To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 61

“We don’t know how to fight like you,” said Bong-Cha with her head lowered.

“Bong-Cha! You ordered coffee?” asked Ashma softly.

“Yes,” answered Bong-Cha. She was confused about how the talk about fight turned into talk about coffee. What did coffee have to do with anything?

“Was that hot?”

“Yes,” replied Bong-Cha. Suddenly a bulb lit on her head. She understood why Ashma was asking about coffee. She wanted her to throw the hot coffee on Dak-Ho and run away from there. “Oh!” exclaimed Bong-Cha.

“Yes, everything can be a weapon if you use your brain,” said Ashma.

“Okay, Unni,” said Bong-Cha.

“Don’t call me that,” scolded Ashma. “And why did you never tell your family members that you are being bullied every day in college?”

“Because he is the son of a family friend,” replied Bong-Cha.

“So what, he has the licence to harass people?” asked Ashma, angrily.

“You have no idea how powerful they are,” said Bong-Cha.

“More powerful than your grandfather?”

“No,” said Bong-Cha with shame.

“Then?”

“I wanted to deal with the problem myself,” answered Bong-Cha.

“Great!” said Ashma sarcastically.

“Sorry,” apologised Bong-Cha.

Her apology made Ashma furious. “Don’t be sorry,” she shouted. “Learn to fight back, always. Don’t take shit from anyone.”

“Not even from you,” asked Bong-Cha.

“Not even me,” replied Ashma.

“Okay,” suddenly the tone of Bong-Cha changed. She was happy now. She was happy that her sister helped her, saved her from a bully and was lecturing like a big sister. She was loving all of it.

“Who is she? Why is she talking to you and us like that?” asked a friend of Bong-Cha.

Ashma looked at her and snapped, “None of your business, don’t poke your nose where it’s not needed. Go back to studies.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said all the girls in unison. They started moving towards the door when Bong-Cha came back running.

“What now?” asked Ashma.

“You were injured. Why did you fight then?” asked Bong-Cha. Ashma had no answer.

“Oh, she fought with me with the injured leg,” teased Yong-Sun.

“She fought with you?” asked Bong-Cha.

“And I won.”

“You want to go again, right now,” said Ashma through gritted teeth.

“Enough guys, why do you two always keep fighting?” said Bong-Cha annoyed.

“You, go to your classes,” Ashma ordered Bong-Cha.

“But, is your leg fine?” inquired Bong-Cha.

“I am fine, go, leave.”

“Okay, Bye,” said Bong-Cha and followed her friends. Ashma shook her head in disbelief. She was being bullied but she was still thinking about Ashma’s injury.

Both Yong-Sun and Ashma looked at the girls going out of the café.

As soon as she went out, Ashma looked at Yong-Sun and shouted, “and you, I will kill you.”

“What? I helped you.”

“May I ask how?”

“I made sure that the footage of your fight never gets out in the world. No one records you. Harabuhji will never find out what you did otherwise he would have scolded you again for fighting in public,” said Yong-Sun.

“And how did you accomplish that,” asked Ashma.

“I am the owner of the café,” said Yong-Sun and sipped from his cup.

“Oh thank you so much, idiot,” said Ashma.

“Ha-ha,” Yong-Sun that he was annoying Ashma but he was loving her expressions. “I just have to collect the footage from the manager. Rest assured no one recorded you on their phones.”

“Wait! You are the owner? But you are in the textile business,” said Ashma, confused.

“I meant my mother is the owner.”

“Oh, that way.”

The manager arrived the next instant and greeted Yong-Sun. He too bowed down to the manager. The manager gave a hard drive to Yong-Sun. He received it and kept it in his pocket.

After the manager left, Ashma said, “give me that.”

“That’s my property,” said Yong-Sun.

“That’s my body and face on it,” disagreed Ashma.

“Don’t worry I will delete it, won’t keep it for blackmailing,” teased Yong-Sun.

“What is there to blackmail? You are saying as if I killed someone, stupid,” rebuked Ashma.

“Let me take you home,” said Yong-Sun. He stood up and presented his hand to Ashma.

“I am not going home with you,” she rejected his proposal.

“So, you are going to take a cab?” asked Yong-Sun.

Ashma pouted, “I sent my cab away and don’t know if the new cab driver would know English.”

“Ha-ha, let’s go.”

“No, talk about collaboration,” commanded Ashma. “I am still angry at you.”

“Okay, fine. You will realise one day that I helped you today,” said Yong-Sun and signalled towards his pocket.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” chided Ashma. The adrenaline was still rushing in her body. She was still angry at Dak-Ho for bullying Bong-Cha. She was also angry at Yong-Sun for not helping her.

He took her to his car. She sat on the passenger seat, threw her mask away and started jerking the seat belt. It was stuck. Yong-Sun smiled at her anger. He was happy as she helped her sister and was impressed how she overpowered a group of boys on her own. He was proud of her. He wanted to grab her and kiss her but knew that if he did that she will kill him.

He got up from his seat and faced Ashma. Seeing him too close to herself, she moved backwards with a jerk and inserted herself deeply in the car seat. She kept blinking fast as she had no idea what else to do. Her body was acting involuntarily. She gulped hard. Her cheeks turned red. His face was too close to hers.

He looked at her face, her beautiful face, her big blinking eyes, her cute nose, her red cheeks, her neck, her red ears. The most attractive feature on her face was her lips. He wanted to touch them, caress them, kiss them, bite them.

She was looking downwards and breathing heavily. All her anger was gone in an instant. Her heart started moving fast. But she wouldn’t dare to move even an inch. She froze. Instead of acting on his emotions, Yong-Sun grabbed the seat belt gently, pulled it around Ashma and clicked it in its socket. He secured Ashma and went back to his seat. He put the key in the ignition and started the car.

The whole journey, no one spoke. They both kept thinking about what happened. They were too close to each other. The scene of the hospital floated in front of their eyes. They both licked their lips together at the same time. No one was ready to look at the other. They kept their eyes on the road.

They reached the Park Mansion. He dropped her there and left for his office.

“Shit!” they shouted at the same time. But he was in the car and she was on the way to ring the doorbell.

“What is happening to me?” shouted Ashma.

“I could have kissed her again. She is right, I am an idiot,” shouted Yong-Sun.

She entered the house. She was greeted by Eun-Kyung. After all the women of the house had their lunch, Ashma went into her room to work on her Spring Fashion Show that was approaching close. She replied to all the mails, called up Priyanka, her PR team, her legal team, her logistics team to find out if everything was on the right track. After she was satisfied with everything she looked at the clock. It was evening. She came out of the room.

Everyone was sitting in the living room waiting for Chin-Sun, Baek-Hyeon and Yong-Sun. Young-Mi and Pan Jung were sitting with Young-Jae. She looked at him, smirked and winked at him. He fumed in anger. She stifled her laughter.

“Bang-ssi, Pan-ssi, this is Ashma Dewan, the famous designer from India,” introduced Eun-Kyung.

Pan Jung stood up and bowed down to Ashma. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Ashma bowed down to him too. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

“I know. I heard what Salt did to you. Are you okay? Is your leg okay?” Instead of bowing down to her to greet her, she chose to shake hands with Ashma. She was a fan of ashma but all she had in her mind was that Yong-Sun had a crush on her. She was jealous of Ashma.

“I am fine. Thank you for asking,” said Ashma with a smile. She had no ill-will for her nor did she realise that Young-Mi was jealous of her.

In the meantime, the team of ‘Bogji’ arrived. The family was complete. In-Ho brought in the tea and breakfast for everyone.

Suddenly there was a doorbell.

“Oh, it must be the painting for my office,” said Young-Jae. Yongsuna! Receive the parcel and take it upstairs. Bang-ssi! Please go with him to my room and make sure it’s the right thing that we ordered,” commanded Young-Jae to Yong-Sun and Young-Mi.

“Yes, harabuhji,” said Yong-Sun and he moved towards the door.

“Yes, sir.” Young-Mi stood up and stood near the stairs waiting for Yong-Sun.

“Harabuhji, they need your signature,” shouted Yong-Sun from the door.

“I am coming.”

Yong-Sun received the parcel and moved it upstairs. Young-Mi followed him. Young-Jae smiled at both of them. He wanted Yong-Sun to fall for Young-Mi. She was smart, capable and loyal. He wanted all his children of appropriate age to settle and only Yong-Sun was remaining.

While Young-Jae was signing for the parcel, he shouted, “Sonnyuh! Take this parcel to my room.”

Ashma was busy sipping her tea and eating cookies. Abruptly Bong-Cha said, “he is talking to you.”

“Excuse me!” Ashma blurted out.

“You are his sonnyuh now, go help him,” teased Bong-Cha.

Before Ashma could reply, Young-Jae again shouted, “Sonnyuh!”

“Go,” said Bong-Cha, urgently.

“You…” all Ashma could say to Bong-Cha. Bong-Cha sat there smiling from ear to ear.

Ashma approached Young-Jae. He shouted, “You?”

“I am your Sonnyuh,” mocked Ashma with a smirk.

“Enough with your acting. You won. What else do you want?” chided Young-Jae.

“Say it again,” said Ashma dearly.

“What?”

“That I won. It feels so good from your mouth.”

“Shut up!”

“Fine, I will help you, old man,” teased Ashma.

“You,” Young-Jae gritted his teeth.

“Ha-ha.” Ashma laughed and went upstairs. The parcels were on the heavy side. She opened the door, placed the parcel at the door and looked up. The scene before her made the earth slip under her feet. Her jaw dropped, her heart sank. She stopped breathing. Her hands started shivering. She clenched her fists to gain control over her fingers. A tear dropped from her eyes. She didn’t know why but she was crying.

Yong-Sun’s back was against the wall. His hands were floating in the air. His face was covered with Young-Mi’s hair. Her mouth was on his mouth. Yong-Sun was kissing Young-Mi.. Ashma’s heart broke into million pieces.