One and a half years later.....
"Ki Junnie....make me look better."
"Why? What's the occasion?"
They were sitting together in Ki Jun's room. She was visiting while he was doing his homework. He was holding a folder-book in front of him. The book contained samples of dozens kinds of fabric. He had to describe the texture and his opinion on what kind of clothes could be made from that.
"Doryeonnim is coming home tomorrow."
He groaned in disgust.
"So...make me pretty. You know how to put makeup on a girl...do it for me, like my first date with Jin Yang"
"You don't need a cushion or lipstick. You are already pretty."
"I'm not."
He sighed heavily, "Do a reality check in front of a mirror or something."
"I do! Every day! I look ordinary. Normal. Standard..."
Impatiently, he got up to pull her in front of the mirror attached to his wardrobe.
"See?"
"What?"
"With a face like that you still want to be prettier? I've never thought you're greedy!"
"Seo Ki Jun, I'm seriously asking for your help!"
"And I'm seriously rejecting it"
"Why do you hate Doryeonnim?"
"Why can't I?"
"He never hurt you."
"Yeah, but he hurt you for years and years," he spat bitterly.
"Ki Junnie.....he doesn't know my feelings for him."
"That's why I think he's so blind. Or dumb. Or he's arrogant. Or he has all those bad traits in him."
"Yah!"
"What? I mean, he lives with you for God's sake! For years! A decade! How could he not realize your feelings?"
"He only sees me as a little girl..."
"How much longer will he carry out that stupidity? You too, how much longer will you carry that obsession in you? I thought the fact that he's in the army will help, but it doesn't!"
"Do you think I don't deserve him? I don't need you to tell me that!"
"Paboo. It's him who doesn't deserve you!"
"What?!" Go Eun asked in bewilderment, "You are ridiculous!"
Ki Jun threw the fabric book he was holding loudly to his desk.
"I'll go home now," she announced, taking her bag and cardigan.
Trying to be calmer, he stood up and opened the door for her.
"So he's coming back tomorrow?"
"Ne."
"I thought you looked so happy today because you'll have a date with Jin Yang tomorrow."
She looked a bit guilty.
"No....it's.....always Doryeonnim who could make me feel like this....."
He heaved a heavy sigh.
"Go in peace," he said.
She laughed. "I'm not going to war!"
"I felt that everything Jin Yang did and every time I spent to make you closer to him are all useless, since you're so excited now that your Doryeonnim is coming home."
"I'm so—"
"Never say sorry if you don't mean it."
She couldn't say anything more.
"Use lipgloss."
"Huh?"
"Lipgloss would do wonders on you. Mascara and eyeliner too, but lipgloss is enough just to see Lee Min
Ho after he returned from the army."
"Thank you."
He shrugged. "All I want is for you to be happy."
"I know. That's why you want me to be with Jin Yang, right?"
"Someone who's decent and crazy for you. But you choose someone impossible."
"Though I chose Ki Junnie, it doesn't mean he'll choose me. So I don't see why you're so against the idea of me feeling glad that I could see him again."
"It's late and there's no time to start another fight, I think. So ...."
"I'll go home now."
"Be careful."
"Ne. Good night."
*************************************
The whole household staff formed two long rows from the front door, waiting for their Doryeonnim to arrive from the airport. Everybody had been waiting for this day, the day Lee Myung Hwan returned from the army. True, he would only stay for less than two months before starting his master degree in New York, but at least, they would be able to see how he was doing.
The maids, the chefs and the stewards had talked about him for the whole week it almost felt like he was already there. But it was Kim Ga Eun whose hard hammered so fast as the clock slowly ticked to 11 AM. If not to present the image of the calm Head of the House, she would be pacing anxiously since the morning.
The wish to see him again was so massive it scared her. After 21 long months, she would finally see him again, serve him again, breathe and live and sleep under the same roof with him again.
The LCD screen near the front door showed the gates opening and the black long Volvo entering the gate.
"Oh, it's Doryeonnim!" one of the old maids that had served there since Ga Eun first came there squealed happily, almost jumping in delight.
And she started to count silently. On her count of eighty three, the doors were opened, the Senior Chef said, "Hana, dul, set.....", and all three dozen of the household staff, Ga Eun standing separately in front of them all, bowed low and greeted in unison, "Welcome home, Doryeonnim".
"Ahahaha, aigoo. There's no need. This is too much," Myung Hwan said, bowing a little to them all, a wide, genuine smile on his face.
"Gamsahamnida, how are you all?".
And the tidy row broke as everybody moved forward, trying to stand closer to him, trying to shake his hand, trying to tell personally how glad they were to see him again, to ask how he was doing, to see how much he had changed or how much he had not changed.
He laughed and reached out to everybody who offered their hands, "How are you?" he said to them all, while they said, "Welcome back, Doryeonnim."
"It's lonely without you here in the house."
"It's so good to see you again, Doryeonnim."
All of them had been working there for more than five years and they all felt attached to him, no matter how little their contact had been. He had always been a kind master. Always had, always would be.
"Chef Baek, what have you made for me?"
"All your favorite Italian dishes, Doryeonnim."
"Ah, gamsahamnida. I miss your cooking a lot."
"Ready to serve you again, Doryeonnim," the old Chef bowed low to him as Myung Hwan patted his shoulder several times.
He then remembered her, and he tried to find where she was, amidst all the people around him.
She was still standing on her spot, eyes wet with tears and the smile of joy decorating her face.
Oh God.
He's here, he's here, he's here!
He's back, he's back, he's back!
"Kim Ga Eun!" he called, walking to her, as she bowed low one more time.
"Doryeonnim."
His hands reached out for hers and somehow they were already holding hands.
"Ga Eun, how are you?" he asked, taking a good look at her, eyes sweeping over her face, before stepping back to look better.
"You've grown up a lot!"
"It's nice to see you well and healthy, Doryeonnim," she said, voice a bit shaky but clear for him and everybody to hear.
"It's so good to see you too, Ga Eun."
He let her hands go, and they stood looking at each other for a second before he asked, "My parents?"
"On their way here from a meeting at the British Embassy."
"Ah. I already heard Abeoji talked about it some time ago. So the Foreign Minister will really stay at Sang Kyu Hotel?"
"Ne. They are talking about the arrangements in detail there."
He turned around to everybody who was still there, talking to each other merrily, whispering, "He still looks good with the shaven hair."
"I'll wash up and have some lunch later."
They bowed respectfully as he left the front hall, as she walked beside him and two stewards carried his suitcases.
"I take it that my room still looks the same?"
"Certainly, Doryeonnim," she smiled.
Walking up the familiar marble staircase, he smiled wider, "Yaaaaaaah it's so good to be home!"
"I'm sure you'll feel that way, Doryeonnim."
"I miss this house," he confessed.
They were nearing his room when he remembered to ask, "Abeoji wants to take me to meetings while I'm here, right? Do you have his schedule?"
"I put it beside your bed."
"Gamsahamnida. So thoughtful, as usual."
He opened his bedroom door and looked around."I'll leave you to freshen up and prepare your lunch."
"Okay."
She turned around.
"Ga Eun?"
"Ne, Doryeonnim?"
"I'm so happy to see you again."
The stewards had left them and they were both alone in his room.
"I'm so happy to see you too. You.....light up this house, Doryeonnim."
He laughed, "Yah, I'm not some kind of lamp."
She laughed too. "No, of course not. It's just that, I don't know, this is a happier house when you're here."
"Really? I thought it's a happier house because you're here."
Her heart jumped to her throat and she was rendered speechless except for a "Ne?" that didn't sound convincing at all.
"It's true. This house means Harabeoji, my parents, Kim Ahjussi, and you."
She stood silently, listening, wanting to believe.
"If you accepted our offer after Kim Ahjussi died, to live somewhere out there, in your own place or something, this house would feel less comfortable. You've taken care of us really well. I can't imagine how we would run this household together without you."
She wished he would stop because she felt she'd cry in five seconds.
"You and your parents are my life, Doryeonnim...I'm just doing what I should."
"What? We're not your life. You have your own. I guess we're just lucky you choose to spend it with us."
She couldn't hold her tears in and it started to drop. Wiping it, she excused, "Mianheyo, I'm being so emotional. I guess I'm so happy that you're back here, Doryeonnim."
"Do you easily cry or is it my fault?" he asked, approaching her, taking the nearest tissue box he could grab and offering her some.
"I cry easily."
"Don't."
"Ne?"
"Don't cry. You look better smiling."
She laughed. "I think most girls look ugly when they are crying."
"I didn't say you look ugly. I just said you look better when you're not crying."
Her tears had stopped and she was able to smile at him again.
"I hope we're taking care of you well too, Ga Eun."
"There's no need to hope. Your family already does, Doryeonnim."
He smiled back at her and somehow, she started to cry again.
"Yah, Kim Ga Eun! What did I do? Why are you crying just because I look at you?"
"I'm sorry—I—am just—so—relieved that you're here again, Doryeonnim. Healthy and—and well."
"I'm fine. I'm glad you're doing well too."
She hated herself. She hated that the wall she built around herself, all the feeling of missing him, wishing to see him again, wondering what he was doing, broke loose that day when she finally saw him again after so long. But though she tried so hard, she couldn't win against the emotion. So her tears fell and fell.
"Hey, what's wrong? Don't cry, it's okay."
"I'm—I'm—Doryeonnim, I'm—"
He did the only thing he thought could calm her, he moved forward and hugged her.
She felt the world spin around and was sure that if his arms were not around her, she would fall unceremoniously to the floor. Being this close to Lee Myung Hwan felt so wonderful it couldn't be right.
I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you so much!
Her heart screamed and screamed like that, confessions filling her throat and it took a lot of effort to swallow everything down.
He patted her back lightly, soothing her by saying, "It's okay, please don't cry."
She stood limply, closing her eyes as she felt his warmth around her.
"Are you sure you're okay? I've never seen you like this since your father died."
"I'm fine, Doryeonnim. I'm just—being emotional," she answered, gently pulling away from him.He didn't say anything, but he looked concerned.
Drying her tears one last time, she bowed. "I'll go downstairs and prepare your lunch now."
"Ahrasseo. See you later."
"Ne."
"Don't cry again."
"I won't, Doryeonnim."
****************************************
Author's Note:
The first draft of this story was written around 10-11 years ago. As I edit it, I realize how simple and cheesy the story is, haha. Definitely, this was written by a younger me. A more innocent and naive me.
My female characters these days are a lot wittier and don't have her whole life centered around one man (I write in other platforms with different pennames.)
On the other hand, I hope the theme is a classic. No matter the time or place, there will always be a person who idolizes another person, and has him as their first love and considers that man as beyond her reach.
This is such a Cinderella story, and even at that time, I hesitate to write it, but in the end, I wanted to try my hand on it, and make it mine.
Regardless, I hope you'll enjoy the story. There's a long, long way to go, lol.