Twisted Fate: Chapters 15-17
chapter 15
* shina's b-day *
"damn, why do we have to walk so far??"queenie whined as kicked off her pink sandals and massaged her sore feet. "i'm dead beat!!!"
"cos kangta wanted a bungalow far from the hustle and bustle of citylife, "shina explained. "he wanted somewhere where he can relax and escape from all the stress....."
"yeah, and the car broke down, so we have to walk, dearie, "i added as i gulped down my soda.
minwoo checked his watch. "we should reach in another 5 minute's time. queenie, hang in there!!!"
queenie groaned but she got up and put on her sunglasses. "argh...ok, let's go....."
we trudged for another 5 minutes before we reached kangta's beautiful white bungalow.
minwoo whistled as he caught sight of the clear, blue sea and sandy beaches surrounding it. "what a beautiful sight...."he breathed as i rested my head against his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"who cares??"queenie sed impatiently. "let's go in!!! i'm sweating like a pig now and my makeup is running!!!"
juss then, kangta came out of the house. he smiled charmingly ( as usual), and walked over to us. he was wearing a blue hawaiian shirt and bermudas and he looked great!!! his blue-tinted sunglasses rested casually above his head and he was wearing dis necklace made of seashells..very beach boy look. he embraced shina lovingly and whispered, "happy birthday, darling..."
shina smiled as she kissed his nose softly.
"AHEM!! aren't u gonna invite us in?"quennie broke in impatiently.
"oh, yes...of course....i'm sorrie, "kangta apologised as he ushered us in.
heejun, woohyuk, jaewon and tony were in the living room. heejun was stuffing his face with apple pie, while tony was watching some romantic movie on tv and sobbing his heart out. jaewon and woohyuk were making salad. they looked up when we came in.
"boohoo...."tony sobbed. "'autumn in new york' is soooo sad....." he reached for more tissue as the show reached the climax.
"ouch!!! i cut myself!!!" woohyuk freaked out, clutching his bleeding finger.
"lemme see....it's juss a small cut..."jaewon leaned over, toppling over the salad bowl. all the lettuce and salad cream spilled all over the floor, causing an unsightly mess. "oh fuck!"
heejun looked up from his ENORMOUS pie. "what happened?"he asked innocently, spluttering crumbs all over them. he had been so engrossed in his pie he din hear a word.....
"erm, nothing, "kangta sed as he wiped up the mess. "eat ur pie....."
"ooooh, queenie, u're here!!!" heejun smiled happily. in his excitement, he sprayed even more crumbs.....
"oi, dude, watch what u're doing...."queenie sed in disgust as she wiped crumbs off her brand new top. "dis cost a bomb...."
"hey guys, let's eat in the backyard ok? the scenery there is beautiful and i think it's getting too crowded in here..." he looked around the room in dismay. it looked as though an earthquake juss took place. no wait, make dat an earthquake, a volcano and a bomb explosion..... "geez, what have u guys been doing? i juss tidied it dis morning and now it's so messy! and i guess dis is tony's huh?" he raised an eyebrow and lifted up the latest issue of "playboy".
tony din even hear, as he continued sobbing. "no, dat's heejun's.." woohyuk sed evilly.
"hey!!!"heejun yelled, spraying crumbs all over the room. "it's not mine!!! queenie, dun believe him..he's talking nonsense!!!"
we finally managed to get everyone in the backyard half an hour later....heejun was still gobbling down his pie,while tony was still sobbing, and woohyuk was staring at his bandaged finger and jaewon was making another salad......
"hey,where's eric?"i asked minwoo. "when is he coming?"
"did i hear my name?" a familiar voice call out.
"ERIC!!!hey, u got tanner!!!"
"yeah i went to hawaii to visit jin and hyesung....oh, and dis is my girlfriend, dapheny..." he put his arm around the fair, pretty gal next to him.
"hi," she smiled shyly. "nice to meet u....."
"hey dapheny!"everyone chorused, with heejun spitting out pie again.
"we met in hawaii...she can't really speak korean so u guys might have to speak in english..."eric added.
"sure thing,"i hugged her warmly.
"ack! i can't speak english!" heejun, woohyuk and jaewon exclaimed in horror. "my english sucks!"
"yeah, and i can only sing "the greatest love of all", "kangta added sadly. shina squeezed his arm comfortingly.
"dun worry,oppa....in my eyes, u'll always be the best..."
kangta's face brightened up.
"hey, u guys!!! come and EAT!!!"heejun's eyes widened as he saw the huge feast on the table. drool was forming at the corners of his mouth and he made slurping noises. "yummy!!!"
"u only know how to eat....."tony complained. "i was the one who cooked everything....."he took off his cookie monster apron, and sat down to eat before heejun could finish off everything.
kangta dished some lobster salad onto shina's plate, while eric and dapheny shared a cocktail. tony, woohyuk and jaewon concentrated very hard on stuffing their faces ravenously, while heejun, being a naturally gifted eater, was stuffing his face AND trying to chat up a very annoyed and left-out queenie.
in the next half hour, all the food had magically disappeared. heejun burped and rubbed his tummy. "ooh, dat was good...."
queenie threw him a disgusted look, as she sed in a bored voice, "hey, it's already 8 pm...what do u wanna do??"
kangta and shina got up, holding hands. "well, we're gonna take a walk....we'll be back shortly.... seeya," with dat, they walked off happily.....
"hey, let's go for a walk too....."i suggested, grabbing minwoo's arm.
"yeah! and we could go for a swim also!"
"nope, i dun have my swimsuit....."
"who says u need a swimsuit? we could go skinny dipping!"minwoo sed suggestively.
i hit him on his arm laughingly, as we held hands and left........
"great, even liz and minwoo have gone....." queenie sed sarcastically, about to burst into tears.
"we could go for a walk too!!! "heejun sed excitedly. * burp* he reached for her hand but she shook it off impatiently, and walked into the house, with heejun following........
"queenie!!! queenie!!! why are u ignoring me?? are u mad at me??? darling!!!" heejun's desperate pleas rang throughout the house.
eric kissed dapheny's cheek. "let's go check dis place out also k?"
"sure, eric!!! "
"hmm, i guess dat leaves us 3......."tony smirked as eric and dapheny headed for the beach. "what should we do?"
"mmm.......those sausages juss now were yummie....."woohyuk sed dreamily. 'did u say something, tony?"
tony glared and cursed under his breath as he walked into the house, planning to call his crush and ask whether she wanted to go clubbing instead......
woohyuk and jaewon looked at each other and shrugged. "no wonder he's called mood guy......"they nodded their heads in unision.
"hey, let's juss watch dat same movie tony was watching juss now....."woohyuk suggested.
"ok...there's nothing better to do anyways...and also i'm so stuffed i juss wanna curl up in a sofa and sleep. but before long, the 2 grown tough men were sobbing their hearts out, as they reached for their 3rd box of kleenex.......
*******************************************************************
* at the beach*
kangta caressed shina's cheek as he placed a soft, fluttery kiss on her lips. " i love u, shina....happy birthday....."
"i love u too, oppa....."shina sed, as she brushed away his fringe which was flopping over his eyes. ( lol)
they sat down on the sandy beach and admired the seaview.....the waters looked so peaceful and mysterious in the night......the moonlight fell on the clear waters, illuminating it green, yellow and blue........and the soft splashing of waves was so soothing.........
kangta checked his watch. " okie......shina, close ur eyes....."
shina raised her eyebrows in surprise. "why, oppa?"
"juss do so...."he advised, smiling softly. "i got a surprise for u......."
"oh, oppa! u're always full of surprises!"shina giggled as she shut her eyes.
*silence*
"open ur eyes now."
shina slowly opened her eyes. juss then fireworks illuminated the sky......beautiful explosions of pink, purple, green and blue....it was a magnificent sight....
shina gasped. "oppa, it's beautiful!"
"do u like it? i wanted something special for ur b-day and i remember u saying dat u wanted to see fireworks......."
shina flung her arms around kangta. "thank u, oppa!!! i lurve it!!!"
the fireworks disappeared into the night and all was silent and peaceful again, cept for the soft splashing of the waves....
kangta reached into his pocket and took out a red velvet jewellery box. "for u....." he sed softly as he opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring.....it sparkled crystal-clear as the rays of moonlight shone upon it......
tears came into shina's eyes...kangta reached for her hand lovingly and slowly slid it on for her. it fit perfectly. he kissed her on her cheek, and asked, "do u like it?"
shina nodded, speechless. "yes, i lurve it....." she sed, greatly touched, tears trickling down her smooth cheeks. she flung her arms around kangta, and his arms circled her waist immediately.
"i love u, shina......and i wanna spend every birthday with u dis way...."
"me too...dis is the happiest day of my life......."shina sobbed.
they pulled apart and kangta brushed her tears away gently. "u look so pretty when u cry...."he joked. "but then u look pretty every time of the day......"
shina blushed. kangta lowered his head and kissed her softly, then harder....shina closed her eyes, juss concentrating on the tenderness and sweetness of dat special kiss.......she felt like she was in a dream....and if it was a dream, she never ever wanted to wake up........
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* at the other end of the beach*
" i think eric and dapheny make such a cute couple, "i commented as i kicked at the sand.
"yeah....juss like us....."minwoo joked as he flung some wet sand at me.
"ack ack!!!! how dare u???" i shouted as he made to run.
i chased after him, and tickled him. he laughed uncontrollably until tears came into his eyes. "stop it!!! stop it....." he pleaded as he grabbed my hands.
"ok, let's sit over there...." we sat down on the sandy beach.
"phew......" minwoo breathed.
we were silent for awhile. i traced our names on the sand with a stick......
"u know, i never would have imagined myself being here with u......"minwoo sed quietly.
"what do u mean?"
"it's like......all my previous girlfriends always insisted we go somewhere really posh and expensive on dates.....they would freak out if i brought them here.....dis is the first time i'm here on a date....it feels so comfortable......so natural....i can juss be myself...." he laughed.
"dat's good....isn't dat what matters most? being comfortable.....anyways i'm not used to all dat glamour and stuff either...."
"i juss realised how fake i was before......what a poser i was.....girls and all those material stuff....i'm disgusted at myself...."he shook his head and sighed.
"u've changed alot....."i sed softly.
"yeah, i guess i have huh??? u know, before, whenever i thought of my dad, i would think of money....i tried my best to be filial juss so he might gimme his business......and not cos i really cared or loved him....and now, i feel so ashamed.....he was the best father anyone could have.....kind, understanding, generous...but, no, i overlooked all his good qualities....i only lurved his money and the status of being henry lee's son......i miss him alot now....but i dun think he'll ever forgive me......"
i touched his shoulder comfortingly. "minwoo....give it time.....i'm sure ur dad will forgive u when he realises u've changed....maybe we should visit him next week?"
minwoo shook his head. "i daren't face him....i feel so ashamed...."
"oh minwoo, "i sighed as i hugged him tightly.
chapter 16
* back in the house*
"get away from me!!!" queenie cried as she flung some cushions at heejun. "leave me alone!!!"
"queenie.....why are u torturing me like dis? i thought u liked me! i mean, i LOVE u!!!! did i do something wrong......tell me!!!" heejun begged, confused.
queenie glared at him. "look, moon heejun......we're not suited for each other...even if u were the only guy on planet earth, i would never go out with u!!! understand??? i never liked u and i never will!!!! so juss leave me alone!"
heejun gasped, and tears filled his big expressive eyes. queenie felt a guilty pang as she saw them trickle down his fat cheeks, but she hardened her heart...
"stop dat...i hate guys who cry....."
heejun sniffed and wiped his tears away hastily. "but why, queenie? i really like u......if there's something wrong with me, i can change!"
queenie sighed impatiently. "look.....there's nothing wrong with u! it's juss dat we dun click!!!"
"no queenie....i'm sure i must have done something to make u mad....tell me, and i promise i'll change!!!"
she threw her hands into the air in desperation. "u really wanna know??? ok, for one.....u're a pig! u eat too much! and secondly, u're not romantic!!! and thirdly......forget it......"she mumbled as heejun broke down again and started banging his head against the floor.
"heejun.....i'm sorrie...."she stammered feebly. she knew she had a bad temper but she din know she would hurt him dis bad........
"i gotta go now......." she sed hurriedly, scared by heejun's reaction. grabbing her handbag, she dashed out of the house.
juss then, tony came out, dressed in a sexy black shirt dat was half-buttoned, exposing his well-built, tan chest and black trousers...his orange hair was gelled high up and he had sprayed his whole bottle of bvlgari.....he smelled so nice dat heejun looked up curiously.
tony screamed, "hyung! what's dat big bruise doing on ur head???"
heejun sniffed. "queenie....she doesn't like me.....she sed i'm an unromantic pig.........."
tony smirked, as he leaned against the kitchen counter sexily. "figures....u dun know how to impress gals.......u might be the leader of h.o.t and billions of gals might be swooning over u.....but still....tsk tsk tsk....."
"tony ya, do u think u can help me?" heejun asked hopefully.
"OF COURSE!!!" tony clapped heejun on his back. "u came to the right guy!!!!! i'm the man! all gals are crazy over me! the mighty tony an!!" he thrust his chest out proudly.
heejun was impressed. "wow......so what do u suggest i do now??"
tony wrinkled his nose. "ok, first of all.....go on a diet and dun stuff urself like usual.....wear platform shoes and get a more stylish wardrobe....."
"wat? dun eat???" heejun's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. "i can't live without food!!!"
"then would u choose food over queenie?" tony raised an eyebrow.
"well...no.....i mean, queenie's important.....but....."
"dat settles it!!! anyways, u can stuff urself silly once u get the chick....it's juss for now......now's the crucial stage....u have to make an impression......later on....." tony scoffed. "who cares!!!!!!!!"
"yeah, "heejun agreed. "so tony, we gonna work on it now?"
"sorrie, i can't.....i have a date...."tony sed proudly. "with victoria......man, she's hot!!! what a babe!"
heejun pouted. "ohhhhh...........ok then, but hyung, u'll help me right?"
"of course! "tony sed assuringly. "trust tony an and u'll never go wrong!!! but till then, lataz!!!" he floated out of the house, leaving a sad heejun, who was eyeing some coffee cake greedily...
"no no no.....i must control myself, "heejun closed his eyes and tried to resist the urge, dat was growing stronger and stronger every second........
meanwhile, woohyuk and jaewon were still sobbing as the show ended and the credits appeared......they had used up 5 boxes of kleenex.....
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* back at the beach*
minwoo and i were locked in a deep, passionate kiss........
"oh, lizzie....."minwoo moaned as his kisses trailed down my neck and shoulders. he slowly slid the straps off my top, while i deftly unbuttoned his shirt......
"lizzie?" a familiar voice was heard.
"queenie?" i quickly shoved minwoo away and put on my clothes.
"man, queenie, u sure have GREAT timing, "minwoo sed sarcastically, fuming.
"lizzie....i wanna leave now...."queenie whined as she pushed minwoo away and sat down next to me. "heejun is such a pest...and such a crybaby also...."
"a crybaby?"
"yeah......"
"u mean he was crying?" minwoo laughed.
"u-huh......i was kinda mean to him and he started crying....scared the daylights outta me.....dis is the first time i've been a grown guy cry!" queenie shuddered.
"oh my, poor heejun....."i felt so sorry for him. "actually, he's such a sweet guy....why dun u like him?"
queenie sighed. "ok, it's not like i dun like him...but the feeling isn't there u know? and anyways i can never be with the same guy for long...i get bored...."
"man, queenie, u are such a flirt!" minwoo commented, shaking his head.
queenie shoved him again. "yeah, right, lee minwoo, like u're not a player....i've heard tons about u, smartass......"
"yeah, but dat was before i knew liz! "he smiled, as he put his arms around me and kissed my cheek.
" seriously, can't u give heejun a chance?" i asked. "he's so sweet and i can tell he really adores u alot....."
queenie shrugged. " let's not talk about dis okie? are u guys leaving now?"
"nah, we wanna stay longer......" minwoo sed slyly, while i blushed.
queenie got up. "ok, i'll go look for shina then....bye, u lovebirds!"
she searched the whole beach but shina and kangta were nowhere around. "damn, where can they be??"she wondered aloud, a little bit scared. it was windy and it looked like it was gonna rain any minute. she shivered as the wind howled in the distance.....
she squinted as she spotted a couple kissing...... "shina!!!" she cried happily.
shina and kangta jumped apart. "eh, queenie, what are u doing here?" shina asked, very annoyed.
"i'm bored....i wanna go home.....heejun is being a pest...i can't go back in...."she whined.
shina sighed. "sowwie, queenie, but i plan to stay longer.....can u go back urself?"
queenie glared at her as she stomped off angrily. "some friends, "she muttered angrily under her breath.
from afar she saw another couple making out....eric and dapheny...."damn, everyone's attached and happy....." she thought sadly. queenie had never felt so sad and alone before in her entire life........
*******************************************************
* the next day*
we spent the nite over at kangta's place......minwoo and i were sleeping soundly when we were awaken by a loud thump.
"what the fuck was dat?" minwoo jerked up immediately.
"yeah, what's dat sound? " i asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes.
we walked out of the room in our matching 'bananas in pyjamas' pyjamas (LOL)... shina, kangta, eric and dapheny were already in the living room....heejun was working out on his exercise machine, trying to shed extra kilos....
" i think dat sound came from the kitchen....."kangta pointed to the kitchen. groans were heard from there......
we peeked into the kitchen. there was tony, sprawled on the floor, rubbing his butt. "ouch, " he groaned. "i tripped over myself and hurt my butt....."
we giggled as kangta helped him up. "tony ah, u should be more careful....." juss then, his gaze rested on the newspaper on the kitchen top and he yelped, losing his grip. tony fell on the ground again and he glared and started cursing.....
"damn u, kangta....wat the fuck!"
kangta snatched the papers and started reading the headlines....." exclusive!!! h.o.t's kangta has a girlfriend!!!" below that were photos of him and shina kissing and getting intimate.........
his eyes widened and his handsome face was shadowed with worry. " SM is gonna freak out when they see dis!!! i'm DEAD!!!"
shina was reading the article, looking confused and scared. she knew how crazy korean fans could be.......this news would surely cause an uproar and kangta and her lives would be endangered......
minwoo smirked. "hey, kangta....u're a guy....u're human.....why should u get all scared cos peeps know?? who gives a fuck what ur company thinks? of course, unless u dun really lurve shina......"
"I DO!!! I DO LOVE SHINA!" kangta yelled exasperated. his cheeks were flushed with anger and he threw the newspapers onto the floor angrily. "i'm upset cos i'm worried about her safety......i dun want some crazed fan to hurt her u know....."
shina reached for his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "dun worry, oppa, i'll be fine......"
juss then, the fone rang. "hello?" kangta sed.
"%^&(##!!@#$*%$#!!!" someone on the other end was cursing very very loudly and kangta winced.
"yes....mr lee....i understand, but......okies, i'll be back soon....."he hung up the phone, looking very troubled and irritated. "lee soo man wants me back now...he sed he has something important to discuss with me......and he wants to see shina also...."
we were silent for awhile. "so what do u think?" kangta asked shina gently. "it's ok if u dun wanna....."
"no, oppa, "shina shook her head. "i'll always be behind u in everything to do, and dis time is no exception......we'll face dis together.....let's go....."
kangta hugged her, touched. "thanks, shina....u have no idea how much dis means to me........"
*********************************************
* outside SM company*
"darn....the crowd looks scary, " i commented as i nudged minwoo awake. he had been sleeping soundly against my shoulder, oblivious to everyone's worry and tension.
"mmh???....oh wow!!!"he exclaimed when he saw the hundreds of pple outside the company. "kang ta! kang ta!!! kang ta!!!"they were shouting as they stomped their feet and waved banners. some fans were crying uncontrollably as the security guards tried to control the crazy mob.......
"i'm scared, "shina whispered into kangta's ear. he hugged her assuringly but he looked kinda afraid himself.....
"okies, let's get out of the car....eric and minwoo will cover kangta while daph and i will cover shina....we'll go by the back entrance....." i sed, hopping out of the car.
we made it inside the building successfully, and took the lift to the highest level where lee soo man's office was located.
the pretty secretary ushered us into his office. his room was dim with dark wooden furniture.....he was sitting on his leather armchair, dressed in black, puffing at his cigar....he raised an eyebrow when we entered.......
" so, kangta, which one is shina? is dat her? "he pointed his cigar at me.
i shook my head and pushed shina forward instead. she gulped, as she stammered, " err...hi....mr....lee..."
"so u're shina....." his lips curved into a small smile. "very pretty gal...no wonder our kangta is so crazy over u....."
she blushed and kangta squeezed her hand lovingly.
"ok, i'll get straight to the point......u know dat somehow it got out dat u guys are dating right??? and h.o.t fans aren't very pleased about dis news, as u can see from the fuss they're making outside.......i know dis is really hard on u guys.....after all, all youngsters date, but kangta is different....he's a star!!! his life is open to the public...and h.o.t cannot afford to lose their popularity over dis small issue.....so i gonna ask u guys to keep ur romance under wraps.....u can still go ahead seeing each other, but don't make it too obvious ok? keep it as discreet as possible....we dun want the media catching u guys and writing stuff again.......is dat understood??"
shina let out a sigh of relief while kangta beamed. "sure, mr lee.....for a second i thought u wanted us to break up or something.....i was so worried......."
lee soo man laughed heartily. "nah, i'm not such a cold-blooded monster.....sure i might be tough on u guys sometimes but i know how it feels like to be in love....and i'll never ever break up a loving couple.....esp u guys....u know i treat u like my son, kangta......."
"thanks, mr lee...." kangta sed gratefully as they shook hands. "i won't let u down...."
we left the place in high spirits. "great!!! everything's settled!!!"i cheered, hugging shina.
shina and kangta shared a kiss. "yeah, i'm so glad everything's fine....."
"hey, as celebration, let's take the day off okies?"i suggested. i was dead tired after all this hoo-ha and anyways, queenie would be tending the shop...
"great!!!" shina sed happily. "then i can spend more time with my darling...."
"yeah, and we can be together also....." minwoo sed, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my cheek.......
we sed our goodbyes and went our separate ways. as we were nearing minwoo's apartment, we caught sight of a huge bunch of reporters outside the building......
"hey, wat's happening?"i asked, as the reporters fought, craning their necks to get a better view of the inside, and making a huge commotion....
"yeah, i've had enuff excitement for todae...."minwoo groaned, as he drew me closer. "i juss wanna be with my sweetheart...."
" i think mabbe it's dat actress who stays above me....."he added. "she's involved in some scandal now....they reported dat she's having a torid affair with some 75 year old millionaire......"
"wow, u're really informed huh...."i giggled. "well, let's juss try and make our way thru......" we headed for the crowded entrance.
"excuse me....excuse me....." i sed in a loud voice as i jostled with the reporters, all the while holding minwoo's hand.
" LEE MIN WOO!!!" the paparazzi yelled excitedly and we were blinded by sudden camera flashes. all of them surged forward at the same time, and pushed micophones at minwoo, pushing me to the corner rudely......
"hey hey!!!"i cried, annoyed.
"mr lee, do u have anything to say?" a petite lady reporter asked him excitedly in a high-pitched voice.
"huh? what must i say? what's happening?" minwoo asked, confused, as the stars from the camera flashes swirled around him, making him totally dazed.
" about ur father!!!" a tall burly guy shouted out from the back.
"what about my father??" minwoo was getting very impatient.
" ur father suffered a sudden heart attack last nite and was hospitalised!!!! he's in really critical condition now! and his company shares are dipping like crazy!! i'm sure u're aware of dis, aren't u, mr lee?"
chapter 17
minwoo was dumbfounded as he stared at the bunch of reporters blankly. they were looking at him and whispering amongst themselves.
"damn...u mean he doesn't know anything?"
"we came all the way for nothing!!!"
"let's go!" the reporters grunted as they made to leave.
"hey, wait!"minwoo called out anxiously. "which hospital is he in?"
most of the reporters ignored him, no longer interested as they had failed to get a scoop ( the meanies!), but the excited petite lady reporter answered, "mount alvernia....."
"thanks," minwoo smiled weakly as i hugged him tightly.
"dun worry, henry'll be fine.....let's go to the hospital now ok?"
"but i dunno whether he'll wanna see me.....what if he gets agitated and his condition worsens at the sight of me? "
"i dun think so...anyways, it's better than juss sitting around here worrying right? and i'm sure u wanna see how he is...." i kissed his nose.
minwoo thought for awhile, before he heaved a sigh. "okies, let's go......"
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* at the hospital *
"fuck, i've never been so nervous before....what if he hates me? what if he asks me to get lost? what if....." minwoo panicked. i placed my finger on his lips.
"shush, dun worry so much....everything will be fine....hey, wait here while i get a flower basket for him......" i walked into the nearby gift shop and chose some yellow sunflowers , while minwoo paced about outside nervously.
he took out a cigarette and reached for his lighter, when a nurse spoke up, "sir, no smoking pls...."
he stared at his cigarette in surprise. "oh sorrie.....damn, what's the matter with me? i dunno what i'm doing....damnit...."
"minwoo, relax....it's gonna be ok, " i sed softly as we walked towards henry's room. from far, we could hear nancy's familiar cries and wails and i smiled to myself.....even minwoo was chuckling.
i pushed open the door. henry was lying in bed, looking very tired and weak....drips were attached to his frail body....nancy was holding his hand and hollering.....and dongwan was sitting on the armchair. he frowned in displeasure when he saw me and minwoo but kept silent........
"MINWOO!!!"nancy wailed as she ran towards us and hugged minwoo tightly. "my babY!!!"
"mum......."he caressed her big curly hair, as tears came into eyes. it pained him to see his usually-cheerful mother so upset......
"hey, why is she here?" nancy asked suspiciously.
" we're going out for reals now...."minwoo sed, reaching for my hand and drawing me closer. dongwan snorted as he looked at minwoo in hatred.
"hi , mrs lee...." i smiled.
nancy was still eyeing me in disbelief. "no way, son....isn't she going out with dat bastard over there? " she pointed an accusing finger at dongwan. " minwoo, dun lie to me!!! she's with dat jerk! she's one of them! they wanna see our family break apart!!! she's evil!!!"
henry coughed. " lee min woo.... * wheeze*.......u unfilial brat!!! how dare u lie to us again??? u seriously dun think we're dumb enuff to be taken in!!! u're such a * wheeze* disgrace!"
"daddy.......i'm not lying!" minwoo protested, shaking his head.
"yes, mr lee....we're really going out! " i added.
minwoo walked over to henry's bedside and knelt down. he reached for his father's wrinkled hands, which were attached to a web of tubes. "daddy.." he started softly. " daddy, i'm sorry for lying to u in the past...for being such a lousy son....i'm sorrie, i really am....but i've changed......please forgive me....
and liz and i are really together......it's not a fling or a pretence....i really love her alot...."
henry stared at minwoo for awhile, with a questioning look in his dark brown eyes, as though trying to read into his soul. minwoo's eyes were watery, and they reflected all the pain and regret he felt inside. henry smiled faintly, as he reached out to hug minwoo.
" minwoo, my son, even though u might have disappointed me in the past, but in my heart, u'll always be my beloved son...and nothing can change that fact.....welcome back, minwoo......" a teardrop trickled down his wrinkled cheeks
minwoo hugged his father even tighter, sobbing. from dat second onwards, he resolved to start afresh......gone was all the bitterness, the arrogance, the fearless nature......in its place was softness and kindness....dis was the true minwoo....and dis was the turning point of his life.......
dongwan looked on, jealously. he got up immediately, and stormed out of the room, without a word, slamming the door behind him.
henry, nancy and minwoo beamed at each other, as they engulfed each other in a warm bearhug. "my baby......"nancy sobbed, as she hugged minwoo tightly, making him choke.
juss then, the door swung open. "hi, mr lee, are u feeling better today?"a handsome doctor stood at the doorway, smiling.
"hi, dr ahn, " henry greeted him cheerfully, as he tried to get up. "yes, i'm feeling much better now * wheeze*"
dr ahn walked over and flipped thru the pages of henry's medical report dat was hanging at the foot of the bed. " well, mr lee, according to ur medical tests, there's nothing severely wrong with u......it was juss a minor heart attack....u can be discharged tomorrow......but juss remember to take ur medicine regularly, and have more rest and watch ur diet....and most importantly, do not stress urself out ok, and try to control ur emotions......."
henry smiled, "no problem, doctor....."
dr ahn nodded, pleased. "oh, and there's another thing i'm not sure whether i should tell u........" his voice trailed off, and he looked at us uncertainly.
"go ahead...."henry encouraged him. "what's the matter?"
"okies, it's like dis....."dr ahn took a deep breath. "last nite, when u were hospitalised , we had to give u a blood transfusion cos u were anaemic........so ur older son, dongwan, agreed to donate some of his blood......." nancy snorted at the mention of dongwan, while henry urged the doctor on.
"what happened? " he asked anxiously.
"the problem is.....his blood doesn't match.......urs is B postive, while dongwan's blood is O........"
we stared back in shocked silence, before henry finally stammered, "what...what....do u mean? his blood type doesn't match?"
dr ahn shook his head apologetically. " i'm sorrie to be the bearer of bad news....but dat's the truth....we checked many times....and we even did a DNA testing........nothing matches..in other words, kim dongwan is NOT ur son, mr lee..."
henry looked as though he was gonna faint any second...his eyelids fluttered and he clutched his chest, nearly falling back. minwoo reached out to support the old man immediately.
nancy smirked, "so henry, dis is what u get for acknowledging some stranger as ur real son! did u hear dat? HE'S NOT UR SON!!!gawd....has old age got to u or something?? u muddled old man!!! ur brain is all fogged up!" she rapped him smartly on the head angrily and he blinked, still in a state of shock.
"dongwan is not my son.......he's not my son.....i made a mistake....how can dis be? how can dis be? no no no no no......" henry shook his head vehemently as tears came into his eyes. he suddenly got hysterical and started tugging at the bedsheets violently.
"henry lee! u are such a fool!!!! how can u be so stupid and blind!!! to jump to such conclusions and acknowledge a complete stranger without any proof! ackkkk~~~~!!!!!!!!"
nancy looked on, scared, as henry jumped on the bed and yelled, hitting his chest in frustration. all the tubes snapped from their support and fell into a pile at his bedside......
"nurses!!! get me some sedatives!!!!" hollered dr ahn, as he tried to grab the old man. henry hit out hysterically, and boxed dr ahn squarely in the eye. "ahhhhh!!!! i can't seeee!!!" dr ahn screamed as he released his grip and cupped his bruised eye in pain. "ahhhh!!!! everything's gone black!"with dat, he konked out on the floor.
a plump elderly matron ran into the room, and gasped as she saw what had happened. she grabbed henry firmly with all her might,and shouted into his ear, " STOP DIS! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF BUSTER!!!!" and pulled out a huge syringe loaded with some yellow liquid. nancy gasped at the sight of the scary syringe and fainted on the spot. the matron laughed evilly as she plunged the syringe deep down into henry's bottom. "aiiieeeeee!!!!"henry yelped, clutching his butt as his eyes rolled over and he collapsed onto the bed, snoring away. the matron smirked, pleased, as she kept her syringe and dragged the unconscious dr ahn out of the room, huffing and puffing as she went.
juss then, dongwan appeared at the door. "wat's the big commotion about?" he asked, frowning in displeasure when he saw everything in a mess and nancy on the floor.
"dr ahn juss came in with the blood test results......" i sed softly.
dongwan's face turned ash white and he stared back in disbelief. obviously, he had already been informed about the results............."so?" he asked faintly.
minwoo smirked. "dat means we've found out u're not one least related to our family.......i bet u knew dis long ago huh....so juss cut the pretence and fuck off!"
dongwan glared at him. " look, i never wanted to be part of dis family anyways! it was ur stupid father who insisted dat i was his son! and now u're blaming me for dis mistake?"
i tugged at minwoo's arm gently. "forget it......i dun think he wanted all dis to happen either....it's really not his fault....u can't blame him......"
juss then, henry stirred and spoke out in a weak voice. "minwoo......dun blame dongwan......it's all my fault......dongwan, come here....." he motioned dongwan forward weakly.
"dongwan, "he wheezed, reaching for his hand. "i'm sorry for all dis.....for making such an unforgiveable mistake......i'm sorry....."
dongwan laughed bitterly as he snatched his hand back. "well, i managed perfectly fine for 21 years without a father......i'm pretty sure i'll survive without you now..." with dat, he strode out of the room. even though he tried to act cool about it, i knew he was upset....ever since young, his dream was to have a complete, happy family....when henry acknowledged him, it was like a dream come true...but juss a quickly, his dream bubble had burst and floated away.........i wanted to chase after him, but something held me back........dat was the very last i saw of him........
as henry sighed and closed his eyes again, nancy woke up. "ooHH, i have a splitting headache!!!" she fumbled to get up, rubbing her aching forehead. at the sight of henry fast asleep, she jumped and ran towards minwoo. "baby! u're father's dead! juss now dat fat bitch wanted to inject him with some enormous syringe!"
"no, mummy, daddy's juss asleep....they had to calm him down juss now..he was getting too panicky....." minwoo explained, laughing.
"ohhh......"nancy breathed in relief as she walked over cautiously. she sat down at his bedside and stroked henry's cheek lovingly. chuckling, she sed, "ur father looks so sweet when he's asleep.......u know something, son? when i found out dat ur father was unfaithful to me, i seriously felt my heart break into two.....it was dat painful.....but i told myself to forgive him, to give him another chance...on account of him being a good husband and father for so many years....and i know dat it will hurt me even more if i left him......i really can't live without him....when u truly love a person, nothing else matters....u can overlook all his flaws, all his past wrongdoings, cos ur love is dat strong, dat secure......u wanna be there with him every second of the day, sharing his life, sharing his happiness and grief.....to dedicate every second of ur life and every fibre of ur being to him.....dat's what true love is....." she smiled sadly, as a tear trickled down her cheek.
minwoo and i were touched and tears spilled down my cheeks also. i had never seen nancy so sentimental before....all along, i had only experienced her wacky, crazy side, but now i was filled with admiration and respect for her......to be able to love unconditionally.....dat was something i was not capable of doing juss yet.....
"and minwoo? " she turned towards minwoo. "u're the greatest thing dat ever happened to ur daddy and me........we love u....remember dat......"
minwoo smiled thru his tears, as he hugged nancy tightly. "i miss hyesung also..."she sobbed. "i'm so sorrie for treating him so badly in the past....u guys are the best sons anyone could ever wish for.......i should have supported his choice, i should have loved him unconditionally......he faces enough pressure from the outside world, from our ruthless society, and i had to contribute to his sadness......he must feel so betrayed and alone now......hyesung, i'm so sorry......"
"mummy? "a familiar voice spoke up.
we spun around, shocked.
Continue
Chapters 12-14
Chapters 18-20
