Jin-Ae's POV:
"We are very sorry for the trouble the article has caused and the actions of our publishers, photographers, etcetera." Apologised Mrs Yang sincerely as a waiter carrying a tray of drinks came and I declined his offer since I did not want to risk drinking anything which could harm the baby.
"It's fine, you have already removed the article, so all is forgiven," I replied, and the others nodded in agreement.
"By the way, could you please give this to Mae Kyung Mi?" asked Mr Yang as he gestured for a worker to bring a colourfully decorated paper bag from a nearby table.
"Sure." Said Mi Young since she was the closest to the worker, she reached out to grab the bag but let out a huff as her hand dropped a little lower and she gripped tightly onto the handle.
"This is heavy. What's in it?" chuckled Mi Young curiously before giving the bag to Ha Joon who's eyes raised in surprise at the heavyweight.
"It's a surprise. Inside there are gifts for each one of you." Smiled Mrs Yang at the wheels spinning in our heads.
"Thank you so much!" exclaimed Baek Hyeon excitedly.
"It's no big deal since our company started a few problems." Shrugged Mr Yang.
I smiled gratefully and relaxed against Ha Joon while he held my hand in his. I let my eyes close for a few seconds and let my other hand rest gently on my stomach.
***
"Jin-Ae, wake up, we're here." Whispered a deep masculine voice as I felt something lightly shake me awake. My hand quickly protectively moved to my stomach, but I removed it when I recognised the voice to be Ha Joon's.
I blinked and saw that everyone had gotten out of the car except for Ha Joon who sat next to me and was trying to wake me up. I thought we were still at the lounge.
"You were fast asleep, so I carried you here. Now come because you have to eat dinner." Chuckled Ha Joon at my confused expression.
"What do you mean I have to eat dinner? I'm not that hungry," I said, and he huffed in annoyance.
Suddenly his hands were wrapped around me and I was lifted and out of the car in bridal-style. He set me back down on my feet whilst I yawned.
"It's your favourite, Japanese food." Bribed Ha Joon and I grinned as he led me into the restaurant. He pulled a chair for me to sit before sitting on the chair next to me and chuckled as I stifled back another yawn.
"She'll have spicy beef teppanyaki which comes with the California maki in the set." Ordered Ha Joon for me since I had zoned out for a second. I shot him a grateful look and he blushed a little. I do not know what we are... ever since the Seojun thing, Ha Joon has always been there for me, but he just thinks of me as a friend right? I got lost in my thoughts as I absently stared at my food.
Baek Hyeon's POV:
How am I supposed to tell them? I cannot, but I must! But do I have to tell them tonight? But there is only a week left! My mind raced with thoughts as I read my menu.
"Green tea please." Said Jae Sang casually to the waitress. Our eyes wandered through the menu as I nervously tapped my foot against the wooden floor and glanced around in worry as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of my head.
"What's wrong Baek Hyeon-ah?" asked Jae Sang with concern as he poured me a glass of chilled green tea to unwind after our hectic day.
"Yea, you've been acting weird the entire day." Said Mi Young as she eyed me suspiciously.
"You can tell us anything- "spoke Ha Joon with sincerity, but I abruptly cut him off.
"I'M LEAVING!" I blurted out loudly while standing up and everyone froze. All the conversations stopped, the workers froze half-way while serving other tables and even the crazy chef which kept of chopping salmon loudly stopped chopping and stared at me. I gulped and sat down while using my menu to cover my face, soon after that everything resumed.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" asked Jin-Ae heartbreakingly vulnerable tone.
"Y-Yes, my Dad is bringing me to stay in America with him, because we have to expand the business," I mumbled as their eyes widened in realisation.
"How long are you going to stay there?" asked Mi Young who seemed weirdly calm, but it made me feel better to know that not all of them were panicking.
"Forever I think," I whispered as my bottom lip quivered and I felt tears brim in my eyes.
"Will you be happy?" asked Mi Young softly and I nodded. The new school has more diversity and seems to have more facilities and better education, I was supposed to be happy. My Dad's company, which will soon be mine, will expand and have branches all over Europe. But it would still be a little lonely and I will miss my crazy group of friends...
"Yes, I will be," I answered, and she inhaled sharply.
"Do you have to go? Can't you stay? Can't your Dad go by himself?" asked Jin-Ae with her voice thick and layered with emotions.
"I can't, it's my responsibility as heir to the Jin family and the company," I said, and they all looked at me expectantly.
"Look, I need to do this,
"How long until you leave?" asked Ha Joon with wide eyes and his hand comfortingly squeezed Jin-Ae's hand in his.
"A week," I started remembering my flight tickets and the important details, but my train of thought was cut off when I saw Jae Sang taking in short breaths and his eyes were glossy with tears.
"What's wrong?" I asked in panic as he quickly grabbed his glass and poured himself more green tea which he gulped down.
"Too much wasabi!" he exclaimed as he massaged his nose and tried to get rid of the stinging and tingling sensation by eating a piece of Mi Young's rice and salmon sushi.
"I told you not too much too much into your soy sauce." Stated Mi Young with an eye roll as she took Jae Sang's saucer and gave him her saucer which had no wasabi in it. Mi Young dipped her piece of sushi into the sauce with lots of wasabi and ate it calmly as Jae Sang sheepishly grinned and returned his attention to his bowl of Udon.
"Are you leaving or is it just a prank?" asked Jin-Ae suspiciously as she tried to cloud away her worry.
"I am leaving, I have no choice ok. It's either I go, or my sister goes, but she has already made a life here with friends, a boyfriend and she wouldn't be taken seriously in the company- "I explained.
"Because she is a girl." Cut in Jin-Ae as her gaze drifted away from me and she looked like she was deep in her thoughts and travelling through her memories.
Jin-Ae's Flashback:
"Why can't I just become an artist?! There are so many- "cried Jin-Ae as she chased after her mother who was walking to her closet. Her mother grabbed a few pairs of shorts and T-shirts.
"This isn't appropriate attire. She should have more dresses with long sleeves and the skirts should be below knee length." Her mother noted as an assistant rapidly scribbled down note.
"But Mom- "
"She needs to look sophisticated, not like a roadside slut! What will her husband think?" commented her mother as she took away an off the shoulder hoodie.
"Mom this isn't the 17 hundred- "
"Isn't she a bit young for you to be planning her marriage days?" mumbled the assistant, but quickly bit her tongue back when she received an ice-cold glare from Mrs Lee. The assistant quickly found her pace in her notes and was reminded of her place in the society, so while keeping her head low she continued noting down whatever Mrs Lee was saying.
"Mother, why can't I choose who I want to marry? Why is it that us women must only act as child-bearers and nothing else?" Asked Jin-Ae, but her questions were answered with a cold hard slap.
"Learn your place in this world child. The sooner you learn, the better." Said Mrs Lee pointedly with her narrow-minded thoughts and cold eyes which sent a frightening shiver down everyone's spine.
End of Flashback
"Ughhh why can't you just stay Oppa?!" grumbled Mi Young who looked conflicted and in deep thought.
(A/N Oppa is a kind of way to say 'older brother' in Korean and it is meant for younger females to call males who are older than them.)
"Know your place, Mi Young." The words slipped out of Jin-Ae and even she looked a little shocked as we all gave her a confused stare, but Mi Young laughed it off and stole a piece of Ha Joon's prawn tempura.
"Hey that's mine!" exclaimed Ha Joon as he used his chopsticks to grab back the piece of deep-fried flour-covered prawn.
"You snooze you lose." Chuckled Jin-Ae as she also used her chopsticks and tried to take away to prawn, but Jae Sang also held onto the prawn with his chopsticks.
"Baek Hyeon-ah! Help me get my prawn back!" begged Ha Joon as Mi Young pulled the piece closer towards her plate and I watched in amusement.
"Hey, what the fish are you doing?!" shrieked Mi Young and Jae Sang started moving the prawn towards his plate instead.
"Did you think I was helping you?" asked Jae Sang as he feigned a shocked expression and Mi Young glared at him in annoyance.
"Jae Sang- ah! What are you doing?" asked a familiar matured feminine voice, we all turned our heads to see Jae Sang's mother staring at us in confusion.
"W-Well mother I..." mumbled Jae Sang, but his voice trailed off when Mi Young successfully took the prawn out of their clutches, dipped it in soy sauce and ate it.
"Were you fighting for that small piece of prawn?" asked his mother sceptically, but we could sense that there was laughter in her eyes.
"Maybe..." chuckled Jae Sang nervously as his mother's warm laughter filled our ears as we noticed that she delicately held a petite light blue box decorated with a white silk sash.
"What's this for?" asked Jin-Ae in confusion as Mrs Yang excitedly gave the box to Jin-Ae.
"Something for the baby." She winked as we all were left star-struck.
"H-How did you- "stuttered Jin-Ae with shock.
" You may not have noticed it, but I saw how your hand would always wonder and touch your stomach protectively and also when a teen declines a chance at drinking alcohol, I knew something was up." Smiled Mrs Yang brightly as she leaned to Jin-Ae's ear.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She whispered and gave Jin-Ae a knowing glance. Then she turned to walk away, but stopped and spun on her heel so she was facing us again, but instead, she was sceptically looking at all the dishes on the table and a frown placed itself on her face.
"By the way, I would advise you not to eat too much spicy food, because it can increase the heartburn." She warned with a motherly tone and Ha Joon made a mental note of that and quickly took away Jin-Ae's untouched spicy beef teppanyaki and replaced it with his non-spicy dish instead.
"Thank you for everything." Grinned Jin-Ae at Mrs Yang and Ha Joon before Jae Sang's mom left.
***
We were all eating dessert, but Mi Young kept on curiously glancing at the bag full of gifts. Jae Sang quietly ate his chocolate dorayaki while Jin-Ae while Ha Joon shared a plate of peanut butter mochi and I ate a slice of cheesecake.
"Can we open it?" asked Mi Young as she reached out for the bag, but Ha Joon pulled it out of her reach.
"Not here. Not now." Said Ha Joon as we all returned our attention to the dessert, but Mi Young just played with her milk pudding and kept her gaze on the presents.
"Can I open mine?" she asked since she had already finished her dessert before the rest of us.
"Yeah sure." Answered Jae Sang before we could protest about how the wrapping would make a mess.
"Woah! I love your mom..." sighed Mi Young dreamily after she opened the packaging and got a glimpse of her present.
Later at night:
RING RING
"Hello?" I asked as I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eye.
"Hi, Baek Hyeon-ah! How are you? How is my darling Jin-Ae?" asked a voice which belonged to someone which I now hate.
"Seojun?" I whispered back in fear.
-TBC…