.
'It's all right... after this, we both will be leaving to Berlin... and start over...'
HyunJi reassured herself. As if he read her thought, KangTa replied,
"Don't think I'm at anchor or anything like that. I've moved on."
All he wanted was for HaNeul to be happy, which seemed impossible at the moment. But
that was no longer within his limit of concern. After today, she would officially belong to
someone else, that someone who was once his closest friend.
KangTa would no longer play Brahms after this. The Violin Sonata No.8 was written in
love to Robert Schumann's wife, Clara, a love Brahms could not have. Playing this would
sound like KangTa was playing his life story, and HyunJi wouldn't appreciate it very much.
After all, he did care for her and accepted the fact that she was going to be his wife.
Pretty soon, Wagner's Lohengrin wedding march played and the unhappy bride entered,
latching her arm to the tall man everyone was quite familiar with. Only people who were
surprised were the fivesome, especially the groom himself.
HeeJun nudged Tony, sitting a row in front of him.
"He forgave her, didn't he."
Tony nodded.
"Or shall we say, she forgave him."
HaNeul appeared gloomier than ever, no matter how much she tried to hide it. As she
walked down the aisle, familiar faces came to her peripheral view. Her stepmom whom
she was no longer afraid of, was watching her with a smirk full of sarcasm.
And EunWoo, whom she gave up her life for. But there was not one moment she
regretted it. Her child was not the one to hold contempt for, even though his unbreakable
resemblance to WooHyuk pained her to insanity everytime she looked at him.
Finally the moment came. Binding contract to her trepidation, upon the words she said.
"I do."
Two words. That was all it took to step into a pit of ill-fated life... or so, she thought.
*********
Scent of fresh tulips calmed HaNeul down after all had happened. She changed into a
sleeping attire that was provided in the closet; a white slip dress that was made out of
silk. Thankfully, WooHyuk didn't show up yet. She was driven home after the reception,
while WooHyuk was pulled back by his friends. He was probably crashing at someone's
house, most likely HeeJun's, and coming home all wasted. He insisted on taking his son
with him, despite her protest.
She saw what was coming. WooHyuk did not love her. All he wanted to do was use and
abuse her to please himself. That imbecile actually expected her to believe him when he
told her how much he had searched for her and crap? She wasn't convinced of anything
SunYoung said about him. She hated everyone and everything at the moment, except her
parents who were no longer in this world and EunWoo, who was no longer hers alone.
And there was JaeWon, and what he told her earlier.
'You have had enough bad things happen to you, noona. So from now on, you have to be
happy...'
Then he had kissed her forehead very lightly, yet lovingly.
But he must have known that he was kidding himself. How was she going to be happy
with WooHyuk?
=============
[Moon Residence]
"You are going to be a loving husband to HaNeul. You are going to be a loving and
caring father to your son. If you mistreat them, you will feel the power of my,
MoonHeeJun's fist, that will blow you away to hell. Understand?"
HeeJun and WooHyuk were so drunk, it worried Tony. He usually stayed away from
alcohol and tonight was not an exception. He was exhausted from all the events that took
place in one day; right after the wedding, he had to drive KangTa and HyunJi to the
airport. KangTa was going to merge back with Berlin Phil and HyunJi was going with
him. He didn't tell Tony when he was coming back, but Tony could sense that it won't be
for a long time.
He was the last one to meet EunWoo out of BIG 5. When the boy stood right next to his
dad, Tony was reminded of his early days. He envisioned what kind of scars WooHyuk
had given HaNeul and felt sympathy towards her. At the same time, though, he envied
WooHyuk greatly. At least HaNeul was alive, unlike his JaeHee.
================
HaNeul was sitting in front of a console and brushing her hair, when she heard a sudden
thud. She didn't even flicker an eyelash and sat still. She saw in the mirror that WooHyuk
had returned, at 2 am, crapulous as she thought. She set her brush down and spoke in a
low voice,
"Where's EunWoo?"
WooHyuk was so wasted that he couldn't even walk straight. He somehow managed to
make it to where she was sitting.
"I...left him...at HeeJun's house..," he responded in a slurred voice. HaNeul stood up
immediately and turned around to face him.
"What?! Why did you leave him there?!"
"Ah...don't worry. He's playing with what's her name.... MinKyung."
HaNeul was relieved at his careless response. MinKyung was EunWoo's friend until
HeeJun's parents adopted her, so she knew her son would be safe.
'Be ashamed... that the daddy you sought so desperately was this libertine,' she thought
sourly. Then she tried to walk out, thinking that she would sleep in the guestroom for the
night.
"Where do you think you are going now?"
WooHyuk seized her by her arm.
"You are drunk and pathetic. Contain yourself before you look even more retarded," she
shot back without turning around and tried to free herself. But he pulled her towards him
and locked her in his embrace.
"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" she snarled. All she got in response was his
tighter grip, along with his liquor breath that nauseated her. He kissed the back of her ear
then made his way down to her neck, then to her exposed shoulders. She could see
themselves in the mirror, and it was purely disgusting.
"I can do anything to you now... and you can't say no. How does this make you feel?"
He spoke against her skin as he suffocated her with his touch. His lips trailed down her
neck repeatedly.
"It feels like.... a nasty worm is crawling up and down my body...." she answered,
carrying an arctic demeanor.
"Oh yeah? Let's see if you can still say that."
WooHyuk picked her up bodily and tossed her on the bed. He ascended on top of her and
began replaying the history.
"See, this is the real you, JangWooHyuk. How dare you utter such a comely word, 'love,'
when all you do to me is this?"
She admonished under his pressure, but soon she was silenced by his obstinate lips. Her
two hands became useless when he clasped onto them with his own, something she had
experienced many times. Only difference was that his hands grew bigger and a lot
stronger in the last six years.
Actually, there were many that changed. Back then, he knew what he was doing; right
now, he was just pitifully drunk. That would still make no difference. He may wake up
not remembering what he did, but that still wouldn't change the fact that he was undoing
her. Back then, she had a reason to stop him; right now, nothing but a futile future
awaited her. When she agreed to marry him, she knew he was alluding to this kind of
deal.
It hurt much more than the first time. However, she didn't cry this time. She lay there like
a piece of lifeless wood. She was already wracked by the same man, it didn't matter
whether he did it again or not.
He may be able to take away her body, an empty shell, but there was one thing he really
wanted that he could never have.
Her loving heart.
When WooHyuk felt the sun shining down on his face through the curtains, he opened his
eyes. He squinted because the sunlight was too bright, so he turned his face away from
the window. The first thing that came into his view when he did so was HaNeul's dark
brown hair that partially covered her unclad shoulders.
'What...?'
He sprang up and stared at her with eyes filled with shock.
'What did I do last night?'
He tried to remember but nothing clicked. He was drenched in alcohol that pervaded his
senses. It only took him a second to realize that he wasn't wearing anything either.
Afraid to find out, he slowly lifted the blanket and uncovered her body.
He gasped when he saw her naked upper body topped with red marks and bruises. He
hastily dropped the hem of the blanket he was holding.
"No...." he howled in penitence, "I couldn't have....."
He promised himself that he would not hurt her, ever again. That plight didn't pass the
first night. How was he going to face her when she woke up? Why did he always end up
hurting her, especially now when he didn't want to?
It sounded like she was sleeping peacefully, in a fetal position. Not wanting to disturb her,
he just stared at her back that was facing him for a long time. He slid back down under
the blanket and closed his eyes, wishing that he could rewind the clock and erase all that
he had done to her.
She flinched instinctively when his hands wrapped around her body tenderly. She
remained still though, not fully waking up. His presence could be felt more evidently
when his warm breath drew closer to her neck.
He pulled himself closer to her, until the air surrounding his body could be united with her
own. The atmosphere quieted down at that moment; even the chirps of birds seemed to
have stopped as WooHyuk parted his lips to whisper.
"I don't expect you to love me... I know you can't. I'm just a mere existence that you don't
even bother to hate, I know that. But whatever you do, just don't leave me...."
HaNeul slowly opened her eyes when she felt a tickling air in her ear. Unaware of that,
WooHyuk continued.
"I don't love you for who you are or what you are... not your voice, eyes, or your mind...
what I love is the fact that you exist... that you are alive."
What the hell is he talking about? HaNeul blinked her eyes and tried to regain
consciousness, only to find out that he was holding her so close.
"Nothing I do will replace what you've lost to me... you won't see me again from now on.
But I'm asking you to stay in this house....to let me know that at least I'm breathing the
same air you are breathing. I will be happy just knowing that."
He then kissed the back of her neck and mouthed something against it.
She stayed in bed long after WooHyuk exited the room. Trying to comprehend what he
did. That she won't see him again from now on? But he's still keeping her in the house?
All she knew for sure was what he said to her when he pressed his lips on her neck. His
way of telling her,
'I love you.'