To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 59

Ashma sat in her car and went away. A huge smile was playing on her face. She won against Young-Jae. The challenge was till September but she won in one day. She just had to act like a moron to achieve that.

But her heart was in dilemma. She knew she won but that was not a real victory. Yong-Sun was right. She coerced Young-Jae into calling her Sonnyuh. She didn’t know whether she should feel happy about that. Should she be happy or it should not affect her? Was she okay with him not accepting her? Did she really want his love? Did she feel happy or was indifferent when he called her granddaughter? She could not understand her feelings.

On one hand, she wanted nothing to with him and on the other hand, she always used to be happy to defeat him. When the matter of fact was she must not feel anything related to Young-Jae, not even anger. People feel feelings and emotions when they have some expectation from others. Did Ashma have expectations from Young-Jae? She knew she didn’t want a new family but was that new family affecting her.

He was too busy in her thought when Dae-Hyun greeted her. “Hello, ma’am.”

She came out of her thoughts and replied, “call me Ashma, please. We have been through a lot. You should call me by my name.”

“Okay, Ashma, then you will have to call me Ahjussi,” said Dae-Hyun.

“I am fine with that, Ahjussi,” said Ashma.

“So you are famous?” asked Dae-Hyun.

Ashma smiled. “You heard.”

“Everything. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Well it’s my mistake,” said Dae-Hyun.

“What? Why?”

“I should have guessed. You came to the Park family, you must be rich and famous,” noted Dae-Hyun.

“Famous yes, I don’t know about rich,” said Ashma with humility.

“So humble,” said Dae-Hyun.

“I try to be,” laughed Ashma.

“Ha-ha.” Dae-Hyun laughed too. “So, where are we going?”

“Um… courier office.”

“Any courier office?

“Those who handle international parcel,” said Ashma.

“Of course,” said Dae-Hyun.

He took her to a courier service. She parcelled her dress and paid the amount. She received all the information about her parcel and came back to the car. The whole process she had her mask on. She didn’t want anyone else to recognise her. One day of the scandal was enough for her.

The whole day yesterday, her PR team and Priyanka kept calling her but she was too angry to receive the call. She just kept driving and ran away from Seoul. So in the morning, she replied to all their mail and informed them about every minute detail. She even informed Priyanka that she would be sending the dress via courier.

“Should I drop you at your house?” asked Dae-Hyun.

“Oh no, I have to go to,” she pinched her forehead trying to remember the name. “um… yes, café Amour. You can leave me there.”

“Sure.”

They reached the Café and Ashma paid Dae-Hyun. They said their goodbyes and she moved inside the café. It was the same café she visited on her first day. She ordered a cup of coffee and sat on a chair waiting for Yong-Sun. Why did he ask her here? What else did he want to ask?

A server came with her coffee. She placed the coffee, sugar packet, stirrer and napkin on the table.

“Thank you very much,” said Ashma with a smile. Her smile reached her eyes and even behind the mask, one could tell that she was smiling.

“You are welcome,” said the server and left her alone.

Before she could sip her coffee, a voice came from behind her. “Now you are behaving like yourself.”

She turned and looked at Yong-Sun. “What did you mean?”

“You are kind to others but rude to your family. That’s why it was weird for me today. You were acting like honey was dripping from your mouth,” said Yong-Sun and acted like he was shivering with remembering her sweet persona.

“That made you uncomfortable?” asked Ashma.

“Uncomfortable? That was creepy,” said Yong-Sun.

“Okay, leave that. Why are we meeting here?”

“Because at home your fans don’t let me talk to you in peace,” said Yong-Sun.

“My fans?” asked Ashma, surprised.

“Yes, some always keep feeding you, some keep talking about marriage, asking your opinion regarding marriage, some keep fighting with you. In short, everyone keeps you busy,” said Yong-Sun.

“Ha-ha, what did you want to talk about?” asked Ashma.

“Simple, our collaboration. Now you are in Korea and everyone knows about you and the Park family marriage proposal and you will soon work with keunahppa,” said Yong-Sun.

“But I told you I’m not interested in collaborating with anyone,” said Ashma and stood from her chair.

Before she could walk away, Yong-Sun grabbed her arm and stopped her, “at least hear our proposal and then decide.”

Ashma exhaled loudly, closed her eyes and took in a moment before speaking. “Listen to me, I’m here because my half-sister tricked me to come here. I am staying because the paparazzi found me out. I’m not here for work so please stop pursuing me.”

Before Yong-Sun could reply to her, Bong-Cha walked into the café. She was surprised to see both of them in Café. She smiled as Ashma’s hand was in Yong-Sun’s hand.

She approached them and said, “Hi, Unni! Hi, Oppa!”

“Oh god, you are here too?” she jerked her hand away. “And I am not your Unni.” She looked at Yong-Sun and chided, “you called her too?”

“No,” replied Yong-Sun.

“No, he didn’t call me. This café is closer to my college. I’m here with my friends,” said Bong-Cha happily.

“Then please go be with them,” said Ashma.

“Okay,” said Bong-Cha and left them alone. She had a huge grin on her sweet face.

“See rude to family members except for in the morning. Why are you so cold to everyone?” asked Yong-Sun.

“None of your business,” said Ashma.

“What can I do when you are not ready to work for my business?” teased Yong-Sun.

“This again,” she picked up her purse and started to walk away.

“Is this your true persona that you are rude as hell, or your true persona is how you behave with strangers? How you behaved with that server just now?” teased Yong-Sun.

Ashma halted in her path. She came back and sat down on her chair. She stared directly into Yong-Sun’s eyes and said, “this rude persona is real. Any problem?”

Yong-Sun looked at her for a minute, smiled and said, “I think you are a kind-hearted, soft-spoken person. You just pretend tough in front of people who know you so that they don’t take you for granted. You don’t want to show your true feelings that is why you act arrogant. Also, you are the boss of a lot of people, you have to be tough. That’s why the whole fashion industry is afraid of you.”

Ashma could not stop staring at him. Whatever he said was true. Could it be true that he could look into her soul? “Yeah, think whatever you want. It’s your brain, your thought. I am not going to cut it open and change your opinion,” she changed her tone to rude to avoid suspicion.

“You don’t need to cut open a brain to change notions,” said Yong-Sun, teasingly.

“I prefer my way, thank you,” said Ashma. Yong-Sun smiled at her. She found his smile annoying. He was somehow able to figure out her real personality and she hated that.

While they were talking a group of rowdy boys entered the Café. They went towards the group of girls that were sitting inside, Bong-Cha and her group.

Their noise and hooting made Ashma aware of their presence. She looked at the boy. He had a rugged face and was of average height. He was wearing all branded clothes. He was being followed by six more boys. She could tell that they were his bootlickers.

“Who the hell is he?” asked Ashma.

“That is Ryan Dak-Ho, son of one of the richest families in Korea,” replied Yong-Sun. He looked at the server the next instant. “Excuse me!” a server came running towards him and batted her eyes at him. Ashma rolled her eyes at Yong-Sun. He couldn’t help but had to laugh at her expression. His smile made the server’s heart flutter

“What do you want, sir?” asked the server with a sweet voice.

“A black coffee, please,” requested Yong-Sun. the server went away smiling after taking his order.

“So, all the rich spoilt brat study together?” asked Ashma.

“Hey! My sister is not a brat,” said Yong-Sun.

“Yeah, not a brat but a master manipulator.”

“That she is,” nodded Yong-Sun.

Ashma was talking to Yong-Sun but her eyes kept following Dak-Ho. He took a chair and sat next to Bong-Cha.

“Hi! Park Bong-Cha,” said Dak-Ho and ran his finger over her cheeks. Ashma crumpled her napkins in anger.

“Please leave, I have no interest in talking to you,” shouted Bong-Cha.

“Ohh no talking, I like your style, I also am interested in doing things without talking but rest assured you will scream,” taunted Dak-Ho with innuendo.

“Eww… leave us alone,” said one of Bong-Cha’s friends.

Dak-Ho ignored her and looked directly into Bong-Cha’s eyes. “I have been very patient with you but now it’s too much.” He grabbed her wrist, lifted her from her chair and placed one hand on her waist.

Ashma’s mouth opened. Her eyes widened. She was visibly angry now. Yong-Sun could see the changes in her face. He too was furious at Dak-Ho but was loving Ashma’s expression. He wanted her to help her sister but somehow, Ashma was restraining herself.

“Why aren’t you helping her? She is like your sister,” shouted Ashma at Yong-Sun.

“Why aren’t you helping her? She IS your sister,” said Yong-Sun.

“You just called her your sister,” protested Ashma.

“So what? You never called her your sister, doesn’t mean she is not,” complained Yong-Sun.

“Are you really going to just sit on your ass?” yelled Ashma.

“Yes.”