To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 88

Young-Jae was grinning from ear to ear but still, there were tears in his eyes. He went to his room and let himself fall on the bed. He was happy to see that she treated his people beautifully. She shoed gratitude where it was needed. he too thought she was going to pile on their work and he was ready to scold her but she went to thank them and he was proud of her for that.

He didn’t want to feel anything for her but that girl always stirred waves of emotions in him. The first he met her he was proud of her for taking her mother’s side, he was proud of her to stand up to him. Then he has been always angry at her and now he was again proud. He was happy when she represented Korea in her fashion show. He told no one but he knew everything about her fashion show. He saw it, he saw Hae-Won walking on the catwalk.

In the kitchen, Ashma hugged In-Ho tightly. She then looked at every other servant thanked them and hugged them too. After she was finished, she again hugged In-ho and expressed gratitude. All other servants looked at them with happiness. They all were loved and respected but no one ever said thank you to them. She not only thanked them but she also hugged them.

She went to her room and slept like a baby after that. All night she dreamed about Yong-Sun and his kiss. She woke up late the next morning. All were seated at the breakfast table enjoying the day when she woke up.

She heard the laughter, rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed. She went to the bathroom, completed her morning routine and without taking a bath reached the breakfast table. She was still yawning after she reached the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the table except Young-Jae. He was already gone to the office.

“Good morning!” shouted Bong-Cha with excitement as she saw Ashma coming their way.

“Good morning everyone,” Ashma sounded tired and sleepy. She needed a few more hours of sleep and yesterday was bad for her health. The whole day she was out due to her hangover and at night a gallon of blood dropped on her.

“Good morning,” everyone else said in unison.

“Breakfast?” inquired In-Ho with a big smile on his face.

“Yes, please,” Ashma returned the favour and smiled back at him. She winked at Iseul making her smile too.

“So, what is on the agenda today? What everyone is going to do?” asked Ashma and yawned.

“Are you ok?” asked Vidhi.

“What happened to me?” asked Ashma, tired.

“Last night, the prank,” explained Eun-Kyung.

“Oh come on! You all should ask how that boy is? And mom, we should ask how is your hand?” inquired Ashma.

“I am fine,” answered Vidhi.

“And he is alright,” said Young-Soo.

“How do you know?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“I called his father last night. He was okay and conscious. Doctors kept him overnight for observation and he was to be discharged from hospital today morning,” informed Young-Soo

“So soon,” said Ashma, disappointed. She wanted him to suffer a little more.

“You should not have hit him that hard,” said Vidhi.

“He should not have played that prank on me,” contrasted Ashma with anger in her eyes. Her eyes were now red with tiredness.

While everyone was talking, In-Ho presented a plate of eggs and toast and a cup of coffee in front of Ashma. “Thank you,” she expressed gratitude. In-Ho smiled at her and gestured to the plate asking her to enjoy her food.

“But why did he do that?” asked Baek-Hyeon and took a bite of his breakfast. Everyone looked at Ashma but she looked at Bong-Cha. Bong-Cha was avoiding looking at anyone, she concentrated on her food.

Ashma raised one eyebrow and shouted at Bong-Cha, “Why did he do that, Bong-Cha?” the moment she heard Ashma’s voice, she choked on her drink. She sputtered out her coffee and sharted coughing. Eun-Kyung ran to her but Young-Soo who was sitting next to her patted her back first.

“Why are you asking her? Why is she asking you?” Baek-Hyeon noticed the change in both Ashma’s and Bong-Cha’s tone and suspected that something was going on.

“I don’t know,” coughed Bong-Cha.

Ashma put down her spoon and fork with a loud clang and looked at Bong-Cha. “Are you seriously not going to tell them?”

“Tell us what?” inquired Eun-Kyung.

“If you won’t tell us, I will tell them,” warned Ashma. Bong-Cha shook her head in no and pleaded with her eyes.

“Tell us what?” shouted Young-Soo.

“Have you guys ever picked up on the vibe that Bong-Cha doesn’t want to go to college?” questioned Ashma.

“No, never,” said Baek-Hyeon and Young-Soo.

“I have sometimes, and definitely you,” said Eun-Kyung.

“She does not want to go to college because she is being bullied and harassed,” educated Ashma and looked at Bong-Cha who was looking on the floor, her head hung low with fear and shame. Fear of what her family might do to the Ryan family and shame of why didn’t she tell her family before.

“What?” screamed all in unison. Everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing. Servants too froze after hearing that.

“By Ryan Dak-Ho,” informed Ashma. She again stared at Bong-Cha who glanced at her once and saw her death stare.

“Okay, okay, let me tell them,” protested Bong-Cha.

“Oh, now you want to tell them,” snapped Ashma.

“Yeah, she is right, why didn’t you tell us before?” scolded Eun-Kyung.

“I was scared,” said Bong-Cha.

“Scared of what? Telling us?” rebuked Young-Soo.

“I will kill that boy,” Baek-Hyeon banged the table loudly. All the cutlery on the table bounced once and fell with a clung.

“She already did that,” Bong-Cha pointed at Ashma.

“What?” all shouted simultaneously.

“She kicked his ass,” said Bong-Cha with pride.

“You did that?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“Why do you think his brother did that to me?” said Ashma with a big smile. Now her eyes were turning red with tiredness.

“Why?” asked Vidhi.

“Because I beat up his brother in front of all his friends and other college students,” informed Ashma.

“Why no one knows about that?” asked Eun-Kyung.

Ashma suddenly remembered Yong-Sun’s words that she will one day remember that he did her a favour by hiding all the footage. “Because Yong-Sun hid that footage from the world.”

“But what happened?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“Okay! Here goes nothing.” Bong-Cha took a deep breath and said, “He use to bully me, harass me, touch me improperly all the time.”

“What?” shouted everyone.

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” shouted Ashma.

“So, that you could kill him?” Bong-Cha inquired.

“Yes,” blurted out Ashma.

“Okay, calm down.”

“Calm down! How are you so calm?” shouted Ashma.

“Because I know he will never touch me again after you hit him, he always avoids me,” explained Bong-Cha.

“Good!” screamed Ashma.

“Bongie! Tell us what happened?” yelled Baek-Hyeon.

“He asked me to go on date with him but I don’t like him. I said no, and he started bullying me. He would halt my path, throw things at me, eve-tease me all the time. Every day he would ask me to love him back but I was never interested in him,” Bong-Cha started her story.

“And then what happened?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“One day I was in Café Amour, the café next to my college where Yong-Sun oppa and Ashma nuna…” Bong-Cha called her sister by mistake.

“Hmm,” growled Ashma.

“Yong-Sun oppa and Ashma, is this okay now?” asked Bong-Cha, annoyed.

“Hmm,” nodded Ashma. Everyone else facepalmed.

“So, they were already in the café and Dak-Ho came in and started dragging me away. She punched and kicked him hard and his friends and saved me. No one in the café tried to save me, just her. Even Yong-Sun oppa was sitting idle,” pouted Bong-Cha.

“He knew she could handle herself,” Baek-Hyeon took Yong-Sun’s side.

“I know, but I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see him fighting. He is awesome,” sulked Bong-Cha.

“I helped you and he is awesome,” asked Ashma, annoyed.

“You are awesomest,” shouted Bong-Cha and went to hug Ashma. She hugged her from behind and swayed her vigorously.

“How did Won-Shik know about you?” inquired Baek-Hyeon.

“Dak-Ho saw me and in fear blurted everything to him. He wanted to take revenge for his brother and he did that, yesterday,” Ashma yawned, again.

“How did it feel getting doused with blood?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

“Stinky and sticky. Do you want to try? We can try,” teased Ashma.

“No, thank you,” snapped Baek-Hyeon. Ashma could not contain her laughter and started laughing at him. Everyone else joined in her laughter.

After the laughter died down, Young-Soo said, “I need to talk to his father.”

“You are good at talking to fathers,” said Vidhi and touched his shoulder. Ashma looked at Eun-Kyung and Eun-Kyun in turn looked at Ashma. They both were visibly uncomfortable. Baek-Hyeon and Bong-Cha didn’t think twice about the touch.

“I know,” Young-Soo too touched her hands.

“Remember when you talked to my father about going on that trip?” laughed Vidhi.

I do, that was not fun,” Young-Soo too started laughing.

“But you made him listen to you,” appreciated Vidhi.

“That I did.”

“Ha-ha” both started laughing. Ashma and Eun-Kyung looked at each other. Ashma was biting her lower lip in anger. She didn’t like what was happening in front of her.

“What is happening?” she shouted at the top of her lungs. Eun-Kyung quickly placed her palm over her hand to calm her down. Vidhi noticed the change in her daughter’s vocal tone and the hand of Eun-Kyung over hers.

“What? We are talking,” said Young-Soo.

“Yeah, like old friends,” snapped Ashma.

“We are old friends,” said Young-Soo.

“Right, better if you all remain friends.”

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing, she is just joking,” interrupted Eun-Kyung.

“Mumma?” questioned Ashma.

“Tell them you are joking,” pressured Eun-Kyung.

“Fine, I am joking.”