Lee Yuri, daughter of Lee Shin do, Founder of Yu Shin Group the biggest cosmetic brand in South Korea. My father gained immense popularity with natural cosmetic brands , raised a whole YS empire with his trustworthy partners. But along with making good friends and building good relationships he also grew hate around himself with plenty of enemies who would turn down to any lowly step just to bring him down. He was well aware of this situation and thus kept us, me and mom far away from media limelight. Never did he mention a word about his family in public, and as a result no one ever knew about our existence. But once a media launching of YS product proved to be fatal for us, he stepped on the stage and an anonymous person from the crowd threw our family pictures in Dad's direction. The business world was full of furious reactions, which also followed by the media approaching our house and harassing my Mom with stupid questions. Things were getting more worse with baseless rumors rising up as the days passed by and YS shares hit the lowest floor, making the company go bankrupt. The very last blow from our biggest enemy was that night when he destroyed my family, assassinated them in front of my eyes while Dad had kept me hidden inside the store room. I couldn't even see the face of Murderer, all I could see was his legs…his limp walking….His shoes covered with mud…And his green eyes when he tried peeping inside the store room. Maybe he couldn't spot me in dark, and left the house leaving my parents on the verge of death lying down in a pond of blood. As I stepped outside the store room, I ran towards the bedroom….and found my mom counting her last breathe… Dad was lying down unconsciously, Mom lifted her hand and held me tightly…took the promise from me to stay alive and her soul left her body…Forever… Lee Yuri, was left abandoned on the streets… Business was overtaken by the so called trustworthy partners and I had no way but to leave the house, and stay underground hiding my identity��� My survival was completely depended on my hidden identity, No one must ever find Lee Yuri was Lee Shin do's only daughter, potential successor of YS group…
But today…Daniel called me Lee Yuri… My father and me , both of us had kept no clue about my identity…then, how could he know my real name?? And what is he training me for? Who exactly is Shim Daniel? A CEO of Moon bar and resorts empire? A depressed lonely man? Or a mysterious person with dark secrets in his heart??
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1:00 PM
I entered the living room after taking shower. A turquoise blue one piece was placed on the table, with pair of black metal earrings and white pencil heels. I had no experience in wearing such pointed heels, still I was not left with any choice but to wear them. I came down the building after getting dressed up, and walked inside the pool park. But there was no one present there, I started looking around for Junho or anyone who could actually help me tell what this secret training was all about. As I couldn't see anyone around the pool, I decided to go towards the botanical garden and try searching for human presence…
"Are they kidding me? Why would they call me here all dolled up when there's not a single person in this hotel???" I grumbled and sat down on the grass.
"So this is how behave when you don't find the person of your favor??" A female voice came behind me and pulled me up grabbing my shoulders.
She looked gorgeous, the most attractive woman I may have ever seen… Oh no…Isn't she the one who's gonna train me?? Maya… Yes she's Maya… I bowed down to her and greeted her in most polite way.
"Wow, you know bowing down to people?? Your boss has described you in the worst possible way…A reckless, nasty, a person with no self-care.. Something like that? Aren't you that same Rose Lee ?" She said with a wide smile on her face but those words pricked me as if they were thorns.
"I'm a student, obviously I have to be well versed with basic manners. And after all, you're here to teach me, so you deserve my respect Sonsaengnim [Teacher] " I said while my eyes were on the ground.
"Hmm, good…And you can call me Maya, honorifics are not required. Come walk with me." She signaled me to walk in front of her. But as I was unused to walking in pencil heels, she kept glancing at my feet struggling to walk even few steps.
"Oh, I see…you should've just told me, wait I'll be back in five minutes. No…don't wait here, go and stand on the edge of the swimming pool." Saying this she went away.
I wondered what was going through her head. After few minutes she entered pool area with two books in her hand. Obeying her command I was standing on the edge of pool, she came near me and placed those books over my head. I was pretty much confused with this action, she said "Now, walk on this edge without letting these books fall off your head, learn to balance yourself in these heels. Remember the most important key to achieve this is Patience and keeping your calm. Go, do it." She walked away and sat down on the wooden cane chair spreading her fair legs and leaning down her back on chair. She took away her glasses and looked at me with blank face.
So this is how training was gonna work out, I realized. I placed the books on my head and tried walking few steps but how much ever I tried, either books were falling down or my leg was twisting with heels. This went on at least for next one hour. All I did was to fall down ten times, bruise myself and get up again just to fall down with books. And all Maya did was to keep sitting there staring at me blankly and with few smirks. But at last she had to leave her beloved warm seat and come near me.
"Did you realize your mistake? Or still you're on level zero?" She asked me.
"I don't know…If I concentrate more on walking in heels, books fall down… If I concentrate on balancing books, my feet gets twisted…" I said while removing the heels in frustration.
"Thank god, you've at least passed level zero….Give me those heels and books, I'll show you." She wore the shoes and placed books on head, walked in a straight line without any distraction and perfectly balancing between heels and books.
"Rose…This is how you should keep your calm in dangerous situations. Have patience immersed within each and every cell of your body. You should focus on both aspects equally, you've got fire like anger but no ice like patience, how are you going to channel your anger to do something productive? Learn how to cool yourself down, learn to control your emotions in correct way which would benefit you." Maya really gave me the lesson for entire life just with these few words. I realized my mistakes, my hasty decisions….And suddenly reality struck me, If it was not Daniel, I might've ended up in such pathetic situation? He has rescued me from worst possible life…
I took the books in my hand and placed on my head, walked for next one hour with continuous failure, but at last on my 100th try, I covered up the whole circumference of the pool without falling down and with books still placed on my head. On reaching back to the start point, I threw away the books and jumped in extreme joy, ran towards Maya and hugged her while laughing out loudly.
"Maya!!! I did it!! "
"Yes, finally reckless Rose knows how to control her anger." She patted on my head.
But with my over joyfulness, my control over body was lost and while jumping I landed inside the pool with huge splash of water!!!
I knew almost every sport in school except swimming and here I was struggling to get out of water but all my arm flapping went in vain, as I started drowning down in water. But suddenly a strong hand grabbed my hand and pulled me above on water surface. My breathe was lost, but that hand kept hitting my back bringing back my consciousness. I finally spat down water and started breathing, opened my eyes and found myself in Daniel's arms , him hugging me tightly. He saved me…again… Who was he to save me through each and every dangerous situation? Why does he care about me so much? What was his past that was linked to him knowing my real name? Who are you Shim Daniel?? Are we destined to be together like this?? I wondered while he kept giving warmth to my cold body and I kept leaning my head on his shoulders….