by Suilan Lee
“You don’t even have time for your mother.” Yuna shook her head in disappointment. “What’s wrong with my name appearing besides yours? I’m your mother, Min.”
“You’re making life difficult for me.” He stood up and adjusted his suit jacket. It was obvious they weren’t going to reach an agreement. “I’m begging you, please, stop giving interviews to anyone who’ll talk to you. As for Lara, she can show up at the gala alone. She doesn’t need a date, she has the name.”
He gave her the bow of respect she was craving and turned to leave the living room. This was why he hated dealing with issues do with his parents. Issues blurred. He always ended up having to choose a side.
“Oppa,” Lara called just as he reached the door. (Big brother)
He froze, a grimace twisting his face for a moment, before he turned to look at her. She stood at the top of the stairs with a wide smile. She was dressed for tennis, her long hair in a ponytail.
“Were you leaving without saying hello to me?”
She rushed to the bottom of the stairs and wrapped him in a tight hug. She stepped back with a happy giggle.
“You’re so busy. Come play tennis with me.”
“I’m sorry. I need to go.”
“You always say that.” She pouted. “Did you fight with Omma?”
“Lara, please, I have an important appointment. I don’t want to disappoint this man.”
“I see. I guess its fine to disappoint me,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “I thought we’re family. I know I’m just your half-sister but, don’t you think of me as your dongsaeng?” (Li’l sister)
“You see the way you’re acting right now?” Min pointed to the tears and the pout. “I don’t have time for your antics, Lara. I’m leaving, see you.”
“Oppa,” Lara called as he escaped out of the house and into the waiting car in the parking lot.
Young Jae gave him an in inquiring glance as he settled in his seat.
“She won’t do it. I told you she won’t stop.”
“We’ll see what happens at the gala.” Young Jae decided.
“I’m not going to the gala. Lara will be there.” Min shuddered at the thought. “I can’t go through a party with her.”
“Lara is a sweet girl,” Young Jae said in a gentle tone. His defense of Lara surprised Min. “What did she ever do to you?”
“She’s manipulative and full of theatrical antics. There’s nothing ‘sweet’ in Lara.” Min shook his head. His mother had spoiled the girl rotten.
“If you gave her the time of day, you’d find out she’s just lonely like you. She’s more than a manipulative brat.” Young Jae pointed out as the car turned into traffic. “Take it from a person who knows.”
“What do you mean?” Min turned to Young Jae confused.
“You were a spoiled brat as far as I was concerned a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t stand the sight of you.” Young Jae confessed with a slight smile. “Look at me now.”
***
Chapter Five
Min pulled into the parking lot at the Han River Park and got out of the car. It was eleven o’clock so the park wasn’t crowded yet. He strolled along the paved path, his hands deep in his pockets. The musical fountain was on, water jetted up into the air, in synchronized sprays. The wind ruffled his hair, he sighed as drops of cold water wet his face. He stopped and stared at the rising fountain.
When he’d been ten, his father had brought him to the park every weekend and they’d spent hours running through the water. He smiled at the memory. If he tried it now and someone caught him on camera, it would be on the news in minutes with a judgmental caption to go with the picture.
His meeting with Mr. Rio had left him unsettled. Mr. Rio’s support was crucial, but—
“Stop your mother’s negative interviews and I will support you, Jun Min Ho. If you can’t do that, I don’t think you’re fit to take the position your father is so willing to give you. You see, son, being chairman of Hanje Group is not just work. It’s also family politics. Can you handle it, Jun Min Ho? If you can’t, you have no business trying.”
Mr. Rio’s words rang through his head.
Min didn’t know if he could stop his mother. Yuna was an enigma to him.
After the meeting ended, Min had left Young Jae getting Mr. Rio to sign documents for the warehouse that had burned. He’d taken the car from the driver and taken off feeling suffocated by the responsibility.
He wanted to call Shin. Getting his cell phone, he dialed Shin’s number. It rang six times before it went to voicemail.
Min ended he call because he didn’t want to leave a message. He tried calling Jihu next with the same results. Kaori answered but she didn’t have time to talk.
“I’m sorry, Min. I’m in the middle of something important.” She apologized in a soft tone. “I’ll call you later, okay? We can talk then.”
“That’s alright, Kaori,” he assured her.
He let her go and stuck the phone into his pocket. His friends were busy with their lives. He had expected that would happen.
“I thought you might be here,” Young Jae said coming to stand beside him.
Min closed his eyes in defeat. He’d hoped for a few more minutes before Young Jae caught up with him.
“How did you know where to find me?” Min asked, opening his eyes to watch the fountain scatter water in synchronized sprays on the ground.
“I’ve had practice.” Young Jae breathed in the cool air. “I always find you here when you’re worrying about something and can’t find Shin. The driver was very worried when you drove off. He came to get me.”
“I just wanted a few minutes away.” Min kept his gaze on the fountain. He couldn’t stop thinking about the water. He sat down on a stone ledge behind him and allowed a long sigh to escape.
“What did Mr. Rio tell you?” Young Jae asked sitting beside him.
Min looked at Young Jae.
“I need to control my mother to earn his support. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Mr. Rio is key, Min. His decisions sway the board ninety-percent of the time. We need him on your side.”
“Why should controlling my mother be important?” Min shook his head. “She’s not involved with Hanje Group.”
“Your parents might be separated, Min, but they are not divorced. Whatever she does will always affect the public view of Hanje Group. You must understand that.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Min looked at Young Jae. “What would you do?”
“Make peace with Yuna.” Young Jae met his gaze and his lips curved into a smile. “She’s your mom, Min. Reach out to her maternal instincts.”
“She left me when I was ten years old.”
Min shook his head, trying to ignore the sting of abandonment. He hadn’t understood why his mother left. Why had it been so easy for her to leave him?
“I was angry when she left. Dad wouldn’t say anything about it. He brought in a nanny and a tutor. That was his extent of parenting. She abandoned me, Young Jae.”
“I’m sure she had her reasons,” Young Jae said. “My question is this, what does Hanje Group mean to you? Is it worth the trouble you’re facing? Is your father’s company worth you forgiving your mother?”
Min stared at the dancing water sprays, his thoughts returning to running around in the water park when he was little. The carefree boy he’d been those days didn’t exist anymore. Responsibilities filled his life now; he couldn’t remember carefree.
“Dad used to bring me here when I was a kid. We’d spend the whole afternoon just running around in the water. It was so much fun. I miss that.”
After a moment of silence, Young Jae stood up abruptly. Min frowned when Young Jae took his hand, pulled him up and led him toward the fountain.
“What are you doing?” Min asked, as they got closer to the splashing water. “Have you gone mad?”
&nbs
p; “You know you want to, Min,” Young Jae said with a wide smile before he pushed Min into the spraying water.
Min gasped as drops of cold water hit him on the face and soaked his gray suit. He wiped his hand down his face and glared at Young Jae. It didn’t last long as a new set of sprays came at him.
Min was drenched in minutes. A chuckle escaped and he stopped in the middle of the fountain, water raining down on him. He held out both hands to the spray of water and smiled at Young Jae when the water sprayed out in a series of dances. He laughed when a nozzle splashed water into his face unexpectedly.
He stopped in the middle of the fountain and while the water fell around him, he suddenly realized why he was so tired. He’d been spending all his time working so hard to get control of the different companies under Hanje because he didn’t trust anyone. That was too much work, he thought. Instead, he should have worked at gaining his employees’ trust. He needed to find a way to get the company heads to trust him.
Min closed his eyes. As for his mother…, one thing was disturbing him. Why would she talk to striking workers when she didn’t work with Hanje Group? Why take the risk of pulling herself into a scandal?
Cold water splashed into his face and he blinked. His gaze fell on Young Jae who stood at a safe distance watching him. His thoughts centered on his Uncle Yul and the reason his father had put him in the crosshairs in the first place.
Control your family.
Mr. Rio had insisted on that. His mother was the key, he thought with a sigh. He needed to connect with her before she sold him out to his uncle.
“Family politics,” he murmured. He stepped out of the water fountain and wiped a hand down his face. “Young Jae, I want to meet Uncle Yul.”
“No.” The protest was abrupt. Young Jae cursed under his breath and tried again. “I mean, why do you want to go see Mr. Yul?”
“Don’t you think it’s time we met face to face? He keeps making trouble for me.” Min narrowed his gaze. “I think he’s inciting my mother, promising her something.”
“Min,” Young Jae said. “First talk to your mother.”
“I will, but I need to talk to my uncle too. This has to stop.” Min smiled at Young Jae. “You’re right you know. Hanje Group is important to me. So, if I’m reconciling with my mother, this ridiculous crusade my uncle is running has to be challenged as well.”
“Mr. Yul is not Mr. Rio or your father, Min. He is stubborn and set in his ways—,”
“I can handle it,” Min said with confidence. “I can face him. I’m strong enough, Young Jae.”
Young Jae gave him a skeptical look.
Min frowned when he noticed that there was softness in Young Jae’s eyes. It hadn’t been there before, or if it had, he’d never noticed. A breeze ruffled Young Jae’s hair and a lock of it fell over Young Jae’s right eye. Min reached up and swept it back gently. Young Jae smiled and Min jerked his hand away in surprise.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Young Jae said. “Come on; let’s get you something new to wear. I think you should talk to your mother again. You need to take your sister to the gala, and show a united front to everyone. Tomorrow morning, we can set up a meeting with your uncle.”
“Are you coming to the gala?” Min asked.
Young Jae met his gaze and held it for a moment before he nodded. “I’ll be right beside you.”
Min smiled happy with the answer. He had no idea when it started but having Young Jae beside him was a comfort.
“Well, look at me now. I have to change. I’m absolutely wet.”
“You’re happier for it,” Young Jae pointed out with a laugh. “You should try it more often.”
“Can you imagine the headlines?” Min looked around almost expecting a reporter standing a few feet away with a camera. “I’m half terrified of tomorrow morning’s headlines, ‘Hanje Group’s Jun Min Ho, acting like a child in the park.’”
“It would start a trend.” Young Jae countered. “We’d find more people in the park at ten o’clock in the morning trying to look as carefree as you did a moment ago.”
Min laughed and headed toward the car. “You’re funny.”
“It’s true.” Young Jae followed him. “You looked really handsome running around in the water. I have never seen you smile that hard unless you were with Shin.”
“Why do you always say Shin’s name that way?” Min pulled open the driver’s side door but Young Jae took the keys from him. Min went around to the passenger side and got in. “Why don’t you like my friends?”
Young Jae started the car and gave Min a short glance before he pulled out of the parking lot. “I like them just fine.”
Min shook his head in denial. “You picked a fight with Shin every time you saw him. Why?”
Young Jae joined traffic.
“Well, Shin did piss me off a lot. Nothing against him, he just had what I wanted.”
“What is that?” Min asked curious.
He couldn’t imagine what Shin had that Young Jae wanted.
“He had you.” Young Jae turned into the shopping district. “Now you know.”
Min stared at him at a loss, but then again, he wasn’t surprised. He thought about the kiss in the morning and sighed.
“You’re so complicated, Young Jae. If you’d been a bit nicer to me, I’d have known you liked me sooner.”
Young Jae spared him a glance before he pulled over, parking the car on the side of the road. The car secure, he turned to Min.
“What would you have done about it, Min? I’m not Shin who owns his own company. I work for you and your father. I don’t have the stellar backgrounds that your friends do. I was born to a very poor family. My mother is not refined like yours—
Min leaned forward and pressed his lips against Young Jae’s to shut him up. If Young Jae could do it to him, he could use kisses as a shut-up tool too. He closed his eyes when Young Jae moaned and sunk gentle fingers into his hair. They broke the kiss a moment later for air.
“I don’t know what it is about kissing you. I can’t stop thinking about it.” Min complained when Young Jae dusted kisses along Min’s jaw to his right ear.
“Is it a bad thing to think about my kisses?” Young Jae asked. “It drove me nuts every time I caught you kissing Shin in the corner. Why can’t you two keep your hands off each other? I thought you broke up ages ago.”
Min chuckled. “Are you the jealous type? Shin is a friend.”
Young Jae pulled back his hands on Min’s upper arms. Dark eyes, blazing hot with need captured Min’s gaze.
“If he comes back, Min, I’m going to kill him if he tries holding you like this.”
Min blinked. “What do you mean?”
“I’m laying my claim on you.” Young Jae shook him gently. “No more kissing Shin. If you want comfort, kisses, hugs, whatever you feel you need Shin for, come to me, Min. I’m strong enough for both of us.”
Young Jae pulled him into a tight hug, not caring that his clothes were getting wet from Min’s soaked suit. Min closed his eyes when his heart started an impossible fast beat. He clung to Young Jae’s shoulders. The tinted windows on the black Mercedes protected them from prying eyes. Min sighed as tension he’d been carrying around for days faded away.
***
Chapter Six
“Twice in one day, Jun Min Ho,” Yuna said her eyes wide with mock surprise. “Are you back to complain some more? Wait, I know. You’re here to make Lara cry some more. She refused to go out.”
Min sighed. “I need to talk to you.”
Yuna stared at him for a moment before she shook her head and walked away from him. He stood in her living room confused when she went out into the hallway. He’d never gone beyond the living room in this house.
“Are you coming?” Yuna called in the hallway. “I have to make lunch for Lara.”
Min followed her. He paused i
n the hallway when he saw Young Jae seated at a small table typing away on his laptop. He’d never realized that the man actually waited for him in the house. Young Jae glanced up and winked at him.
Min smiled, remembering their kiss in the car.
Young Jae frowned and urged him to follow his mother with a small nod toward the end of the hallway.
The door at the end of the hallway led him into a large spacious kitchen. Yuna stood at a counter cutting up bananas.
“You’ve never been in this kitchen before,” Yuna said.
Min looked around the room. It was large, spacious but it had warmth in it, unlike the kitchen at Jun house. Warm colorful flowers in a blue vase sat on the kitchen table in the middle of the room. Min pulled out a seat and sat down, reaching to touch the texture of one daisy.
“Lara bought those yesterday.”
Min glanced up to find his mother watching him. She smiled and finished cutting up the bananas. She went to wash her hands at the sink and turned to him wiping her hands on a towel.
“Min, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat,” she offered shyly. “I’m not like the chef at Jun house of course but—
“I’d love some lunch,” Min said.
“Great, we have some cold cuts from last night.” She hurried to the fridge and removed a plastic container. “You changed, are you going somewhere.”
Min glanced down at his black t-shirt, pants and white blazer. He smiled at the thought of shopping with Young Jae.
“No, something came up. Omma, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Yuna replied pleasantly.
“Why are you talking to the striking workers?” he asked.
Yuna dropped the knife she was holding on the counter with a sigh.
“Can we not talk about Hanje Group for two minutes? I’d love it if you just sat there and acted like my son for a while instead of your father’s son.”
“I’m both, and you know it. I’m only asking because I want to help you, and Lara. Can’t you just answer my question?”
Yuna turned to look at him for a moment before she picked up her knife and continued making sandwiches.
“I want to help them.”
“How,” Min asked confused. “Hanje Group controls the factory; you’d have to talk to me to help them. Why haven’t you?”
“I figured you’d come to me.” Yuna looked at him with a shrug. “I was right, here you are.”
“Omma, please tell me the truth. You wouldn’t care about those workers if you didn’t think something was coming out of it.” Min sat back in his chair to study his mother. “Did you talk to Uncle Yul?”