I never liked long car rides. Mainly because I get extremely sick on them. But did that stop me from going on a 3 hour car ride to visit my old family home? Nope.
Although I am right now puking the lunch I had out on the side of the road.
"We're about 15 min away. You sure you're good now Rae?" Minjae said from the drivers seat. Brian was there too but as it turns out he also suffers from travel sickness so we were both green faced corpses on this trip.
Lishi was asleep in the backseat to my surprise. She usually cant fall asleep in these places. We did stay up late last night though so that probably was the reason. Well right now shes sleep talking and mumbling about someone stealing her chocolate milk.
"Yeah I'm good now." I replied taking a swig of my water bottle and rinsing my mouth out.
"Your father and I had the same travel sickness, your mother used to have to drive us instead." Brian said smiling to himself, he was excited to get back to show me around. He didnt want to tell me about the family's until I had a chance to look 'at where it all began' so to speak.
We ended up getting there a little behind schedule but we made it after 20 minutes. The road became narrower and soon turned into dirt roads before we made it there.
And it was jaw dropping.
Once the car had gotten past the dirt roads, all the trees and debris had cleared up and we were met with a huge well kept mansion and garden. It looked to have been built over a hundred years prior, but still kept a pristine outside. It looked like a manor home in the UK, but some touches were definitely korean like the hibiscus flowers that were in the garden. A pathway cut through the flowers to the grand front doors, and I could see I'd have thought this place would've been abandoned but Brian did mentioned they kept up with restoring the place once they found out I was alive and well.
There were a few workers tending the garden but the stopped and bowed at us when we exited the car. It was like something out of a fairytale.
Well damn.
"Wow. This is your old home?" Lishi was awake and had been snacking on some seaweed chips. For some reason Lishi and I have been loving this salty snack lately.
"Wow seconded. I've heard of this place but I've never been here." Yun spoke as he got our bags from the car. Oh right almost forgot our bags. We weren't going to stay long but Brian says we needed a change in outfit for a dinner tonight.
I've been strangely calm about all this. Honestly for a moment I didn't want to believe Brian when he told me of my family history, well the brief bit he shared. I also will be introduced to the meat head guys from before, who apparently didn't know I was meant to be unharmed. I call bullshit but either way they're already on my bad side.
I was lost in thought for a moment when I was practically rugby tackled to the floor by a large dog. A hefty newfoundland who was cuddling me like crazy. I had the wind knocked out of me but I remembered this sensation weirdly.
"LALA COME BACK HERE!" I managed to pock my head out of the fluffy fur coat to see a guy around my age pulling the dog away.
What was strange is he looked like me. Like a lot like me.
"Sorry about her she never acts like this around strangers." He said pulling me up. I dusted myself off and examined the dog for a moment when I felt a memory come to mind.
18 years ago...
"Rae! Jaemin! Come to the kitchen kids!" I came bounding down the stairs of the huge mansion with another kid, Jamie in tow when I heard my mother call for us.
"Yes mom?" I replied when we arrived, with a big grin showing my two missing front teeth. I was 4.... barely a kid.
"We have a surprise for you!" She signalled for someone to come out from behind the doors to the dining room and a man who looked like Jaemin came out holding a large black puppy.
"YOU GOT US A PUPPY?!" Jaemin screamed in excitement and I was yelling similarly too.
"Her name is LuLu, she'll be yours." The man said kneeling down to our level. We slowly crept up to the puppy and I took my favourite blanket that was in my hand and put it over her.
"LuLu. You're going to be my bestest friend ever."
"Rae? Rae!" Lishi waving a hand over my face pulled me out of the memory. She handed me a tissue and pointed to my face. I quickly touched my face to notice I was crying.
"LuLu?" I asked kneeling down to pet the dog.
"LuLu passed away a few years ago, this is LaLa one of her litter." I looked up and noticed the guy who looked like me matched the little boy in my memory.
"Jaemin?" His eyes widened in surprise.
"You remember me?" He replied in shock.
"You're Jaemin, I remember you there when we got LuLu... you were a lot shorter back then though thats for sure." His laugh broke the cloud of sadness that felt like it was gonna choke me. I definitely remember that ringing laughter. If I remember him, what else can I recover from this place?
Jaemin was more than glad to explain things in a less formal way than Brian. I liked him well enough but he was stiffer than a plank of wood. Whilst we walked to the entrance he told us what our parents did for a living, and why I left.
"Your mom and dad used to run a protection agency. Like covert bodyguards, they worked with royalty and presidents etc. All high profile stuff."
Wow. My heart actually swelled with admiration. My parents were the stuff any kid dreamed of. It was a family run business until they decided to expand. But once they did it started to go south with a business partner and they left, leaving the business to Uncle Gi (Jaemin's dad) to run.
"Unfortunately your parents got into an accident on your way back from Yun's birthday party. I remember even being there helping out with the funeral preparations..." he looked so remorseful recalling that day, it hurt me too but I had to know more. Although with everything I've been noticing, my parents dying in an accident does sound off.
"I'm afraid to ask but how do you know it was an accident?" Yun spoke for the first time in a while. He was right, I want some proof theyre actually gone and it was an accident.
"I was in the car with them." We all turned to see an older man who walked in with a limp. Brian immediately went over and helped him walk more steadily towards us.
Uncle Gi? But this man....half his face looked scarred from a burn... like he escaped death but barely.
"Uncle?" I questioned with wide eyes. He nodded.
"Its your old man Gi." He grinned looking at me, full of energy which was unlike his looks.
"Your parents only died because there was a drunk in the road. The driver had to swerve and we all barely got out. Your mother," he sucked in a breath, "she died on impact. Your father was so heartbroken he succumbed to his injuries and died shortly after in the hospital."
"What happened to me?" I asked, I've went through so much and now I have some answers.
I'm unravelling the biggest mystery of my life.
"You were so strong, even though you were on deaths door you practically crawled your way to try and call for help. I got lucky I only lost a leg, but you...we never saw you after you went to get help. We thought you were gone and we spent years looking never stopping until we saw a woman, you, arrive in Korea with a face that matched your mother almost exactly." He rolled up his left pant leg as he spoke revealing the prosthetic that started at the knee. He's also been through a lot.
We all have.
"Just one more question. When I was found I had a brand of our family business on me, like how youd brand cows kind of burn. Do you know anything about it?
Brian, Jaemin and Uncle Gi looked at me with extreme amusement.
"I remember that. We were hanging out on a farm whilst our parents were doing boring grown up talks. We found a hot iron and thought it was like paint. Your screaming confirmed it was not paint but just burning hot red metal." Jaemin finished with a little laugh.
Of course I'd do something like that, if I haven't injured myself in the weirdest ways I wouldn't be Rae. The thought made me giggle a bit.
"Well this has been interesting." Lishi said from her spot next to me as she'd been listening to us the entire time.
"No doubt it has, we can tell you more family stories over dinner with the group."
The group? Who's the group?
Turns out the group was a bunch of guys and girls that lived and worked for the mansion and family business. Family friends who's families we've apparently known for decades. They were all so excited to see me it broke my heart to not remember them. All in all there were about 20 of them total not including Brian, Jaemin and Uncle Gi. The two meathead guys from last time were there and couldn't stop apologising for their actions and after an earful from Lishi (who still had them on her hitlist) we settled into a discussion on who's who and all that jazz. It was wild seeing everyone talking over each other and I felt a little drowned in the noise. Yun noticed I was getting a little overwhelmed by it all and decided to take me outside for a breath of fresh air. Once we got out there I took a deep breath and sighed in relief.
"Quite a reveal isn't it?" Yun spoke after I had a chance to enjoy the breeze.
"It is, I'm glad there's no huge cliche where I find out they're like the mafia or something." Yun snorts at my words.
"Your mom couldn't even hurt a fly if she wanted to. Your dad was a real hard ass though. I remember we were having a sleepover once and he came in and parked himself in between us as if he was stopping any preteen shenanigans." His smile was beating as he went over the memory with me. I can feel vague bits of what he said so I wasn't completely lost....I just wish he (and everyone else) didn't have to suffer so much for me.
"Yun, about our childhood together." He had an 'uh oh' face and nodded in anticipation.
"I can feel the love and care you have, and honestly I wish I could remember the old me and you but they're gone. The you I see here is my brother figure, and I'll always care for you too." I scooted over and wrapped him up in a hug. He hugged back tight enough to almost hurt.
"Its okay I understand Rae. The past is the past, I mean I won't say I don't have feelings for you cause that would be a bold faced lie but I want the Rae of today to find her happiness, and I'll find mine."
A conversation like rational calm adults mightve been the weirdest thing I've done so far. I've had enough chases and annoyances to last me a lifetime. Now I can go back to the guys, and my life as their manger and my book deal. I can't wait.
"No more crazy plots. No more weird people coming after me. Speaking of which, is Seunghyun someone hired by my family or is he independent." Yun sighed.
"I've tired looking into him but everything is locked behind the toughest encryptions I've ever seen. He sounds like a stalker but... he's strange."
"A stalker.... maybe." I replied mulling over my thoughts. Unless....
"Unless Seohyun is involved with him." Yun voiced my thoughts that I didn't want to hear.
It would make sense....but why would Seohyun be after me? It doesn't make sense to me.
But somethings been gnawing at me for a while. Almost all of my questions have been answered but....
What is Seunghyun's mission?